2026-03-31 3 1 0 House of Reps 0 1

Tuesday, 31 March 2026

The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

BILLS 1 BILLS High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 1

High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026

Reference to Federation Chamber 1 12:00 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I declare that, unless otherwise ordered, the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 stands referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration. BUSINESS 1 BUSINESS Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders 1 12:01 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the whole debate time limit on the motion to take note of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement progress report—Ministerial statement being removed. Question agreed to. Rearrangement 1 12:01 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I move the motion relating to the introduction and passage of a bill in the terms in which it appears on the Notice Paper: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring in relation to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026: (1) debate on the bill continuing after the second reading speech of the Minister; (2) immediately following the conclusion of the discussion of a matter of public importance and the presentation of a delegation report by the Member for Corangamite, if the bill has not passed, debate to resume immediately; (3) at no later than 5.30 pm, any questions necessary to complete the remaining stages of the bill being put, with any message from the Governor-General under standing order 147 being announced, and any detail amendments circulated being treated as if they had been moved [together] by the Member proposing them; and (4) any variation to this arrangement being made only on a motion moved by a Minister. For the benefit of the House, this suspension means the Treasurer would introduce the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 and debate would continue immediately. The speaking times would be as they ordinarily are. We'd be interrupted at 1.30 as usual for 90-second statements followed by question time, the MPI and then a presentation of one delegation report. After that, we'd return to the debate on the fuel excise bill. If we're still continuing at 5.30, at that point all questions before the House would be voted on, and any consideration-in-detail amendments which had been circulated would be treated as though they had been moved. I now welcome the very happy contribution from the Manager of Opposition Business. 12:02 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon I thank the Leader of the House. As you know, I'm always happy and have a wonderful demeanour—except when it comes to the government making a complete hash, a complete mess, of this national fuel crisis. Here we are again having to rush through legislation because the government has been completely and utterly asleep at the wheel. We are going to support this suspension motion, but we say again to the government: please try and get ahead of the game and don't be playing catch-up all the time. People are hurting out there in the community. They're hurting for two reasons: there is no supply of fuel and prices have gone through the roof. Yesterday, the Prime Minister would not tell the Australian people how many fuel stations are out of fuel and how many service stations do not have either diesel or unleaded petrol. You talk about being responsible. In question time, when you're asked the question, front up and give Australians the facts. Why is the Prime Minister hiding the number of service stations that have no fuel? If there's no issue, then be upfront with the Australian people. Mr TEHAN 210911 I'm here every single day, and we asked him twice yesterday. Returning to the suspension motion, it's incredibly important that we do suspend because we need this fuel excise bill brought on. Once again, we're seeing the government following the opposition's lead. We've led on this, and, once again, you very reluctantly have come along, so you're bringing this bill before the House. That's why we need to suspend. I'll give you a couple of quotes which show the reluctance, on the government's side, on this issue: Now, when it comes to the fuel excise, that's not something that we've been considering. Who said that? The Treasurer, on 4 March. Then he said: The point that we've made about that, Andrew, is that it's not something that we've been considering. That's the Treasurer, on 15 March. Then there's this: We haven't taken a decision on the fuel excise, we've got a whole bunch of other ways that we're helping, because the emphasis here is on supply— he won't even give us the figures on that— the emphasis here is on working with the states and territories. That was on 30 March. Then there was this from the Assistant Treasurer: Now, it's interesting last week when this issue was front and centre just about every day, the Opposition didn't raise this issue of the fuel excise once for discussion or debate, and it just seems like today it's been raised as a bit of a thought bubble. So the Assistant Treasurer was calling this legislation a thought bubble on Friday, yet here we are! The government is bringing this bill on. That's why we're supporting this suspension of standing orders. It's critically important. As I said at the start, Australians are hurting. There are supply issues which are being hidden now by the government. They won't be transparent and upfront about them. I say to the Treasurer, when he finally gets to introduce the bill, that he should start by being upfront. Tell us what the situation is at the moment in this country in terms of service stations either with or without fuel. People are about to go on their Easter break, their Easter holidays, and they should know what the current situation is. The second thing the Treasurer should detail for us is what the offsets are. We responsibly listed the offsets so that we wouldn't get inflation from a measure like this. We need to hear from the Treasurer, right here and now, what the offsets are. I can see him smiling, because he doesn't have them, and that's why we should— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! I'll ask the Manager of Opposition Business to pause for a moment. I've been very lenient with this debate. You've had a fairly good go. Let's get back to the pretty specific reasons for this motion today. We'll return to that. Otherwise, we'll have to wrap up. Mr TEHAN 210911 We support the suspension because this bill is necessary to ease the pain and suffering that Australians are feeling at this time. That pain and suffering is real. Every time they go to the bowser—and they'll be doing it a lot in the lead-up to Easter and the school holidays—they are reminded of the incompetence of this government and the appalling way that they have handled this. That's why we must suspend. The government have talked, in their National Fuel Security Plan, about the need to bring measures forward. I'll finish on this note. This is the plan—three flimsy pages. When Australians are hurting and suffering, this is what the government came up with—three flimsy pages. This isn't a plan. This is a political document to get the government out of the mess that they're in. You should do better. We will keep leading on this. I hope you keep following our ideas. That's why we're supporting this suspension motion. Question agreed to. BILLS 2 BILLS Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 2 First Reading 2 Second Reading 2 12:09 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today the Albanese Labor government is introducing the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. This bill will deliver temporary and targeted support to Australian motorists and truckies in a responsible way. The war in the Middle East is battering the global economy. Supply chains have been disrupted, equity markets have been volatile, and inflation is creeping up across the globe. Oil prices today are around twice what they were at the start of 2026 as a result of the conflict. All of this is flowing through to prices at the bowser, and Australians have been left picking up the tab. That is why we are taking steps to help shield them from some of the impacts of this war. As the Prime Minister and I announced yesterday, this bill will temporarily halve the fuel excise for petrol and diesel and facilitate changes to the heavy vehicle road user charge to allow for it to be reduced to zero temporarily. And here I pay tribute to the transport minister for her work in this regard. Halving the fuel excise will cut 26.3c a litre off the cost of petrol and diesel. Including the reduction in the GST component, this will cut the cost of a 65-litre tank of fuel by nearly $19. Reducing the heavy road user charge to zero will save truckies around $130 on a 400-litre tank of fuel. This decision has been welcomed by the trucking industry, with the Australian Trucking Association saying, 'It is the lifeline that small trucking businesses need.' This temporary support will come into effect from tomorrow, but it will take a week or two to flow through to retail prices, and it will end on June 30. Australians understand that this is a short-term measure to deal with immediate and pressing challenges. The scheduled six per cent increase in the road user charge will also be deferred by my colleague, and we have called on relevant states to reflect this delay in their registration fees. By calibrating these measures in a temporary way, we will provide relief while also taking some pressure off the economy more broadly. Treasury estimates these steps may reduce headline inflation by half a percentage point through the year to the June quarter. And while it will incur a cost to the budget, the overwhelming majority of Australians, I think, will see this as money well spent. This bill will also grant the minister for transport powers to vary the heavy vehicle road user charge for the next two years, where necessary. This will ensure the minister has more flexibility to make temporary changes, allowing the heavy vehicle road user charge to be reduced to zero for three months from 1 April 2026 to help truckies and the transport industry. Following discussions at National Cabinet yesterday, the states and territories have also indicated that they are willing to give back some of the extra GST revenue that will flow from higher fuel prices. There are some complexities around how to put that undertaking into effect. While discussions with the states and territories are ongoing, the bill also provides additional flexibility to make further adjustments to the rate of excise if needed to give effect to this undertaking from the states on GST. And I thank them for it. The steps we are taking in this bill today are in addition to all of the actions we have already taken to date, including: Adding hundreds of millions of litres of diesel and petrol by releasing some of our minimum stock obligations. Temporarily reducing the sulphur content standards to ensure more fuel can be sold here in Australia and providing more support to our domestic refineries. Providing more certainty to the private sector by underwriting fuel imports where appropriate. Empowering the ACCC to crack down on misconduct, including by doubling penalties up to $100 million. Our work with the ACCC to authorise major suppliers to get fuel where it's needed in the regions and ramp up fuel price monitoring. And engaging with international partners to strengthen supply chains and fuel security. Our message to Australians is clear. We hear you, we know you are under pressure and we are working to make your life a bit easier right now in the face of all of this global economic uncertainty. The global situation is changing rapidly, but Australians can be assured their government's focus is on easing the cost-of-living pressures in the most responsible way that we can, securing our fuel supply, and getting it where it's needed most. For all of these reasons, I commend this bill to the House. 12:14 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein I'm happy to stand in support of this legislation, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. If you think about Australians looking at the environment of global uncertainty right now, they're looking at global economic conditions; they're looking at, of course, conflict overseas; they're looking at the supply chain factors which have been underestimated by their government; and they're looking, frankly, at the future with a sense of anxiety and concern about where our country is heading, particularly because we had an inflation fire that the government was pouring debt petrol on even before this conflict. The government should have snuffed out the fire of inflation. Instead, they continued to feed it through debt spending. As a consequence, we are going into a very difficult period in our nation's history, weaker than we should be, with inflation that is persistent and undermining and not just corroding wages but leading to spiralling costs, particularly for small businesses and the self-employed, who are heavily exposed to rising costs and already struggling to make ends meet. We have Australians going to supermarkets right now, and they're getting out their red basket or their trolley and wondering whether they can afford the items they need to support themselves and their families, particularly in the lead-up to Easter, traditionally a time of bounty inside a family—and certainly people wishing to do so. We have seafood trucks which are struggling to make ends meet to be able to get food to consumers at a price they can afford. Of course, Australians are going to supermarkets and other small businesses that they want to support, expecting to be able to afford to buy the food that they would ordinarily provide for their family, and there's a big question mark around that. Against that backdrop, every bit of inflationary pressure is forcing the hand of the Reserve Bank. It now looks like the government are daring the Reserve Bank to increase interest rates, rather than what they should be doing, which is snuffing out the inflation fire as best they can. We've already had one interest rate hike this year as a consequence of data from last year. I think most people are now expecting it to increase, tragically. Yesterday, Westpac talked about three potential interest rate hikes this year alone. The response from a responsible government would be to turn around, turn down the dial of inflation and take the pressure off the Reserve Bank to force up interest rates. They've done the reverse. They're continuing to pour debt petrol on the inflation fire and daring the Reserve Bank to a fourth and, dare I say it, possibly a fifth rate increase. This is the problem of the fuel crisis Australians are living right now. If it were just in isolation, it would be enormously problematic for Australians. If it were just a fuel crisis for a moment against calm economic waters domestically and internationally, Australians would still be struggling with the situation, but they'd be going into it with confidence in the future for themselves and their families, for their small business or family business or if they were self-employed. But instead they're going into this crisis where the government has created a backdrop that, unfortunately, does not give Australians the confidence they need right now, even more so in the lead-up to Easter. What we know is that the government has fundamentally misdiagnosed and misunderstood the scale of the challenge faced by the Australian economy from events overseas—not just from the inflation problem that preceded it. I remember being here only less than a month ago, watching the Minister for Climate Change and Energy say that there were no problems around fuel stocks, and then, within three days, he declared a national crisis. I remember the Minister for Climate Change and Energy saying there was no problem around fuel stocks; then saying, three days later, there was a national crisis; then, within a few weeks, boasting that there's more fuel in Australia now than there was at the start of this crisis; and only then, within about another three days, turning around and saying, 'We're now going to consider rationing.' This government is not in control of the situation before the Commonwealth. It does not understand the consequences of what it is doing. It does not seem to understand how supply chains work. It does not understand the essential input that fuels and liquid fuels have in the health of the economy and their impact on not just industry but also ordinary Australians. The only people who will pay, through higher prices and higher costs are, of course, ordinary Australians. When we, the opposition, put forward a proposal to cut fuel excise, we understood that, if the government just rushed ahead and did it, it risked being inflationary. We understood from their energy rebate schemes, which they said weren't inflationary but proved to be inflationary despite the economic denial by all of the PhDs on the other side of this chamber that they claim give them brilliant insights, that, if you put these sorts of mechanisms in place without offsets, then you will get inflation. The government has followed the opposition's calls for a fuel excise cut and a reduction in the road user charge, despite the misleading comments from the Treasurer yesterday in question time, as was clarified by the Leader of the Opposition following question time. We always understood that the most important part of introducing those measures was to make sure that they were not inflationary, so we offered offsets as a condition of our proposal because, if we were going to give Australians excise relief, we didn't want to give with one hand today only to take more from them in the future with the other. What it's revealed is the economic model of the Albanese government: stoke inflation so you can then tax the inflation. While that happens, Australians get poorer and standards of living decline—all to the benefit of those who want to control the Treasury's purse, because it gives them more control and power over Australians' economic lives. So we offered non-inflationary offsets; the government has not. The government has chosen a path where they are increasing the costs on Australians and Australian households, today and into the future. Along with other measures and other things going on with the economy, it is a really distressing situation where we are increasingly seeing a real upward pressure on inflation, on a scale that I have rarely seen in my adult lifetime, particularly in light of the fact that we have not just had a global pandemic. We proposed an excise cut of 50 per cent and a change to the road user charge, but we offered inflation offsets; the Albanese government has given no inflation offsets for its excise relief. Everything that they are giving Australians today, they are going to take from them in the future. More importantly, this will come with declines in living standards and, of course, higher taxes. Under the Albanese government, there is plenty of fuel for the inflation fire, just not for farmers and families. What we need is a responsible government, not a government that is always playing catch-up. We need more than just the rhetoric and seeing them chase themselves around to try and prove their relevance in the middle of a national crisis. Australians need hope. They need leadership. They need a leader who isn't just the last. The Prime Minister is always the last to lead, because his government and his Treasurer don't understand the circumstances they face. And, even worse than that, we've seen the Minister for Climate Change and Energy clearly misunderstanding his role and the impact his decisions are now having on the Australian community—there is no other way you could have gone from having no problem around fuel to declaring a national crisis, to saying there's more fuel than there was at the start of the crisis, to now saying that we're going to have to consider rationing as a nation. Australians need confidence, particularly for small and family businesses and the self-employed, who are looking at the landscape right now and saying, 'We do not know how we are going to keep things going.' We have record small-business insolvencies in this country and we're on track to exceed that record this financial year. They're looking at the future with increasing trepidation and concern about the costs that are rising while the revenue is declining. They need confidence and hope, and what they need is a government that actually understands them and wants to back them in. Instead, what we have seen every step of the way is a government that has sought to rig the rules in favour of big companies against small ones, big business against small businesses, big unions against small businesses, big capital against small businesses—and, of course, against Australians, because they don't want to empower Australians to be able to live out their own lives and make decisions to control their own destiny. Now is the time the government must lead. Now the government needs to understand the full consequences of the measures they're introducing across the board—not just this one. At the end of it, the more their economic model is exposed, their model which is to inflate the economy and then tax the inflation, Australians are going to continue to fall further and further behind. With that, I move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "the House notes that: (1) the reduction in fuel excise and corresponding reduction in the heavy vehicle road user charge reflects a policy first proposed by the Opposition; (2) the Government initially denied there was a fuel supply problem in Australia and, by delaying taking action to ensure distribution of fuel to where it was needed, exacerbated price pressures and supply shortages; (3) the Government delayed acting on cost of living relief despite mounting pressure on Australian households, small businesses and transporters; (4) the Government has failed to provide any budget offsets or outline how this measure will be funded, increasing the risk of additional inflationary pressure where the only fuel guaranteed is for inflation, not for farmers or families; (5) within 24 hours of the announcement, the Government's proposed GST arrangements have already fallen into disarray, raising further concerns about fiscal credibility and coordination; (6) uncertainty remains regarding fuel supply security and the risk of heavy-handed market interventions; and (7) Australians deserve timely leadership and responsible economic management during this national fuel crisis". The SPEAKER 53517 Is the amendment seconded? Mr Birrell 288713 Yes, I second the amendment and reserve my right to speak. 12:28 Ms JARRETT 298574 Brisbane ():  We do live in uncertain times, with the war going on overseas. While that's happening, though, we can't forget that this government continues to focus on looking after Australians here at home as well. Our No. 1 priority remains supporting our communities with cost-of-living relief. This isn't something new; this started back in 2022, when the Albanese Labor government was first elected, and it has continued full steam since then. From tax cuts to $25 scripts, seeing a GP for free and energy bill relief, this government has implemented a lot of changes to help ease the cost of living—we know how hard it's been. However, as the war rages overseas, we are seeing prices at the petrol pump go up, and there's no doubt that this adds to the anxiety that people are already feeling. If we listen to those on the other side, though, you'd swear that this government was oblivious to that and was doing nothing. But nothing can be further from the truth. Again, we are stepping in to help people with this unexpected hip-pocket hit. Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that we'd halve the fuel excise, and this bill will enable this to happen. Following a meeting of the National Cabinet convened by the Prime Minister, the Australian government will now halve the fuel excise on petrol and diesel for three months with this bill, should it pass. The halving of the fuel excise will reduce the cost of fuel by approximately 26c a litre. If you look at what that means for everyday mums and dads with a 65-litre tank in the car, that'll probably cut their fuel costs by about $19. If you're an operator, it'll probably be around $130, assuming you've got a 400-litre tank. Again, let's not forget that the spike in fuel prices as a result of the war in the Middle East is hurting Australians, and this bill will help provide some relief. The halving of the fuel excise will commence from 1 April and run until 30 June. This bill also provides the government with greater flexibility to give additional relief to the fuel excise and excise-equivalent customs duty rates. When this bill is passed, the Treasurer will be able to determine excise or equivalent customs duty rates to be reduced by more than 50 per cent during the rate reduction period. The bill also waives the heavy vehicle road user charge for three months to support truck drivers in carrying out their essential work. In addition, the government will postpone the next planned increase by approximately six months. Working through the National Cabinet, the Prime Minister is doing what he can with the states, and our government is supporting what we can to support supply, security and cost-relief measures. While supply is secure for the time being, we are seeing spikes in demand, resulting in pockets of fuel shortages. The energy minister reports on where these shortages are daily. No-one knows when the war will end, so, as the Prime Minister said yesterday, Australians are encouraged to conserve fuel. Maybe carpool, maybe get back on the pushbike, use public transport wherever possible. I welcome existing moves to cut the cost of public transport. It's a great way to move people around quickly. In my home state of Queensland, the great sunshine state, the former Labor government rolled out 50c fares. That has saved commuters between $20 and $70 per week on average. Not only is it cost saving, but, because it's been rolling on now for quite some time, it is changing consumer behaviour and it is helping people with cost-of-living pressures. These changes continue to today. Recently, we saw Victoria and Tasmania make public transport free for the next month or couple of months, depending on the state. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, ACCC, will continue to monitor companies for price gouging to help ensure that the low excise rate is fully passed on to consumers at the bowser. We've seen periods in the past where this hasn't been the case, so hopefully the ACCC will be able to step in when people do the wrong thing. While Australia's fuel supply outlook remains secure in the near term because of the actions of the Albanese Labor government, the longer this war goes on, the more uncertain everything can be. That's why the government continues to act and is acting now, despite what we hear in this House, to prepare and shield Australians. Since the conflict commenced a few weeks ago, the Albanese government has taken some swift action. We've passed new laws to double penalties for petrol companies that are price gouging, and I'll talk more on that a bit later. We've appointed a national Fuel Supply Taskforce Coordinator; released 20 per cent of Australia's petrol and diesel fuel reserves, targeted at regional areas; changed fuel standards to get more fuel flowing; and changed diesel standards so Australia's refineries can supply more diesel. We've tasked the ACCC to ramp up price gouging monitoring and issue on-the-spot fines. We've engaged with international partners to keep supply flowing, including securing a supply agreement with Singapore. We've introduced laws to make sure companies pay truckies fairly in this period of fuel price spikes. We've introduced legislation to underwrite the purchase of fuel imports by the private sector. Yesterday, the Prime Minister, alongside national leaders, agreed and released a National Fuel Security Plan. The Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister Bowen are continuing their engagement with international partners to maintain the steady supply of fuel and diesel shipments to Australia. We will keep Australians informed of these discussions and the progress as further developments arise. The Prime Minister also announced yesterday that the government will be announcing more measures to prepare the nation for supply chain challenges over the coming days and weeks. As this war rages overseas, it really is upending supply chains, including for fuel, and it is impacting our country. At the end of the day, as we listen to those on the other side accuse the government of sitting on their hands, really nothing could be further from the truth. But I guess the rationale for those opposite is that, if you keep saying it often enough, you might start believing it yourself and to hope that other people might start to believe it too. As I mentioned earlier, that's not to say there aren't parts of Australia that are facing significant demands and then accompanying fuel shortages, especially with the supply of diesel. But I want to remind the people of Australia and my constituents in Brisbane that the now Leader of the Opposition hid an energy price increase from Australians, deliberately deceiving the Australian public. On this side of the House, we've been transparent about shortages. We face up to the challenges and we act. Today, I also want to talk about the rise in fuel prices which I've seen in my electorate and which is not isolated. In times of conflict and uncertainty, consumer behaviour changes. It really depends on what people think might happen. One of the most obvious outcomes is hoarding when there's a fear of supply shortages. That might be a real fear or a perceived fear. Remember that during COVID we had the stockpiling of toilet paper. Not everyone did this. Many thought about their neighbours and others and only bought what they needed. We are seeing something similar happening here, with stories of people stockpiling. Supplier behaviour also changes. Price changes can be initiated in the supermarket or at the pump. Many business owners are honest and absolutely do the right thing. But there is always someone who will look at how they can make a quick buck. Who loses out when that happens? Every single one of us. It's everyone who's trying to buy critical goods for their everyday lives, every parent who's trying to drop their kids off at school or take a sick relative to the hospital and every business that's trying to keep their doors open. Unfortunately, with fuel supply front and centre, it opens the door for grifters in the fuel industry to take advantage. The conflict overseas shouldn't be an excuse to profit off Australians. I say to those in the industry who are thinking of doing the wrong thing: Don't take advantage. Don't treat the people of Australia and my community like mugs. Just do the right thing. Everybody will benefit in the long term. Frankly, price gouging is just so un-Australian. I also say to the people of Brisbane: pay attention to the prices and know that the government's on your side, that we won't tolerate you being taken advantage of. That's why we now have higher penalties for those companies that do the wrong thing to a maximum of $100 million per offence. This comes on top of the steps the government has already taken to increase penalties up to $50 million, which is five times higher than what they were. We also gave the ACCC more tools, such as extending petrol gouging monitoring powers and the ability to issue spot fines. I want to go to the trucking industry, which we know is feeling the pinch of the fuel shortages across Australia. The reason I go to this is that we know that, without trucks, Australia stops. I say to the trucking industry, as I hope you've heard from others in this House on this side of the chamber, that this government is here to support you. We know that our transport industry can only operate if it has access to reliable fuel sources. That's why we're taking practical steps to support the industry. We passed legislation in the House to amend the Fair Work Act to allow truckies and road transport businesses to make an emergency application for a contract chain order to deal with the current spike in fuel prices. A contract chain order is a little convoluted, but it simply means they can negotiate a fair deal to keep their trucks moving. Currently, there is a minimum of approximately six months for these orders to happen and, with the passing of the legislation, that waiting time will be removed. What this means is that truckies and transport operators won't be left to worry about managing rising costs on their own. It's just so important to support those who move our goods around the country. But it's not just the truckies that rely on fuel. Think of all those industries and sectors that will be impacted if we can't be moving goods and services and there's insufficient fuel. There's the housing and construction industry. We're trying to build 1.2 million homes over a five-year period. There's also road building, other construction and many local businesses across our communities. Those opposite have spent weeks talking down fuel availability, at times even fuelling misinformation. They weren't prepared to support Australian truckies getting access to more fuel. You really couldn't make that up, when you think about it. They say that the government sits on its hands, is completely oblivious and is not taking a leadership role. Nothing can be further from the truth. This government has taken strategic, considered and coordinated steps to support our fuel resilience, to maximise supply and to reduce costs to consumers and those who rely on fuel to keep their businesses operating. We know that there's a lot of anxiety out in our communities associated with the challenges of the war overseas. We know that part of that is due to the cost of fuel, which increases the cost of living. This Labor government hears you. We are acting. It's at times like this that we need to keep Australia moving. That's what this bill does, alongside other measures that this responsible government has taken. I commend the bill to the House. 12:41 Mr BIRRELL 288713 Nicholls I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. Before I do, I want to say that people on this side of the chamber will make no apology for bringing to the government's attention the seriousness of the issue, particularly in the industries that keep Australia moving and pay for Australia, which are mining and agriculture. The fact that they haven't been able to get diesel and there have been price shocks seems to have been missed a bit by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. It is our job, as the representatives of our constituents, to bring these concerns to the attention of the parliament and the government. That's exactly what we've done. Australians are under real pressure at the bowser. Families, small businesses, farmers and freight operators are feeling it every day. Any measure that offers that short-term relief deserves to be acknowledged. We acknowledge the government for coming to the party on fuel excise relief, as the opposition suggested last week. A temporary reduction in taxes and charges is not a fuel security policy. It may ease the pain today, but it does nothing to protect Australia tomorrow. It is important, but, as the shadow Treasurer said, for it to not be inflationary, it needs to be offset by some other cuts or some other measures in the budget. We need to make sure that this measure itself is not inflationary. I would have thought that was self-evident. So we responsibly made some suggestions about how this excise tax cut could be offset so as not to be inflationary. I think those are sensible measures. They acknowledge that, before the Middle East conflict even started, which has in large part caused this fuel issue, Australia was under serious inflationary pressure due to government spending. The events of recent weeks show that Australia is not dealing with a routine price spike. We are confronting a structural vulnerability, one that goes to the heart of our economy and our national security. That vulnerability is set out clearly in the Page Research Centre's report All at sea: fuel, war and Australia's Achilles heel. It is a warning this parliament cannot afford to ignore. I recommend that every thinking person, every person who cares about Australia's future, read this report by the Page Research Centre. Australia runs on diesel. It doesn't run on slogans. It doesn't run on the government. It runs on diesel. We often talk about fuel as if petrol prices are the whole story, but they are not. Diesel powers freight and logistics across vast distances. It underpins agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing. It sustains aviation, emergency services and defence operations. Passenger vehicles account for only around 30 per cent of liquid fuel demand in Australia. Around 70 per cent of liquid fuel demand comes from freight, farming, aviation, mining and industry, which rely overwhelmingly on diesel and cannot be electrified at scale in the foreseeable future. So, when the government talks about fuel relief on the one hand and electric vehicles on the other, it is entirely missing the central reality of Australia's diesel dependent economy. The second reality is even more confronting, and that is Australia no longer produces its own fuel in any meaningful sense. We import roughly 90 to 95 per cent of our liquid fuels. More than three quarters of the supply comes from our region in Asia. We have two operating refineries supplying about 20 per cent of demand. But the argument of how many refineries we've got and what we've got here misses the point that they rely heavily on imported feedstock, mostly crude oil from the Middle East. So, in practice, over 90 per cent of Australia's fuel supply depends on ships arriving safely at our ports. That is manageable only if the world remains calm, shipping lanes remain open and markets function as they always have. But, as we've seen in the last month, that is no longer the world we live in. The Page report doesn't deal in hypotheticals. It looks at what is already happening. Conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping through key choke points, insurance markets have withdrawn cover for tankers, prices have spiked and physical supplies have tightened despite the conflict being thousands of kilometres away. The lesson is obvious: if a distant conflict can rattle Australia's fuel supply, a major conflict in our own region would be devastating. Modern warfare does not require fleets of tankers to be sunk. The credible threat of missiles, drones, mines or submarines is enough to halt commercial shipping, and in those circumstances Australia cannot assume that the market will provide. Markets cannot deliver fuel that cannot physically reach our shores. Some argue that bigger fuel reserves are the answer, and reserves matter, but they are not the solution on their own. Australia currently holds around 30 days of fuel stocks, far less than many comparable nations. But reserves buy time; they do not restore supply, and, without a credible way to replace fuel once reserves are drawn down, stockpiling simply delays the point of failure. It becomes a countdown clock, not a safety net. That is why a strategy focused on reserves alone gives the illusion of security without delivering the reality. The core finding of the Page Research Centre, which should have been obvious and has been obvious to people who have sat in this place, is that fuel security is national security. Domestic production is really the only strategy that delivers genuine fuel security—not diversification, not electrification, not modest stockpiles. Only producing fuel at home changes the structure of Australia's risk profile when it comes to fuel security. If Australia can produce a meaningful share of its own liquid fuels, then shipping blockades lose their coercive power, reserves become a true buffer rather than a last resort, defence planning becomes more realistic and our strategic value to our allies increases. Fuel security is not just an economic issue; it's a defence issue, a food security issue and a sovereignty issue. What does a serious fuel security strategy looks like? Well, the Page report sets out practical framework for action. This is not policy at this point, but it is a valuable contribution to the debate at a time when I think Australia and Australians are starting to look at what we think we've always known, which is that we can fill our diesel tanks of our necessary fleet of vehicles that contribute to not only mining and agriculture—the things that pay for Australia—but also supply chains, getting food to markets and all of these important things, and just hoping that the ship arrives from the Asian refinery is not enough. Firstly, the research report recommends that we remove barriers to domestic exploration and production. Much of what is required is regulatory clarity and political permission, not necessarily taxpayer subsidies. The markets can do this. Secondly, we need to expand and modernise refining capacity. Australia's refineries were built for a petrol-heavy economy, and that no longer necessarily exists. The point does need to be made that electric vehicles can take over some of the passenger car fleet in metropolitan areas, and we welcome that. I just think that it should be market driven, not taxpayer-subsidy driven. But obviously there are new and emerging technologies, and people who live in cities and want to embrace that can and should, and this might encourage them to do that. What we don't want is to penalise regional people who need diesel vehicles. We need diesel focused refining capability that matches today's demand. Thirdly, we need to pursue synthetic fuels at scale; Coal-to-liquids and gas-to-liquids are proven technologies that are already used overseas, and Australia has abundant feedstocks and the industrial capacity to do the same. Fourthly, we need to treat reserves as a bridge, not a destination. We should increase stocks but only alongside a credible plan to sustain supply. Finally, we should treat fuel security as a core national responsibility, with dedicated planning, funding and accountability. None of this is radical stuff. It's pragmatic risk management that any business would do, and it's in the interests of a nation to do it, when looking at sovereignty. It's pragmatic risk management in an increasingly dangerous world. This brings us back to the government's announcement and the gap in the government's response. Fuel tax relief may help motorists this quarter, and we called for it. I acknowledge that the government has moved in this direction at the urging of the opposition last week, but it doesn't do anything to address Australia's near-total reliance on imported diesel, the vulnerability of maritime supply routes, the collapse of domestic refining capacity and the absence of a credible plan for crisis or wartime fuel supply—and lower prices do not equal secure supply. By focusing on short-term relief without a long-term strategy, the government risks giving Australians a false sense of security. The other issue is that, on its own, a fuel excise cut could be inflationary to an already inflationary economy. That is why the coalition set out a very sensible plan for offsets. We've got to make a choice about Australia's future, and we've got to acknowledge what we are. We're not a small, resource-poor island nation. We're a vast continent rich in energy, minerals and industrial capability, yet we've chosen policies that leave us dependent on long, fragile supply chains for the single most critical input to our economy. Fuel self-reliance is not isolationism; it is resilience. It doesn't mean ending trade or disengaging from the world. It means securing essentials so Australia cannot be coerced, paralysed or brought to its knees by events beyond our control. It actually strengthens our trade position. It strengthens our strategic value to our allies, and therefore it strengthens our position in an economic sense but also in a security sense. In conclusion, fuel tax relief might win a headline, but fuel security wins us our future. The current fuel crisis is not an anomaly. It is a warning. If we content ourselves with short-term relief while ignoring long-term vulnerability, the next crisis will be measured not in cents per litre but in days until the tanks run dry. That's not to be alarmist but to think about what could happen to Australia. Everyone in this chamber loves this country; I have no doubt about that. I'm not sure about the other one, but everyone in this chamber loves this country and wants to see it succeed. Therefore, we need to have these discussions about what a future secure Australia looks like. Fuel security is national security, and Australia can do better in this area and must do better in this area. We welcome the government bringing on the excise cut, but the amendments from the shadow Treasurer are eminently sensible, and I encourage the government to look at them to make a necessary measure in the legislation even better and to make sure that it considers inflation and the inflationary pressures of anything it might do when making a decision, which is why we talked about offsets. This is a really difficult time for Australia. I worry about what will happen to our industries in the next month. I worry about what's happening to the farmers, who are already talking about reducing the amount of crop they might put in due to fuel issues, but more importantly due to urea supplies, which is fertiliser that comes from gas in the Middle East. I also think that we are about to see, in a real sense, how much our economy and the things that pay for Australia and all of the things that we like—Medicare and all these things—rely on the mining and agriculture industries, which run on diesel. We want to keep those industries going because they pay for the things that we value as a society. They run on that very important thing: diesel. We have to look at fuel security as national security and as part of our sovereign future. 12:55 Ms BRISKEY 263427 Maribyrnong Right now, Australian households are under a lot of pressure. Like many around the world, we are dealing with a sudden, sharp spike in fuel prices that is driven by events far beyond our shores. When global instability pushes prices up here, at home, it is households and small businesses who feel the pinch almost immediately. The view of this government is very clear. Australians should not be left to shoulder the cost of a war on the other side of the world, and that is why the government is stepping in to provide relief. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to send shock waves through global energy markets. International supply chains are severely strained, crude oil prices are incredibly volatile, and today oil is trading at about twice the level it was at the beginning of the year. That severe volatility flows through our domestic system. It shows up, and has been showing up, at the local bowser. It's raising transport bills and, ultimately, the price of everyday goods on supermarket shelves. Families are watching the numbers on the petrol pump click higher and higher—knowing it eats into their weekly household budget. We know that, for many hardworking Australians, fuel is not an optional extra in their budget. You need it to get to work, to run your small business, to drop the kids off at school and to stay connected to your family and local community. When prices rise this sharply and suddenly, working people feel boxed in. They feel like they simply can't catch a break. That is exactly what this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026, seeks to address today. We understand how hard it is out there in the suburbs and the regions across our great and vast nation. This legislation gives immediate effect to the major announcement made yesterday by the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. We moved quickly because the circumstances demanded it. Whilst those on that side of the House focus on advancing their own political interests, we on this side of the House remain focused on advancing the national interest—assuring Australians that we act with purpose and responsibility. That is why the targeted measures contained in this bill are temporary, highly targeted and squarely focused on getting ordinary Australians through a difficult period of intense global disruption. Importantly, we are doing this without undermining our budget discipline or compromising our long-term economic reforms, which are setting Australia up for the future ahead. This bill is carefully drafted and does three distinct and key things. First, it halves the fuel excise for a strict three-month period. Second, it provides direct, tangible and practical support to the critical freight and transport sector. Third, it gives the government the necessary flexibility to do even more if global economic conditions deteriorate further. Schedule 1 clearly sets out the main fuel excise measure. From 1 April to 30 June 2026, so from midnight tonight, the fuel excise and excise equivalent customs duty on both petrol and diesel will be slashed in half. The current rate will drop from 52.6c a litre down to 26.3c a litre. For motorists, the daily math is pretty straightforward. A typical 65-litre tank of fuel will cost nearly $19 less to fill up. That financial relief is immediate. There's no complex red tape, and there's no waiting for a government rebate to arrive. It applies at the pump, which directly benefits anyone who needs to fill up their car. Whether you live in the outer suburbs, in the regional towns or drive incredibly long distances for work, you will see the benefit. This specific relief does not sit in isolation. It is a core part of our comprehensive and broad plan to ease the financial pressure on working Australians. This measure works hand-in-hand with our tax cuts for every single taxpayer. We redesigned those tax cuts to ensure that middle- and low-income earners receive maximum benefit. Those tax cuts are ensuring that Australians can keep much more of what they earn every single week. Furthermore, this fuel relief sits right alongside our historic investments into Medicare. We're delivering more free bulk-billed visits to the local doctor when young families need it most. We've established a nationwide network of urgent care clinics so parents can get their kids seen for free without waiting in crowded hospital emergency rooms. This bill puts a bit of extra breathing room back into the weekly household budget at a time where people are experiencing it rough and every dollar counts. We are providing confidence and relief because we on this side of the House have been steadfastly focused on cost-of-living relief every single day that we've been in office. This bill also recognises that rising fuel costs affect much more than the individual motorist driving to work. When our hardworking truckies pay more for their diesel, those inflated costs unfortunately bleed into our wider economy. They show up in weekly grocery bills, in crucial building supplies for new homes and in the final retail prices for basic, everyday, essential household items. That is why, for the same three-month period, the heavy vehicle road user charge will be reduced to zero. This move delivers a combined saving of 32.4c per litre for our heavy vehicle transport operators. For a typical large freight truck with a 400-litre tank, that represents a saving of around $130 every single time they stop to fill up. On a long-haul route from Melbourne to Brisbane, those savings rapidly compound, protecting the tight margin of transport businesses everywhere. Furthermore, we are sensibly deferring the previously scheduled six per cent increase to the road user charge. We understand that new operational costs on our vital freight operators during a time of global energy crunch can only feed the challenge. Supporting our truckies through this time is about keeping our supermarket shelves fully stocked and our retail prices down for everyone. When freight starts costing more, every single consumer pays the final price. We recognise that. Schedule 2 of the bill gives us essential economic flexibility. It formally allows the Treasurer to legally reduce the fuel excise by 50 per cent while this period of unpredictable circumstances requires it. Global energy markets are volatile and unpredictable right now. Responsible government leadership means always having the right policy tools kept safely in reserve ready to act if and when the Australian people need it. This includes carefully adjusting settings to successfully facilitate states and territories returning additional GST revenue flowing directly from these high oil prices. Schedule 3 ensures the Minister for Transport can quickly make temporary regulatory changes to the fuel tax credits and the road user charge when volatile situations need intervention. We saw back in 2022 that wholesale prices can change quickly. It can take a short temporary period, usually one to two weeks, for those reductions to fully flow through to the local bowser. This brief delay depends largely on local storage capacity and regional fuel delivery schedules. However, Treasury reliably estimates that this major reduction will directly reduce our national headline inflation rate significantly. Specifically, it could reduce headline inflation by around half of a full percentage point through the critical weeks leading to the June quarter 2026. At a difficult time when global inflationary pressures remain stubborn, that specific reduction is meaningful economic intervention. Since coming to office this government has acted responsibly to consistently deliver targeted cost-of-living relief while carefully managing the broader national economy. We have methodically delivered more than $114 billion in budget savings and necessary spending reprioritisations across multiple economic budget updates. It is exactly those hard-won disciplined budget savings that have deliberately made adequate financial room for practical and immediate public support, like we are doing today, without irresponsibly adding to long-term domestic inflationary pressure. We are releasing more fuel from our minimum stock obligations, strongly backing our critical domestic oil refineries and significantly strengthening the ACCC to crack down hard on corporate price gouging. The ACCC will rigorously ensure that these vital fuel savings are passed on directly to everyday motorists at the local petrol pump. Whilst we cannot control international conflicts, we absolutely can control how we respond to them here at home. We are responding by always backing working Australians. We are responding by actively supporting small family businesses. This bill is measured, responsible and an immediate economic response to a global crisis. It delivers real financial relief, it supports our most vital national supply chains and it reliably helps local families balance tight household budgets during these tough and demanding times. I commend the bill to the House. 13:05 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa While we support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026, this looks more like a response to a Newspoll than an appropriate plan for a national crisis. We were told there was no crisis when President Trump initiated this war on 28 February, but I would have thought the appropriate response would have been to convene the National Security Committee and bring the energy minister into that meeting. The advice to government on 28 February would have been about not only the conflict in the Middle East but also the flow-on effects it would have on the supply of fuel into this country and the supply chains here. I find it difficult to understand how a government—which has a plan now, despite the fact on 28 February the world changed—didn't take or heed the advice of the National Security Committee not just about the military risks but about the supply chain risks that were coming down the line. In fact, they assured us there was no crisis; fuel was going to continue to flow and we had no supply issue whatsoever. The reality was it was different to what we experienced, the lived experience of many Australians. What this government did was work in the superficial. It made sure that fuel went to the big service stations in capital cities so that there was calm and there was no need for panic buying, and so Australians thought there was no issue. Underneath that, the reality was they forgot about the real supply chains that underpin our economy, and that comes from regional Australia. What they didn't understand was the secondary wholesale markets that supply regional Australians. The big four don't supply regional Australians—not only our service stations but also our farmers—with bulk supplies. The distributors, who go out on farm and put fuel into the tanks on farm to allow machinery to be able to operate, had their supply constrained. What these big fuel companies, the big four, were doing was supplying these smaller distributors and their pricing—for many of those they actually pay the price of the monthly average of the month before. What the big four were saying was: 'We are going to actually withhold supply out of the market because what we're worried about is another price shock. If President Trump stops dropping bombs and there's a drop in the price, we will hedge against that drop. We will constrain the amount of supply we put out into the market so that we don't lose as much money, even though we are making money on the way up.' That is what was happening to the distributors across my electorate. They were being turned away at the Port of Brisbane; they were unable to go and get that fuel and take it out on farm. That was where the Treasurer and the ACCC and this government were asleep at the wheel, because they worked on the fact that as long as fuel was going to the service stations in capital cities, it would all be okay. Australia will be calm. But the reality is that if you don't have fuel, you don't have food. This government have been exposed for not having a plan since 28 February, when they should have had advice not just about the military impact this would have but also the supply chain impact. If they didn't, they need to tell us why they didn't think about it. The reality is when the market out in regional Australia was being constrained by these big four in holding back supply, not only was this about a commercial decision of hedging against a price shock of the price going down but I would have thought it would have been a trigger for the ACCC to say, 'If they are constraining supply, they are pushing up prices.' And the farmers were seeing that was pushing up prices straight away—if they could get fuel! The fact the Treasurer did not twig to this shows he didn't understand the market, but he had an energy minister who was oblivious to all of this. The galling part of this was that you had an energy minister that was also oblivious to the powers he had and to what was at his fingertips—from 28 February, when the bombs started dropping in Iran, what he had available to manage the situation. Because of legislation that we put in when we were in power as a coalition, he actually had at his fingertips, at his disposal, the knowledge of where every litre of fuel was in this country. He could have known exactly where it was and where there were shortfalls and where fuel was not being delivered, particularly in regional Australia. What he also had was the power to lean in and ensure that that fuel was being distributed to where it needed to be. We were assured there was no supply issue; this was a distribution issue. I would have thought that the advice to the government from the National Security Committee on 28 February was that these contingencies needed to be wargamed, these contingencies needed to be worked through, because this would have a serious impact on Australia's supply chains. If we learnt nothing from COVID about toilet paper—I would have thought fuel would have been one of those commodities that a conflict in the Middle East would have triggered National Security Committee to say, 'We might have a problem, Australia. We might need to manage this supply.' Two weeks later the government decides, 'Yes, we'd better do something about this. What we'll do is we'll come to parliament and we'll increase the penalties from the ACCC—up to $100 million for those companies that were undertaking anticompetitive behaviour.' Well, penalties are not the issue. The ACCC could have and should have already started an investigation into the secondary wholesale market, but they too seem to be asleep at the wheel. They too don't seem to understand the fuel market enough to have already leant in and to have started an investigation to make sure that, when they drove past a fuel station, prices went up straightaway, particularly when they could get on any app and look anywhere in Australia, including regional Australia. They may not have understood. They could see that there was issues, but then the supply issues would have been something if they understood the market, if it was being constrained—someone was constraining it if we didn't have a supply issue. You can increase the penalties, but, if the ACCC aren't doing their job as they should, then they're not worth the paper they're written on. I've got to say regional Australians have become very cynical about the effectiveness of the ACCC. They see them as being as effective as the Bureau of Meteorology. That is the reality of the lived experience and the frustration and the fear that regional Australians are feeling out there because we do not have our fuel. Our farmers are not able to turn an engine. For some farmers in my own electorate, the only fuel they had on farm was what was left in their tractors and headers. They had nothing in supply, which meant they couldn't turn them on. They couldn't harvest. They couldn't sow. That is going to have a flow-on effect on each one of us—when the food doesn't turn up in your supermarket. Lo and behold, the government realises maybe we do have a supply issue and a distribution problem. Despite the fact that the minister had at his fingertips from 28 February, when this crisis started, the knowledge of exactly where the supply was and where it needed to go, and he had powers to move that fuel, he did nothing. He has sat on his hands and watched this transform. Lo and behold, the Prime Minister had to step in and take over because the Minister for Climate Change and Energy has been shown to be incompetent in managing a crisis. Despite the warning signs, despite what should have been said at National Security Committee—advice of the threat to our supply chains of something as serious as a conflict in the Middle East, as serious as keeping the fuel flowing into areas that keep our economy going in terms of not only food but also resources to be able to get to a port and to pay the bills. This is a government that is now trying to catch up. They're having to catch up because they didn't appreciate the gravity or severity of the crisis that was in front of this country. And I suspect they were advised of that. I have every confidence in our agencies and that that advice would have been provided to this government from 28 February on. Our agencies are some of the best in the world in giving that advice—in wargaming exactly what this would mean for our country and for our economy, particularly after the lessons of COVID and toilet paper. For something as serious as fuel, I find it galling that now we have a catch-up about a supply issue. First there's no crisis; then there's a crisis. Then we're going to send in the ACCC, who you wouldn't trust to actually pull any of this into line because they didn't understand the market—the regional market that's driven by wholesalers. They could have rung any one of these fuel distributors in regional Australia, and they would have got a lesson in the fuel market in less than five minutes. If the ACCC was really over their job and had leant in to make sure they freed up that supply, they would have underwritten, from the very start, the fuel prices—the fuel being bought—so that it could be distributed into regional Australia. That's the lived experience of what's happened when you have farmers without it. But you also have towns without it. I live near Clifton. They've already mandated how much fuel you can take. They've taken us down to 40 litres; 40 litres is all you can take. The next service station is 80 kays down the road at Texas, a town of 800 people. It's 80 kays to the closest town down the road, so you've got to drive 80 kays to get fuel. It's not like the capital cities, where you can drive down to another suburb and you can fill up. These are people that rely on this for their wellbeing, not just their livelihoods. You had a government that didn't understand supply chains and didn't understand regional Australia. Quite frankly, it seems as though they didn't care that you have people in regional Australia—a town of 800 people—without fuel. Allora, just down the road from me, is without fuel. Bartranz, a local distributor, was trying to fill up headers for sorghum to be harvested and couldn't get supply. They were turned away from getting any supply at the Port of Brisbane. This is the stark reality of the lived experience of Australians at the moment. This is a government that hasn't understood their responsibility nor the gravity of what has happened. While we're sitting here and we say we're doing a lot, let me tell you, for three weeks regional Australia has been on fire, because it looks as though this government does not care and has not thought about them in the contingency of a world event that is reshaping the globe but is also reshaping this country. They haven't understood the gravity nor understood the importance of what regional Australia does: how we feed you and how we pay your bills with sending iron ore and coal out on a boat. If we can't get it there, it doesn't happen. This is where there has to be an appreciation, too, of the transport sector—the heavy transport sector. This industry is the essential lifeline keeping this country going. Our trucking industry needs to be protected in this. These small family businesses that have had the courage to use their own sweat and their own wallets to have a go, to put trucks out there and to get your food from a paddock to your plate, are now on their knees. They're on their knees. While this is an initiative that we support, it is weeks late. These men and women who are carting your food have been going broke because there hasn't been an understanding of their importance in our country's economy and our supply chains. You in metropolitan Australia have the convenience to turn up to a supermarket knowing that it's just sitting there on a shelf. This is a big awakening for Australia to make them understand how important regional Australia is, how important our supply chains are and how important it is that, if you get advice, you don't work superficially to only look after people in capital cities. Ultimately, if you don't have us you don't have food and you don't have an economy. That is the stark reality that regional Australians have had to face up to from a government that should have had advice on 28 February, not a couple of weeks down the track. I find it appalling that this government did not act after 28 February, that they did not see this coming at them like a freight train. There is no way in the world that that advice was not given to them. Instead, when the minister had every tool at his disposal, he knew where every litre of fuel was and I don't think he asked for it on 28 February. I think he thought, so long as it turned up to a city servo, it was all okay, all hunky-dory. Everyone will be calm. Everyone will do okay out of this. But the fuel stopped going into those secondary markets, and you've got a Treasurer that didn't understand what he was asking the ACCC to do. I've written to the Treasurer about this. Let me also say what the ACCC—it's predatory behaviour of the big four fuel companies. I have them in my electorate going to these smaller distributors, picking the eyes out of their market—picking them out of them—and saying to these customers, 'These small distributors can't supply to you anymore, so start writing a contract with us.' That's the abhorrent behaviour that has been created because the government hasn't used the tools nor the powers at their disposal from 28 February on. That is what regional Australians and small family businesses who were in that secondary wholesale market are now facing: predatory behaviour from the big four service stations. That's what they are doing to us out there. It'll all be great for a while. But you know what? They'll get sick of us and they'll go back and they'll retract to the city, and you'll have nothing in regional Australia. This is the price we are going to pay. This is the legacy that will be left by a government that didn't heed the advice, was asleep at the wheel and allowed Australia to effectively stop. This is catch-up by a government that's been driven by Newspoll rather than its responsibility to stand up and protect Australians and to understand the importance of regional Australia and the supply chains we provide to every Australian. This is a day of shame for this government. They have finally been shamed into doing something instead of being ahead of the game. That shows we've got a government that doesn't understand this country and doesn't understand regional Australia—and we are all paying the price. 