Trish Cook
Bullwinkel · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Primary care, urgent care and emergency care—patients with non-life threatening urgent conditions can be treated quickly and efficiently in the community close to where they live. This is what strong primary care and urgent care systems look like. They are accessible, responsive and centred on the needs of patients.”
“There are now over 3,800 Medicare bulk-billing practices nationwide, and more than 1,400 of these were previously mixed-billing clinics—so 1,400 have converted to bulk-billing all patients all of the time. Importantly, about 97 per cent of Australians now live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk-billing practice.”
“They're also relieving pressure on GP practices themselves. As a GP nurse, I know that when something urgent walks through the door, of course the scheduled patients, both on my lists and the doctor's lists, will need to wait so that the urgent case is attended to.”
“Since Labor strengthened Medicare bulk-billing and introduced additional incentives for GPs, we have seen five more GP practices in my electorate of Bullwinkel take up bulk-billing. That is five more practices, and all the doctors within those practices, making the choice to put patients first and ensure care is accessible to everyone.”
“This bill has established a clear and enduring legislative framework for Commonwealth primary care incentive payment programs, including the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. These programs are a vital part of how we support access, affordability and quality in our health system.”
“Today I rise in strong support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. As federal member for Bullwinkel and as somebody that worked on the frontline as a nurse for decades, I know firsthand just how important a strong, accessible primary care system is to the health and wellbeing of our communi…”
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“My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare, including our public hospital systems, so Australians can access the world-class quality health care they deserve? Why is it important that the government remains focused on delivering for Australians?”
“We have cut debt, protected super, supported grieving families, strengthened Medicare and fought tooth and nail for our environment. Now we're getting on with the job, and I can promise the people of Bullwinkel that, in 2026, we won't be slowing down. Thank you.”
“I joined the Labor Party to be part of the solution, to push through the noise and to deliver reforms that matter. Our Albanese Labor government is doing just that, and we have the grit to continue to deliver. Finally, I want to say some thankyous to my team, particularly Amira Nunn, who has accompanied me to Canberra on all these occasions and has helped me with the organised chaos that is life as a new MP. Thank you to my team back home, who have finally been shifting into my electorate office six months after I was announced. I can finally take some of that stuff out of the car and put it at a permanent desk. I also want to thank the people of Bullwinkel for electing me to this position to be the voice for them—for the people in the foothills, the hills and the regional areas.”
“We have made medicines cheaper, easing the squeeze on household budgets at the pharmacy counter, and we are seeing the results of our historic investment in bulk-billing with the Medicare urgent care clinics. In Bullwinkel, we look forward to opening a Medicare clinic in Mundaring in the very near future. But I want to save a special mention for the reforms that I believe will stand as a defining legacy of this term. We are moving into the grand finale of the parliamentary year with our historic environmental protections soon to pass. I have to say that, being in this chamber and sitting in the last sitting, passing the reforms through the lower house was one of the proudest moments I've have had since joining this place. I was reminded of why I put my hand up for this job.”
“By passing legislation to protect payday super, we've stopped billions of dollars in unpaid super from slipping through the cracks and ensured that every hour of hard work today counts towards a dignified retirement tomorrow. This government has also shown that it can lead with both economic responsibility and deep compassion. There is no better example of this than Baby Priya's law. No parent should have to worry about their financial security while grieving the loss of a child. By amending the Fair Work Act to ensure that employer funded paid parental leave cannot be cancelled if a child is stillborn or passes away, we have corrected a heartbreaking injustice. In health, we have continued our mission to strengthen Medicare, the bedrock of our society.”
“That's why I'm so proud that, this year, we cut student debt by 20 per cent. That's affecting over 13,000 students in Bullwinkel alone. For the students in my electorate, whether they are studying at our new hubs in our regions or commuting into the city, this is a massive weight off their shoulders. It means that three million Australians are now seeing their debts reduced, making it that little bit easier to save for a home deposit or start a family. We have also moved to secure the future of Australian workers through our payday super reforms, with a simple principle: if you work the hours, you should get paid the super not in three months time but on payday.”
