Angus Taylor
Hume · Liberal Party · Australia
“It was in 1927 that the federal parliament moved from Melbourne, where it had sat for 26 years. It's a much better location here; I'm in agreement. It did take up a beautiful sheep station, but it has become a great city. It came to a provisional building, as we just heard, in the new capital of Canberra.”
“I'm sure that all in this place look forward to that special sitting of the parliament in Old Parliament House to commemorate the occasion, and I warmly welcome that opportunity.”
“On behalf of the coalition and the federal opposition, it gives me great pleasure to support the motion moved by the government. We warmly welcome the establishment of the Joint Select Committee on the Centenary of Parliament in Canberra.”
“He captured the aspirational spirit of the Australian people when he said: One's own life would hardly be worth living without its dreams of better things, and the life of a nation without such dreams of a better and a larger future … Prime Minister Stanley Bruce delivered an address in which he said: May those who enter this open door go…”
“Given the shortage of accommodation in the new capital, I think it was largely restricted to tents at that point. Consequently, the overcatered event reportedly saw a large quantity of Sargents meat pies left over. Legend has it they were disposed of in a pit where the Treasury building now stands.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Under Labor, aged care wait times have blown out to over a year. More than 200,000 Australians are waiting for care. Today, Labor was defeated in the Senate, which passed the coalition's bill to put people back in charge of aged care decision-making.”
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“My question is to the Prime Minister. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy has just informed the House that Australia is in 'a national crisis on fuel supply'. Prime Minister, is the minister correct?”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. On the ABC this morning, the Minister for Resources twice refused to guarantee that Australia won't run out of fuel as a result of the ongoing Iran war. Prime Minister, was the Minister for Resources correct in refusing this guarantee?”
“I do associate the opposition with the remarks made by the minister. I support the decisions and the work of the minister on this important issue. As I said yesterday, these women have captured the hearts of so many Australians with the stand they have taken against a despotic regime and it's been an incredibly difficult time for them. I thank the minister for the work he's done. As the minister knows, there are a number on this side of the House who have been working hard to try to achieve this outcome as well. I do wish all the soccer players, whatever their choice was, the very, very best.”
“Prime Minister, last year the Treasurer told us he had beaten inflation. Yet, even before the fuel crisis, inflation had beaten the Treasurer. Now the Minister for Climate Change and Energy has been caught unprepared for Australia's energy shortages, further punishing Australian households at the bowser and at the supermarket. Will the Prime Minister confirm that Australia's living standards have fallen under Labor?”
“When asked why he enlisted to fight Hitler and Tojo, his answer was incredibly simple. He said, 'I don't like bullies.' He was a humble man who never sought recognition. Reflecting on his service, he once said, 'I didn't do anything brave, but I served with many.' Today we acknowledge his life and his service, and we send our deepest condolences to his family, his friends and his fellow veterans. May he rest in peace. Lest we forget.”
“on indulgence—I rise to join the Prime Minister and his fine words in honouring the life of Les Cook. The coalition notes with deep sadness the passing of Les Cook, who died on 5 March this year at the age of 103. Les enlisted, as we just heard, in the Australian Army in May 1940, just 17 years old. He lied about his age to serve, and what an extraordinary act of determination and patriotism. He enlisted alongside his father, a First World War veteran, and served as a signaller in the 2nd/14th Battalion. Les Cook saw action in Greece, in Crete, on the Kokoda Trail and on the beachheads of Gona. When the war ended, he was in Borneo, and he later served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. After making a significant contribution to our country, he concluded his service in 1947.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I associate the opposition with the words of the Prime Minister with respect to deployment of capability in the Middle East and also the asylum seekers. It is a brutal regime in Iran, and we stand by side by side with our allies against that regime to support both humanitarian interests and the economic interests of our great country. We also support the decision of the government on the asylum seekers. As always, applications for asylum should be consistent with Australian law and in our national interest. But we support the decision made by the government.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, according to yesterday's data, since 2022 the only growth in the economy has been due to immigration and Australians working harder for less?”
