The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members' business
1. The Committee met in private session on Tuesday, 4 February 2025.
2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified, private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper and notices lodged on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 10 February 2025, as follows:
Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon)
COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS
Presentation and statements
1 Joint Standing Committee on Migration
Joint Standing Committee on Migration Delegation: New Zealand and Vanuatu, 26 to 31 August 2024
The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made — all statements to conclude by 10.15.
Speech time limits —
Ms Vamvakinou — 5minutes.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 5 mins]
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 MR WILKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to establish the Whistleblower Protection Authority, and for related purposes. ( Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill 2025 )
( Notice given 26 November 2024. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
2 MS SPENDER: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the National Land Transport Act 2014 , and for related purposes. (National Land Transport Act Amendment (Better Value for Taxpayers) Bill 2025 )
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
3 DR SCAMPS: To present a Bill for an Act to ensure that public bodies act in pursuit of the wellbeing of current and future generations of Australia, to establish a Commissioner for Future Generations, and for related purposes. ( Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill 2025 )
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
4 MS SHARKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 , and for related purposes. (Interactive Gambling Amendment (Know Your Losses Activity Statement) Bill 2025 )
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
5 MS BELL: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) it has been almost three years since the Government was elected and the cost of child care has increased by a whopping 22.3 per cent;
(b) since the Government introduced its cheaper child care policy, out of pocket costs for families have sky rocketed by 12.7 per cent;
(c) almost 30 per cent of child care services are charging over the hourly rate cap under the current Government, compared to 21 per cent under the previous Government; and
(d) this is just another broken promise from the Government, that continues to leave Australian families behind; and
(2) calls on the Government to deliver:
(a) more access to early childhood education and care places to support Australians to return to the workforce; and
(b) real cost of living relief to families.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms Bell — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue at a later hour.
6 DR REID: To move—That this House:
(1) acknowledges that the Government is building Australia's future by building a stronger Medicare with:
(a) free Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, so that you and your family have access to bulk billed health care when you need it;
(b) cheaper medicines, cutting the cost of prescriptions; and
(c) the largest investment in bulk billing in Medicare history, which is restoring bulk billing after ten years of cuts and neglect;
(2) expresses its concern at the Leader of the Opposition's record as Health Minister when he:
(a) tried to end bulk billing by making patients pay a tax every time they see a General Practitioner;
(b) cut $50 billion from public hospitals; and
(c) was voted worst Health Minister in the history of Medicare by Australian doctors; and
(3) acknowledges only the Government can be trusted to protect and strengthen Medicare.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Dr Reid — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
7 MS WATSON-BROWN: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that billionaires and big corporations have too much power over our democracy; and
(2) calls on the Government to tax billionaires and big corporations to fund the cost of living relief that Australians need, including:
(a) covering dental and mental health under Medicare;
(b) making sure everyone can see the GP for free;
(c) building housing people can actually afford; and
(d) wiping student debt.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 12 noon.
Speech time limits —
Ms Watson-Brown — 5minutes.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue at a later hour.
Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 MR PASIN: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that 1,300 lives were lost on Australian roads in 2024;
(2) recognises that:
(a) this is the highest road toll since 2012; and
(b) the national road toll has risen each of the past four years, a situation not seen since 1966, or before the introduction of compulsory seat belts;
(3) acknowledges that the annual fatality rate per 100,000 head of population is now 4.8, well over double the National Road Safety target of 2.0; and
(4) calls on the Government to take action on the road safety crisis that is now killing more than 100 Australians every month and hospitalising 100 Australians every day.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Pasin — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
2 MS MASCARENHAS: To move—That this House:
(1) acknowledges that the Government has created more than a million jobs;
(2) commends the Government for standing up for Western Australia and for recognising that Western Australia is the engine room of the economy;
(3) recognises that production tax credits for critical minerals will encourage critical mineral processing in Western Australia and create secure jobs in the resources sector; and
(4) calls on the Opposition to support the production tax credits instead of blocking jobs and investment in Western Australia.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms Mascarenhas — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
3 MR GEE: To move—That this House:
(1) acknowledges the:
(a) disgraceful rural doctor shortage crisis unfolding across rural Australia; and
(b) devastating impacts this crisis is having on the health of country Australians; and
(2) resolves to:
(a) take urgent action to end the crisis and get more doctors practising in rural, regional and remote communities; and
(b) deliver equality in access to doctors and medical services to country residents and country communities.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 20minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Gee — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
4 MR REPACHOLI: To move—That this House:
(1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to supporting apprentices and addressing the skills shortage which was left unaddressed by the previous Government;
(2) notes the failure of the previous Government to adequately support trade apprentices, instead diverting taxpayer funds to big business, including:
(a) $72 million to McDonald's, which posted record profits of $360 million in 2022-23;
(b) $28.3 million to Grill'd, despite its profits surging by 700 per cent, hitting $15.8 million in 2020-21; and
(c) $1.6 million to a Domino's franchisee in South Australia, which was later banned from employing apprentices due to a failure to meet training obligations;
(3) commends the Government for prioritising trade apprentices through new initiatives, including:
(a) introducing the Housing Construction Apprenticeship Program, providing $10,000 incentive payments for apprentices in key residential construction trades; and
(b) increasing the allowance for apprentices living away from home, the first increase in more than 20 years; and
(4) supports these measures as vital steps towards building a skilled, sustainable workforce.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 40minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Repacholi — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
5 MR HOGAN: To move—That this House:
(1) acknowledges the Order of Australia is the highest national honour awarded to Australian citizens for outstanding contributions to our country or humanity at large;
(2) recognises that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia's honours system;
(3) notes that since being established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, there have been 47,869 recipients of awards in the Order of Australia;
(4) further recognises and celebrates the 732 Australia Day 2025 award recipients, including 457 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia for meritorious, distinguished and conspicuous service;
(5) further acknowledges community members recognised through Australia Day 2025 Local Citizen of the Year awards; and
(6) congratulates all the recipients of awards on Australia Day 2025.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 1.30 pm.
Speech time limits —
Mr Hogan — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Orders of the day
CHILD CARE POLICY: Resumption of debate on the motion of Ms Bell—That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) it has been almost three years since the Government was elected and the cost of child care has increased by a whopping 22.3 per cent;
(b) since the Government introduced its cheaper childcare policy, out of pocket costs for families have sky rocketed by 12.7 per cent;
(c) almost 30 per cent of child care services are charging over the hourly rate cap under the current Government, compared to 21 per cent under the previous Government; and
(d) this is just another broken promise from the Government, that continues to leave Australian families behind; and
(2) calls on the Government to deliver:
(a) more access to early childhood education and care places to support Australians to return to the workforce; and
(b) real cost of living relief to families.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 20minutes.
Speech time limits —
All Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
Notices—continued
6 MR REPACHOLI: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that the Government has been delivering for Australian farmers and producers, helping our nearly $100 billion agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors continue to grow;
(2) acknowledges the Government has:
(a) recorded 169 market access achievements since July 2022, including:
(i) 22 new markets opened;
(ii) 66 improvements to reduce cost or requirements to export;
(iii) 72 achievements to maintain access in the face of threats to trade; and
(iv) nine achievements to restore access that was previously lost; and
(b) invested over $1 billion to ensure our biosecurity system is sustainable long term, ensuring our world-class system stays that way;
(3) further notes the dire state that our agriculture workforce was in under the previous Government, and acknowledges the work the Government has done to fix these issues, including:
(a) establishing the tripartite Agricultural Workforce Working Group and starting up the Agriculture Labour Taskforce; and
