Libby Coker
Corangamite · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Well, it's finally open. After years of planning, investment and construction, the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre is now welcoming visitors. While it's on Geelong's waterfront, the benefits won't stop there.”
“Participants and their families deserve confidence that the workers entering their homes and providing essential supports are appropriately trained, properly supported and accountable.”
“That's what makes this project so important. It's an investment that strengthens Geelong as the gateway to everything my part of Victoria has to offer, and it's already delivered 1,400 jobs, with more to come. It builds on the work we're doing across the Bellarine and Surf Coast to support growing communities.”
“It should be noted that, throughout this inquiry, the committee made clear that choice and control are the foundation of the NDIS, and they must remain at the centre of any reform. During this inquiry, the committee heard from people with disability, families, advocates, providers and experts.”
“The NDIS was built on trust—trust that participants would receive the right supports, trust that providers would act in the best interests of the people they support and trust that public funding would be used for its intended purpose. As the scheme has grown, the risks facing it have also evolved.”
“This includes a greater focus on fraud prevention and detection, stronger oversight of providers, improved collaboration between agencies and reform to better protect participants. During the committee's inquiry, what was highlighted was the importance of such continued work.”
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“They start at local community and sporting clubs, schools and regional training grounds. They start with parents driving to early morning sessions, with volunteers marking fields, with councils maintaining courts, and with our federal government backing in the infrastructure that gives young Australians a chance to think big. That is exactly why the Albanese government is investing in sporting and community infrastructure across regional Australia, including in communities like mine in Corangamite, from our investments in the North Bellarine and Surf Coast aquatic centres, upgrades to netball facilities in Grovedale and Drysdale, redevelopment of the Leopold sporting precinct and a new sports stadium in the rapidly growing township of Armstrong Creek.”
“I rise today to congratulate an extraordinary Australian athlete, Jakara Anthony, on her role representing our nation at this year's Winter Olympics in Italy. Jakara is a proud Barwon Heads local in my electorate of Corangamite, and while her sport takes her all over the world, she remains deeply connected to the Bellarine Peninsula, carrying her community with her onto the international stage. To be selected as our nation's flag bearer is one of the greatest honours in sport. It speaks not just to athletic excellence but to character, leadership and the respect of teammates. Jakara embodies all of that. These sporting journeys don't begin on the Olympic slopes. They start years earlier. They start at places like Mount Buller, where Jakara and her family spent many winters building her skills.”
“It will publish an annual state of the tertiary education system report, and it will help ensure vocational and higher education systems work together as one coherent system. This bill continues a long and proud tradition of reform, which began with the Curtin government and was strengthened under the Menzies government. Both sides of politics recognised then, as we do now, that education is nation building. This legislation builds new foundations for the decades ahead. It expands opportunity, it strengthens skills, and it ensures the system—importantly—remains fair, accessible and sustainable. For these reasons, I commend the bill to the House.”
“It recognises that reform on this scale requires stewardship beyond a single minister or electoral cycle. The ATEC will be independent. It will report to ministers through a statement of expectations. It will publish work plans and research, and it will advise government. It will be reviewed after two years and, again, at five years, with those reviews tabled in parliament. Those reviews will be essential to refine the ATEC with input from universities and other stakeholders. The ATEC will be led by three commissioners, including a full-time chief commissioner and a full-time First Nations commissioner. The commission will negotiate mission based compacts with universities. It will assume responsibility for standards advice.”
“Those places must be properly funded, and that is where the Australian Tertiary Education Commission comes in. Over the next 12 months, two major funding reforms will be legislated. The first is demand driven equity. Universities will no longer face caps for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. If a student meets entry requirements, they will be able to enrol. The second is needs based funding. Extra resources will flow to support students from low-income families, from regional areas and from underrepresented groups. The money will follow the student. The most disadvantaged students a university educates, the more support it will receive. These reforms commence in January. It will be the ATEC's role to steer and embed them. This bill establishes that body.”