“He was more than a commentator; he was an AFL storyteller. In many ways his voice became an embodiment of the crowd's sentiments. On behalf of many Australians who grew up listening to him call the game, I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends and to the wider football and sporting community. May he rest in peace.”
“on indulgence—I rise to join the Prime Minister in honouring the life of Dennis Cometti. Dennis Cometti didn't just have a voice that resonated; he had a voice that was instantly recognisable, a voice that energised AFL games and energised the Olympics. Through his voice, we felt the anticipation of a centre bounce, the exhilaration of a soaring mark, the elation of a spectacular goal that was—as we heard from the Prime Minister—so often 'centimetre perfect', one of his many quotes that were so well known. As someone who comes from a state where there's a little less AFL, the one I remember best was Kieren Perkins's absolutely extraordinary triumph in the 1,500-metre freestyle final back in the 1996 Olympics 30 years ago. He served, for decades, the great game of Australian rules football.”
“The rules-based international order has been exposed as wishful thinking of a bygone and benign era, especially in these times when autocratic regimes act with impunity. I wholeheartedly agree with you; in this brave new world, middle powers cannot simply build higher walls and retreat behind them. We must work together. We must act together, closer than ever, on defence, on secure supply chains and sovereign capabilities, on maintaining free trade. As you said, the strength of our values matter and the value of our strength matters. It's that moral clarity that must guide us and protect our way of life. Prime Minister Carney, on behalf of the coalition and the federal opposition, it's a privilege and a pleasure to welcome you to the Australian parliament—and, from one old friend to another, it's great to see you, mate.”
“Our partnership and friendship are testimony to the many achievements over many generations in trade and in business, in sharing intelligence and in sharing industriousness, in fighting our enemies and in fighting bushfires. Since you've become Prime Minister of Canada, I've admired many of the decisions you've taken that are grounded in economic realism: removing the consumer carbon tax, getting immigration under control and ensuring it's conducive to social cohesion, and a deregulation agenda that supports business and industry. Your speech in Switzerland in January was a much-needed wake-up call for middle powers of the West. You, Prime Minister Carney, said we're at a turning point, and we must indeed 'stop invoking rules-based international order as though it functions as advertised'. I'd go further.”
“But, whether Australia's founding fathers praised or criticised the Canadian model, they learned from Canada and yearned for what Canadians had achieved. Prime Minister Carney, with your presence here today we say with gratitude that Canada helped shape the Australian nation. We are two great democracies that have successfully woven together the Indigenous, colonial and migrant threads of our societies. Over the course of 125 years, our two nations have known a steadfast, stable and mutually supportive partnership. In peacetime and in wartime, in good times and in tough times, as we've just heard, our two peoples have known a deep and abiding friendship.”
“It was the pragmatic, enlightened and accommodating nature of British stewardship that nurtured within our colonies self-identity, self-government and, ultimately, sovereign nationhood. With your presence here today, we acknowledge Canada's and Australia's mutual inheritance and two great constitutional monarchies. Australia was fortunate to look to the example of the Canadian Confederation as we forged our own federation. Our federation debates were robust. One of our founding fathers said: … we shall find the Canadian Constitution is about the best basis that we can select. Another founding father had a very different view, saying: … in no regard can we look upon the example of Canada as one to be imitated.”
“There we were, a Canadian and an Australian, regularly sitting next to each other in class, you sporting black eyes from ice hockey and me sporting bruises and cuts from rugby. But Mark's thesis was of great interest to the professors, whereas I wrote mine on the price of beer—of far greater interest to our student friends. Back then, I don't think either of us imagined a life like this in politics. One of life's great joys is seeing old friends do well. So it gives me immense joy to see Canada led by an old friend, a man of the highest calibre, utterly devoted to his country. Prime Minister Carney, with your presence here today we celebrate a remarkable bilateral relationship. While our eyes are on the horizon, we also take this moment to look behind us. Our democracies are the gift of British inheritance.”