(b) working with stakeholders to deliver a Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme that is beneficial and safe for workers, which has grown from around 8,000 workers in March 2020 to over 27,000 at the end of 2024; and
(4) notes the Opposition's inaction on climate change reduced farm profitability, and acknowledges that the Government is investing in a sustainable agriculture sector by:
(a) delivering the first ever joint Agriculture Ministers' Statement on Climate Change;
(b) developing the first Agriculture and Land Sector Plan to chart the path for the industry to actively contribute to net-zero by 2050;
(c) investing $1.1 billion in the current round of the Natural Heritage Trust, including $302.1 million in climate-smart agriculture programs;
(d) investing $63.8 million to support the sector to act on climate and reduce emissions;
(e) committing $519.1 million over the next four years from the Future Drought Fund to ensure programs promote long-term drought and climate resilience; and
(f) ensuring our forestry industry remains sustainable, expanding our plantation estate and continuing support for our native forestry sector, in addition to supporting innovation and advanced manufacturing for wood products.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 35minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Repacholi — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
7 DR WEBSTER: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that bushfires have ravaged the Grampians National Park and associated tourist destinations including Halls Gap, Pomonal and Dunkeld in February 2024 and over Christmas 2024, the latter being a critical annual income period for small businesses in the region;
(2) acknowledges that to protect lives and property, access to towns and tourist sites like Halls Gap was closed in some cases for weeks, depriving them of tourist visitors;
(3) further notes that:
(a) businesses have expressed concern that they have been unable to afford, or even access, insurance against bushfire risk notwithstanding that in Halls Gap's case, the town has never itself been struck by bushfire;
(b) the region was struck again over the 2025 Australia Day public holiday weekend with further fires in the Little Desert National Park at times threatening Dimboola, which led to further park closures and tourists deterred from remaining in the region; and
(c) fires that started over the 2025 Australia Day public holiday weekend have continued to burn in the southern part of the Grampians National Park into February 2025;
(4) commends the bravery, commitment and selflessness of Country Fire Authority services and volunteers, farmers, landholders and community members to protect life and property, fighting and containing the fires; and
(5) calls upon:
(a) all levels of Government to prioritise opening and maintaining access to as much of the Grampians as possible to maximise the social and economic health of the region;
(b) State Governments to:
(i) provide maximum transparency on the bushfire mitigation efforts they undertake, to assist insurers in determining reasonable insurance premiums; and
(ii) fast-track their processes for seeking Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement assistance from the Commonwealth including Category D support for small businesses affected by fire disaster related closures;
(c) the Commonwealth Government to take immediate steps to ensure bushfire insurance is affordable and accessible; and
(d) the Commonwealth and Victorian State Governments to implement a marketing strategy to encourage all Australians to consider travelling to the Grampians as soon as possible to support an internationally renowned attraction and the communities that depend on tourism for their survival.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 25minutes.
Speech time limits —
Dr Webster — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 5 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
8 MS J RYAN: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that the Government is delivering:
(a) cheaper child care and boosting wages for early childhood educators;
(b) record needs-based funding for schools across the country;
(c) free TAFE;
(d) more opportunities for more Australians from the outer-suburbs and the bush to go to university; and
(e) student debt relief; and
(2) acknowledges that investing in the education and skills of young Australians is a key component of building Australia's future.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 40minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms J Ryan — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
9 MR BIRRELL: To move—That this House:
(1) condemns the Government for failing to address the critical issue of classroom disruption in Australian schools which is severely impacting the learning outcomes of Australian students as well as forcing teachers to leave the profession in droves; and
(2) notes:
(a) that despite the escalating levels of classroom disruption and even violence in many classrooms, the Government has failed to respond to the Senate inquiry report by the Education and Employment Reference Committee into the issue of increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms;
(b) the declining ranking of Australia in the Organisation for Economic .Co-operation and Development (OECD) disciplinary climate index, making Australian classrooms amongst the world's most disorderly;
(c) the impacts, demands and experience of disorderly classrooms on teacher safety, work satisfaction and workforce retention;
(d) the impact of disorderly, poorly disciplined classroom environments and school practices on students' learning, compared with their peers in more disciplined classrooms; and
(e) how leading OECD countries with the highest disciplinary climate index rankings can provide valuable lessons on reducing distraction and disorder in Australian classrooms.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Birrell — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
Orders of the day—continued
TAXING BILLIONAIRES AND BIG CORPORATIONS: Resumption of debate on the motion of Ms Watson-Brown—That this House:
(1) notes that billionaires and big corporations have too much power over our democracy; and
(2) calls on the Government to tax billionaires and big corporations to fund the cost of living relief that Australians need, including:
(a) covering dental and mental health under Medicare;
(b) making sure everyone can see the GP for free;
(c) building housing people can actually afford; and
(d) wiping student debt.