13:20 Ms PAYNE 144732 Canberra I rise in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 today. I want to begin by acknowledging the concern in our community around what is going on in the Middle East. Of course, what we're speaking about today is the action we're taking to ensure the availability and affordability of fuel, but I want to first acknowledge that what I'm hearing from my community is concern and uncertainty around this war and its impacts. In particular, I met with some people yesterday whose families in Iran have been unable to contact them. People are really feeling concerned about the destruction and loss of innocent life that comes from any war. I want to begin by acknowledging that. The impacts of this are being felt far and wide at the moment, and by all Australians who have been seeing the increase in the price of fuel. I also want to respond to the member for Maranoa. I want to say that there is not one person in our government who takes for granted the critical role of farmers, truckies and people in regional Australia. We are doing everything we can at the moment to ensure that all Australians have access to the fuel they need. While I represent a city and may not have many farmers in my electorate, I have many farmers in my family and also an understanding of where food and fibre come from, as everyone in this government does. We have been doing everything we can to ensure that our country keeps moving. I am so tired of this false dichotomy. I know it's what the Nationals need to do, but I am tired of them pretending somehow that we are not listening. I am so tired of the coalition taking every opportunity to create a culture war where there doesn't need to be one. We are in a crisis, and our government is stepping up to address that. We are helping Australians feel confident and to get on with their lives, with their businesses, with taking care of their families and with getting to their jobs, and we've got people over there stirring up fear and confusion. Maybe they should take the message from the last two elections that people want to see their elected representatives taking leadership. There is a time to be statesmanlike and to not try to benefit politically from a crisis. The latest piece of action that we are taking is to reduce the fuel excise, halving it for the next three months so that every litre of petrol and diesel that people need is going to be more affordable for them. Everyone in this place will have been hearing from their communities about the uncertainty around fuel, the cost of fuel and the impact that that is having. Canberrans are not immune; we have had petrol stations running out of fuel here as well. So this is really a welcome step that our government is taking. The member for Maranoa was talking about the companies ripping people off—well, that is the other thing we have taken a really strong focus on, making sure we have doubled the penalties for price gouging, as well as tasking the ACCC with very closely monitoring the price of fuel, ensuring that no-one is going to use this to exploit people with this impact on prices around the country. When fuel prices spike, as they have in the last few weeks, people feel it immediately and they feel it hard. This is part of our government's direct and practical response. It is targeted and it will deliver real relief at the bowser right now. The bill halves the fuel excise and the equivalent customs duty that applies to most fuels, from 52.6c per litre to 26.3c per litre. For the average commuter, that will be the equivalent of about $19 off a standard 65-litre tank of petrol or diesel. This is a meaningful saving for people experiencing price shocks as a result of the war and will be felt by every Australian at the bowser. The bill also provides the Treasurer with the additional flexibility to go further if required: to reduce the excise or equivalent customs duty by more than 50 per cent, should conditions deteriorate. It means that the government is not locked into a fixed response, as an evolving global situation continues to unfold. The bill also makes changes to the heavy vehicle road user charge, both increases and decreases, with appropriate flexibility, and suspends the limitations on increases to that charge for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 financial years. Crucially, in practice, what that means is that it has been reduced to zero for three months. That is because we appreciate the role that truckies and trucking have in keeping our economy moving, and this is to ensure that that can keep happening. This is a combined saving for truck operators of 32.4c per litre, 26.3c at the pump, and a further increase in fuel tax credits of 6c per litre that they will receive when they lodge their BAS. For an operator filling a 400-litre tank, that is approximately $130 in savings per fill. Our changes will give operators breathing room and will mean the whole supply chain breathes a little easier. I welcome the support of the Australian chamber of commerce, the National Road Transport Association and industry groups, right across the country, for these changes. We've also made clear that we expect fuel retailers to pass these savings on, and the ACCC will be monitoring this closely. As the Treasurer said, if retailers do the wrong thing by Australian motorists and truckies, the ACCC will come down on them like a ton of bricks. We've empowered the ACCC by increasing their surveillance and monitoring powers, and we're increasing the penalties. The opposition have been loudly claiming credit for this policy. Let's be clear about what actually happened. This government acted decisively, at scale, through National Cabinet, with the states and territories aligned and a fully-costed package that delivers relief without recklessness. Those opposite called for similar measures, but proposed to fund them by gutting Australia's clean energy transition. Their plan would have ended the electric car discount, reversed green hydrogen subsidies and tax credits, and paused the home battery scheme. In other words, they wanted to make Australians more dependent on fossil fuels, as the price of getting short-term relief for a fossil fuel crisis. Now, if there's anything we can learn from this crisis at the moment, it is that we need to be less reliant on fossil fuels. People, at the moment, who are lucky enough to have an electric vehicle are not worried about where they will get their fuel. This is, if anything, a message that the transition to renewable energy cannot come fast enough. Australia's reliance on fossil fuels exposes us to crises like these. Moving to a renewable future would mean that Australians would be more protected from global oil price shocks. A few years ago, Scott Morrison said that EVs would 'end the weekend', but, clearly, it's people with EVs at the moment who are less worried about their weekends. The policy of those opposite is not serious energy policy. It's an ideological obsession with fossil fuels that would see Australia go backwards. And let's think about what cutting the EV incentives would mean. Australians are adopting electric vehicles at staggering rates. Total EV sales grew by 38 per cent in 2025, compared to 2024, with more than 157,000 EVs sold. EVs last year reached 13.1 per cent of new car sales, up from 9.6 per cent the year before, which brings Australia's total EV fleet to more than 454,000 vehicles. The Electric Vehicle Council has directly credited the Albanese government's electric car discount as a key driver of this uptake. The government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard has also seen a huge uplift in the number of models available, which jumped from 56 in 2022 to 160 by the end of last year, including utes and commercial vans. In 2022, there were only two EVs under $40,000; now, there are around 10—and, for the first time, there is even a model under $30,000. That is great news, because it needs to be something that is accessible to all Australians, as people want to be part of the transition to renewable energy. Just think for a second how much worse this fuel crisis would be if those EVs driving on Australian roads were replaced by petrol or diesel cars: it would only add to it. And, since this war began, demand for EVs has only increased. Carsales's data shows that EV searches nearly tripled from February to March 2026. Australians get it; those opposite are living in the past. Doing nothing is not a choice this government— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. The member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 15 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Taxation 15 13:30 Ms WATSON-BROWN 300127 Ryan Who should your politicians serve—the young nurse who just wants to be able to buy a home and raise a family one day or the CEO of the massive gas corporation whose company pays no tax, the immigrant barber who's hustling for their small business to succeed so they can look after their parents or the owner of 50 investment properties who makes money driving up house prices, the plumber who's just saving up for a decent holiday with his mates or the billionaire head of a fund management company who makes millions in his sleep? The major parties struggle to answer this question. I don't. Ninety-nine per cent of us are doing our very best just trying to get ahead to live a decent life. That's who our politicians should serve. That's who they're supposed to serve. But, instead, they're serving the wealthiest one per cent. This one per cent just take the wealth produced by this country and use it to buy more wealth. They take our natural resources, they buy up the housing, they buy up our public services and infrastructure and they get rewarded with tax breaks. Meanwhile, things get harder for the rest of us. It is time to tax that top one per cent and bring fairness back. Australian War Memorial 15 13:31 Ms CLUTTERHAM 316101 Sturt This morning I had the privilege of gathering with a small group of colleagues and friends from this place and the other place and from all sides of politics to tour the outstanding new Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial. It is dedicated to sharing the stories of Australia's involvement in defence and peacekeeping operations. The display in Anzac Hall is both beautiful and meaningful. It's worth noting that, from a peacekeeping perspective, there has not been a day since 1947 that Australians have not been involved in a peacekeeping mission. The display shares the stories of the over 45,000 Australian police and military personnel who have made real, sustainable contributions to global peace and security. It's also a poignant reminder that the effects of conflict linger long after the completion of peacekeeping missions, with these effects felt by those whom Australian peacekeepers went to assist but also by the peacekeepers themselves. For some, the memories of what they saw and what they did are painful. So to all Australians who have served in defence and peacekeeping missions I say: Thank you. You deserve to have your contributions honoured by the educational and beautiful displays in Anzac Hall. I encourage all Australians to take the time to schedule a thorough visit, allowing time to learn and reflect. Thanks must also go to Minister Keogh and the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Veterans, the member for Spence and Senator Andrew McLachlan, for organising the event. Easter 16 13:33 Mr BOYCE 299498 Flynn I rise to take this opportunity to wish everyone across the Flynn electorate a very happy Easter. Easter is a deeply significant time for many, beginning with Good Friday, a day of reflection, sacrifice and faith. It is a moment to pause, to consider what matters most and to spend time with loved ones. There are many wonderful community events happening across our region, from the Central Highlands Easter Sunflower Festival to the celebrations in Gladstone, including Yaralla Gladstone Harbour Festival, the McCosker Easter parade event and the iconic Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race. There is so much that showcases the spirit and pride of our communities. But I would also like to acknowledge that, for many, this Easter comes at a challenging time. The rising cost of living, especially increasing fuel prices, continues to place real pressure on households. I know that many families will be doing it tough. So, as we head into the long weekend, I encourage everybody to take care, especially on our roads. Please travel safely, look out for one another and take the time to enjoy what matters most. I wish everybody a safe, happy and peaceful Easter. Robertson Appeal 16 13:34 Dr REID 300126 Robertson Harriet and I want to talk about the Robertson Christmas appeal. Towards the close of 2025, I asked the people of Robertson for their support in launching the Robertson appeal. I called on my constituents to donate gifts for those doing it tough, and the response from our community was nothing short of extraordinary. In true Central Coast fashion, people responded with empathy, kindness and overwhelming generosity. I know our community well, I know what it's capable of and I was confident that the people would step up to support one another over the Christmas period, and they did in the most remarkable way. For the Robertson appeal, I partnered with two outstanding local organisations, Coast Shelter and We Care Connect. Both have longstanding, trusted reputations and have consistently delivered essential services that support and empower individuals and families across our community. Coast Shelter has been operating on the Central Coast for more than 30 years and is a leading non-profit organisation providing specialist services and support programs for those who need help the most. We Care Connect supports families and children across the Central Coast, with a strong focus on fostering a shared community approach and working to reverse the impacts of childhood disadvantage. The Robertson Appeal of 2025 concluded with more than a thousand gifts, all of which were received by Coast Shelter and We Care Connect, making a meaningful difference in the lives of many. Tasmania: Teachers 16 13:35 Mr WILKIE C2T Clark On Thursday last week, instead of being in the classroom, doing what they love and do best, Tasmanian public school teachers and thousands of other public sector workers rallied outside Parliament House in Hobart after the Tasmanian education union rejected the state government's most recent pay offer. Indeed, the union has slammed the offer as outrageous on the basis that it falls well short in key areas of pay and workload relief. As a result, all public schools were closed for the day. It's a fact that Tasmanian teachers are amongst the lowest paid in the country, partly because the state government is so out of touch with the day-to-day challenges experienced by teachers—or should I say uncaring, because it's no secret that the education system is strained and that teachers face mounting difficulties like the increase in violence and disruption in the classroom, as well as the steep increase in after-hours work. It's also no secret that the state government is the architect of the ballooning budget debt crisis, but the government's mistakes should not be the public sector workforce's problem. So I call on the government to award our teachers and other public sector workers the pay and conditions they so clearly deserve and to find more sensible and respectful cost savings elsewhere. That is how we say thank you and recognise important jobs well done. Sri Lankan New Year 17 13:37 Ms FERNANDO 299964 Holt Ayubowan. As we approach the Sri Lankan New Year, Sri Lankan Australians in my electorate of Holt are coming together to celebrate with joy, cultural pride and community spirit. This special occasion marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the new year, celebrated through traditions that symbolise renewal, prosperity and goodwill. But beyond the rituals and festivities, it is ultimately about the values that matter the most: family, community and togetherness. I was delighted recently to join in two Sri Lankan New Year celebrations. One was hosted by Jannali Dance Academy, and I want to acknowledge the incredible work they do teaching dance and culture to young people across our community. I was also pleased to attend a celebration organised by Serendib Crew Southeast Melbourne, whose work brings people together and fosters a strong sense of belonging. As the first Sri Lankan-born MP in this parliament, it gives me immense pride to see the extraordinary contribution Sri Lankan Australians make to our nation every single day. To everyone celebrating, I wish you a happy, peaceful and prosperous new year. Suba Aluth Avuruddak Wewa! Fuel 17 13:38 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright People are going to be paying less for their fuel because this opposition brought into the chamber and started the debate on having a look at the reduction in fuel excise. I'm proud to be part of an opposition that started the debate, that led that debate and that brought it into the chamber, and now the government has acted on it. I think Australians are sick of us having our conversations across the chamber. We come in and we talk about how many fuel bowsers are empty around the country. They come in and talk about: 'Nothing to see here. We're doing an excellent job, and the Australian public should be proud of the Australian Labor Party.' I think the frustration at the bowser is them blaming both of us—they want resolutions. The Australian public just want us to fix a problem that they know was not brought about by any debate in this chamber. It's been brought about by factors across the seas in the Middle East. But what we do need to get our act together on is making sure that as a country we are resilient into the future—that we are resilient when it comes to being able to keep fuel in the bowsers for our farmers to create the food we need and to being able to keep open our manufacturing plants, particularly for fertiliser and for AdBlue. And, if those plants don't exist, we need to enter into crisis talks immediately to make sure that our country gets the service it deserves from both of us. Wages and Salaries 17 13:40 Mr DAVID SMITH 276714 Bean Today, we have seen a win for workers. It's a win for workers in retail, fast food and pharmacy; a win for our younger workers; and a win for intergenerational equity. The independent Fair Work Commission has decided to dump junior pay rates for people over 18 in these industries. As someone whose first job was at my local Big W in Woden, I know firsthand how these decisions greatly improve people's lives. It is a landmark decision for wage justice. Eighteen-year-olds can vote, drive and put their lives on the line for their country. Eighteen-year-olds are adults; they struggle with the same cost-of-living pressures as every other adult. Just because they happen to be 18, it doesn't mean they receive a discount on their rent or on the fuel they buy to get to work. Now they'll be paid the same as other adults. These increases will be phased in in a responsible way. What it will mean over the phasing-in period for 18-year-old casual workers is a gradual increase of $10 per hour. I joined the SDA on my first day on the job because I knew they would fight for my rights at work, and I want to congratulate them, their members, workplace delegates and officials for their outstanding Adult Age = Adult Wage campaign and this historic win. Fuel 17 13:41 Mr CALDWELL 306489 Fadden Across Australia, we have seen the living standards of all Australians decline. I received an email from one of my locals, Brett, who's a mortgage broker, and he summed it up this way: In my profession, I see the raw reality of the cost-of-living crisis every day. Many of my clients are now at breaking point, with some already skipping meals just to make ends meet. This was all before the current fuel crisis that is emerging in our country. Last week the coalition decided that we should be proactive in doing something to help Australians get through this crisis. Brett went on in his email to say: I am calling for a reduction or tax concession on diesel for primary producers and food chain suppliers. Such a measure would provide a necessary buffer against escalating costs … And do you know what? Brett wasn't the only one who thought this was a good idea. The coalition brought this to the table, and the Prime Minister has copied our homework. Australians are rightfully sitting around their kitchen tables right now, saying, 'Why is this prime minister always the last one to arrive at the crisis?' Australians deserve better leadership than what they are seeing under this Labor government. Mortgages are up, the cost of living is up, and petrol is now through the roof, with diesel more than $3.20 a litre. Something more must be done, and leadership needs to be shown. Manningham Interfaith Network 18 13:43 Mr NG 316052 Menzies I rise today to acknowledge the important work of the Manningham Interfaith Network. In a time when there are those who seek to divide us and who say that people of different races and religions cannot live peacefully together, Manningham Interfaith Network's commitment to building social cohesion and understanding across barriers has never been more important. I popped along to their community barbecue on Sunday in Ruffey Lake Park. We had Frank Smit from the Manningham Uniting Church manning the barbecue. We had volunteers from the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Box Hill giving out sausages to community members and families at the nearby playground. We also had members of the Baha'i community, who are very active in the interfaith network because the Baha'i believe that all religions have the same core spiritual truths. Their ongoing commitment is especially commendable considering, like other members of our local Iranian community, they continue to face uncertainty and fear for their loved ones in Iran and the trauma of their persecution at the hands of the Islamic republic regime in Iran. Thank you to Shahram Niazian, Dot Haynes OAM, Frank Smit, Harmic Singh, Srikanthan Ratnasingham and all the members of the Manningham Interfaith Network for your work bringing the Menzies community together. Fuel 18 13:44 Mr CHAFFEY 316312 Parkes Today Australia finds itself in a very disturbing situation of dual stress: limited fuel availability and extremely high prices. Australians are suffering every time they go to the bowser, and it feels like the final straw. Our farmers are already at the mercy of so many things that are out of their control: inflation, rate rises, power costs, water legislation, taxes and ultimately the unknown of weather. They can't plant, they can't harvest, they can't fertilise, they can't transport and they can't run their businesses. I'm receiving calls from small transport operators who are facing cost rises of $1,500 a day. So it was a huge relief yesterday when the Prime Minister agreed to cut the fuel excise in half, by 26c a litre, as we've been begging the Labor government to do. We have been begging because that's what our constituents are now reduced to doing. They are desperate. Now the Albanese government has listened, it's time to work together to address the future risks and the pain to all Australians. Our country runs on fuel; our regions run on diesel. It is my hope we can in this place work together with timely responses that will protect all Australians as this crisis continues to develop, to ease household pressure, to keep the wheels turning on our businesses and to keep Australians employed. Australia is a great nation with abundant resources. Let's make sure we use them for our survival. Kalamunda Show 18 13:46 Ms TRISH COOK 312871 Bullwinkel I rise today to speak about a celebratory, momentous milestone in the heart of Perth Hills, in Western Australia. It's the 125th anniversary of the Kalamunda Show. Since its inception in 1898, the event has served as the heartbeat of our heritage. It's a testament to the resilience of that community that in over a century the show was only ever silenced by the gravity of two world wars and a COVID pandemic. It returns this year for its 125th year, and visitors can experience the log chop, the sheep dog demonstrations, sideshow rides, fireworks, a stunning interactive helicopter display and a stunning vintage collection. There will be a lot going on at Kostera Oval on Friday 10 April and Saturday 11 April. It's a rare thing for a community tradition to reach 125 years, and I take this opportunity to congratulate the Kalamunda and Districts Agricultural Society for putting on this show each year. I look forward to the weekend. I'm sure all the children in this chamber would love to go to the ag show, so I'll give them a reminder that gates open at 5pm at Kostera Oval in Kalamunda. Fuel 18 13:47 Mr CONAGHAN 279991 Cowper Yesterday we saw this government finally forced into using a bit of common sense by slashing the fuel excise, saving all Australians 26c per litre at the bowser. It's great that they listened to us, but there's much more that needs to be done to protect everyday Australians and our national interest. Gary Eichmann, a generational dairy farmer in my electorate, is unable to get the fuel he ordered three weeks ago. Now he's been advised that, when the fuel is eventually available, the cost will be 30c per litre dearer than the service station costs due to inflated wholesale prices to independents. Gary's not the only one sounding the alarm on wholesaler supply. Every Nationals MP has received similar calls. Across the floor, the few of you that do actually have producers amongst your constituents must be hearing the same thing. The government has to admit there is a distribution issue that is set to negatively impact on every Australian at the check-out in the very near future. Safeguards must be put in place for primary industries and distribution networks, and they needed to be put in place three weeks ago. No farmers means no food, no freight and no deliveries, and no supply of goods means skyrocketing prices on every product at the check-out. The tax cut was one small step for everyday Australians, but a giant leap is required by this government to keep our country running. (Time expired) Fuel 19 13:49 Ms KARA COOK 316537 Bonner This government has taken decisive action to safeguard Australia's security and protect Australian households during a time of global uncertainty. In response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on global fuel supply, we now have a comprehensive national fuel security plan. Labor has acted to ease cost-of-living pressures by halving the fuel excise for three months, which directly reduces prices at the bowser. We have also reduced the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero and deferred its next increase, which supports our freight sector and keeps goods moving right across our country. We have taken unprecedented steps to secure essential supplies. Legislation introduced this week allows the Commonwealth to underwrite shipments of fuel, fertiliser and other critical goods. We have begun to release 20 per cent of Australia's fuel reserves and updated fuel standards to increase supply into our market. We are also cracking down on misconduct, with new laws that double the penalties for petrol price gouging. We have also acted to ensure fair pay for truck drivers when fuel prices spike. Australians expect their government to step up in moments like this, and that is exactly what it is doing. We are acting with urgency, with coordination and with purpose to protect households, support industry and secure our nation's supply. Because, when global shocks hit, Australians should not be left to face them alone. The Albanese Labor government is delivering for all Australians. (Time expired) Aged Care 19 13:50 Mr CHESTER IPZ Gippsland The Minister for Aged Care and Seniors is misleading older Australians. He pretends the home aged-care system is working. Yesterday, the minister claimed that older Australians were assessed in less than a month. But what he didn't tell you was how long it actually takes for people to get help in their homes. The lived experience of older people and their families in my electorate of Gippsland is appalling. I wrote to the government 53 days ago after a family member contacted me about their parents, Frank and Valma. Frank and Valma are both 99 years old and still live in their own home. They want to stay in their own home, and we know older Australians do better if they can stay in familiar surroundings. After some recent falls, Frank and Valma were assessed as eligible for an assistance package under the Support at Home program. But did they get the help—as the minister likes to pretend in this place? No. Frank and Valma have been told their package will be delivered in 11 to 12 months time. They are 99 years old. They will both be 100 before they receive any help whatsoever, and they've just been parked on a Labor waitlist, which already has 100,000 people in it. We know more than 4,000 Australians have died on that waitlist in the past 12 months, and the minister pretends everything is okay. When we asked questions in Senate estimates about whether there was any capacity for support to be fast-tracked for Frank and Valma given their considerable age, we were told that wasn't possible unless they were homeless, Indigenous or had cognitive issues. I ask the minister— (Time expired) Wages and Salaries 19 13:52 Ms SITOU 298121 Reid If you are 18 years old, you can vote, drive and even fight for your country. You are an adult in every way. The only difference is your pay. But, today, thanks to the SDA, we are delivering a massive slay. The independent Fair Work Commission will abolish junior pay rates for workers aged over 18 in retail, fast food and pharmacies so they can be paid the same as other adult employees. This will be phased in to allow businesses time to adjust. It is a great outcome for young workers aged 18 to 20. For too long these young adults were paid less than their older workers. They were adults being paid junior rates, yet they worked just as hard and faced the same cost-of-living challenges. This is a landmark decision for fair pay and intergenerational equity. Over the phase-in period, an 18-year-old casual worker will see a gradual increase of about $10 an hour, which is a significant increase for young workers starting out. I want to congratulate the SDA, its members and the young people who spoke out via the Adult Age = Adult Wage campaign. This is a historic win for all young Australian workers. Prime Minister 20 13:53 Mr SMALL 291406 Forrest Let's play a game today and pin the quote on the donkey. First up, in 2021, who said, 'At this moment of crisis, the Prime Minister has failed to lead'? That'd be the bloke who is now the Prime Minister of this country. Next up, in the greatest hits of 2021, someone said, 'The Prime Minister has no plan—just more confusion and blame shifting.' These are words from this prime minister, who is the same bloke telling us that there's more fuel in this country than ever before while nationally, today, there are more than 800 servos without fuel. Here's another pearler from 2021: They knew national leadership in times of crisis was about more than mere preservation, it was a question of vision, of courage. We are expecting plans on this side to ensure this country emerges stronger and more prosperous from this crisis, but the best this bloke has is a copy of our plan from last week. Which brings us to this banger: One of the things that's characterised this government is it's always too little, too late. Yet again, ladies and gentlemen, the words of the Prime Minister. Here's a good one: This Government will blame any weaknesses on crisis, but that is disingenuous at best. I wish they were my words, but again, these were the prophetic words from this prime minister. It was tough to pick a favourite. But who said: For this Prime Minister, the announcement is always about him. The press conference, the photo op, but when it comes to the part that affects you, his only interest is blaming someone else. That'd be this prime minister. Fuel, Wages and Salaries 20 13:55 Mr GREGG 315154 Deakin While those opposite might want to play games afternoon; this government is taking real action when people need it the most. From 1 April—that's tomorrow—we're halving the fuel excise for three months. That's 26.3 cents per litre, or about $19 every time a 65-litre tank is filled up. That is real money back in the pockets of Australians. Because fuel has been a real pain point across the country, including in my electorate of Deakin, for families, tradies, commuters and those dropping the kids to and from school. It isn't just about pricing—we all know that—it is about supply. That's why we have acted to keep the fuel flowing, releasing reserves, changing fuel standards, securing supply with international partners and working with states and industry to ensure that fuel gets to where it's needed, including to rural and regional Australia, where it's clearly needed at this time. It's also about backing our truckies, changing the contracting rules to make sure they get a fair deal and cutting the road user charge to zero and putting off any increases—because, when trucks stop, Australia stops. And we'll be making sure those savings are passed on. No games, no excuses. The ACCC will be watching out for price gouging. That is practical help right now, when Australians really need it. Those feeling the pinch at the pump include young workers, who have great news today. Thanks to the shop, distributive and allied workers union, the Fair Work Commission has abolished junior pay rates for those who are 18 to 21 years old. Finally, adults will be paid an adult wage they deserve. No more ranked age discrimination. Finally, fairness in the workplace. Fuel 20 13:57 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning When Australians needed help at the fuel bowser, the coalition led and the Prime Minister followed. Australian families, tradies and small businesses will now pay less for fuel because the coalition acted first. But, without offsets in the budget, Labor's spending will drive inflation higher and will cut into people's purchasing power even further. But the issue here is that fuel security is vital to our economy and the ADF. That's why fuel security is national security, and that's why the Prime Minister needs to start leading. But we have no transparency from this government. We don't know how many ships are coming to Australia, we don't know where there are shortages in our supply and we don't know what the plan is to refuel our service stations. Across the Tasman, the New Zealand government is leading. The New Zealand government is being transparent. It's updating its people on fuel supplies inside their country, on fuel inside the economic exclusion zone and on fuel shipments on the way from Asia. Where's that level of detail from this prime minister? What is the plan for next week and beyond? What's the plan for when the pressure really builds on the Australian people? When will you be transparent about the state of our fuel supplies? In a crisis, Australians expect strength, leadership and clarity. Right now, on all measures, the Prime Minister is failing to lead and failing to be transparent with the Australian people. Fuel 20 13:58 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan I know that people have been feeling pain at the fuel pump. That is why the Albanese Labor government has taken 26c off fuel per litre by halving the fuel tax. This is timely and targeted relief. I know that those opposite might like to think that it's all their idea, but I'll let you know that the backbench of the great Labor Party is also very active in making sure that we are prosecuting great ideas to help our constituents. Not only are we helping households; we're also helping truckies. That's because we're cutting the heavy vehicle road user charge. Yes, that's 32c off fuel per litre. We're doing this because we want to keep people moving. We also want to back farmers to keep on producing, and we want to help truckies get the produce to the shops. But this is not the only thing we're doing. I know that in Perth, in my electorate, there was a petrol station selling diesel at $3.97 a litre, but that was an accident. Unfortunately, it was a typo. They meant to enter $2.97, and they will be refunding customers not just a dollar but $1.04. I see this as a timely reminder to all fuel stations. The nation is watching. If you intentionally gouge Australians, you will be found out and the ACCC—you will feel the full force of the law. The SPEAKER 53517 In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. STATEMENTS ON INDULGENCE 21 STATEMENTS ON INDULGENCE Jarvis, Jett 21 14:00 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I want to give a shout-out to Jett Jarvis, who's 12 years old from Dalveen in Queensland in the electorate of Maranoa. He's a student at SCOTS college there at Warwick, and he came in today because he's the Squiz Kids 'PM For A Day' competition winner. There he is! He had his big hat on in my office, Mr Speaker, but it's gone. He's a delightful young man here with the Squiz Kids organisation that really promote ideas and promote education and do podcasts for young Australians. His idea for the day was that people should buy fruit in supermarkets even if it doesn't look perfect, because that way we not only help the farmers but help each other and avoid waste as well. I know bananas that aren't bent the right way sometimes are rejected. They end up at Foodbank, and they still get used. But he's a bright young boy, and I wish him all the very best. 14:01 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa Can I firstly thank you, Mr Speaker, for the leadership role you've taken in taking the parliament to youth of Australia and, particularly, to schools. This is testament to a legacy you'll leave as a Speaker of this parliament in making sure that young people are engaged with this parliament. So thank you to you, Mr Speaker, first. I don't think there's been enough acknowledgement of that. To Jett and to his family: you are a credit to your family and to our part of Maranoa. Jett and his family only moved to Maranoa a couple of years ago. To be able to understand how important food is, how it's produced—how farmers produce it and all the costs that they put into it—and then, if it doesn't look perfect, that they get nothing for it when it tastes the same is a great message to come from a young man with a great future. It's great to see someone from Maranoa might make it to the top one day. Well done. The SPEAKER 53517 Welcome to Jett. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 21 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Fuel 21 14:02 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume My question is to the Prime Minister. The government blamed Australians for buying fuel and then finally declared a national fuel crisis. The government said the fuel crisis was not a supply problem and then rushed through emergency supply laws. The government said cutting the fuel excise was a thought bubble and then adopted our fuel tax cut. How can Australians have any confidence in the Prime Minister's leadership through this crisis when his position changes every day? 14:03 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler Every single day I've acknowledged that Australians are feeling stretched and under pressure because of the impact of the war in the Middle East. That has been the consistent position that we have taken, and those opposite might like to wish it away or erase it. I noticed that the member for Canning didn't do that on Sunday. Australia is not a participant in the war in the Middle East, but Australians are feeling and seeing the impact here at home. We stand with, overwhelmingly, the majority of Australians absolutely doing the right thing as they always do. There are some who've taken more than what they need. That's the truth. Just look at your devices, and you'll see examples of that. That has meant that there's pressure on the system, more pressure than there should be. It is a fact that every single ship that was due to arrive up to this point has arrived. That is just a fact. It is also a fact that we changed the fuel standards in order to ensure that every bit of fuel, petrol and diesel produced here stays here. It is also a fact that we released 20 per cent of the reserves and prioritised that going to regional areas. It is also a fact that we have engaged with our international partners to make sure that supplies continue to come here. It is also a fact that we have worked across states and territories across the political system for the National Fuel Security Plan, agreed with leaders from both sides of politics through the National Cabinet, so that we have a system going forward that is clear through the four stages. We want to stay at stage 2, where we are. There are challenges ahead of us. It's also a fact that because prices have increased right around the world we sought to have a responsible plan to make a difference as well to people's cost-of-living issues, as we always do. We thought it through. We finalised it. The states and territories met again at 12 o'clock today and finalised a position consistent with what we've asked them to do, something that was forgotten, so they don't benefit from the GST windfall, just like we have raised the issue of registrations and the road user charge as well. There are challenges ahead of us. No government can just eliminate all of the pressure which is there. What we can do is act in an orderly, responsible way, not try to create issues but try to create an appropriate response, which is— (Time expired) Fuel Security 22 14:06 Mr MATT SMITH 312393 Leichhardt My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government taking action to assist Australian families, farmers and businesses who are under pressure caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East? What actions have been taken to boost Australia's fuel security and supply? 14:07 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Leichhardt for his question and acknowledge that the member for Leichhardt not only has been dealing with these issues but also has been dealing with the consequences of the cyclone in his electorate and has been working closely with Premier Crisafulli and Minister McBain to make sure that his community is looked after, particularly areas like Coen and other small communities that have been really hit hard. We are taking action to help Australians who are under cost-of-living pressure caused by what is the biggest spike in petrol and diesel prices in history. That is a global result of the war in the Middle East, where Australia is not a participant but is still impacted by it. Easing that pressure and helping people is our priority. That's why our action to halve the fuel excise for three months, starting tomorrow, is so important. That will save Australian families and farmers 26c for every litre of petrol and diesel when they fill up at the servo. That's why our action reducing the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero is so important as well. It's so Australian trucking can keep Australia's economy going. That's why our action empowering the Commonwealth to underwrite shiploads of fuel, fertiliser and other essentials is so important. I note that that action was somehow criticised in the question that was asked just before. They said, 'If there's no problem, why are you worried about supply?' What we are doing is making sure that we get ahead of issues and that we plan appropriately. That's what good government does. The idea that somehow there's a contradiction between that and saying that every ship that was due to come here is here is just extraordinarily irresponsible from those opposite. I ask them to really think through the way that they're behaving during what is a real challenge and what they'd have thought if we'd have behaved like this during COVID. It's just absolutely extraordinary. We're working with the National Cabinet, with industry, with producers, with suppliers and farmers, taking action. We understand this is an uncertain time and we understand that Australians are under pressure, but that's why we're focused on them. That's why we want to look after people. That is the Australian way. That is our government's way; working around the clock, looking at every practical measure to make a positive difference and then taking action. Fuel 22 14:10 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how many service stations in Australia are out of fuel? 14:10 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon In New South Wales, out of 2,400 service stations, there are currently 247 without diesel and 61 with total stock out. In Queensland, where we have roughly 1,800 service stations, there are 77 with no diesel and 39 with no unleaded petrol. In Victoria, where we have 1,627 service stations, there are 82 with no diesel and 40 with no petrol. In South Australia, where there are roughly 700 service stations, we have 20 without diesel and 13 without unleaded petrol. In Western Australia, where there are 771 service stations, there are 18 without diesel and 14 with no unleaded petrol. In Tasmania, where there are 294 service stations, eight are without diesel and 15 with one or more grades unavailable. In the Northern Territory, there are 180 service stations. Five are without diesel, four have no unleaded. The Northern Territory government does advise me that some of those would be as a result of road closures and flooding, but, in the interest of full disclosure, I do provide those figures. The ACT has five without diesel and two without unleaded. As previously advised, those shortages in the ACT are normally filled within the same day. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 23 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Acknowledgement 23 14:11 The SPEAKER 53517 I'm pleased to inform the House that today we have representatives of Basketball Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee, including five-time Olympian in basketball Lauren Jackson AO and dual Olympian in basketball Tess Madgen. We've got a delegation from the Municipal Association of Victoria. As part of the delegation, we have Councillor Alex Makin, the mayor of the City of Port Phillip; the mayor of the City of Maribyrnong; the mayor of Murrindindi Shire; and Councillor Jennifer Anderson, the President of the Municipal Association of Victoria. Sitting in the last row of the gallery right in front of me are, as guests of the member for Mitchell, Jason and Anthea. Jason has battled motor neurone disease for over eight years. He has shown incredible resilience and is one of the longest-living people with MND. They are here at Parliament House today as ambassadors for MND, and I'm proud to promote this important cause. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 23 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Cost of Living 23 14:12 Ms COMER 316551 Petrie My question is to the Treasurer. What actions are the Albanese Labor government taking to help with the cost of living, including the cost of fuel? How does this compare to other approaches? 14:13 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Thank you, Mr Speaker. I hope you and the wonderful member for Petrie won't mind me welcoming Lauren Jackson to the House as well. She is the absolute GOAT of Australian basketball, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who hopes that the next time we see Lauren Jackson in the parliament, she's not sitting up there but somewhere over here. When it comes to the very real and very serious pressures that Australians are facing, particularly but not only at the petrol bowser, this government and this prime minister are stepping up and stepping in to do what we responsibly can to take some of the edge off these pressures that people are feeling right around Australia. I think it's worth acknowledging that, obviously, Australian families are not sitting around the table in the situation room, making key decisions about this war in the Middle East, but they are sitting around the kitchen tables, working out how they will pay for the consequences of this war in the Middle East, primarily when it comes to petrol and diesel. That's why the Prime Minister and I, working with our colleagues, including the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and others, announced yesterday that we will be halving the fuel excise from April to give some welcome relief to Australians, particularly Australian motorists and truckies who are doing it tough. What this means is a fairly substantial saving at the petrol bowser for three months. This is timely relief, it is targeted relief, it's temporary relief and it's also responsible relief. One of the main jobs of this government is to work through these pressures that people are facing, right around Australia, and to step up and do what we responsibly can. And that's what this is all about. Now, this is not the only thing that we're doing to help with the cost of living. We've got the tax cuts coming. We've got more bulk-billing and cheaper medicines. We've got the student debt relief. This is all about easing some of that pressure that we understand and acknowledge that people are under. Also today—and I know the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations will want me to mention it—there was a very welcome outcome, when it comes to youth wages, from the Fair Work Commission. And also, earlier today, the Reserve Bank made it clear that, in October, they will be ending the surcharges on credit cards and debit cards, and I acknowledge the member for Bennelong and others who've campaigned for this outcome, for some time, in our economy. These fees and charges drive Australians absolutely nuts, and the Reserve Bank has said that they'll be winding them back from October. And so, across a whole range of areas, we're doing what we responsibly can to ease the cost of living. We know that this war in the Middle East is having very serious consequences for the global economy. Australians are paying a hefty price for that, at the bowser and beyond, and we're doing what we can to help. Migration: Skills Recognition 23 14:15 Ms SPENDER 286042 Wentworth My question's for the Treasurer. One-third of all occupations in Australia are in shortage, yet Australia has 253,000 permanent migrants, already here, that are working below their skill level. This includes 20,000 teachers, 50,000 engineers, 16,000 nurses and 1,300 electricians, all unable to teach, care and build to their full capacity because of slow and costly skills-recognition pathways. What concrete steps will the government take to ensure that skills recognition of migrants is faster, fairer and more affordable? An honourable member: Great question! 14:16 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin It is a great question, and it reflects the concerns of a number of our colleagues who raise these issues with me from time to time, and I see it in my own community. I see this as a very important economic issue, but also a social issue—a social justice issue: making sure that, when people come to our country, they can participate fully, whether it be in the labour market or in other ways. As the member well knows, as a participant at the Economic Reform Roundtable last year, this is a core part of the productivity puzzle as well, and it's an essential part of delivering the single national market for workers that we talked about in that forum and have been working hard to implement. In fact, the very first piece of legislation introduced into this parliament, under this Prime Minister, was to create Jobs and Skills Australia, and, in that legislation and in the amendments, we strengthened JSA's role in the migration system and in skills recognition as well. JSA released a significant study last year as well, working out the best way for education, migration and employment systems to work together to recognise the very important contribution that migrants make to our labour market and to our country more broadly. We've also provided funding to streamline skills assessment for migrants. That has benefited more than 13,000 applicants, particularly in the construction occupations. And we've given the Minister for Skills and Training new powers to help improve the quality and timeliness of our skills assessment system, to help make the system fairer and more efficient. Having said all of that, we know that there is more work to do in this regard, and that's why, last November, I agreed with my state and territory counterparts to prioritise work on recognising skills—particularly in areas of acute demand like construction, health and emerging industries—and we have a number of ways that we're going about this important work. I've also had a number of discussions with probably half a dozen of the colleagues over here in recent weeks, some of them in recent days. I shout out the important work of the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Minister for Skills and Training, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Minister for Housing and other colleagues as well. We also look forward to the insights that Martin Parkinson and Violet Roumeliotis will be sharing tomorrow at the Press Club, warming up the crowd for the Prime Minister's appearance at the National Press Club on Thursday. I look forward to hearing what Martin and Violet have to say on these really important issues, and to working very hard on next steps. Fuel: Road Transport Industry 24 14:19 Ms CHESTERS 249710 Bendigo My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to ensure heavy vehicle operators are supported through fuel disruptions? And how does it compare to other approaches? 14:19 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat Can I thank very much the member for Bendigo for her question. She knows just how important the announcements we made yesterday are for regional communities like hers. I've been meeting regularly with the transport and fuel industries together to make sure that we are working off the same information, and I'll meet again with them tomorrow. They told me that heavy vehicle operators were struggling to cover the costs of rising fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East. Following National Cabinet yesterday, of course, the Prime Minister announced that our government would reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months. We're also deferring the next scheduled increase of the heavy vehicle road user charge by six months, and we're also halving the fuel excise for petrol and diesel for three months to save 23.6c per litre at the pump. States and territories have agreed to look at their registration charges for heavy vehicles in conjunction with what we've done and also to continue to discuss the GST and do all they can to ensure that there is some of that increase returned. The legislation to do the fuel decrease was introduced just this morning. It will give transport owners and operators much needed relief, easing fuel costs while they continue to carry food, medicine and other essentials right the way across this country. It has been welcomed by the Australian Trucking Association, the Tourism and Transport Forum, the Business Council of Australia, Gas Energy Australia, the Australian Retail Council, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Road Transport Association as well as many others. The ATA has said: In total, the decision will save trucking operators 32.4 cents per litre. It is the lifeline that small trucking businesses need. As we come into Easter, TTF has said: Anything that helps bring down transport costs across the supply chain is a win for the entire tourism sector … This work is, of course, complemented by the changes to the Fair Work Act which passed the parliament yesterday so that truck drivers can quickly renegotiate their rates with Australia's major retailers. We are working day and night to sure up our fuel supply, to help people with the cost of living and to keep Australia moving. We're not going to take advice from those opposite on how to support truck drivers because what you did when in government was drop the fuel excise and forgot about the road user charge that meant that truck drivers couldn't get the same relief when we were facing those cash flow challenges. This time, I remind them that their costings, frankly, were $1 billion short. Did you think it was going to be for free? Clearly you did—$1 billion short. Australian Parliament 25 14:22 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Special Minister of State said adding more politicians to the parliament is, 'what great Labor leaders do'. At a time of crisis, will the Prime Minister rule out putting upward pressure on inflation by choosing to spend more than $600 million on more politicians? The SPEAKER 53517 The Minister for Defence Industry is warned. 14:23 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler Let me make this as clear as I possibly can. I am more than satisfied with both the number of members of the House of Representatives and their composition. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! When the House comes to order, we will hear from the honourable member for Newcastle. Middle East 25 14:24 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. How has the Albanese Labor government been assisting Australians returning from the Middle East, and how are Australia's collective efforts supporting the region? 14:24 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I thank the member for her question and very much acknowledge her leadership in this government. The war in the Middle East is now entering its 32nd day. The commencement of this conflict occurred across a region which is home to some of the largest Australian expat communities in the world. Indeed, 115,000 Australians live across the Middle East. From almost the moment that hostilities started, the skies above Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were closed. Immediately prior to the conflict, on any given day, about 11,000 Australians transited these airports, which meant that, when hostilities started, there were thousands of Australians who were stranded. Over the last 4½ weeks, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has dispatched crisis response teams to the region, and they have facilitated the return of more than 10,000 Australians back home. For the Australians who continue to live in the region, we continue to provide our travel advisories. There is a 'no travel' advice in place for 11 countries in the region. Immediately prior to this conflict starting, there were more than 100 Defence Force personnel engaged in seven missions across the region, most of whom were at our operational headquarters at Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai. On 10 March we responded to a request from the UAE to supply an E-7 Wedgetail to help in the support of the UAE, and, later that week, that plane and its 85 support crew were in the region, and since then it has conducted multiple missions which have helped in the security of the UAE. We have also supplied a number of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE. Now, obviously, the war has had a significant impact on the global oil price, which has been felt through increased fuel prices here in Australia and around the world, and, with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the global fuel supply chain has also been disrupted. At the outset of this conflict, there was a very clear strategic objective to deny Iran ever having the acquisition of a deployable nuclear weapon, and we support this. I'd remind everyone that, just this year, Iran has killed thousands of its own citizens. It has been the sponsor of terrorism around the world, including here in Australia. That said, this conflict is now in its fifth week. It's been going a long time. It has been a major disruption on the global economy. And, while we continue to support the strategic objective, which is clearly important, in every respect we seek to support the reduction of hostilities— (Time expired) Parliamentary Representation 25 14:27 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister rule out expanding the size of the parliament? Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! When the House comes to order— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 The minister for employment, we're trying to hear the answer. The Prime Minister has the call. 14:28 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I take the interjection from those opposite, which was about bubbles. This is extraordinary. At a time when there's a war in the Middle East, when there are significant economic impacts— The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will pause. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The manager is entitled to raise his point of order, and he shall do so now. Mr Tehan 210911 It goes to relevance. The question could not be simpler. It's the second in this area, and the Prime Minister should come— The SPEAKER 53517 Resume your seat. The Leader of the House. Mr Burke DYW Just on the point of order, I refer to page 568 of Practice where it says, 'It is relevant to contrast the action of the government with another point of view.' It's exactly what the Prime Minister is doing. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister, I think, had said about 21 words. The manager further to the point of order? We're just trying to deal with this. Mr Tehan 210911 That's not what the Prime Minister was doing in his answer. The SPEAKER 53517 I don't know what the Prime Minister was saying, because he was about 20 words into an answer. We won't be able to take any more points of order on relevance. We've already taken that point. The manager raised the point of order. I'm going to listen to the Prime Minister, and I will ensure that he is directly— The SPEAKER 53517 The Leader of the Opposition, we're trying to deal with the point of order. If you could assist the House, that would be great. I appreciate that. The Prime Minister needs his answer to be directly relevant to the question. Once again, I'm not able to deliver a yes/no answer for the manager on this occasion. I know you're keen on that, but I'm keen to make sure the Prime Minister is directly relevant. He shall continue. Mr ALBANESE R36 I was responding, of course, to an interjection from those opposite. Let me make three points. I made two before, so I'll make three and see if they get it. One is that I am satisfied with the current number of seats in the House of Representatives. That's 150, with 12 senators from each state. That's point 1. Point 2 is that I'm also very satisfied with the composition of the current parliament! A government member interjecting— Mr ALBANESE R36 There are some over there as well; it's true. And I like some of those over there too, to be fair! Point 3 is that I have been very privileged to have the best campaign director I've ever seen in Paul Erickson. If I were to say to Paul Erickson, 'We've got 94 seats, but how about we throw it all up in the air and see how it lands?' I reckon Paul Erickson would have a pretty clear response. Fuel Security 26 14:31 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 No, no, no. The House is going to come to order. The member for Corangamite has waited patiently for her question. She will begin her question again when the House will hear her in silence. Ms COKER 263547 My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. With the war in the Middle East impacting global fuel and energy markets, how has the Albanese Labor government taken action to protect Australians? 14:32 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon I thank the member for Corangamite for her question. I very much enjoyed visiting the Viva refinery in Geelong with her not that long ago, as I've done previously with the Deputy Prime Minister. They're both very proud of the workers there, as we are, and I thank the member for Corangamite for all the work she does. The focus of the government since 28 February has been ensuring the supply of energy to Australia. I'm pleased with the actions we've taken, like increasing the amount of fuel available through releasing 20 per cent of the minimum stock obligation, changing the sulphur rules and changing the diesel rules. All this has been necessary in the face of the most volatile energy situation that the world has seen—certainly since I was born. This is the action the government has taken. I'm pleased to inform the House, as we previously have, that any cancelled ships have been more than replaced. Today the latest advice to me is that there are now, as we speak, more than 55 ships on their way to Australia laden with fuel. We are expecting and have contracted 3.7 billion litres of fuel to arrive in Australia during the month of April. That is contracted, locked in and owned by Australian companies. This is a good thing. We also need to prepare for any eventualities in this uncertain environment. That's why the government acted quickly after energy companies—oil companies and fuel companies—raised with us early last week the increasing volatility in the oil price and that it would be potentially too risky in the future to buy these cargoes. We acted, and, after being announced on Saturday, the legislation was introduced on Monday and was passed through the House of Representatives last night. I hope and expect it will pass through the Senate this evening. This gives Export Finance Australia the capacity to finance and work to ensure that those spot cargoes, which are available but are very expensive and very risky, come to Australia for Australian use. That's what this government has ensured through this action, and that's a very good thing. The member for Corangamite also asked me about energy more broadly. Our work there hasn't stopped. Despite our focus on petrol and diesel, our work on electricity hasn't stopped, and nor have Australians stopped. I'm pleased to inform the House of a small milestone today. As of today, we have now passed 300,000 home batteries installed since 1 July—in fact, 300,188, with 1,508 of them in the electorate of Corangamite. Australians are storing their renewable energy for the night, reducing their use of gas and reducing the use of gas in our system more broadly, which is good for affordability and good for reliability as well, because that solar energy cannot be interrupted by any international dispute. That solar energy can be stored for the evening. Australians are reducing their bills and their emissions. That's a policy that this government will keep implementing. Others have announced its abolition. We won't let that happen, because 300,000 Australian households have done it, and many more thousands of households are planning to do it in coming months. (Time expired) Budget 27 14:35 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein My question is to the Treasurer. As a direct result of the government's runaway spending, the average Australian mortgage holder is now paying $27,000 more in interest a year under Labor. Will the Treasurer guarantee that the budget won't add further pressure to inflation and to interest rates? 14:36 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin He's got a lot of nerve asking about the fiscal position, having just gone to an election promising higher taxes, bigger deficits and more debt if they'd won the election. We stack up our record on responsible economic management against theirs any day. When it comes to the budget position, to give honourable members a sense of the magnitude of the savings that we've found, including as recently as the mid-year budget update in December, in every single one of our seven budgets and budget updates, we've found savings. There will be more savings in the budget in May. There's $114 billion already so far, including $20 billion of savings in the December update. To give you a sense of that, it took those opposite something like seven budget updates to find the same amount of savings that Katy Gallagher and I found in December. That gives you a sense of how ridiculous it is to be lectured on fiscal responsibility by those opposite. The budget in May will be another responsible budget. What we have been able to achieve so far is to help engineer the biggest positive turnaround in the budget position in nominal terms since Federation. We turned a couple of big Liberal Party deficits into a couple of Labor Party surpluses. We've got the deficits down. We banked most of the upward revisions to revenue, when those opposite used to spend most of them. We found ways to make room for our priorities, so the budget in May will be a responsible budget once again. Obviously we don't finish the budget on the last day in March; we finish the budget closer to the first week in May, and we hand it down in the second week of May. What that budget will contain is another effort on savings, another effort on tax reform and more effort on productivity. We're working through these issues in a methodical and considered way, which is a hallmark of this government's responsible economic management. Those opposite wouldn't know the first thing about responsible economic management. When the member for Hume was the shadow Treasurer, he took to the election of policy for higher taxes on 14 million working Australians, and he still managed to find a way to have bigger deficits and more debt. If their argument is that an extra couple of billion dollars on fuel excise relief for Australians, which they called for, would put upward pressure on inflation, then they are conceding that the $11 billion bigger deficit that those opposite would have had had they won the election this year would have made our inflation challenge and other challenges in our economy worse under them rather than better. Cybersafety 28 14:39 Mr MONCRIEFF 316540 Hughes My question is to the Minister for Communications. How is the Albanese government holding social media companies to account, and how are other countries responding to our world-leading action to prevent social media harm? 14:39 Ms WELLS 264121 Lilley I thank the member for Hughes for his question and for his efforts to make online safer for all the kids under his stewardship in Hughes. Since gen alpha got their first smartphone and their first social media account, they have been connected to an addictive dopamine drip. Targeted algorithms, doomscrolling, persistent notifications and toxic popularity meters have stolen their attention for hours every single day, and, as a nation, Australia took bold and decisive action to protect our kids, and to give them back three more years from the persuasive and pervasive pull of those algorithms. The eSafety Commissioner's first compliance report, released today, shows that five million under-16 social media accounts have been removed or deactivated or restricted as a consequence of Australia's world-leading social media law. Despite this remarkable progress, the report also shows that some social media giants are simply not doing enough. Some seem to be trying to get away with doing the absolute bare minimum. The eSafety Commission report exposes unacceptable systems being adopted by age-restricted social media platforms, including allowing under-16 users to repeatedly attempt age assurance until they pass, not doing enough to prevent underage users whose accounts have been deactivated from immediately opening a new one, and ineffective and inaccessible pathways for parents and for others to report underage users. All of the platforms covered by our social media minimum age requirement said they would respect the law. If these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws. As the independent regulator, e-Safety is actively investigating potential noncompliance in relation to five platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. And if e-Safety finds these platforms have systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations, I expect the commissioner to throw the book at them. Australia's leadership in online safety has started a global movement, with more than a dozen countries now following our lead. Just this morning I met with Canada's minister for culture and identity. These leaders are asking Australia to share our expertise and experience. The drumbeat against social media harm is growing. The time for accountability is here. We started with our world-leading social media minimum age, and we will hold them accountable for it. We are working every day to introduce a digital duty of care this year that puts the onus on tech companies to protect Australians from online harm before it occurs. Frankcom, Ms Lalzawmi (Zomi) 28 14:42 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah My question is to the Prime Minister. Two years after an Israeli air strike unlawfully killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza, Israel has failed to provide transparency, accountability, a formal apology or compensation. The UK and Poland have launched coronial inquiries and commissioned international probes into the death of their citizens. What tangible progress has the government made to secure justice for Zomi since meeting with President Hertzog, and will the government support a humanitarian peace prize in Zomi's honour? 