Michelle Rowland
Greenway · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Failure to comply with the identity verification requirement in ART proceedings would result in the tribunal being required to dismiss the matter.”
“Courts must retain a high degree of discretion in the management of proceedings. This means that the FCFCOA will also be able to extend time for satisfying the identity verification requirement or dispense with the requirement altogether where appropriate.”
“The bill provides safeguards for vulnerable applicants of the ART and will notapply these changes to reviews relating to social security, veterans entitlements, the National Disability Insurance Scheme or aged care where written reasons may play an important role.”
“Improving ART efficiency and operations The bill makes amendments to the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024and other Commonwealth legislation to expand tribunal powers, improve tribunal processes, increase efficiency, avoid administrative delays, and aid the management of caseload surges and backlogs—particularly in migration matters…”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Administrative Review Tribunal (the ART) commenced operation on 14 October 2024, replacing the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal as Australia's primary federal merits review body.”
“It will provide an important touchpoint, and a further opportunity to protect the integrity of the merits and judicial review systems through identification checks.”
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“Backlogs and extended wait times at the tribunal stage create incentives for non-genuine applicants to apply for review in order to extend their stay in Australia. For genuine applicants, this creates an access-to-justice issue as the large volume of applications that must be dealt with, including from non-genuine applicants, means that they can wait months or years for a decision. This point was emphasised in the Rapid r eview into the e xploitation of Australia's v isa s ystem , delivered by Ms Christine Nixon AO, APM in March 2023. Since early 2024, the tribunal has experienced a significant surge in applications for review of decisions to refuse student visas. This has further highlighted the importance of ensuring the tribunal is equipped with the tools it needs to provide quick and efficient merits review.”
“Proportionate and efficient review procedures ensure that the tribunal can make decisions efficiently and without delay. Efficient and timely decision-making is particularly important in the context of the tribunal's reviews of migration decisions—such as reviews of decisions to refuse visas. Onshore applicants seeking review of a decision to refuse the grant of certain visas are entitled to stay in Australia on a bridging visa for the duration of the merits review process. In this context, efficient review procedures are important to reduce delays in decision-making, provide genuine applicants with the benefit of a timely and effective remedy, and strengthen the integrity of the migration system.”
“One of the tribunal's objectives under the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (the ART Act) is to ensure that applications to the tribunal are resolved as quickly, and with as little formality and expense, as a proper consideration of the matters before the tribunal permits. This objective recognises that not every review is the same and that the tribunal should provide a meaningful opportunity for review in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances of the matter. That is: merits review processes should be proportionate. The time and resources expended to determine a matter should reflect the complexity of the issues, and the importance of what is at stake. To be clear, this does not mean that efficiency should come at the expense of quality decision-making. Rather, it requires that a balance be struck.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Administrative Review Tribunal (the ART) commenced operation on 14 October 2024, replacing the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal as Australia's federal merits review body. The ART provides an independent mechanism of review of government decisions made under more than 400 Commonwealth acts—a function that is critical to Australia's system of government and maintaining public confidence in our institutions. This government created the ART to replace its dysfunctional predecessor based on the fundamental belief in the importance of merits review. And, in that spirit, this government is therefore committed to ensuring the ART has the tools it needs to deliver efficient and high-quality review of government decisions.”
“It recognises the importance of a well-functioning system of information access, balanced with an efficient and effective government. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.”
“Schedule 8 of the bill responds to a recent Federal Court decision by creating a practical, workable process for outgoing ministers to facilitate access to information—while ensuring that, consistent with convention, new, incoming governments should not have access to policy and similar advice of the previous, outgoing government. The amendments make provision for the treatment of freedom-of-information requests and review proceedings in circumstances where a minister ceases to hold office or moves to a new portfolio. Conclusion This bill provides important updates to the Commonwealth's freedom-of-information framework, with a focus on modernisation, reducing system inefficiencies and addressing abuse of processes that impact on people's right to access information.”
“Schedule 7 of the bill clarifies the operation of important exemptions in the act consistent with the original policy intent to promote efficient handling of requests, including by: To address a concern raised in the 2023 Royal commission into the robodebt scheme report, the amendments would also make it absolutely clear: merely labelling something a cabinet document is not enough to make it a cabinet document. Schedule 8— o fficial d ocuments of a m inister There has been a longstanding convention that new ministers should not make decisions on access to information relating to former ministers.”
