Louise Miller-Frost
Boothby · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“This has been a big week in parliament and a big week for delivery by the Albanese Labor government. The Solar Saver program started—three hours of power in the middle of the day. We expanded paid parental leave to a full six months. We opened the National Environmental Protection Agency and we opened a new veteran wellbeing agency.”
“More recently, we announced that we will strengthen consumer protections for those on Support at Home by empowering the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to be able to order refunds for overcharged services and to be able to report publicly on investigations and enforcement actions; by producing each quarter a national summary of Su…”
“The demographics are not in our favour. Next year, 90,000 additional Australians will turn 80; 15 years ago that number was 15,000. This has an impact on the service offerings we need to provide, specifically in aged care and health.”
“While we listen to those opposite try to throw blame around and cynically, desperately, try to claw back some votes, we should turn to an independent arbiter as to why the aged-care system is where it is right now.”
“The government's plan to expand and improve aged-care services in Australia will also mean an expansion of end-of-life pathway, providing dignified care to older Australians in their final months.”
“We are confronted with this reality and we are confronting the reality with a plan—a plan that will ensure that every older Australian can get affordable and timely access to the quality care they need and deserve, and a plan that will improve and expand the system to make it fit for purpose and sustainable well into the foreseeable futur…”
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“Some are set in suburbs like ours, around beaches, sporting clubs, parks, schools and shopping strips people in Boothby would recognise immediately, and these stories matter too. Over the past few years, I've also had the opportunity to attend local book launches and literary events celebrating South Australian authors and storytellers, including Lainie Anderson, Mercedes Mercier, Jennifer Mackenzie Dunbar and Daniel O'Neill. I particularly want to acknowledge Becky Lucas and Mike Lucas from Shakespeare's Bookshop in Blackwood and Charmaine Power from Mostly Books in Mitcham, two independent booksellers in my electorate who have built a genuine community around books and reading and who support our local authors—because books are not just about publishing; they're also about community.”
“Her books have been part of childhoods across Australia for generations. They've been read at bedtime, in classrooms and in libraries right across the country. That is the extraordinary thing about books. A story written by one person can become part of millions of people's lives. It can shape childhood memories and a lifelong love of reading. I recently attended the launch of the book God i s an Apricot by Boothby author Robert Moore, set around the Shepherds Hill Recreation Park in my electorate. What struck me was how familiar it was—the suburbs, the atmosphere, the small details of everyday life in communities like ours. Not every important story is set in New York or London, and not every important Australian story is set in Sydney or Melbourne—or Canberra.”
“When I visit schools to talk about democracy and civic participation, I'm always struck by how closely literacy and engagement are connected. Students who read widely are often the students asking thoughtful questions, challenging ideas and thinking critically about the world around them. That matters, particularly at a time when misinformation and division can spread so quickly online. Reading is not just about literacy; it's also about participation. It's about helping young people understand different perspectives, think critically and engage confidently in public life. These skills do not appear by accident; they are built through education, through conversation, through stories and, yes, through reading. Many Australians would remember growing up with the work of Mem Fox, a resident of my electorate of Boothby.”
“It recognises the value of what they do and the value of their creativity, and it enables them to continue their work writing Australian stories, Australian nonfiction, Australian voices. In fact, in the 2026-27 budget, Creative Australia will receive an increase of $14.7 million in funding, from $311.8 million to 326.5 million. At its core, this legislation is about recognising the value of Australian stories and the people who create them. One thing I've noticed from visiting schools across Boothby is that books still matter deeply to young people. You see it in the questions that they ask, you see it in the way they connect stories to their own lives and communities, and you see it when the conversations about books turn into bigger conversations about fairness, identity, belonging and the kind of country we want to be.”
“Under Revive, we aim to modernise lending rights that reflect the rapid changes in the way we all read, changes that align, for example, with the developments in new digital formats like ebooks and audiobooks. Writers deserve to be compensated for their hard work and for the hours they spend whittling away in the creation of their stories, stories which speak to the times and will stand the test of time. That is why the Albanese Labor government has also invested in Creative Australia, providing grants and funding for authors who are in the midst of creating a new work. This funding is essential. It gives writers the breathing space to write, time to write and financial stability.”
