Senate

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated that nearly 660,000 homes had been built nationwide since Labor took office, with over 6,000 completed using Commonwealth investment and 23,000 in planning or construction. She noted that new home starts had risen by 26 per cent compared to the previous year. The minister highlighted the $47 billion Homes for Australia plan, which includes the HAFF, and criticized the opposition for opposing the fund and intending to abolish it. She argued that the government was committed to building more social and affordable housing, whereas the opposition believed the government had no role in ensuring adequate housing supply.

Answer from Katy Gallagher

The minister stated that the budget included $182.6 million for child support reforms to reduce weaponisation and protect women from financial abuse. She noted continued investment in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, including the Our Ways--Strong Ways First Nations safety plan, bringing total investment to over $4.4 billion since 2022. Regarding economic security, she explained that a woman earning $81,000 could be nearly $3,000 better off annually from 2027-28 due to the Working Australians Tax Offset and Instant Tax Deduction Benefit. The minister also highlighted investments in aged care, Medicare, mental health, reproductive health, and menopause services, noting that women had saved over $647 million on medicines since January 2023.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated that the budget aimed to uphold the 'great Australian contract' by ensuring future generations could fulfil the dream of homeownership. She explained that tax changes would increase housing supply and bring more owner-occupiers into the market, while noting that negative gearing remained available for new builds. The minister claimed the budget would help 75,000 Australians achieve homeownership and argued that under a Liberal government, young people would face higher taxes. She asserted that the government was aligning the treatment of income from labour with income from assets to ensure fairness, while providing additional tax cuts to working Australians.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated that the government did not need a lecture on the trade union movement and defended the gas reservation policy as superior to a tax. She argued that the reservation ensured producers supplied Australia first, delivering lower and more stable prices and protecting manufacturing jobs. The minister described the current situation as the worst global energy crisis in history, justifying decisions to ensure access to diesel, jet fuel, petrol, and fertiliser. She declined to engage with the premise that the government was keeping the gas industry happy, instead focusing on the necessity of managing the energy shock.

Answer from Jess Walsh

The minister stated that the budget took responsible action to help young Australians enter the housing market through increased supply and tax reforms that levelled the playing field for first home buyers. She noted that tax benefits for investing in new builds remained available. Regarding wages, she highlighted the rollout of legislated tax cuts, including a $1,000 instant tax deduction and the Working Australians Tax Offset. The minister pointed out that the national minimum wage had increased by more than $9,000 a year since Labor took office, allowing young workers to keep more of what they earned.

Answer from Jenny McAllister

The minister stated that as at 31 December, 94,963 people were waiting for a Support at Home place and 103,527 were waiting for an assessment. She explained that the government had invested over $4.3 billion in the new Support at Home program. In response to the supplementary, she confirmed that the budget would deliver an additional 32,000 Support at Home places in 2026-27, bringing the total to more than 420,000 places. She also noted that the budget included $3.7 billion for more aged-care beds and better care, including 5,000 additional beds annually.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated that the budget addressed energy security in the context of the largest global energy market shock in history. She argued that the previous government had allowed coal-fired power stations to exit the system without a plan for replacement supply, causing price and supply issues. The minister claimed that 24 of 28 ageing coal plants announced closures while the Coalition was in government. She defended the government's energy rebates and argued that the opposition's ideological position on energy sources had contributed to the current crisis.

Answer from Katy Gallagher

The minister stated that the budget prolonged the prohibition on overseas acquisitions of established residences until 2029. She noted that foreign buyer levels had dropped to 0.5 per cent of buyers after the ban started in 2025, compared to a peak of 1.8 per cent under the previous government. Regarding compliance, she referred to the Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets and the ATO's role in monitoring acquisitions. The minister explained that the government supported investment in new housing construction to drive supply, which is why foreigners could still purchase new builds.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister confirmed that the government was not introducing and did not intend to introduce taxes on inheritance or the family home. She stated that the opposition was contesting issues not in the budget because they could not contest the budget itself. In response to the question about credibility regarding negative gearing, the minister argued that the opposition had previously promised higher taxes and more debt, and criticized them for lacking a clear policy identity.

Answer from Murray Watt

The minister stated that the budget included a $250 Working Australians Tax Offset for 13.3 million workers, representing the most meaningful increase to the tax-free threshold in over a decade. He noted that the government would advocate for a real wage increase for minimum award wage earners, benefiting 2.7 million workers. The minister highlighted that the minimum wage had increased by more than $9,000 per year since Labor took office. Regarding young workers, he pointed to the removal of lower pay scales for those aged 18 to 20 in some sectors, allowing tens of thousands to earn adult wages.