House of Representatives

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer dismissed the opposition's credibility on tax matters, citing their own proposals to increase income taxes. He explained that the budget changes regarding trusts were optional and designed to align tax treatment with ordinary workers while reducing restructuring costs. He noted that Treasury analysis indicated families with discretionary trusts paid lower average tax rates than similar non-trust families, with the majority of trust wealth held by the top 10 per cent of households. He stated that over 95 per cent of individual taxpayers would not be affected and confirmed that Treasury was consulting on the legislation in the usual way.

Answer from Anika Wells

The Minister stated that an urgent online safety bill had been introduced 72 days prior to empower the eSafety Commissioner to hold social media companies accountable. She criticised the Coalition and Greens for delaying the bill's passage, arguing this allowed harm to continue. She defended the proposal to examine big tech executives under oath, noting the Coalition had previously granted this power. She highlighted that the Coalition had voted with One Nation to block the bill in the Senate and urged parliament to pass the legislation to protect children.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister defended the three grants in his electorate as worthwhile community projects. He described funding for the Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre, a St Vincent de Paul refuge for women escaping domestic violence, and repairs to the Marrickville Golf Club's septic tank to prevent raw sewage from entering the Cooks River during floods. He clarified that his honorary membership at the golf club was granted in 2012, that he did not hold a card or use the facilities, and that membership fees were low. He expressed pride in supporting these local community organisations.

Answer from Jason Clare

The Minister reported that Australia ranked 11th in reading and science and 17th in maths in the PISA results, while noting significant improvements in the United Kingdom due to long-term reforms like phonics mandates. He argued that the results highlighted a correlation between high screen time and lower academic performance, advocating for a digital detox in schools. He linked online exposure to negative social attitudes among young men and emphasised the importance of the government's digital duty of care announcement to protect children from harmful algorithms.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that members across parliament regularly advocate for projects in their electorates and that political parties make election commitments. He reiterated that the three projects in his electorate—a women's health centre, a domestic violence refuge, and environmental repairs to prevent sewage pollution—were all worthwhile and provided community benefit. He affirmed that these projects supported people in need and defended the system as legitimate.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister highlighted the opening of the M1 project extending to Raymond Terrace, which addressed a bottleneck between Newcastle and Raymond Terrace. He noted that this completed a missing link in the Sydney to Brisbane corridor, opening more than a year ahead of schedule and under budget. He stated that the project created 1,700 jobs, with over 70 per cent from the Hunter region, and would benefit freight, local commuters, and holidaymakers. He described it as a win for productivity and jobs.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer argued that the superannuation system relied on universality, preservation, and compounding returns, which were at risk under opposition policies. He stated that early withdrawals would cost individuals significantly at retirement and increase budget deficits. He cited Intergenerational Report projections showing pension spending would fall from 2.3 per cent to 1.8 per cent of the economy as superannuation improved retirement incomes. He criticised the Coalition and One Nation for proposing policies that would undermine superannuation and increase income taxes.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister stated that he had received regular progress reports from the Clean Energy Regulator since the program's implementation on 1 July 2025. He noted that these reports showed the number of complaints per installation had halved since the program began. He denied claims of systemic fraud, stating that 535,833 households had installed batteries and that the opposition's allegations were untrue.

Answer from Daniel Mulino

The Minister highlighted reforms such as paying super on parental leave and payday super to prevent losses. He announced August reforms to strengthen consumer protections and fix procedural issues in the compensation scheme for misconduct. He argued that opposition policies would cost Australians thousands of dollars and undermine retirement security. He emphasised that the government was committed to defending the superannuation system against attacks from the Coalition and One Nation.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister reiterated that he received honorary social membership in 2012 but did not hold a card, use the facilities, or know the club's executives. He stated that he did not play golf and that the membership was a nominal gesture from a local community club. He contrasted this with formal memberships like Royal Sydney, which he declared, and emphasised that the honorary title carried no cost or benefit. He defended the club as a vital community asset.

Answer from Amanda Rishworth

The Minister listed government initiatives including the right to disconnect, strengthened flexible work arrangements, extended paid parental leave to six months, and protected penalty and overtime rates. She identified the Coalition, Nationals, and One Nation as the primary threat to working families, citing their opposition to these measures and calls to repeal the right to disconnect. She argued that only the Labor government was committed to backing working families.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer acknowledged the importance of consistent definitions and noted that the Housing Australia Future Fund required rents to be at a 25 per cent discount to market rates. He stated that the Minister for Housing had asked Treasury to examine different definitions and frameworks across Australia to identify options for greater consistency. He confirmed that this work was ongoing with state housing ministers and that he would keep the member informed of progress.

Answer from Andrew Giles

The Minister announced $6.9 million in mobile TAFE projects and reported that the free TAFE program had achieved more than 850,000 enrolments and 275,000 completions. He stated that completions were growing at twice the rate of enrolments. He criticised the opposition for voting against free TAFE and characterising it as a waste of money. He affirmed the government's commitment to maintaining free TAFE as a central part of the education system.

Answer from Mark Butler

The Minister noted that the current government had increased tobacco excise by just under 40 per cent, compared to a 215 per cent increase under the former government. He argued that the previous government did not reinvest excise revenue into enforcement or public health campaigns, leading to a flood of illicit tobacco and vapes. He stated that the current government was boosting enforcement resources and cooperating with state governments to combat organised crime. He expressed openness to sensible ideas that did not prejudice public health campaigns.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister reported that 535,833 households had installed cheaper home batteries, with more than 10 per cent of households in seven electorates participating. He highlighted that the electorate of Mitchell had the highest participation rate at 12.5 per cent. He stated that total installed capacity had reached 15 gigawatt hours, exceeding the entire US home battery capacity. He argued that the opposition's desire to abolish the program was the only thing that could stop this progress, citing high public support for the policy.

Answer from Michelle Rowland

The Minister confirmed that the government was creating a unified approach across all agencies for automated decisions to carry out the robodebt royal commission's recommendations. She stated that this system would feature strong protections for openness, human supervision, and review rights, based on wide consultations. She noted that a special team in her department was working quickly to deliver this change and that she would meet with the member to discuss the matter further.

Answer from Mark Butler

The Minister highlighted the expansion of PBS listings for Keytruda to cover every cancer type, eliminating previous gaps where patients faced high out-of-pocket costs. He noted that similar pan-tumour listings had been made for Opdivo and Yervoy earlier in the year. He described this as a world-first achievement that delivered equity in cancer care. He expressed confidence that other immunotherapies would follow suit, ensuring affordable access to effective treatments for all Australians.