“We promised it, Australians voted for it, and it is being delivered. We reformed repayments so graduates only repay on income above the threshold rather than on their full wage. For someone earning $70,000 a year, that means around $1,300 less in repayments annually. This is real cost-of-living relief. It is also another recommendation of the accord. If Australia is to reach the 80 per cent participation target, more university places are required. That expansion begins next year: 9,500 additional commencing places will be allocated this year—in 2026—16,000 more will follow in 2027, another 16,000 in 2028, another 16,000 in 2029, and 19,000 more in 2030. Over the next decade, that equates to around 200,000 additional commencing places. It will lift the number of domestic students in Australian universities by around 27 per cent.”
“We're also working with state governments to deliver full funding for public schools—something I'm so passionate about, as a teacher who has worked in public schools—because a successful tertiary education is built on successful primary and secondary education. We established a National Student Ombudsman and legislated a national code to prevent and respond to gender based violence. We created an expert council on university governance and are strengthening transparency around remuneration, council decisions, consultants and conflicts of interest. We've taken decisive action on student debt. Indexation was capped at the lower of the CPI and the WPI, wiping $3 billion from balances. A further $16 billion is being removed through a 20 per cent reduction for borrowers. That is the largest student debt cut in Australia's history.”
“When fully rolled out, this will support around 1,790 additional medical students each year. We abolished the unfair 50 per cent pass rule that disproportionately affected Indigenous students, students from low-income families and those from regional communities. We reformed student services and amenities fees so at least 40 per cent is directed to student led organisations. We introduced a demand driven system for Indigenous students nationwide so that wherever they live, if they achieve the marks, they get the place. That change is already delivering results. Indigenous commencements rose by five per cent last year and by a further three per cent this year. Over the next decade, that number is expected to double.”
“These courses act as a bridge between school and higher education, and they do make a difference for many students. Over the next decade, the government will invest an additional $1 billion so that tens of thousands of Australians can undertake them free of charge. We introduced paid prac to support teachers, nurses and midwifery and social-work students while they complete compulsory placements. It is means tested and targeted at those who need help most. More than 67,000 students have applied. More than 80 per cent of those applications have been processed, and more than 80 per cent have been approved. We've expanded medical Commonwealth supported places to address doctor shortages. Over the past three years, more than 350 new commencing places have been announced. Eight new medical schools are being established.”
“That means more than 40 per cent of Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds are missing out on the qualifications that will increasingly be required in the decades ahead. We must change this. In my electorate of Corangamite, I will work with Deakin University and the Gordon TAFE to help implement these reforms and ensure better outcomes for locals and for students at these two great educational institutions. The accord's recommendations will make a difference to people in my region. It should be noted that our government has already acted on the accord's interim recommendations while implementing the final report. In last year's budget, we adopted 31 of the 47 recommendations in full or in part. We increased funding for bridging courses that help students prepare for university study.”
“The accord also identified two major barriers standing in the way of that ambition. The first is the divide between vocational education and higher education, which too often makes pathways complicated and inflexible. The second is the invisible barrier that prevents too many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, outer suburbs and regional communities from getting to university at all. Today, 69 per cent of young Australians from high-socioeconomic families hold a university degree, but only 19 per cent from very poor families do. That gap exists across vocational education as well: 87 per cent of young people from wealthy families hold a TAFE qualification or university degree while only 59 per cent from poorer families do.”
“They were asked to examine seven priority areas: Australia's current and future knowledge and skills needs; access and opportunity; investment and affordability; governance, accountability and community connection; links between vocational education and higher education; the quality and sustainability of providers; and the role of new knowledge, innovation and research in building national capacity. The final report was released last year, and its message was clear: more jobs will require high levels of skills. Right now, data shows 60 per cent of Australians working today hold a certificate, diploma or degree, but by 2050 the figure will need to rise to around 80 per cent. That's a substantial shift. It means more people at TAFE, more people at university and more Australians moving between the two over their working lives.”
“Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt contributed her deep expertise in Indigenous education and research through the Jumbunna institute at the University of Technology Sydney. The Hon. Fiona Nash provided insight as the Australian regional education commissioner and a former minister for regional development and regional communications. The Hon. Jenny Macklin brought decades of experience in social policy and disability reform as a former federal cabinet minister. Ms Shemara Wikramanayake contributed a strong understanding of industry, investment and research commercialisation as Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Group and a former member of the university research commercialisation expert panel.”
“It will make sure there are enough places at universities to enable more people to access the opportunities that higher education can deliver, particularly in regional areas like mine in Corangamite. This is a central recommendation of the Australian Universities Accord. Three years ago, the Minister for Education appointed six eminent Australians to develop a long-term blueprint for reforming higher education. Professor Mary O'Kane chaired that work, a former chief scientist and engineer of New South Wales and a former vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide. Professor Barney Glover, now the Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia, brought his experience as Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University.”
“Australia's future prosperity will be built on education, skills and opportunity. The Albanese government know this, and it's why we are working to rebuild confidence in the tertiary system after a decade of Liberal neglect, strengthening pathways into learning. The bill before the House today, the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025, is the latest step in this work. This is a bill to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, the ATEC. The ATEC will focus on making sure universities do their part to deliver on the government's commitment to lift tertiary education attainment to 80 per cent of working-age people by 2050 and raise equity and participation.”
“This bill is sensible and necessary. It empowers highly trained nurses, it improves access to PBS medicines, it relieves pressure across the system and it strengthens Medicare for the future. It reflects this government's commitment to evidence based policy and patient centred care. For these reasons, I commend the bill to the House and urge all members to support its passage.”
“It means urgent care clinics working alongside hospitals, it means general practices supported by nurses and able to provide greater access for people to get the health support they need, and it means families having confidence in the future of our health and disability systems. Taken together, this bill and the government's wider agenda reveal a clear and determined focus. We are strengthening Medicare. We are investing in the workforce. We are expanding access to health services in the community, and we're doing so responsibly, safely and with patients at the centre. This is not about grandstanding; it is about fixing everyday problems that are barriers to health and wellbeing, it is about reducing waiting times, it is about improving affordability and it is about securing the system for decades to come.”
“These reforms ensure Australians can rely on world-class public health care and disability supports while keeping those systems sustainable for future generations. The Commonwealth has committed an additional $25 billion for public hospitals—three times more than under the previous five-year agreement. Commonwealth funding will reach $219.6 billion between 2026-27 and 2030-31. That includes $24.4 billion through base funding and more than $600 million in targeted investment. The Albanese government is backing in Medicare and our public hospitals, and this bill forms part of that wider commitment to strengthen our health system. For communities like mine, that means stronger regional services and better connected care.”
“These results show that record investment in women's health is working, and, from 1 January, all Australians are now saving even more with $25 PBS scripts. These reforms are making a real difference to household budgets and everyday lives. This bill builds on this philosophy. It's about lowering barriers and improving accessibility to health services. It's about making the system work better for patients, and it's about ensuring care is delivered where people live. This legislation sits alongside the government's broader work to strengthen Australia's health and disability systems. Last week, National Cabinet reached a landmark agreement to deliver record funding for state and territory hospitals and to secure the long-term future of the NDIS.”
“As Minister Butler has said: All Australian women deserve to have their health issues taken seriously and given the priority they deserve. What welcome news! Our government is doing exactly that, with a focus on giving women more choice, lower costs and better access to services and treatments. Many women in my electorate are thrilled with these changes. They tell me about it regularly. They can talk about contraception, and they are so pleased with the savings they are making. They told us they were being left thousands of dollars out of pocket for basic contraceptive scripts and could not access support for menopause for endometriosis. So we have acted, and women are now saving hundreds of dollars on the medicines they need.”
