House of Representatives

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the government received information and advice on Monday, enacted appropriate committees, and by Tuesday had evacuated personnel from Iran and expelled the Iranian ambassador and three other diplomats. He noted that the decision to list a terrorist organisation involves amending the Criminal Code and is a government decision. He cited the Shadow Minister for Defence, who acknowledged that briefs existed during the previous coalition government but that they chose not to list the group, stating the decision was backed by forensic intelligence. The Prime Minister emphasised that intelligence matters are not subject to public debate and highlighted bipartisan support for the recent actions.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister listed several measures including a 20 per cent cut to student debt benefiting three million students and apprentices, saving an average of $512 each. He noted the legislation for free TAFE to provide skills for desired jobs and the passing of laws to legally guarantee penalty rates for weekend and overtime work. He also mentioned accelerating the five per cent deposit scheme to 1 October to help first home buyers and freezing the draught beer excise. He concluded that these measures support young Australians in work, housing, and leisure.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister explained that the Australian Bureau of Statistics attributed the annual increase to the timing of Energy Bill Relief Fund rebate applications in different capital cities. He cited the Australian Energy Regulator's report stating that aging coal plants are costly, require high maintenance, and are prone to outages, contributing to higher prices. He noted that four gigawatts of dispatchable power had left the grid while only one gigawatt had been added under the previous government. He asserted that the current government takes decisions to lower prices through relief funds and renewable energy, contrasting this with the opposition's support for nuclear energy and opposition to bill relief.

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The Minister reported that the government passed workplace relations reforms and made a submission to the Fair Work Commission for a real wage increase, resulting in a 3.5 per cent rise for minimum wage and award-reliant workers from 1 July. She stated that minimum wage workers have seen an average pay packet increase of $9,120 since the government took office. She highlighted the passing of legislation to protect overtime and penalty rates for around 2.6 million workers, preventing pay packets from going backwards. She also mentioned tax cuts for every worker as part of the commitment to helping Australians earn and keep more.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister disputed the claim that no response had been provided, stating the government has done more than any previous administration. He highlighted the BetStop self-exclusion register, which had 46,369 total registrations and 30,750 active exclusions by the end of July, with 39 per cent of registrants choosing a lifetime ban. He listed other measures including banning credit cards for online wagering, mandatory customer ID pre-verification, monthly win-loss statements, and strengthening classification of gambling-like video games. He stated the government aims to break the connection between wagering and sport and ensure the industry acts responsibly.

Answer from Mark Butler

The Minister explained that cheaper medicines prevent households from having to choose between medication and other essentials. He reported that the House passed the cheaper medicines bill, which reduces the highest out-of-pocket cost for a PBS prescription to $25, matching the 2004 level. He noted previous measures including a 25 per cent slash in the maximum amount pensioners and concession card holders pay for medicines, the introduction of 60-day scripts, and freezing script prices for concession card holders to the end of the decade. He stated these measures have saved Australians more than $112 billion in out-of-pocket costs.

Answer from Richard Marles

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the Pentagon confirmed a meeting took place and was coordinated in advance. He criticised the opposition for suggesting no meeting occurred or that it was happenstance, implying they believed the photos were AI-generated. He emphasised that the Australia-US alliance should be above partisan politics and accused the opposition of hoping the nation fails in its relationship with the United States. He called for the opposition to support the alliance in a bipartisan manner.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister expressed surprise at the question being asked in the presence of a US congressperson. He referenced the Deputy Prime Minister's comments on bipartisan support for the US relationship. He recounted his own experience as Leader of the Opposition, where he received a briefing on AUKUS from Scott Morrison and supported the arrangement. He stated that the relationship with the United States is Australia's most important and should be above partisan politics, accusing the opposition of attempting to undermine it.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that he met with councils who thanked the government for its work. He attributed the algal bloom to climate change, specifically floodwaters from the Murray-Darling Basin carrying nutrients into warmer ocean waters. He asserted that every bit of funding requested by the South Australian government has been provided. He criticised the opposition for wavering on net zero targets and becoming more right-wing on climate change than the previous government.

Answer from Pat Conroy

The Minister stated that the Mogami class was selected as the preferred platform, delivering on the plan to double the surface combatant fleet. He noted a $55 billion investment over the decade to build eight stealth frigates in Australia, supporting over 10,000 jobs in Western Australia. He highlighted that the decision was made months ahead of schedule, with the first frigate to be delivered in 2029 and four by 2034, which is four times the number and five years earlier than the previous government's plan. He contrasted this with the previous government's closure of shipyards and delivery of an aging fleet.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister recalled visiting Eugowra during the floods and providing substantial support in partnership with the state government. He acknowledged the devastation and the resilience of the community. He stated that he would take the question on notice and respond appropriately within the next week, asking that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.