Sussan Ley

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The minister stated that the Watson report was commissioned by the administrator to assist in cleaning up the union. She noted that the administrator, Mr Irving, had released a statement referring the report to the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, the Fair Work Commission, and other relevant agencies for enforcement action.

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The minister stated that the report was commissioned by the independent administrator for his own use, not for the government, and that handling and publication were matters for the administrator. She confirmed her office received the report on 9 February and had never requested changes or amendments to its contents. The minister explained that the administrator removed sections because he was not satisfied they were well-founded or properly tested. She expressed full confidence in the administrator, noting that all bad actors identified in the report had been removed from the union, with significant reductions in organiser numbers across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the previous government had done nothing to address union influence, whereas his government had expelled key figures and appointed administrators. He noted that construction cost inflation had fallen from 17 per cent to 1.8 per cent. The Prime Minister highlighted that new dwelling commencements were up 11.6 per cent and that over 220,000 Australians had been helped into home ownership sooner. He cited Master Builders Australia as confirming the 1.2 million homes target was achievable due to federal leadership.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister expressed condolences to the families and acknowledged the tragedy. He stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had apologised for failing to inform the families, which was appropriate. He confirmed that the Foreign Minister had demanded full accountability from Laos authorities, noting that charges should reflect the seriousness of the incident involving six deaths. He pledged continued engagement with Laos authorities and support for the families.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister listed government measures to alleviate cost-of-living pressures, including cutting student debt by 20 per cent, protecting penalty rates, increasing social services payments, and expanding the first home buyer deposit plan. He highlighted the opening of 122 urgent care clinics, tripling the bulk-billing incentive, and installing home batteries. He accused the opposition of opposing these measures and lacking positive plans, while focusing on internal divisions.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the Reserve Bank governor identified private demand as stronger than forecasted and public demand as having declined, describing these as facts. He outlined government measures to ease cost-of-living pressures, including cheaper medicines, bulk-billing investments, urgent care clinics, student debt relief, and income tax cuts. He asserted that the government remains focused on improving lives regardless of opposition rhetoric.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that inflation had decreased from the six per cent range to the three per cent range while keeping unemployment low and real wages increasing. He noted that the Reserve Bank governor attributed recent inflationary pressure to stronger-than-expected private demand. He emphasised the government's cost-of-living support measures opposed by the opposition.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister acknowledged cost-of-living pressures but stated that inflation had decreased from nearly 8 per cent to the low single digits. He cited an OECD report indicating that Australia avoided recession and that real incomes had risen since 2022, unlike in many other OECD economies. He criticized the opposition for failing to outline their budget plans and for proposing tax increases and nuclear energy funding.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister cited the Reserve Bank governor's statement that private demand had been stronger than forecast. He referenced OECD and IMF reports praising Australia's fiscal strategy and soft landing. He noted that the government had identified $114 billion in savings and provided an additional $20 billion in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. He challenged the opposition to specify what cuts they would make, given their lack of action when in government.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the Reserve Bank Governor attributed the rate rise to stronger-than-expected private demand, not government spending. He highlighted government measures to ease cost-of-living pressures, including cheaper medicines, bulk-billing incentives, student debt reductions, apprenticeship incentives, and free TAFE. He also noted upcoming tax cuts and criticized the opposition for failing to agree on cost-of-living measures.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister highlighted the government's record of back-to-back budget surpluses and returning 70 per cent of tax receipt upgrades to the bottom line. He noted that debt was $188 billion lower than forecast under the previous government, saving $60 billion in interest costs. He cited AAA credit ratings from S&P and Fitch and criticized the opposition's platform for proposing higher deficits, debt, and tax increases.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that inflation had decreased from six per cent to three per cent since the government took office, while unemployment remained low and wages increased. He noted that the budget had moved from deficits to surpluses, allowing for debt reduction. He emphasized that the Reserve Bank had indicated government spending was not the primary driver of inflation. The government continued to implement cost-of-living measures, including cheaper medicines, free TAFE, and home batteries, which he claimed were opposed by the opposition.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek (Minister for Social Services)