“I commend Prime Minister Albanese for his warm welcome for our guest of honour and his wife, Diana. Mr Speaker, I have a confession. I knew our guest of honour long before he became the Prime Minister of Canada. It was 1991. The Berlin Wall had fallen. The Cold War was all but over. In that atmosphere, two young, somewhat idealistic students met in an economics post-graduate course at Oxford. The bond was immediate. Both were from provincial backgrounds—Alberta, famous for its cattle, and southern New South Wales, famous for its sheep. Both were from families who cherished the value of education. Both were quietly cynical about the pompous Poms and the boisterous Yanks sauntering around Oxford. And, despite our different politics today, we both shared a healthy distaste for Soviet sympathisers.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. On Labor's watch Australians have endured the longest household recession on record. Prices are up sharply. Real wages are down. Australians are working harder for less. Government is getting bigger, but lives aren't getting better. The only things increasing are inflation, interest rates and population, by 1.9 million. After four years of Australians going backward under Labor, when will the Prime Minister finally accept the buck stops with him?”
“on indulgence—I associate the opposition with the remarks from the Prime Minister a moment ago. It is a frightening time for any Australians who are in the gulf or the Middle East. They are seeing this very real conflict in front of them. We agree with the position of the government that the Iranian attacks are unjustified. Our thoughts are with those Australians in the region and, of course, their families back here in Australia. This is a frightening and difficult time for them. We also stand ready and offer any assistance and support we can to the government to ensure that Australians can get back to safety as soon as possible.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Under Labor, Australia is the only advanced economy where living standards have gone backwards. The US, UK, Germany, Canada, France and Denmark have all seen rising living standards whilst ours have reversed. After four years of Australians going backwards, when will the Prime Minister finally accept the buck stops with him?”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's refusal to answer my question to him yesterday. I again ask the Prime Minister: can he confirm that none of his ministers nor any member of staff made representations or requests to any relevant departments or agencies to support or expedite the issuing of Australian passports to ISIS sympathisers in Syria?”
“We want to shut the door on those who don't subscribe to Australian values and our core beliefs. The bill that the coalition has brought before the parliament is a test for the Prime Minister. Will he keep the door shut to protect our way of life? Will he shut the door to protect our way of life, or will he keep the door wide open because he cares so little for our way of life?”
“That's how ministerial accountability should work. Such authorisations will ensure that ministers are responsible for significant national security decisions. We want the government to take back control over who comes into our country, instead of outsourcing control to third parties and turning a blind eye. The third objective is technical. Under section 1192 of the existing Criminal Code, it's a criminal offence to enter or remain in a declared terrorist area. This bill seeks to extend the sunset date of this provision from 7 September 2027 through to 7 September 2030. Australians have had a gutful. They can see the country they love changing for the worse. The coalition's goal is clear: we want to shut the door on returning ISIS sympathisers. We want to shut the door on Islamist extremism.”
“It amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 and creates a new offence that would make it a crime to assist the entry into Australia of an individual who has been in a terrorist hot spot, who has links to a terrorist organisation or who has committed terror related offences. They are crucial pre-conditions. In this, the bill seeks to achieve a second objective, which is restoring ministerial accountability. Through our proposed legislation, any non-governmental third party that seeks to provide repatriation assistance must obtain written prior permission, and both the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Affairs must approve any non-government third-party repatriation assistance for individuals affiliated with a terrorist organisation. In other words, they must be accountable for the decision.”
“The Albanese government is not being upfront with Australians when it pretends to be at arm's length from these repatriations, but what is absolutely clear is that, under Labor, non-government third parties have been empowered to facilitate the re-entry of terrorist sympathisers. In other words, the government is outsourcing decisions that affect the security of all Australians. That loophole must be closed, and the coalition seeks to close this loophole with a Criminal Code Amendment (Keeping Australia Safe) Bill 2026. The proposed legislation that we bring before the parliament today has three clear objectives. First, it will end the freelancing of non-government third parties who seek to bring dangerous individuals into the country.”
“We know that just one temporary exclusion order has been issued, raising more questions than answers. The Home Affairs minister has power to issue more. He does not need to hide behind advice. He has chosen not to. This is a crucial part of the way this legislation is put together—he can issue temporary exclusion orders independent of intelligence advice. We know the Home Affairs minister has discussed repatriation with Save the Children and with his mate and political backer Dr Jamal Rifi, and we know the premiers of Victoria and New South Wales have been engaging with the Commonwealth for months on return and reintegration issues.”