“For this reason, an application fee would not apply to requests by an applicant for access to their own personal information, or an individual acting on behalf, and with the authority of, another individual for access to their personal information. FOI requests for personal information comprised 72 per cent of overall FOI requests in 2023-24. On these figures, up to three in four freedom-of-information requests would be exempt from any application fee. There will be an ability to waive fees in certain circumstances, including in cases of financial hardship. Schedule 7— e xemptions On introducing the Freedom of Information Act in 1981 under the Fraser government, Senator Durack told the parliament that 'the general right of access' to information 'must, of course, be limited' for the 'protection of essential public interests'.”
“All other Australian jurisdictions, apart from the Australian Capital Territory, have initial application fees for freedom-of-information requests. This measure will aid in deterring frivolous requests, and ensure agency resources are not unduly diverted from processing genuine requests, particularly requests for personal information which account for the vast majority of overall requests. Schedule 6 of the bill will enable a fee to be specified in the regulations for freedom-of-information requests, internal reviews and Information Commissioner reviews. The government recognises the primacy of Australians having access to their personal information held by government.”
“Schedule 4—requests and review processes Schedule 4 of the bill makes amendments to streamline agency and Information Commissioner review and extension of time processes, and clarify the outcome of a freedom of information request decision made out of time. The amendments will: Schedule 5—Information Commissioner reviews and complaints Schedule 5 of the bill makes amendments relating to Information Commissioner reviews and complaints to create administrative efficiencies for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The amendments: Schedule 6— a pplication fees The government has carefully considered options on how to deter frivolous and vexatious requests, while maximising accessibility of the system for genuine applicants.”
“Amendments in this schedule include provisions that: Schedule 3—practical refusals The act currently enables an agency or minister to refuse a request if a 'practical refusal reason' exists, such as where a request does not sufficiently identify the requested documents, or would cause a substantial and unreasonable diversion of resources. Schedule 3 of the bill makes amendments relating to the practical refusal mechanisms. The provisions clarify the status of Information Commissioner reviews involving practical refusal decisions and implement a recommendation of the Hawke review by introducing a discretionary 40-hour processing cap for freedom of information requests. This reflects that there needs to be an appropriate balance between an applicant's access rights and taxpayers' resources in providing such access.”
“Schedule 1— s cope and objects Schedule 1 of the bill makes foundational and definitional changes to ensure the Freedom of Information Act promotes both accountable and effective government, and to clarify the scope of requests for documents of an agency—including through minor amendments to the objects provision and ensuring that information on agency systems that concerns purely personal and non-work related matters of staff are not captured in the definition of a 'document of an agency'. Schedule 2— a ccess requests Schedule 2 of the bill makes amendments to streamline processes relating to access requests and to address abuse of the freedom of information system by vexatious and anonymous applicants.”
“The bill implements a number of recommendations of the 2013 Review of the Freedom of Information Act 1982andthe Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 (also known as the 2013 Hawke review), which concerned, among other things, how to make the system more effective. The bill also makes consequential amendments to the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 to support the changes to the Freedom of Information Act.”
“The purpose of this bill is to ensure the system is fit for purpose in 2025 and beyond—by upholding and promoting the core democratic principles that underpin freedom of information laws while, at the same time, addressing the issues that, in practice, undermine a more effective and balanced FOI framework. The b ill This bill amends the Freedom of Information Act 1982 to reflect the modern environment. It will improve the freedom of information framework through reducing system inefficiencies, providing clarity of the law, and addressing abuse of processes that impact on people's right to access information.”
“The ability for freedom-of-information requests to be lodged anonymously also risks undermining the integrity of the framework, and, in combination with new technology, creates risk vectors that could be exploited by offshore actors seeking government-held information for potentially nefarious purposes. There are also a range of complex procedural and technical rules in the Freedom of Information Act that are undermining the efficiency of the system, without any corresponding benefit to freedom-of-information applicants, the Australian people or Australia's democracy. This bill aims to strengthen the freedom of information framework to address identified shortcomings in its operation, while ensuring government continues to provide access to information consistent with the original policy intent of the act.”