The Minister did not provide a direct answer to the specific question regarding the 500 workers, as the exchange was cut short or not fully recorded in the provided transcript segment. The transcript shows the question was asked but the answer is not included in the provided text for this specific exchange.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated the government had engaged in responsible economic management, turning deficits into surpluses and reducing debt by $176 billion. He highlighted tax cuts, wage increases for aged care and childcare workers, student debt relief, and free TAFE as measures to help Australians. He argued that the opposition had opposed these measures and campaigned on higher taxes and deficits.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer defended the Treasury Secretary, stating she attends Reserve Bank meetings as a representative of Treasury, not the government. He criticized the opposition for attacking a public servant. He highlighted that the government had appointed women to lead major economic institutions, including the Treasury, ASIC, Productivity Commission, and Reserve Bank, for the first time in history.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister expressed sorrow for the grief experienced by the Jewish community and the nation, stating he felt the weight of responsibility for the attack occurring on his watch. He explained that the immediate priority was ensuring national security and preventing further attacks, which involved daily meetings of the National Security Committee and upgrading security measures. He noted that legislation addressing antisemitism was passed in the House of Representatives, although some recommendations from the antisemitism envoy's report were not supported in the Senate. The royal commission was established once a commissioner was appointed and terms of reference were agreed upon with the Jewish community.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister acknowledged the pain felt by Jewish Australians but rejected the claim that antisemitism began with the election of his government in 2022, citing statistics and statements from previous years showing a rise in incidents under the former government. He listed actions taken by his government, including appointing a special envoy, establishing joint operations between the AFP and ASIO, introducing hate speech laws, banning Nazi symbols, criminalising doxxing, appointing a National Student Ombudsman, creating a hate crimes database, imposing sanctions on Terrorgram, expelling the Iranian ambassador, and directing the eSafety Commissioner to tackle online hate. He concluded by noting the establishment of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister described his meetings with Sheina Gutnick and other community leaders as warm and generous, contrasting this with the rhetoric of the opposition. He stated that he had engaged extensively with the Jewish community and that no one who asked to speak to him had been denied a meeting. He listed actions taken, including appointing the Special Envoy, introducing legislation, appointing the National Student Ombudsman, and engaging with the envoy's report. He criticised the opposition for opposing vilification laws and failing to present their own legislative package despite calling for parliament to resume.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister criticised the opposition for calling for parliament to resume and then voting against national security measures, including gun laws and vilification legislation. He stated that the government's process involved seeking advice and working collaboratively with the Jewish community. He argued that the opposition's approach had been to weaken legislation rather than strengthen it. He noted that the government had managed to pass measures despite lacking Senate numbers, highlighting the gap between the opposition's rhetoric and their actions.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister criticized the opposition's internal divisions and their historical stance on climate policy, citing comments from Phil Coorey about the dysfunction caused by past climate wars. He highlighted the defection of a National Party member and the lack of unity within the coalition regarding net zero commitments. He stated that the government was focused on delivery rather than political tactics.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister rejected the claims, stating that the government had turned deficits into surpluses and reduced debt. He highlighted zero quarters of negative growth, inflation halved, and wages rising for eight quarters. He listed achievements including 1.2 million new jobs, tax cuts, and cost-of-living relief, criticizing the opposition for fighting amongst themselves.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister acknowledged ongoing cost-of-living pressures and attributed the recent inflation tick-up to the withdrawal of state energy subsidies. He contrasted the current situation with the higher inflation rates experienced under the previous government, noting that the Coalition had delivered profligate budgets and increased debt. He highlighted that the government had achieved budget surpluses and reduced deficits, while implementing tax cuts for all taxpayers and securing eight consecutive quarters of high wage growth. He stated the government would continue to deliver cost-of-living relief to assist households.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister confirmed that the transition away from fossil fuels was government policy, agreed to at the Pacific Island Forum in November 2023. He rejected the characterization of the COP presidency as a full-time role, citing precedents where cabinet ministers held the position while serving in their national governments. He argued that the transition to renewable energy was orderly and equitable, and criticized the opposition for opposing international engagement and scientific guidance.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister stated that the COP presidency is not a full-time position and is commonly held concurrently with cabinet duties, citing previous examples from Azerbaijan and Egypt. He noted that other officials, including the assistant minister and a special envoy, would represent him at international meetings. He criticized the opposition for opposing international climate leadership while claiming to support national interests.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek (Minister for Social Services)