14:43 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Warringah for her question. I will meet the member for Warringah this afternoon with Zomi Frankcom's brother, Mal. I look forward to having a respectful conversation with him and personally expressing my condolences for the tragic loss of life which of course should never have occurred. Zomi Frankcom was an aid worker, working for the World Central Kitchen. She and six of her colleagues were killed in an outrage, and Australia expressed that view very publicly—and continues to do so. Tomorrow is the two-year anniversary of this tragedy. I have certainly raised the issue directly with the Israeli president, Isaac Hertzog, most recently during his visit here to Australia. Last year at the United Nations, when I was there, Australia led the world in launching the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. Penny Wong, our Foreign Minister, has done extraordinary work there seeking to honour the courage and kindness of Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues. I look forward to meeting Mal this afternoon. This is a tragic loss. We will continue work each and every day to do our best to ensure there is transparency and appropriate action. Wages and Salaries 29 14:44 Mr GREGG 315154 Deakin My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting workers, including low-paid workers in particular, to earn more and keep more of what they earn? 14:45 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston I'd like to thank the member for Deakin for his question and, of course, his strong commitment to workers keeping more of what they earn. This Labor government is absolutely committed to getting wages moving again, especially for our low-paid workers. It is this Labor government that has advocated each and every year for a wage rise for workers on minimum award wages. On the Thursday that's just been, our government made a submission—again—to the Fair Work Commission, calling for an economically sustainable real wage increase for our lowest paid workers. This would help almost 2.7 million workers right across the country. Over the term of this Labor government, minimum wages have increased by over $9,000 a year. As a result of this government's reforms, we have also made sure that gender equality is at the heart of the Fair Work Act, which has led to the commission delivering for workers who have been undervalued for too long. It has been our government that has funded wage increases for our hardworking aged-care workers and early childhood educators—recognising the very, very important work they do. It is this government that has legislated to protect penalty rates and overtime rates for workers who deserve to be properly paid for working unsociable hours. This is a real opportunity to thank all of those who will be working over the coming Easter weekend. This Labor government is also restoring balance at the Fair Work Commission so that both workers and employers get a fair hearing before the commission. I'm very pleased to inform the House that this morning the independent Fair Work Commission has ruled that young adult workers should earn adult wages. This government welcomes the decision to abolish junior rates for 18- to 20-year-olds working in retail, fast food and pharmacy. Today's decision means that tens of thousands of young adult workers will earn more at this important time in their lives. In its decision, the commission considered the need for time for employers and businesses to adjust and has recommended that these pay rises be phased in. Young adults face unique challenges in getting a start in life, keeping up with the cost of living and building economic security. I would like to recognise the SDA union in particular for pursuing this issue in the commission and their advocacy for young workers. While those on the other side might dismiss young workers, it's only a Labor government that will stick up for workers. Fuel Security 29 14:48 Ms PENFOLD 248895 Lyne My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Australia's fuel supply relies on Middle East oil shipped to refineries in Asia. Minister, how many oil tankers have left the Middle East for refineries in Asia since 28 February? 14:48 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon I thank the honourable member for the question. There are currently more than 53 ships on their way to Australia from refineries around the world—Asia, the United States, Mexico and other places. I can confirm that 3.7 billion litres are contracted legally to arrive in Australia over April. We've been very clear that there are risks in the supply chain—because it is true. Asia gets the majority of its oil from the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz. That is true. That's why we've taken the actions we have taken, like releasing more of the minimum stock obligation and, most particularly, introducing the legislation that will pass the Senate this evening. That's why—to be prepared. Asian refineries don't just supply Australia; they supply Asia, too. That's how it generally works. Of course, we've been in constant contact—the Prime Minister, the Foreign minister and I—with our respective counterparts, and we're very pleased with the way those conversations have gone. Agriculture Industry 29 14:49 Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Hunter My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering support to our farmers, producers and exporters to keep our food production strong and to help manage the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East? 14:50 Ms COLLINS HWM Franklin I do want to thank the member for Hunter for that question. I know that his region has some great produce that he's very proud of, and he also knows why it's really important to keep our food system production very, very strong indeed. As I've said previously in this place, Australia does produce more food than we consume. But we do know that the conflict in the Middle East is having impacts globally and it's putting pressure on our food producers here in Australia. That's why the Albanese Labor government continues to work day and night to help our farmers manage the impacts of this conflict in the Middle East. We're taking immediate action to support industry, to help keep our exports moving and to help Australia's food system remain strong. Before question time, I met again with stakeholders from across our agriculture industry. We are listening to their concerns, which is why today our government has taken a decision to defer the full cost recovery for export services for one year to 1 July 2027. This will help give our farmers, producers and exporters facing input cost pressures more certainty in the midst of global uncertainty. The president of the NFF, Hamish McIntyre, said today: the package of measures provides welcome breathing space for farmers and exporters facing sustained input cost pressures and market uncertainty. We know that this certainty is so critical for our farmers and producers, and it builds on the practical support that is always available for our farmers and primary producers. That includes the farm household allowance, concessional loans from the Regional Investment Corporation, independent financial counselling through the Rural Financial Counselling Service and the Farm Management Deposit Scheme—always available for our farmers when they need it. While our government continues to support farmers, fishers and producers facing these cost pressures, we're also working to ensure they have the critical inputs of fuel and fertiliser. Today, we've also announced that we'll be establishing the new Fertiliser Supply Working Group. The group will include representatives from key government agencies and industry organisations such as Fertilizer Australia and the National Farmers' Federation. This is a response to a direct call from Fertilizer Australia and other key stakeholders. It builds on the work that we are already doing as a government to improve the availability of fertiliser, including, of course, amending the legislation to underwrite the purchase of fuel and fertiliser by the private sector, working with the ACCC to monitor and coordinate fertiliser supply, and working with industry and engaging with other countries to find alternative supplies of fertiliser. We'll continue to work with farmers and industry to make sure that we can help shield them from the impact of this global crisis. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 30 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Acknowledgement 30 14:52 The SPEAKER 53517 I'm pleased to advise the House that Dr Guru Prakash Paswan has just joined us in the gallery. He's visiting Australia from India as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Special Visits Program. Honourable members: Hear, hear! QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 30 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Taxation: Fossil Fuel Industry 30 14:53 Ms WATSON-BROWN 300127 Ryan My question is to the Treasurer. Can you confirm that oil and gas giant Shell has for years paid no Petroleum Resource Rent Tax and, even with your recent changes and war prices for LNG, Shell will now at best only pay a few cents per dollar of revenue? Isn't it time for a 25 per cent tax on gas export revenue so gas corporations like Shell pay their fair share? 14:53 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Thanks to the honourable member for Ryan for her question. I acknowledge that there are a range of views on this issue, and, as I understand it, the Senate agreed yesterday afternoon or last night to have a committee look into some of these matters that the honourable member raises with us. This government believes that Australians do deserve a fair return from the natural resources that they own. That's why in our first term we made changes to the PRRT so that offshore gas companies pay more tax sooner. The ATO's latest tax transparency report shows that the introduction of the government's reforms increased the number of entities paying PRRT from 11 to 16 in the most recent data and that oil and gas companies paid almost $12 billion in PRRT and company tax in that year. When it comes to individual companies, the honourable member asked me about Shell in particular. PRRT payments are not separately disclosed at the company level in the ATO's data, as I suspect the honourable member knows. I understand that, from publicly available information, Shell's most recent tax transparency report disclosed around $3 billion in taxes and other payments. A bit over two-thirds of that was corporate income tax, and almost a third of that was royalties and other taxes. The other point that I make to the honourable member for Ryan is that a key feature of our changes to the PRRT is a 90 per cent cap on deductions, which applies seven years after a project begins generating revenue. For Shell, as I understand it, if you think about Gorgon and Prelude LNG projects, that seven-year period is expected to be exhausted, I think this year or next year—certainly soon— meaning the deductions cap will kick in and PRRT will be paid on those two projects. The government has also taken significant steps more broadly to strengthen tax transparency, including the introduction of public country-by-country reporting and improvements to the transparency code released by the board of tax. I want to give a shout-out for the great work of Assistant Minister Leigh and, to some extent, Minister Mulino and, before him, Minister Jones. We work closely together to try and make the tax system more transparent in this regard, and we'll continue to focus on our big agenda to make sure multinationals, including oil and gas companies, pay their fair share of tax, including more disclosure and minimum tax, reforms to debt deductions and funding for compliance and, of course, those important changes that we made to the PRRT. I acknowledge the honourable member would like us to go further, but the government has made important steps in this regard already. Natural Disasters: Response and Recovery Planning 31 14:56 Ms TRISH COOK 312871 Bullwinkel My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management. How has this higher risk weather season impacted communities across Australia, and how has the Albanese Labor government responded? 14:56 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro I thank the member for Cook for her question and acknowledge the impact the bushfires have had on her own electorate. This higher risk weather season started with Tropical Cyclone Fina, which impacted the Top End as well as the northern Kimberley coast in Western Australia. I met with communities impacted by Fina on the Tiwi Islands and in Darwin, seeing the damage firsthand and meeting with officials at the incident control centre in Darwin. Following Fina, Australia experienced bushfires in New South Wales and Tasmania. I spoke with locals impacted in Kariong and Dolphin Sands about what they had experienced and met with local fire crews. December saw the start of storm season with monsoons impacting North and north-west Queensland, and we saw significant livestock losses, road closures and towns cut off. I want to give a shout-out to the crew at the Julia Creek Tyre Centre who hosted not only a number of people in this place but also a number of community events. The Cloncurry Airport was significantly damaged, and I joined the Prime Minister and the Treasurer at the airport where we announced funding for its repair. Of course, we then had a record heatwave across southern Australia, which brought devastating impacts to Western Australia and Victoria in January. Our paid and volunteer fire crews did an absolutely amazing job in what were relentless conditions, battling fires for a number of weeks, supported by crews from across the country, as well as New Zealand and Canada. I saw firsthand the community spirit in towns like Alexandra, Euroa, Ruffy, Bendigo and Harcourt. In Harcourt and Ruffy, people gathered at makeshift relief centres where locals were supporting each other, running barbecues, providing ice drinks, nonperishables—real Aussie mateship on display. More flooding then followed in Queensland and in the Northern Territory, followed by Tropical Cyclone Narelle. We saw communities in Katherine, Daly River, Palumpa, Numbulwar and Jilkminggan evacuated. I give a shout-out to the ADF, including RAAF Base Tindal, for volunteering their own time to support local communities before a formal request was lodged for clean-up support. Disaster recovery funding arrangements have been activated in all of these areas, as well as a number of Australian government payments to support communities. I want to thank all the members in this place and the other place who have been supporting local communities over this season. Our government is working year-round to prepare communities in the face of natural disasters. We recently announced 96 projects in round 3 of our $200 million Disaster Ready Fund. It included projects such as levee upgrades, flood mitigation works, bushfire warning systems and cyclone shelters. We've established the national emergency stockpile so that we can provide supplies from sandbags to emergency accommodation and electricity generation. We've increased funding to the National Aerial Firefighting Fleet. It's been a really tough, high-risk weather season for communities, but, across all levels of government, we'll continue to help communities recover. (Time expired) Fuel Security 31 15:00 Mr CHAFFEY 316312 Parkes My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. In his last answer, the minister said there were 53 ships on their way to Australia. The minister said two days ago that there were around 81 ships scheduled to arrive in April. How many ships does the minister expect to arrive in Australia in the month of May? Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member was heard in silence. He wants an answer to the question, and the minister now has the call. 15:00 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon I thank the member for his question. I'll set it out as clearly as I can. There are currently more than 53 ships on their way to Australia. The arrival of some is imminent. Others are just leaving the refineries as we speak. So that's an average. Of course, a ship from the United States takes about a month to get here. It's a lot quicker than that from Singapore and Malaysia. So that comparison the honourable member has made is just not a fair comparison. It's apples and oranges. We do expect, on average, 81 ships a month to arrive. That's a historical average. That is the case, and all the evidence is that that will continue well into May now. That's why we keep giving the Australian people those factual updates—so that they have that. And I can confirm there is 3.7 billion litres on the water to Australia as we speak. The member for Lyne asked me before about deliveries out of the Middle East to Asia. I can say around 46 ships have left the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz since this conflagration broke out. That is way down on pre-conflict levels. That should not come as a surprise to the honourable member. That's why we're taking such actions as we're taking. Also, Saudi Arabia have increased their exports from the port of Yanbu so they don't have to go through the Strait of Hormuz. I've been in contact with my colleague and friend the Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia, His Highness Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud. He has obviously had plenty to do over the recent months. I've had that relationship with him through my role in international discussions, which is a good thing for Australia, I submit—and we'll continue. We'll continue. The Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and I will continue to engage with all our counterparts. Mining Industry 32 15:03 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan My question is to the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. How is the Albanese Labor government creating new jobs and strengthening our economic resilience by growing Australia's critical minerals industry? The SPEAKER 53517 I give the call to the Minister for Northern Australia and Minister for Resources and wish her a happy birthday. 15:03 Ms MADELEINE KING 102376 Brand Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. It's a very kind present. But I really want to thank the member for Swan for her question today—another great birthday present. The member for Swan is a brilliant advocate for the resources sector. She has worked in the sector and is proud of her time in the steelcaps and the high vis. And she's not the only one on this side of the House. The members for Moore, for Bullwinkel, for Hunter and for Spence—and I'm sorry if I've left out other former resources workers here. All of these members that have worked in that sector know much more than all of those opposite put together. Those members and all the members on this side are backing Australian ingenuity and capability, which brings in new jobs, new investment and new opportunities in mining and processing and refining. We are strengthening the mining industry because the Albanese government is the true party of the resources sector. Those words often trigger those opposite, with some pretty strange responses, and that is because they simply can't face the fact that Labor is delivering for the resources industry and has been delivering from day one in government. We have committed over $28 billion to support our critical minerals industry. We have now legislated into law the Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive. It was legislated last year with absolutely no help from those opposite. It was designed with the resources industry and is an absolute game changer for critical minerals and rare earths. Just yesterday our $1.2 billion Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve passed this House of Representatives, and we will begin delivery on that almost immediately, once it passes through the other place. We are delivering our $3.4 billion Resourcing Australia's Prosperity program through Geoscience Australia. They've already found potential deposits of rare earths. We have delivered $1 billion for critical minerals investment through the National Reconstruction Fund and already invested in Liontown underground lithium mine and also the Alpha high-purity alumina project in the seat of Flynn. We have delivered $885 million in loans for six critical minerals projects through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. That's over 3,000 jobs and $6.6 billion in public benefit right across the country. We have delivered more than $150 million in grants to the Critical Minerals Development Program and the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub and also $10 million doing work on common-user infrastructure and processing facilities with Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and the NT. This government is delivering for the critical minerals industry and for resources sector workers right across the country. Because we understand the resources sector, we back it in every single time. Fire Ants 32 15:06 Mr JOYCE e5d New England My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water. Fire ants are currently on the march from Brisbane. We'll have a huge issue, obviously, if it gets out, with a reduction in the cattle herd—a reduction of around 40 per cent. It'll be one of the most devastating things that happens to the fauna of Australia, from koalas and echidnas to basically anything that travels along the ground. It's going to be devastating to the lifestyle of Australian people. We need funding by MYEFO. What is your plan? 15:07 Mr BURKE DYW Watson The question effectively goes to the need to be able to cull feral animals, and the member for New England— Mr Joyce e5d Fire ants. Mr BURKE DYW Oh, fire ants! Sorry, I thought you said firearms. I apologise. Mr BURKE DYW That's what I thought! It's fire ants, and I know the challenges in Queensland with fire ants, which have been going on for decades now. There have been many occasions where people have claimed that we should simply accept the damage, and that's a claim that was put to me when I was environment minister way back in 2010. The view of the government then and the view of the Albanese Labor government is we need to continue the fight because of the extraordinary damage that those fire ants do. In that time, notwithstanding all the attempts at containment that had been involved in government funding back then—government funding that I think started under the Howard government that continued during the nine years when the member was, on and off, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia—the containment funding has continued, as it has continued under us, no-one has been able to successfully prevent the spread. That said, were it not for the containment funding that has been given, we would be in a much worse situation in Queensland with respect to fire ants than where we are now. The intention of the government and the commitment to be able to continue to do what is possible on that invasive species remains. There has never been an invasive species where we've successfully—you'll find very few examples—eradicated it. That doesn't mean that the efforts that are made with respect to containment aren't worth doing. They do make a difference, and that's why they continue. Fuel 33 15:09 Mr BURNELL 300129 Spence My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the question asked in the House yesterday, when the PM committed to speak personally to Josh, a farmer from the Eyre Peninsula, about fuel supplies. Can the PM update the House. 15:09 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Spence for his question. Yesterday I got a question from the member for Grey. It concerned Josh, a farmer on the Eyre Peninsula. I received the details from the member for Grey, and I thank him for them. I spoke with Josh this morning. Josh informed me, as the member for Grey had said, that he'd had difficulty accessing fuel. He thought there were a range of issues as to why that was the case, but I undertook to work to see what we could do to provide information and to assist him. The farm where Josh works with his family farms canola, wheat, cereals and cattle. It's a diverse farm. I want to pay tribute to him and his family and to all farmers out there who put food on our table and who make a difference. Josh informed me that they access their fuel from the distributor Eyre Fuels. They're an independent operator. What we know is that there have been more particularly acute issues for independent players than the big contractors because of the way that the system works in their interaction with the fuel suppliers. We found out that they get their fuel from Liberty through the Port Lincoln fuel terminal. Together, we contacted Liberty. The energy minister was involved. We ascertained that they did have shortages in that fuel terminal but they were keeping their supplies for emergency services, particularly those concerned about fires and other issues as well, but that just yesterday there had been a ship of fuel delivered to the terminal. I was able to ring Josh again, as I committed to do after finding out for him, and he will be receiving fuel in the next 48 hours. That's a good result. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order, members on my left! I'm going to ask members on my left to cease interjecting. I want to hear what the Prime Minister has to say. Mr ALBANESE R36 It's a good thing for Josh. We know as well that, with the global pressure that's on, many people are in situations like Josh's. We acknowledge that. We're working to do the best that we can to make a difference for them and to find out information for them appropriately. I'm reporting to the House, I would have thought, in a way that is respectful of the member for Grey and his constituent. I'll continue, as will everyone on this side of the House, to do what I can to act in circumstances which are difficult for people. We know that that's the case. We can't just wish it away. What we can do is do what we can to take action. I thank all those involved. I think Josh had already received a phone call from Eyre Fuels to inform him of what was occurring just five minutes before I rang back to inform him of the situation. He's a delightful young person, and I wish him and his family all the very best. Fuel Security 34 15:13 Mr BATT 315478 Hinkler My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Taxi operators in my electorate of Hinkler are questioning whether the government can guarantee reliable diesel supplies to keep wheelchair-accessible taxis on the road. Minister, how did the government allow the fuel crisis to get so bad that essential transport for vulnerable Australians is now under threat? 15:14 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon I thank the honourable member for his question and, of course, we thank the taxi operators in his electorate for the service they provide to the people in that electorate, like all of our electorates, who require special assistance. That is the reason why we've worked so hard to ensure fuel security in Australia. The honourable member, I'm sure, would inform his taxi operators that the supply of fuel to Australia continues at the rate we would expect. But, as this government has always said from the beginning of this crisis internationally, there have been real shortages in regional Australia, and we've worked hard to ensure that those shortages are dealt with. For example, in Queensland, at the two relevant terminals for parts of Queensland, Gladstone petrol sales are up 48 per cent during the month of March and Mackay sales are up 55 per cent during the month of March compared to the previous March. That tells me two things. When sales out of a terminal are up so much, that means the demand continues to be very high but the supply is much higher as well. That is certainly the case. I can say that, with the release of the minimum stockholding obligation, which the government instituted with the requirement that that be delivered to regional Australia, for example, one company has increased its sales by approximately 200 kilolitres a day in Brisbane to wholesalers; in the Central Queensland and Mackay regions, an additional 300 kilolitres has been allocated to three local regional distributors to supply mining and rail customers in Far North and North Queensland; and an additional 15 per cent allocation is flowing to support Indigenous communities in Cape York. These are the sorts of opportunities that have been taken up as a result of that. Again, as the Prime Minister and I have both made repeatedly clear to members opposite, if you have constituents you'd like us to pay particular attention to, to speak with about their particular needs, if there have been shortages, and to put in contact with the relevant fuel companies—I've done that in plenty of instances with honourable members opposite. The Prime Minister is willing to do it. If the honourable member wants to provide me with details, I'd be very happy to take up the case, find out who the distributors are and provide that company with as much reassurance as I can. Again, we know that those shortages have caused real concern. I again express my thanks to the taxi companies and transport operators right around Australia, who are finding this situation very stressful. I thank them for the work they're doing for those Australians who rely on them. Many elderly people rely on taxis and many people with disabilities rely on taxis, and we'll do everything we can to support those industries. Health Care 34 15:16 Mr LAXALE 299174 Bennelong My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering cost-of-living relief by making medicines cheaper for all Australians, and how are new drug listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme helping Australians living with advanced and high-risk cancers? 15:17 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh I thank the member for Bennelong, who is a very big supporter of a stronger Medicare, particularly the Medicare urgent care clinics at Ryde and at Chatswood servicing his community. He's also a great source of advice on medicines policy because he works so closely with that industry, so much of which is headquartered in his electorate, in Ryde, affectionately known as 'pill hill', and also out at Macquarie Park. One of those companies, Merck, is the sponsor of a blockbuster immunotherapy called Keytruda, which is already listed on the PBS for a number of cancer types. I was delighted on Sunday to join the member for Boothby and the new South Australian health minister at the Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide to announce a new listing for Keytruda that covers three new cancer types and takes effect tomorrow. It covers locally advanced cervical cancer, it covers renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, and it also covers locally advanced head and neck cancer. Those are relatively early stage cancers compared to the current listings of Keytruda. Today that treatment costs those patients more than $15,000 for every single infusion; from tomorrow it'll cost just 25 bucks. We think that more than 10,000 patients every year will benefit from that listing. The member for Boothby and I were joined by three of those patients on Sunday—three terrific Australians. One of them, Anita Modlinski, who's a cervical cancer survivor, said: … when Dr Sukumaran told me … the cost, my heart sunk. I thought, how could this drug that's going to save lives cost so much … ? So for it to be on the PBS now is just an absolute game changer for women … Ben Hale, who was there with his daughter Jessica, is a head and neck cancer survivor who's had a recurrence of that cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy now. He said: … it is just a huge relief to go. I'm not going to be thinking about the financial aspects of it going forward. And the wonderful Allan Bridges, who's a renal cancer survivor, was also there and he said: I actually wrote to the Health Minister's office … requesting … that it be added to the PBS … He told the media: I don't take any credit for putting it on the PBS— perhaps he should— but I'm very pleased … it gives people in my position hope, hope for the future and that's the best thing. I couldn't have said it better myself. Mr Albanese R36 After 24 questions, Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORTS 35 AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORTS Report No. 27 of 2025-26 35 15:20 The SPEAKER 53517 I present the Auditor-General's performance Audit report No. 27 of 2025-26, entitled Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. Document made a parliamentary paper. DOCUMENTS 35 DOCUMENTS Presentation 35 15:20 Mr BURKE DYW Watson These documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. I'd also just draw members' attention to the fact that one of the documents is the document from Australia's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, to the President of the Security Council, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, to report with respect to lawful measures in the Middle East. MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 35 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Taxation: Gas Industry 35 15:21 The SPEAKER 53517 I have received a letter from the honourable member for Mackellar proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The urgent need for a tax on gas exports to ensure all Australians receive a fair share of the benefits from the sale of our natural resources. I call upon those honourable members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places. More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places— 15:21 Dr SCAMPS 299623 Mackellar Australians don't like being taken for a ride, and right now they're being taken for a ride by the gas giants operating in this country. These are foreign owned corporations that treat Australia like a doormat, profiting from global conflict and raking in billions from our natural resources, while everyday Australians are left struggling with rising energy bills. That's why so many Australians are calling, right now, for a fair return for the export of our gas. The Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australia Institute have put forward a straightforward proposal that would replace the broken petroleum resource rent tax with a 25 per cent flat tax on the value of exported gas. This would ensure that Australia actually receives revenue when our gas is shipped overseas. Other sensible options have been proposed—including a price based royalty, whereby gas companies would pay royalties based upon the price of gas sales, allowing tax rates to increase as prices go up and to decrease as prices drop. This option would ensure that Australians benefit from windfall profits but would also protect industry when prices drop. The successful Queensland coal and gas royalty scheme is based on such a measure. We have known for a long time that the current system is failing Australians, allowing multinational gas companies to pay little or no tax despite earning eye-watering profits. The current petroleum resource rent tax is riddled with loopholes that allow profit-shifting, compounding, carry-forwards and accounting tricks, which all equate to minimal tax being paid on company profits. Added to that is the fact that 56 per cent of our exported gas attracts zero royalties. We give away more than half of our gas for free. The system is broken and Australians know it. That's why support for a gas export tax or a Commonwealth royalty scheme is so strong. Polling from the Australia Institute shows that voters across Australia support a gas export tax, including 75 per cent support in my electorate of Mackellar, and there is broad backing across the political spectrum, with some of the strongest backing coming from One Nation voters. Right now, the gas industry uses more gas to process into LNG for export than Australian manufacturers use, combined. Meanwhile, some of our biggest trading partners are making tidy profits onselling our gas. Research from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis shows Japanese companies onsold 600 to 800 petajoules of Australian LNG in 2024, more than the entire gas demand of eastern Australia. Those resales alone likely generated more than $1 billion in profit for Japan. A gas export tax would raise significant revenue. Currently, the Commonwealth makes more from beer excise and from HECS than it does from the PRRT. A 25 per cent gas export tax would generate up to $17 billion a year. In fact, figures released this week from the Australia Institute suggest Australia misses out on nearly $350 million in revenue every single week. Other countries are way ahead of us. When gas prices spike, the Saudis, Qataris and Norwegians benefit because they tax their exports properly. Australia is the outlier here. We have massive gas exports but receive minimal public revenue. Norway has a sovereign wealth fund worth $2 trillion. We have billions in debt. Australians want answers and they want action. Some are talking about a windfall profits tax, and that has its merits, but it's not enough on its own. Windfall taxes only apply during price spikes and are easy to minimise. A flat 25 per cent gas export tax delivers revenue every time gas is exported, not just during boom years. It's stable, it's simple and it's much harder to avoid with accounting tricks. Similarly, a price royalty scheme would be comprehensive, capture windfall profits, be relatively simple to administer and implement, be low risk for taxpayers and, importantly, would not materially discourage investment. Momentum is building, and it's positive to see new modelling being requested by government on levy options and an inquiry established into windfall profits. So the call for the government is simple today. Please fix the broken system that is ripping off Australians and ensure we start getting a fair return for the sale of our gas. I'd like to now cede the second half of my time to the member for Kooyong. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The call will in fact be alternating, as it always does. 15:27 Dr LEIGH BU8 Fenner At the outset, I'd like to thank the member for Mackellar for bringing this important debate in the matter of public importance. Gas constitutes about a quarter of Australia's energy needs, according to the Future Gas Strategy, and it has an important role as a bridging fuel in the carbon transition. It's heavily used in manufacturing; cement, bricks, glass products, fertiliser and EV batteries all depend on a reliable and affordable supply of gas. Australia exports around three quarters of our gas, which plays a role in the energy transition and in countries to our north. As the Future Gas Strategy notes, Australia can't reach our 2050 net zero targets without reducing and decarbonising our consumption of natural gas. The Future Gas Strategy notes that that'll occur through increased electrification of processes that currently use natural gas, replacing natural gas with low-emissions gases and converting remaining emissions from natural gas to be fully offset. But the Future Gas Strategy also notes the role that gas plays in supporting our economy through the transition to net zero. Gas operates as a backstop for renewables, it's fast ramping and dispatchable, and it can complement variable renewable sources of power. California and Germany are just two examples of economies which have seen coal exiting, renewables expanding and gas supporting that transition. Gas does emit CO2, but 40 to 60 per cent less per unit of electricity than coal. Gas also supports hard-to-abate industries, like steel, cement, chemicals, and ammonia and hydrogen production. It can help households and firms as we make that clean energy transition. While batteries and pumped hydro, the so-called wet batteries, are increasing, they are still costlier, and gas has a bridging role to play. We've seen over recent years Australia's LNG production declining. Domestic gas demand is falling as households move off gas production, notwithstanding that we still have five million homes connected to gas for heating, cooking and hot water. Our LNG exports fell to the lowest level in four years, largely as a reduction in LNG demand from Asia. The member talks about the importance of fair taxation of the oil and gas industry, and it's important to draw the House's attention to the decision that the Treasurer made in 2023. As a result of the Treasury gas transfer pricing review and the Callaghan review, the Treasurer announced that the government would limit to 90 per cent the share of petroleum resource rent tax income which could be offset by deductions to 90 per cent from 1 July 2023. That sounds quite technical, so I'll put it in plain terms. Previously the west coast gas projects had not been on track to pay PRRT until the 2030s—we brought that into the 2020s. We can see that, over the latest budget update forecast, the government will collect $5.4 billion in PRRT over the four years to 2028-29, and that's on top of the corporate tax those companies will pay. We've seen an increase in the company tax paid by the oil and gas sector from $1.1 billion in the five years to 2021 to $10.4 billion in 2023-24. Our changes have ensured that offshore gas companies are paying more tax sooner. They have increased the number of companies paying PRRT from 11 to 16 in 2023-24, and, collectively, the oil and gas industry paid almost $12 billion in taxes in 2023-24. That's on top of the important reforms that Labor has made to multinational tax. No government in Australian history has done more on multinational tax fairness than the Albanese government. No government around the world is doing more to improve multinational tax integrity than Australia. We put in place legislation to ensure multinationals pay their fair share of tax, setting a 15 per cent global minimum tax. We curtailed excessive debt deductions, increasing the revenue to the budget by hundreds of millions of dollars. We've increased corporate tax transparency with a world-leading public country-by-country reporting register, ensuring that large multinationals operating in Australia need to disclose the amount of tax paid in countries around the world. If you are tendering for a large government contract, you now have to disclose your country of tax residency. We have boosted funding for the ATO's Tax Avoidance Taskforce by $200 million a year and extended the operation of the taskforce. We've put in place reforms which have curtailed the ability of companies to operate in opaque fashion through a beneficial ownership register, ensuring that firms need to disclose their true owners. This is an important measure when many Australians are looking to the government for comfort and reassurance at a time of fuel pressures. We have set out a collective approach with the states and territories, guided by four levels of action: level 1, plan and prepare; level 2, keeping Australia moving—that's the current level; level 3, taking targeted action; and, level 4, protecting critical services for all Australians. We are ensuring that fuel supply flows to those who need it. This has been done with a range of measures, such as the appointment of a national Fuel Supply Taskforce Coordinator, Anthea Harris, and counterparts in the states and territories. We increased the penalties for petrol companies that rip off Australians. Those penalties were $10 million when this government came to office. We increased that to a maximum of $50 million or three times the benefit of the breach, or 10 per cent of turnover—and just recently we increased that maximum penalty to $100 million. We have provided additional resources to the ACCC to crack down on anticompetitive and anticonsumer conduct. We've released a fifth of the Australian fuel reserves, and we've targeted that at regional areas. We have announced the halving of the fuel excise for diesel and petrol and a cut to the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months—measures which provide motorists with some relief at the bowser. I remember the way in which the former prime minister Scott Morrison railed against electric vehicles. Under us, we've seen an increase in the share of EVs on the roads from single digits to double digits, and that means that there are fewer people needing to line up at the bowser and there is less pressure on our fuel supply. We have temporarily changed petrol and diesel standards to get more fuel flowing, and we have tasked the ACCC to issue on-the-spot fines. The cabinet is engaging with international partners to keep supply flowing. We have a range of international relationships with countries such as Singapore and Korea, through which much of our oil flows. Indeed, in the case of Korea, they are also a significant recipient of Australian gas, so it is in the interests of both countries to ensure that that supply flows. The National Coordination Mechanism is an important way in which the Minister for Climate Change and Energy has engaged with states and territories on supply and distribution. We understand that this crisis isn't homegrown. This is a crisis caused by the decision of the United States and Israel to take military action in Iran. At the outset of the conflict, the United States and Israel said that the principal goal was to decrease the chances of Iran being able to build a nuclear weapon. That having been achieved, the government has encouraged the US and Israel to bring the conflict to an early conclusion. It is in those countries interests, as well as in Australia's interests and in the interests of the global economy to bring this conflict to a swift end. Australia is not a significant player in the Middle East, but we have urged on all parties that it is time to reach a ceasefire and that it is time to bring this conflict to an end. 15:37 Dr RYAN 297660 Kooyong Australians are once again experiencing a global economic shock for which we were unprepared. Four weeks after Donald Trump triggered a regional conflict and a global energy shortage, a war that began in the Middle East is hitting Australians hard. Dr Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, has warned that this energy crisis is worse than the combined consequences of the two oil shocks of the 1970s and the gas crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022—the three biggest energy shocks in modern history. The alarm bell has also been sounded by economists, industry and Treasury. Rapid price rises will reignite inflation; will drive up construction costs, freight costs and food prices; and will place further pressure on mortgage holders and renters. The ripple effects from the Iran war are everywhere. Consumer confidence is the lowest ever recorded. Australians are already feeling price pressures at the bowser and will soon feel them in power bills and at the supermarket. Yet we continue to export enormous volumes of gas without receiving a fair return for the Australians who own them. The Australia Institute has found that every week the Albanese government delays implementing a stronger tax on gas exports costs us hundreds of millions of dollars. This is revenue which belongs to all Australians. It could and it should be captured from multinational gas companies for the public good. Australia's broken resource tax system is not a market failure. It's a policy choice. We are one of the world's largest gas exporters, but we collect far less revenue from our gas than other exporting nations do—less, in fact, than we collect from the beer excise or from students' HECS payments. It shouldn't be this way, and it doesn't have to be this way. There are several rational and fair ways by which we could legislate for better returns on our oil and gas. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis has raised the possibility of expanding Queensland's gas royalty scheme, which in recent years has raised more revenue for the state than the federal PRRT has. We could expand it so that it applies nationally. In doing so, gas producers would be required to pay royalties based on the price of the gas sales, allowing rates to increase as prices go up. Alternatively, two permanent and responsible reforms proposed by the Superpower Institute could also improve our energy security and economic resilience. The first is a fair share levy on gas exports to ensure that, when gas prices surge, Australia receives a guaranteed return. This is not just a short-term solution. A fair share levy would be a permanent mechanism offering market certainty and stability alongside higher tax revenue. The second is a 'polluter pays' levy, which would recognise that industrial emissions impose real costs on our economy in the form of health costs, disaster recovery costs and infrastructure damage. A simple 'polluter pays' mechanism would charge large polluters—there are fewer than 60 of them at this point—for the carbon pollution that they generate through fossil fuel extraction or importation. Over 80 per cent of our national emissions would be covered. We could achieve 100 million tonnes of additional annual abatement after the first 10 years alone, which is more than twice that forecast under our current policies. Taken together, the two reforms proposed by the Superpower Institute would raise an average of $35 billion a year of additional tax revenue through to 2050. That revenue could be used to ease cost-of-living pain, to resolve funding shortfalls in our schools and in our hospitals and to increase our energy and our manufacturing sovereignty. These measures would help us prepare for and protect ourselves against the next inevitable global energy crisis. At a time of profound global geopolitical instability, demanding a fair share for Australians from our gas exports is sensible. Pricing pollution is necessary. Ensuring Australians benefit from the sale of resources that we own is acting in the national interest. Securing a fair return from our gas exports should be an immediate priority for the government. 15:42 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan I'll start by doing a little bit of a throwback and recognising that WA kept Australia strong during the pandemic, and when the resource sector is strong, Australia is strong. What we saw during the pandemic was WA's iron ore and LNG exports keeping the nation afloat. What I also recognise is that the resources that we have below the ground are not owned by companies. They are owned by all Australians, and a part of this means that there is a social contract. This social contract includes things like making sure we pay workers fair wages. My dad's a metal worker. He worked at Mt Charlotte out at Kalgoorlie and then out at Kambalda at the nickel mines, and he was a proud member of the AMWU. Another part of the social contract is around keeping workers safe. My dad is from a generation of workers where he has 9½ fingers. There's also an importance for making sure we maintain strong environmental standards. When I was a little girl growing up out at the mines, we actually learnt how to rehabilitate mine sites. Again, a part of that social contract is action on climate change, and one of the things that I think is particularly interesting is that in Western Australia what we've seen over the last 10 years is a continual decarbonisation of our grid. What we've seen is more households integrate more solar onto their rooftops. What we've also seen is that coal-fired power stations are ill-equipped to deal with the modern grid. We've seen an introduction of gas into our system, and we've seen our emissions drop which has been fantastic. Gas has been a good dance partner for solar power. What I'd also say is that with all dance partners, sometimes you might look around for alternatives. One of the meetings I had today was with Graham Arvidson from Australian Vanadium. Australian Vanadium isn't just a mining company. They're an integrated supply chain that's looking at making vanadium flow batteries. These are large batteries that can be scaled up significantly, and it'll be interesting to see its role in the grid in the future. Going back to the social contract, a part of that is also about making sure that taxes are paid. I will point out that the Albanese Labor government's tax policy has not changed, but we are the party where households are getting tax cuts, which we're delivering for every taxpayer this year and next year. And one of the things we did during our first term was to have a look at the petroleum resource rent tax. Basically, we want to make sure that offshore gas companies pay more tax and they pay more tax sooner. This was a change we made, and it was absolutely the right call. An additional change we also looked at was in relation to big multinational companies. We want to make sure they pay their fair share, and that's something we have worked on. We now have a 15 per cent minimum tax for these companies. We are also making these companies publicly report how much tax they pay. One of the things we saw under the coalition government was basically tax avoidance, where PwC effectively sold tax advice to help companies basically pay less tax. So dodgy! We have looked at boosting the tax office and making sure that the tax avoidance team has the resources to make sure we don't see this happening again. I continue to see the role that oil and gas play in our society. The thing we're seeing across our communities at the moment is what comes out of our ground, but also what comes out of our bowsers. And do you know what? Households have been doing it tough. This is the reason why we introduced the fuel tax offset, which is basically 26c off fuel from April to June. And while we have been doing that, we have also been looking at supply. One of the things we did is change the fuel standard. Rather than it being 10 parts per million of sulphur, we have changed it to 50 parts per million of sulphur. We basically want to ensure that fuel made in Australia can be sold to local places, but we cast the net wider and we can import more oil from other places. 15:47 Ms BOELE 26417 Bradfield I thank the member for Mackellar for raising the topic of taxing our gas exports. It is a matter of public importance and worthy of time in this place. I'm going to approach the topic from a slightly different angle to colleagues. I want to talk about it in the context of Australia's place in the geopolitical landscape that has ruptured; in the context of the new world order in which we find ourselves and how Australia should see itself, position itself in that new paradigm. In short, I want to talk about how it's time for Australia to embrace a level of sovereign bravery in relation to taxing exports but also in a much broader sense. Australia has a lot more agency and influence in the world than what many of our leaders would have us believe and what many of our leaders have convinced the populace that we have. Our leaders should rethink the rhetoric. They should start to grasp that we are a middle power with influence; that we are the 15th-largest economy in the world by GDP, just below South Korea and above Indonesia; and that we have proven ourselves, generation after generation, to be a trusted, reliable actor on the international stage. And maybe then, when it comes to taxing our resources, we might properly understand that we have commodities that the rest of the world wants and needs, and that gives us a competitive strategic advantage. Let's just break it down in the context of our ongoing failure to properly tax companies who profit from our natural resources. Two reasons are often written for why we don't and can't better tax the resources that we virtually give away. The first is that the mining companies will be less likely to invest here. The Australian Energy Producers, the peak body of energy producers, said just last week: Imposing higher taxes on Australian gas producers would stop investment in new gas supply, leading to gas shortfalls, higher energy prices, and the closure of Australian industries that rely on reliable and affordable gas. I'm going to call BS on the last part of that. One clue is in the definitive and hyperbolic rhetoric that they are prepared to use, without knowing any detail at all about the design of a new tax. Look, it's true that applying more tax to gas exports may reduce the profits of gas companies, but Australian gas producers pay some of the lowest taxes on gas in the world. Other major fossil-fuel-exporting countries typically share between 75 per cent and 90 per cent of fossil fuel profits. Australia shares only 27 per cent. With profit defined in cashflow terms as in Norway, Australia shares even less—just 18 per cent. The second argument that comes up to counter the suggestion that gas exporters should pay more tax is the impact it will have on our relationships with our key trading partners, the countries who buy our gas, because it might increase the prices that they are required to pay. This kind of objection you're less likely to hear the government say out loud, but it is most definitely an argument they heed. Let's have a look at what actually happens with the gas that we export, for example, to Japan. It might surprise many people here that Japan onsells vast quantities of gas that it purchases from Australia at a considerable profit. Research from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis has shown that Japanese companies are onselling about half as much Australian gas as they import from Australia. They are onselling it to markets we operate in. They have become our competitor with our gas. This is a lucrative side hustle for Japan, and it's a ludicrous embarrassment to Australia. The government's allowing the Australian taxpayer, the owners of the gas, to be played as absolute mugs. A tax on gas exports would be a win for the Australian people. Either we raise significantly more revenue from the sale of our own resources or more gas stays onshore for sale to Australian consumers here at home, where we need it most. The world is changing significantly and quickly. Australia is in an incredible position to stand up and be counted. It will require us to reorient our sense of place in the world and to exercise our sovereign bravery. We need to decouple from our colonial past and from our sense of being the underdog and realise and behave as though we have influence as a middle power. Taxing gas exports, which is nothing more than demanding what we are entitled to, should be a really easy place to start. 15:52 Ms CHESTERS 249710 Bendigo I want to acknowledge the mover of this motion and this MPI and the spirit in which it's been brought into this place. I have long advocated for making sure Australians get their fair share of our gas for domestic customers and making sure they get their fair share of our sovereign wealth. I was one of the first people in this place to sign on to the AWU campaign at the time to say, 'Reserve our gas.' That's why I'm proud to stand here today and be part of an Albanese Labor government that has done that. It took us getting elected into government to methodically draft that, but we now have a gas reservation policy in place on the east coast. What we will see over time is that start to grow and really benefit gas customers on the east coast. I say 'gas customers' because we cannot ignore the simple fact in Australia that there are still over five million homes connected to gas that can't electrify any time soon. It is in the walls. It is in the floors. It is how people heat their homes. It is how they cook their food. The cost to electrify is just out of reach for many households. Some households also can't sustain or support, because of the age of their roofs, solar panels. Whilst it is working for some being able to put solar on their roofs and connect to batteries, it's not a solution for everybody at this time. So that is why our government is approaching the energy transition that's going on in our country in a methodical and considered way. We are looking at the fact that we need to have a level of gas in this country to help service existing customers. We simply can't just cut them off. I say this worried about what's going to happen to three communities in my electorate. Because of jumping-around policy by the former Liberal-National government in the state of Victoria that promised something they could not deliver, we have now got homes in Victoria that are literally being cut off gas. Those who are from Victoria might remember the Baillieu-Napthine government promised to connect towns like Marong, Maldon and Heathcote to gas, and they outsourced to Solstice Energy the ability to connect to gas. But they didn't build gas lines. What they did was install infrastructure. It was like having a portable gas station built just outside the town. They encouraged people in these towns to spend the money to connect to gas. Some of those residents invested a lot. At the time, gas prices were a lot cheaper. We saw households installing gas equipment and gas burners because they thought they would be, in the long term, better off. Fast forward over a decade, and we've seen that government lose. We've now got a Labor government in place, trying to deal with the mess that was left. Because of the spike in gas prices, the energy provider that was delivering gas—literally on trucks—to mini gas stations in these communities has announced that it is going to stop supplying gas to these 10 regional Victorian towns. This is a disaster, a demonstration of what happens when you don't have long-term thinking around energy and gas policy. These communities are devastated, and I really feel for them. They are now trying to electrify. They are now trying to do what they can. I do acknowledge the work the Allan government have done to try and help these communities, including through the subsidies they're offering. These communities have really been led up the garden path by bad policy from a previous government and are now living with the consequences because of a change in the market. I say this to demonstrate why we can't just have these blunt instruments, these ideas that may be good today but could, in the long term, deliver damage. I've had a lot of people reach out to me about the proposal, the simple idea of a 25 per cent tax on companies that take Australian gas overseas. I have to be really honest with people that it's a blunt instrument, and we don't know the impact this idea of taxing companies 25 per cent could have on our own gas market. We don't know if increasing taxes on gas that we export will lift the price of gas in our country. Will it destabilise the gas markets globally in a time when we already have these challenges? 15:57 Ms WATSON-BROWN 300127 Ryan I thank the member for Mackellar for raising this very important matter of public importance. An overwhelming number of Australians support a gas export tax to fund essential services in Australia. In a national poll conducted by YouGov, 61 per cent of voters agreed that gas export companies should pay a 25 per cent gas export tax. Only five per cent disagreed. It's not a secret anymore; Australians have cottoned on to the fact that we're being taken for a ride by massive gas corporations, and they're demanding that the government do something about it. They're demanding a 25 per cent tax on gas exports. Not only would this raise much-needed revenue for essential services; it would also incentivise gas companies to divert gas to Australians. One of the easiest ways to avoid an export tax would be to sell it domestically, increasing supply and lowering the price for everyday Australians. Your cheeky Friday beer generates more tax than Australia's gas industry, and that's a credit to how good we are at enjoying a few cold ones! Despite Australia being one of the largest exporters of gas in the world, we make more from taxing beer than taxing gas. Why? Because the government represents the interests of massive gas companies over those of everyday Australians. Did you know that, despite producing absolutely zero gas themselves, Japan has become one of the largest traders in the global gas industry, entirely off the back of Australian gas exports? When overseas buyers can onsell Australian gas for a massive profit—and they're paying almost no tax—something is fundamentally and seriously wrong. We extract the gas and we export the vast majority of it overseas without any guarantee of domestic supply, and gas companies make record profits while paying almost nothing in tax. Since gas exports began in 2015, they've led to the tripling of wholesale gas prices on the east coast and a doubling of electricity prices. We are paying to ship our gas overseas. Who benefits from Australian gas? Certainly not everyday Australians. It's the massive gas companies who pay no tax, the politicians who receive huge donations from the gas industry and the ultra-wealthy shareholders. Did you pay more tax last year than a massive gas corporation? Let's find out. Are you a nurse or a teacher? If yes, then you paid more in income tax than Santos, Chevron, Australia Pacific LNG, PETRONAS, TotalEnergies and Shell combined. Are you an electrician or a plumber? Then you paid more in tax. Are you a barista, grad student, hospitality worker, doctor, chippie, public servant or small-business owner? Then you paid more in tax than gas corporations in Australia. Beer drinkers pay more in beer excise than gas exporters pay in Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. Students pay more in HECS repayments than gas exporters pay in tax. We are being ripped off. In just four years, multinational corporations have made $149 billion exporting gas from Australia totally royalty free. Labor and the LNP often tell the public that we can't afford to do this or that in the budget. A 25 per cent tax on gas exports would raise $17 billion every year, and it would raise it from the companies making billions in profit. So why don't they tax them? Because Labor and the LNP are on the take. They accept millions of dollars in corporate donations from these same gas companies, and they don't want to stop the gravy train. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 I'm taking a point of order. You have the call, leader of the Nationals in the House. Mr Chester IPZ I'd ask the member to withdraw any imputations. They are disorderly. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 It is in offence of the standing orders. I ask the member to withdraw that particular comment. Ms Watson-Brown 300127 I withdraw. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 Thank you. I give the call to the member for Braddon. 