“It adopts many of the features and definitions of the existing legislation while taking into account changes to the way Australians today read. We will modernise and streamline lending rights governance and administration, including the creation of a new public and educational lending rights committee. An associated bill, the Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions Bill 2026, will ensure that the old and new schemes are cohesive and consistent. This bill is part of the Albanese Labor government's national cultural policy, Revive. Revive seeks to not only support Australian writers and literature but protect this invaluable part of our national culture and heritage.”
“The reality is that free books reduce direct sales, affecting all those in the chain of production, including publishers, booksellers, agents and translators. Lending rights ensure that authors are paid where their works are freely available in public and educational libraries. In 2024-25, more than 17,000 payments were made to creators and publishers because of the scheme, amounting to more than $28 million. In other words, it is this scheme that has allowed writers to thrive and good stories to be shared. It enables writers to be paid, as they should be, for their work, their ideas, their time and their IP. This bill consolidates the Education Lending Rights and the Public Lending Rights into a single legislative framework. The Education Lending Rights Scheme is in fact not currently enshrined in legislation.”
“This is not to mention the growing prominence of self-publishing, and even when an author chooses to go down this route, which is precarious to begin with, their success does not necessarily, and in fact often doesn't, translate into financial security or stability. This isn't good enough. Full-time writers often rely on their royalties as their only source of income, which, given the average income of $18,200, means that for every writer who is making a good living from their writing, there are many, many others making very little. If we expect—and I think we all expect this—a thriving literary culture in Australia, we need to be able to financially support those who are at the very heart of it.”
“Because PM Whitlam was committed to education for all as a way of bettering our country and providing opportunity for all, the public lending scheme also meant that everyone in our Australian community would have access. Since 1974, incremental changes have been made in the way of updating the scheme to adapt to contemporary technological changes and innovations, and we now have ebooks, audiobooks and other such digital platforms. A national survey of Australian book authors in 2022 found the average annual income of an Australian author was around $18,200, ranging from about $5,000 for poets up to about $28,000 for youth authors. This is well below minimum wage.”
“This debate seeks to replace the Public Lending Right Act 1985 and its associated scheme with the Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026 in order to provide for a unified and modern legislative framework. In 1974, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam introduced a public lending scheme. His goal was to encourage broader reading in the Australian community and elevate Australian voices and stories all while ensuring that authors, publishers and illustrators were paid fairly and equitably because Australia has some of the best writers in the world, from Alexis Wright, one of our leading Indigenous voices, to JM Coetzee, an Australian Nobel Prize winner in literature.”
“Libraries are the beating hearts of our communities. They are a crucial education resource for children and families, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who would otherwise not have access to such a wide range of reading. In this way, libraries are a vital component of our educational landscape. When children have free access to the shelves of a library, we know that they have improved rates of literacy, and who can really argue against free access to books? Who can really argue against children reading more? Something as simple as a library card can literally change a person's life. But behind the free access to knowledge, we are obligated to compensate those who produce this knowledge—writers, authors, publishers.”
“This legislation is a really important step forward, and I know that you will keep pushing for the next steps. I want you to know that this government hears you. I hear you and I will keep working with you. Changing these laws is more than just providing access to financial compensation; it is recognition, it is support, it is the delivery of justice. It is saying to every victim-survivor in Australia 'we hear you; we stand by you; we are on your side'. This bill needs to be passed for the silent pandemic: the hundreds of thousands of Australian victims-survivors, whose lives were irrevocably changed through no fault of their own and who are suffering. I commend the bill to the House.”
“It will change the law now, and it will help, sadly, the so many other victims-survivors in the same situation. I'd also like to thank former assistant treasurer Stephen Jones, who started this process with a consultation in 2023, which I submitted to, and the Assistant Treasurer, Daniel Mulino, who picked up the baton and kept on the journey to get this done. To Edan and all the other survivors and advocates, I know for you this is only the start. There is much more you are fighting for. You want recognition of civil findings, not just criminal findings. You want all superannuation on the table, not just additional payments. After all, if somebody is going to be living in poverty as a result of this heinous criminal activity, it should be the perpetrator, not the victim-survivor.”