The minister acknowledged the statement and the coalition's association with the remarks on the importance of addressing violence against women.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that Pacific leaders welcomed Australia's role in climate negotiations and noted global support for the Paris Agreement at the G20. He highlighted recent treaty negotiations with Indonesia and meetings with the OECD secretary-general as evidence of building Australia's international standing. He argued that the opposition's lack of a coherent plan would lead to higher prices and reduced investment, citing criticism from business groups regarding their policy uncertainty.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister explained that critical climate negotiations occur during the conference period and highlighted upcoming meetings in the Pacific to address urgent climate threats to nations like Kiribati and Tuvalu. He criticized the opposition for previously mocking Pacific island nations and opposing Australia's international bids. He cited business leaders, including the Australian Industry Group and ACCI, who warned that abandoning net zero targets would create investor uncertainty and higher costs.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister criticized the opposition for opposing every cost-of-living measure, including tax cuts, cheaper medicines, and free TAFE. He highlighted the creation of over one million jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years, dismissing opposition claims that these were government jobs. He noted that the previous government had cut $20 million from Foodbank annually and accused the opposition of contempt for public servants who cleared waiting lists in Veterans' Affairs.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the economy was growing, inflation had halved from inherited levels, and real wages were rising. He highlighted government actions including income tax cuts, job creation, pay increases for aged and childcare workers, minimum wage rises, energy bill relief, cheaper medicines, and free TAFE places. He argued that these measures provided cost-of-living relief that the opposition had dismissed or opposed.

Answer from Sussan Ley (Leader of the Opposition)

The member praised the pilots and crew of Rex Airlines and other smaller regional airlines for their outstanding work in connecting communities.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister highlighted the government's fiscal record, including two budget surpluses and a reduction in debt by $188 billion. He noted that the government had intervened to cap coal and gas prices and implemented measures such as tax cuts and cheaper medicines, which the opposition had opposed.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that inflation had decreased from six per cent to three per cent since the government took office, noting that the recent rise followed several falls. He highlighted that interest rates had begun to fall under his administration, whereas they had risen under the previous government. He pointed out that the unemployment rate was in the four per cent range and that over one million jobs had been created, resulting in the lowest average unemployment in five decades. He also mentioned that the Treasurer had delivered two consecutive budget surpluses and lower deficits than projected at the election, which the public endorsed by rejecting the opposition's platform of higher taxes and deficits.

Answer from Richard Marles

The minister stated that the opposition should have supported the Housing Australia Future Fund earlier. He noted that 54 homes in Thurgoona, 135 in Penrith, and 213 in Moncrieff were part of the first tranche of projects. He claimed half a million houses had been built since the government took office, including 5,000 social and affordable homes, compared to 313 built by the previous government in nine years.

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The minister stated the government had zero tolerance for criminal conduct, which justified placing the union into administration. She reported that the administrator had removed or accepted the resignation of over 60 staff, mostly in leadership roles, and implemented a national code of conduct. The administration had received more than 500 complaints via a whistleblowing website and was collaborating with the AFP, Fair Work Commission, and police forces. She asserted the administrator was performing his duties effectively.

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The minister argued that administration was the strongest available action for ensuring accountability and transparency, contrasting it with the previous government's ABCC. She detailed the administration's transparency measures, including biannual parliamentary reporting and public financial records. She dismissed the opposition's claims as baseless and political, asserting the government was seriously committed to eliminating corruption in the construction industry.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that child sexual abuse is unacceptable and should not be subject to partisan politics. He explained that private member's business is procedurally scheduled for Monday after introduction, a practice in place since 1996. He highlighted the government's commitment to child safety, noting the establishment of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation in 2018 and the retention of mandatory minimum sentences for serious offences introduced by the previous government. He affirmed that the government is implementing the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse and working on reforming Working with Children Checks, while remaining open to sensible proposals from the opposition.