16:01 Ms URQUHART 231199 Braddon Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Since coming to government, we have done more than any other to protect our tax base. We have reformed our tax system and secured the tax revenue arrangements needed to fund government services and stimulate investment. Within this system, we're delivering tax cuts for every single Australian worker this year and next year and a fairer, more sustainable superannuation system. We believe that Australians are entitled to receive a fair return on our resources. In our first term, the Albanese Labor government reformed the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax, the PRRT, to deliver a fairer return to the Australian community from our natural resources. Our changes to the PRRT ensure that offshore gas companies pay more tax sooner. Our changes increased the number of companies paying PRRT from 11 to 16 in 2023-24. The oil and gas industry contributed almost $12 billion in taxes in 2023-24. This is on top of billions of dollars in royalties to states and territories. The latest budget update forecasts that we will collect $5.4 billion in PRRT over the four years to 2028-29. This is on top of the corporate tax that these companies will have to pay. The company tax paid by the oil and gas sector increased from $1.1 billion on average annually in the years to 2021-22 to $10.4 billion in 2023-24. Importantly, our changes also provide industry and investors with policy certainty—certainty that is needed for a reliable supply of domestic gas and to ensure that Australia remains a reliable international energy supplier and investment partner. We are working to ensure multinationals, including gas companies, pay their fair share of tax in Australia. Imposing new costs on the oil and gas industry could undermine that investment in gas production, causing shortfalls here in Australia. Five million homes are still connected to gas in Australia for heating, for cooking and for hot water. Without investment from our international trading partners, we wouldn't be able to provide for domestic and regional energy security. The government is focused on delivering policies that ensure there is enough gas for domestic users while also meeting our international commitments. We also rely on the gas industry to get us off coal and act as a bridge to more renewables in the energy grid. The government is committed to net zero emissions, just like many of our trading partners as well as our Pacific partners. There would be no batteries, solar panels or wind turbines without the gas industry, because green hydrogen simply isn't commercially viable yet. We know that, as we transition to that net zero economy, reliable and affordable energy is a must. It is a must for our community and consumers. We also know that we are a trusted and reliable trading partner—a partner that is working to bring down its emissions. In our current global situation, we're acting to ensure that our fuel is getting out the door to those who need it while also securing more to come into our country as well. We're acting to shield Australia against any future disruptions to the fuel supply chain by establishing new fuel security powers and enabling government to work with fuel suppliers to keep fuel flowing to Australia. We need stability in the market while we transition to net zero, and without gas we simply can't have that. We need to build our net zero emissions to a point where they can stabilise, but without gas we simply can't do that, and without the investment that we receive that simply wouldn't happen. We need to ensure that that investment is reliable and is strong and that we have that trading with our partners to ensure that we have a reliable energy system here in the country while we are transitioning to a net zero system. 16:06 Ms CHANEY 300006 Curtin I thank the member for Mackellar for raising this matter of public importance. Australia is the second-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world. When international gas prices go up, you'd expect a country like Australia to benefit. But, when prices spike, Australians are not receiving their fair share of the upside. There are two fundamental problems with the tax system applying to our gas exports. Firstly, gas exporters largely do not pay Australians for the gas they extract and sell. This gas belongs to the Australian people. For most resources—coal, iron ore or onshore gas—companies pay royalties for the rights to use it, but most gas exports are subject to no royalties. That means vast quantities of Australian gas are sold overseas without Australians receiving a direct return for the resource itself. Secondly, Australians do not capture our fair share of upside when prices surge. Economists across the political spectrum agree that it's sound policy to tax economic rents—the superprofits that arise from unexpected price spikes. Taxing economic rents does not discourage investment or production because companies still earn an acceptable return. These two problems mean that the only way Australians get a benefit from gas exports is through the company tax system. When gas companies make more profit, they pay more company tax. This is important but not enough. The gas companies do not pay for their use of our resources, and they do not share in the unexpected windfall of international price spikes. Two facts make this point. First, other major fossil-fuel-exporting countries typically capture between 75 and 90 per cent of profits from fossil fuel companies for the public. Australia captures less than 30 per cent. Second, since the price of gas surged from the war in Ukraine, the gas exporters have made windfall profits approaching $100 billion. Much of that profit was earned on royalty-free gas, and little PRRT was paid. At best, around $20 billion was collected in company tax. In proportional terms, nurses, teachers, tradies and truck drivers pay a higher effective tax rate than these companies. In Australia, the petroleum resource rent tax was meant to address both the problem of not paying for our gas and the superprofits problem, but it has failed comprehensively. The PRRT scheme was designed for oil projects, not gas projects. Because deductions are so generous and uplift indefinitely, many gas projects have never paid PRRT and likely never will. The Commonwealth collects more revenue from beer excise than it does from the PRRT. So what do we do about it? Well, we can agree that Australians must get their fair share for their resources, but we must be careful that changes don't cripple an industry currently vital for WA and Australia. There are a range of reform options available. Gas companies need to either pay for all the gas they extract and sell overseas, because it's our gas, or share the upside from external shocks, like war, more fairly with Australians, or a bit of both. Sharing the upside could be done in a few different ways: by fixing the PRRT; by introducing a targeted windfall-profits tax; or through a two-way cash-flow tax, with the government sharing both upside and downside. Now, the hardest thing about changing the tax treatment of these big gas projects is the purported sovereign risk. Investment decisions were made based on an expectation, at the time, that the tax treatment wouldn't change. We need investors for big projects in Australia if we're going to make the most of the new energy opportunities ahead of us, and we don't want investors to back off because we change our tax position all the time. Certainty is needed. But the sovereign-risk argument is often overstated by gas companies. We are a stable, rule-of-law democracy, with world-class resources. Plus, these gas companies should know that the deal they're getting is too good to be true. This is a solvable problem. There are options that could ensure Aussies get their fair share, without crushing an industry that will remain important for WA and Australia for some decades whether we like it or not. The best option will be simple, with limited loopholes, and will ensure Australians capture a fair proportion of the value of our gas during both crisis and normal periods. The solutions exist. What is needed is the political will to ensure that our resources truly work in the public interest—not just for a fortunate few, but for every Australian. 16:11 Ms TRISH COOK 312871 Bullwinkel Thank you for the opportunity to speak to this matter of public importance today. When we talk about the sale of our natural resources, we're talking about the birthright of every Australian to profit from our resources. Our government understands this, of course, but we need to get the balance right. We need to ensure that Australians receive a fair share of our nation's wealth while simultaneously shielding household budgets from global instability and keeping prices affordable, and also providing investment stability and certainty in the industry. Before I entered this place, I spent many decades working as an occupational health and safety nurse and consultant, and my career took me to the front lines of this industry, working in the oil and gas rigs in the Burrup, off Karratha, and offshore in Western Australia. I've seen firsthand the massive scale of investment that's required in these operations, and the lead-time to these operations is extraordinary. The product, of course, has to have a buyer, long before the product is removed from the ground, and, in this respect, prices are set, to some degree, between the buyer and the seller. These are not government projects that we're investing in; they are external investments. And they bring great value to our communities and to our economy. The dedication of the oil and gas workers is second to none. And this industry does provide huge employment to the workers. So I know these projects are vital. They provide vital resources to the communities and they provide a vital injection into our economy. And these companies do pay a variety of taxes: they pay company tax and also the PRRT. In WA, in particular, in the energy sector, we have been very sensible by making sure that we dedicate 15 per cent of our supply—that must go to domestic supply in WA. Of course, we want to keep those prices at a reasonable, affordable level. But we have become a reliable international energy supplier, and we need to continue this to promote further investment. So our government's approach is balanced: we want to maintain industry certainty, but also to get a fair price on what are, essentially, Australia's resources. In the Albanese Labor government's first term, there were changes made to the petroleum resource rent tax, and what this did is ensure that we could get the balance right. Prior to these changes in 2023, companies could reduce their taxable income to zero and essentially not pay anything, but the changes we made now see the deduction cap set at 90 per cent. This ensures that we will get income from the PRRT, but it also doesn't provide industry a shock to the system and it allows for continuing investment and stability. We're also concerned about fuel security, and obviously this crisis has brought that to the fore. I'd just like to mention a few things that we're doing in regard to fuel security and the crisis in the Middle East that has caused this global shock. Security includes a balance and fairness. National Cabinet has agreed to a national fuel security plan, which is a live, coordinated response across the Commonwealth, states and territories. Our approach is guided by the four-point strategy: (1) plan and prepare; (2) keep Australia moving, which is what we're currently focused on; (3) take targeted action; and (4) protect critical services. We will continue on that plan to keep Australia moving. 16:16 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah I will start off by giving you a very clear figure. The Australian people lose $2 million per hour in revenue because we are failing to tax the gas export industry appropriately—or some $50 million per day. I ask all government members and backbenchers: how much budget repair and good could we be doing to help Australian households deal with the cost of living and the cost of transport, fuel and so many other things—and offer small-business support—if we just got something fair for Australians' very own resource? Gas is Australians' own resource, and Australians should get the dividend, especially when export prices surge. We are a gas-exporting powerhouse. Around three-quarters of our gas production is shipped overseas. In 2022-23 alone, LNG exports were worth about $92.2 billion. This represents a potentially transformative opportunity for the federal budget, yet, throughout the discussion on this matter of public importance, what we've heard is platitudes and government talking points but nothing really genuine when it comes to tackling why we are not getting fair revenue for an Australian resource. The PRRT is a failed government policy. The returns have been patchy and delayed because deductions and project features can push cash payment out for years, and successive budgets have downgraded revenue expectations for the PRRT. I don't have my hopes up that in the upcoming budget, in May, those predictions will be any different. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I asked the Treasurer, in here, if the government would acknowledge that it actually got the PRRT settings wrong and that the Treasury had recommended it be tighter—an 80 per cent deduction, not the 90 per cent deduction. But, no, the government doesn't want to acknowledge it got those settings wrong. It's digging its heels in despite all that revenue lost for Australians. The Australia Institute estimates that we've forgone so far about $63.8 billion since July 2022—and the government made that policy choice—by not taxing gas export windfalls. It's around $2 million per hour, as I said, which is just mind boggling. Australians are entitled to ask a pretty basic question: how is it that one of the world's biggest gas exporters can raise less from taxing offshore gas profits than the Commonwealth raises from beer excise? Treasury evidence cited publicly this year put beer excise at about $2.7 billion, compared to the PRRT revenue of about $1.5 billion. It is absurd, and Australians know it's absurd; they all know. There is so much support and consensus for us to be properly taxing our gas exporters. To put it plainly—in Australia a night at the pub is being taxed more effectively than the export of a public natural resource. That's not a tax system designed in the national interest. We know that the government collects more from students through HECS and HELP repayments than it does through the PRRT. What do I say to the young people who are here? These are students who are hoping to go to university and will have to pay HECS debts. They will be contributing more to Australia's future than the gas export industry. A fair share is not anti industry; it's pro Australia. We need a rules based charge on extraordinary export rents. The proceeds of a 25 per cent tax on natural gas exports should be used for responsible cost-of-living relief and to fund a clean industry transition. We know that every time there are international shocks they have an impact. When Russia invaded Ukraine, global fossil prices spiked and gas exporters made record profits. The price went up and the profits rose about 45 per cent above the pre-2022 average. Yet Australians did not see any of that benefit. At the heart of the problem is this: global shocks send prices sky high and gas companies enjoy the upside, but the Australian public does not capture a fair share of that windfall. The government just has to get on board with doing something to properly bring back some revenue for the Australian people. What can we do here? We're here discussing it. We've got young students here watching this debate with the hope that they're not going to inherit intergenerational inequity and that they're going to have some revenue in the bank from this government to ensure the right things can be paid for. First, we need to legislate a meaningful tax on gas exports so that the Australian public receives a fair return when global prices surge. Second— (Time expired) The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The time for this discussion has concluded. DELEGATION REPORTS 44 DELEGATION REPORTS Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference 44 16:21 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, held in Barbados from 5 to 12 October 2025. BILLS 44 BILLS Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 44 Second Reading 44 16:22 Mr GEE 261393 Calare I support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. The government has finally listened to the call of many on the crossbench, including me, to cut the fuel excise. Last week I introduced my fair fuel price bill into parliament. When I did so, I called on the government to slash the fuel tax. In fact, when I raised it in question time last week with the Prime Minister and I asked him to slash the excise, certain members in this place laughed. Well, they're not laughing now. The announcement that the fuel excise will be halved for three months is a welcome piece of news. It's a step in the right direction and it is what the crossbench had been calling for. This is what I had been calling for. So I appreciate the Prime Minister heeding the call. It's the right decision to make and it's the right call, but more is needed. City motorists might see some immediate relief, but regional Australia knows that it will take a lot longer before even a cent of that relief filters down to our local pumps. Residents in the Central West are concerned that there is no guarantee that this reduction will actually be passed on at all. Given the predatory patterns we have seen so far, we know that any relief may be short lived. In regional Australia, we are very concerned that potential savings could easily be eaten up by service stations, fuel retailers and petrol companies jacking up the prices yet again. We saw fuel prices jump before the effects of war had even started. Prices were rising on fuel that was already in the country. Since then, pump prices have been rising faster than crude oil prices, which means that price gouging has been occurring. So this initiative on excise can't be the end of the story on fuel price relief; more is needed to complement what the government has put in place. The government has increased penalties for price gouging, but it hasn't made it any easier to prosecute price gouging offenders. You can count the number of successful price gouging prosecutions over the last 20 years on one hand. What the government has done is akin to doubling the jail time for theft but never actually finding very many people guilty of it. It sounds good, but it doesn't deliver the fuel price relief that our communities are demanding. The underwriting of fuel shipments to Australia is a good thing, and I support it, but it's still not going to stop the price gougers and the rip-offs. That is exactly why my fair fuel price bill is so essential—it stops the rip-offs. They are happening and have been happening for a long time. We're no stranger to it in country New South Wales. We can't wait to act. The parliament is not going to sit again until May, so either we can do more now or we can watch prices continue to spiral towards $4 a litre. My fair fuel price bill would allow the Commonwealth government to temporarily regulate fuel prices during periods of extraordinary global disruptions, such as a war or similar crises. It would allow the minister, in consultation with the Treasurer, to set and control the price of unleaded petrol and also diesel. This bill demands to be heard urgently because our country is in the midst of this devastating crisis. Both country and city communities are being pummelled by these prices. It's smashing our local businesses and it's stinging everyone, from pensioners to families. So urgent action is required and leadership is required. That is why this fair fuel price bill, which I brought to this place, is so important. It will reintroduce fuel price controls of the type ushered in during the Second World War to Australia. In 1939, this parliament passed the National Security Act, which gave the federal government the power to set fuel prices for the duration of that conflict. It was aimed at preventing price gouging, and it was effective. The fair fuel price bill gives the government the power to set fuel prices for the duration of the current conflict in the Middle East. Our communities expect that members of this place come in with constructive comment, constructive ideas and constructive legislation, and that is what I have done with this legislation. Sky-high prices are throttling our country, community members and businesses. Our farmers can't get the diesel they need to put their crops in the ground. As we are speaking, farmers in the Central West of New South Wales are meeting and talking about whether they should actually put a crop in the ground. That's where we are. If farmers aren't going to be putting crops in the ground, the food's not going to turn up on the supermarket shelves in the cities and this country will not eat. So this fuel crisis can very easily turn into a food security crisis. It's happening before our eyes. People in the bush have been putting up with sky-high fuel prices for many years. We've been campaigning on this in Mudgee for a long time. Prices in the main street of Mudgee are regularly 40c a litre more expensive than they are in other parts of the state. If you want to have a look at the current market, look no further than Yeoval. Today in Yeoval, the price for diesel is $3.479. These prices are not just high prices; they're like ransom notes to country people. We know that people in country communities have further distances to drive, so these skyrocketing fuel prices have a disproportionate effect on country people. I saw that the Treasurer is writing to the ACCC to ensure that this excise saving is not eaten up by price increases. It's just talk. We're sick of the talk; we need action. When I was raising the issue of sky-high fuel prices in Mudgee with the Treasurer, he helpfully set up a meeting with the ACCC, and we met with them. But it didn't result in any action, because they don't have the ability to take it. All we've done is double penalties for price gouging, but we haven't actually given the ACCC more or better powers to prosecute petrol price fixes. Our communities are tired of there being all talk and no action, and we want decisive leadership on this. The ABC's Alan Kohler recently pointed out that Australian retail petrol prices have risen to levels higher than they were in 2022 even though global crude oil prices have not returned to these peaks. He points out that this discrepancy indicates that margins have expanded significantly. In other words, it's petrol price gouging. We know it's happening. Everyone in the country knows it's happening, and it's got to stop. That's why my bill, the Fair Fuel Price Bill, is so important. But I want the House to be made aware of how much pain this issue is causing in our area. I received an email from Kristy, who is an assistant in nursing. She has to drive about 45 minutes to get to work. She's earning $26.61 an hour. She says: With current fuel prices, it is no longer financially viable for me to continue in my role. Despite working full-time, I have been forced to take on a second job just to survive. Even then, I am left with only $2.30 in my account this week after paying my mortgage. I am currently limiting myself to one meal a day so that my children can have three. That's one example. Bathurst Community Transport have contacted me. They said: This latest crisis of fuel prices, coupled with the closure of Victoria Pass has brought us to our knees … …   …   … Without immediate relief, Bathurst Community Transport will have no choice but to reduce services to only those assessed as highest need—leaving thousands of clients in your electorate at risk of losing the transport that allows them to live independently. Alex runs a disability support business. He said: I, like many, am also feeling this at the hip pocket both from my business and my family. My business is a small, family run disability support company who prides itself on being able to get the members of our community out and about to much needed medical appointments and social engagement with friends and family. While our fuel use isn't as much as other businesses, it still hurts. Our usage is generally around 900L a month, and climbing. When fuel hits $3 a litre this means our business will be consuming around $2,700 a month in fuel alone, that's $32,400 a year. This is not sustainable long term for us. Elise writes in and tells me about the school excursions which are being cut because of these skyrocketing fuel prices. Luke Knight from L-Con Building & Construction in Orange has written to me. He told me about the skyrocketing price increases from suppliers for the materials used to build our homes and factories. He says: Using PVC as a prime example, the rise will be basically equal to the entire covid and subsequent 4-year period combined. This is extraordinary. I am very alarmed by these increases. Let's hope it's not for long as any momentum with housing supply increase will be lost, just as we get traction. People really can't afford building now, let alone if pricing will increase again. Ric Ross from the Mudgee area believes that 'to not have adequate supplies is inconceivable in the current world economic climate and shows a lack of foresight and complete incompetence'. My former colleague the late Jim Molan would agree with that. He championed our country having greater fuel reserves, but, sadly, that fell on deaf ears. Edward Brown from my electorate has written in to point out the discrepancy between the price of crude oil and the price at the petrol pump. It is proof of the price gouging and the profiteering that is occurring. Josh from the Calare electorate indicates that the price increases are soaring, and they are increasing multiple times per day. He says: Whilst I am aware that the ACCC has threatened to investigate wholesalers and retailers, we cannot afford to wait for a potential investigation which will not see proceeds returned to the customers being hit. Regional NSW also does not have the luxury of relying on public transport infrastructure as a an alternate form of commute due to decades of federal and state government neglect of this issue. Jules Fotheringham writes: Of particular concern in regional communities like ours is the availability of diesel. Supply disruptions, cancelled shipments, and increased demand have led to shortages at service stations, with some areas experiencing difficulty accessing fuel altogether. This is deeply worrying given the reliance of regional economies on diesel for agriculture, transport, and essential services. Jules is absolutely correct. It is extremely concerning. Liz Hammond has written to me. She lives in the Cargo area between Orange and Canowindra. She says: As someone who lives out of town and has a child attending school, reliable access to diesel is not a convenience but a necessity. Daily travel for school drop-offs, work, and essential errands depends on being able to obtain fuel when needed. The current situation is making this increasingly difficult and stressful, particularly when supply becomes uncertain. Tom Brownjohn from Godfrey Smith Funerals writes in basically on behalf of the funeral industry and says: Our operations rely heavily on transport, particularly diesel-powered vehicles, to attend places of death, transfer the deceased into care, and conduct funeral services across multiple locations. In regional areas, this often involves significant travel distances. He worries that their ability to carry out those vital services are heavily impacted by this fuel crisis, and he wants funeral services classed as an essential service. Those are just a few stories from the Central West of New South Wales, and that is why action is needed on the double. What the government has put forward is a start, but it simply does not go far enough. My Fair Fuel Price Bill 2026 provides a tangible and effective solution. It brings in price controls and allows the federal government to set prices on fuel, just as it did in the Second World War. Until we have the courage to step in and regulate these prices during this extraordinary period of war and disruption, the national interest will continue to be ignored in favour of fuel company margins. The price gouging continues, and we all know it is. The bill that we are discussing today is a step in the right direction, but it can't be the end of the story or the last word. In this fuel crisis, profit is being put ahead of people, the very people who work in our hospitals, teach our children or put food on supermarket shelves and tables. I would urge the government to support my Fair Fuel Price Bill and bring prices back to reality. (Time expired) 16:37 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite While there is great uncertainty on the world stage, the Albanese government is working to deliver certainty for all Australians. We know conflict in the Middle East is not distant from us here at home. It is being felt in very real ways. Australians are feeling it when they pull up to the bowser. Across my communities in the Bellarine, the Surf Coast and throughout the Geelong region, people are concerned about rising fuel costs. We recognise this and it's why from the outset we have taken action. From tomorrow, the fuel excise will be halved for three months. That's what this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026, delivers. This is immediate and meaningful relief. With the watchful oversight of the ACCC, it means lower prices for households, for businesses, for families, and it means support at a time when it is needed most. This bill legislates a three-month reduction in fuel excise and equivalent duties, and it enables changes to the road user charge to be made in response to the changing conditions Australians are facing. These are practical tools and they are deliberate measures. Importantly, they ensure we have the capacity to respond to our fast-changing global environment. Schedule 1 of this bill gives effect to the core measure. It halves the excise and excise equivalent customs duty rate that applies to most fuels. From tomorrow, 1 April, through to 30 June this year, the rate will be reduced from 52.6c per litre to 26.3c per litre. That is a reduction of 26.3c per litre. For a typical 65 litre tank, that means savings of nearly $19. That is real money going back into the pockets of Australians, and it can make a real difference between stretching the household budget and staying on top of it. We have also gone further. We are reducing the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months. This is delivered through schedule 3 of this bill, which provides government with the flexibility to adjust the road user charge, including suspending limitations on increases over this financial year and the next. For the period from 1 April to 30 June, the charge will effectively be reduced to zero. This is direct support for the freight sector. It recognises the critical role that transport operators play in keeping goods moving around our country, and it delivers meaningful savings. For a 400 litre tank, operators will now save around $130. But the benefit does not stop there. Because of the way road user charges interact with fuel excise and fuel tax credits, the total benefit to trucking operators is even greater. In total, they will see savings of around 32.4c per litre. They will save 26.3c per litre at the pump, and their fuel tax credits will increase from 20.2c to 26.3c per litre. That is an additional 6c per litre. It will provide critical cashflow support to operators at a time of rising costs and uncertainty. Schedule 2 of the bill ensures we are not limited in our response to these uncertain times. It gives the Treasurer the ability to go further to reduce the fuel excise and equivalent customs duty rates by more than 50 per cent if we need to act. This is about flexibility and it is about being prepared for what lies ahead in uncertain times. It is also about ensuring that this government can respond quickly if global conditions deteriorate further. The reality is this: the situation is evolving, and our response must be proactive and capable of evolving with it. These measures are not abstract. They flow through the entire economy, because, when fuel costs rise, everything costs more. This bill helps to limit that by easing pressure across the entire economy. We are also working closely with the ACCC and the states and territories to ensure the benefits of the excise reduction are fully realised. We are also acting to protect Australians from unfair pricing. At a time of volatility, there is real risk that some may seek to take advantage of the situation. This is not acceptable. Australians deserve fair treatment, and that's why we have strengthened the powers of the ACCC. When we came to office we increased penalties and we provided the ACCC with the ability to issue on-the-spot fines. More recently, we increased penalties further to ensure they are a real deterrent. Penalties can now reach up to $100 million because we believe price gouging during a crisis is unacceptable and it will not be tolerated. The Treasurer has written to the ACCC to ensure that they are closely monitoring fuel prices. As these changes come into effect, Australians should see the full benefit of the excise reduction—not part of it, not most of it, but all of it—and the ACCC will be watching to ensure that happens. I am also calling on locals across my region to keep an eye on prices. If you see prices rising, please contact my office and we will get you in touch with the ACCC. It is important to note that measures included in this bill have not been developed in isolation. This is the result of governments working together. Yesterday, at the National Cabinet meeting convened by the Prime Minister, all state and territory leaders endorsed the National Fuel Security Plan. That includes the cut to the fuel excise. National Cabinet includes Labor governments and it includes Liberal-National governments, and, at times like this, Australians expect cooperation. They expect governments to put the national interest first, and that is what has occurred. The National Fuel Security Plan is built on clear and practical principles. The first is to plan and prepare. The second is to keep Australia moving. We want to ensure that supply chains continue to function effectively, we want to ensure that businesses can continue to operate and thrive and we want to ensure that Australians can go about their daily lives without unnecessary interruption. That is why we are also asking Australians to act responsibly—to buy the fuel they need and not more, and to make sensible choices that help stabilise supply. Australians are generous. We work together when it matters most, and that's exactly what I'm seeing across my communities right now and I'm confident that will continue. We know that managing the challenges of a global markets shock requires a collective effort, and that collective effort is at the heart of our response. National Cabinet has agreed that we are at level 2 under the plan. That reflects a situation requiring heightened coordination and targeted action. Together, the Commonwealth and the states have established a fuel supply taskforce. Officials from across jurisdictions are working together to monitor supply, assess risks and respond quickly. Ministers across key portfolios are engaged. Energy, Treasury, Agriculture, Infrastructure—all working together, all focused on managing the impacts of a global crisis that is beyond any one country's control. And, while we cannot control global events, we can control how we respond, and we are responding in a coordinated and practical way. That is what this bill is all about. At its heart, this is about people. It is about the worker who relies on their car to get to their job. It is about the small-business owner managing costs. It is about the truck driver keeping goods moving around this country. And it is about making sure that, in the face of evolving global uncertainty, Australians are supported, protected and treated fairly. The alternative approach put forward by the coalition would not deliver this. While we are acting to bring costs down, they are lining up to cut support. They want to scrap initiatives like the Cheaper Home Batteries Program that is already putting money back into the pockets of Australian households and small businesses. Three hundred thousand households and businesses are benefiting from that program, and, at the worst possible time, those opposite are suggesting that the government rip that support away. That is the difference. In contrast, our approach, and this bill, delivers real relief. It delivers real coordination. It delivers certainty, it delivers support and it demonstrates real leadership. We know the global situation is changing rapidly, but Australians can be assured their government's focus is on easing cost-of-living pressures, securing our fuel supply and getting it where and when it is needed most. I commend the bill to the House. 16:49 Mr KENNEDY 267506 Cook The coalition supports this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill, because Australians need immediate relief and they need it now. Families and small businesses right across Australia and in the electorate of Cook are under real pressure. My office is getting emails about people struggling with the cost of living, struggling with fuel bills and being unable to make ends meet and get by. Just this week I heard from the St Vincent de Paul Society telling stories about people in my electorate—mums forgoing lunches for their children, having to ask the St Vincent de Paul Society for help to provide their kids with lunch, asking them for help to put beds in people's houses because they're sleeping with blankets on the floor, asking them to help with the weekly groceries and asking them to help with fuel vouchers. These are real stories not in impoverished parts of Australia but in the Sutherland shire of Sydney, a well-to-do, reasonably affluent area. Yes, there are people doing it extremely tough there, and if they're doing it tough there I can only begin to imagine how tough they are doing it in the rest of Australia. We support this because it will deliver relief for households. It's coming at a critical time ahead of Easter, where families looking to go away for road trips and school holidays are wondering how they're going to pay for those school holiday and Easter activities. Budgets are stretched for small businesses and tradies. Transport operators who I have spoken to as recently as last week were parking their trucks because they couldn't afford to make a loss or their businesses would go under. These transport operators may now be able to service their customers and get goods moving. We were facing, potentially, shortages at customer shelves in supermarkets and hardware stores. How did this come about? Well, it was because of coalition leadership. It was over a week ago that we first called for a cut to fuel excise and road user charging. And, yes, it was pleasing to see the Albanese government listen to the coalition and listen to Australians to support them through the difficulties they were having. This government is just waking up to the fact that energy is the economy. We've seen it with electricity markets and how it's been hurting manufacturing, we've seen it in gas markets and how it's been hurting industry, and now we're seeing it in oil and fuel markets and how it's grinding Australia to a halt. The issue Australia has had with this is prior to the Iran shock. Prior to any of this becoming an issue, Australia had the highest inflation of any advanced economy in the world. Australia was worse than the US, worse than anywhere in Europe and worse than in Asia. What is the responsibility of a federal government at a time like this? It's to shelter the businesses. It's to shelter the citizens. But, instead, Jim Chalmers and his reckless spending had Australia with the highest inflation— The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZY Order! The member is to use people's correct titles. Mr KENNEDY 267506 Sorry. I withdraw. The Treasurer had Australia flailing in the wind with the highest inflation in the developed world when this external shock came across, and, yes, of course it's adding to inflation. When you have the highest inflation in the entire developed world, there is nowhere for Australian businesses to hide. There's nowhere for Australian households to go. In that environment, an external shock like the war in Iran rips through this country. It rips through the businesses, it rips through the transport operators, it rips through the small businesses and it's ripping through households. Just like the St Vincent de Paul Society was attesting to me directly this week, it is ripping through Australia. These increased fuel prices were going straight to inflation. The sad news is that, because government spending is at a 40-year high outside of the pandemic, inflation was already running high and interest rates were running high. We heard the Reserve Bank governor express herself less than a month ago that this increased government spending was fuelling inflation and fuelling interest rates. Unfortunately, this reckless, out-of-control government spending is going to add fuel to the inflation fire—and that is not fuel we want. We want more diesel, but we don't want more fuel added to the inflation fire. Why is it going to do that? Because there are no offsets for this. There are no offsets to what is essentially increased government spending, so there's going to be even more demand. The coalition has sensibly proposed offsets for this measure. If they didn't like our offsets, we could have had a discussion. What other offsets are there? We don't want inflation to further increase because of this measure. It must be offset with spending cuts. It has to be. Otherwise, we're going to be back here again in another couple of months, staring down another Reserve Bank interest rate rise. I deeply worry for those families in my community—that mum unable to pay for her kids' packed lunches, those families who have children sleeping on the floor with a blanket without a bed, those families that are unable to make ends meet and who are getting fuel vouchers. These are real stories from real people in the electorate of Cook, and I can only imagine that there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of similar stories right across Australia. The truth is that with government spending this high, without offsetting this in the budget, it's going to further add to inflation. We heard from the Reserve Bank last month. They had modelled in another two interest rate rises this year. That was before the war in Iran. We've had one, so that means one of the Reserve Bank's interest rate models has come true, but they've modelled and forecast another one. On top of this inflationary cut to excise that has not been offset, how many more is that adding? Is that going to add another two or three? We know families with a mortgage are already paying $27,000 a year in interest alone. We know on average they're paying $1,400 a year more in electricity bills. We know that with diesel and petrol at its current prices, it's another $1,400 a year. That's for an average family with an average mortgage—they are paying up to $30,000 per year in after-tax money. And it doesn't stop there. Domestic inflation is running at 4.9 per cent. So guess what's happening? Their money is getting eaten up because things are costing more, they are not getting the wage increases they deserve and bracket creep is stealing more money from these hardworking Australians as the government's tax coffers grow through bracket creep. There's still no clear plan on fuel supply. While we back in this reduction in excise and road user charging, and this price relief is welcome, you can't cost the price of fuel that just isn't there. Today in question time we heard that there are almost 500 petrol stations without fuel. We heard last week, in response to a question, the energy minister was unable to answer how much fuel there was in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. When pressed on that by those on this side, instead of answering that, he said he was done and sat down. Frankly, we need an energy minister who is across his brief, who is across those numbers. It was pleasing today that he was across those numbers in question time. I'm glad he has made those adjustments and moved forward, and I think the Australian people are glad and thank him for that. But we need an energy minister who is across these details. It's great National Cabinet is working together. This needs to be a team Australia moment where we rally together to acknowledge energy is the economy. Energy is the economy. It's fuel, it's diesel, it's electricity and it's gas. This government is just waking up to it. We saw on the electricity and gas side what carnage it wrecked in the economy—Whyalla Steelworks going bankrupt, Nyrstar going bankrupt, Mount Isa smelter going bankrupt. We saw industry after industry get bailed out. The CEOs of BHP, BlueScope Steel, Cadbury and Mars say that they don't think manufacturing has a future in this country, that it's at a crossroads and they're investing at other places. BlueScope Steel is saying gas costs two to three times more here than it does in the US. The CEO of BHP is saying energy costs more than double here than it does in other countries. So we were dealing with this on electricity and gas, and now we are dealing with it on fuel. It's happened at such a rapid rate. Hopefully it's not too late for this government to change course. If they do, we will join with them to actually lower the price of energy. Only a couple of weeks ago, we were forcing Ampol to export our fuel overseas. We said, 'This fuel is not good enough to be burnt in Australia; it can be burnt to overseas,' like that made a difference. As if burning it in Indonesia makes some difference to the atmosphere, since it wasn't burnt in Brisbane or Sydney or Melbourne. Somehow burning it in Indonesia is cleaner, more virtuous. What did that do? It cost Australian businesses more. It cost Australian households more. It's one of the reasons the people in my electorate are paying $1,400 more a year in fuel. We welcome the decision to allow Ampol to sell fuel here so that Australians can burn it. But we're in this crazy utopian world where the very things that make Australia wealthier, the very things that lower energy costs for the country, the very things that actually lower the cost of living, we don't allow here. Instead, we're giving the advantage away to Australia's competitors. We're giving the advantage away to countries that don't have Australia's track record of safety and that don't have Australia's track record of keeping their workers and the environment safe. We're giving that away and acting as though there's a difference between whether that fuel or that energy is used here or in another country. The effect on the planet is the same. So, if those opposite really believe it, they should outlaw it everywhere. Stop exporting it, or stop playing political games and exploiting political advantage. One thing this prime minister has been very good at is exploiting domestic political advantage—I have to give him credit for that—whether it's a moment of national unity, such as post-Bondi, or it's fuel relief. But today we welcome this. We welcome it; we called for it. Australians must answer a simple question: why is the Prime Minister always last to lead with principle in a national crisis? Why is that the case, Prime Minister? He should have come out earlier with the plan, but instead, what he's apt at—and I'll give him credit for it—is to wait, sit back and look for the political advantage in any of these crises. The coalition will always support measures that reduce costs for industry, that reduce costs for households and that reduce the costs of the inputs to business. We will hold the government to account for delay in poor planning and inflation risks—and those inflation risks are ample. They are everywhere right now. Australians deserve relief today and responsible economic management for tomorrow. Unfortunately, this fuel crisis is happening at the worst possible time. It's coming after four years of economic mismanagement—four years of inflation that has not been below the 2½ per cent that the RBA targets. It has never been below that target rate in four years. If you look at the RBA's forecasts for the next two years, it's not forecast to ever get below. So the RBA is forecasting that, in the first two terms of the Albanese government, inflation will never drop below their target range—never. At this very moment, when you're looking at two entire terms of inflation being above the RBA's 2½ per cent target, government spending is at a 40-year high. How irresponsible is that? But, yes, they have a spending problem. Why they're not quick to fix it is because bracket creep is helping that spending problem—that inflation is actually a good thing for the budget to pay for this increased spending. The government's response has been chaotic in complacence. For three weeks they denied there was a problem. First they were dismissing concerns as, 'It was just panic buying;' now, this week, we're hearing there are problems with supply. We're now hearing that it's a crisis. This is not leadership. This is a drift that demands urgency—and that urgency is finally coming, because the consequences for this are real. Fuel is not an abstract issue; neither is energy. It's in the cost of everything. It's from freight to farming to family budgets. This crisis is taking the homegrown cost-of-living and inflation crisis and making it worse for every Australian household. What makes this worse is that Australia is entering this crisis weaker than any other advanced economy in the world. This government had the responsibility to shelter us and to look after us, but, instead, Australian households and businesses are flailing in the wind. The thing I fear about this is the fact that they have not done budgetary offsets, which means it's going to be inflationary. That is the key difference between what this government is now doing and what the coalition government first proposed over a week ago. 17:04 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor I rise today to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. I relish the opportunity to support this bill and the actions of this government at this time in response to the war in the Middle East and the implications that it's having across the globe and to share with the House how that's impacting my local community. This legislation gives effect to the announcement on Monday 30 March by the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government that we will halve fuel excise—a reduction of 26c per litre—on petrol and diesel for three months from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026. This will reduce the cost of a 65-litre tank of fuel by nearly $19. We will also reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for those same three months. This decision will save trucking operators 32.4c per litre in total, which is about $130 on a 400-litre tank. This is really important. We've also deferred, in this legislation, the six per cent increase in the road user charge. These measures are here to reduce pressure on our road users. Whether road users are filling a car, a ute, a truck or a bus—whatever they're using fuel for—these measures are here to create some wriggle room, some relief, on the price of petrol, in response to what's happening in the Middle East. I think they're really important measures. I give a nod to those opposite for the contortions that they've had to do today in terms of claiming that the government's responding to their calls for this, while, in the same breath, saying it's the wrong thing to do. I'm very confused when I listen to those opposite. I hear from them that it needs offsets, but I never hear what they want to cut in those offsets. In my community—and particularly in communities across the country that, like mine, are represented on this side of the House more often than not—people travel long distances for work and are already shopping for cheaper fuel to make it possible for them to get to and from work and still meet their commitments as a family. It's often two people who are doing that. These people are likely to be working often in transport and logistics, where I know these issues are having an impact every day. I want to pay tribute to the leadership of this government for the measures that they've put in place across this week and for the way they have responded—not in a reactive way but in a thoughtful way. I want the people in my community to know that, as a government, this government has your back. We have your back on this. You can rely on the fact that this government is listening and understanding the pressures that you're under, but also that we won't react; we will think in measured ways about how we can act to support you. I think it's critical at the moment that everybody understands that that's what's happening here. That's why it's also really important that the National Cabinet are involved here and that states and the federal government are working together. I think it's really important to see the three levels of government working together to support Australians through this. Unlike those opposite, we know there is no answer to the question of when the disruption from the Middle East conflict is going to end. We don't know that, and we can't predict that. What we can do is plan to do our best and plan to support Australians as best we can as a government. That's exactly what we're doing this week, and that's exactly what we're doing in this bill. This will give some comfort around price. There'll be a saving at the bowser. As I heard the minister for energy say this morning, we're also very concerned. We don't want people to get out of their car and go in and abuse someone working at a service station because the price hasn't dropped yet. There's a flow-through time to this. But, by the same token, we do want to know what's happening out there. We do want to know if people are putting prices up that the public think are above and beyond what we should be seeing or if one company's putting prices up in an extraordinary way. We do want to know. We do want to know the impact that this is having on our families and on our communities, and I would encourage my community to let us know. I received an email yesterday, while sitting here in question time, from a community member that relayed a story about a member of my community who is travelling a long way for health treatments. There's concern that, driving a diesel vehicle, he won't be able to afford those trips and therefore might miss medical appointments that are across the other side of Melbourne at times. We need to know those things. I need to be able to carry that story into this place to make sure that we're focused on the right things and, really importantly, to make sure that my office and I can work with state government member offices, state governments and local governments and be helpful where we can. My first question yesterday on receipt of that email was: is there a way that we can transfer this person's health treatment to somewhere closer and is there a way that I can reach out to the state member and get him working with Mercy Health and Western Health to see if we can't move something from Sunshine or Monash to somewhere closer in Werribee or Altona? That would be something that we would look to do. If it's my community, I need to know. We can't help if we don't know. So please get those emails coming in. Also the best people in the world to do price watch are our local communities. So let us know if you see something unusual happening out there because the Treasurer wants to know and I want to be the first person to tell the Treasurer so that we can make sure people aren't being ripped off. I also want to pay homage to the other things that we've done this week that have ensured supply, ensured that the cargo ships with crude oil and fuel continue to come to Australia. I want to pay homage to the foreign minister, the minister for energy and the whole leadership team for the way they are working with our neighbours and our trading partners to ensure that we continue to get the supply into this country. Australians should not be punished for something happening in the Middle East. But, by the same token, this is global and, as a country, we can only respond. It's important how we respond. This legislation is one of the things that demonstrates the way this government will respond. The cheapest fuel I can find in my local community is $2.51 per litre, ranging to $2.61.9 as the most expensive. Most servos are sitting at 259.9c at the moment. I'm putting that out there now. What I'm saying is that that's today's prices. Keep an eye on that locally and make sure that you're communicating with us. I think it's really important that people understand that we do understand what people are going through. We know that these price shocks will be running through household budgets. We know that that will be impacting on local communities. Of course we know, because it's impacting on the people we know and love as well as it is on the people that we represent. We have added hundreds of millions of litres of diesel and petrol by releasing some of our minimum stock obligations. We're temporarily reducing the sulphur content standards to ensure more fuel can be sold here in Australia, and we're providing more support to our domestic refineries. And, of course, we can't go past this fact. I am a Melbourne western suburbs MP and I stood in front of the Mobil gates when Mobil announced that they were closing the Altona refinery. I mourned that day because I knew what that meant to so many families and to so many workers—and generations of workers—at Mobil who live in my electorate. We are now bearing the costs for a lack of action from the previous government, where we have only two refineries operating in this country now because four closed under the previous government. We're providing more certainty to the private sector by underwriting fuel imports where appropriate. This is really important. It's obviously really complex, but it's basically about the fact that Australian companies reaching out to contract to bring fuel into the country will be facing varying prices in the spot market, and this is a way that government can support them to underwrite or guarantee, if you like, that they can afford the shock if there's a rapid price drop. So it's us supporting companies to support Australians. We're empowering the ACCC to crack down on misconduct, including doubling the penalties to up to $100 million fines for anybody caught price gouging the Australian public, and working with the ACCC to authorise major suppliers to get fuel where it's needed in the regions and ramp up fuel price monitoring. I think that's an important point to make, too, and I think it's important for people at home to understand that. As we hear in question time every day when the Minister for Climate Change and Energy gives us figures and numbers in response to our questions or those opposites' questions or when he's appearing on televisions in the morning, there is more demand. As people start to think, 'I'm going to need fuel next week,' we need to see people doing the right thing. We need to see people supporting one another as we do in times of crisis. We need to see that every day. We need it in my community. If you know that a neighbour catches the same train as you do, then knock on their door and offer to carpool to the station. Those are the sorts of things that will assist and will reduce the demand. We've got fuel coming in, but we did make the decision that fuel would go to the regions we knew needed it most because of an increase in demand but also because of things like New South Wales farmers having to plant. They need the diesel to make sure that that can happen while it's planting season, which is right now. The decisions that are being made are not being made recklessly or without thought. We're being thoughtful. But the important piece here is that those decisions must be informed by what Australians know and what Australians need. As I've heard our frontbenchers say at the dispatch box all week—and I look to members opposite—if your communities have information that the government needs and that would inform government actions, then we need to hear about that as well. I think that probably the strongest message I can give to my community is that the government are working hard every day and are trying to get things right and put them in place to give surety in an incredibly unpredictable time. No-one's got a crystal ball here. We can't predict what is going to happen with any surety. It's not the way anybody wants to govern. It's not the way any community wants to live, but it's our actual reality right now. Let's stay in touch with one another, stay connected and start to work together with one another—with our neighbours and community. I want to give a shout-out to the Victorian state government for the free public transport for this month, because I think it's already giving some security to people at home that they don't need their Myki at the moment to travel on a train in Victoria. Just go down and get on that train. That's going to give some more cost-of-living relief where it matters. Again, national leadership was shown by National Cabinet in terms of the measures that are going to be taken around the GST windfall provision so that state governments aren't going to get more GST money in as a windfall. They're going to work with the Treasurer to make sure that that money stays in the system rather than be taken out of the system. I think that one's really important. On a whole, to my community: keep the emails coming, and let us know how we might help. There are some pretty intelligent people at all levels of government, and, if all levels of government are working together, we'll be in a better place. To all members of this House: I think it's incredibly important that we all work together to make sure we get the best outcomes for people all the way along the breadth and length of this country, from the regions to the suburbs and the outer suburbs, like places I represent. We need to make sure that we stay aware of the specific and individualised needs of those communities and make sure that they're taken into consideration when we're making decisions. 17:18 Mr BOYCE 299498 Flynn I would just like to make some comments in respect of what the member for Lalor has just said, and I concur with her and congratulate her. Australians are suffering, and this is a crisis that affects everybody. The more that we can work together, the better results that we will have. So well done to you, Madam. I rise to support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. I think it's in the best interests of Australia that we support the government to do this. This is also the position of the coalition. And Australians need immediate relief. Removing half of the fuel excise and the heavy vehicle road user charge will go some way to alleviating those pressures, particularly for the transport industry. Having said that, I do have some reservations about what that is going to do the budget, to our bottom line, to inflationary effects and so forth and how that might have influences on the economy into the future. It's really important, I think, that the government and the opposition and everybody concerned, including the general public, understand the ramifications of that. At the moment, we just do not see a plan to pay for all of that and a plan to outline offsets to make allowances for those hits to the budget—it's that simple. And it is a complicated thing; I understand that. But those are the things that we need to focus on. I will make some brief comments about this whole issue in general. For me, this started about a month ago, in late February or early March, when this conflict in the Middle East started, and it had some significant immediate impacts—particularly to rural Queensland, where I come from, and the agricultural sector in particular. There developed, very quickly, a scenario where on-farm bulk diesel and bulk diesel to the transport sector and so forth was not being delivered—it was that simple. We heard the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Prime Minister, the Treasurer—many of the government people—say that there was plenty of fuel and there was fuel being delivered. On the strength of that, I went to see the energy minister in his office—and I give him kudos for that. I walked straight into his office and met with his chief of staff, and one of his advisers, and the minister himself, and I tried to point out to them the issues that were actually happening—particularly in rural Queensland, where I come from. And it wasn't about supply, in respect of the big companies that control supply coming into Australia; this was about delivery. What was quite clear to me, in my discussions with people from Mr Bowen's office, is that they didn't quite understand how the supply chain works and what was happening at the time. The reality of it was that the third-party providers that usually transport fuel to the agricultural sector—on-farm diesel—and to the various trucking companies in the small communities all over rural and regional Queensland were simply not getting enough quota from the big companies. For me, that signalled the fact that the big companies that control the fuel were not allowing that distribution to happen. Since then—and that was three or four weeks ago now—things have changed considerably, and we are starting to see some of that fuel getting delivered to where it's needed. And I note that, today, in question time, the Prime Minister, with the member for Grey down here, dealt directly with one of those issues down in South Australia, where there was a farmer that had no diesel and they'd sorted it out. So I give the government kudos for that. As I say, these are the issues that we need to work through, as a parliament, with an issue that is extremely complicated, because none of us really knows what is going to happen with the Middle East crisis and whether the Strait of Hormuz will eventually be opened and how that will affect future fuel supplies to Australia. In my deliberations, I did also speak to the Minister for Resources—I actually spoke to her twice—about this issue of future fuel deliveries for Australia and how that might affect, particularly, heavy industry, transport and the agricultural sector. The big problem, to my understanding, is that, come the middle of April and May, for those fuel shipments that come to Australia in big ships from places like South Korea, for example, or from Indonesia or Singapore, many contracts will roll over, and it's very unsure whether they will get renewed again. In my deliberations with the resources minister, I pointed out to her that it is extremely important that we ensure those fuel deliveries, particularly to our refineries, to the big importers, because, if Australia runs out of diesel, the whole country stops. We will be in a very, very difficult national security and economic situation if we don't have enough diesel for the mining and resources sector, for the transport sector and indeed for the agricultural sector. Like it or not, in spite of what some of my other parliamentary colleagues here have said, particularly the member for Warringah and the member for Canberra, who advocated that we should turn everything electric, that is not going to happen in the real world. Whilst that's a wonderful, pious idea, the reality of it is that there's no such thing as an electric combine harvester or an electric tractor that can farm round the clock. I, unbeknown to many parliamentarians, own a road train. I'm probably one of the few parliamentarians that own a road train. I don't know whether anybody else does. My truck holds about 1,500 litres of diesel when it's full. At $3 or $4 a litre—you can do the maths on that—you're possibly spending $4,000 to $6,000 to fill the truck up. We use that truck to cart all manner of things, including cattle and grain and our requirements with respect to my agricultural sector. So the idea that one of those electric trucks that was proudly displayed down here in front of Parliament House over the last few days can replace what we've got now in the transport industry—whilst it might be a good idea in the future, it is simply not going to happen in the short term. The idea of an electric truck replacing diesel powered trucks is just absolute nonsense in the near to short term. I think the removal of the road user charge has been a good thing from the government. Delivering that will definitely help the transport industry, who are absorbing a lot of this ongoing cost in the price of fuel, particularly with the delivery of all manner of consumer goods. Particularly in our grocery stores all over Australia, we will see groceries become more expensive for everybody because literally everything comes on the back of a truck. That's something that we need to be mindful of. With respect to what I was talking about earlier with the minister for resources—I pointed out to her that she needs to make it known very clearly that Australia exports a lot of coal and gas to many of our near Asian neighbours, who supply us with fuel, and it's important that there's a quid pro quo scenario that goes on there to make sure that our fuel supplies are secured and their energy needs are secured. She concurred with that, and I give her kudos for that and for the meetings I've had with her. I would like to touch on another issue that has come up. Some of the other speakers here in parliament have mentioned it. It's the fact that the ACCC has been given further and greater powers to police what might loosely be called rorting and playing the system. I've spoken on it on several occasions through the media and so forth, and what the people where I come from are asking is: what is the ACCC actually doing in respect of this? People are going to the local petrol station and, in a matter of a day, they're seeing price rises of 20c or 30c in some cases, but the fuel at the fuel station hasn't changed. So please explain to me, if that's not ripping the system and playing the system, what it is exactly. What does the ACCC need to prosecute people who are breaking the law? One of the speakers here in parliament mentioned that there was something like a $100 million maximum fine with respect to the big companies playing the system. I think what people want is evidence of what exactly the ACCC is doing, rather than it being seen as a toothless tiger. One of the other issues I'd like to mention is our future, what we should be advocating for as Australians, and that is more self-reliance in this space— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 265979 Order. In accordance with the resolution agreed to earlier, the time allotted for this debate has expired. The SPEAKER 53517 The question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this the honourable member for Goldstein moved as an amendment that all words after 'that' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. The immediate question now is that the amendment moved by the honourable member for Goldstein be agreed to.  