“The diversion of resources also means more genuine freedom-of-information requests and requests for access to personal information cannot be as readily prioritised. In 2023-2024 alone, public servants spent more than one million hours processing freedom-of-information requests. This is in part due to technology enabling large volumes of vexatious, abusive and frivolous requests—tying up resources, costing taxpayers money and delaying genuine requests. There is no reason to believe that this problem will not grow worse over time, particularly given the advancing capabilities of artificial intelligence.”
“The rate and volume of electronic records generated today by public sector agencies would have been unimaginable when the Freedom of Information Act was first introduced. For example, the Department of Home Affairs's record holdings are approaching one billion records, in its primary record-keeping system alone. $86.2 million was spent processing freedom-of-information requests in 2023-24, a 23 per cent increase on the year prior. The administrative impost of processing large and complex requests, or treating vexatious and frivolous requests with the same procedural rigour, can divert resources and risks inhibiting agencies from providing important and essential government services and delivering on reform priorities that would benefit all Australians.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. An effective freedom-of-information system is critical in fostering public trust in government decision-making through transparency and access to information. It enables citizens to understand more about why and how government decisions are made and, with that knowledge, participate more effectively in Australia's civic and democratic processes. The freedom-of-information framework also importantly provides for individuals to seek access to their personal information held by government. The Freedom of Information Act 1982 was established over 40 years ago, before the common use of electronic documents, digital communications and records in the workplace.”
“I'm pleased to say that this is set to end. Together, our strong local Labor team is ensuring families in Greenway and right across north-west Sydney get the world-class education infrastructure they need and deserve, and I'll keep fighting to make sure this growing community is never taken for granted again, because when we invest in schools we're not just building classrooms; we're building futures.”
“When families hand over their hard-earned savings, take out mortgages and move into a brand-new suburb, they do so with the legitimate expectation that the basics will be there—electricity and water, roads and transport, connectivity, and schools and hospitals. These are not luxuries; they're essentials. Yet thousands of families have moved into these areas with promises of new schools that simply never eventuated. Since the last election, I've had the privilege of representing this area for the first time, and in this time I have spoken with parents right across the Gables and Box Hill who've told me of their frustration at having to drive long distances in peak hour just to get their children to class or the stress of trying to get their kids into nearby schools that are already bursting at the seams.”
“This is how Labor governments deliver—by listening to communities, recognising their needs and acting to provide real results. These projects are being delivered thanks to the Minns New South Wales Labor government, supported by a strong local Labor team, and they build on the Albanese government's record commitment to ensure every public school in New South Wales is on a path to full and fair funding. For far too long, families in the Gables and Box Hill have been left behind. Successive Liberal governments failed the communities across the hills, approving thousands of new homes without the proper planning for essential infrastructure.”
“Education is the great equaliser. It transforms lives and underpins the jobs, productivity and prosperity that will shape Australia's future. That's why I'm proud to share that construction is well and truly underway on the brand-new and much-needed public school and preschool in the Gables. This project will deliver a modern primary school for a thousand students and a fee-free preschool for local families. This is a vital investment in the future of our children in rapidly growing north-west Sydney. Alongside this, designs have been revealed for a new primary school, high school and preschool in Box Hill. Temporary schools have already been delivered in record time, ensuring local students have access to quality education while these permanent facilities are being built.”
“We know there are some six million working-with-children check holders right around Australia, and the vast majority are good people who do the right thing. However, for those nefarious individuals who seek to exploit loopholes and forum shop where they have the opportunity, the message is clear: your time is up. Our reforms will strengthen the system. They will lift standards, and they will ensure a safer environment for our young people. I note that these reforms also complement significant work underway to improve child safety outcomes in educational settings, and I especially acknowledge my most excellent colleague Minister Clare's work in this area. Together, our government is working to ensure our children grow up safe from harm, and we will not rest until that is a reality for every Australian family.”
