In the chambers of Australian democracy, Wednesday's parliamentary session laid bare the perennial tension between policy substance and political positioning, as questions of migration, accountability, and governance collided in ways that revealed as much about the nature of power as about any single issue. The Albanese government, pressed on immigration targets, veterans' healthcare, and a staffer's dismissal, found itself simultaneously defending its record and attempting to recast its opponents as captive to fringe influence. These moments — a treasurer's sharp metaphor, a prime minister's