The House divided. [17:34]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

35 AYES Aldred, M. R. (Teller) Batt, D. J. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Chaffey, J. L. Chester, D. J. Conaghan, P. J. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Kennedy, S. P. Landry, M. L. (Teller) Littleproud, D. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pasin, A. Penfold, A. L. Pike, H. J. Rebello, L. S. Small, B. J. Tehan, D. T. Venning, T. H. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Webster, A. E. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wilson, T. R. 96 NOES Abdo, B. J. Albanese, A. N. Aly, A. Ambihaipahar, A. Belyea, J. A. Berry, C. G. Boele, N. Bowen, C. E. Briskey, J. L. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Campbell, J. P. Chalmers, J. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Clutterham, C. L. Coffey, R. K. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Comer, E. L. Conroy, P. M. Cook, K. M. G. Cook, P. A. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. J. France, A. A. Freelander, M. R. French, T. A. Garland, C. M. L. Gee, A. R. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. P. Gosling, L. J. Gregg, M. J. Hill, J. C. Holzberger, R. A. V. Husic, E. N. Jarrett, M. L. Jordan-Baird, M. A. M. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Le, D. T. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, R. G. Moncrieff, D. S. Mulino, D. Neumann, S. K. Ng, G. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Scrymgour, M. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Smith, M. J. H. Soon, X. Spender, A. M. Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Steggall, Z. Swanson, M. J. Teesdale, J. A. Templeman, S. R. Urquhart, A. E. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. White, R. P. Wilkie, A. D. Witty, S. J. Zappia, A. 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.
Original question agreed to.
Bill read a second time.