“Secondly, attorneys-general also agreed to strengthen risk assessments and exclusion criteria for working-with-children checks, meaning improved safeguards for children and families. Thirdly, the Commonwealth has also committed to progressing a national continuous checking capability, with the aim to have continuous near-real-time monitoring of national changes to criminal history information of working-with-children check holders. This builds on a pilot, already underway, by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. States and territories have also agreed to start working on the complex task of how to integrate with the national hub, as we work towards better information sharing between jurisdictions, and I thank them for working with the Commonwealth on this package of vital reforms.”
“I thank the member for her question, because the foremost priority of any government is to keep Australians safe, and that especially extends to the most vulnerable in our community: our young people. So I'm pleased to inform the House that, on 15 August, attorneys-general from across Australia agreed to deliver ambitious reforms to address systemic gaps in working-with-children check regimes. Attorneys-general agreed to toughen the system to ensure that, if you're banned from holding a working-with-children check in one jurisdiction, you're banned in all of them—so banned in one, banned in all. Importantly, the Commonwealth, states and territories are united in our commitment to progress this reform and urgently work towards implementation by the end of this year.”
“The bill will ensure consistent treatment across the national intelligence community, and that the enhanced powers and capabilities with which intelligence agencies are entrusted are subject to specialist oversight. Robust oversight serves our national security interests by giving Australia's intelligence community the licence to exercise significant powers, while also assuring the public that they are doing so with accountability and integrity. In a rapidly changing security environment, effective oversight remains a critical democratic safeguard and an integral part of our legal system. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.”
“Expanding the monitor's mandate reflects the fact that our legislation is increasingly moving beyond terrorism related activity to address national security threats of a more varied, complex and interconnected nature. Conclusion Our intelligence community is entrusted by the public with the crucial role of keeping Australians safe from those who would seek to do us harm. Achieving this outcome necessitates balancing national security interests and the protection of individual rights. As a parliament, it is our job to get this balance right. Establishing a holistic and consistent oversight framework for the national intelligence community will do just that.”
“The bill also strengthens the relationship between the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, facilitating increased engagement between the intelligence community's key oversight mechanisms. Lastly, the bill amends the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act to enable the monitor to initiate reviews into the full suite of contemporary counterterrorism or national security legislation at the Commonwealth level. The monitor is currently able to undertake reviews into a defined list of legislation of their own motion, which limits their ability to prioritise reviews in line with emerging security threats.”
“This will enable areas of concern identified by the committee to be brought to the inspector-general's attention, while simultaneously protecting the sensitive operational information of intelligence agencies and respecting the independence of this important statutory office. Further, the bill provides the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security with the ability to request a briefing from the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, and requires the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence to provide annual briefings to the committee. These measures are designed to ensure the committee has the necessary context and information to most effectively perform its important oversight role.”
“The bill amends the Intelligence Services Act to put this important scrutiny mechanism on a solid legislative footing, enabling the committee to review proposed reforms to counterterrorism and national security legislation, and all such expiring legislation, on its own motion or on the basis of a referral by the responsible minister, the Attorney-General or either house of parliament. The bill amends the Intelligence Services Act and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act to provide that the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security may request the inspector-general to conduct an inquiry into the operational activities of agencies within its jurisdiction.”
“The bill This bill amends the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act, the Intelligence Services Act and other Commonwealth legislation to expand the jurisdictions of the inspector-general and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to oversee: This expansion of jurisdiction will embed holistic oversight of the 10 agencies in the national intelligence community by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security currently reviews proposed counterterrorism and national security legislation as a matter of practice to ensure it is fit for purpose.”
“Finally, the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor reviews the operation, effectiveness and implications of specific counterterrorism and national security legislation to assess whether those laws effectively address security threats and maintain respect for individual rights. The existing oversight regime is strong but, as the national intelligence community evolves to meet the complex and dynamic security challenges it faces, the oversight framework must move with it.”
“The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security performs dedicated statutory oversight of agencies within its jurisdiction and provides independent and impartial assurance to ministers, the parliament and the public that intelligence agencies conduct their activities with legality, propriety and in a way that is consistent with human rights. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security reviews proposed counterterrorism and national security legislation, ensuring these laws are fit for purpose. It also reviews the administration and expenditure of agencies within its jurisdiction.”