“Around 340,000 women obtained menopause hormone therapies through more than 1.25 million scripts saving almost $38.3 million compared to previous prices, and more than 275 women accessed newly listed oral contraceptives, with total savings of almost $19.5 million and more choice. Savings have increased further as our government reduced the maximum out-of-pocket cost for PBS medicines from $31.60 to $25 while keeping the concessional co-payment at $7.70. These listings are part of the Albanese government's landmark $792.9 million women's health package in the 2025-26 budget. That package also delivered new Medicare benefit scheme items for menopause and perimenopause health assessments, commencing on 1 July 2025. In the first five months alone, more than 61,000 women benefited from these new services.”
“More than 610,000 Australian women have already saved money since essential women's health medications were listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme last year. New contraceptive pills, the contraceptive vaginal ring, three new hormone therapies for menopause and medicine for endometriosis were among the treatments made available at subsidised PBS prices for the very first time. Women suffering from endometriosis have the greatest individual benefit. More than 6,000 women accessed endometriosis treatments at PBS prices, saving over $4 million in total, more than $668 each on average. That is an important cost-of-living measure. Latest data shows that in the nine months to 30 November, women filled out more than 1.7 million prescriptions for these medicines and saved nearly $62 million.”
“In places such as Armstrong Creek, Torquay and across the Bellarine, population growth continues to drive demand for local health services. Residents regularly tell me how much they value being able to access high quality care close to home, particularly after hours or on weekends. Workforce reforms are not an abstract thing for these communities. It's about making local clinics stronger and more accessible. It's about ensuring emergency departments are reserved for the most serious cases, and it's about supporting older residents and people with disability to stay healthy in their own communities. This bill also complements the government's work to make medicines cheaper and more accessible to Australian families.”
“It ensures straightforward cases are dealt with efficiently, freeing doctors up to focus on complex and chronic conditions. It strengthens continuity of care and it helps practices operate more sustainably in a tight labour market. In community clinics, aged care and disability services, the ability for trained nurses to prescribe PBS medicines will mean fewer delays and better outcomes for patients, which is what we all want. In community clinics, aged-care and disability services, the ability for trained nurses to prescribe PBS medicines will mean fewer delays and better outcomes for patients which is what we all want. That is good policy. The benefits of this reform will be felt most strongly in regional and fast-growing communities like the one I represent.”
“With the Albanese government's continued investment, more doctors have joined the Australian health system in the last three years than in any time in the past decade. Doctor registrations jumped more than 30 per cent in 2024-25 compared to 2021-22. No health system can function without the people who staff it, and no amount of bricks and mortar can substitute for a well-supported workforce. The future of primary care is team based. It is multidisciplinary. It recognises that doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals all have an essential role to play, and this bill reflects that reality and builds on it. Designated registered nurse prescribing does not undermine general practitioners. It supports them.”
“They are easing pressure on the Geelong University Hospital emergency department and they're ensuring that local health workers can deliver care in the right setting at the right time. We have invested in general practice, headspaces, aged care, women's health, mental health support and primary care infrastructure, and we're investing directly in our GP workforce. The Albanese government is investing $14.5 million to deliver an additional 306 new GP training places in 2026 through the Australian General Practice Training Program. This investment will bring the total number of doctors starting GP training to around 2,100, a 14 per cent increase on 2025, something we should be proud of.”
“This is reform done properly. This bill also sits within the Albanese government's broader effort to rebuild Medicare after a decade of neglect. This government has responded with the largest investment in Medicare in its history. We have tripled the bulk-billing incentive for concession cardholders and children. We've expanded Medicare urgent care clinics to take pressure off hospitals and provide walk in care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions. In my electorate, that includes the Torquay Medical Urgent Care Clinic, which is already making a real difference for families across the Surf Coast and the rapidly-growing township of Armstrong Creek. Like the Belmont urgent care clinic in Geelong, the Torquay service is giving people confidence that they can get seven-day-a-week bulk-billed care close to home.”