( Notice given 4 February 2025. )
Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025
That this bill be now read a second time.
Criminal Code Amendment (Using Technology to Generate Child Abuse Material) Bill 2025
That this bill be now read a second time.
Intelligence company Graphika reported late in 2023 that non-consensual explicit generative AI tools had moved from being available on niche internet forums into a "scaled" online and monetised business.
It found there had been more than 24 million unique visits to the websites of 34 of these tools, and links to access them had risen sharply across platforms like Reddit, X and Telegram.
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Communications) Bill 2025
That this bill be now read a second time.
Truth is fundamental to democracy. When citizens cannot tell fact from fiction, and leaders spread falsehoods for political advantage, society as a whole is damaged.
That this House:
(1) commends the Government for its commitment to reduce student debt by 20 per cent by amending the law relating to:
(a) apprenticeship support loans;
(b) the Higher Education Loan Program;
(c) student start-up loans;
(d) vocational education and training student loans; and
(e) the student financial supplement schemes;
(2) recognises that when combined with the 2024 changes to indexation introduced by the Government, the 20 per cent reduction in student debt will cut approximately twenty billion dollars in debt for approximately three million Australians;
(3) acknowledges that reducing the debt burden for Australian graduates will enable them to better use their skills and earnings to build a better future for themselves and their families;
(4) further commends the Government for promoting intergenerational fairness, recognising that quality education can change lives, and noting that the rising cost of tertiary education over recent decades has coincided with increasing demands for higher qualifications; and
(5) calls on the Opposition to support the Government's measure to help more Australians access quality education, increase their earning potential and keep more of what they earn.
Australians with a student loan or those planning to undertake tertiary studies should not be blindsided by high indexation driven by high inflation, as has occurred under Labor over the past three years.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges 2.5 million small businesses have been abandoned by the Government;
(2) notes the Government has:
(a) achieved a record number of small business insolvencies this financial year;
(b) done nothing to create an environment for small businesses to thrive; and
(c) made it more difficult than ever to do business in Australia; and
(3) calls on the Government to prioritise the problems facing small businesses by:
(a) removing excessive regulation it insists on applying to small business;
(b) scrapping its plans to impose a family savings tax on unrealised capital gains; and
(c) backing small business to make it easier to employ Australians.
Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say 'We have done this ourselves.'
Of course, the president of the United States has raised it with the prime minister.
Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025
… due to increasing costs of running the Practice, we must advise that the GAP FEE for Private Patients has increased.
… … …
Full payment of account on the day is REQUIRED.
… the builders who are going to get that state government money are not our builders … the challenge for us is we've got to get into that non-union sector.
… what the member for Moncrieff said is untrue. They never introduced any legislation to deliver reforms of the EPBC Act.
That, in accordance with the provisions of section 10 of the Archives Act 1983 , this House appoints Mr D Smith as a member of the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council for a period of three years.
That, in accordance with the provisions of the National Library Act 1960 , this House elects Ms Claydon to be a member of the Council of the National Library of Australia and to continue as a member for a period of three years from this day.
That Mr Laxale be discharged from the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests and that, in his place, Ms Chesters be appointed a member of the committee.
That members be appointed as members of certain committees in accordance with the list that has been placed on the table.
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
That Mr Caldwell, Ms Landry, Mr Pike and Ms Sharkie be appointed members of the Selection Committee.
In addition, the electorate of Nicholls is, I believe, one of the most successful examples of multiculturalism in the world. People from all over have made their way to this region, often coming with nothing, and they have made extraordinary lives. My observation as a member of this community is that we seem to do better when we celebrate each other's different cultural identity but moreover—
embrace each other's humanity, the humanity being a stronger bond between us than any divisions that tend to be amplified by race, gender, sexual orientation or religious view.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Sharkie ) took the chair at 10:30.
