Question Time AU

Bill Debate · Second Reading

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading

House of Representatives · Tuesday 3 February 2026

Continued from Thursday 27 November 2025.

Official Hansard for this day (APH) · Read this debate on OpenAustralia

At a glance

Members debated the government's proposal to freeze beer excise indexation for two years, with critics arguing the measure provided negligible relief of approximately 1 cent per pint. Opposition members and crossbenchers contended that the freeze was insufficient to address rising costs for hospitality venues and consumers, calling instead for comprehensive excise reform or total elimination of the tax on draught beer. Barnaby Joyce moved an amendment to eliminate alcohol excise duty on products consumed on-premises in hospitality venues, arguing that high taxes were driving patrons away from pubs and toward illicit or home consumption. The debate highlighted concerns about the viability of regional hotels, the impact on small breweries, and broader economic issues such as inflation and government spending. The debate was adjourned without a recorded vote on the amendment or the bill's passage in this transcript.

Outcome

The debate was adjourned.

Summary in reported speech - not a transcript. AI-generated, so check the official record before quoting.

How the debate unfolded

Continued the debate

Ben Small (Forrest) (Liberal Party) Liberal

Small supported the principle of excise relief but argued the bill was a missed opportunity that delivered only minimal savings of 1 cent per pint. Small emphasised that the craft brewing sector, while small in volume, creates a disproportionate share of industry jobs and suffers under a high-tax regime that charges by volume rather than profitability. Small argued that the current system places significant cash-flow burdens on small businesses and fails to address the broader cost-of-living pressures facing consumers and hospitality venues. Small called for a parliamentary inquiry into the excise system to enable wholesale reform rather than a temporary freeze.

Opposition response

Andrew Willcox (Dawson) (Liberal National Party) LNP

Willcox supported the freeze as a positive step but characterised it as a token gesture that failed to address the root causes of cost-of-living pressures, such as high inflation and government spending. Willcox argued that the relief amounted to less than 1 cent per pint, which was insufficient compared to rising costs for mortgages, groceries, and energy. Willcox called for a thorough examination of the alcohol excise framework and suggested extending relief to spirits on tap. Willcox criticised the government's fiscal management, noting the increase in national debt, and argued that lasting relief required economic growth rather than patchwork tax fixes.