 Third Reading 55 17:39 The SPEAKER 53517 The question now is that this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026, Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025, Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 55

Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026

Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025

Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025

Returned from Senate 55 Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 55

Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025

Consideration of Senate Message 55 17:41 Mr CLARE HWL Blaxland I move: That the amendments be agreed to. This bill establishes the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, the ATEC, which is a key recommendation of the Australian Universities Accord. In supporting the amendments that have been made to the bill by the Senate, I acknowledge in particular Senator Faruqi and Senator Pocock in the other place, as well as the member for Curtin and the member for Kooyong in the House of Representatives, for the work that they have done and their engagement in the development of this bill. The amendments that we will now consider that were made in the Senate will allow the ATEC to initiate its own advice to ministers. They'll strengthen the ATEC's role in providing advice on research and research training. They'll allow the minister to appoint at least one and up to three commissioners on a part-time basis, in addition to the chief commissioner and the First Nations commissioner. They recognise the public good of higher education to Australia and the importance of academic freedom in the objects of the bill. They require the ATEC to establish a committee to provide advice and recommendations to the minister in relation to the Higher Education Standards Framework and ensure that the committee have appropriate expertise in higher education. All of these amendments are sensible, and I commend them to the House. The SPEAKER 53517 The question is that the amendments be agreed to.  

The House divided. [17:47]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

 98 AYES Abdo, B. J. Albanese, A. N. Aly, A. Ambihaipahar, A. Belyea, J. A. Berry, C. G. Boele, N. Bowen, C. E. Briskey, J. L. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Campbell, J. P. Chalmers, J. E. Chaney, K. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Clutterham, C. L. Coffey, R. K. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Comer, E. L. Conroy, P. M. Cook, K. M. G. Cook, P. A. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. J. France, A. A. Freelander, M. R. French, T. A. Garland, C. M. L. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. P. Gosling, L. J. Gregg, M. J. Hill, J. C. Holzberger, R. A. V. Husic, E. N. Jarrett, M. L. Jordan-Baird, M. A. M. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Le, D. T. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, R. G. Moncrieff, D. S. Mulino, D. Neumann, S. K. Ng, G. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Scrymgour, M. R. Sharkie, R. C. C. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Smith, M. J. H. Soon, X. Spender, A. M. Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Steggall, Z. Swanson, M. J. Teesdale, J. A. Templeman, S. R. Urquhart, A. E. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. White, R. P. Wilkie, A. D. Witty, S. J. Zappia, A. 36 NOES Aldred, M. R. (Teller) Batt, D. J. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Chaffey, J. L. Chester, D. J. Conaghan, P. J. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Joyce, B. T. G. Kennedy, S. P. Landry, M. L. (Teller) Littleproud, D. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pasin, A. Penfold, A. L. Pike, H. J. Rebello, L. S. Small, B. J. Tehan, D. T. Venning, T. H. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Webster, A. E. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wilson, T. R. 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 BUSINESS 59 BUSINESS Orders of the Day 59 17:51 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I declare that Federation Chamber order of the day High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 stands returned to the House for further consideration. BILLS 59 BILLS Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 59

Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025

Consideration of Senate Message 59 17:52 Mr KEOGH 249147 Burt I move: That the amendment be agreed to. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide described recommendation 122, the establishment of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, as its most important recommendation. The passage of this bill, establishing the commission in its own standalone legislation, is a significant milestone as we implement the recommendations of the royal commission. This amendment from the Senate will bring forward the reporting date for the first inquiry by the commission into the government's response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide from 2 December 2027 to 5 February 2027. I would like to thank the shadow minister for veterans' affairs and the opposition for working on a bipartisan basis as we implement the recommendations of the royal commission and as we work to ensure that defence personnel, veterans and their families can get the support that they need and deserve. The government supports this amendment and an earlier reporting date for the first inquiry. 17:53 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina The coalition moved an amendment to bring forward the timing of the first implementation review by the commissioner. I do want to thank the previous shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for Gippsland, and his office for the work they put in with the government to bring about this particular amendment and the effect of this amendment. This reform sits within a broader framework originating from the coalition's 2020 policy to establish an independent national commissioner for defence and veteran suicide prevention, as well as the coalition's decision to establish the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This legislation reflects that policy foundation, and we welcome seeing this important reform brought to fruition. As originally drafted, the first assessment of the government's implementation of the royal commission's recommendations was not required to be completed until December 2027. This would have meant the report may not have been tabled until 2028, almost four years after the royal commission reported. That timeframe, we felt, was too slow and risked weakening accountability. The coalition's successful amendment requires the first implementation assessment to be completed by no later than 5 February 2027. That timing is reasonable and practical. It marks more than two years since the royal commission's final report and more than a year since the commissioner commenced operation. That is sufficient time to assess whether early-stage reforms are being delivered and whether government commitments are translating into real and genuine action. Originally, the coalition proposed a reporting date of September 2026. However, in its submission to the committee's review of this bill, the Acting Commissioner of the Defence and Veterans' Services Commission raised concerns that there may not be sufficient time for the government to implement all the royal commission's recommendations. The coalition listened to those concerns and adjusted the proposed date from September 2026 to February 2027. Importantly, the government supported this amendment, and it was agreed to by the Senate. We acknowledge the government's constructive engagement in recognising the importance of bringing the first reporting date forward. There will also be a further statutory review by 2030, providing an opportunity for a more comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the royal commission's recommendations. This amendment strengthens transparency and reinforces accountability. It does not alter the commissioner's independence or powers. The coalition stands ready to work in a bipartisan way to achieve strong outcomes for veterans, while continuing to scrutinise legislation where necessary to ensure those outcomes are delivered. I thank the House. Question agreed to. High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 60

High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026

Second Reading 60 17:56 Mr GORMAN 74519 Perth It's an honour to sum up the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. I firstly want to thank the members who contributed to this debate. We heard from the member for Tangney about the amazing intelligence of Dolphins, reminding us of all the marine life that lives in our oceans that this bill will protect. We heard the long history of how we've come to this point from the member for Warringah, and I thank her for her support. I also put on record that, to assist the House, the member for Makin and the member for Canberra were both intending to speak but have waived their rights so that we can get this important piece of work done. As the parliament has heard, this bill seeks to facilitate Australia's ratification of the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, also known as the high seas biodiversity treaty or the BBNJ Agreement. It was adopted by the United Nations on 19 June 2023 after nearly 20 years of negotiations, and Australia was one of the first nations to sign it on 20 September 2023. This treaty creates stronger protections for our ocean. It establishes a regime to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction—that is, the high seas and seabed outside of our maritime borders. As a maritime nation, a healthy and resilient ocean is at the heart of our economy and the heart of our wellbeing. It's part of both our national identity and our national security. We acknowledge in this place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have cared for sea country for more than 65,000 years. Ratifying this treaty will bring real benefits to Australians. It will allow us to fully participate in international decision-making that affects Australians, their lives and their businesses. It will allow us to assist in leading the treaty's implementation in our region and allow us to work with others who seek to support the treaty. It will support both Australian businesses and our world-class research sector by creating a clear and level regulatory framework that puts everyone on an equal footing. It will complement our extensive domestic network of marine parks, which already protects some 52 per cent of our maritime jurisdiction and contributes significantly to the global target to protect 30 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2030. Around 60 per cent of the global ocean is beyond national jurisdiction, but currently only one per cent is protected. This treaty plays an important role in changing that and ensuring peace and stability in our region. It supports the rules based multilateral system, it enhances international ocean cooperation and it strengthens our regional bilateral relationships. The bill creates a regulatory regime to ensure Australian activities are undertaken consistent with this new treaty. This includes regulating the collection and use of marine genetic resources from areas beyond national jurisdiction and a framework for Australia to recognise area based management tools established by the treaty, such as marine protected areas. Australia has engaged in the more than 20 years of discussion and negotiations for this treaty, and we are co-chairing the process to prepare for the first meeting of the conference of the parties. I commend this bill because it is necessary for Australia to (1) ratify the treaty and safeguard the health of our shared ocean, (2) support our thriving ocean economy for future generations and (3) maintain our hard-earned reputation as a global ocean leader. I thank all members for their contributions and I commend the bill to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Third Reading 61 18:01 Mr GORMAN 74519 Perth by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 61

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025

First Reading 61 Second Reading 61 18:02 Ms WHITE 224102 Lyons I present the revised explanatory memorandum to this bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Albanese Labor government is committed to ensuring the NDIS is a pillar of Australia's unique social safety net. That means that we are committed to ensuring the National Disability Insurance Scheme provides essential disability supports for people with permanent and significant disability today and into the future. We are committed to an NDIS that is fair, consistent and empowering for people with permanent and significant disability—an NDIS that is sustainable, effective and safe and operates with integrity. This government has been committed to taking fraud and misconduct in the NDIS seriously. Those who defraud the NDIS are exploiting the hundreds of thousands of Australians who rely on the life-changing support the NDIS delivers. We were left with a mess in coming to government. Under the former coalition government, the NDIS was a soft target. Our government acted quickly, investing over $550 million in tackling fraud and noncompliance, setting up the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and passing the getting the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act to place it on a sustainable footing. But there is more work to do, and this bill is an important step. Today I introduce the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill to the House. This legislation will ensure that the NDIS remains true to its purpose—safe, strong and centred on the people it serves. We cannot ignore the findings of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. The stories were harrowing. They revealed a system that was fractured, underresourced and too often blind to harm. Australians with disability told us in no uncertain terms the days of abuse and neglect must end. The findings of the independent review into the NDIS reinforced this call. The review told us the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission must be more responsive, more powerful and more trusted. It told us that regulatory gaps are putting lives at risk. It told us that, without reform, the integrity of the scheme and the safety of its participants cannot be guaranteed. That is unacceptable. This government will not stand by. This bill delivers on our commitment to reform the NDIS. It does three things. First, it strengthens safeguards. We are giving the NDIS commission the powers it needs to protect participants. That means tougher penalties—up to $16 million for corporations that breach the law and prison terms for those who recklessly or deliberately put lives at risk. It means expanding banning orders to capture not just providers and workers but auditors and consultants who compromise safety. And it means introducing anti-promotion powers to stop unethical advertising, because the NDIS is not a marketplace for exploitation. Second, it improves integrity and responsiveness. We are tightening compliance requirements so the NDIS commission can act swiftly when harm is suspected. And we are introducing evidentiary certificates to streamline enforcement because justice delayed is justice denied. Third, it modernises the scheme. Electronic claim forms will replace outdated processes, saving time and reducing fraud. A 90-day cooling-off period will protect participants who choose to leave the scheme, ensuring decisions are made with care. This bill, as amended by the Senate, also introduces whistleblower protections that will support those in the NDIS who see something to say something. These reforms were not written in isolation. They were shaped by the voices of participants, their families, carers, providers and states. We held forums across the country, online and in person, because this scheme belongs to the people it serves. And what did we hear? We heard that accountability matters. We heard that penalties must be strong enough to deter harm. We heard that predatory behaviour must be stamped out. We listened, and now we are acting. The vast majority of providers do the right thing. They deliver safe, quality services that change lives. This bill is not about them. It is about the minority—those who recklessly or intentionally cause harm, exploit or defraud people with disability. To them I say: you don't belong in the NDIS. Importantly, it is also about people with disabilities and their families. To them I say unequivocally: your wellbeing, your dignity and your life is just as valued as any other Australian. I commend this bill to the House. Leave granted for second reading debate to continue immediately. 18:08 Mrs McINTOSH 281513 Lindsay Every day, thousands of Australian families rely on the NDIS. For Australians living with significant and permanent disability, it provides not just support but opportunity. It is a therapy session that can change a child's trajectory. It is a support that keeps a loved one safe at home. It is the difference between coping and not. For these families, the NDIS is not a line item in a budget. It is deeply personal. It is what holds their world together. It is a lifeline. It is the difference between a life of isolation and a life of choice. That is exactly why the coalition's support for the NDIS remains steadfast. We understand that the NDIS is about more than service delivery. It is about dignity, independence and the right to choose. It is one of the most significant reforms in our nation's history. But the NDIS is now at a crossroads. Built to support around 410,000 people, it is now supporting more than 760,000. This growth raises a serious question: how do we ensure the system keeps pace without falling over? For the NDIS to continue delivering support, it must be sustainable. If the scheme is not sustainable, it cannot be there for the people who rely on it most, not just today but into the future. All this points to the urgent need for a clear government plan to bring the exploding costs of the NDIS back under control before the system becomes entirely unsustainable. Despite this urgency, the government's own targets have remained elusive. In April 2023, the Albanese government pledged to bring annual growth down to eight per cent. By August 2025, the Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme suggested even tighter limits, aiming for a range of five to six per cent. With current growth still sitting at around 10 per cent, a significant gap remains between the government's promises and reality on the ground. This brings us to the elephant in the room. How exactly does the government plan to bridge that gap? What we have seen is costs being shifted around, like with the Thriving Kids program. Shifting numbers on a page and in a spreadsheet is not the same as fixing the problem. For a scheme of this size, now approaching $50 billion a year and forecast to be $60 billion a year by 2028, Australians deserve more than just promises. They deserve a clear road map, evidence based policy and transparent reporting. Above all, they deserve a timeline that is realistic and holds up under the weight of practice. Let me be clear, the coalition supports the intent of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026. We support stronger protections for NDIS participants. We support tougher civil and criminal penalties for providers who do the wrong thing—including penalties of up to 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to around $3.3 million—because any provider who exploits a person with disability or misuses taxpayer funds must face serious consequences. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour, and there is no place for it in the NDIS. We also support the introduction of antipromotion orders because providers should not be advertising or selling services outside the purpose of the scheme. We support giving the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission stronger powers, including banning powers, to act against providers delivering poor-quality or unsafe products, because participant safety must always come first. But powers on paper mean little without boots on the ground. The commission must be properly resourced so participants and workers are not left exposed while enforcement is delayed. We support the introduction of a 90-day cooling-off period, because participants should have greater choice and control. During the Senate inquiry into this bill, the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations pointed to a loophole in schedule 2 section 29A. In practice, this loophole would have allowed a correspondence nominee to withdraw a participant from the scheme or cancel a withdrawal, even against the participant's wishes. That goes too far. A correspondence nominee is there to assist not decide. If that line is blurred, it risks removing agency from the very people the NDIS is meant to empower. People who put trusted supporters around them should not lose their voice because of unclear drafting. Decisions as fundamental as whether someone remains in the scheme must stay with the participant. That principle matters. That is why the coalition moved an amendment in the Senate to make it clear that these decisions must remain with a participant or their plan nominee. I thank the government for supporting this practical and important amendment to protect participants. At the end of the day, this is about a person's agency, dignity and choice, and that broader point goes to the heart of this debate. The coalition will always support measures that strengthen the integrity of the NDIS and protect participants. But what we see now is deeply concerning. A report by the ACCC earlier this year found that providers are advertising services clearly not covered by the NDIS—all-inclusive holidays, flights, cruises, dining out and even the cost of ingredients for meals. We are seeing participants being sold equipment that does not match what they were promised, with wheelchairs, beds and mobility aids arriving faulty or unsuitable to their needs, leaving participants fighting for refunds or repairs. Some contracts are stacked against participants from the start, with excessive exit fees, cancellation penalties and long lock-in periods. These practices cause real harm—financial harm, emotional harm. Too often, families are left carrying crushing debt because someone chose to exploit them for profit. This sort of conduct is completely unacceptable. Supporting the intent of this bill does not mean ignoring its gaps—and there are serious gaps. With around 94 per cent of providers operating unregistered, there is a massive regulatory blind spot. This bill fails to establish direct fraud controls for the majority of the market, and we see the consequences of this every day. Participants are quoted one price for basic services—cleaning, gardening or everyday supports—then, the moment they mention they are using an NDIS plan, the price jumps. Sometimes, it quadruples. It's the same service, the same job, for a higher price because it's the NDIS. That is unacceptable and an affront to the integrity of the scheme. These providers are exploiting vulnerable participants and the taxpayers who fund their support, and they're getting away with it because weak checks and inconsistent oversight have opened the door to bad actors. That has to change. The NDIS must detect fraud early and stop exploitation before it harms participants, because, when the system fails, it is participants and their families who pay the price. We cannot pretend this is a small problem. Fraud within the scheme is happening every day. The Australian National Audit Office estimates that six to 10 per cent of payments could be noncompliant, incorrect or fraudulent. The system is identifying around 50,000 potentially risky claims every single day. In 2025, $48.83 billion was spent through the NDIS. If six to 10 per cent is going astray, we are looking at a staggering loss of between $2.9 million and $4.8 billion every single year. If nothing changes, that could rise to as much as $8 billion annually by the end of the decade. These losses are driven by systemic misconduct, fraud, overservicing, false claims and claims for services never delivered. Law enforcement has warned that organised crime is now targeting the scheme. The examples are right in front of us. In March this year, the Federal Police raided a Sydney home linked to a suspected $3.5 million NDIS fraud syndicate. Days earlier, a man was jailed after misusing the details of 90 NDIS participants to generate fraudulent claims of more than $190,000. In February, a Darwin NDIA employee was charged over an alleged $5 million fraud. In New South Wales, three people were jailed for defrauding the system of $5.8 million in 2024. Another case involved an alleged $14½ million scheme tied to major provider networks, and, in Western Sydney, a $10 million NDIS fraud syndicate was uncovered in 2022. These are just some examples of the systemic exploitation occurring within the NDIS. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar taken away from someone who needs support and from taxpayers. Let me be clear—this bill is a step in the right direction, but tougher penalties alone will not fix the problem. If the system itself is weak, bad behaviour and bad actors will continue to infiltrate it. The NDIS is at a critical juncture. It risks sliding into an unsustainable free-for-all or hardening into a soulless bureaucracy that stifles dignity under the weight of processes. We cannot allow either outcome. The coalition's goal is to deliver a stronger NDIS, delivering better outcomes for participants, providers and the taxpayers who fund it. The NDIS is one of Australia's great reforms, but right now it is drifting under poor stewardship. Getting this right really matters. Every dollar matters; every participant matters. The future of the NDIS depends on it. I commend the bill to the House and move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House: (1) the Government and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) have been unable to clearly quantify the scale of fraud within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); (2) the NDIA Fraud Fusion Taskforce estimates that up to 10 per cent of NDIS claims are inappropriate, mischievous or outright criminal; (3) the Government must do more to prevent the fraud and rorting that is rife within the NDIS; (4) the changes in the bill will do little to remove bad actors from defrauding participants and taxpayers; (5) the changes in the bill provide no direct regulation or fraud controls for the 94 per cent of NDIS providers who are not registered; and (6) robust integrity systems are critical to not only protect taxpayer funds but also to protect NDIS participants from exploitation by unscrupulous providers". The DEPUTY SPEAKER 265979 Is the amendment seconded? Mr Birrell 288713 I second the amendment and reserve my right to speak. 18:20 Mr HOLZBERGER 88411 Forde I rise in support of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026. In doing so, I acknowledge the contribution of the member for Lindsay in speaking for the opposition. I do appreciate the depth of support that you expressed in your speech for the NDIS and your desire for it to be sustainable. I want to acknowledge that. Of course, there are some things in that speech that I think also need to be addressed. One is that, when the opposition talk about the NDIS growing unsustainably today, I think it needs to be pointed out that, when we came to government, it was growing at about 22 per cent—totally unsustainable. After the opposition oversaw its implementation, from the trial period until we got into government, we really saw it being completely mismanaged in terms of the number of growth. Something else the member for Lindsay said is that we now have a scheme with about 720,000 people on it. In Queensland, I know when the Productivity Commission was first designing the NDIS, it was designed for somewhere around 95,000 Queenslanders, but, in effect, we've ended up with somewhere around 175,000 Queenslanders—totally unsustainable at those levels. I'd like to acknowledge the work that the minister, Senator McAllister, and the health minister have done recently to get the NDIS back on track. I'd also like to acknowledge the work that the former minister, Bill Shorten, also did. He's somebody who is perhaps more responsible than anybody else for the beginning of the scheme and was, unfortunately, witness to it being so badly managed while Labor was in opposition. The work that he did when we got back into government in 2022 really began to get it back on track. We are headed to that short-term target of eight per cent growth, down from 22 per cent. The member for Lindsay talked about there not being a plan. There absolutely is a plan, and it's being rolled out now. Unfortunately, it's being rolled out while the scheme is as big as it is, when it could have been dealt with at the time. It is pleasing to hear the opposition talk positively about their attitude towards the NDIS and the future of the NDIS because it is a scheme that Australians rightly should be proud of. It is a world-leading scheme, and it changes people's lives for the better in a way that would have been inconceivable in the past. I remember being a young staffer to Peter Duncan, the former member for Makin, in the nineties. One memory, more than almost any other memory, that sticks with me was visiting community centres where there were parents of disabled kids that were just desperate for any assistance that they could get. The emotion that I felt on those visits is something that has stayed with me for decades. From talking to families who were involved in Disability Services Queensland, it is worlds apart from what the NDIS is, with all of its flaws, compared to what it was like when it was through Disability Services Queensland. I'm no political professional—I feel like I need to make that point before I go on to my next point. I ran a construction company and worked on the land, but then I found myself working for a senator in 2018, Senator Murray Watt, doing all of his constituent work, all of the electorate work. In 2018, we saw the NDIS go from being a trial to being fully implemented, and we began to have a trickle of complaints come into the electorate office. One story that I remember really stands out from that time. A severely disabled child, an autistic child, was trying to get an assistance dog, and the dog cost 20 grand or something like that. They're not cheap. The NDIA approved $5,000 worth of reports—OTs, psychologists, whatever—and then another $2,000 for support coordination to get those reports together. So it was $7,000 in total for reports, which is ludicrous in itself. The family duly went away to the professionals, who said, 'Yes, this child would benefit from a dog; it's a reasonable and necessary support.' It's ludicrous in itself that it should be $7,000 to get it, but guess what the NDIA said when it got the reports? No dog. If it weren't true it would indeed be funny. This family then began the journey that so many families undertake of going through the review process, going to the AAT, fighting the agency all the way and having the agency fight tooth and nail back at them. I remember it was during COVID because the family, on the night before the hearing, had got a COVID test so they could attend the hearing. But on the night before the hearing—and the agency had spent $7,000 on the reports and potentially tens of thousands of dollars on a top-tier legal firm to fight this family all the way—the agency caved in and gave them the dog. It is those sorts of stories which we saw in 2018 and 2020 that, on a personal level, turned me off the NDIS so much. I've got a family member who's autistic and needs a bit of help, but, after taking part in decisions about whether or not we pursue the NDIS, I thought that the supports they would get through the NDIS would not be worth the hassle that it would take for them to go through the process of applying and then fighting for those supports. Of course, now we know that there are no other services that exist outside the NDIS. They've all been allowed to die on the vine, so the NDIS is, as is often said, the only lifeboat in the ocean, and now that family member is going to have to try and get some supports through the NDIS. But it was such a horror story that I witnessed in my time in Murray's office that it really turned me off even trying to get the NDIS supports for that family member. What we saw back then was the opportunity, when the scheme was beginning, to tackle the problems as they arose, but, instead, the problems that existed in 2018 just scaled up as the scheme scaled up, and it was left to the rest of us not in government to sit there and watch it careen completely out of control. Now, any member in this House would know that the NDIS is probably the single biggest issue we hear in our constituents' concerns. That trickle that we witnessed in 2018 has really turned into a flood, and we knew all along that something was fundamentally broken, and this government is trying to get it back on track. I feel like I need to be careful when I say that because the NDIS is so life changing and so important for people. I think the message needs to be that it will continue to grow. With the short-term goal of eight per cent growth and the longer term goal of five or six per cent, in line with the growth of Medicare and aged care, it will continue to grow. People, I think, need to have faith in that. Within that growth, the changes that the government is making through this legislation are part of its wider plan of reinforcement. Getting back to what I said to begin with, I'm very pleased to see that the opposition has that long-term optimism about the success of the NDIS. There are a couple of features of this bill that I think are really worth emphasising. One is the promotions order. I know that some of the things I'm about to mention here are illegal anyway and would already be caught up by the law as it is, but this is the extent that some providers will go to to get business. These are both anecdotal stories. One was from a very good source—a local Indigenous health service, in fact. They said that there are now providers literally trawling supermarkets in Logan and going through the train station, looking for obviously vulnerable people and trying to sign them up to the NDIS or trying to sign them up as part of their plan—absolutely disgraceful. Again anecdotally—this may not be as good a source as that first one—there are stories of providers offering cashbacks if you sign up to the NDIS. Unfortunately, it's believable. It's believable when you realise that some providers see a participant as a prize cow. Somebody with a million-dollar plan is treated as prize cattle. That is, incidentally, a concept that fundamentally undermines choice and control, which is supposed to be at the heart of the NDIS. If your plan is seen as not profitable because of the supports they'll need to provide, you won't be able to get that provider. So what sort of choice and control is that, when you're not actually able to choose your provider because the provider doesn't see you as profitable enough? The other thing I'd just say on fraud is that it is probably the central problem that the community has with the NDIS. This is the best example of where the opposition just completely took their hands off the wheel. This government is now reviewing more claims of fraud every single day than the previous government reviewed in a year. It is almost unbelievable that that is possible. It took investment; it took an investment in systems and it took an investment in people. Perhaps it was their ideological obsession with not employing public servants, outsourcing and trying to cut costs. We saw it in so many areas, whether it was 41,000 veterans waiting for their claims to be processed when we came to government, or whether it was robodebt and the heartache that was Centrelink. The NDIA also suffered that. I think that that is absolutely worth underlining. That's a stunning figure—that we review more claims every single day than the previous government reviewed in an entire year. This party was responsible for the birth of the NDIS. Unfortunately, we weren't there while it turned into a delinquent teenager. But we're back. We're back now. At the heart of this government's approach is what the disability community says, which is 'nothing about us without us'. That is the approach that we are taking. We are working in lock step with the people from the disability community who this affects. I think that is the Labor way. It is unsurprising that it is only the Labor Party that is able to actually fix the NDIS and get it back on track. As I said, I'm pleased, despite the politicking that goes on, to know that the opposition in their hearts want to see it work, because I think the Australian community wants to see it work as well. But it's going to take a lot of effort, and it's going to take a lot of us working together to make it happen. This is not the beginning of the process to fix it, but it is an important step along the way. There is a lot more to be done. I commend this bill to the House. 18:35 Dr RYAN 297660 Kooyong The NDIS, National Disability Insurance Scheme, is one of Australia's most significant social reforms. While the significance of the NDIS means that we have to protect its ongoing financial sustainability, it's important that we in this place always remember that reforms must not come at the expense of participants rights, fairness, dignity or access and that all changes to the NDIS have to strengthen the scheme for the long term whilst keeping those who access it and whose lives depend upon it firmly at the centre of any changes to its design. This bill, the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026, contains measures that respond to real and serious problems which confront the NDIS. Strengthening the powers of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to detect abuse, to prevent exploitation and to enforce accountability is important, and they're overdue measures. This bill also strengthens the framework to ensure fit-for-purpose penalties for offences, which should deter providers from doing the wrong thing and which should also ensure that unsuitable people can be excluded from providing services under the auspices of the NDIS. NDIS participants have to be kept safe by our system, and providers who do the wrong thing must face consequences. This bill will help install some of those guardrails, but it's concerning that this bill also gives the chief executive officer of the NDIA the ability to vary a participant's plan, including increasing or decreasing the total funding amount available under both the old and new framework plans. This power can be exercised unless the act or the NDIS rules expressly provide otherwise, and it can be exercised without the need for a reassessment. The explanatory memorandum for this bill states that this amendment codifies, for the absence of doubt, an existing practice within the agency. It is described as a clarification rather than a change in the substance of how the NDIA operates. The explanatory memorandum further claims that these changes do not 'impact on or change the circumstances in which the CEO can vary a participant's plan', but I have to note that for participants, for advocates and for Australians in the broader disability community this change feels consequential. Their very justifiable concern is not that plans can occasionally be adjusted since there are clearly circumstances in which increases to total funding amounts are essential. The concern is that this amendment codifies the power to single-handedly reduce supports without a fresh assessment of participants and without the sorts of procedural safeguards that participants should reasonably be able to expect when their support funding is at stake. Advocates who participated in the Senate inquiry into this bill also expressed the reasonable concern that this provision could be used in ways which are actively harmful or could have unintended consequences, in particular, if and when participants are not involved or consulted on variations to their plan. We have to remember that, for people whose independence and wellbeing rely on stability of support, a NDIS plan is not an abstract budget. It can be the difference between being able to live at home and not being able to live at home. It can be the difference between experiencing consistency and security of care and experiencing a personal crisis. Any power that allows support to vulnerable individuals to be altered in what appears to be a non-transparent fashion has to be accompanied by clear limits. I would argue that it has to actually be rendered transparent, and I would argue that it has to include an opportunity for participants to request review and appeal of those changes. Reforms that rely on discretion rather than explicit safeguards risk shifting the balance of power in any situation away from participants and towards administrative control. This is fundamentally inconsistent with the intent of the NDIS as a participant centred insurance scheme. These concerns come into sharper focus when they're placed alongside the new I-CAN assessment tool. In the coming months, NDIS participants will begin to be assessed using a structured interview process conducted by NDIA appointed assessors using the instrument for the classification and assessment of support. The objectives of this reform are understandable. The current system places an unfair burden on participants to gather medical evidence for assessment that's time consuming and can be costly. It can really slow the process down. Both the independent review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme and my own personal professional experience of having worked within it for many years as a paediatric neurologist testify to the fact that the existing system evolves inefficient, duplicative and inconsistent evidence gathering which can, on some occasions, very much undermine the participant experience and can create an unusual and unreasonable workload for healthcare professionals who are trying to assist individuals in securing appropriate supports under the NDIS. But, as University of New South Wales researchers have pointed out, the move to I-CAN raises some pretty important questions. For example, how will assessment results translate into budget decisions for participants? What additional evidence will be considered when medical reports are no longer required to inform the planning process? What will inform the planning process? How will consistent, transparent and fair decisions be applied by differing assessors over time? We've seen in the past that inconsistency has been a consistent bugbear for many individuals operating within the NDIS and that individuals with very similar support needs have on innumerable occasions received very different support packages. The I-CAN should measure support needs across 12 areas of daily life, including mobility, self-care, communication, relationships and physical and mental health. Each of those areas is scored on two scales—how often support is needed and how intensive the level of support that is required is. However, reducing individual participants with sometimes extremely complex care needs, which can sometimes be multifactorial, to a single binomial score can present some significant complexities. The reality is that a score does not reflect a lived experience and that an assessment tool is only as fair as the system that we put in place to interpret it. If we put garbage in, we will get garbage out. We can't necessarily equitably and effectively reduce people with very complex medical and physical needs to binomial scores. We're already seeing this play out with the integrated assessment tool in the aged-care system. I know that I and many of my colleagues in this place are hearing from affected individuals within the aged-care system every day that that tool is not working for them. I think that we have reasonable grounds for concern that this similar tool may not work well within the disability space. I hope to be wrong on that, but I have some concerns regarding it. When we combine this new tool with new statutory powers to reduce support without a new assessment, there has to be a risk, whether that is intentional or not, of a new system in which reassessment outcomes and administrative discretion interact in a way that could well disadvantage NDIS participants. And so I support the calls of People with Disability Australia for stronger protections, specifically their recommendations for plain language reasons for decision-making, that Administrative Review Tribunal review rights be required where plan variations reduce the total funding that recipients are receiving and that all recipients should be able to access independent advocacy when they need to contest such decisions. It's only fair. It's only reasonable. I urge the minister and the National Disability Insurance Agency to approach the implementation of these changes with the sort of care that, wherever practicable, will err on the side of participant protection. NDIS reform which focuses support on functional needs, which builds strong foundational supports and which addresses waste and exploitation to preserve resources for those who rely on them is critically important. All of us in this place recognise that. As a former participant within the system and now someone who has from this place sought to improve it, I have been supportive of changes in that respect and of this nature in the past, but I've always been clear in my previous professional life and in this one that those reforms can't erode the rights of participants. The independent NDIS review and the disability royal commission have both found and emphasised that trust in the scheme depends on its transparency, its fairness and its accountability. That means participants need and should and deserve to know when decisions can be changed, on what basis and how they can challenge such decisions. The NDIS only exists because Australia has made a collective commitment, a significant collective commitment, that people who are living with a disability will not be left to navigate fragmented or inadequate systems alone. That commitment will not end, should not end and cannot end simply because it's become too complicated or too costly to deliver on it. The bill before the house contains measures which do strengthen the NDIS, but it also contains others that place significant weight, perhaps too much weight, on administrative discretion without sufficiently explicit safeguards. As these changes are implemented, the government has to continue to engage closely with all parts of the sector to ensure that these reforms do not affect participant dignity, fairness or access. Above all else, the people who access the NDIS have to remain at the centre of it. While we no doubt need stronger action against bad providers, that always has to come with stronger safeguards for participants. 18:49 Ms FRANCE 270198 Dickson I love the NDIS, and I love that Labor created it and that we will always work to make it better. The NDIS is dignity. It is opportunity and it is independence for people with a disability. It is the gateway to fulfilled, happy and productive lives, but it must deliver. It must shift the dial. It must be safe. It must be equitable. It must be sustainable. And people with a significant disability must be at the centre of the scheme. The public must have confidence in the scheme. Sadly, I think that confidence is wavering. The scheme's social licence is at risk. We took a huge step forward when we set up the NDIS in 2013. I became an amputee in 2011, a couple of years before the scheme was set up, and I experienced the world as a woman with a disability without the NDIS. I've since spoken to many people about the incredible change that it has made to their lives and my life. When introducing the NDIS legislation, the then prime minister Julia Gillard broke down in tears. She said it was the greatest change to Australian social policy in a generation. But over a decade, under those opposite, the scheme was allowed to become unruly and unsafe, a mess. It is not delivering for the people who need it most. It became a rorter's paradise and a postcode lottery. I know this, providers know this and the general public know this. We are livid that the scheme, over nine years under the coalition, was allowed to disintegrate and become riddled by fraud, inequity and a complete lack of basic safeguards for participants. I know the majority of providers are good, and the needs of people with a disability are at the very heart of what they do. I know good providers want the rorters out too. As soon as we came to government in 2022, we ordered a review of the NDIS, and what I heard was worse than I had ever anticipated. There were no basic fraud or compliance controls in the nine long years the coalition were running the NDIS. That's not my assessment; that's the assessment of the National Audit Office. Zero. The ANAO found a profound lack of compliance measures, which left participants and providers without the safeguards needed to ensure that funding was being used fairly and effectively to support those who rely on it the most. This bill is part of our commitment to fix that. The NDIS stands as one of the most significant and transformative social reforms in Australia's history. It was built upon a simple but profoundly powerful promise that Australians living with significant disabilities should have access to the support they need to live with dignity, independence and opportunity to ensure that no-one is left behind because they have a disability. This promise remains as vital and non-negotiable today as it was at the scheme's inception. Recent inquiries, including the NDIS review and the disability royal commission, made it clear that the system has not lived up to that promise. We saw evidence of abuse, neglect, fraud, inequity and a complete lack of basic safeguards. It is well known that people with a disability in Australia are significantly more likely to be subjected to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. That is why these changes are so very, very important. We need more safeguards, more checks, more accountability to protect people with a disability from harm. When we came to government, we took action to protect the NDIS, investing over $550 million in tackling fraud and noncompliance. This included the establishment of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and amendments to the NDIS Act. This bill continues our commitment to strengthen and protect the NDIS. It strengthens the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's regulatory powers and it introduces a stronger penalty framework to reflect the seriousness of the offending conduct and ensure that there are credible deterrents for breaches of the NDIS Act. The Senate community affairs committee received over 50 submissions on the NDIS commission measures and undertook a public hearing and targeted engagements with peak bodies and those with a disability. The NDIS commission also undertook extensive consultation to inform the development of reforms to address systemic issues of noncompliance and harm. This bill will also allow for banning orders to be issued to auditors and consultants, giving the NDIS commission the power to restrict unscrupulous providers from promoting products or services that undermine the integrity of the NDIS. We know that the vast majority of NDIS providers do the right thing and provide quality services, but this is about ensuring an integrated system where compliance is straightforward and noncompliance is detected and penalties enforced—one where those that see the NDIS as a get-rich-quick scheme, rather than a disability support scheme, will be restricted, banned and penalised. For too long, the penalties for wrongdoing within the NDIS have failed to reflect the seriousness of the harm caused. Weak deterrents have allowed a culture of business as usual, even in the face of substandard care or fraud. By modernising and expanding the penalties and offences framework, this bill ensures that the punishment fits the crime. It sends a clear message that exploitation and unsafe practices will no longer be tolerated. Participants deserve a system that actively protects them, and taxpayers deserve confidence that public funds are being used responsibly. These reforms also significantly strengthen the commissioner's ability to impose banning orders. This shift moves the regulator from a reactive stance to a preventive one, stopping harm before it occurs. Effective regulation also depends on timely access to information. In the past, investigations have been hindered by delays in obtaining essential documentation, allowing wrongdoing to remain hidden for too long. This bill strengthens the commission's powers to inquire and to require information within shorter, more appropriate timeframes. The capacity for swifter action is essential for a regulator that must be proactive and assertive in an evolving market. The bill also introduces new safeguards for participants who choose to withdraw from the scheme. Leaving the NDIS is a significant life event, and participants must be supported but also protected throughout that transition. At the same time, the bill authorises the NDIA to move towards a fully electronic claiming system. This modernisation reduces the administrative burden, minimises the risk of error and closes loopholes that have too often been exploited. It is a practical step that strengthens both participant experience and integrity. These reforms directly address the recommendations of the NDIS review, which called for a more proactive and effective regulatory approach. The commission must be able to regulate the market, not simply react to it, and this bill removes the structural barriers that have historically limited enforcement. It gives the regulator the tools it needs to detect, prevent and respond to breaches with far greater powers and precision. These changes also support legitimate high-quality providers—ethical operators; those who put participants first—of which there are so many. I meet with so many good, caring providers, and they are just as keen to clean up the system as we are. A fair and transparent regulatory environment strengthens the reputation of the entire sector. Above all, this bill is about trust. Participants and their families place enormous trust in the NDIS. They trust that the people entering their homes are safe. They trust that the services being invoiced are being delivered. And they trust that, when things go wrong, the government will act. The public have also placed their trust in us to provide proper oversight and systems to ensure taxpayer funds are spent appropriately. This bill honours that trust. It is a necessary step towards a safer, fairer and more sustainable NDIS, one that protects participants, respects taxpayer money and ensures the scheme remains for generations to come. The 2022 NDIS review was a road map for change—for difficult, hard change. We are on that road, and we are determined to get it done. We must admit that the current system is not equitable, fair or safe. We must admit that the NDIS is not working for everybody. If we want the NDIS system to be the system it was intended to be, to truly provide security and dignity for people with a disability, the NDIS needs the structural change proposed in this bill. I say to people with a disability and their families: we have your back. We know change is frightening for participants and providers. It's particularly scary for those who rely on the NDIS every single day, to have a shower; to eat fresh, healthy food; to get out into the community; to go to work; to be part of what it means to be human; and to get out into the environment. I say to people with a disability and their families: we will walk with you, and we are listening. We are committed to ensuring the NDIS delivers essential supports to Australians with significant and permanent disability, not just today but for generations to come. I am incredibly proud to be a member of the Labor Party—the party that introduced this incredible scheme that has transformed the lives of people with a disability and their families right across the country. Our responsibility is to build and to reform the NDIS to ensure that it is fair, consistent and empowering and to make changes that place people with a disability back at its heart. This is about doing what is right—honouring the trust placed in us and ensuring the NDIS continues to provide dignity, opportunity and security for all of those who rely on it. I commend this bill to the House. 19:02 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein I welcome the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill because I fundamentally believe it is overdue and insufficient. It is part of the solution that we need for the deep corruption that has been allowed to permeate the National Disability Insurance Scheme and, of course, the fraud that has occurred where money has been taken from some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the community. It has been allowed to become a honeypot for organised crime fraudsters and people who seek to do ill will against the Australian taxpayer. I think it's incredibly important that integrity measures are introduced, as this bill seeks to do, but I think it is also insufficient when you look at the scale of the fraud and corruption that has been allowed to permeate under this government. I hope and pray that they arrest it properly, because we have a fundamental design problem around how the NDIS operates in detecting issues of fraud and corruption. This is seen very clearly where there's a centralised agency providing significant amounts of public resources that are in theory designed to assist people with a disability. I have someone in my family who's an NDIS recipient. I doubt there isn't a member of parliament here who doesn't have at least part of their extended family in a like set of circumstances. The question is: are they the people who are utilising the NDIS for their capacity to live out a dignified life, or has it become the honeypot for people who see a way to suck at the taxpayer's teat but not deliver any return, value or outcome for the Australian people? Unfortunately, too many people in Australia now think of the NDIS as the honeypot for corruption. It's actually seen very much as the benchmark of how not to design a program if the objective is to help the people it's designed to serve and be fiscally prudent. I often refer to this, and I have referred to this previously in this place. I won't mention the person by name to respect their privacy. An NDIS recipient, who I regularly see at a train station in Melbourne—I saw her only the other day in the Goldstein electorate—has been one of the most ferocious critics of how the NDIS has operated. As she correctly points out, in the situation that there is a long-term viability problem of the NDIS, someone such as herself, who is a recipient of the NDIS—she's in a situation where there is kind of a change of circumstances—and has Down syndrome, will become the target or live the consequences of any reduction in spending. Meanwhile you have the people who are clearly rorting the system, they are clearly abusing public money, they are clearly abusing public trust, they are clearly also abusing, in many cases, some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. These people have essentially been given free will under this government. It must stop. This is not enough. This bill is a step in the right direction, I'm not arguing against that, but it is not enough. People with disability are living with the anxiety of the sustainability of the scheme because fraudsters, people who are corrupt, people who seek to steal from the most vulnerable in the community are getting away with that with essentially no real accountability on a scale that is warranted and deserved. When you particularly talk about the scale of the dollar value, the NDIA have put forward projections that up to $5 billion of the $50 billion, or thereabouts, NDIS program is going towards fraud and corruption. When the NDIA say in Senate estimates that the legal system would 'literally be clogged forever' if every single person who was defrauding the program was pursued then we've got a design problem, and I don't think that should shock anybody. The question then becomes, what do we do about it? This bill is a part response to that. We have penalties for not providing documentation on time. Okay, well, that's providing false or misleading information or disclosure. Yes, all those sorts of things are important and they're considered now, under the bill, a 'serious contravention', a 'significant failure' and a 'systemic pattern of conduct'. The bill supports higher criminal penalties in these cases and increases the maximum penalty to figures in the vicinity of $82,500 to $3 million. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to what is the incentive in place for people to actively support the end of this corruption. We all have an active incentive to end this corruption, because it is Australian taxpayers' money that is being defrauded, Australian taxpayers' money that is going towards corrupt activities and it is hitting some of society's most vulnerable. So we all have an interest in doing something. The problem is one of distributed information. Of course the central authorities, as is always the case with centralised government programs, they think they know all and they can solve all problems if they just seek to investigate it. But, instead, it is people on the ground, and this is where I want to give huge credit to Drew Pavlou and Pete Zogoulas, who are going out there and chasing down people who are very suspect in their NDIS activities. These two, on their social media, are looking specifically at where money is being spent, the seemingly endless number of NDIS providers located in specific communities—often multiple businesses in the same location—billing millions of dollars to the Australian taxpayer, but it's not really clear what these businesses are actually providing the Australian community. Of course everybody has a right to innocence until proven guilty, but that doesn't change the fact that we need people out there specifically looking at where this fraud and corruption is occurring and to stand up for the Australian taxpayer. By looking at the scale of these businesses located in individual locations that often have no real clear idea of what they are providing but billing the Australian taxpayer for millions of dollars, Drew and Pete are doing a good community service. I hope that the NDIA and the NDIS are paying attention to what those two are doing, because I doubt they have scratched the surface of the scale of the fraud and corruption in the NDIS system. I just wish more people were doing that. As the previous speaker said, we want people with a disability to be able to live bold and confident lives. We want them to be able to live their lives with dignity and choice to the extent that they can do so. That is what the NDIS was designed to achieve—to enable the next generation of Australians to live a more dignified experience than those often in the past. But one of the biggest problems when you design these grand centralised systems is that, once you design them, they seemingly work well, at least in terms of the discussion in this parliament and in the documents designed by policymakers. But it's how they're utilised by people on the ground, legitimately or otherwise, that makes the material difference to whether Australians continue to have confidence they're respecting people and they're seeking to empower people to live out their best lives. We've seen this in the context of NDIS. We've seen similar and parallel examples where people in Canberra think they can design programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. And of course we see them across many programs in the disability sector, where the organic development of services designed to support often the most vulnerable in the community have slowly had their capacity corroded because the system has said they no longer fit within how it is run. One of the great community services in the Goldstein electorate is Bailey House. Bailey House is, I think, coming up to its 75th year this year, or is in its 75th year this year. It is a great community organisation supporting people with a disability, in particular residents of nearby suburbs with Down syndrome. I've always been a big supporter of Bailey House. It's an amazing community organisation full of people doing incredible work. They're a support service that existed before the NDIS. One of the biggest problems that they've had is that the NDIS has not been well designed to accommodate and meet the needs of centres like theirs because it doesn't reflect the design, support and cost structures that operate there. So they go out and fundraise, of course, as many disability and other community organisations do. But there's an organisation that the NDIS should be working to empower, frankly, for efficiency, for scale, for service delivery, for better outcomes for people with a disability, for integrity measures. Just about every single thing Bailey House does fulfills an important gap around ownership or control of public money. To be custodians for people with disability to live better lives, Bailey House fulfils that purpose, just like their program Bailey arts fulfils that purpose. I'll never stop speaking highly of them because of the important role they play within the community. They bring others in from the community to support people with a disability. The NDIS should be seeking to empower and to support clients to be able to live out their best lives with the community services that they need. But, instead, the NDIS has been allowed to become a honeypot for fraudsters and the corrupt to take advantage of the Australian taxpayer and, of course, people with a disability. The design failure right from the outset has caused huge losses of public money. I see one of the Labor members, who I assume is supporting this bill, smugly replying and dismissing such a comment. The government is literally introducing integrity and safeguard measures to address the design limitations and problems of the scheme that has led to—in the former minister for disability's own words—organised crime taking advantage of the Australian taxpayer and people with a disability. I don't think that's something that should be smugly dismissed. I think it should be acknowledged, fixed as quickly as possible. The only criticism I have is that this bill does not go far enough. It probably gives a sad reflection on why so many Labor members just shrug with indifference when we talk about $15 billion of money going to organised crime through the CFMEU-Labor cartel. According to them, it is public money and, hey, we can just smugly dismiss the realities of what the Labor government seeks to empower. I think there's a time where we have to acknowledge that the government has got something wrong. The government is turning around before the next federal budget saying to Australians who have worked hard, saved and sacrificed to get themselves and their families ahead, 'We're going to add extra taxes on you, but we're not going to do anything about handing public money from the Treasury to organise crime through the CFMEU-Labor cartel.' I actually think there's something really sick and perverse about that. The tepid measures, by comparison, that the government is seeking to enact with this bill on NDIS fraud and NDIS corruption don't surprise me. But it does disappoint me that Labor members would smugly dismiss such a measure when we're talking about some of the most vulnerable people in the community being taken advantage of. Those members need to reflect on the fact that it is public money that is being used for corrupt and fraudulent purposes. More importantly, within five weeks we all know we're going to come into the parliament and they're going to propose that, while they're indifferent to doing anything about public money going to organised crime, corruption and fraud, they have no hesitation in turning around and adding new taxes onto Australians to fund that organised crime, corruption and fraud. So I think it is so important that we support these basic measures, but I do not think they're the end. Until the government start to take organised crime, corruption and fraud of public programs seriously, and they are not, that they can turn around to the Australian taxpayer and expect people to even pay their current bills let alone ask them to pay bigger bills for new taxes because they have no fiscal constraint and no preparedness to address fiscal program design and to raid the future opportunities and aspirations of Australians to feed the undeserving—being organised crime, corruption and fraud—I think is just frankly incredible. But welcome to the Albanese government, because, when it comes down to it, in a choice between standing up for Australian taxpayers and handing money to organised crime, we know who they'll support. 19:17 Ms TRISH COOK 312871 Bullwinkel The NDIS is a national program that funds care and support for people under 65 years of age with permanent and significant disabilities. I rise today to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026. In my electorate of Bullwinkel, from the hills of Mundaring to the heart of the western wheatbelt towns and the foothill communities, I see firsthand the transformative power of the NDIS. Australians are rightly proud of this scheme. It is a world-leading, life-changing pillar of our social fabric. For the families that I meet in my electorate, the NDIS isn't just about policy; it's the difference between isolation and community, between a life of limitation and a life of independence. The NDIS is a life-changing scheme and, today, it helps more than 750,000 Australians live better and more dignified lives. It was Labor who created the NDIS, and let there be no doubt that under Labor it is here to stay. As a registered nurse and midwife myself, I've spent my career caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable. I know that healthcare and disability supports are built on a foundation of trust. Because we value this scheme so deeply, we all have a collective responsibility to protect it. We must ensure that it is sustainable, effective and safe. Most importantly, we must ensure that it operates with absolute integrity and that every cent goes towards the care that our community deserves. When this government came into power in 2020, we unfortunately inherited a system that was not ready to meet the challenges of the future. We inherited a mess. Under the previous coalition government, NDIS spending was growing at a staggering 22 per cent every single year. It wasn't just the trajectory of the cost; it was the total lack of oversight of the system. The Australian National Audit Office confirmed what many in our local community have felt. The system set up by the previous government lacked basic prevention controls for fraud and noncompliance. It was a set-and-forget approach. They left the doors unlocked and the windows open and then expressed shock when the system was exploited. In a regional and suburban electorate like Bullwinkel, we know the value of a dollar, and we know that waste in Canberra means fewer services in local homes. Further to this, under the previous coalition government there were fewer than 30 staff who worked on NDIS fraud. Under our government, there are hundreds of staff. Under the previous government, there were only 30 warrants issued over the four year period of 2018 to 2021. Under this government, there have been 77 warrants executed in 2025. Under the previous government, there were five prosecutions in their last year in office. Under this government, 21 prosecutions have commenced already this financial year. We are making progress against those who prey on people with disabilities and the NDIS. Our government is acting. We recognise that every dollar lost to a fraudster is a dollar stolen from a person with a disability. Since 2022, we have invested over $550 million to specifically tackle fraud and noncompliance. We established the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, bringing together law enforcement and intelligence to hunt down those who think NDIS is their personal ATM, and the results are clear. We have amended the NDIS act to tighten loopholes. We have scaled up our oversight to an unprecedented level. Today, more claims are made every single day than were reviewed in an entire year under the previous government. We must be blunt and speak about the stakes. Where we see financial fraud, we too often see violence, abuse and neglect. When an unscrupulous provider views the NDIS as a get-rich-quick scheme rather than a support system, the safety of the participant can become an afterthought. I know that, when the system fails, it is the individual who suffers. We refuse to accept a status quo where the vulnerable are treated as commodities. We are cleaning up this sector to protect the wellbeing of every Australian person with a disability. Let's deal with some facts. As I've previously mentioned, fact one is that we are finally getting the NDIS growth under control. Under the Liberals it was 22 per cent and spinning way out of control. Under our government, that's been brought down to 10 per cent. The NDIS Scheme Actuary projected that without Labor's intervention the scheme expenses would have increased by a staggering $45 billion over the next 10 years and by acting now we are saving the scheme from collapse. We are cleaning up the mess left by the coalition and cracking down on those people committing NDIS fraud. Combating overall growth does not mean cutting plans. In Bullwinkel, I hear the anxiety of families who fear that their support will be ripped away. But let's be clear: overall plans are not being cut. The average value of plans is going up. While growth is moderating, the data shows that reassessed plans are actually more likely to increase than decrease. Last year, 58 per cent of reassessed plans increased by more than five per cent. Only 23 per cent saw a decrease. We're ensuring that the moderation of the scheme is achieved through efficiency and integrity, not by depriving participants of the support that they need to live their lives. The bill before the House today introduces commonsense measures that are ready to go. It strengthens the NDIS commission's ability to act. That means stronger penalties by introducing a tougher penalty framework for breaches of registration, banning orders and the code of conduct. It means expanding banning orders so that banning orders can now be issued to auditors and consultants, closing the gap where middlemen could facilitate non-compliance from the shadows. There is the antipromotion orders measure. This gives the commission the power to stop unscrupulous providers from promoting products or services that are actively undermining the integrity of the NDIS. The vast majority of NDIS providers in Bullwinkel and across Australia are fantastic. They are local small businesses, often health professionals, and not-for-profits who are doing the right thing every single day. They care for our neighbours, our friends and our families. Our goal is to create a system where compliance is easy and noncompliance is hard. We want our local honest providers to spend less time on paperwork and more time on care, while building a high-tensile steel wall against the crooks. We know there is a lot more to do, and this bill is a major step. We will continue to work closely with the disability community to ensure that these protections remain robust. The NDIS is too important to fail. We cannot allow it to be drained by those who see it as an easy mark. I care for my community in Bullwinkel, and we care for one another, and this bill is about the same principle: protecting a scheme that belongs to all of us. It's about telling the scammers that the party is over and telling people with a disability that their future is secure. I commend the bill to the House. 19:26 Mr PIKE 300120 Bowman In the very few minutes that I've got before we proceed to adjournment tonight, I'll begin some comments regarding this bill, but I'll conclude those tomorrow morning. Obviously, the coalition will be supporting the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026. We've proposed an amendment, moved by my colleague the member for Lindsay earlier this evening. I'll start by making some comments in relation to the importance of the NDIS as a national institution. I've recently taken on responsibility as shadow assistant minister for the NDIS and disabilities. It was a role that I put my hand up for, and I asked our new leader to allow me to take on that responsibility, because I see it as such a critical reform and as something that we have to get right. It is one of those complex policy Rubik's cubes that we deal with in this building, and in this city, that have such a massive impact across every community that's represented in this chamber. So many people who have been on the sidelines of our society have been able to fully enjoy the full benefits of this scheme. It has been an absolute game changer for so many across our communities. Unfortunately, we're now reaching a point where it simply cannot be sustained on the current footing. The rate of growth, as the previous speaker said, is up at 10.3 per cent according to the last quarterly update. I admit that, in the course of the previous coalition government, while the scheme was growing and reaching maturity—we were adding people, fresh in, who had spent many decades without these levels of support. The growth was a lot higher as we got things going. But, now, 10.3 per cent on a very mature scheme is way too high. Unfortunately, what we've seen from this government is a target of eight per cent. They're not meeting that. We're now seeing the National Cabinet saying, 'We're going to try to get it to five or six per cent.' We're well and truly over that. We have got a significant challenge in trying to get that number down to the government's goal. What concerns us on this side of the chamber is what we are reading in the press. I've got a media alert for the term 'NDIS'. I can see multiple media reports every day—and I'm sure that will grow as we head towards the budget—where the assumption seems to be that the growth projections for the NDIS within the budget will match the government's target. That's great. That's wonderful except they're not meeting the target. They're nowhere near. They're growing at double the rate of the target. We can pretend that we're going to somehow magically find ourselves at a point where we are achieving the government's target, or we can get real about what we are actually going to do to try to ensure we do get there. Unfortunately—and I spoke on this in the Federation Chamber yesterday, and I'm sure every MP in this place would be experiencing the same amount of casework that I am—about 80 per cent of the correspondence that I receive in my office is now NDIS casework, and primarily from people who have had their plans cut. I heard, from the previous speaker, 'Well, if you consider it in the totality, if you consider the average plan'—no. For the constituents who contact my office who have had their plans cut, sometimes significantly— The DEPUTY SPEAKER F2S Sorry, Member for Bowman. You'll get time to continue your remarks. Debate interrupted. ADJOURNMENT 73 ADJOURNMENT Albanese Government 73 19:30 Ms WATSON-BROWN 300127 Ryan Good evening, everyone. How are you? There's a lot going on, isn't there—lots of challenges. I thought I'd check in with you just to see how you're going. Here we are, about a third of the way through this government's second term and my second term as the member for Ryan. I thought it might be good to just catch up and have a chat about things—about where we are, where we'd like to be, where we're going and what's been happening. When I won the seat of Ryan in 2022, I had really big hopes, as did many. Labor had made so many promises: promises to look after us—to look after Australians—and to make Australia a better and fairer place. And the complexion of parliament had changed, with far more representation of Greens and Independents on the crossbench and with more women, and the parliament had a much more representative cross-section of the Australian population than ever before. I really thought we'd be able to achieve good things together—that we'd be able to work well together to make advances towards a better, fairer life for all Australians; that we could hope for a better Australia together. I thought we could work together for every Australian to have a roof over their head, in good housing, accessible to all. I thought we could work together to address the climate crisis; to provide high-quality free education for all, at every level; and to provide high-quality, free health care to all. I thought we could work together for fairness and integrity and honesty and transparency with the Australian people. So I just thought I'd check in with you and see how you feel things are going. How do you feel about it all? Let's have a look at some of the things that were promised—some of the things we hoped for; some of the things we all deserve in a wealthy, democratic nation like Australia. Take 'no-one left behind'. Well, they're certainly not tackling the rising wealth inequality in this country. That's further separating the haves and the have nots. Ordinary people's living standards are going backwards, while corporate profits and billionaires' wealth are soaring. 'Action on climate change'—what a joke! What a tragedy. Labor approved an extension to the Southern Hemisphere's largest fossil-fuel project, the North West Shelf, among dozens of other approvals of fossil-fuel projects. Why aren't these things happening? They should and they could—all of those promises could be met. But I'm afraid this government is nobbled by their relationship with their masters. And that's not you, but the big end of town—the big corporations and their billionaire owners. They don't just donate to the major parties; they party together; they exchange staff; they line up their post-politics jobs. That's the only explanation for why—in a wealthy country, with all of our amazing natural assets and our resources—you are suffering and you are paying. Just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister was partying with Australia's third-richest person, billionaire Anthony Pratt. Katy Perry was the headline act. Pratt, by the way, was Labor's biggest individual donor, giving them $2 million last election season. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and a fuel crisis resulting from a war that the Labor government has supported, if you're an ordinary citizen struggling to get a meeting with the Prime Minister, it's simple: just get an international pop star to headline your party and invite him along! It's easy—it's very easy—to feel disheartened by all this. It's very easy to feel disheartened that this is who the leaders in our government are spending their time with. It's challenging, but let's not give up hope. Let us be clear-eyed about what is actually happening. Let us all resist being gaslit—resist being told that it's just how it is and it's impossible to make change. Instead, let's work together to fix these things, to make a better Australia for everyone and a better future for all of the children and grandchildren. I call it active, practical hope. There's real hope in knowing that there are more of us than there are of them. There are more everyday people than them—those corporations, the billionaire class and their political allies. There's hope in knowing that the majority of Australians want to address wealth inequality. They want a fairer return on our resources. They want action on climate. They want a government with integrity. They don't want us to go to war. I'll keep pushing forward with that active, practical hope. Cost of Living 74 19:35 Ms BRISKEY 263427 Maribyrnong Despite spending quite a bit of time this month here in Canberra, my weekends have been spent out and about in my community. Recently I hosted a community barbecue in Flemington with members of our proud Somali diaspora. It was a chance for me to speak directly to them about what matters to them and their families, and what pressures they're experiencing. Also in that time between sitting weeks, I held a mobile office in Keilor East, again providing an opportunity to speak directly with local residents about what matters to them. On both these occasions, the topic that was consistently raised was around the pressures that many people are under around rising cost of living. That issue is front and centre in the minds of many, many working Australians. The conflict in the Middle East is another flashpoint that our communities must now face when sitting down to do their household budgets. It's incredibly important that we cut through some of the misinformation and sheer dishonesty of those opposite and be clear with Australians about what this government is doing. While those opposite look to help their own political gains, we focus our efforts on helping Australians. We are responsible and structured. We've delivered reforms that have provided immediate effect, like cutting 20 per cent off student debt and our first round of tax cuts. We're matching this relief with longer term reforms like changes to student loan repayments. No longer are Australians with student debt being lumped with repayments that are measured by total income; now they only repay on the amount of income earned over the threshold, and that threshold has been raised from $54,435 to $67,000. That means if you earn under $67,000, you will not be required to make an annual compulsory repayment. If you earn above $67,000, your repayments are calculated only against the proportion of your income above that threshold. This new repayment system means that people will make smaller compulsory repayments each year and effectively be able to keep more of what they earn and have more money in their pockets. Younger Australians already feel that our economy is stacked against them, but this government recognises their frustrations, and that's why we have taken action. Another structural reform that we've made will take place in just a few months time. From July 2026, every Australian taxpayer is going to receive another tax cut, and then another one in 2027. Beginning in 2027, we have reformed our tax system to be simpler and to provide real cost-of-living relief by introducing a $1,000 instant tax deduction. This takes some of the stress out of tax time. Aussie workers can now claim a flat rate instead of claiming individual work related expenses. Working people deserve to be able to keep more of what they earn. This Labor government heavily believes in this. At the last election, Labor made a promise to the Australian people. We said that we would strengthen Medicare, and that's exactly what we've been focused on. At the beginning of this year, PBS medicines were capped at $25 a script. I love this reform, and I know I've spoken about it quite often in this place. Another aspect of this reform is on the concession card; the co-payment continues to be only $7.70 until 2030. For Australians with complex medical needs and chronic conditions, these are real savings that are taking the pressure off their bank accounts and making a difference in their lives. You cannot strengthen Medicare without investing heavily in bulk-billing. It is the cornerstone of our health system, and Australians are proud, quite rightly, of our universal access to care, no matter where they live or how much they earn. That's why we've tripled the bulk-billing incentive, which has doubled the number of bulk-billing clinics in my community, so more people can see their GP for free. My community voted for real cost-of-living relief. They voted for tax relief and for a stronger Medicare, and this Labor government is delivering on its promises to them. We started our second term by passing student debt relief and have continued to be steadfastly focused on providing responsible cost-of-living relief at every opportunity we can. We're investing in working families because Labor know that that is an investment in our country's future. Their Majesties King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark 75 19:40 Ms BELL 282981 Moncrieff I rise to pay tribute to Their Majesties King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark on their recent state visit to Australia. Thank you to the member for Cunningham, as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Denmark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, members and senators for attending the event held in Their Majesties honour at Parliament House on Monday 16 March. I thank Her Excellency Ingrid Dahl-Madsen for her great deal of work on Denmark-Australia relations and of course on the state visit; Mr Lars Aagaard Moller, Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities; Mr Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, Permanent Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Mr Lars Frelle-Petersen, Permanent Secretary of State at the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities; and the delegation of around 50 Danish companies involved in sectors with a focus on agriculture and renewables. It was indeed a great honour to acknowledge and welcome Their Majesties to Parliament House. I said, in my speech to the parliamentary friendship group, that I could never compete with Queen Mary's impeccable Danish, but, as a grateful Rotary exchange student to Denmark in 1986, I gave it an Aussie red-hot go. I do so again as a mark of respect for the enduring relationship between Australia and Denmark; for the Royal Danish Court, Kongehuset; and for the Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands. I say in advance that my accent is neither the King's Copenhagen Danish nor the Odense Danish of Funen, the home of Hans Christian Andersen, but rather Jutland's less sophisticated dialect, fondly known as jysk. I tell my story with fondness, and I table the English translation for the House. Ms Bell then proceeded to speak in Danish. Og defor fortaeller jeg min historie med kaerlighed. Den oplevelse, jeg fik som 17-årig pige, da jeg re-praesenterede mit land som Rotary-udvekslings-student til det yndige land, som hedder gamle Danmark, aendrede virkelig mit liv. Jeg tror, at hvis jeg ikke havde vaeret modtager af Rotarys og Danmarks generøsitet i 1986, ville jeg ikke stå her i dag som medlem af det australske parlament. Jeg vil gerne benytte denne lejlighed til at takke Rotary International og Kongeriget Danmark for en helt-dinaer oplevelse. Jeg anerkender også Hendes Majestaet Dronning Margrethes enestående re-ger-ing-stid på 52 år, sammen med Prins Henrik. Fire vaertsfamilier, skolekammerater fra Herning Gymnasium og Rotary-faellesskabet viste venlighed, tålmodighed og tro på en ung kvinde fra Australien. De investerede i mig og tog mig til sig. Jeg vendte hjem efter et år meget klogere , mere erfaren-og tolv kilo tung-ere! Det var for meget chokolade og for mange fastelavnsboller, tror jeg. I dag baerer jeg Danmark med mig, hvor end jeg går, i mit berømte danske design—et Georg Jensen-ur. Hvert år laver jeg en dansk jule-aftens-middag for min familie—-flaeskesteg, rødkål og brune kartofler, og risalamande—men ikke rødgrød med fløde på til Jul! Jeg pynter juletraeet med danske dekorationer fra år tilbage. Australiere har meget til faelles med danskere. Vi deler humor og livssyn. Danmark og Australien ligger langt fra hinanden på verdenskortet, men vi står hinanden naer i vaer-dier. Begge vores lande er demokratier, der tror på frihed, ret-stats-principper, lighed og menneskelig vaerdighed. Venskabet mellem vores lande har dybe rødder. I mere end et århundrede er danskere rejst til Australien for at arbejde, studere og bosaette sig—kun for at tage et stykke Australien med hjem..(nogle end-da med kongelige aegtefaeller.) Samtid-ig har australiere fundet inspiration i Norden—i faellesskab, velfaerd og baere-dygtighed. I dag vokser sam-arbejdet fortsat inden for handel, forskning, ud-dannelse, forsvar og den grønne omstilling. Verden står overfor store ud-fordringer. Danmark og Australien besidder staerke kompetencer—saerligt inden for ved-varende energi, maritim teknologi, landbrug og innovation. Sammen kan vi gøre mere. Deres Majestaeters besøg er ikke blot en fejring af venskab—og af familie—men et løfte om fortsat partnerskab. Et partnerskab bygget på-gen-sid-ig respekt, åben dialog og viljen til handling til gavn for vores borgere og kommende gene-rationer. Vi takker Dem for at vaelge at besøge vores land, Uluru, Canberra, Melbourne og Hobart og håber, De nød vores varme gaest-frihed. Den af-spejler vores følel-ser for Danmark. Må forholdet mellem Danmark og Australien fort-saette med at vokse i styrke og dybde. Må vores lande stå sammen i arbejdet for fred, frihed og en baere-dygtig fremtid. Tusind tak til Hans Majestaet Kong Frederik, Hendes Majestaet 'vores' Dronning Mary, Minister Aagaard, Statssekretaerer, Ambassadør, Den Danske delegation (hvem må jeg have lyst til at tale til i Melbourne) for dit voldsomt succesfulde statesbesg med Kong Frederik's ord "Down Under fra Up Over''. Og endelig ... hilsen til alle dem i lille Vildbjerg ae osse! Det var hyggeligt! English translation The experience I had as a 17-year-old girl, when I represented my country as a Rotary exchange student to Denmark, truly changed my life. I believe that if I had not been the recipient of the generosity of Rotary and Denmark in 1986, I would not be standing here today as a member of the Australian Parliament. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rotary International and the Kingdom of Denmark for an absolutely extraordinary experience. I also acknowledge Her Majesty Queen Margrethe's remarkable 52-year reign, together with Prince Henrik. Four host families, classmates from Herning Gymnasium and the Rotary community showed kindness, patience and belief in a young woman from Australia. They invested in me and took me into their lives. I returned home after a year much wiser, more experienced—and twelve kilos heavier! It was far too many cream buns and slices of chocolate. Today I carry Denmark with me wherever I go, in my famous Danish design—a Georg Jensen watch. Every year I make a Danish Christmas Eve dinner for my family—roast park, red cabbage and caramelised potatoes, and rice pudding—but not red berry pudding with cream at Christmas! I decorate the Christmas tree with Danish ornaments from years past. Australians have much in common with Danes. We share humour and a way of life. Denmark and Australia lie far apart on the world map, but we stand close together in values. Both our countries are democracies that believe in freedom, the rule of law, equality and human dignity. The friendship between our countries has deep roots. For more than a century, Danes have travelled to Australia to work, study and settle—only to take a piece of Australia back home, some even with royal spouses. At the same time, Australians have found inspiration in the Nordic countries—in community, welfare and sustainability. Today the cooperation continues to grow within trade, research, education, defence and the green transition. The world faces great challenges. Denmark and Australia possess strong capabilities—particularly within renewable energy, maritime technology, agriculture and innovation. Together, we can do more. Their Majesties' visit is not only a celebration of friendship—and of family—but a promise of continued partnership. A partnership built on mutual respect, open dialogue and the will to act for the benefit of our citizens and future generations. We thank you for choosing to visit our country, Uluru, Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart and hope you enjoyed our warm hospitality. It reflects our feelings for Denmark. May the relationship between Denmark and Australia continue to grow in strength and depth. May our countries stand together in working for peace, freedom and a sustainable future. Thank you very much to His Majesty King Frederik X, Her Majesty 'Our' Queen Mary, Minister, Secretaries of State, Ambassador, and the Danish delegation—so many of whom I enjoyed speaking to in Melbourne—for your wildly successful state visit, in the words of King Frederick, 'Down Under from Up Over'. It was hyggeligt. The SPEAKER 53517 Tak, member for Moncrieff. Wages and Salaries 77 19:46 Ms CAMPBELL 312823 Moreton Tak, formand, and thank you, Mr Speaker. There are 2.7 million Australians on the minimum wage and award reliant. They are the Australians that help keep our communities clean. They are the Australians that help look after and educate our littlest ones. They are the Australians that help prepare food. In Queensland there are 561,600 of them, over 22 per cent of the workforce. In my local electorate of Moreton on Brisbane's south side, there are 7,000 people on the Retail Industry Award, and they work for organisations including St David's Neighbourhood Centre, which uses the social and community services award, the SCHACDS award, for staff providing vital community services, services that we need and services that our community uses every single day. These workers matter. These workers deserve fair wages. These workers deserve a good life and dignity, and Labor has always been their champion. Labor's submission to the Annual Wage Review with the Fair Work Commission is what I want to talk about tonight because it's an economically sustainable real wage increase that this Labor government is asking for which will help lift living standards of some of the lowest paid workers in our Australian community. It's consistent with the RBA's target band, and the government's submission does not recommend a specific wage. We understand that the Fair Work Commission is independent, but what we seek is that the Fair Work Commission considers the economic conditions, the needs of those who are paid lowly and the various stakeholder submissions that back those workers in. Why? Because so many award wage workers are in low paid roles. They work fewer hours, they have fewer financial buffers to protect them, to fall back on in tough times. These workers are more susceptible to cost-of-living challenges. And we know right now that the cost of living is biting. It's impacting on people. And whether that's increased fuel prices, whether that's higher grocery prices, whether that's bigger bills, these are the working Australians who need dignity and a fair wage more than anything. This submission is in contrast to what those across the chamber did when they were in government. Low wages were a deliberate design feature of their economic architecture. Annual real wages fell again and again and again and again for five consecutive quarters before Labor came to office. Real wages were going backwards by 3.5 per cent in May 2022 and living standards were falling by 1.5 per cent. Labor has always championed working people. That's why, since we came to government in 2022, Labor's recommendations for real wage increases have seen cumulative increases of more than $9,000 for minimum wage workers. The minimum wage is now $175.40 a week higher than in May 2022. That's real money, a real impact on people's hip pockets and a real shot in the arm for workers who need it most. The LISTO is increasing by $310 to $810. We've seen the longest consecutive period of annual wage growth—eight quarters in a decade. Annual nominal wages have grown above three per cent for 14 quarters in a row. Living standards grew two per cent to the December 2025 quarter, and OECD data shows that they are growing at more than twice the average of major advanced economies. More than 1.2 million jobs have been created under this government, with more than four out of five in the private sector. Average unemployment under the Albanese government is the lowest of any government in half a century. In my first speech to this place I said that the economy has to work for everyday people every day. That has never been truer than now and has never been truer than of this Labor government. Fuel 77 19:51 Mr BIRRELL 288713 Nicholls I acknowledge that the Albanese government has finally heeded our advice and provided limited but immediate relief for motorists and businesses. It's been a long couple of weeks in this place trying to hammer home the real-world impacts of the liquid fuel crisis. In many of those regional areas that we represent, those impacts continue. I want to give a summary of some of the issues being raised with me in Nicholls. Small freight operators in regional Victoria and southern New South Wales report diesel prices increasing by more than $1.50 a litre overnight, placing immediate pressure on cash flow and threatening business viability. Owners-drivers and family freight businesses in towns such as Broadford, Mooroopna and Yarrawonga say fuel now accounts for up to 30 per cent of expenditure, with weekly fuel use measured in thousands of litres. Employees in logistics-dependent regional businesses report fuel levies of 25 per cent and 30 per cent being passed through by transport providers, driving up costs for businesses and customers alike. Regional waste, recycling and sanitation businesses warn that restricted access to diesel threatens continuity of essential services for schools, hospitals, aged-care facilities and local communities, raising public health concerns. Regional households and small-business owners describe fuel as not optional but essential, linking rising petrol and diesel costs to broader cost-of-living pressures, inflation and interest rate stress. There are significant impacts on agriculture and food supply. Livestock, rural and agricultural transport operators in regional Victoria report diesel price spikes to more than $3.20 per litre, combined with rationing and transaction limits as low as 50 litres, making normal operations unworkable. There are harvest contractors in northern Victoria who describe prolonged diesel shortages leaving machinery idle during critical harvest windows, directly threatening feed supplies for dairy farms and risking adverse animal welfare outcomes. Bulk fuel distributors in regional electorates report running out of diesel within hours of delivery and forced rationing for farmers and extreme volatility in replacement costs making day-to-day trading impossible. It's affecting infrastructure as well. Small regional transport contractors working on government funded infrastructure projects are reporting to me that they're absorbing thousands of dollars per week in additional diesel costs, with fuel levies not being passed through contractual chains. Operators warn this creates a real risk of withdrawal from projects, workforce disruption and delays to nationally significant infrastructure delivery. There are also human costs and community consequences. Workers commuting daily between regional towns report weekly fuel costs more than doubling, forcing changes to work travel, family routines and household budgets. Across regional communities, constituents consistently link fuel insecurity and price shocks to mental health strain, business stress and uncertainty about the future. We don't know when the conflict in the Middle East will end or when supply chains will return to normal. We are told there will still be a long sting in the tail of this crisis. Supply is especially an issue for farmers, and the NFF president, Hamish McIntyre, said after the National Cabinet meeting that pressing shortages and crippling costs still need to be addressed through 'an agriculture-specific plan to secure fuel supply for farmers and fishers, including clear "trigger points" for government action to safeguard food production' and 'the inclusion of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as critical industries under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984' as well as 'targeted small business support for those across the supply chain facing acute financial pressures.' We have been fielding these calls from our regional businesses for the last three weeks, and we have been putting them to the government all through question time over the last two weeks. It is pleasing to see the government beginning to take this seriously, but there is more to do. There is a longer question than the immediate issue of getting us through this particular Middle Eastern crisis, and that is addressing our vulnerability to overseas supply chains, particularly when it comes to liquid fuel supplies. Our long-term strategy for this ensures our food security, our defence security and our national sovereignty. Housing 78 19:56 Ms BELYEA 309484 Dunkley Today I stand here, as the proud local member for Dunkley, focused on a simple goal: making sure people in my community can access safe, secure and affordable housing. In Dunkley, the need is clear. Nearly 60 per cent of residents are classified as low or very-low income, with higher than average rates of single-parent households, domestic and family violence and housing stress. That makes action on housing not just important but urgent. While the challenges are real, so is the progress. Our government is delivering the most ambitious housing agenda in generations—one that is practical, targeted and already improving lives. We are focused on three priorities: building more homes, making it better to rent and making it easier to buy. Since we came to office, more than 180 Australians have bought their first home with just a five per cent deposit, including 1,713 people from Dunkley. That's over 1,000 local families with greater security and a stake in their future. We have increased Commonwealth rent assistance by nearly 50 per cent, supporting more than one million households during a tight rental market. We've also turned the corner on the construction of 5,000 homes across the nation, with commencements up and construction costs stabilising. Importantly, more than 25,000 social and affordable homes are now in planning or construction, with over 5,000 already completed. We know that this work must continue. This term, we are committed to delivering 55,000 social and affordable homes, helping build 100,000 homes for first home buyers and working toward the national goal of 1.2 million homes over five years. People get nervous when they hear that figure. It's aspirational. But, in my opinion, if you don't have a goal and you don't have an aspiration, you've got nothing to work towards. So we will forge ahead with intention to do our bit to provide more homes for people in our communities. Housing policy only works when it connects with people on the ground. That's why I delivered a housing forum in Dunkley, in partnership with Frankston City Council and the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. The forum brought builders, industry, community organisations and all levels of government together to share opportunities, build local connections and start shaping a clear housing roadmap for our region. It was practical, solutions focused and exactly what our growing community needs. I've also met with the Greater South East Melbourne network and held more than 50 meetings with local stakeholders since January, listening to what help they need to unlock and deliver the homes people need. The message is clear: Dunkley is a place of opportunity to invest, to build and to live, but investment in housing must keep pace with that growth. I will continue to push for that outcome along with support from Frankston City Council and my state colleagues. I will not stop advocating for my community, because housing isn't just about buildings. It's about stability, opportunity and the future we are building together in Dunkley. House adjourned at 20:00 NOTICES 79 NOTICES Presentation 79