“This bill will extend consistent statutory and parliamentary oversight to all agencies exercising intelligence capabilities. And this is a bill that delivers on this government's commitment to maintain the trust and integrity of our institutions, and fundamentally, to keep Australians safe. The current oversight framework There are three key pillars of Australia's security and intelligence oversight framework: the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor. Each of these bodies plays an important and complementary role in ensuring accountability.”
“It has underpinned public trust in these institutions—and is central to the important work they do each and every day. However, the ever-evolving threat environment requires the intelligence community to become increasingly interconnected in its work. The corresponding oversight framework that provides appropriate safeguards across the national intelligence community is no longer uniform. Reform is required to provide targeted, focused and consistent oversight in response. When I was sworn in as Australia's 40th Attorney-General, I committed to uphold the rule of law and maintain the community's trust in our legal systems. Consistent with that commitment, I am therefore proud to introduce—as my first bill as Attorney-General—the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill.”
“Those agencies are entrusted with significant powers to detect, disrupt and respond to threats to the nation's security—powers that by necessity may be covert and intrusive, with the potential to infringe individual rights and freedoms if misused. Therefore, it is critical that those powers are balanced with the necessary oversight to ensure that public trust is maintained and the rule of law is upheld. Without such accountability, we risk jeopardising core aspects of our democracy in our noble endeavour to keep Australians safe. This is not to say our security and intelligence agencies are acting improperly. In fact, the strength of, and their commitment to, a culture of legality and propriety are core characteristics of these agencies.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. There is no greater responsibility for a government than keeping Australians safe. This year, the Director-General of Security delivered what he called his 'most significant, serious and sober' threat assessment of Australia's security environment to date. In the coming years, he assessed that an already challenging security environment will be characterised by threats of an increasingly varied, dynamic and unpredictable nature. In response to such advice, the government is faced with the crucial task of ensuring intelligence and security agencies are appropriately equipped to keep Australians safe.”
“This is part of a broader suite of work the government is leading to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. This includes work across jurisdictions by the Minister for Education to enhance safety outcomes in the early childhood education and care sector. These efforts reflect the Albanese government's commitment to ensuring that every child and young person in Australia is safe from sexual abuse.”
“A 2015 report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended strengthening this regime. It's been 10 years, and those recommendations have not been implemented. This has taken too long. We need meaningful change and we need it urgently. It's time to stop predators exploiting cracks in the hodgepodge of separate systems around the country. I continue to engage with my state and territory counterparts, and I make clear that this is agenda item No. 1 when I chair my first meeting of the Standing Council of Attorneys-General next month. I ask my colleagues to prioritise working together to enhance consistency of all requirements to do with information sharing across jurisdictions and to develop a national solution to support continuous monitoring and access to data.”
“I thank the member for her question. She knows that the first priority of government is to keep Australians safe, especially our most vulnerable. The recent reports of sexual abuse in childcare centres are horrifying. We know that its impacts have lifelong, highly damaging consequences for victims-survivors and their families. The Albanese government is committed to strengthening safeguards to give parents and the community the confidence that their children are safe in all settings. To support this, I am working with the states and territories to implement long-overdue improvements to working-with-children checks. The facts are these. Different states and territories have inconsistent schemes covering eligibility and reportable conduct. They do not talk to each other, and there is no system of national oversight or real-time monitoring.”
“He wanted to monetise essential health care by making patients pay a GP tax to see their doctor. They had nine years in government and never opened a single urgent care clinic, and have repeatedly labelled them as wasteful spending, so how on earth can you trust them to deliver this facility for our community? Labor's urgent care clinics are an essential service, and only a re-elected Albanese government can be trusted to deliver for the people of north-west Sydney.”
“Labor proudly built Medicare, and since coming to office the Albanese government has been making it stronger. We have delivered cheaper medicines and more bulk-billing, and a re-elected Albanese Labor government would deliver another 50 Medicare urgent care clinics on top of the 87 we've delivered in our first term, including in Greenway. North-west Sydney is part of this, and I'm proud to assure my local area that through stable advocacy and good government they can expect more under Labor. The alternative is placing everything at risk, and I won't stand for that in Greenway. The Leader of the Opposition was voted the worst health minister by Australian doctors, and he tried to destroy Medicare. We won't let him do it again. He tried to end bulk-billing and slashed $50 billion from public hospitals.”