“It will improve access to care, particularly in regional and outer metropolitan communities like mine. Importantly, only registered nurses who meet the standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia will be eligible for endorsement as designated nurse prescribers. The list of medicines will be assessed by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, ensuring clinical rigour and patient safety remain paramount. The legislation also extends the Professional Services Review Scheme to designated nurse practitioners and prescribers, providing the same peer review oversight that applies to other PBS prescribers and safeguarding the integrity of the system. These safeguards matter. They demonstrate that the government is expanding access and. importantly, maintaining the high standards Australians rightly expect.”
“It is a significant reform that goes to the heart of our government's agenda, strengthening Medicare, modernising the workforce and ensuring Australians can receive high-quality care when and where they need it. This legislation builds directly on the work of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce and the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce review. Both found that highly trained nurses are too often prevented from working to their full scope of practice by outdated regulatory settings. Allowing trained and endorsed registered nurses to prescribe under the PBS is about using the skills already in our system more effectively. It makes sense. It will reduce unnecessary duplication of appointments. It will ease pressure on general practice and, importantly, emergency departments.”
“Australians expect a health system that is accessible, affordable and built around patients. The Albanese government understands this and has been working to make it a reality since coming to office. We have strengthened Medicare. We have invested in the workforce. We've expanded access to care in the community. And the bill before the house today is the latest step in that work. I rise to speak in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. This bill delivers a practical reform to the way our health system operates and to the way Australians access timely care. It amends the National Health Act to allow designated registered nurses to prescribe certain medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.”
“While these events can be inevitable, how we plan, prepare and support each other is vital to building resilience and improving our recovery outcomes.”
“It can take businesses and families a long time to get back on their feet, and that's why the Albanese government has introduced the Australian government disaster recovery payment for eligible people who have directly been impacted by bushfires, including through major damage to their homes, serious injury or loss of a loved one as a result of the bushfires. We have a one-off payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child. I want to remind our communities that the threat of fire is real. We must continue to take it seriously. We must heed the bushfire warnings and prepare to act. We are urging the community to have their bushfire plan ready and to pack emergency and evacuation kits. Our local fire and emergency agencies are the perfect places to find out exactly how to stay safe this season.”
“Most of you are volunteers, and, without you, meals would not have been provided to those in need, families would not have been looked after and would have had nowhere to take shelter and local businesses would still have their doors closed. You offered beds, a warm cup of coffee, caravans for families, help with pets and stock, smiles and so much more. We owe you our gratitude. Sadly, many flood impacted holiday-makers report they have suffered emotionally, having lost property that holds significant sentimental value and valuable possessions. It is important to recognise that events such as fires and floods can have profound impacts on communities.”
“I acknowledge the words of the member for Indi. From fires to floods, the Surf Coast region has experienced an extremely challenging few weeks. We have seen cars swept into the ocean and communities threatened by deadly fires. For me, it was the watch-and-act alert on Australia Day. The threat of fire is real, as it was in Aireys Inlet, my town, during Ash Wednesday. I'd like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of the responders, volunteers and community members who rallied to support the emergency relief effort. To the football clubs, surf lifesaving clubs, schools, op shops, food banks and many local householders and accommodation providers who stepped up to lend a hand: thank you.”
“Remember to thank our surf lifesavers and our emergency service workers and ensure that, when you go into one of our magnificent businesses, you actually treat staff respectfully, particularly over the busy season ahead. To all those who are working when the rest of us are enjoying time with family: I wish you well. Have a great festive season. To my staff and my fellow MPs across the chamber: I wish you all the very best and a safe and happy time. I hope everyone gets the break that we need.”
“Our government has committed to delivering this upgrade. We've put in $700,000 to make this happen, and we're delivering. We are also doing some work with our communities to achieve some great things, like strengthening services to support the health and wellbeing of Australians. Closely linked to that is building the infrastructure that people need to bring them together. We're also giving Australians, young and old, the opportunity to thrive, succeed and lead safe and fulfilling lives with changes to our aged care system. To my communities across the Surf Coast Bellarine and Geelong region: thank you for your support this year. Stay safe and enjoy the summer.”