Tuesday, 31 March 2026

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Aldred ) took the chair at 12:32.

GRIEVANCE DEBATE 80 GRIEVANCE DEBATE Fuel, Telecommunications 80 12:32 Mr BOYCE 299498 Flynn I rise to speak on two issues that are front of mind for the people of the Flynn electorate. The first is fuel. Right now, families and small businesses across our region are being hit hard by what has become a deepening national fuel crisis. For people in regional communities, fuel is not a luxury; it is an essential. It is how you get to work. It is how you run your farm. It is how you deliver goods. And it is how you keep small business operating. In recent weeks, we've seen prices surge, and, in many cases, simple supply does not reach the local service stations. That means not just higher costs but uncertainty—uncertainty about whether you can even fill up when you need to. The coalition called on the government to act decisively and urgently by halving fuel excise for three months. This is a practical, immediate step that could deliver real relief to households and small businesses already under pressure. Now, the government has made the decision to halve the fuel excise and reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge, and this will make a difference. Halving the fuel excise is expected to cut prices from around 26c per litre over the next three months. That is meaningful relief—relief that will be felt at the bowser, in household budgets and across small businesses trying to keep their doors open. Reducing the heavy vehicle road user charge is also an important step. It helps take pressure off the freight sector, and, as we know, when freight costs come down, that flows through to the cost of goods on supermarket shelves and in local stores. These announcements are welcome but also overdue. While this relief is important, we must also be honest about the broader economic context. Measures like this, without proper offsets, risk adding to inflationary pressures, effectively pouring fuel on the inflation fire. That is why it is so important that the government pairs short-term relief with credible long-term plans. After several weeks, it was encouraging to finally see the government outline a national fuel security plan, but that plan remains light on detail. Australians have not been given clear, quantifiable trigger points for what happens next. There is still no transparent framework for how supply disruptions will be managed or how decisions will be made in the national interest. The reality is this: we still do not have a clear, workable plan to ensure fuel accurately gets to the service stations that have run dry and the agricultural sector that grows the food and fibre for our nation. The Prime Minister's decision to underwrite supply may sound significant but it does little to address the immediate problem facing communities right now: empty bowsers and higher prices. We are told that there is enough fuel in the system. If that is the case, the question is simple: why is it not getting to where it is needed? Australians deserve answers. They also deserve confidence that the government will not resort to heavy-handed mandates that disrupt markets and create further uncertainty. We do welcome the government's offer of a briefing on these new powers, and we will engage constructively. But we will also scrutinise any legislation closely, to ensure that any extraordinary powers granted during the energy crisis are matched with appropriate and proportionate checks and balances. I turn to the second issue: mobile connectivity. The coalition is calling for submissions to a Senate inquiry into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025. This inquiry is a crucial opportunity for residents of Flynn—and regional Australia, more broadly—to have their say. In communities like ours, reliable mobile coverage is not a convenience; it is a necessity. It can mean the difference between safety and isolation. It underpins our emergency responses, supports our businesses and keeps families connected. Despite the importance of this issue, the government's proposed legislation raises some serious questions. At it's core, the bill places a vague obligation on the telecommunications providers to deliver reasonable access to outdoor mobile connectivity on an equitable basis, but it fails to clearly define what that means in practice. What does 'reasonable access' look like in a rural and remote community, how will these obligations be enforced and how can we be confident that this will deliver real improvements on the ground, rather than just more promises? These are not minor details; they go to the heart of whether this policy will succeed or fail. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the people of regional Australia are tired of being sold announcements instead of outcomes. They do not want glossy headlines. They want a signal on their phone when they need it most. They want to be able to pick up the phone and make a call when they need to. They want to be able to receive a two-factor authentication text message to log in to internet banking, for example. This is what they are asking for. I speak with constituents across the Flynn electorate who still deal with the daily dropouts, the black spots on major roads and the unreliable service in their homes and businesses. This is not just frustrating, it is holding these communities back. Farmers cannot reliably access real-time data. Small businesses miss opportunities. Families cannot stay connected. In emergencies—whether it be a road accident, a fire or a medical episode—patchy coverage can have serious consequences. I've heard stories of people driving kilometres just to make a phone call or standing in one specific spot outside their home to get one bar of reception. This is the reality for 2026 that too many Australians living outside the major cities have to contend with, and it's simply not good enough. If this government is serious about closing the digital divide, we must move beyond vague language and start delivering clear, enforceable outcomes. We need defined service standards, transparent reporting and consequences when obligations are not met. We need investment that actually targets known black spots, not just broad commitments that are difficult to measure. Without these elements, there is a real risk this legislation becomes another missed opportunity—well intentioned but, ultimately, ineffective. That is why it is so important that local people have their voices heard. I am encouraging residents, farmers, businesses and community organisations across the electorate of Flynn to make submissions to the Senate inquiry. This is your opportunity to share your experiences, highlight the gaps and help shape a better outcome. Your voice matters, because no-one understands the challenges of regional connectivity better than the people who are living there. Submissions close on 8 April 2026. There may also be opportunities to give evidence at the public hearings. Both these issues—fuel and connectivity—go directly to cost of living, to economic opportunity and to quality of life in regional Australia. They are not abstract policy debates. They are real issues affecting real people. We welcome action where it is taken, but we will continue to hold the government to account to ensure that that action is timely and effective, and that it delivers real results for people that we represent because, in regional communities, when fuel prices rise, everything becomes more expensive—getting to work, putting food on the table and keeping small businesses running. And when connectivity fails, it is not just an inconvenience. It cuts people off from essential services, education and emergency support. These challenges compound disadvantage and widen the gap between the regions and our metropolitan cousins. Our communities deserve better. They deserve certainty, fairness and the infrastructure needed to thrive—just to get by. Albanese Government 81 12:40 Dr GARLAND 295588 Chisholm With today being the last sitting day in March, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an incredibly busy and productive month in this place. When I look back at everything we've achieved, one theme stands above the rest for our government, and that is delivery. Delivery is what happens when you have a government, with adults at the table, focused on our communities—a government that looks and sounds like Australia, a government that is committed to ensuring that no-one is held back and no-one is left behind in our pursuit of a better future for all Australians. This month we've delivered real practical support to Australians. We know that global uncertainty is putting pressure on households. Conflict overseas is driving up fuel prices. Inflation has stretched family budgets, and every Australian feels it when they fill up their car, drop the kids off at school, pay their bills or do their weekly shop. So we've acted. We've halved the fuel excise for three months to make petrol and diesel cheaper right now. We've released 20 per cent of Australia's fuel reserves to stabilise supply. We've temporarily adjusted fuel standards to keep more fuel flowing. We've appointed a national fuel supply taskforce coordinator to ensure coordination across the country. Australians deserve relief when they need it most. We've doubled penalties for petrol companies engaging in price gouging because there is simply no excuse for exploiting Australians, especially during a crisis. That's not the way we do things here; that's not the Australian way. Our government will always stand up for consumers. While we're standing up for consumers, we're also backing Australian workers. This month we've supported a real wage increase for around 2.7 million minimum wage and award reliant workers. These are the Australians who keep our economy moving—people who are often in lower paid roles, often working fewer hours, and people who tend to get hit hardest by cost-of-living pressures. Since coming to office, our support for real wage growth has already delivered over $9,000 in cumulative increases for minimum wage workers. That's real money back into the pockets of working Australians. And we've done this responsibly, supporting wage growth while keeping inflation on a downward path and respecting the independence of the Fair Work Commission, because economic management is about helping people today while securing stability for tomorrow. I will never forget standing alongside the now prime minister in the 2022 election campaign when he was asked a question on whether he supported a wage increase for the lowest paid workers in this country, and he said, 'Absolutely.' And he's been absolutely committed, as we all have been in this government, to looking out for the lowest paid workers in the country ever since. On that theme, I am Chair of the Employment, Workplace Relations, Skills and Training Committee, and we've begun our inquiry into the National Employment Standards. The National Employment Standards govern the minimum entitlements that all Australian workers can access. We've heard from the Fair Work Ombudsman and the department of workplace relations as we determine whether the National Employment Standards are still fit for purpose in 2026, 16 years since they were first implemented. To do that, we need to meet workers where they are. That means holding hearings right across the country, not just here in Canberra, to get direct evidence from people with different perspectives and experiences. This will include employers, industry workers, academics and other stakeholder groups right across the country. I'm very excited this important work is underway and I really want to thank everybody who's taken the time to submit their thoughts to the inquiry. The Albanese Labor government is delivering tax cuts this year and next so that Australians can keep more of what they earn. We're also making medicines cheaper, we're expanding bulk-billing and we're providing targeted cost-of-living relief without fuelling inflation. That's what responsible government looks like. We're also delivering for Australia's future. This month we strengthened our economic ties with Europe through a new trade agreement. This will contribute $10 billion annually to our economy. That means more Australian products reaching European markets, more opportunities for Australian businesses and more jobs here at home. And it means cheaper European products at the checkout for Australian consumers. When we open doors for Australian exporters, we create opportunities for Australian workers. We've also taken action to ensure Australians can retire with dignity. We have boosted superannuation savings for 1.3 million Australians, especially low-income workers, who need it most. This reform reduces tax on super contributions and delivers fairer outcomes, particularly for women, who make up more than half of low-income earners. Every single Australian deserves a secure retirement, and our reforms will ensure that everybody is able to have a dignified and secure retirement. This month marked International Women's Day, and I am proud to stand as part of a government that is delivering real progress for women. We've helped close the gender pay gap to record lows. We've expanded access to the single parent payment, knowing that it often tends to be women who take on single parenting responsibilities. We've made child care cheaper and we're extending paid parental leave to six months. For the first time, too, we are paying superannuation on that paid parental leave. We've delivered the largest ever women's health package and made record investments to end gender based violence. Progress for women does not happen by accident. It happens by choice, and our government has made that choice. That's largely been informed, too, by the fact that we have a majority female government and we have different voices sitting around the table. We're able to make these kinds of decisions. The Albanese Labor government is building a more sustainable and affordable energy future. New data this month shows that, with our 30 per cent discount, Australians have installed 250,000 home batteries. That means 1,667 households in my community of Chisholm are getting cheaper energy through the uptake of the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. This means families can store cheap solar energy during the day and use it at night, cutting their power bills. It also benefits the entire system, reducing pressure on the energy grid and making our network more resilient. Australians know that investing in clean energy is not just good for the environment; it's good for their wallets. Across every single one of the initiatives I've outlined this afternoon there is a common thread, which is that our government is focused on practical outcomes. Our government is helping Australians manage the cost of living, backing workers with fair pay, strengthening our economy through trade, supporting women and families and securing retirement incomes. We are making commonsense reforms and listening to advocates, and we are building a cleaner, more resilient energy system. There are a number of other measures we've taken over the last month that we've been here in Canberra, including taking important steps to protect Australians from discrimination based on their genetic information. Through reforms to strengthen genetic testing in life insurance, we are ensuring that Australians can access vital medical testing without fear that it will be used against them, because no-one should have to choose between their health and their financial security. This is what our communities expect of us—to stand here every day we're in Canberra and fight for good outcomes for them. I know that my community expects a government that takes responsibility—a government that steps up in times of challenge and delivers, not a government that just promises. What we've seen this month demonstrates exactly that. That's what our government is focused on doing. I really can't wait to be back in my community of Chisholm though, after a long month here in Canberra, and I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very safe and very happy Easter, particularly those communities of faith for whom this is a very important celebration. For all of those workers who will be working over Easter, you absolutely deserve your penalty rates, and I will always work my hardest to protect those. 12:50 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright I start by offering my comments to my fellow Australians about the current crisis that finds itself at the feet of every Australian at the moment, with reference to those that are exposed to fuel prices and those that are exposed to the lack of fuel. I think, at the last count, there were over 900 service stations without fuel. Perplexing for some to think as to how this could happen when we are being told that we have the storage capacity in hand and that this is nothing other than panic buying by the Australian public—my task here with this grievance debate is not to come in here and join a conga line of tit-for-tat, blaming one or the other for the perilous situation that we find ourselves in, but to have a sobering conversation with the Australian public about what the coming months and potentially the coming years look like. In the last 48 hours, I have spoken with a number of constituents in my electorate who are reaching out to voice their concerns, and there is no better place than a grievance debate to raise those concerns and share them with the Australian public. I'm sure those on the other side of the chamber are receiving exactly the same calls. I have a fuel distributor who sends nine B-doubles to the fuel terminal a week. He supplies 450 farmers. He supplies two shire councils. He supplies six service stations and three bus companies. Last week, he was down to two B-double loads, and the distributors have told him that there's no fuel this week. Can you imagine what his business model looks like when it comes to clients ringing him right in the middle of a harvest time—those growers that I said that he represents. We got some type of idea of what an essential service looked like during COVID. If those farmers don't have the diesel that they require to plant the food to put on the plates of Australians in a month's time—the crisis that we face now of not having diesel falls into insignificance when we don't have food to put on the shelves. I just make that point I make these points to outline what we need to be doing as a government to make sure that we are trying to inoculate ourselves from every scenario. Last week, there were two bills that were introduced into the House. One was to deal with the fuel crisis. One was a bill to deal with increasing the fines for the ACCC on regulators or fuel suppliers who may be taking the opportunity to gouge. The second part of the bill that came through the House concurrently allowed the transport sector to pass on the fuel levy. Some seven out of 10 transport operators may have entered into long-term contracts with suppliers. I know, when I was a transport operator, I had rise-and-fall provisions in my contracts that allowed me, when fuel went up, to pass that through and subsequently, when fuel went down, to make sure that those savings would go back to head contractors, multinationals. I do understand that there's a whole swathe of independent operators that don't have that complexity and that level of sophistication in their contract agreements and that are taking the opportunity now that fuel has near on doubled just to simply park their trucks up. We've all heard the phrase that without trucks, without the transport sector, our nation stops. That is a dire situation, and it's incumbent on us to find solutions to keep our transport sector moving and to keep our truckers rolling. I also have had conversations in this place with risk assessors, those who will make assessments on this current conflict and assess how this affects their business, the financial markets and the insurance markets into the future. Take, for example, bond rates and what they look like into the future. Assessors will make short-term, mid-term and long-term risk assessments. God willing, the short-term risk assessment is that this is over and done in a matter of weeks, if not months, the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East is reopened, and we see some return to normality. We as a country have little or no influence over that geopolitical landscape. As a result, we then take a look at what the mid-term risk looks like: troops on the ground and a 12-month insurgence. And the worst-case scenario that the risk assessors are genuinely making provisions around is a four-year conflict. When they make predictions of a four-year conflict, they're doing that around previous conflict timeframes, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. We all remember Russian President Putin's words that he'd be in and out of Ukraine in eight days. Three years later, they are still heavily entrenched with each other's conflict. So there's a real possibility that this could last for years. The risk assessments are being done now, so let's take that as our starting point. Can I assure those farmers who, as I said at the beginning of my speech, were ringing and telling me about their problems with a lack of fuel that fuel is going to be the least of their problems if this is going on for two or three or four years. Fuel is going to be the least of their problems if they've got fuel in the trucks but they don't have fertiliser, which is another fuel-based commodity, a petroleum by-product that comes predominantly from gas through the urea that we need for nitrogen—a component which has revolutionised the agricultural sector with its yields. Fertiliser now is the single most valuable commodity when we're doing our inputs into a crop. The other concern we have is adBlue. If we're still having this conversation in two, three or four years, as I said to my growers, 'The inputs that you're worried about today, like fuel, will fall into insignificance when the inflationary effects of fuel, fertiliser, adBlue and all the other costs are felt.' Remember, when you go to a shop and buy something that's packaged in plastic, your fruit and vegetables, all that plastic and packaging is a by-product of fuel. So, when fuel goes up, you won't just feel it at the bowser; you'll feel it across every commodity when you go to the checkout. That inflationary effect that will flow through has the potential, on our current trajectory—and Westpac are making these projections already for the short term, for the next 12 months—for interest rates in Australia alone to move three basis points by the end of the year. That's sobering. So, if this continues and you're doing three basis points a year, that's close to four per cent, with some ebbs and flows, over three or four years. Can you imagine the effect that that will have on the Australian public? It is incumbent on us as a government to not be doing everything possible but to be acting now. A wise man once said, 'The smartest time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, to be able to sit in the shade of it.' The smartest time now to be building the infrastructure that we need to be able to manufacture our fertiliser and to manufacture and be independent of our own AdBlue supplies and our fuel sovereignty is now. I want to work with the government on bringing solutions that protect every single Australian. Fuel 84 13:00 Mr FRENCH 316550 Moore I rise on the motion that grievances be noted, and I want to raise a grievance about fuel security and, more specifically, about the way in which those opposite have chosen to conduct themselves in this moment. Australians can see what's going on globally—instability in the Middle East, pressures on supply chains and increased demand. We, the Australian people, all feel it every time you pull into a servo. It's not abstract. It's not theoretical. It is a real supply challenge. And, in that environment, this government has acted. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, hasn't been sitting back and issuing commentary. He's been intervening directly to keep fuel moving. That includes forcing suppliers to get fuel into regional and independent servos that were running dry—not asking nicely, just making it happen. When supply tightens, you don't just hope the market sorts itself out. We're getting ahead of the problem because we want to step in and make sure Australians aren't left stranded. Alongside that, we've released fuel from stockholdings to boost supply, adjusted standards to bring more fuel into the system and coordinated nationally across governments and industries. That is what managing a supply shock looks like. The grievance is what we're seeing from those opposite. Instead of contributing constructively, unlike the member for New England, they've defaulted to a familiar routine. They're like that kid from school that didn't do the work in the group assignment, was nowhere to be found when it actually mattered and then somehow rocked up at the end, hand out, ready to take all the credit. The problem is that this is not the first time we've seen this. When they were in government, when they actually had responsibility, what did they do? They oversaw the closure of four out of the six refineries in this country, and we were told it wouldn't matter. Now we know exactly how much that matters. Once that capability is gone, you're more exposed, you are more dependent on imports and you are far more vulnerable when global conditions turn against you. They've also talked about minimum stockholdings but never delivered them. And, in what may be one of the most remarkable decisions in energy policy in this country's history, they spent close to $100 million storing fuel not here in Australia but in the United States, 14,000 kilometres away. That is not a back-up plan. That's a postcard. This is where the minister has been very clear. In a crisis, you don't just observe the market, you make sure it works. I didn't come into this place as someone who worked behind a desk. I was a sparky. I worked all across Western Australia. I've worked in the Pilbara. I've worked in Kalgoorlie. I've worked all across the state. I can tell you that the systems don't care who takes credit. They either work or don't. They either have reliable inputs or fail. Fuel is one of those inputs. And, when that input is disrupted, the consequences don't stay contained. They spread through freight, through construction, through supply chains and ultimately into the cost of living. That's why this matters. That's why fuel has been directed into regional areas. It's why supply has been increased. It's why coordination has been stepped up—because the alternative is what we saw under those opposite, a system left exposed, hoping global security would remain stable. And, as we are seeing now, that is not something you can rely on. This isn't just about fuel. This is a pattern. The Liberal Party has spent years claiming to be the better economic managers, but that reputation rested on the work done by Labor—the hard reforms, the structural changes and the difficult decisions taken under leaders like Paul Keating. Labor does the heavy lifting. These guys just inherit the benefits and then claim the title, and now we're seeing the same thing play out again. This matters in places like Moore because fuel isn't optional. It affects people commuting across Perth's northern suburbs, small businesses trying to keep costs down and supply chains bringing goods into our community. While Moore is metropolitan, it is connected to regional WA, to freight, to agriculture and to the broader community. When fuel supply tightens, the impact doesn't stay in one place. It flows through everything. The grievance is simple: those opposite had the opportunity to strengthen fuel security, and they didn't. Now they seek to criticise the work required— An opposition member interjecting— Mr FRENCH 316550 to manage that reality, and true to form— An opposition member interjecting— Mr FRENCH 316550 You cannot fix a fuel— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 11788 Please address your comments through the chair. Mr FRENCH 316550 You cannot build an oil refinery in four years. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 11788 Order! Please address your comments through the chair. Mr FRENCH 316550 Apologies. They now seek to criticise the work required to manage that reality, and, true to form, they've turned up at the end of the assignment to take credit for the work they didn't do. Meanwhile, this government is getting on with the job, keeping fuel moving, keeping the system functioning and making sure Australians are protected as much as possible from the global show. What we're seeing from those opposite right now is an absolute performance. We have a serious attempt to deal with a complex problem, and they come with all the energy and indignation of schoolkids insisting that someone has copied their homework. That might be convincing if they'd actually done any of the homework in the first place. Australians understand what is going on here. While those opposite have been busy making claims, this government has been focused on three things: understanding the situation in real time, coordinating across the system and acting early to keep supply moving. That starts with information. You cannot manage fuel security if you don't know what's happening across the network, what's in storage, what's moving through terminals and where disruptions are emerging. That is why this government has strengthened the information coming in: weekly reporting, new powers to require data and direct visibility over supply and distribution. If you're flying blind in a situation like this, you're already behind. The second piece is coordination. Fuel doesn't move in neat, isolated boxes. It moves across jurisdictions, across industries and across supply chains that are tightly linked, so our response reflects that. That is why we've brought together industry, transport operators and the agricultural sector. That's why we've activated the national coordination mechanisms. In a disruption, what matters is making sure fuel gets to where it is needed most. The third piece is acting early, not waiting for the crisis to fully land. We're not scrambling once shortages appear but stepping up early to expand supply and ease pressure. That's what these measures, like releasing stockholdings and adjusting standards, are all about. It's not theory. They're not announcements. These are, again, practical steps to keep the system moving. If your fallback is on another continent, you're not strengthening the system; you're distancing it from where it's actually needed. When we hear those opposite now claim urgency, it's reasonable to ask: Where was that urgency when those decisions were being made? Where was the focus on resilience, on capability and on preparedness? You don't get to ignore those questions and then claim ownership of the solution now. You certainly don't get to accuse others of copying your work when what you left behind was not a plan but a gap. Right now, the difference is clear. On this side, there is a focus on information and on acting early to protect Australians. On the other side, there is a lot of noise, a very loud insistence that the work being done now was their idea all along. And Australians can see through that. They know the difference between preparing for a challenge and reacting to it after the fact. When it comes to fuel security, that difference matters, because this debate isn't about credit; it's about whether the country is ready when it counts. That is exactly what this government is focused on delivering. Cost of Living, Fuel, Energy 85 13:10 Ms LE 295676 Fowler Never before has the conversation around energy affordability, security and the cost of living received more attention from this government than it has now. It is disappointing that it has taken a national fuel crisis, driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, to bring that urgency. Families and small businesses in my communities have been living with this reality for years without meaningful action that helps those struggling the most. It was in November 2023—that's over 30 months ago—that I first questioned the Prime Minister and the government about cutting the fuel excise. I have raised this issue again and again in this House. Public transport in Fowler is limited. Buses and trains do not run regularly enough or late enough to get shift workers home. Many households are multigenerational, caring for elderly relatives and raising children while running small businesses. More than one car is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Yet, it has taken a national crisis, with petrol now above $2.50 a litre and diesel above $3.20, for this government to act. I welcome the fuel excise cut, as I mentioned, but it shouldn't have taken an international crisis. What my community has often received instead are announcements that benefit those already ahead, while those barely surviving are left behind with false hope. Constituents have contacted my office frightened and concerned—and rightly so. Their telephone and data plans have gone up. Labour and travel rates for contractors and for small businesses have also increased overnight. The wholesale coffee price has gone up, and goods delivery now carries a fuel surcharge. These are increases that the majority of people in Fowler cannot absorb. These are not isolated incidents. They are the ripple effects of a fuel crisis flowing directly into the homes and small businesses of Western Sydney. I ask the government: do you genuinely believe that the three free hours of solar energy between 11 am and 2 pm will cover the higher phone bill, the dearer contractor, the more expensive shopping basket and all of the other increases that ordinary working Australians are having to deal with right now? My community does not believe that, and neither should this House. This crisis has exposed something far deeper than a temporary price spike. As we know, Australia earns about $385 billion a year exporting our energy resources to the world. LNG alone earns around $65 billion. Yet, we import 90 per cent of our refined fuel at the cost of nearly $60 billion, making refined petroleum our single largest import by value—not iron ore, not machinery but petrol. We export our gas and crude oil offshore to be refined and buy it back at a world price. I refer to the member for Kennedy who constantly makes the point that we sell our oil for $8 billion and buy it back for $62 billion. In 2022, Australia—remember, we are the largest island continent—held 310 days of strategic fuel reserve. Today, we hold barely 30 days of diesel. We are the only IEA member that has failed to meet the mandatory 90-day reserve requirements since 2012. In 20 years we went from being near self-sufficient to critically vulnerable, and no government sounded the alarm until the Strait of Hormuz closed. This is not about fuel at the bowser. Diesel moves our food. It runs the trucks carrying produce to the supermarkets, the fruit shops, the halal butchers and the small groceries in Fowler. Analysts warn that a prolonged diesel shortage could spike food prices up by 50 per cent. When that happens, it will not be the wealthy suburbs that feel it first. Communities like mine in Fowler will feel it. Fuel security is food security, and this government has treated both as an afterthought. Let me turn to the solar sharer. The scheme promises three hours of free electricity during peak solar generation. The minister says it is for everyone, but the design tells a different story. My community is made up of labourers, tradies, nurses and small-business owners. They are not at home at midday. Their energy use peaks between 5 pm and 9 pm—exactly when this policy provides no benefit. And, when retailers provide three free hours, those costs do not disappear. They are recovered through higher prices outside of that window during the very hours my community is cooking dinner and keeping the lights on for their families, and often they are large families. Independent economists warn that low-income renters risk cross-subsidising wealthier households to charge electric vehicles for free. That is not energy equity. The scheme also requires a smart meter and active opt in. Around 42 per cent of Fowler residents are renters, many from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Navigating retailer websites and restructuring routines around a midday window will always leave the most disadvantaged behind. At its centre the solar sharer is deeply flawed because what about the rainy days when there is little solar? Will power still be free, and will all this demand break the grid? I'm calling on the government to do three things. First, commit to a binding, publicly reported road map toward the IEA 90-day fuel reserve obligation. The PM has cited infrastructure constraints, and I understand them, but we are the only IEA member not even trying. Set the milestones, fund the storage and be accountable to a plan. Second, bring forward the domestic gas reservation policy now, not in 2027. Ninety-three per cent of our LNG is exported while Australian families cannot afford to heat their homes. We are a gas-rich nation. Our people should benefit first, and we need to tax this resource fairly. Third, replace the solar sharer with a genuine solar equity program. The government's own community solar banks program and the solar for apartments scheme have proven that the model works. These programs are for shared rooftop solar for public housing and apartment buildings in low-income postcodes, but they are funded at a token scale. The community solar banks program covers just 25,000 households nationally. That is not a program; that is a pilot. Scale it up. Fully subsidise solar panels for low-income and multicultural communities locked out of the current scheme. Give a renter in Cabramatta, a pensioner in Fairfield or Liverpool, and a single mother out in south-west Sydney a genuine and lasting reduction in their energy bill, not a theoretical saving between 11 am and 2 pm on a weekday. Some days it rains and it's cloudy. Phone bills are going up, contractors are costing more, supply chains are costing more and groceries are costing more. And the government's answer is three free hours that most of my community cannot access. Three free hours is not a cost-of-living strategy. Ninety days of excise relief is not a fuel security plan. Telling Australians not to panic, while releasing emergency reserves, is not leadership. Leadership is building the storage. It's reserving our own gas for our own people. Leadership is putting solar on the roof of every public housing block and apartment building in the most disadvantaged postcodes in this country. The people of Fowler are watching and so is the nation. Macarthur Electorate: Infrastructure 87 13:18 Dr FREELANDER 265979 Macarthur One of the most pressing challenges facing our region, the Macarthur region, is the urgent need for better infrastructure in south-west Sydney. Across the— Ms Le 295676 Hear, hear! Dr FREELANDER 265979 I thank the member for Fowler for that. There is an urgent need for better infrastructure across our whole region, across the Campbelltown and Camden LGAs, and the surrounding local government areas of Liverpool, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee, which encompasses the Southern Highlands and the area between Camden and the Southern Highlands. We continue to see exponential population growth; however, the investment into infrastructure and other critical services has failed to keep pace. This is a critical area for many of the young families that are moving to Macarthur. For too long, the approach, particularly under the coalition state governments, was simple: approve the housing and watch the growth but fail to deliver the infrastructure that makes those communities livable. For example, we had brand-new suburbs, in areas that were farms, being filled with young families with young children, but no schools. They had to beg for schools in their areas in spite of what was promised. Today our residents are paying the price. Every resident I speak with, regardless of their political leanings or their socioeconomic demographic, is feeling the strain of this. It frustrates me greatly, as our region is part of the ever-important economic powerhouse that is Western Sydney, yet we are being held back from thriving due to the lack of infrastructure investment. I'd like to congratulate the Prime Minister for his very strong commitment to our area and particularly his announcement last year that our federal Labor government will invest over $1 billion for land acquisition for a future rail corridor linking South-West Sydney to the brand new Western Sydney airport, where flights will start from October. This is a critical step in addressing the longstanding transport gap that our region faces. This funding is specifically for preserving and securing key growth area land between Macarthur and the new, soon-to-be-opened Western Sydney airport. This safeguards this corridor for future rail construction, which I continue to urge the New South Wales government to build. They've built rail infrastructure in other areas, but for some reason they are refusing to provide public transport that is urgently required to the Macarthur region. It's unacceptable that the state government has failed to match the pace of growth in South-Western Sydney with proper infrastructure, and I feel that residents are becoming even more aware of this. Western Sydney airport is a momentous economic opportunity for South-West Sydney, yet the absence of an integrated rail network to Campbelltown, Leppington and Camden and further on to Picton and Wollondilly and connecting with the Wollongong area risks losing a wonderful opportunity for our area to have the connectivity that people in the inner city, the North Shore and the Eastern Suburbs get and that we deserve but don't get. Commuters don't have an efficient means of travelling around our area and beyond other than their cars. We have poorer air quality because of the funnel-like effect of the Sydney Basin. We have many, many trucks and cars that could be taken off the road if we had proper public transport infrastructure. This perspective is lacking from those within the planning and infrastructure departments. In fact, I called some years ago for a royal commission into infrastructure in New South Wales. South-West Sydney residents often travel the furthest for employment. They often spend more time on trains and roads, particularly in their cars. They spend more money on tolls and now more money on fuel and have less time with their families or looking after themselves. Kids even have to travel for university. They have to travel for work. They have to travel for everything they do. This leads to really significant cost-of-living pressures and, of course, healthcare problems. As I mentioned, we have poor air quality. We have a very high incidence of asthma and chronic respiratory disease such as COPD. When residents are time poor, they're more likely to eat less healthily, and we have a very high incidence of diabetes. Interestingly, there is a diabetes summit happening in parliament today. David Simmons from South-West Sydney and Glen Maberly from Western Sydney, who lead Western Sydney diabetes programs, are prominent among the speakers today. They are worth listening to because they talk about the social determinants of health, and it's certainly true that there are social determinants in the diabetes, obesity and broader health space. We have rising diabetes rates across South-Western Sydney, we have very low physical activity rates in adults and now in children, and we have more chronic diseases such as heart disease, peripheral vascular disease et cetera. It makes me so frustrated with the lack of proper infrastructure investment in our region, not just as a doctor but as someone who sees that poor health has a socioeconomic basis. I'm really frustrated with the lack of foresight and understanding from those who can make a real difference, such as planning departments, health departments and politicians, particularly at the New South Wales government level. We hear that the rail hasn't started yet because it costs so much money yet how much money is being wasted on peripheral projects that really don't have much social return in other areas? We don't look at this as an investment in people's health and in our society; rather, as a costly afterthought. This wasn't thought of when they were developing the Sydney metro projects to areas like Parramatta, yet we have nothing in south-west Sydney. Fifty per cent of the greater Sydney population lives in Western Sydney, with hundreds of thousands expected to come over the next decade or so. This means more strain on exhausted infrastructure, more traffic, more pollution and more health and social pressures on residents. I recently hosted a regional roundtable with the Mayor of Penrith, Todd Carney, with the Parks forum, which is a collection of Western Sydney mayors and general managers, including Wollondilly, Camden, Campbelltown and Liverpool. I'd like to also thank the members for Werriwa and Hughes for attending also and for their valuable contributions and advocacy for greater investment in our region, particularly for infrastructure. We spoke about the need for better transport and better healthcare infrastructure in our booming regions, and all attendees, regardless of their political party, interestingly, agreed; they all agree that infrastructure is the biggest need in our area. We just need to get it done. I'm again calling on the New South Wales government to invest in and provide the transport and healthcare infrastructure our region needs. The strain on the emergency departments at our hospitals, including Campbelltown and Liverpool, grows day by day. These two healthcare institutions are bursting at the seams and, collectively, they serve a region of over one million people. We are trying to help the New South Wales government and ease the burden on New South Wales hospitals by rolling out Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across south-west Sydney, and that's a great thing. The Campbelltown Urgent Care Clinic opened in December 2023 and has had nearly 28,000 presentations to date. This takes significant pressure off our emergency departments. About 25 per cent of these presentations would have been admitted to hospital through the emergency department, but instead they went to the urgent care clinics and were able to be treated without hospitalisation. In total, our federal Labor government continues to help take the pressure off the New South Wales government by delivering Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, has record investment to expand bulk-billing incentive for all Australians. Medicare, mental health clinics, the 1800 Medicare line, cheaper medicines for every Australian and recently we announced an additional $25 billion for public hospitals across the country. I am therefore calling again on the New South Wales government to help take the pressure off south-western Sydney residents and then to invest and deliver infrastructure and services we so desperately need. Our schools, built and designed in the 1960s, are in urgent need of repair. Campbelltown Performing Arts School is a wonderful school that has had some amazing graduates in the performing arts space yet its performance hall is almost 40 years old; it's just not fit for purpose. Campbelltown residents are expected to put up with this in the major performing arts school for 500,000 people. The school is basically falling down, and it's true of many other schools in the area. One positive note is the state government is investing in preschools attached to some of our local schools, and this is very important, but more needs to be done. We could do much more if only the state government would recognise the need for infrastructure in the Macarthur region. I look forward to continuing to press for this and I won't stop until it's done. Macarthur residents deserve better. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 11788 There being no further grievances, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. The Federation Chamber stands suspended until 4 pm. CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS 88 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Housing 88 16:00 Dr RYAN 297660 Kooyong Last Friday, I had the great privilege of attending the Local Sounds music event at Carrical House in Hawthorn. For 40 years, Servants Community Housing has provided people on low incomes with safe, affordable, endless-lease community housing. Servants Community Housing was established in 1986 when members of the Hawthorn West Baptist Church decided to do something about the closure of a local rooming house in Hawthorn. It has since evolved into one of Victoria's most respected community housing providers. Servants Community Housing has a unique model which empowers its nearly 100 residents. With shared meals, live-in house managers and opportunities to engage with social enterprises, Servants Community Housing provides residents with dignity and hope. Many residents have lived through significant challenges—mental illness, domestic violence, disability, trauma and homelessness. Servants doesn't just give them a home; it gives them a community. I'd like to sincerely thank Amanda, Donald, Jayden, Mikyla, Jordie, Grace, Mark and the rest of the Servants Community Housing team for inviting me to be part of that community. Visiting Servants Community Housing reminded me that, while over 20,000 Victorians live in community housing, demand still remains unmet for affordable, social and community housing. Homelessness is a cycle in which too many Australians are caught, with too many in our communities only one bad month or one missed pay cheque away from a crisis. While organisations like Servants Community Housing provide specialised support and subsidised rent for adults, many at-risk young people continue to miss out on social housing opportunities. Despite significant investment through the Housing Australia Future Fund, subsidised rents can still exceed what many young unhoused Australians can afford. It's a disgrace to this country that nearly a quarter of Australia's homeless population is aged between 12 and 24 years. Further targeted HAFF rounds and a youth housing supplement would bridge that gap, give young people better access to existing social housing and make it possible to build more homes specially designed for young people. Stable, affordable housing is a prerequisite for employment, education and training. A youth housing supplement to help young people access secure housing wouldn't just be good social policy; it would be good economic policy. I urge the government to take action to improve access to social and affordable housing in the forthcoming federal budget. Women in Sport 89 16:03 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby For those of us who are old enough, who can forget when Cathy Freeman won gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and proudly carried the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her victory lap or the electrifying semifinal between Australia's Matildas and England at the 2023 FIFA world women's cup? Women's sports matter on the world stage and at the local level. A couple of Sundays ago, in my electorate of Boothby, the Glenelg District Cricket Club women's team took home their first-ever 1st grade women's premiership. History was made and records were broken. Ellie Johnston set a new women's 1st grade fielding record with four outfield catches. Eleanor Larosa and Kate Peterson set a women's 1st grade record with an impressive second-wicket partnership of 125. The team's captain, Kayla McGrath, and Courtney Webb set another record with an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 97 that ultimately won them the game and earned Courtney the Jill Kennare medal for player of the match. I congratulate the women on the hardwon and much-deserved victory, and I congratulate the Glenelg District Cricket Club for cultivating a strong tradition of women's cricket. This is a moment of celebration. Like Cathy Freeman and the Matildas, these women represent something bigger than themselves; they represent the vibrancy and vitality of women's sport in Australia. Yet women continue to be paid far less than men in professional sports, we are underrepresented in leadership roles, and it is only now, with the Albanese Labor government's Play Our Way program, that we're making significant headway on the longstanding woeful lack of sporting facilities and infrastructure for women. Women's sport in Australia is expected to be worth $49 billion over the next 15 years, yet it receives only 10 to 12 per cent of the total media coverage. The lack of representation and commercial funding does not match the rapidly growing interest in women's sport not only in Australia but around the world, because women's success is Australia's success. The victory of the Glenelg women's cricket team two weekends ago is crucial in driving and maintaining this national narrative. As Sam Kerr, the captain of the Matildas, reflected: … that's the legacy we want to leave. We inspire the nation, we move the nation to believe in women's football, believe in the Matildas— and, I would add, to believe in women's sport. I again wholeheartedly congratulate the women of the Glenelg District Cricket Club, and I very much look forward to celebrating with the team at their senior presentation night coming up. Housing 89 16:06 Dr SCAMPS 299623 Mackellar Australians have long been proud to call our nation the land of the fair go, a place built on equality of opportunity, mateship and the belief that everyone deserves their fair share. For those of us who grew up in the sixties, seventies and eighties, this was central to our identity and our pride. But things have changed, and it's our young people who are being left behind, something we should all find shameful. The divide between the haves and the have-nots is widening, driven overwhelmingly by access to homeownership. Since negative gearing and capital gains tax discount were introduced as paired concessions over 20 years ago, house prices have risen at twice the rate of wages. Sydney is now the second least affordable city in the world. Young Australians are working hard, saving what they can, paying down large HECS debts and living at home for longer, yet the deposit required keeps racing ahead. For many, it has become a Sisyphean task. Negative gearing is also failing to deliver new housing supply, with seven out of eight investment loans going towards established properties. Tax-advantaged investors are simply outbidding first home buyers. As more Australians recognise that our housing tax settings are fuelling intergenerational inequity, the appetite for reform is growing. So, with the government considering housing taxation changes ahead of the May budget, I want to highlight recent evidence from polling, surveys, submissions and a local deliberative democracy conference that show clear and strong support for reform within my electorate of Mackellar. In June 2024, I hosted the Mackellar People's Jury on Housing in partnership with the newDemocracy Foundation. Twenty-nine randomly selected Mackellar residents heard from a broad range of housing experts. Then they deliberated on their top policy recommendations. Prior to the day, we received 79 detailed submissions from Mackellar locals, which informed the jury's deliberations. The top recommendation, agreed upon by 28 of the 29 jurors, was for review and reform of Australia's housing taxation settings. I also conducted an online survey of people living in Mackellar. Of the 3,143 local respondents, a majority, 65 per cent, supported changing the capital gains tax discount, with only 27 per cent opposed to changing it. Lastly, polling by YouGov, released just this week, again backs this up, with figures showing 62 per cent of people in Mackellar supporting housing tax reform. So the message is clear: Australians want a fair go restored, and this must include fairer housing tax settings. Community Language Schools 90 16:09 Mr LIM 300130 Tangney More than 28 per cent of people in Tangney speak a language other than English at home. The top 10 languages used at home in Tangney include Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Tamil, Punjabi, Malayalam, Korean, Hindi, Italian and Arabic. The languages of my childhood included Mandarin, Teochew, Hokkien and Malay. But being multilingual has actually provided me with lots of opportunity to connect with so many people. Language has shaped who I am. I want to praise the 13 community language schools in Tangney that teach languages such as Punjabi, Tamil, Arabic and Hungarian. These schools have received the federal government's Community Language School grants to help strengthen their ability to help young Australians learn a language other than English. Oberthur Primary School is a public Chinese-English bilingual school in Tangney. The school has a commitment to languages that is unmatched in the whole of Tangney. Fifteen years ago the Oberthur Primary School Principal, Tim Bamber researched a bilingual program in Melbourne, and spent a lot of time with researchers learning about the advantages of the bilingual brain. With the community's support, Oberthur Primary School started its Chinese immersion program for students from pre-primary to year 6. I would like to praise the whole school community for their efforts in language learning—the students, parents and all the school staff, many whom do not speak English or Chinese but who help and give support to the whole school. I want to stress the importance of learning languages. Learning languages has helped to bridge the divides. Languages connect us with one another. Parents often list the reasons learning languages is so important—for employment opportunities, and for connecting with heritage and culture. Learning a language, even as an adult, is a good thing for a healthy brain. Lifelong bilingualism acts as a mental workout, but it is also for friendship. It is a shared experience that cannot be translated. It is a bond with our fellow Aussies and fellow humans. I encourage our community, young or old, to learn a language. I would like to say 'thank you' in a few languages: xiexie, terima kasih, nandri, cam on. Fuel Security 90 16:12 Dr WEBSTER 281688 Mallee Labor's fuel supply crisis is undermining road safety, local government services and community life in regional Australia. In Kaniva, Goroke and Edenhope in the south-west of my electorate of Mallee on the Victorian and South Australian border, the West Wimmera Shire Council can no longer afford basic road maintenance. Bitumen is too expensive. Communities are cutting back on essential travel and regional Australians are being left behind despite the Prime Minister's promise to the contrary. Liquid fuels do not power just cars and farm machinery. They account for nearly half of Australia's total energy demand, and are essential to farms, productivity, construction materials and, critically, bitumen. When fuel prices surge and supply tightens, the damage spreads quickly and deeply through the economy. Australia imports 80 to 90 per cent of its liquid fuel. When costs rise, regional communities—already at the end of their long supply chains—are hit hardest and fastest. David, the CEO of West Wimmera Shire, has made it clear to me that skyrocketing fuel and bitumen costs are forcing council to defer desperately needed road maintenance. Bitumen prices have surged as much as 35 to 40 per cent, creating a road safety crisis. Regional councils are already financially stressed, and in Victoria the condition of regional roads is, frankly indefensible. Potholes stretch as far as the eye can see. Delaying repairs increases risk, putting motorists, freight operators, emergency vehicles and school buses—and, therefore, human lives—in danger every single day. Regional Australians should not be asked to accept unsafe roads because local governments cannot afford the fuel and materials required to fix them, yet that is exactly what is happening and the fallout does not stop with council services. In West Wimmera, people live vast distances from essential services. There is no free public transport—thank you to the premier. Rising fuel costs and a lack of fuel are forcing pensioners, volunteers and families to make impossible choices. Leanne from Kaniva told me: I have had to cancel an appointment … because I can't get diesel from our local roadhouse, for tests that can only be done in Horsham. She was referring to medical care. West Wimmera Shire Council has told me that people across their region are pulling back from community sport and stepping away from volunteering roles. (Time expired) Housing 91 16:15 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan We're not just talking about housing; Labor is building it. I'm thrilled that works have commenced in Swan for 171 new affordable apartments in Rivervale. This isn't just a construction update; this is real, tangible change for people in our community. I want to take a moment to talk about who those people are because behind every one of these 171 homes is a story that deserves to be told. Think about the nurse who finishes a double shift at 2 am and faces a long commute home because she simply cannot afford to live close to the hospital where she works. Think about the veteran who served our country with honour and dedication who now struggles to find a stable and affordable place to call home. These are the people that these homes are for. These are people who served our community, and they deserve to live in the community where they live and work. We would love to call them our neighbours. Thanks to the Albanese government and the Housing Australia Future Fund, this development will deliver homes in well-connected locations, close to public transport such as the Great Eastern Highway and the Graham Farmer Freeway. It's only five kilometres from the CBD and also close to essential services. Let's be honest. All Australians deserve to live in a home. These affordable homes will be prioritised for frontline workers, seniors, veterans, Indigenous Australians and women at risk of homelessness, including those who are leaving domestic violence relationships. This means that the people who hold our community together will not be priced out of it. This is a huge win for Swan. I want to take a moment to talk about how it's being built because it is genuinely awesome. This is a 12-storey development using prefabricated construction technology with structural components manufactured right here in WA but not onsite. They are manufactured offsite. By building those elements offsite and assembling them in Rivervale, the team is able to deliver this with greater speed and consistency. So, what's the result? These homes will be ready around six months sooner than a traditional build would allow. And, as one of the builders put it, every month cut from a construction program is another month sooner that a nurse, a teacher or a family doing it tough has a secure home to come back to—or, the quicker we build it, the quicker a house becomes a home. That's what real leadership looks like: practical investment and homes built smarter, faster, better. Infrastructure, Law Enforcement 91 16:18 Mr SMALL 291406 Forrest Today I rise to give voice to the farmers, transport operators and primary producers across Western Australia's South West—people left behind by failures at both the state and federal level. Some 26 key bridges have suddenly been downgraded—some to just 11 tonnes. Eleven tonnes is not a safety limit; it is a regional blockade. It's heavier than many tractors and far below the weight of the milk tankers and livestock trucks that are essential for our food supply. Producers are being forced into long detours. There are higher fuel costs—in an already high-fuel-cost environment—lost labour hours and reduced productivity. Worse still, heavy freight is being pushed onto local roads built for families, school buses and growing suburbs. You don't improve road safety by forcing 50-tonne road trains onto local roads in school zones. While millions and billions flow into Perth vanity projects, regional producers have simply been told to find a workaround. But you can't work around higher costs, lost income and the risk of fatal accidents. The people of south-west WA do not want excuses. They want bridges that they and the businesses they depend on can actually drive on. Police officers have our backs every day, and it's time that we had theirs. Across Australia, police officers are facing more pressure than ever before. They're being asked to do more with less, all the while navigating a system that is making an already demanding job even harder. Too often, they feel undervalued and unsupported by policies that fail to recognise the reality of frontline policing. We can and we must do more to stand with those who keep our community safe, especially as Australians have never felt less safe in their own homes. We're calling on the Albanese Labor government to cut taxes for police by extending the fringe benefit tax concessions already available to ambulance workers and other frontline workers. It's a straightforward, commonsense reform that would lift take-home pay by putting some $5,000 a year straight into the pockets of police and would send a clear message that our police are genuinely valued. People across Forrest are telling me that they want to back our officers and stand with the thin blue line that keeps us safe each and every day. Thousands have already signed my petition to do so, because it's time that we stood up for those men and women who wear the blue uniform every day, facing unknown dangers whenever they leave home, and this is a very simple reform that would make a meaningful difference to every single police officer across our country. Kennedy Homes, Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council, Hart, Ms Bente 92 16:21 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro I rise today to celebrate the recent official opening of the Kennedy retirement village. The village was officially opened on 16 March, and the Kennedy village is the product of an extraordinary act of kindness. Third generation Bombala farming siblings Herb and Laura Kennedy passed away within days of each other in 2014. They bequeathed a generous amount of land and money to the Bombala community to construct a retirement village. The Kennedy village is run by Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care and is located next to the Bombala Anglican church right in the centre of town. It has 15 two-bedroom single-storey villas to meet the needs of the community. It is incredible to see this community work supporting one another in Bombala. Vale to Herb and Laura. I'm absolutely thrilled to share that the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council has been recognised nationally, taking home bronze in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences category at the 2025 Australian Tourism Awards. What an incredible achievement. After celebrating gold at the New South Wales Tourism Awards, this national honour is a massive achievement for the entire far south coast and the wider Eden-Monaro community. This award is testament to the hard work and shared vision behind cultural tourism experiences at Jigamy and along the Bundian Way. I want to give a heartfelt congratulations to the dedicated tour guides, elders, managers and partners. This recognition cements the far south coast as a growing destination for truly authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism. I also want to rise today to congratulate Bente Hart of Braidwood for being named the 2026 New South Wales Pharmacist of the Year by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Bente is a credentialed pharmacist whose leadership, proactive approach to problem solving and unwavering commitment to rural and vulnerable populations have left a significant mark on the profession and the community she serves. Her outstanding work spans multipurpose services and residential aged-care homes, where she has led medication audits, supported national antimicrobial prescribing surveys and tackled quality improvement issues related to medications. These efforts have been vital in strengthening clinical governance and patient safety in rural health facilities. Bente is also dedicated to education, delivering training to nursing, medical and allied health staff to enhance medication safety and the quality use of medicines. She's played a key role in supporting pharmacists as they transition to new credentialing requirements for medication management reviews, ensuring that high-quality pharmacy continues to serve in rural communities. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Bente regularly volunteers at markets, offering health checks, medication advice and health education to community members. I'm sure the member for Dobell, a former pharmacist, joins me in congratulating Bente on this well-deserved recognition. You're an inspiration to us all. Braddon, Ms Yvette, Turner, Ms Carolyn, Monash Electorate: Farm World, Rural and Regional Australia: Mental Health 92 16:24 Ms ALDRED 11788 Monash I rise to congratulate both the editor of the Warragul & Drouin Gazette, Yvette Braddon, and former editor of the Warragul & Drouin Gazette, Carolyn Turner, on being presented with lifetime achievement awards by the Rural Press Club of Victoria last week. Yvette and Carolyn were both just 17 when they started their careers as cadet journalists at the Warragul & Drouin Gazette. These two women have risen through the ranks from cadet to editor while displaying an unwavering loyalty to the Gazette, journalism and our broader community. As journalists and editors, Yvette and Carolyn have both made significant and lasting impact on the west Gippsland community. They've told the stories of triumph, of grief and of crisis, ensuring local voices and issues are heard. After almost 50 years at the Gazette, Carolyn retired in 2022. I've been for a few spins on the bike around Darnum with her since that time. She handed the reins to Yvette. Yvette joined the paper in 1990 and now leads the award-winning editorial team with integrity, innovation and an incredibly strong work ethic. I congratulate Yvette and Carolyn on their well-deserved lifetime achievement awards. There's a plaque that hangs above the editor's desk at the Warragul & Drouin Gazette which says: A good local newspaper is one of the best public assets that any district can possess. That's a quote from Albert Harvey, the founding editor and owner. I think that sums up the dedication of Yvette and Carolyn so very well. Last week I had the great privilege of attending Farm World at Lardner Park. I've only missed a couple of farm worlds in 20 years. It is the hottest ticket in the Monash calendar. Despite fuel and fertiliser crises, almost 30,000 people attended across the three-day event, and this underpins the importance of Farm World in connecting farming to our broader community and, indeed, to many visitors from Melbourne and further afield. Farm World is a celebration of our region, our produce and our people. It starts conversations about new technology, global trends and peer-to-peer support right here in our community. Farm World brings not only Gippslanders together; it invites people from city areas as well. I want to commend Craig Debnam, the board and staff, as well as volunteers from right across the community, such as Ellinbank footy club and the Lions club. Last night, with the member for Paterson, Meryl Swanson, I had the great privilege of co-hosting Just a Farmer, a film about mental health, resilience and regional communities. I am very grateful that the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry attended. This film is incredibly important to regions right across Australia, and I encourage people in a regional community to have a look at the website justafarmer.com.au if they'd like to host a screening in their local community. Thanks to the production team. Central Coast Veteran and Family Hub, Women's Health, Early Childhood Education and Care 93 16:27 Ms McBRIDE 248353 Dobell The Central Coast Veteran and Family Hub offers support to the more than 8,000 veterans and their families on the Central Coast. This includes tailored services to assist with employment, social connection and advocacy services, along with mental health and physical health support. Hearing from locals, I know the real difference this hub is already making for local veterans and their families, as it has fostered deep connections to our local RSL subbranches and the wider community. Recently I had the privilege of welcoming the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon. Matt Keogh, to the hub. The minister joined me in presenting certificates of appreciation to veterans and volunteers in recognition of their service. Among the recipients was Jamie, an Iraq veteran who now works at the hub as a services navigator. I'd like to acknowledge and thank Jamie, Kristen, Kellie and Melissa, the incredible team at the hub who day in and day out show up to support our local veterans and their families. Last year, I was proud to announce that, along with my colleagues the members for Shortland and Robertson, I had secured an endometriosis and pelvic pain clinic for the Central Coast. I'm pleased to update the House that the clinic will officially open on 13 April, offering vital women's health support and care. The clinic is located within the Central Coast Community Women's Health Centre, Wyoming, in my electorate of Dobell. It will provide multidisciplinary care for endometriosis and pelvic pain, as well as support for women like myself who are living with perimenopause and menopause. The clinic has recruited expert health professionals, including a senior specialist in women's health, a continence and pelvic floor physiotherapist and a senior clinical nurse with women's health, community, sexual health and domestic violence experience. Our government is rolling out 33 clinics across Australia, a key part of our landmark women's health package, investing almost $800 million in funding to deliver improved health care and access for women and girls, including in the regions. Central Coast children are now eligible for three days of subsidised early education and care each week under the Albanese Labor government's three-day guarantee. The three-day guarantee replaces the former Liberal government's activity test, which meant children who most needed early learning were blocked because of their parents' work or study. Under our government's new three-day guarantee, every child who needs it is eligible for three days of subsidised early learning each week. I recently had the opportunity to hear from staff at Goodstart Tumbi Umbi, who spoke of the difference the changes have made, supporting local families by removing barriers. Centre director Carlie said, This change allows children to build a strong foundation of learning and to develop positive associations with the educational process and begin their journey as lifelong learners. The impact seen at this age is one thing, but the impact that this can have on society for years to come is enormous. Dawson Electorate: Disney Exhibition, Easter 94 16:30 Mr WILLCOX 286535 Dawson It was Walt Disney himself who said: It's kind of fun to do the impossible. For the people in my electorate of Dawson, the impossible has become a reality. While the big cities might think that they have a monopoly on magic, I'm here to tell the House that the red carpet is being rolled out so much further north—not Melbourne, not Sydney, not even Brisbane. The spotlight has shifted because a world-class global showcase is making its Australian premiere in Central Queensland. Mackay has been hand-picked to host the legendary collection and bring Disney:The Exhibition - ACentury of Magic straight to the regions. This exhibition has enchanted audiences in London, Munich and Paris, yet, it chose the heart of Central Queensland to be its Australian home. This is a 'whole new world' for regional tourism, with rare artefacts, costumes and props from the Disney archives, including the legends of Star Wars and Marvel. This is a magical opportunity for our families. For all our local cafes, hotels and small businesses, this is a 'zip-a-dee-doo-dah' day for our economy. To the rest of the nation, I say, 'Be our guest.' Come to Mackay and see the magic for yourself, because in Dawson the dreams you dare to dream really do come true. While we look forward to the magic storytelling that Disney will bring to Dawson, we are currently approaching a season that tells the greatest story of all. For my family, and for so many families across Dawson, Easter is more than just chocolate and bunnies. It is a time for deep reflection on the ultimate sacrifice made on the cross and the profound miracle of the empty tomb. The resurrection is a message of eternal hope and the victory of light over darkness. The reality of the risen Christ is the truth that anchors our lives, provides the foundation for the strong family units and makes our communities so resilient. In a world that can often feel divided, the Easter message of forgiveness and renewal remains a constant. It's a time to pause, to gather with our loved ones and to give thanks for the blessings we share in this great nation. I wish every person in Dawson a safe, happy and holy Easter. May your homes be filled with peace, and may the true spirit of this season bring everlasting hope to us all. Medicare 94 16:33 Dr LEIGH BU8 Fenner Bulk-billing is at the very heart of Medicare. Labor created Medicare, and Labor stands by the principle that when you go to the doctor, you should only need your Medicare card, not your credit card. And that is why, after seeing bulk-billing rates in freefall under the former government, with Peter Dutton as health minister, we have made a record investment in Medicare. Labor has increased the bulk-billing rebates for individuals and the bulk-billing rebates for practices. We have made a historic investment in bulk-billing, with the target of seeing nine out of 10 doctor's visits bulk-billed by 2030. In the ACT, which, historically, has had a lower rate of bulk-billing than every state and territory, we have put in place additional incentives. I was really pleased to join my ACT colleagues, Senator Katy Gallagher and the members for Bean and Canberra, Dave Smith and Alicia Payne, in Tuggeranong last week for the announcement of the opening of a new clinic, Next Practice Deakin, putting in place a purely bulk-billing practice. This is part of three new bulk-billing clinics which the federal government is funding with $10.5 million in bulk-billing GP attraction initiatives. In my electorate, there will be Macquarie General Practice, the first fully bulk-billing clinic in a very long time in Gungahlin, and all of those bulk-billing clinics will be open by 30 June this year. When we came to office, there were only 10 fully bulk-billing clinics in the ACT. Now there are 22, and that number is going upwards. That ensures that more Canberrans are able to see a doctor without worrying about their bank balance. They're able to see a doctor, show their Medicare card and that's all it takes, and that's on top of what we've done to make medicines cheaper for Canberrans and for all Australians. When we came to office, the general patient co-payment had reached $42.50 a script. We have reduced it to $25, the lowest level in two decades. We've introduced 60-day prescriptions for eligible medicines, ensuring that patients can receive two month's supply on a single co-payment. We lowered the safety net threshold so more households qualify for more discounts on medicines. In the ACT, this has seen more than five million cheaper PBS scripts filled, with estimated patient savings of $46 million. That's $46 million back into the Canberra community, making life easier for households and strengthening the ACT economy. Only Labor is committed to Medicare, only Labor is committed to bulk-billing and only Labor is delivering cheaper medicines. Anzac Day 95 16:36 Mr VENNING 315434 Grey This Anzac Day we will come together to pause and reflect on the service and sacrifice of those who chose to stand and fight for this country. The day itself marks the moment when 16,000 Australian and New Zealand troops landed under fire on the shores of Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, a day and a battle that now underpins much of what we consider to be the core of the Australian spirit. Events unfolding around the world remind us how precious our peace and freedoms truly are. They underscore why the values our Australian troops fought to protect remain as vital today as they were on the shores of Gallipoli. This Anzac Day, we honour the memories of more than 103,000 veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. We remember and give thanks for the service of all of those who have fought for our freedoms throughout history, and those who serve our country today. Australia is prosperous today because those men and women were prepared to fight when the call came in, we. We will remember them; lest we forget. Recently we celebrated two fantastic events on the Yorke Peninsula. Minlaton marked its incredible 150th anniversary, a huge milestone for an absolutely vital farming town. In my home town of Bute, our local Lions Club celebrated 50 golden years of community service. For me, these two events perfectly illustrate the true spirit of the country. Our local communities just keep delivering for our region, no matter what gets in the way. And make no mistake, we are facing some very real challenges. Fuel issues are hurting everyone, and the algal bloom in the Spencer Gulf is causing real devastation for our coastal towns. It's a tough time for us all, but groups like the Bute Lions and the hard working Minlaton 150th committee prove that our regional spirit is strong and resilient. With that resilience in mind, I want to encourage everyone to enjoy their Easter. I know that costs have risen and budgets are very tight. However, I ask those who can to please still travel and visit the coastal communities. Visit the regions. Do your part, hit the road, make some memories, support our beautiful regions and the small businesses who make Easter in the country a magical, magical time. France, Mr Jim 95 16:39 Mr ROB MITCHELL M3E McEwen I think the member for Grey should join the Lions Club, because we really could do with more people in Lions. It's a great thing, which is why I'm rising today to talk about a local legend, Jim France, Jim France joined the Lions back in 1996. Wherever there is a community need for volunteers, you will find Jim there without fail, an amazing human being—a good Carlton supporter, but we'll skip that one for the minute! Recently, there was a great event held in Whittlesea where Jim France received a new award from Lions. He's been the president of Lions four times. He's been the club secretary six times, the club membership chair twice, the club service chair once and a director four times. Jim was instrumental in helping out during the bushfires after Black Saturday, when we received the most devastating news across our community. But he was there all the time. He was there for the running of the golf day that we do in conjunction with the Rotary Club. He was also involved in the famous Whittlesea Country Music Festival and has done the hard yards. He's one of those fellows that will get up, go down and volunteer to clean the community barbecues to make sure that, when people come to our town, there's somewhere nice and clean to eat at the Lions Park. Jim received his James D Richardson Award, his Melvin Jones Fellowship and life membership. But what was great also was to see the community come together, with the Rotary Club Of Whittlesea attending—including Zach, Des and an old mate of mine, Lex de Man—and awarding the Paul Harris Fellow award to Jim. Jim's not a Rotarian, but that shows the respect that he has earned over his 30 years of service to our community, where he's been helping anyone at any time. It just shows the character of the man that Jim is—an amazing person. When you read the Lions Code of Ethics, it says: TO HOLD friendship as an end and not a means. To hold that true friendship exists not on account of the service performed by one to another, but that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given. When you read this code of ethics, Jim espouses that absolutely sensationally. He is not a person who is there for the glory. He gets in there. He's there for the right reasons. We know that, when they do these things, people often lose their passion for glory, but Jim is one who does it. His wife, Robyn, is also an exceptional member of the Whittlesea Club. Jim, as I said, is an amazing man. He's been a fantastic stalwart for the Whittlesea community. He's there at the Whittlesea Show when we're selling our tickets to raise money for our community. What it shows is that people who dedicate their time and energy across our communities are the backbone of what makes communities great. It's fantastic to be able to live in Whittlesea and know that Jim's around the corner and that he's always going to be available to help our community whenever he's needed, whether it's working up money for defibrillators or cleaning barbecues. Jim France, well done. Mate, you're an absolute star. Ski for Life 96 16:42 Mr PASIN 240756 Barker I rise today to recognise an extraordinary community organisation, Ski for Life. That's an organisation which embodies the strength, the resilience and the compassion of regional Australia. Each year over the March long weekend, teams from across Australia come together to undertake an incredible three-day odyssey, waterskiing over more than 450 kilometres of the Murray River, from Murray Bridge to Renmark. This event, however, is about far more than waterskiing over a long distance. At its heart, Ski for Life is about saving lives. It's a grassroots community led movement dedicated to raising awareness of mental health, promoting wellbeing and preventing suicide, particularly in regional communities, where these challenges are often felt most deeply and where stigma, unfortunately, remains stubbornly high. This year, more than 35 teams with around 400 skiers participated. These are people united not just by their love of the sport and their love of the river but by a shared purpose. Together this year, they've raised a whopping $463,103. These funds will enable Ski for Life to invest in grassroots programs, community projects and practical initiatives that strengthen connection, reduce stigma and ensure that no-one has to face their struggles alone, because what Ski for Life understands and what regional Australians know all too well is that mental health challenges don't take a break, they don't discriminate and they require more than awareness; they require action. Ski for Life takes that action through its grant programs, delivering funding to support local ideas, backing local leaders and empowering communities to take care of their own. Just as importantly, it's about starting a conversation—honest, sometimes difficult but necessary conversations that build a culture that says: 'You know what? It's okay to speak up. It's okay to seek help.' I'm incredibly proud of Ski for Life, including Chair Mark Facey, who is, quite frankly, the driving force who delivers so much of these positive outcomes. I want to thank all the volunteers, the crew and the many supporters behind the scenes, as well as every single participant who has taken to the water for a cause bigger than themselves. Ski for Life is more than an event. It's a movement of hope, a testament to community spirit and a powerful reminder that even the toughest journey can lead to life-changing outcomes. So, quite frankly, thank you to everyone involved. Your work is making a real difference. Your commitment is saving lives, and your example should be an inspiration to all Australians. Thank Your Pharmacist Day, Liverpool City Council: South Ward By-Election, Easter, Ramadan 96 16:45 Mr MONCRIEFF 316540 Hughes Thursday 26 March, last week, was Thank Your Pharmacist Day. Local pharmacies are so much more than small businesses. They play such a significant role in the health of local communities, not just in medicine distribution but in maintaining the wellbeing of residents right across our communities. It is unparalleled. I want to acknowledge Ahmad and Sam Sleitini from the Cincotta discount pharmacy in Macquarie Fields for the enormous role that they play in that community. Last week, they showed how much they give back to the community by hosting a World's Greatest Shave at the pharmacy. Sam once again went under the razor to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. It was great to have the support of the Ingleburn rotary club and the Ingleburn Eagles as they raised funds for this important cause. Thank you so much to Sam, Ahmad, the Eagles and Rotary for supporting this cause but also for your efforts to bring the community together. Thank you, and thank you to our many pharmacists for all you do for our community. I also want to remind residents of South Ward of Liverpool City Council that there is a by-election on 18 April. For Hughes residents, South Ward includes the suburbs of Moorebank, Wattle Grove, Holsworthy, Hammondville, Voyager Point and Pleasure Point and a sliver of Casula. Voting is compulsory, so please don't forget to vote and avoid a fine. I've been holding mobile offices in Moorebank and Wattle Grove over the last few weeks, and council issues certainly come up a lot with residents. Residents certainly feel that our part of the Liverpool LGA is overlooked. We get the development, but we don't get the roads or the infrastructure, and the roads get clogged. I've been joined by Zeli Munjiza, who is running in the by-election and has been out in the community talking to residents about what matters to them and what they expect from their council. Prepoll opens on 11 April, including at locations like Wattle Grove, so I urge South Ward residents to make their vote count. I want to acknowledge that this is a holy time for many communities across southern Sydney. It is Holy Week, and tomorrow is Holy Thursday. I want to acknowledge all the Christian groups in southern Sydney celebrating Easter this weekend. I also want to acknowledge that, for those of the Islamic faith, Ramadan recently came to an end with the marking of Eid al-Fitr, and I had the pleasure of joining members of the Bangladeshi Australian community in Macarthur to mark the holy occasion. I wish Eid Mubarak and Happy Easter to people of faith right across our community. Passover, Easter 97 16:48 Mr WALLACE 265967 Fisher I'd like to extend my best wishes to the Jewish community in Australia, in particular on the Sunshine Coast, ahead of Passover. Passover is a time of reflection and hope, symbolising the resilience of the Jewish people. This year's Passover will be marked by solemnity as Jewish Australians continue to grieve following the Bondi terrorist attack and those attacks on 7 October in southern Israel, and many still worry about loved ones in Israel amidst the current conflict. Yet Passover brings comfort and light. Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and their journey toward freedom in the promised land. It's a story of hope and triumph which continues to resonate today. Just as the Jewish people were pursued by pharaoh, they continue to face the evils of antisemitism today. Passover is a timeless reminder that the Jewish people not only survive but thrive while the forces of hatred fade into history. Passover also reminds us of our shared responsibility to stand against antisemitism. It is unacceptable that Jewish people live in fear because of who they are, especially here in Australia. The Bondi attack tragically demonstrated the deadly consequences of unchecked hatred. I'd also like to extend my best wishes to all Christians, who will be celebrating Easter this week, in the lead-up to Sunday. It's always special when Easter and Passover overlap, and it's especially fitting, as we know that Easter itself has Jewish roots. After all, Easter centres on the death, burial and resurrection of a Jew who lived in Israel over 2,000 years ago and who himself celebrated Passover. The resurrection of Jesus Christ offers profound hope in these challenging times. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross for us and then rising from the dead, defeating death itself so that we may have eternal life. Amidst the suffering we see around the world, this message shines through the darkness, offering Christians enduring hope. It represents a time when we acknowledge a god of love, who loved the world so much that he sent his only son to die on the cross so that we could have life. As we reflect on the significance of both Passover and Easter, let's draw strength from these messages of hope. I wish the Jewish community a happy Passover and all Christians a blessed Easter. Wages and Salaries, Bestway Supermarket 97 16:51 Ms FERNANDO 299964 Holt Today the Fair Work Commission has delivered a long-overdue decision and abolished junior pay rates for Australians over 18. This landmark case, led by the SDA, confirms what working people have always known: if you are old enough to work, you are old enough to be paid properly. Eighteen-, 19- and 20-year-olds pay the same for rent, groceries and petrol, so why have they been paid less? Half a million young workers will benefit. These wage rises will be phased in over four years, with an 18-year-old seeing up to a 42 per cent increase, around $284 more a week in today's terms. I want to thank the SDA for their Adult Age = Adult Wage campaign but, most importantly, I want to acknowledge Michael Donovan. For 30 years, Michael has stood with some of the lowest paid workers in this country. Quietly, persistently and effectively, he has helped deliver real change, and this decision is a testament to that work. When I started at Woolworths at 15, I joined the SDA on the first day. Retail and fast food workers in Australia enjoy some of the strongest rights in the world because of leaders like Michael, and that is why every worker should join their union. I recently had the privilege of visiting Bestway Supermarket in Dandenong and meeting its owners, Mohammad Reza Khademi, Ahmad Hussain Zada and Mohammad Sarvar Khademi. They came to Australia in the early 2000s from Afghanistan. Starting in 2003 as Maiwand Supermarket, they worked tirelessly to grow their business, relaunching as Bestway in 2014 and building it into a thriving enterprise. Today, Bestway employs more than 60 people in Dandenong and provides opportunities for refugees, offering training, work experience and pathways into future employment. Stories like Bestway's are at the heart of our community in Melbourne's south-east. They reflect the strength of multicultural Australia, where new migrants create jobs, support one another in their journey as Australians and enrich our nation. Just as generations of Italian and Greek migrants once shaped precincts like Lygon Street and Eaton Mall, we are now seeing new communities shape areas such as Thomas Street in Dandenong and High Street in Cranbourne. Thank you for the work you do. (Time expired) Southern Cross University 97 16:54 Mr REBELLO 316547 McPherson I rise today to speak about Southern Cross University, which is a formidable educational institution on the southern end of my seat of McPherson. It's a university that was established in 1994, so it's as old as I am, but it's a university whose identity symbolises a guiding light for the curious and a beacon for independent thinking. Over the decades that have followed, that vision has led to the university being known as one of our country's most innovative universities. It's produced more than 75,000 graduates and a lot of world-leading research. The impact of the university and its graduates is felt not only locally in my seat, not only nationally but internationally as well. On Friday night, I had the distinct privilege of delivering the occasional address at the university graduation. I'd like to acknowledge the pro-chancellor; the vice-chancellor, Professor Tyrone Carlin; and each and every one of the 240 graduates who received their awards that evening. It was such a formidable ceremony, and it was really quite something to see the looks on many of these graduates' faces as they walked across that stage after putting in so many years, in many instances, of hard work and dedication to their degrees. The ceremony that I attended and that I spoke at was in relation to health students. At Southern Cross University, the Faculty of Health produces students who graduate in podiatry, biomedical science, community welfare, exercise science, psychological science and social work, to name a few. The contribution that these people will no doubt make to our community and to our country is something I'm very proud of, as the local federal MP. I delivered two key messages to the graduating class of 2026. The first was where you start does not define where you finish, and the second was, if you want something, work for it. These graduates have already shown that they have the will, the desire and the work ethic to work towards achievement. I'd like to again reiterate my sincere congratulations to each and every one of the graduates of the class of 2026 at Southern Cross University, to their support network—their parents, their families, their friends—and to the entire teaching staff, who made it all possible as well. Congratulations. Gorton Electorate: Community Events 98 16:57 Ms JORDAN-BAIRD 316021 Gorton There have been some great contributions this afternoon about our Lions clubs across Australia, and I'm excited to speak to you today about one of my local Lions clubs as well. With sizzling barbecues; raffles; paintings; performers, including the band The Beatlez with a Z; and even a jumping castle, the Lions Club of Taylors Lakes' annual Community Music and Picnic Day last Sunday went off. I had some great chats with local families at my market stall, including how the Albanese Labor government is supporting locals with cheaper child care, a boost to Medicare and shoring up fuel supply here in Australia. The Lions Club of Taylors Lakes is a wonderful volunteer-run organisation bringing so much to our local community. They can put on a banging picnic, but that's not all they do. They have a subbranch called Greening Taylors Lakes, which does fantastic work alongside our Friends of Taylors Creek environment group. I recently visited the Lions Club of Taylors Lakes' community garden, located next door to one of our local preschools, where I got to pick some vegies and spend some time with the dedicated volunteers in their beautiful garden. A huge shoutout to Phil Clinkaberry and all the volunteers at the Taylors Lakes Lions club. I was recently in the INCommunity Care pantry's official opening in Ravenhall. Let me tell you, this important service was able to open in our community thanks to the tireless dedication of Pastor Carly Alexander and pastors Craig and Melissa Mar from INChurch Melbourne, three people who had a vision, a vision to make life easier for families in our community who need support with groceries. They saw a gap in the Caroline Springs corridor when it came to food relief and they decided to open their own community pantry. These incredible individuals stand as a testament to the dedication and strength of our community, our community who looks after each other. I was privileged to visit their facility last year. It was just a shell back then, and it was so wonderful to come back and see it filled out, full of food available for our community. Thank you to INCommunity Care pantry and INChurch Melbourne for all the work you do in our community. Riding his bike in sun, heavy winds and rain through Perth, Broome and Adelaide on highways and gravel dirt roads, Tommy Quick achieved a massive feat in his bike ride across Australia. Tommy is a local to Melbourne's western suburbs, living in my friend the member for Maribyrnong's electorate. He's ridden over 11,000 kilometres across Australia to raise awareness of stroke in young people and to fund childhood stroke research. He's done just that, with his fundraising campaign now sitting at over $160,000. It was truly an honour to catch up with him in Caroline Springs and hear his story as a stroke survivor. I'd like to thank Tommy for his incredible advocacy and all the work he continues to do in this space. I look forward to seeing his documentary soon. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 299150 In accordance with standing order 103, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded. BILLS 98 BILLS High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 98