(1) notes that:
(a) the Government prioritised party politics over the protection of Australians by dismantling the Home Affairs portfolio after the 2022 election;
(b) only the Opposition took a commitment to the 2025 election to undo the Government's damage and restore Home Affairs to its rightful place as the preeminent domestic national security policy and operations portfolio; and
(c) the decision to reconstitute the Home Affairs portfolio following the election, and the Prime Minister's acknowledgement that there were issues with information sharing during the Dural caravan incident are an admission that the national security architecture that was put in place by dismantling the Home Affairs portfolio failed at a critical time; and
(2) calls on the Government to apologise for putting party politics over Australia's national security by changing the Home Affairs portfolio three times in three years in a pointless factional tug-of-war.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to strengthening Medicare;
(2) welcomes that, from 1 July 2025, the following measures to strengthen Medicare began:
(a) a $1.8 billion boost to hospital funding, helping Australians get the quality healthcare they deserve;
(b) more choice, lower costs, and high-quality care for Australian women; and
(c) expanded access to Medicare-funded magnetic resonance imaging scans;
(3) further welcomes the Government's commitments to strengthen Medicare through:
(a) the single largest investment in Medicare to deliver more bulk billing;
(b) opening an additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, on top of the 87 already in operation;
(c) cutting the maximum cost of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicine to $25; and
(d) launching 1800 MEDICARE to take pressure off hospitals and make free, urgent care available to all Australians;
(4) notes the stark contrast between the Government's investment in Medicare and the Leader of the Opposition, who, as health minister extended the Medicare rebate freeze; and
(5) welcomes the Government delivering the better future Australians voted for by strengthening Medicare.
Last year a bone density test revealed I am osteopenic, meaning I'm at risk of developing osteoporosis.
My GP has me smearing Estrogel on my upper arm each morning to hopefully improve my bone density or at least stop it getting worse.
At my last doctor's appointment, my GP said, good news, Estrogel's now on the PBS!
Labor understands reducing falls and fractures in post-menopausal women is not just about showing compassion, it's recognition of the unique challenges faced by women.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) 15 August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day (VP Day);
(b) VP Day marks the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, following Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945;
(c) victory in the Pacific marked the end of the biggest ever threat to Australian soil at the time;
(d) the formal surrender took place on 2 September 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay;
(e) Australian forces were engaged in campaigns across the Pacific, in New Guinea, Bougainville, New Britain, Borneo, and in the Philippines, and Australian prisoners of the Japanese were spread throughout Asia; and
(f) over 200,000 Australian servicemen and women were involved in the war against Japan, and over 17,000 died; and
(2) acknowledges our:
(a) gratitude to those who served, and their families, for the sacrifices they made which secured the freedoms we enjoy today; and
(b) bipartisan ongoing commitment to remember their service and sacrifice.
That this House:
(1)commemorates the 80th anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, which caused the deaths of over 200,000 people and left enduring human, environmental and generational harm;
(2)congratulates Nihon Hidankyo on their 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for their lifelong work to draw the world's attention to the impact of nuclear weapons, and acknowledges the profound suffering of direct and descendent nuclear bomb survivors (Hibakusha) and nuclear test survivors, including First Nations communities and military veterans affected by British nuclear testing in Australia and the Pacific;
(3)recognises the importance of a robust international legal architecture for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the cornerstone Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga) and a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty;
(4)reaffirms that Australia shares the ambition, with States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, of a world without nuclear weapons;
(5)welcomes global efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and strengthen disarmament norms; and
(6)calls on the Government to continue engaging constructively in international disarmament forums and to work with allies, civil society, and affected communities to advance practical steps towards a world without nuclear weapons.
Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) when the previous Government introduced the Jobs Ready Graduates Scheme, many students, education experts, universities, and members of the then Opposition criticised the scheme as an inequitable and damaging attack on students, and on the humanities and social sciences in particular;
(b) the subsequent Australian Universities Accord final report found the Jobs Ready Graduate Scheme had been a policy failure and an expensive impost on students, and recommended it be replaced with a more equitable funding arrangement; and
(c) despite three years in power and 18 months since the Universities Accord Report, the current Government has failed to act in the best interests of students and has left the Jobs Ready Graduates Scheme in place; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) urgently repeal the Jobs Ready Graduate Scheme; and
(b) implement a return to fee-free first degrees for Australian citizens.
If we can get this right, there is a kingdom that awaits us all, one made up of highly skilled and fulfilling jobs, an economy that is productive and makes the most of our talents and where imagination is valued.
In most jurisdictions, including the United States and Australia, there are no binding federal mandates to compel project proponents to remove obsolete wind turbines, solar panels, transmission lines, or battery systems. This has resulted in growing cases where infrastructure is abandoned, creating long-term liabilities for landholders, local councils, and, ultimately, taxpayers. Decommissioning bonds, where they exist, are often poorly enforced, underfunded, or riddled with loopholes that allow developers to exit responsibly through corporate restructuring or insolvency.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the opportunities generative artificial intelligence (AI) will have on the Australian economy;
(2) notes the AI driven productivity and innovation boosts already occurring in Australian businesses and households;
(3) further acknowledges Australia's global AI competitive advantage and the risks associated with not grasping our AI opportunities; and
(4) further notes the speed at which AI technology is developing, and that Government must keep up with community expectations by ensuring Australians have access to reliable AI technologies domestically and that their governments create efficiencies by embracing new technologies such as AI as they develop.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that:
(a) too many Australian men are struggling with their health in silence, with outdated stereotypes stopping them from seeking support; and
(b) suicide rates among men remain far too high;
(2) recognises that the Government is delivering real support to men and boys by strengthening Medicare and investing $32 million in targeted men's health initiatives, including:
(a) $11.3 million for Movember to train 60,000 primary health workers and encourage men to visit the doctor; and
(b) $20.7 million for grassroots mental health support, including expanded funding for Men's Sheds, Ahead of the Game, Healthy Male, and the Danny Frawley Centre;
(3) notes that this builds on the Government's broader investments of:
(a) $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare;
(b) $11.6 million in men's health funding in the 2024-25 budget; and
(c) $1 billion for mental health, including more headspace centres and more trained mental health professionals; and
(4) welcomes the Government's commitment to breaking down stigma, supporting better health outcomes for men and boys, and building a stronger, fairer, healthier Australia for everyone.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) fourteen months ago, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government referred the local government sustainability inquiry to the Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport because local government faced 'pressing issues' and that the inquiry was 'long overdue';
(b) local councils are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their financial sustainability, especially in the regions;
(c) the President of the Australian Local Government Association, Matt Burnett, asserts that 'financial sustainability is the biggest challenge facing our sector' with many councils 'at breaking point after years of delivering more local services and infrastructure with less funding';
(d) the Government-dominated inquiry only delivered an interim report 11 months after it started, and the inquiry lapsed at the dissolution of the House of Representatives;
(e) the inquiry's interim report made no recommendations; and
(f) the interim report identified emerging themes including:
(i) the significant expansion in the role of local government over time, much of which is due to cost shifting from other levels of government;
(ii) calls for a review of the Financial Assistance Grants program, and in particular the distribution formula, quantum of the funding pool, indexation methodology, and the national principles;
(iii) concerns by councils about the reliance on competitive grant programs requiring co-contributions;
(iv) limits to revenue generation in some areas due to rate capping in Victoria and rate pegging in New South Wales; and
(v) considerable skills shortages experienced by councils which are exacerbated in the regions; and
(2) calls upon the Minister, as a first order of business, to refer the matter to the committee afresh to continue the unfinished inquiry and let it deliver a final report, for the sake of the 537 local councils and shires around the country.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to Australians earning more and keeping more of what they earn;
(2) notes that on 1 July 2025:
(a) millions of Australian workers on minimum and award wages got a 3.5 per cent pay rise; and
(b) the superannuation guarantee increased to 12 per cent; and
(3) welcomes the Government delivering the better future Australians voted for.