Answer from Tony Burke

The Minister stated that the actions described as assistance were legal obligations under the Citizenship Act and passport laws, not discretionary support. He clarified that the government followed the law by processing applications for citizenship and passports where eligible, providing no more or less than required. He contrasted this with the previous government's handling of returns, noting that no support was given to individuals who returned under their tenure, regardless of their involvement with extremist groups.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister listed facts: a non-government organization lost a court case demanding repatriation; the government did not repatriate these people; and the AFP remains prepared for self-managed returns. He quoted the AFP Commissioner on preparedness for self-managed returns and emphasized that Australian citizens have rights, but the government is not actively repatriating individuals. He accused the opposition of misleading the public.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister stated that the information was already public and referenced a press conference held on 22 September. She explained that Optus provided incorrect and misleading advice to her office and the ACMA regulator on 18 September. She noted that new ACMA determinations taking effect on 1 November would require telcos to immediately share outage information with emergency services and the regulator, a process telcos had agreed to start early.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister stated that the proposed amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 were poor and potentially redundant. She argued that the current definition of critical telecommunications assets already covered the relevant infrastructure. She warned that the amendment could extend the definition too broadly, capturing any system connected to emergency calls, which would make the legislation confusing without achieving clear objectives.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister pointed out that the shadow minister had previously supported penalty increases in the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025. She stated that the government would hold telcos accountable and that several investigations were underway. She emphasized that telcos must deliver resilient triple 0 services and that there would be serious consequences for failures.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister stated that the Optus outage was unacceptable and solely the fault of the telecommunications provider, which is under investigation. She announced six key reforms to strengthen the triple zero system, including legislating for a Triple Zero Custodian, mandating real-time outage reporting, requiring telcos to test systems during maintenance, ensuring call fallback to other networks, enforcing improvement plans after outages, and issuing new performance requirements within six months. Regarding her travel, she defended her attendance at the United Nations to discuss social media age verification laws, citing lobbying by bereaved families, and stated she did not regret standing with them.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister noted that the Optus CEO had announced three deaths, while the Western Australian Premier identified a fourth potential death connected to the outage. She stated that she had spoken with Optus, whose CEO and its parent company Singtel had apologised to the families. She argued that the companies, not the government, were responsible for the failures and should bear the accountability, criticising the opposition for politicising the tragedy and letting the private company off the hook.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister contrasted the current government's approach, where embassy officials formally represented Australia, with the former government's decision to send a minister. He highlighted his recent meeting with Yulia Navalnaya to discuss democracy and human rights in Russia, and his upcoming participation in a coalition of the willing convened by President Macron. He affirmed the government's unequivocal support for Ukraine and its opposition to Vladimir Putin, noting new sanctions against Russia and North Korea. He stated he would never meet Putin or the North Korean leader and emphasized the government's commitment to supporting democracy globally.

Answer from Sussan Ley (Farrer) (Liberal Party)

The member joined the Prime Minister and government members in wishing Commissioner Kershaw well, acknowledging his legacy of service and influence.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the government had taken decisive action and that he was not responsible for the actions of individual citizens. He noted that the former government had sent a minister to a similar event previously. He affirmed the government's unequivocal condemnation of the Iranian regime and its decision not to send any official representatives to the parade. He criticized the opposition for seeking political difference on an issue that had bipartisan support for the ambassador's expulsion, arguing that such division undermined Australia's international position.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated there was no contradiction with his previous answer, which he maintained was absolutely correct.

Answer from Sam Rae

The minister stated that the government had agreed to pass the aged care bill, ensuring certainty for older Australians, providers, and workers. He explained that the new Support at Home program would allow more seniors to remain at home with higher levels of care. To meet increased demand, the government would fast-track the release of an extra 20,000 home care packages in the eight weeks leading up to 1 November. The remaining 63,000 packages would be allocated by 30 June 2026, maintaining fiscal prudence while delivering care faster.

Answer from Sam Rae

The minister explained that there is an established process for verifying data regarding the national priority system waitlist. He confirmed that around 87,000 people were on the waitlist at the end of March and that the government releases more than 2,000 home-care packages weekly. He stated that the verification process is longstanding and consistent with previous government practices to ensure incorrect information is not released.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the reports were not accurate.