“They chose to steep their children in a monstrous ideology. They don't deserve compassion, they deserve condemnation, and they pose an unacceptable risk to Australia because of their terrorist sympathies. Their children, likewise, pose a risk to Australia because of the hate which has undoubtedly filled their minds. The 34-strong cohort, if they are allowed into Australia, would import hate and be incubators of hate. Their repatriation fails the values test, fails the security test, fails the fairness test and fails the pub test, yet repatriation appears to be proceeding. The government has tried to shroud this process in secrecy, but we know a few things. We know DNA testing has been conducted. We know passports have been granted and citizenship applications have been processed.”
“We have to be clear: Islamist extremism has no place in this country, nor do other extremist ideologies that are weaponised for harm. The vast majority of Muslims in this country, be they migrants, confirmed citizens or Australian born, embrace our values and our way of life. They are not peddlers of political Islam, and that's all the more reason our nation must confront radical Islamism and political Islam, which are threats to us all—threats both imported and home grown, threats that will be amplified with the repatriation of the 34-strong ISIS bride cohort. Let's be clear about these ISIS sympathisers or the ISIS brides, a label which conceals all manner of sins. These people chose to abandon Australia. They chose to travel to terrorist hot spots. They chose to support one of the world's most evil and barbaric death cults.”
“Our borders have been open to people who hate our way of life, people who don't want to change for Australia but who want Australia to change for them. Of course, those who seek to change Australia exist on a spectrum. There are some who would use violence and terrorism, as we saw on Bondi Beach. There are those who seek to incite violence, as we've seen with radical clerics. There are those who seek to import foreign hatreds, as we've seen in rallies where protesters chant 'globalise the intifada'. And there are those who, while rejecting violence, still reject Australian values. There are people who don't believe in equal rights for men and women, people who don't believe in the rule of law and want to establish parallel legal systems, people who don't believe in freedom of speech, association and religion.”
“In the aftermath of that sordid evening, there was an opportunity—an opportunity for strong political leadership grounded in moral clarity, an opportunity to stop the spread of antisemitism and an opportunity to come down hard on extremism. Instead, there was weak political leadership engulfed in a moral fog. What followed was the tolerance of even more intolerable antisemitic incidents: marches where genocidal slogans were chanted; encampments on university campuses; homes, cars and memorials graffitied and vandalised; extremist preachers spreading hate with impunity; synagogues firebombed. And then came the bloodshed on Bondi Beach. Fifteen innocent people were gunned down by radical Islamists. It was the worst terrorist attack on our soil in our history. I say again: we must be clear-eyed about the threats to our nation.”
“The day after Hamas gleefully tortured, raped, mutilated and murdered 1,200 citizens in Israel, a rally was held at Lakemba in Sydney. There, a crowd cheered a radical Islamic cleric, and he described the terrorist attack on Israel as a day of pride and a day of victory. The following night, a seething mob gathered on the steps of Sydney Opera House. They chanted: 'Where's the Jews? Eff the Jews!' They sought to strike fear into our Jewish community. It was one of the most odious events in our nation's history, an event where we didn't even recognise our own country. But it was an event where we did realise that something sinister had taken root in Australia.”
“I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring immediately: (1) the Member for Hume presenting a Bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act 1995, and for related purposes; (2) debate on the second reading of the bill proceeding immediately for a period of no longer than one hour; (3) any questions required to complete passage of the bill then being put without delay; and (4) any variation to this arrangement being made only on a motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business. The standing orders must be suspended to allow me to introduce a bill today, without delay, because this issue is urgent and must be resolved today. We must be clear-eyed about threats to this nation. Consider what we've seen in recent years.”
“We welcome the demise of the Ayatollah, and we hope for the demise of this regime and a replacement of this regime with democracy and freedom for the people of Iran.”