“This in particular added to the pain and suffering. At twenty years old, I tried to end my life. I reached a point where the pain of existing was heavier than the fear of dying. But in surviving that moment I realized, why not stay alive for the other victim-survivors? When you have already walked to the edge and looked over, you lose the ability to be intimidated. I am here because I have nothing left to fear, and everything to fight for. Those were Edan's words, and I'd like to thank him for his advocacy and for his bravery in pursuing his perpetrator and exposing his evil with both criminal and civil convictions. It takes guts to face your perpetrator in an adversarial legal process. Edan's advocacy and the advocacy of so many others, including Lawyer Andrew Carpenter, are what have made a difference.”
“But how do you quantify the pain caused by not being able to hold a job or the pain you feel when someone asks you something as simple as "can you do the dishes for me" and suddenly you are right back there reliving everything. How do you put a monetary value on not being able to add a time schedule to your 'to do' list because even telling yourself that something needs to be done triggers your PTSD and now you can't even get yourself out bed. The answer? You can't. The legal system can't give me back the life and the potential I have lost so it does the next best thing and puts a monetary value on it, because that's all we have. But for too many years paedophiles have been able to hide assets, sequester funds in superannuation and, worst of all, declare bankruptcy to extinguish the compensation our courts have awarded them.”
“It is about fixing a fault in the system that enables perpetrators to not only evade the consequences of their actions but continue to victimise their victims through financial means. Edan has asked me to read his words to this House, and it is as follows: My name is Edan Van Haren. I am a survivor. For years now, I have fought to close legal loopholes that allow the architect of a child's trauma to hide behind bankruptcy laws and protected superannuation. Laws that paedophiles used to further abuse their victim-survivors. This is not about vengeance; it is about the mechanics of healing. Compensation payments attempt to quantify pain and suffering.”
“Be in no doubt: your efforts have changed lives and will continue to change lives far into the future. For victims-survivors, conviction—where it can be had—is not the end of it and nor is compensation, for that matter. There can be no monetary value on the trauma and pain that victims-survivors experience. But compensation can assist in rebuilding a life. Beyond compensation, what this bill hopes to do is deliver justice—a justice that victims-survivors have already had to fight long and hard for or what Edan has termed 'mechanics of healing'. Edan's advocacy is not necessarily about himself, although it goes without saying that his story is absolutely important.”
“Such a review will ensure that these new mechanisms are practical, enforceable and adhere to legal principles; that they make a genuine difference in survivors' lives; and that they are work for survivors and not against them. The government will continue to consult with those voices that have been instrumental in the creation of this bill: victims-survivors, advocates and legal experts. It is no small thing to have to relive childhood abuse. In fact, it takes a courage that most Australians will never have to muster and hopefully will never have cause to need to muster in their lifetime, especially when it can feel like you're shouting into a void. I therefore thank victims-survivors, their advocates and supporters for speaking out, for sharing their stories and for continuing to share their stories.”
“But this bill provides the foundation on which conversation can be had and maintained—the foundation on which future reforms are now conceivable. As I wrote in my submission to the 2023 consultation, 'I'm particularly committed to seeing these changes embrace a civil—not just a criminal—component in the future.' Where an abuser has been found liable in a civil proceeding, where a judge has looked at the evidence and decided, on balance, that abuse did occur even though there may not be a criminal conviction, victims-survivors should have the same ability to enforce compensation—but that is for another time, and this legislation now is a very welcome first step. Because the government wants to get these changes right, the changes will later be subject to review.”
“This bill seeks to reset the scales in the victims-survivors' favour by giving victims-survivors real and substantive tools to pursue court ordered compensation—at the end of what is often a long and traumatic process of litigation—and by realigning our financial and legal structures with those values which are at the heart of victim-survivor redress: justice, fairness and accountability. By removing the barriers to victim-survivor compensation, we avoid compounding survivors' harm, trauma and distress. Of course, this bill is not a magic bullet. It is a first step. Superannuation and bankruptcy are complex and technical legal terrains that require complex and technical legislative responses, and it is the government's intention to get this right.”