“As we approach the end of 2025, I rise to reflect on a year that has been defined not by talk but by action, a year when the Albanese Labor government has rolled up its sleeves and delivered real tangible changes for the people of Bullwinkel and for families right across Australia. When I joined this government I did so with a simple goal: to get things done. Looking back on the last 12 months, I am incredibly proud to say that is exactly what we are doing. This year we have tackled the cost of living head on, not with band-aid solutions but with structural reforms in every portfolio that are making life easier for everyday Australians. We know that education is the key to opportunity, but, for too long, student debt has been a burden weighing down our younger generations.”
“To conclude, this legislation before us today is a small but vital piece of that puzzle. It's about keeping local venues open. It's about keeping people at work. It's about keeping communities connected. These are values that sit at the heart of the Labor tradition. The legislation represents good, steady, responsible government in action—targeted relief, real results and a fair go for Australian workers and small-business owners alike. The Albanese Labor government is in touch with community life. We understand the pressures on small businesses, whom we are acting decisively to support. I commend this bill to the House.”
“It looks like another 50 Medicare urgent care clinics opening throughout the rest of the year and bulk-billing expanding from November so that families can see a doctor when they need to, not just when they can afford to. And we are achieving all this while managing the economy responsibly. Unlike other countries that have faced recessions and massive job losses, Australia has managed to get inflation down without sacrificing the gains that we have made in the labour market. We look abroad and see inflation ticking up in the United States, in Canada, in New Zealand. We see it remaining stubbornly high in the United Kingdom. But here inflation is stable and is half of what we inherited in 2022. We are securing the economy while supporting the community.”
“And just last month, in October, our hardworking aged-care nurses—yay for nurses!—received the next instalment of their historic pay rise. A couple of weeks ago, it was great to meet Amy in Northam. Amy is finishing her law degree as a mature-age student at the newly opened Northam regional university student study hub. This hub is incredible because it allows regional students like Amy to study right where they live. This significantly helps with their living expenses, removing the need to relocate to the city or pay city rents just to get a qualification. It is practical support that keeps our regions strong and keeps education accessible. This is what meaningful, responsible cost-of-living relief looks like. It looks like tax cuts for every taxpayer, which kicked in last year, with more on the way.”
“We have expanded paid parental leave to 24 weeks and ensured that super is now paid on all government paid parental leave—a massive win for gender equality and retirement savings. We are rolling out another $150 in energy bill relief before the end of the year. We have cut 20 per cent off student loan debt for three million Australians, and that includes 13,000 students from Bullwinkel alone. This will be a huge relief for young people in my electorate looking to start their lives as adults in the workforce. We have introduced Commonwealth prac payments for nurses, teachers and social workers, supporting the essential workers of the future practically when they need do prac so that they can continue their part-time jobs and look after their families whilst they study.”
“This pause does not change the overall structure of alcohol taxation or weaken public health objectives, but it does ensure that a fair go applies to a small business just as much as to the worker. However, we know that the price of beer is not the only pressure facing householders in Bullwinkel. This measure complements many of the Albanese Labor government's wider, ambitious cost-of-living agenda methods. We are delivering real, practical and ongoing help for Australians who are feeling the pinch. We are delivering exactly what we said we would. Since 1 July, we have seen the national minimum wage and award wages increase by 3.5 per cent, ensuring workers' pay packets keep moving in the right direction. We have seen the super guarantee increase to 12 per cent, putting more money away for the future for working Australians.”
“This policy reflects Labor's belief that responsible government can ease pressure on families and businesses while maintaining the economic discipline required to keep the budget sustainable. This is a cost-of-living measure that strengthens small-business resilience without driving inflation. It is measured, it is temporary and it is fiscally responsible. The government has listened to industry feedback. Brewers, publicans and small-business groups have consistently called for relief from this automatic excise increase during this period of high inflation. We have listened and we have acted. We are governing with balance and purpose. We are remaining committed to evidence based health policy.”
“We help them to continue to invest in local economies. And the ripple effect continues. It flows to the farmers growing barley and hops in Bullwinkel. It flows to the transport operators trucking the kegs. It flows to the equipment suppliers and the thousands of small businesses linked to the hospitality supply chain. This is a clear example of the Albanese government's partnership with the hospitality, tourism and manufacturing sectors. These are the industries that drive local jobs and form the backbone of many regional economies, including my own in Bullwinkel. By ensuring that small brewers and publicans can continue to compete fairly against large multinational producers, we are protecting diversity and competition in the Australian beer industry. Those opposite may ask about fiscal impact.”