“I associate myself with the sentiments of the Prime Minister in what he said a moment ago. This is a genocidal, authoritarian and despotic regime that has existed in Iran since 1979. They have been responsible for unspeakable acts. They have supported terrorist organisations throughout the world. Hezbollah, Hamas and the IRGC have acted to support terrorist acts throughout the world, including in this country—we have seen two acts, at least, in this country. Of course the listing of the IRGC was something that both sides of the parliament supported. It should have happened earlier, but both sides of the parliament have supported that. We welcome the actions of the US and Israel.”
“Prime Minister, there are reports that at least 34 passports have recently been issued under this government to facilitate the return of individuals who left Australia to join ISIS. Can the PM confirm that none of his ministers, nor any member of staff, made representations to any relevant departments or agencies to support or expedite the issuing of Australian passports to ISIS sympathisers in Syria?”
“Fifty Australians, more than 30 debutants, competed across 11 sports, ably assisted by big support teams, who play an enormously important role. Few Australians have the honour of representing their country at the Olympics, and they are now part of this esteemed pantheon. I wish the winter Paralympics team the very best as they approach their competition in the coming days. On behalf of the federal opposition, I congratulate our 2026 winter Olympics team. Your country is so very proud of you.”
“I join the Prime Minister in congratulating the Australian winter Olympics team. The 2026 Milano Cortina games were the most successful winter Olympics ever for our nation, with three golds, two silvers and one bronze, as you've just heard, along with some incredible performances and enormous determination. Amongst those were a number of medallists from the town where I grew up and surrounding towns within the electorate of Eden-Monaro. We've come a long way since that extraordinary performance by Steven Bradbury all those years ago that many of us will remember. What an extraordinary series of performances we've seen at these winter Olympics. They're amazing athletes, and I congratulate the entire team.”
“For the information of honourable members, I present a shadow ministry list reflecting changes announced on 17 February 2026. The document read as follows— SHADOW MINISTRY Each box represents a portfolio. Shadow cabinet ministers are shown in bold typ e.”
“Everyday Australians are making hard choices because this government, this Prime Minister, has failed to make those choices. Labor is failing Australians, and Australians deserve better. We need less government, less spending, less taxes, less regulation and less regulators. Australians need change, and Australia is worth fighting for.”
“Last week's RBA decision confirmed what Australian families already know: there is no light at the end of the tunnel under Labor. It's too hard to buy a home, it's too hard to start a business, it's too hard to start a family and it is too hard to access basic services. The cost of everything is going up and up. This is a great country, but for too many Australians it doesn't feel like it. The basic promise—that if you work hard and you do the right thing, you'll get ahead—seems broken. Our economy has hit a speed limit, and it's painfully slow. Our Liberal priority must be to protect our way of life and restore our standard of living that has been trashed under Labor; that's our mission, because both are under assault under Labor.”
“Our standard of living is going backwards, at exactly the time when other countries around the world are seeing theirs improving. This Labor government has failed hardworking Australians.”
“We've got the government with the foot on the accelerator, and so the Reserve Bank has to put the foot on the brake—and that wrecks the engine, and that is exactly what has been happening under this Labor government. Meanwhile, the supply side of our economy is completely broken. They've clogged it up. They've clogged up the private sector with more regulation. They're driving energy policy based on ideology, not based on affordable, reliable power—and it's good to see the energy shadow right here, who knows this better than better than anyone. They are allowing the construction sector to be held to ransom by the CFMEU. This is how you end up with an economy that's sending out the red lights and the warning bells by saying that inflation is going up and interest rates are going up. And Australians are suffering.”
“Under Labor, the cost-of-living crisis is getting worse, not better, and families in Hume are paying the price. This Treasurer promised that we'd beaten inflation—that it was all over. And what do you know? Up it surges. In fact, the Reserve Bank this week has told us that it is on its way up again—a huge increase in their forecasts. The Reserve Bank raised interest rates, of course, on Tuesday this week, and there's every expectation that there will be more increases in interest rates because of the failures of this government. Labor have treated Australians' money like it was their own, overspending on policies that did not ease the cost of living in any meaningful sense for Australians. And they've left the Reserve Bank to do the heavy lifting.”