“Victims-survivors will therefore have another tool to be able to enforce unpaid compensation. The bill will also amend the 1966 Bankruptcy Act to ensure that it continues to fulfill its intended purpose of allowing those in financial distress to make a fresh start, but it will no longer facilitate convicted child-sex-abuse criminals being able to avoid paying court-ordered compensation. Such debts will now survive a declaration of bankruptcy, applying to both current and future bankruptcies.”
“The bill seeks to do two things: to give victims-survivors access to additional contributions in their offender's superannuation in order to satisfy unpaid compensation orders, and to ensure that compensation debts are not extinguished where the offender has declared bankruptcy. Where offenders fail to meet their legal obligations to satisfy a compensation claim within 12 months, victims-survivors will be able to apply to the ATO for information about the perpetrator's superannuation in advance of applying for a court order. Victims-survivors will then be able to apply for a court order to access certain superannuation contributions of their abuser. Perpetrators will have no recourse to wait out a court order, while shielding their assets in their superannuation, in order to defeat a compensation claim.”
“The perpetrator is reaching out from their jail cell and exerting power over their victim all over again, and thousands of other victims-survivors today remain exposed to these underhanded and callous tactics. The Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026 seeks to rectify this shortcoming in our financial structures. It will close a loophole by which perpetrators who have been criminally convicted can avoid paying settlement to their victims-survivors. It will ensure that superannuation is no longer a haven in which perpetrators can seek financial refuge. It will deny perpetrators the opportunities that exist in our current framework to evade accountability. It will affirm the bravery and dignity of victims-survivors, who, having endured so much, continue to endure on their road towards justice.”
“Unusually, Edan has managed to get both criminal and civil convictions against his perpetrator—and I say 'unusually' because we know that few cases are disclosed, few cases make it to court and it's difficult to establish evidence, and to prosecute, years or sometimes decades after the fact. In 2023, the New South Wales Supreme Court ordered that Edan's abuser pay out $1.4 million to him in compensation. And, from his jail cell, Edan's abuser declared bankruptcy. This meant that the payments that Edan's abuser would ordinarily have had to have paid would become void, while protecting his assets in superannuation—a deliberate and brazen exploitation of our laws that is nothing less than malicious: designed to inflict more pain, more hurt, more trauma.”
“The heavy silence, which for decades was a feature of our collective response, is unforgivable. For far too long, there's been a culture of secrecy and avoidance when it comes to confronting the realities of child sexual abuse. This culture extends not just to the abuse itself but to the structures of justice and redress that should be supporting the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. I was shocked when I found out that, in our existing legal framework, perpetrators can evade paying their victims-survivors court-ordered compensation by hiding assets in superannuation and declaring bankruptcy. This is the experience of Edan Van Haren, who lives in my electorate of Boothby. Edan is a victim-survivor of child abuse. He has very kindly given me permission to tell his story and use his name in my speech.”
“They tell of lives riven by the inability to trust; the inability to form relationships, be they intimate-partner relationships, collegial work relationships, family relationships or friendships; the inability to hold down a job; and the impact of triggers—seemingly minor things: a word, an aroma, a familiar environment, a song—that would catapult them back into their trauma, into panic, into helplessness, into fear and into distress; into fight or flight or being frozen; back into their childhood, back into their trauma. The damage done to the child, in so many instances, remains with them long after the abuse stops, chasing them into adulthood. For many years, just as their abusers had told them would happen, survivors were not believed, and so they kept it inside.”
“(): Working in the homelessness sector brings you into contact with many people who have experienced trauma. It's a very common story to hear that someone who in later life becomes homeless turns out to have a trauma history. Trauma has a long tail. We would hear from people who turned up in the homelessness system about various forms of trauma at various stages of life. Perhaps the most heartbreaking stories were from those whose experience of trauma was as a child. We've also heard similar stories from those giving evidence at the inquiry into the link between family, domestic and sexual violence and suicide.”
