House of Representatives

Answer from Pat Conroy

The member stated that the previous owner, the Gupta Group, had neglected maintenance for nearly a decade, making the blast furnace beyond repair. He noted that the government had allocated almost $3 billion to support the steelworks and that two bidders remained interested in continuing operations. He emphasized that the government would continue to fight for the future of the industry and the workers.

Answer from Richard Marles

The minister reported that 8,100 young Australians enlisted in the last financial year, bringing the full-time force to 64,000, its largest size in 25 years. He highlighted that recruitment times had been reduced from over 300 days to 263 days, with further reductions in critical areas. He noted that pay increases, improved housing and education offers, and cultural reforms had contributed to a separation rate of 7.4 per cent, which was significantly lower than the historical mean.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister declined to answer the specific question, characterizing it as a smear campaign by the opposition. He criticized the opposition for focusing on this issue rather than the job losses at Whyalla Steelworks.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that the government was working with national security agencies and frontier AI companies to identify risks before release. He announced plans to legislate Australian standards for AI and highlighted the establishment of a parliamentary AI committee. He emphasized that AI is not neutral and must be shaped to enhance democracy, protect creative industries, and support economic resilience.

Answer from Anthony Albanese; Madeleine King

The Prime Minister affirmed that gas reservation is an important part of the policy solution and noted ongoing consultations with industry. The Minister for Resources confirmed that the government is developing a national gas reservation scheme to mandate that exporters supply Australian households and businesses first. She cited the success of the Western Australian model and noted that the scheme had provided commercial confidence for projects like the Phosphate Hill fertiliser plant.

Answer from Matt Keogh

The minister reported that recruitment numbers had reached over 8,000 in the current year, the highest in 16 years, and that separation rates had dropped to 7.4 per cent. He highlighted investments in healthcare, housing, education, and a continuation bonus. He noted that recruitment timelines had been accelerated to under a year, with critical roles taking as little as 150 days, compared to over a year under the previous government.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister clarified that his recent comments referred to the hype around green hydrogen for home heating and transport, noting that electric vehicles had overtaken petrol cars and only one hydrogen car was sold last year. He stated that green hydrogen would still play a role in industrial decarbonization. He pointed out that the shadow minister had also made similar positive statements about green hydrogen in the past.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek

The minister stated that the government had agreed to all 56 Royal Commission recommendations, with 52 fully implemented. She noted that the government had settled the Knox Robodebt class action, providing $475 million in compensation for approximately 168,000 people. She explained that new legislation would ensure these compensation payments were not subject to tax or income-testing, allowing victims to receive the full amount.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister stated that the government had delivered a pro-supply budget supporting up to 30,000 additional homes over the next decade. She cited Budget Paper No. 1 and ABS data showing that new investor loans for new builds were at record highs, with a 27.5 per cent increase. She noted that housing approvals had risen 9.1 per cent for the third consecutive year, contrasting this with the 21 per cent fall in approvals under the previous government.

Answer from Anika Wells

The minister stated that the digital duty of care would place the onus on big tech companies to identify, detect, and prevent risks of online terrorism and extremism. She highlighted that the average age of minors investigated by ASIO had dropped to 15 years old. She noted support for the legislation from community organizations and the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, who warned against algorithms spreading hate and conspiracy theories.

Answer from Mark Butler

The minister explained that the $3 billion saved would be invested in aged care beds, Support at Home packages, and reversing co-contributions for hygiene services. He stated that the decision was necessary to provide adequate care for an ageing population and that the rebate would revert to its initial structure, which was not age-discriminatory.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister praised Dusty Langby for walking 540 kilometres to raise funds for Little Wings, which helps sick children in remote areas access specialist care. He announced that the government would match the nearly $500,000 raised by Dusty and extend funding for Little Wings for two additional years, providing an extra $1 million.

Answer from Jamie Chaffey (Parkes) (National Party)

The member congratulated Dusty Langby, his family, and the Little Wings team for their efforts. He noted that fundraising had reached almost $540,000 and thanked the Prime Minister for the government's financial support.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that his diary was regularly published through Freedom of Information proposals. He highlighted other transparency measures, including the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, strengthened whistleblower protections, and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. He defended the current level of transparency in Australian democracy compared to other countries.

Answer from Jason Clare

The minister stated that the government had appointed David Gonski to chair the Antisemitism Education Taskforce to address teacher training and curriculum changes. He highlighted the role of algorithms in spreading hate speech and conspiracy theories, citing research that teenagers could be exposed to antisemitic content within an hour of using social media. He supported the digital duty of care to mitigate these risks.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that he was not aware of the comments until they became public debate that day. He described the comments as completely unacceptable and noted that Senator Dowling had taken immediate action.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that the government's responsible budget management had resulted in lower gross debt to GDP than any major advanced economy. He noted that the bottom line was more than $250 billion better than when the government took office, with gross debt around $200 billion lower. He contrasted this with the opposition's unfunded commitments, which he argued would push up inflation and deficits.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that Australia's debt position was much stronger than its peers, with gross debt to GDP less than half that of the US, UK, and Canada. He noted that almost two-thirds of the current debt was inherited from the previous government. He emphasized that Australia was not approaching unsustainable levels, unlike some other countries, and that responsible management was ongoing.

Answer from Mark Butler

The minister announced that a new drug, Qalsody, would be listed on the PBS from 1 October for patients with a specific SOD1 protein mutation. He noted that the drug had shown extraordinary results in halting disease progression for some patients. He stated that the treatment would cost $25 per script instead of over $28,000, benefiting approximately 70 patients per year.