House of Representatives

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that none of these groups would be negatively impacted by the tax reforms. He contrasted the government's approach with internal disagreements within the opposition, citing comments from shadow ministers about the need for the Liberal Party to rebrand or dissolve. He maintained that the government was determined to make a positive difference for people through long-called-for tax reform.

Answer from Pat Conroy

The minister highlighted the signing of the Nakamal agreement with Vanuatu, described as Australia's first comprehensive bilateral agreement with the nation. He noted that the agreement supports skills development through traineeships, aids participation in the digital economy, and addresses climate change threats by supporting energy access. The treaty also formalises Vanuatu's decision to prohibit foreign military bases on its territory and commits Australia to providing humanitarian assistance during natural disasters. The minister emphasised that the agreement respects the sovereignty of both nations and strengthens cultural ties.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister reiterated that no one in these groups would be negatively impacted, dismissing the premise of the question. He criticised the opposition for internal disarray, noting that shadow ministers were calling for the Liberal Party to be dissolved or rebranded. He pointed out inconsistencies in the opposition's stance on tax cuts, stating they had voted against them, then supported them, and now described them as egregious. He concluded that the opposition needed to get its own act together.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister noted that the social media ban for under-16s had been supported across the parliament and had influenced 20 other countries to implement similar legislation. He acknowledged parents who had campaigned for these changes due to personal tragedies. He announced that new legislation would be introduced to give the eSafety Commissioner expanded enforcement powers and to double the fines for non-compliant social media companies. He emphasised the need to hold companies accountable for profiting while causing harm to vulnerable young people.

Answer from Tony Burke

The minister stated that approval times under the new legislation had significantly improved. He clarified that heritage listings, including National and World Heritage listings, deal with both natural and cultural values. He noted that many listings specifically include cultural values, ensuring that the principles referred to by the member are incorporated into Australian law.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister reported that over five million underage accounts had been deactivated since the law began six months prior. She cited survey data showing improvements in sleep, sports participation, and reductions in online bullying and exposure to violent content among young Australians. She announced that new legislation would double the maximum penalty for non-compliance from $49.5 million to $99 million and strengthen the eSafety Commissioner's information-gathering powers. She noted that the commissioner was actively investigating five major platforms for non-compliance.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister defended the legislation, stating it delivered tax cuts for 13 million workers and levelled the playing field for first home buyers. She cited Treasury advice that house prices would continue to rise but at a rate approximately two percentage points slower than otherwise. She highlighted that the changes would enable 75,000 Australians to transition from renting to homeownership. She criticised the opposition for ignoring the housing crisis during their nine years in government.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer outlined measures taking effect on 1 July, including tax cuts for all workers, a six per cent pay rise for minimum wage earners, and a 4.34 per cent rise for award-wage workers. He noted that superannuation would be paid with wages, fuel excise relief would continue, and paid parental leave would increase to 26 weeks. He also mentioned the ban on excessive grocery pricing and indexing of various payments. He contrasted these measures with the opposition's stance, accusing them of opposing tax cuts and reforms.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister stated that the premise of the question was factually and utterly incorrect.

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The minister announced that from 1 July, award-wage workers would receive a 4.75 per cent increase and minimum wage workers a six per cent increase, bringing the average weekly national minimum wage above $1,000. She noted that 14 million Australians would receive tax cuts of up to $268. She also highlighted the introduction of payday super laws, ensuring superannuation is paid earlier and more regularly. She emphasised that these measures represented real change for workers.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister reiterated that the recent legislation delivered tax cuts and levelled the playing field for first home buyers. She cited Treasury modelling showing house prices would rise but at a rate two percentage points slower than otherwise. She stated that the changes would help 75,000 rental households become first home owners. She criticised the opposition for not supporting these changes to address the broken housing market.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek

The minister announced that from 1 July, paid parental leave would expand to six months at over $1,000 a week, more than doubling the entitlement since the government took office. She noted that approximately 30,000 parents would benefit. She criticised opposition figures for past comments dismissing paid parental leave and for current inconsistencies in their support. She highlighted that tens of thousands of parents in various electorates had benefited from the scheme in the previous year.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister explained that the digital duty of care aimed to prevent psychosocial harm and enforce safety by design, shifting the onus to tech companies. She stated that defining harm as psychosocial captured emerging issues as research developed. She compared the current regulatory approach to the introduction of seatbelts, noting that cultural change takes time. She affirmed that the government was working towards holding tech companies accountable and looked forward to continuing work on the digital duty of care later in the year.

Answer from Daniel Mulino

The minister announced that from 1 July 2026, it would be illegal for large supermarkets to charge excessive prices compared to cost plus a reasonable margin. He noted that breaches would face fines of the greater of $10 million, three times the profit gained, or 10 per cent of yearly sales. He listed other measures including strengthening the unit pricing code, tackling shrinkflation, improving price transparency, and providing $30 million to the ACCC. He also mentioned grants for fresh produce suppliers and making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory. He stated that the opposition had opposed these reforms.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister stated she was not changing her answer to this repeated question. She defended the recent legislation as supporting first home buyers and part of a broader housing agenda. She highlighted that homeownership rates were falling, with low-income young couples half as likely to own homes compared to previous decades. She criticised the opposition for defending a broken status quo and failing to support first home buyers.

Answer from Mark Butler

The minister noted that over 460 new medicines had been listed on the PBS since the government took office, with 10 more to be listed on 1 July. He highlighted the listing of Tezspire for severe asthma, which affects one in 10 Australians. He stated that without the PBS listing, patients would pay up to $1,600 per injection, but with the listing, they would pay PBS prices. He emphasised that this would provide life-saving relief to patients who could not control their asthma with inhalers alone.

Answer from Tony Burke

The minister stated that the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder provided annual reports on objectives and that a review of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was underway. He explained that the government opposed withholding excess water to maintain basin health, as a living river system was essential for jobs and towns. He noted that water holdings for the Commonwealth were similar to those of irrigators, with allocations going down during droughts. He argued that returning to the pre-reform system would lead to blackwater events and unusable water, harming both the ecosystem and irrigators.

Answer from Anne Aly

The minister stated that the government believed every Australian deserved the opportunity to participate and succeed, regardless of background. She listed measures such as paid parental leave, tax cuts, minimum wage increases, education reforms, and healthcare improvements as ways to deliver real change. She emphasised that a strong sense of belonging was critical for aspiration to flourish. She criticised the three right-wing parties for believing Australia was weakened by diversity and for failing to defend multiculturalism, contrasting this with the government's belief in aspiration for all Australians.