“This bill is about targeting the few who would seek a financial advantage where a fellow Australian is reaching out for a helping hand, targeting those who would brazenly take that hand all the while thinking how they may best gain unscrupulously from the relationship. The way of NDIS is about creating a fair, safe, sustainable system that serves the interests of its participants. The bill does three things. It ensures that fraud and non-compliance are stamped out, and, to this end, ensures the NDIS develops a culture of compliance. It ensures that NDIS lives up to the values of its original charter, and, most importantly, it ensures that participants are protected when all that they and their families and carers are trying to do is navigate their care and live dignified and rewarding lives. I commend the bill to the House.”
“The bill also includes an amendment that will enshrine a participant's right to determine the manner in which claims are lodged, whether physically or electronically, streamlining the application process, and it includes an amendment that will enshrine a participant's right to know that their plan variation may lead to funding increases or decreases. The NDIS integrity safeguarding bill is not about sidelining or demonising providers or workers. The overwhelming majority of providers do good work and go about their work with integrity. The bill is not about undercutting or restricting the ability of providers to do this good work. Providers are crucial to the NDIS's operations.”
“Under these changes, the NDIS commission will be given powers to intervene, and information-gathering powers will be strengthened so they can demand documents and information from providers within shorter timeframes where there is risk of injury, harm or death of a participant. The bill also includes an amendment that will enshrine a participant's right to retract their decision to cancel their plan within a 90-day cooling-off period. The decision to opt out of the NDIS is a serious one and can be difficult to unwind down the track. The change to 90 days of cooling off means the participant has more time to give additional consideration and will avoid causing undue stress to the participant as a result of a decision they may later regret.”
“Banning orders will also now be expanded to cover consultants and auditors to further protect participant safety and prevent future harm. The Albanese Labor government recognises that, sadly, higher criminal penalties are required in order to deter criminal behaviour in the NDIS system. Under these new laws, criminal operations within the NDIS will not be let off lightly. The bill will also introduce new antipromotion orders to curb false advertisements that go against the basic principles and values of NDIS—false advertising in the way of suggesting that daily goods and services are NDIS funded when they are not, such as suggesting that holidays and entertainment can be claimed under the NDIS when it cannot or suggesting that certain supports can be claimed under the NDIS where the individual's plan might not warrant them.”
“The stronger penalty framework will also mean higher criminal penalties for those operating unregistered where it's mandatory and failing to comply with a banning order or for providers that seek to operate under a different trading name or fabricate service agreements and invoices in order to avoid detection. Under these changes, this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated. It is not only illegal; it is dangerous and unsafe. Currently, the highest fine for failing to register is up to $400,000. With these changes, failure to register can result in up to two years jail time and fines of up to $16½ million. Currently, those who attempt to skirt a banning order can face a criminal penalty of around $1.6 million. With these changes, those who attempt to skirt a banning order could see up to five years of jail time.”
“We invested more than $550 million in fraud and non-compliance prevention schemes, including the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, which has led to major criminal convictions. Today, more claims are being reviewed every day under this government than were reviewed in an entire year under the previous, coalition government—another example of absolute neglect. With this bill, the Albanese Labor government continues our tradition of insisting that NDIS participants receive the care that they need and that they deserve, and the bill entrenches a stronger penalty framework that will include a new 'aggravated' category of contravention where failures have led to serious injury or even death. Under this category, individuals responsible can be fined up to $3.3 million and corporations up to $16.5 million.”
“Whether it's the exploitation of participants or the mishandling—or worse—of government funds, the NDIS requires new laws to be able to tackle these underlying challenges. The Australian National Audit Office is categorical on this point. The previous, coalition government failed in their duty to ensure the appropriate prevention mechanisms for fraud and noncompliance, and, where there is fraud and noncompliance in this area, we know there is often violence, abuse and neglect. Participants are not benefiting to the full extent of their NDIS packages. The Albanese Labor government made it our immediate objective to protect those with a disability to ensure that the NDIS works for, not against, its participants.”
“However, it was the coalition government that oversaw the initial period of the NDIS's implementation. Unfortunately, that led to 10 years of systemic and systematic failures. In 2022, when the Albanese Labor government was elected and inherited the coalition chaos, the NDIS had been growing by 22 per cent year on year. That is simply unsustainable. Since being elected to government, we have sought to make the NDIS better, more reliable and more accessible to its participants and to make it fit for purpose for the long term—effective, safe, ethical and sustainable. The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026 is the result of much consultation with people with disability, peak bodies and other stakeholders, and it will go some way to rectifying those 10 years.”