“We know that nearly half of young Australians are experiencing high levels of psychological distress, and that's why we're backing headspace. It's also part of the reason why we're supporting sports clubs right across my electorate to build the infrastructure they need so that more young people, particularly women, can get involved in local sport. We know sport brings people together. It offers an opportunity for people, young and old, to rally around each other, to get through hard times and to have fun. But for that to work, sports clubs need infrastructure that's inclusive. This summer we're kicking off works on female-friendly upgrades to Spring Creek Recreational Reserve in Torquay with better changerooms so the footy and cricket clubs can better embrace the hundreds of young women keen to get involved in traditionally male sports.”
“From Armstrong Creek Sports Centre to Surf Coast aquatic and health centre and stage 2 of the Barwon Heads Road, we have some great projects now under construction. One of these projects will make a particularly positive impact for young people in Armstrong Creek, with work now underway to deliver a permanent headspace on the Surf Coast Highway. This new facility will be right near the new sports centre, library and shopping centre, and it will be easily accessible via public transport with bus stops right there, next door. We know how important headspace is for young people right across the nation. Since coming to government in 2022, we've put a real focus on supporting headspace to make sure young people get the supports they need to thrive and live fulfilling lives.”
“Working alongside our investment in bulk-billing is our commitment to expand the Medicare urgent care clinic network right across the nation. In my region, we have the Belmont clinic, which continues to go from strength to strength. And soon, within weeks, Torquay will also be home to an urgent care clinic. This will mean less pressure on our emergency departments in Geelong and access to quality GP services across the busy upcoming holiday period—urgent care close to home for people right across the Surf Coast. This has been worth fighting for. It'll be open extended hours, seven days a week. This work is changing lives. So too is our infrastructure pipeline, particularly in my electorate of Corangamite. This year we hit milestones in some of the more transformative projects across Victoria.”
“Summer is fast approaching. For most, it means time with friends, family and loved ones. Summer also gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the year that's been and the one that's coming. In May this year, the Albanese government returned to Canberra with a strengthened mandate—to continue to work to support Australians who are doing it tough, to keep building the infrastructure our communities deserve and to strengthen the services many people need. One of those services is Medicare. We've now made the biggest investment in the history of Medicare, $8.5 billion, to help ensure more Australians get bulk-billed so all they need is their Medicare card not their credit card. We're also supporting GPs, with incentives flowing to all practices that bulk-bill every single patient.”
“It is about the workers pulling beers on a Friday night. It is about the apprentices learning how to run a venue. It is about the families who pour their savings, their time and their heart into running a small pub. It is about the brewers, crafting something uniquely Australian. It is about the tourists who stop in and keep small towns strong. It is about the locals who find connection, friendship and belonging at their local. It is about keeping the heart of community life beating. This is the Albanese government backing in small business, backing in workers, backing in regional communities. This is a good, steady, responsible government in action—delivering for small venues and the Australians who rely on them every day. Thank you.”
“It remains stubbornly high in many parts of Europe. Australia, by contrast, has seen inflation fall because of disciplined economic management. We have avoided the recession and the job losses seen in many comparable economies. We have kept employment strong through uncertain global conditions. This is what steady, responsible government looks like—delivering relief for businesses, workers and consumers. This is a modest measure with a great impact. It is temporary, targeted and responsible. It is shaped by industry consultation. It supports fair competition. It protects diversity and choice in our beer and hospitality industries. It strengthens the community institutions that matter to people's lives. At its core, this is not about taxation formulas or economic modelling. It is about people.”
“We have ensured superannuation is paid on all government paid parental leave. We have delivered energy bill relief, with another $150 to come off before the end of the year. We have made home batteries cheaper for households. We have cut student loan debt by 20 per cent for around three million Australians. We have delivered paid practical placements for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students. We delivered another instalment of the aged-care wage rise in October, following the first increase earlier this year. And, through 2025, more responsible measures will continue to roll out, including tax cuts for every taxpayer, 50 more Medicare urgent care clinics, including one in my electorate in Torquay, and expanded bulk-billing. Inflation is rising overseas, including in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.”