High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026

Second Reading 98 17:00 Mr VENNING 315434 Grey I rise in this chamber to speak in strong, unwavering support of the fishing communities of Port Lincoln and the broader regional fishing communities of Australia and to address the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. Unlike everyone from the government on the other side of this chamber, I will not just boringly read out the sanitised talking points you are endlessly repeating. The people who elected me, the people whose livelihoods are directly impacted by the legislation we debate in this room, deserve far better than bureaucratic echoes. They deserve honest representation and they deserve a measured, realistic critique of what this legislation actually means for their futures. Let me say clearly at the very outset that this parliament should absolutely support sustainable oceans and biodiversity. The high seas belong to no single nation, and governing them demands exactly the kind of international cooperation that this treaty represents. But let me be equally clear, true sustainability is never achieved by sidelining the very people who have been carefully managing these marine resources for generations. There is a growing concern radiating from Port Lincoln, and it stems from the fact that, increasingly, decisions are being made about the industry rather than with the industry. I want to make a point here, one that highlights a strange and persistent hypocrisy in our national policy. It is the simple fact that everyone in this place treats the oceans profoundly differently to the land. When a farmer harvests the land, works the soil and produces food for this nation, they are rightfully championed as heroes of food security. We celebrate them. Yet, when our fishers head into the oceans and harvest the sea, providing that exact same service of feeding our nation, they are treated with suspicion. They are treated not as stewards but as environmental risks and poachers to be mitigated and managed. It is a double standard that is deeply offensive to the thousands of Australians in this industry. Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Streaky Bay, Whyalla, Wallaroo and Edithburgh—they are not just picturesque coastal towns; they are also huge economic powerhouses for my community. Port Lincoln is Australia's undisputed seafood capital. It is home to the largest commercial fishing fleet in the entire Southern Hemisphere. We are talking about a town of about 14,000 people, and its seafood sector supports thousands of direct jobs and exponentially more in flow-on industries. I'm talking about boatbuilders, transport operators, maintenance crews and processing workers. The list goes on. The southern-bluefin-tuna industry alone is worth around $120 million annually to the region. It forms a critical pillar of the broader regional economy. This is not just a seasonal hobby or a fading legacy industry; it is a modern, highly sophisticated and globally competitive export sector. It supplies a premium product to demanding international markets, particularly Japan and increasingly across the broader Asia region. This is an industry that has survived by evolving, innovating and adapting to every challenge thrown its way, and so many challenges have been faced by the seafood industry. Here is the critical point that this government is fundamentally failing to grasp. Australia's seafood industry is already one of the most strictly regulated and undeniably sustainable seafood industries in the entire world. As Seafood Industry Australia consistently and accurately highlights, our commercial fisheries operate under robust, science based quotas. They operate under strict monitoring regimes and binding international agreements. This is not a rogue sector that needs to be forcefully brought into line by bureaucrats from this place who have never caught a bream, let alone a bluefin. This is a sector that is already leading the world in stewardship, and yet, despite this world-class performance, we continue to see layer upon layer of new regulation arbitrarily added. I hear it directly from the operators on the ground and on the water. In parts of the tuna industry, it feels as though there are now as many or even perhaps more people regulating the industry from Canberra than there are boats working out on the water. The situation is utterly ridiculous. The feeling within the industry is crystal clear. They are being overregulated, completely overburdened and woefully under consulted, and it needs to change. This matters deeply because there are severe real-world consequences when ideological policy gets too far ahead of practical reality. If we overreach with regulation, we risk pushing hardworking Australian operators—the ones who actually follow the rules—straight out of global markets. We risk replacing Australian seafood with dubious imports from countries with far fewer environmental and labour standards. We already import 64 per cent of the seafood that we eat—64 per cent!—yet we have the best seafood in the entire world. Ultimately, we risk hollowing out proud regional communities, like Port Lincoln, that completely depend on this industry to survive and thrive. Let us be honest about the severe pressures facing this sector right now. I have to strongly question the timing of this bill and the broader regulatory push in the face of the current fuel crisis crippling our operators. Right now, skyrocketing input costs—particularly diesel fuel—are forcing some operators to make the heartbreaking decision to cut their trips simply to stay financially viable. And, right now, because of the harmful algal bloom in the coastal waters along South Australia, boats are needing to travel twice as far to catch their quotas—twice as far when the fuel is twice as expensive. It is a double whammy. Margins are incredibly tight. Business confidence is fragile. The absolute last thing this industry needs in this precise moment is additional regulatory uncertainty imposed from above without genuine, respectful engagement. What the region needs is practical and tangible support not more red tape. They need infrastructure that keeps them safe and helps them operate efficiently. That is exactly why I'm pushing for Doppler radar on the lower Eyre peninsula, supported by a massive petition from the local community. A Doppler radar would provide critical real-time weather data to keep our fishers, farmers and community safe. This is the kind of practical investment the government should be focused on. Instead, we are here debating international treaties that threaten to tie our most productive industries in further knots. Seafood Industry Australia has been exceptionally clear on this matter. They fully support strong, decisive action against illegal and unregulated fishing. They support long-term sustainability, but they also desperately call for practical, workable frameworks developed in genuine partnership with the industry itself. That is the key word—'partnership'—because the people of Port Lincoln are not environmental vandals; they are the true stewards of the oceans. Their livelihoods depend on it. Their families depend on it. Their entire futures depend on it. This brings me to the specific mechanisms being championed in the wake of this bill. We hear a lot about marine parks, but let's be honest with the Australian public. Marine parks have a fun name, a very friendly name. It sounds like a place you can take your kids on a Sunday afternoon, but we need to remember, and we need to call them exactly what they are. They are exclusion zones. They are lock-ups. Ironically, so many of these spatial closures have been transferred out to regional zones, conveniently placed far away from our metropolitan communities. Go figure! The city voters get the warm, fuzzy feeling of saving the ocean while the regional workers lose their livelihoods. It is a disgrace. My deep concern is that this treaty could very easily become a trojan horse for further domestic closures. What we must avoid at all costs is giving away our adjacent waters to the world to create massive, unprecedented marine protected areas between Australia and New Zealand, ultimately closing off our future food bowl to satisfy international optics. We must ask ourselves what is truly happening in this chamber today. The minister has confirmed that his government is currently reviewing 44 Australian marine parks. We have seen the Greens use this bill as a convenient platform to call for a complete end to salmon fishing in Tasmania, the end of krill fishing and the aggressive expansion of no-take zones right across our domestic waters. This is no longer just a bill about high seas. It is the opening act of a radical domestic ocean closure agenda carefully dressed in the polite language of international obligation. We already import a staggering 64 per cent of seafood that Australians eat. Let that sink in. It is upsetting to think that nearly two-thirds of our seafood comes from overseas. We do not import this because we lack the ocean. We have the third-largest exclusive economic zone in the world. We do not import it because we lack the scientific capability. We import it because a decade of poor decisions has treated Australian fishers as a problem to be managed rather than a vital sovereign food capability to be supported. This relentless, creeping regulation has systematically hollowed out the productive capacity of a sector worth billions to our GDP. Reducing access to well-managed Australian fisheries without addressing this massive reliance on imports simply risks outsourcing our environmental footprint to nations that do not care about sustainability. It does not improve the global environment; it merely shifts the guilt offshore. If we are to implement the obligations under the BBNJ agreement concerning marine genetic resources, area-based management tools and environmental impact assessments, we must ensure that our domestic fisheries management is recognised and accredited within these broader environmental frameworks rather than duplicated. This was a clear recommendation from the Samuel review, and it must be heeded. We do not need cumulative regulatory burdens unintentionally constraining a sector that is essential to Australia's food security and regional resilience. I have spoken to the industry. I have read the drafts and the concerns of the people on the ground. Having consulted with experts like Daniel Casement, John Isle and Claire Webber, who understand the intricate realities of this industry better than anyone sitting in a department here in Canberra, I know that the industry is seeking certainty, consistency and basic recognition, not the continual layering of new rules over already well-managed world-class systems. Protecting the high seas and feeding Australia are not competing objectives. We need this government, in the exact same breath as it passes this bill, to firmly commit to a domestic ocean governance framework that finally gives food production the exact same standing it currently gives conservation. My message to the government is incredibly simple: if this bill is to succeed, which it will—if it is to genuinely protect biodiversity while strengthening Australia's position globally—then the commercial fishing industry must be at the table from the very start, not as a token afterthought, not as a box-ticking consultation exercise, but as a respected, genuine partner, because, when you actually work with the industry, you get better policy, you get vastly better environmental outcomes and you get a much stronger, more resilient Australia. I will hold this government to the absolute letter of this bill. This legislation is about the high seas. It is about areas beyond national jurisdiction. It must not be weaponised to lock up our local waters. I'm demanding that not a single additional hectare of Australian fishing ground be closed without a comprehensive, independent food security assessment. I'm demanding that no ground is closed without genuine consultation and I demand that no ground is closed without proper compensation for the operators whose businesses are destroyed by the stroke of a pen. Let's protect our oceans but also let's back Port Lincoln. Let's passionately back Australian seafood. Let's support the families navigating tight margins and crippling fuel costs. And let's make absolutely sure that, in trying to lead the world with marine biodiversity, we do not accidentally or intentionally undermine the most sustainable, economically vital and proudly regional industries we already possess. We are watching closely, the regions are watching, Port Lincoln is watching, and we will not let this industry be quietly regulated out of existence. 17:15 Mr LIM 300130 Tangney One of my first careers was as a dolphin trainer. Dolphins can sense everything about you. If you are angry, they will swim away. If you are happy, calm, grounded, they all want to be with you. They are so intelligent. One of the many lessons I learned from that job, which I still say was the best job in my whole life, is a lesson that I bring with me into this House to express my support for this bill. As the park was closing down, I took the four dolphins into the wild ocean myself. I lived on a boat for a few weeks as the dolphins gradually got used to the ocean life. A few wild dolphins soon came and joined them, and they would go all out to play. Sometimes my old friends would come back to the boat and poke out their noses and say 'hello'. Eventually it was time to go, so I jumped into the ocean one final time and said goodbye to all of them. It was a very sad moment for me, but of course dolphins belong out in the wild. Australia has a long history of taking care of our ocean, of protecting Australia's marine biodiversity, and od ensuring sustainable management of fisheries is a priority for our government. You can see this through the decision we have taken to triple the size of Macquarie Island Marine Park and to quadruple the size of the Heard and McDonald Island marine parks. More than half of Australia's ocean is now protected in marine parks. We are working towards having 30 per cent of our ocean protected in a highly protected area by 2030. Generations of future Australians will be able to continue to enjoy our coastal ecosystem. Australia is a global leader in marine protection. We are actively working and partnering with other countries to better protect more of our world's oceans. Around 60 per cent of the global ocean is beyond national jurisdiction, but currently only around one per cent is protected. Australia is a founding signatory of this High Seas Biodiversity Treaty. The treaty established an international legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This treaty will work together with the international and regional rules and framework that already exist to protect the ocean. It will play a critical role in achieving a shared global goal of protecting 30 per cent of the world's marine area by 2030. By ratifying the treaty, Australia will become party to the treaty. This will allow Australia to participate in the management of the ocean beyond our marine time boundary so we can protect the ocean's health and make sure that global rules align with our national interests. Australia's marine industries, for example, fishery and tourism, need a clean and healthy ocean. It is important that we have sustainable development. I want to share a final lesson from my friends the dolphins. Dolphins do not breathe automatically. Their breathing is consciously controlled. So, when dolphins sleep, only one half of the brain can sleep at a time. Dolphins have to make a choice to come to the surface to breathe. They choose to breathe and live. This lesson to me at that time was that our choices matter. We have a responsibility to make good choices not only for today but for future generations. So ratifying the high seas biodiversity treaty demonstrates Australia's commitment to international law and our commitment to better protecting our ocean and its marine life for future generations. I'm pleased to support this bill. 17:20 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah The High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 is domestic legislation that Australia needs to finally ratify the high seas treaty, which is now in force internationally. The bill establishes three core things: a regime for marine genetic resources, a framework for recognising and managing protected or specially managed areas of the high seas, and an environmental impact assessment regime for certain activities that may damage the marine environment. It is the world's first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters, and it is a historic moment for international ocean conservation efforts. After nearly two decades of negotiations, the high seas treaty will govern almost two-thirds of the planet's ocean ecosystems, which are under threat from overfishing, commercial shipping and pollution. The treaty helps protect the parts of the ocean that no one country owns, where there haven't been enough proper rules, and it makes it easier to create protected ocean areas and harder for people and nations to damage marine life without checks. It also means countries have to think more carefully about the harm their activities could cause before they go ahead. This matters so much. Currently, areas of national jurisdiction cover nearly half the planet. So this is a huge share of the ocean, yet governance has lagged far behind the science and far behind the scale of the threat to those areas. The treaty was designed to change that. So the bill is necessary now—and I welcome it—to ratify and domestically implement the rules that were agreed to within the high seas treaty. Of course, I represent Warringah in this place, and we are so intrinsically tied to the oceans. A healthy ocean is not just some abstract concept; it shapes our local beaches, our marine life, our community, recreation and the character of the place. It is absolutely the heart and soul of so many communities around Australia and, in particular, the Warringah community. We all care deeply about nature, coastline, health and biodiversity. Every time I visit a school and they come and tell me about what they worry about, they worry about our oceans, about marine life and about plastics. The ocean is a really big part of their environment and their wellbeing. We know ocean systems are connected, so stronger protection offshore, far away from Australia, far away on that horizon, will help the overall resilience of marine ecosystems much closer to home. If you live by the coast, you have a stake in ocean stewardship beyond your own postcode. The chronology is that Australia signed the high seas treaty in September 2023 and the treaty entered into force on 17 January 2026. This bill is the overdue domestic step needed for Australia to ratify the treaty and become a party with full legal effect. Australia helped negotiate this framework over many years under governments of different stripes, but we have been slower than we could have been in finishing the domestic job. It's also part of a wider failure, I would argue, in environmental governance. For decades, the law has been much better at slicing the ocean into jurisdictions than actually protecting the living systems that connect them. On 8 August 2025, along with other crossbench MPs, I wrote to Minister Murray Watt, encouraging him to ratify the treaty. When it comes to our oceans, delay is not a pause button. It's a permission slip for continued degradation, and that's why action is so important. Only a tiny proportion of international waters until now has been protected, and that is the problem. The whole rationale of the treaty is to finally create a legal pathway for large-scale high seas protected areas and other area based management tools. Prior to the treaty, only one per cent of international waters were protected. The government could take inspiration from how the international treaty is designed, as it includes mechanisms that should have been adopted in Australia's own environmental protection laws years ago—for example, the recognition of cumulative impacts. The treaty and the bill matter because they stop decision-makers looking at one activity in isolation, as if it exists in a neat little bubble. Instead, the environmental impact assessment process is meant to look at the combined and incremental harm caused by different activities together, including past, present and reasonably foreseeable future activities. I would argue that this should be embedded in our domestic environmental laws as well, because of that cumulative impact—nothing happens in a vacuum. It's a much more realistic way to assess harm in the oceans, because ecosystems are usually damaged by layers of pressure piling up, not just by one dramatic event or one action. An example of why assessing cumulative impacts is so important is ocean acidification, caused by the ocean absorbing more carbon dioxide, which gradually changes ocean chemistry and makes it harder for many marine organisms and ecosystems to cope. You can't point specifically at one particular project when you talk about ocean acidification, but the cumulative impact is what is driving the problem. Of course, the definition of 'cumulative impacts' used in this bill expressly includes the consequences of climate change, because we know the oceans are such a massive part of balancing out our global climate. That's why cumulative impacts are so important. I think ratifying this treaty is really important—first, because we will gain influence where decisions are made. The treaty's first COP is expected within a year of entry into force. If we want influence over the high seas, protected areas and rules, then we need to be at the table as a signatory. Second, environmental degradation can't just continue as the default setting. It means destructive fishing, shipping, pollution and worsening climate pressures, which don't ultimately respect any kind of national or political borders. We know those impacts are global. Third, we gain economically and socially, especially because we are a maritime nation. We are ultimately an island continent surrounded by oceans. So the health of the oceans means the health of Australia. The health of the high seas is linked to Australian industries like tourism and fisheries—the ocean upstream effect. Ocean systems underpin climate and ecological stability. The ocean produces roughly half of the Earth's oxygen, largely through oceanic plankton, and absorbs more than 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by human caused climate change. So much of our way of life depends on a healthy ocean, yet, still so little focus is given to it. What this bill will do is ratify the high seas treaty. It embeds a precautionary approach requirement for ministerial decision-making, recognising that lack of full scientific certainty is not a reason to delay protective action. It creates a notification based regime for marine genetic resources and digital sequence information. It operationalises high seas area based management tools via 'specially managed areas' and 'special management plans' aligned to COP decisions with a clear 120-day deadline for Australia to make the domestic instrument after a COP decision. It establishes environmental impact assessments for activities under Australian control where impacts are potentially serious, including a threshold that triggers referral. I understand the Senate's amendments will make a material difference. They explicitly reference 'marine protected areas' in key definitional and operative provisions while also lifting corporate civil penalty settings. The high seas are not someone else's problem but are a problem of all of us. It's a living system that shapes our coasts, our weather, our fisheries and our future. This bill is a chance to move from signature to stewardship, to bring international commitments into Australian law with real enforcement, real transparency and real ambition. There is now a clear mandate to pass the bill, fund it and use it to protect our oceans. Of course, in talking about the oceans I have to commend the work of Jas Chambers and the Ocean Decade team, who are continually raising the issues of the care of our oceans and the balance between all the different uses—the balance between conservation and marine life but also healthy fisheries and all the other industrial uses, including offshore gas and shipping. There are a lot of different uses that are supported by the oceans. I think the oceans will ultimately have a lot of the solutions we need for climate change and for keeping our way of life, but we have to first embed into law that we want to protect them. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 17:30 to 17:56 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS 103 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 103 17:56 Mr BURNELL 300129 Spence The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is reform that goes to the core of fairness, opportunity and the future direction of this country. When we talk about schools, we're not just talking about classrooms or curriculum, we're talking about the future of young Australians. It has now been one year since every state and territory signed up to this agreement—one year since governments across the nation came together with a shared understanding that the status quo was no longer acceptable. When Labor came to government in 2022, the imbalance in our system was clear and deeply entrenched. Every non-government school was fully funded or on a defined path to reach that benchmark, but public schools, outside of those in the ACT, were not. That gap did not appear overnight, and it was not going to fix itself. For communities like mine in Spence—in Elizabeth, in Gawler and across Adelaide's north—that gap can be felt every single day. Public schools in our community carry enormous responsibility. They support students from diverse backgrounds, students facing disadvantage, students who need additional support to succeed, yet they were being asked to meet that challenge without the full backing they deserved. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement changes that. It sets a clear pathway to properly funded public schools and it does so in a way that is deliberate, structured and enduring. It represents the largest investment in public education by an Australian government, delivering an additional $16.5 billion into public schools over the next decade, followed by a further $50 billion in the decade after that. This is not a short-term injection of funding. It is a long-term commitment to lift standards, expand opportunity and strengthen the system for generations. If we want a stronger economy, a more skilled workforce and a fairer society, then the place to start is in our schools. Importantly, this agreement is not simply about increasing funding. It's about ensuring that funding is used effectively. It is tied to clear reforms, grounded in evidence and focused on measurable outcomes, because investment without direction does not deliver change, but investment with purpose does. Already we are beginning to see the encouraging signs that these changes are taking hold. Student attendance, which had declined significantly in recent years, is beginning to recover. After attendance had fallen from around 93 per cent to 86 per cent, we are now seeing more students returning to school, re-engaging with their learning and rebuilding routines that support long-term success. We are also seeing more students completing their schooling, with approximately 12,000 additional young Australians finishing high school in 2025 compared to 2024, a result that is consistent across school sectors and across both boys and girls. And, just as importantly, we are seeing renewed interest in the teaching profession. After a concerning drop of around 20 per cent in people choosing to study teaching, enrolments have now increased for the third consecutive year. This matters because, without a strong teaching workforce, no reform can succeed. At the centre of this agreement for educators is a commitment to evidence based practice. It focuses on identifying learning challenges early, particularly in the foundational areas of literacy and numeracy, through structured checks, in the early years of schooling, that allow teachers to quickly understand where students may need additional support. This is not about labelling students as gifted or struggling; it is about equipping teachers with the information they need to intervene early and effectively. That early identification is then matched with targeted support, including small-group tutoring that provides focused, individualised attention, helping students to catch up where they have fallen behind and maintain progress alongside their peers. The agreement also reinforces the use of teaching practices that are proven to work, ensuring that classroom instruction is grounded in evidence, rather than trends, and that teachers are supported with the tools, training and resources they need to deliver high-quality education. In a case study conducted in South Australia, we are already seeing what this approach can achieve. Through the introduction of system-wide literacy and numeracy checks, South Australia has embedded early identification into everyday practice, ensuring that challenges are recognised early and addressed quickly. The literacy guarantee supports effective reading instruction from the earliest years, strengthens professional learning for teachers at every stage of their careers and provides resources for families so learning continues at home. At the same time, the numeracy guarantee is strengthening mathematics teaching through targeted professional development, specialist support for school leaders and improved curriculum resources. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how early identification, high-quality teaching and targeted support can work in combination to lift student outcomes over time. This agreement also recognises that education is about more than just academic performance. It strengthens access to wellbeing supports within schools, acknowledging that students cannot succeed in the classroom if they are struggling outside of it. By supporting the whole student academically, socially and emotionally, we create the conditions for genuine learning and long-term engagement. Importantly, this agreement sets clear national targets—targets to increase the proportion of students achieving strong results in reading and numeracy; targets to reduce the number of students requiring additional support; targets to lift year 12 completion rates and ensure more young Australians leave school with the qualifications they need; targets to rebuild attendance to pre-pandemic levels and close the gap for students who have been disproportionately affected, including First Nations students, students in regional areas and those from lower socioeconomic or lower educational backgrounds; and targets to strengthen and sustain the teaching workforce, including increasing participation in teacher education and supporting more First Nations educators into the profession. It strengthens access to wellbeing supports within schools, acknowledging that students cannot succeed in the classroom if they are struggling outside of it, because when a young person feels unsafe, when they feel excluded, when bullying goes unchecked, learning becomes secondary. That is why the national antibullying implementation plan is such an important complement to this work. It recognises that safe and respectful school environments are not optional; they are foundational. When students feel supported and included, they attend more regularly, they engage more deeply and they are far more likely to achieve strong outcomes. There is a clear connection between health and education. Students experiencing poor mental health are significantly more likely to disengage from learning, and, as this report states, by year 9 those students can be between one and nearly three years behind their peers in literacy and numeracy. That is not just a statistic; that is a warning—a warning that, if we do not address wellbeing, we cannot expect to lift educational outcomes. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement responds to that reality. It embeds wellbeing into everyday school practice, not as an afterthought but as a core component of learning. It supports schools to put the right help in place at the right time through better access to specialist staff, stronger connections to health and community services, and approaches that are tailored to the needs of local communities, because what works in one school may not work in another and flexibility matters. Alongside this, governments are working together on nationally coordinated efforts to promote safe, respectful school environments, because tackling bullying, supporting mental health and strengthening engagement requires a collective effort. When we get this right, and when students feel safe, supported and connected, they show up. They participate. They succeed. That is what this agreement is about—not just results on a page but creating environments where every young person has the chance to thrive. That is fairness in action. These are clear, measurable goals that governments will be held accountable for achieving, because what gets measured gets delivered. For communities like mine in the north, that accountability matters. It means that fairness is not just a principle; it is something that is tracked, reported and realised over time. It means that a child growing up in Spence can expect the same level of support, the same quality of teaching and the same opportunity to succeed as a child anywhere else in this country. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is about fixing a system that was out of balance. It's about investing where the need is greatest. It's also about backing teachers, supporting students and strengthening communities. And, ultimately, it is about building a future where every young Australian, regardless of where they live, has the opportunity and the chance to succeed. That is what fairness looks like, and that is what this agreement delivers. We know this won't be an easy or quick task to complete across the nation, but this first progress report for the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is a step in the right direction to continue to support communities like mine in the north. I thank the House. 18:06 Ms ALDRED 11788 Monash I rise today to respond to the ministerial statement on the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. As the daughter of a primary school teacher, I've been raised in a family that appreciates how important better educational outcomes are, and improving education outcomes in my region is something I, as someone who was proud to serve on the inaugural Gippsland Tertiary Education Council some 15 years ago, am particularly passionate about. I strongly believe that your postcode should not determine your educational outcome in life. In my region, at that time, we dealt with a number of challenges, including having little more than half the state's average for higher education participation rates. May I add we've got some wonderfully gifted teachers and some dedicated teacher support aides and staff in the Monash electorate who I'm very proud to represent. I want to commend their ongoing work to lift and strengthen education outcomes. But this statement, I really have to say at the outset, deserves a resubmit, because what we've heard in the statement provided is a story and it's riddled with inaccuracies, omissions and a fundamental failure to level with the Australian people and, indeed, face up to the challenges that I and families across my electorate deal with every single day. Let's deal with the first central claim that seems to be on repeat by the government, and that is that the coalition cut funding to public schools, which is just not true. Under the coalition, school funding increased. It increased every single year. In fact, it nearly doubled, from around $13 billion in 2013 to over $25 billion in 2022. The coalition support investment in education. We support lifting standards. But what we do not support is a narrative that rewrites history, because what matters is not just how much is spent but what is actually happening in our schools today—where that money goes, how it's spent and the objectives that it seeks to support. Right now, particularly in my home state of Victoria, we have serious problems. The Prime Minister has claimed every state and territory is on a pathway to full funding. This is simply not correct. Victoria remains the only jurisdiction without a clear pathway to reach the Schooling Resource Standard. There is no certainty. There is no long-term agreement. As a result, Victorian government schools are now the lowest funded in the country outside of the Northern Territory. This has real consequences. This has a lasting impact, and my fear is that it will have intergenerational consequences for young people, families and people seeking to get the skills and qualifications they need to attain a job or a career and stay within the Gippsland region that they grew up in or, indeed, have moved to. In 2026, Victorian students will receive hundreds of dollars less per student than their peers interstate. This could be up to $1,700 less than students in Tasmania. This is not a theoretical gap; it is a gap in resources, in support and in opportunity, and it is Victorian students who are paying the price for the failure of both the Albanese and Allan Labor governments. But funding is only part of the story, because outcomes are going backwards. The minister claims reading is improving, but NAPLAN data tells us a different story. Schools have declined in recent years, including a year-on-year drop under the current government. International data shows the same trend. Australia's reading performance has fallen over time. In Monash, getting an education isn't just about what happens in the classroom; it's about distance, access and the pressure that growth is putting on our local schools. Rapid population growth in Warrigal and Drouin, which Bernard Salt, the demographer, notes are the fastest growing towns anywhere across Australia, is driving significant growth in school enrolments in those schools, with classrooms reaching capacity, portable buildings becoming more common and growing pressure on shared facilities like libraries, playgrounds and specialist learning states. I want to commend my state Liberal colleague the member for Narracan, Wayne Farnham, who's been working with a range of schools in the west Gippsland area, particularly Drouin Secondary College and the marvellous principal and teaching staff there, to address some of those challenges. Schools are working hard to absorb the growth that we are seeing in population, but it is placing a real strain on teachers, with larger class sizes, increased workload and less time available for individual student support. I'm very proud to represent a region that stretches all the way down to the southernmost point of mainland Australia: Wilsons Prom and Foster. We've got some remarkable schools there. I was at the Foster Primary School not so long ago. In South Gippsland, access to education is shaped by distance, with families often travelling long distances to access secondary schooling and subject choice. In towns like Foster and Korumburra, I talk to families and students who are regularly commuting daily to larger centres for schooling, adding hours to their day and limiting their ability to participate in extracurricular activities. In many parts of my electorate, you can't jump on a train and there are limited bus services, so, with the cost of fuel going up, this is placing additional pressure on families moving around their community, certainly families taking their children to school of a morning. For many families, this also means managing additional costs and balancing work commitments around school access. In today's economy, I hear so often that you've got to have a dual-income household to be able to meet the cost-of-living challenges, and that places additional pressure on parents who are trying to juggle job demands as well as giving their children all of the support they need in and around their schooling. Access to specialist subjects, support programs and pathways can be more limited in smaller regional schools, and that means that students often have to leave their local community to access the same opportunities that are available to students in metropolitan areas. In South Gippsland, education is shaped by geography as much as it is by policy, with distance playing a huge role in access to opportunity. Families in towns like Foster and Korumburra, which I've mentioned, have a significant challenge in being able to meet those demands. I regularly talk to families where the daily commute is easily over an hour each way, and I know that this has had a real impact on student wellbeing in participation and outcomes. It limits involvement in after-school activities like sport, tutoring, music or part-time work. We've got some very gifted athletes and young people in all parts of my electorate, but there are quite a few in South Gippsland as well. I really do take my hat off to their determination and commitment because they have to meet a higher hurdle to be able to engage in that training and those activities than perhaps students and athletes from metropolitan areas in the same situation. I want to also acknowledge the challenge that smaller regional schools face in offering the full breadth of subject choices, specialist programs. This can mean fewer pathways in areas like advanced science, VET programs or emerging industries requiring students to relocate, to travel, or compromise their study options. We have a great number of great TAFE campuses, but we have a terrific TAFE in our region that I know works very closely with industry and high schools to engage young people in a range of skill offerings. Our workforce pressures are felt locally, with schools competing to attract and retain teachers in those regional areas, particularly in specialist subjects. I was at Ripplebrook Primary School recently in West Gippsland, where they really have gone above and beyond to provide Japanese as a language offering to their very small school. I just want to commend the ingenuity and creativity and determination of the principal and the teachers at Ripplebrook for being able to deliver that. This is an important topic, but let's not rewrite history. I'm proud to be part of a coalition that has and will continue to invest very strongly in better educational outcomes for young people across Australia and in my electorate of Monash. Debater adjourned. STATEMENTS ON SIGNIFICANT MATTERS 106 STATEMENTS ON SIGNIFICANT MATTERS Roberts, Ms Rhoda Ann, AO 106 18:17 Mrs ELLIOT DZW Richmond I rise tonight to honour the memory and life of Rhoda Roberts AO, a Bundjalung Widjabul Wia-bal elder whose presence, voice and spirit shaped not only the Northern Rivers but the cultural life of the entire nation. Rhoda was born in 1959 and raised on Bundjalung country, where her deep connections to land, culture and community were formed. That connection became the foundation of everything she did. Even as her work took her on to the national and international stages, she remained grounded in where she came from. Rhoda's extensive career spanned several decades and encompassed a wide range of roles across broadcasting, performing arts, cultural policy and community leadership. She contributed to major national and international projects, and her expertise was sought across government, media and the arts sector, where she provided guidance on cultural policy, programming and community engagement. Many came to know Rhoda through her work in broadcasting, particularly as the first Aboriginal person to host a prime time current affairs show on SBS. At a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives were rarely represented in mainstream media, she played a critical role in bringing those voices into the national conversation. She helped to highlight Indigenous perspectives, challenging audiences to listen more deeply and think more honestly about the country we share. Rhoda's work in television and radio was characterised by clarity, integrity and a commitment to truth-telling. Rhoda's work not only created space for Indigenous artists and perspectives but also reshaped institutions themselves. Rhoda Roberts was a pioneering force in the development and promotion of Indigenous arts and culture in Australia. She held numerous leadership roles in major cultural institutions and was instrumental in reshaping the way these institutions engage with First Nations artists and communities. Of course, as we know, Rhoda coined the term 'welcome to country' in the 1980s, initially for the arts sector and then indeed for the wider community, an important protocol that is now rightly observed right across the nation. She also worked as a creative director for the Sydney Olympics Awakening ceremony in the year 2000, and was appointed the inaugural head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House in 2012. Her work with major festivals, including as a creative director for the New Year's Eve celebrations from 2008 until 2011, helped elevate First Nations voices into some of the country's biggest stages. And, of course, on the New South Wales North Coast, we were so privileged to benefit from Rhoda's immense talent in showcasing Indigenous culture through events like the Boomerang Festival and Bluesfest. Throughout all of her endeavours and achievements, Rhoda's dedication to sharing and celebrating First Nations culture was central to all of her work. In recognition of her distinguished service to the arts and Indigenous communities, Rhoda was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. This honour reflected not only her professional achievements but her enduring contribution to the cultural and social fabric of the nation. Rhoda understood the transformative power of culture. She recognised that storytelling is not merely an artistic practice but a means of preserving history, asserting identity and fostering understanding. Through her work, she contributed to a broader national reckoning with Australia's past and present and to a future in which First Nations voices are recognised as central, not peripheral. Rhoda's passing is a profound loss. It's felt not only by her family and close friends but across communities, industries and indeed generations. It leaves a silence where there was once a powerful voice, a voice that spoke truth, created change and brought people together. Indeed, that's the mark of a life well lived—not just what you achieve but what you make possible for others. Whilst her absence is deeply felt, her legacy is everywhere. It endures in so many artists whose careers she supported and advanced, the institutions she helped to transform and the stories that continue to be told with honesty and pride. To Rhoda's family, I extend my deepest condolences. I acknowledge your loss and honour the life that has meant so much to many. May Rhoda Roberts rest in peace, and may her legacy continue to guide and inspire future generations. 18:21 Ms SPENDER 286042 Wentworth I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO, whose contribution to Australia's cultural life was profound and enduring. Across the arts, media and creative industries, Rhoda Roberts was a trailblazer. She reshaped institutions that had long excluded First Nations voices and insisted, often courageously, that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture belonged at the very centre of our national story. She was a guiding force in Australia's arts and cultural landscape and a creative leader whose influence extended far beyond any single role or title. Rhoda took her responsibility as an Indigenous leader deeply and seriously. She understood leadership as stewardship, carrying culture with care, protecting it with integrity and passing it on strengthened for future generations. She spoke of obligation to country and community, and that sense of responsibility shaped every space she entered and every institution she helped to transform. Her legacy is also felt strongly in the electorate I represent. Through her leadership at the Sydney Opera House, one of our nation's most significant cultural institutions, she ensured that First Nations culture was not peripheral but central, visible, respected and embedded in the life of the city. That work resonated throughout Sydney's creative and business communities, including in Wentworth, where culture, enterprise and public life intersect every day. Rhoda was instrumental in opening doors. She was the first Aboriginal person to host a primetime current affairs program on Australian television. She co-founded Australia's first national Aboriginal theatre company, founded major cultural festivals and played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural vision of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, sharing Indigenous country with the world at a moment when the world was watching. But what stands out most strongly in her remarkable life is her generosity. Rhoda shared knowledge freely. She mentored emerging artists, journalists and leaders. She created space for others, often quietly, without expectation of recognition. She inspired so many because she believed in people and because she led with warmth, humour and conviction. On a personal note, people across my electorate recall that Rhoda also had a wicked sense of humour and was a lot of fun to be around—a reminder that, alongside her gravitas and leadership, she brought joy, laughter and humanity into the spaces she occupied. As has been said in tribute, her generosity enriched Australians' lives, and her wisdom enlarged our nation's understanding. For every step she took, she brought others with her, leaving a legacy not just of work but of people empowered to continue it. I extend my deepest condolences to Rhoda's family, her community and all who mourn her loss. May her memory continue to guide us, and may we honour her best by carrying forward the standard she set and the pathways she opened. 18:24 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie Rhoda Roberts, a proud Bundjalung woman of the Widjabul and Wia-bal clan, was one of the most influential and transformative cultural leaders our country has ever produced. Her career was marked by moments that didn't just contribute to Australian culture; they helped redefine how Australia presents itself to the world. One of the most powerful of those moments came during the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It's difficult to think of a time when more international interest was directed towards Australia in a single moment. It was an unprecedented opportunity for Australia to show the world who we are. It was because of Rhoda's inspired work on the stunning Indigenous element of that ceremony that we told a story that celebrated and was grounded in the world's oldest living culture. I was fortunate to be at the rehearsal for that opening ceremony, and the night itself was a moment of immense national significance—a moment where First Nations culture was positioned at the very centre of our national identity. It was a powerful statement about who we are—a nation whose story began tens of thousands of years ago and continues today. It remains one of the defining cultural moments in Australia's modern history. That level of prominence for Aboriginal culture in a public ceremony was unprecedented at the time, but it has now become a baseline expectation. That is as it should be, and it's because of Rhoda's efforts that it is. She set a new benchmark for how Australia presents First Nations culture on the world stage. That accomplishment reflects so much of what made Rhoda Roberts the extraordinary cultural leader that she was. She ensured that the representation of First Nations culture was not superficial or symbolic in the narrow sense but meaningful, respectful and engaging to the broadest possible audience. Her contribution to the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics is just one part of a much grander legacy. As head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House, Rhoda brought that same clarity of purpose to one of our most important cultural institutions by embedding First Nations voices into its programming and identity. As director of the Dreaming festival, she created a space where Indigenous culture could be celebrated on its own terms—dynamic and contemporary, but deeply rooted in tradition. In no small measure, it's because of Rhoda Roberts that welcome to country is now part of our civic culture. I worked with Rhoda in her role as creative director at Sydney for the New Year's Eve celebrations. Whether it was in her work as a curator, a producer or a mentor, she continued to open doors for other First Nations creatives, ensuring that the pathways she helped create would not close behind her. The thread that binds all her accomplishments together is a deep belief in the power of culture, a belief that storytelling and representation matter. Perhaps the greatest legacy is her demonstration that, when we tell our stories with truth and with confidence, we become a stronger, more connected nation. Her work empowered us not only to reflect thoughtfully on our past but to think deeply about who we aspire to be. Rhoda did not just help tell Australia's story; she reshaped it. Today, as we reflect on her life, we see a legacy that is both profound and enduring. It lives on in our institutions, it lives on in the artists she supported and it lives on in the way Australia now better understands and more deeply values First Nations culture. We can best honour her memory by continuing her work of deepening that understanding and respect and by ensuring that the doors of opportunity are always open to ambitious First Nations creatives like her. To her children—Sarah, Jack and Emily—her partner, Stephen, and the extended Roberts-Field family, and to her friends, her colleagues and the many communities she was part of, I offer my sincere condolences and my deepest gratitude. While Rhoda may now walk in another place, this place has been changed immeasurably for the better by her time here with us. Bangarra Dance Theatre: Venice Biennale Golden Lion 108 18:29 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie I'm exceptionally proud to add my voice to the congratulations to Bangarra Dance Theatre on receiving a Golden Lion award from Venice Biennale. This is now the third Golden Lion award to recognise Australian creativity in as many years. This award is something truly exceptional and deeply meaningful because the Golden Lion is not just an award for creative excellence. It recognises work that is transformative, work that expands the boundaries of what art can be and work that fundamentally reshapes how we see ourselves. To receive a Golden Lion is to be recognised not just as an outstanding organisation or individual but as essential to the global cultural conversation. And that is exactly what Bangarra is. What is so remarkable and so distinctive about Bangarra is its fusion of ancient tradition and contemporary expression. Through movement, Bangarra tells stories that are tens of thousands of years old yet feel entirely of the moment. Bangarra helps us reflect on the confronting truths in our history while inspiring us to imagine a future that transcends it. Its work is grounded in cultural authority, created in consultation with communities. It's guided by story, by country and by lineage. Yet, when it reaches the stage, it speaks a language that audiences all over the world can understand. That is its power. Over almost four decades, Bangarra has developed a body of work that's reshaped our culture and our nation's sense of self, from Ochres, a defining early work that reimagined what Australian dance could be, to Corroboree at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where Bangarra presented a new vision of Australia to the world, and works like Mathinna, Patyegarang and Dark Emu, which have deepened our understanding of First Nations culture and reframed our thinking about the past. In Mathinna, Bangarra showed us the power of truth-telling through creative expression. This work told the story of a young Aboriginal girl removed from her family in colonial Tasmania and made it immediate and human—not distant history but lived experience. The work allowed audiences to emotionally connect with both her dislocation and resilience. In Patyegarang, Bangarra reframed the story of first contact in Sydney. Centred on a young Eora woman sharing language and knowledge, this work restored First Nations agency and complexity to a defining moment in our history. In Dark Emu, Bangarra challenged the myth that Aboriginal societies were purely nomadic and brought to life systems of agriculture and care for country. They transformed hard research into something audiences can see and feel. I've been very fortunate to attend many Bangarra performances in the past, most recently Horizon, and I'm looking forward to seeing their upcoming work, Flora. It's impossible to see a performance by Bangarra without your perceptions being shifted and your awareness being broadened. That's what Bangarra does every time the curtain rises. It takes our history and makes it more tangible. It takes complexity and makes it more visible. It takes stories that have been sidelined and places them centre stage. For these reasons and so many more, the Australian government is proud to support Bangarra through Creative Australia. Bangarra's extraordinary accomplishments are the product of an extraordinary cultural leadership. I congratulate the current executive team of Frances Rings and Louise Ingram for their leadership of the organisation. I also want to record my admiration and respect for Stephen Page, whose artistic vision defined Bangarra for decades. I'd like to especially acknowledge the artistry of his brothers, the late David Page and the late Russell Page, whose legacies live on in the spirit and the dynamism of this company and the standard of performance it presents. It is so fitting that this is the first time the Golden Lion has been awarded to a company rather than an individual, because Bangarra's work has always been collective. It's based on the philosophy of shared cultural authority, storytelling that arises from community and culture that is carried forward together. This award is shared by every dancer, choreographer, musician, crew member and administrator who's helped build this company over the past 36 years. I love that they've created an alternative pathway for young First Nations dancers. This award is a testament to the power of storytelling and creative ambition as a force for good in our society. This award shows what's possible when we recognise the value of culture, when we invest in it and when First Nations creative leadership is given autonomy. This award is a recognition of Australian creative power, bringing the world's oldest continuing cultures to the centre of global cultural life. So congratulations, Bangarra, on this wonderful achievement and this well-earned global recognition. But, more importantly, thank you for shaping the story of our country with strength and integrity, with wit and grace. Federation Chamber adjourned at 18:35