“I would like to respond to some of those comments of a moment ago, but I realise this is constituency statements and so I will stick to that. Under Labor the cost-of-living crisis is getting worse, not better. Families in my electorate of Hume don't need economists or modelling to tell them that there is a cost-of-living crisis—that their standard of living has been trashed by a Labor government that has mismanaged the economy. They feel it every single week. They see it at the checkout when they pay their grocery bills. They see it when their power bill arrives. They see it when they fill up their petrol tanks at the bowser. They feel it when their rent goes up again or when they're left trying to pay their mortgage every month.”
“So we won't stand in the way of technical amendments, but we will hold the government to account for incomplete delivery, and we will push for reforms that make one thing absolutely clear to every serving member and veteran—to every war fighter and veteran warrior—that you should never have to choose between your career and your care. You should never have to fight your own system for the support you have earned, and you will always have our respect.”
“There are a few groups in the country who have earned that seriousness more than the men and women who serve, the veteran warriors who have served and the families who serve alongside them. The coalition has a strong record of backing veterans and their families from establishing the veterans' covenant, to expanding Open Arms, to non-liability mental health care, and to employment initiatives and wellbeing centres across the country. That record reflects a simple belief that service deserves respect and respect must be practical.”
“And our view is simple: automatic notification in every circumstance is a barrier. We recognise that there are occasions when it's necessary, but automatic notification is a barrier. So we stand ready to work with the government on fixing this either through a clearer threshold—a consent provision—or, indeed, if appropriate, removing the clause entirely. But what we're proposing here immediately is to seek to refer the bill to a short Senate inquiry to work through the detail of this issue. We certainly hope that the government will work with us to make sure that we get the right outcome for our defence personnel. Leadership in this place is about doing the hard work—the hard and sometimes unglamorous work—to make systems perform under pressure for the people who rely on them.”
“If you bake automatic notification into legislation, you risk reinforcing that fear, and you risk deterring early care. We know so well that in health, in so many different areas, early care is the key to pre-empting much greater care requirements down the track. This is a well-understood principle of health care, and it should absolutely be applied to those incredibly brave men and women who are prepared to put themselves in harm's way in the right circumstances for our great nation. When early care is deterred, problems get worse—as we know. Families pay the price, units pay the price and, tragically, in some cases, the nation pays the price. If you're designing a system with the objective of preventing unnecessary health problems down the track, the test is simple: does this reduce the barriers to care, or does it add to them?”
“But there are many circumstances where it's just completely inappropriate that notification be mandatory to the Chief of the Defence Force when a member of the Defence Force makes a claim. If you want a force that is ready, resilient and lethal when it needs to be, you have to have a system where people in uniform can seek help early and with confidence, not late and in silence. The government's rationale is operational—that notification supports defence requirements and helps access medical records—but it fails to take seriously how real people respond to perceived career risk and stigma. They will not seek care when they need it. The evidence is plain. Some serving members are reluctant to seek mental health support or other support when they believe it could affect their career progression or deployability.”
“While we support this legislation overall, the coalition's amendment goes to a fundamental principle, which is trust. It calls on the government to remove the mandatory legislative requirements to notify the Chief of the Defence Force when a serving member lodges a Veterans' Review Board application or accesses non-liability healthcare. Let me be clear about this principle. It's incredibly important. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, it should be up to the war fighter whether defence is notified when they make a health claim. We recognise that there will be extraordinary circumstances where a member of the Defence Force makes a claim and the health condition they are facing may have consequences for them or for their colleagues and for others that that deserves notification. We are not blind to that set of circumstances.”
“It also preserves key allowances in decoration payments, clarifies coverage for treatment related injuries and diseases, maintains non-liability healthcare arrangements and improves offsets in deductions to prevent duplication while protecting overall entitlements. That is what good legislative housekeeping looks like—making sure the intent of reform survives contact with reality. But we should be frank. Parts of this bill are required to complete or correct the government's original package. Now, these are not new policy ideas. They are core implementation details that should have been settled the first time, and veterans and their families deserve stability, not rolling legislative corrections that add uncertainty to a system we're supposed to be simplifying. The coalition's amendment is saying trust and early help must come first.”