“It is where local bands start out and where travellers stop in and keep regional tourism strong. These venues are cultural institutions. They are part of our national identity. Keeping their doors open matters. This government understands community life because it is connected to it. We understand the pressures that publicans, club managers and hospitality staff are facing. We know what these venues mean to local people, and we are acting decisively to support them. This support is also aligned with our broader cost-of-living agenda. From 1 July, we have delivered practical measures that help make everyday life easier. We have increased the national minimum wage and award wages by 3.5 per cent. We've lifted the super guarantee to 12 per cent. We have expanded Paid Parental Leave to 24 weeks. and it will be 26 the year after next.”
“Indexation will resume after two years, ensuring the integrity of the broader alcohol excise framework is maintained. So it's a temporary adjustment designed to help small venues through a challenging period without compromising the long-term sustainability of the budget. That's what responsible economic management looks like. The importance of this measure is especially visible in regional communities like mine. In many regional towns, the local pub is where loneliness is eased, where a newcomer to town meets their first neighbour, where families gather after Saturday sport and where stories are passed down across generations. It's where people hold charity nights when the community needs to rally around someone. It is where people go after a funeral to share memories and support each other.”
“We have extended the instant asset write-off so small operators can invest in the equipment they need without facing cashflow barriers. We're supporting small businesses to adapt and adopt digital tools, streamline administration and modernise their operations, saving time and reducing costs. We're helping businesses lower their energy bills through targeted support and clean energy investments. I'd like to make the point that this broader package recognises that small businesses do not operate in isolation. They need coordinated support across tax, energy, skills, digital infrastructure and cost-of-living pressures. Within this wider framework of support sits our draught beer excise pause. This measure is practical, and it is also fiscally responsible.”
“The Albanese Labor government has listened carefully to publicans, brewers and small-business groups right across the country. We've heard from venue owners and brewers trying to balance growth and unpredictable input costs. We've heard from operators of small hospitality businesses who simply wanted some breathing space, not a hand-out but a fair go and a fair chance to plan ahead. This measure reflects that feedback. It is targeted where it needs to be. It is temporary by design, and it is one part of a broader support package for small business across Australia. Alongside this excise pause, the Albanese Labor government is delivering a comprehensive suite of support for small business, the backbone of our economy and the heart of so many communities.”
“For them, indexation is not an abstract policy issue; it directly affects whether they can make payroll, plan production runs, invest in new equipment and keep their team employed. Pausing indexation for two years will help brewers manage costs, stabilise cashflow and continue to invest in their local communities and local economies. It will also ensure these small and independent brewers can continue to compete fairly against large multinational producers. Fair competition matters. It protects diversity and innovation in the Australian beer market. It ensures consumers have real choice, and it keeps our hospitality sector vibrant, diverse and reflective of local tastes and local talent. This measure is also the product of extensive consultation.”
“When a local venue can stay open and stay strong, the whole supply chain benefits: the brewers who rely on keg sales to stay viable benefit, the farmers growing barley and hops benefit, transport operators moving goods up and down the coast benefit, and equipment suppliers, refrigeration companies, event organisers and musicians all benefit too. Across the hospitality and brewing sectors, around 160,000 Australians rely on these venues staying open and profitable. This pause helps keep their jobs more secure. Small and independent brewers, including so many proudly Australian, community minded, innovative producers, rely heavily on keg sales to keep their businesses afloat.”
“For operators of small venues across the nation, we know the pandemic hit hospitality hard—so have supply chain disruptions and so has inflation. Publicans, managers, brewers and hospitality workers have carried a heavy load through a turbulent period. Our two-year excise freeze is not a silver bullet, but it is real relief. It stabilises one of their major cost pressures. It keeps the tax component of a pint steady for two years. It reduces pressure on venues to raise prices for their customers, many of whom are feeling cost-of-living pressures themselves, and it gives publicans predictable operating conditions at a time when they need certainty. This support does not stop at the pub door.”