“Improving access to urgent care for non-life-threatening injuries is another critical part of Labor's plan to improve health care for Australians. That's why I was so pleased to recently announce that Labor has committed to delivering a Medicare urgent care clinic in Greenway. Labor's Medicare urgent care clinics provide fast, accessible health care for urgent, non-life-threatening injuries such as burns, cuts, infections, sprains, minor fractures and more. Medicare urgent care clinics are walk-in, are open early until late and are fully bulk-bill. At the Medicare urgent care clinic in Rouse Hill, all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. It will take pressure off Blacktown and Westmead hospitals and will mean people get care when they need it, without waiting hours in a busy emergency department.”
“I rise to speak about the health care the families of Greenway want and deserve. The accessibility of high-quality health care has never been more important, particularly in the fast-growing north-west. That's why we ran a successful community campaign that secured an emergency department for the planned Rouse Hill hospital. It's why we are campaigning for a maternity ward at Rouse Hill hospital, backed by broad community support. We need the public Rouse Hill hospital to be built for the future, not for yesterday. As I met with constituents across Greenway, I found there was rightful concern about the commute times to access health services at hospitals in Blacktown and Westmead. In the nation's fastest-growing population corridor we must ensure essential services to support this growth are prioritised.”
“The Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 is about delivering a stronger, better targeted and more equitable compliance and enforcement regime for the telecommunications sector. The Albanese government has listened to feedback from industry, regulators, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and consumer advocates to develop these reforms. Most importantly, we've listened to Australians. These reforms will ensure the right settings are in place to incentivise telecommunications service providers to comply with the law and provide quality services to consumers. They reflect the Albanese government's commitment to making sure Australians are appropriately protected and supported in their interactions with telecommunications service providers. I call on members to support the bill. Question agreed to.”
“This will also better align telecommunications penalties with other sectors like energy and banking. Additional changes will allow for the courts to determine penalty amounts based on the financial turnover of the provider and the scale of the breach, allowing for penalties in excess of $10 million in certain circumstances. Reforms to infringement notices will clarify the application of the framework, enabling the government to increase penalty amounts for any breach where the ACMA can issue an infringement notice. This includes breaches of industry codes and standards relating to consumer protections. The reforms will also allow for the scaling of infringement notice penalties depending on the size of the provider—for example, larger penalties for larger providers and smaller penalties for smaller providers.”
“It will enable the ACMA to undertake more proactive education and compliance work with providers and ultimately empower the ACMA to stop them operating in the market where they have been found to pose unacceptable risk to consumers or have caused significant consumer harm. This bill will make compliance with industry codes mandatory and directly enforceable. This will allow the ACMA to take direct and immediate enforcement action against telecommunications providers that have breached their obligations to customers. This bill will also increase maximum penalties for breaches of industry codes and standards under the act from $250,000 to approximately $10 million, bringing them in line with those for breaches of service provider determinations under the act.”
“I thank members who contributed to consideration of the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025. The significant reforms included in this bill will better equip the Australian Communications and Media Authority with the tools and powers it needs to protect telecommunications consumers and hold providers to account. This bill is another way the Albanese government is putting consumers at the centre of the telecommunications industry, recognising the importance of quality services for all Australians. This bill establishes a carriage service provider registration scheme to increase visibility of providers operating in the market, especially telecommunications retailers.”
“Secondly, this is an area where regional Australia has missed out, because of that lack of reform. Thirdly, that lack of reform flies in the face of the fact that Australians have always been early adopters. They want the best technology. They want the best connectivity. I can assure the honourable member that Labor will be reforming this area, and I look forward to engaging with the member as we implement those reforms.”
“No reform happened under the previous government for a decade. Despite that, we have undertaken a consultation not only on the scope of services but how it should be funded. There are a variety of ways in which that could happen. Telstra, as you know, has the contract as the universal service provider, under those arrangements which happened when the NBN was conceived. They are due to expire not in the immediate term, but in future years—though not a long way away. So we need to determine now what that is going to look like. I can say to the member that the government has been working diligently in this area. We will have more to say very soon. But I'll make three very good points. Firstly, this is an area where reform was absolutely left lacking under the previous government.”