“The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a vital part of Australia's social support system. It provides Australians with permanent disability with the supports they need in order to live a fulfilling life. The NDIS was something that had been campaigned about for years by people with disability, their carers, families and the sector. It was a Labor government who answered that call, giving people with disability the choice and control they had called for. The Albanese Labor government is committed to maintaining that promise. I regularly speak to constituents who rely on NDIS funding for themselves or a family member. It is a part of our Australian way of life—that we as a community provide support to each other according to need. The NDIS was established by a Labor government in 2013.”
“As Sam Kerr, the captain of the Matildas, reflected: … that's the legacy we want to leave. We inspire the nation, we move the nation to believe in women's football, believe in the Matildas— and, I would add, to believe in women's sport. I again wholeheartedly congratulate the women of the Glenelg District Cricket Club, and I very much look forward to celebrating with the team at their senior presentation night coming up.”
“Yet women continue to be paid far less than men in professional sports, we are underrepresented in leadership roles, and it is only now, with the Albanese Labor government's Play Our Way program, that we're making significant headway on the longstanding woeful lack of sporting facilities and infrastructure for women. Women's sport in Australia is expected to be worth $49 billion over the next 15 years, yet it receives only 10 to 12 per cent of the total media coverage. The lack of representation and commercial funding does not match the rapidly growing interest in women's sport not only in Australia but around the world, because women's success is Australia's success. The victory of the Glenelg women's cricket team two weekends ago is crucial in driving and maintaining this national narrative.”
“The team's captain, Kayla McGrath, and Courtney Webb set another record with an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 97 that ultimately won them the game and earned Courtney the Jill Kennare medal for player of the match. I congratulate the women on the hardwon and much-deserved victory, and I congratulate the Glenelg District Cricket Club for cultivating a strong tradition of women's cricket. This is a moment of celebration. Like Cathy Freeman and the Matildas, these women represent something bigger than themselves; they represent the vibrancy and vitality of women's sport in Australia.”
“For those of us who are old enough, who can forget when Cathy Freeman won gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and proudly carried the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her victory lap or the electrifying semifinal between Australia's Matildas and England at the 2023 FIFA world women's cup? Women's sports matter on the world stage and at the local level. A couple of Sundays ago, in my electorate of Boothby, the Glenelg District Cricket Club women's team took home their first-ever 1st grade women's premiership. History was made and records were broken. Ellie Johnston set a new women's 1st grade fielding record with four outfield catches. Eleanor Larosa and Kate Peterson set a women's 1st grade record with an impressive second-wicket partnership of 125.”
“Today's debacle, where they called on the government to rush through legislation to increase ACCC penalties for price gouging, then voted against it, makes the point. Meanwhile, the Albanese government has delivered. We've increased bulk-billing, rolled out urgent care clinics, made medicines cheaper, cut student debt and introduced prac payments, rolled out 600,000 fee-free TAFE places and a $10,000 apprenticeship bonus, and helped first home buyers with a five per cent deposit scheme. Now we're backing a pay rise for millions of workers. May 26 March be forever remembered as the day on which the opposition showed their true colours and sided against struggling Australian families.”
“Today is an important anniversary. No, I'm not talking about the day that $100 notes were introduced to Australia for the first time, 52 years ago, or about the day, 20 years ago, when Australia took home more medals than any other nation from the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. No, this is a day that will live on in infamy. This is the day, one year ago, when the opposition opposed Labor's tax cuts and cost-of-living relief for millions of Australians. It is the day on which the opposition looked squarely in the eye of every struggling family in Australia and promised to pull the rug out from underneath them. A year on, they continue to squabble amongst themselves and indulge in stunt politics.”
