House of Representatives

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 Chris Bowen

The minister highlighted that 80,005 households had installed cheaper home batteries under the government's policy, noting high uptake in regional New South Wales and Western Australia. He stated that farmers would receive approximately $1 billion in payments for hosting renewable infrastructure between now and 2030, rising to $8 billion by 2050. He criticized the opposition for denying climate science and argued that failing to act would prevent Australia from seizing these economic opportunities.

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 Tony Burke

The minister clarified that the government does not settle people and that there has been no repatriation program. He explained that Australian citizens return of their own volition, a process that has occurred under both the current and previous governments. He stated that security agencies are constantly engaged to ensure Australian safety and that every expected conversation regarding security is taking place with professionalism.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that Treasury modelling compared orderly and disorderly transition scenarios, concluding that decisive action would make Australia a beneficiary of the energy transformation. He listed five key findings: increased international competitiveness, more jobs, higher wages, greater investment certainty, and avoidance of higher power prices. He argued that abandoning net zero, as the opposition desired, would result in a worse economic outcome than the disorderly transition scenario.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister said she learned of the significant service failure on 19 September around 4:30 pm when Optus reached out to her office. She noted that she postponed her journey to collect details and update premiers and the community, instead holding a press conference on Saturday. She stressed that the fatalities strengthened her determination and that her office would handle the issue with strictness to guarantee system safety.

Answer from Catherine King

The minister explained that the $1.1 billion Cleaner Fuels Program aims to build a domestic low-carbon liquid fuels industry for hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and heavy haulage. She cited support from the National Farmers' Federation, Tourism & Transport Forum, and Ampol, highlighting job creation and income diversification for regional communities. She criticized the opposition for opposing the plan and failing to support new industries in regions facing population decline.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister stated that Optus advised her office on 18 September that the outage was minor, affected only 10 calls, and had no adverse impacts. She confirmed that her office sought assurance that the regulator, ACMA, was informed and investigating. She noted that ACMA had publicly confirmed they were aware of the incident.

Answer from Richard Marles

The minister stated that meaningful climate action is the entry point for engagement with Pacific nations, whose security is threatened by rising sea levels and storm surges. He highlighted the government's bid to host COP31 as an opportunity to amplify the Pacific's climate story. He contrasted this with the previous government's approach, which he claimed involved making jokes at the expense of Pacific nations, and emphasized that climate action is central to Australia's economic prosperity and regional standing.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister reminded the shadow minister that the government had already introduced legislation enhancing consumer safeguards, increasing penalties for telcos by 40 times to up to $10 million. She offered to continue working on penalties within the existing bill before the House, noting that the shadow minister had previously supported these increases. She stated she was done with the matter.

Answer from Andrew Giles

The minister highlighted the New Energy Apprenticeships Program, which had supported over 13,000 people with $10,000 incentive payments. He noted an 85 per cent retention rate at the 12-month mark and emphasized the program's role in training tradies for renewable energy infrastructure. He criticized the opposition for abandoning net zero targets and argued that climate action was essential for creating jobs and economic stability.

Answer from Mark Butler

The minister explained that the MRFF was designed to fund priority-driven projects, with annual disbursements of $650 million for several years. He noted that a statutory review by Treasury and Finance had recently raised issues regarding funding levels. He stated that the government was awaiting a final national strategy for health and medical research from Rosemary Huxtable, due by the end of the year, which would guide future thinking on MRFF disbursements.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister announced a joint investment with the Queensland government to support Glencore's Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville refinery. He stated this would secure more than 600 direct jobs and an additional 500 jobs at the Phosphate Hill facility. He emphasized that the investment was contingent on Glencore conducting a transformation study and taking responsibility for modernizing the facility to ensure long-term sustainability.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister repeated that Optus had advised her office on 18 September that the outage was minor and resolved with no adverse impacts. Regarding the larger outage, she stated she inquired about the correct process for contacting families and was advised that emergency services were the appropriate agency. She said she would meet with affected families if they wished but was respecting their space and avoiding politicizing their grief.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister highlighted that about 500 people in the member's electorate had used the five per cent deposit scheme. She stated that the government's $43 billion housing agenda was focused on building 55,000 social and affordable homes. She noted that new housing starts were up 17 per cent and construction cost inflation had fallen below general inflation. She criticized the opposition for opposing the deposit scheme and claimed the government was delivering the boldest housing agenda in 70 years.

Answer from Mark Butler

The minister confirmed that the CDC would be an independent agency operating separately from the Department of Health. He stated that the director-general would perform functions at arm's length from the government and could not be terminated for providing advice the government disagreed with. He explained that the appointment process would follow merit and transparency policies, involving a selection panel that would provide a shortlist to the minister for consideration.

Answer from Jason Clare

The minister cited statistics showing one in four students had been bullied at school and one in two online. He highlighted the implementation of a social media ban for children under 16 and an antibullying rapid review led by Dr Charlotte Keating and Professor Jo Robinson. He noted that the review had received over 1,700 submissions and would present recommendations and a proposed national standard on bullying to education ministers the following week.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister stated that all matters were public record and had been declared at a press conference. She emphasized that the issue centred on Optus's inability to manage its network and meet legal obligations, rather than emails. She stated her job was to improve the system and deliver maximum safety and public confidence.

Answer from Mark Butler

The minister highlighted the listing of Truqap for metastatic breast cancer, which would benefit up to 3,000 patients annually. He noted that the first four waves of the Cheaper Medicines policy had saved patients more than $1.5 billion. He also mentioned the freeze on PBS script prices for pensioners for the rest of the decade and a reduction in the maximum script price for general patients to $25 from 1 January next year.

Answer from Anthony Albanese; Julie Collins

The Prime Minister acknowledged the seriousness of feral pests and referred the question to the Minister for Agriculture. The minister stated that the government had invested around $2 billion in biosecurity and $3.87 million in the National Feral Pig Action Plan running to 2031. She emphasized that invasive species management is primarily the responsibility of state and territory governments, with the federal government focusing on biosecurity and coordination.

Answer from Kristy McBain

The minister cited the National Climate Risk Assessment, noting that 70 natural disasters were declared in 2024-25. She highlighted the creation of the National Emergency Management Agency, the $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund, increased aerial capability, and a national emergency stockpile. She also mentioned funding for Disaster Relief Australia and emphasized that the government was taking decisive action while the opposition debated climate science.

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 Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister announced legislation cementing a two-year freeze on the draft beer excise, the first such freeze in 40 years. He stated that 10,000 hospitality venues would benefit, describing them as important community focal points. He linked this measure to broader cost-of-living support, including cheaper medicines and batteries, and noted it was good news for small businesses and beer drinkers.