“While those opposite play political games, stunts, by calling on this legislation to be urgently passed—'very urgent' we heard from the last speaker—those in the other place on their side are referring it to a committee. Then, when we put it to a vote here, they voted against it anyway. Those opposite are playing very badly strategically planned stunts while this government has the backs of all Australians, and I'd call on those opposite to stop the stunts and stop the games. This is urgent. We need to get it through. You need to vote for it. You need to tell those in the other place that they need to vote for it as well. This is an urgent thing, and we really need all of us. We're elected to look after Australians. We all need to do what is right for our constituents and get this legislation through.”
“We've appointed a national Fuel Supply Taskforce coordinator, who will co-ordinate the government's and the state and territory governments' responses to fuel security and supply chain resilience, and engage with overseas partners to ensure that we can keep supply coming. Australia has begun to release 20 per cent of its fuel reserves, reinforcing our fuel-secure status, and luckily those reserves are actually onshore in Australia, not in Texas, where those opposite thought they should be. We've also relaxed petrol and diesel standards in order to increase our fuel supply. This legislation to double penalties for petrol companies for price gouging to $100 million per offence is about giving Australia a fair go.”
“I, as has the Treasurer, have written to the Chair of the ACCC to ensure that they are properly monitoring this behaviour. The Albanese Labor government is on the side of hardworking Australians who should not have to pay inflated prices to get to their job in order to make ends meet. The Albanese Labor government is working to ensure that all Australians will be able to fill up their tank at market-standard prices. Indeed the Albanese Labor government is introducing this legislation to double penalties for price manipulation at the bowser. We have convened National Cabinet so that federal, state and territory governments are able to co-ordinate a comprehensive and substantive response to the fuel crisis.”
“The situation had not changed in Australia. Australia's fuel supply remains secure. International fuel prices and standards can certainly influence domestic prices, but these ordinarily bear on Australia's domestic prices two weeks after the fact, not on the very day or the day after. Petrol companies are making hay in the conflict in the Middle East and exploiting their customers, Australians. Constituents in my electorate of Boothby are now having to pay more at the pump because of this anticompetitive behaviour. Currently we're paying around $2.38, an increase of 20c, and we know that in the regions it is much, much higher. Understandably, my constituents feel there is no end in sight, as prices rise steadily and interminably and we see what is happening overseas.”
“I rise to speak to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026 and the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026. These legislative amendments will allow the minister to streamline emergency applications in relation to a road transport contractual chain if it is viewed to be in the national interest and will have impacts on the road transport industry. Truckers, who perform a crucial role in our supply chain economy, should not have to pay exorbitant sums to be able to do their basic job. We know that the Middle East has drastically changed the provision of fuel in this country and around the world, and hikes in petrol prices are to be expected, but it was on the very day that the conflict started in Iran that petrol retailers began to increase their prices, and this is wrong.”
“It will clamp down on the backroom practices of private health insurers who seek to make a profit off the health anxieties of their consumers. Fundamentally, this bill is about guaranteeing better health outcomes for all patients, it is about modernising and improving private health provision across this country, it's about embedding a culture of fairness and transparency in the private health marketplace, and it's about ensuring that Australians have, as a basic expectation, financial certainty during a time of great uncertainty as they battle with illness and disease. Having worked in the sector for a couple of decades, I know how important our health system underpinned by Medicare is to the quality of life we enjoy as Australians. This government is acting to ensure that the health system continues to support the health of Australians.”
“By banning product phoenixing and streamlining the premium approvals process, consumers can be confident that they will not be shortchanged on their policy because of private health insurers underhanded and unethical getting around of government regulatory oversight. The Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026 will ensure that the private health experience of patients is fair, reliable and accessible. The bill is about enforcing a culture of transparency across the private healthcare landscape, prioritising, in the first instance, the individual patient's right to access the full suite of medical information, including costs, not after but prior to their specialist appointment and treatments.”
“The amendment will also improve and enhance current arrangements for premium approvals, including creating in legislation specific premium round submission dates and an instrument that will allow the minister to vary those dates; creating a stronger public interest test for submissions outside the premium round to compel more applications within the approved period; creating a power for the minister to delegate approval authority, which is likely to be used in the instances of more straightforward applications that are clearly in the public interest; creating a legislative basis on which the minister can request further information about an application and request that the insurer respond, resubmit or further justify their application; and creating a rule-making power to set a fee for insurer applications for premium approval.”