“These are families who work 80-hour weeks to keep the lights on. For small publicans and family-run clubs, this decision offers the certainty that they need to plan ahead. It means they can retain the extra casual staff members. It means they can reinvest in their kitchens. But the benefits of this policy flow much further than just the front bar. Approximately 160,000 Australian workers in the hospitality and brewing sectors rely on these venues staying profitable. This measure supports our Australian brewers, particularly the small, independent craft producers, who are such a success story in our modern economy. Many of these are independent brewers, and they rely heavily on keg sales to local venues to maintain their cash flow. When we pause indexation, we help those brewers manage their production costs.”
“It is important to note, especially for me as a nurse, that this does not apply to bottled or canned beer sold in bottle shops. We've been very deliberate here. This is not a blanket tax cut for regional giants. It is a targeted intervention for hospitality operators. We are supporting the venues that employ staff, cook food, and service our communities. By pausing the automatic indexation of excise for two years, we are stabilising the tax component of a pint. We are reducing the pressure on these venues to pass on rising costs to their customers. Around 10,000 hospitality venues around Australia will directly benefit from this. These include our pubs, bars, taverns and clubs, and we know that around 75 per cent of these venues are small, family-run businesses. These are mums and dads who have mortgaged their homes to buy a lease.”
“By reducing these input costs we ensure that funds raised at a sundowner go towards community projects rather than being eaten up by the overheads. When venues like the Gidgegannup rec club come under pressure the whole community feels the squeeze. We know that the hospitality sector has faced a battering in recent years. They have weathered the pandemic lockdowns, they have navigated supply chain disruptions and they have faced rising input costs on everything from electricity to ingredients. We get that. This legislation recognises that reality. It provides breathing space. Specifically, this measure applies to containers of between eight and 48 litres—the kegs that are commonly used in our pubs and clubs—as well as containers over 48 litres, used in larger venues.”
“It was the launch of the Resilience and Recovery Through Art project for the Wooroloo Bushfire Art Trail. It was commemorating two years of recovery post bushfires. While I was there I had a chat with the incredible bar volunteers from the community, who were working hard to make the evening a success. Amidst the celebration of local resilience they spoke to me quite candidly about the challenges of hosting community events like that one. They raised the issue of rising costs, specifically the cost of catering and the impact of the beer excise on their bottom line. They made a simple but powerful point to me that night: the less it costs to stock the bar and put on the event, the more money that can go directly into the community initiative itself.”
“It's also about ensuring that the venues that serve our communities can keep their doors open. In the electorate of Bullwinkel we know the value of a local pub. In our regional towns and our suburban hubs, the pub or the local club is rarely a place just to buy a drink. It is a community institution. It is the third place—not work, not home but the neutral ground where we gather. It's where the local football team heads after a win and where they commiserate after a loss. It's where raffles are run to support the local fire brigades. It's where families gather for birthdays and where communities gather to support one another in difficult times. I saw this firsthand during the campaign when I visited the Gidgegannup Recreation Club. I was there for a very special sundowner.”
“I rise to support the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, a bill that is fundamentally about backing the small businesses that power our regional economies and preserving the community hubs where Australians come together. The bill before the House delivers on the commitment by the Albanese Labor government to stand up for Australian pubs, clubs, brewers and hospitality workers. We are proposing a practical, targeted and responsible two-year pause on the indexation of draught beer excise and excise-equivalent customs duties. This measure, which formally commenced on 1 August 2025, is about one simple thing: stability. It's about keeping the price of a pint stable for everyday Australians. It's about protecting the jobs of these people who pour the pints.”
“The lower energy bills for the council means more savings. As a former Mundaring shire councillor and deputy president, I advocated for longer swimming seasons. So perhaps the new council can consider and contemplate extending the seasons with the savings. This is a win for our environment, a win for the Shire of Mundaring and a win for every family in Bullwinkel who loves a dip at the Bilgoman swimming pool.”
“For generations, families in the Perth Hills have spent their summers at the iconic Bilgoman Aquatic Centre in Darlington. It's more than just a pool; it's the beating heart of our community during the hot summer months in the Perth Hills. But we know that heating a 50 metre Olympic pool takes a lot of energy, and for too long that energy has come from expensive and polluting gas. That's why I'm thrilled to inform the House that the Albanese Labor government is delivering $158,000 through the Community Energy Upgrades Fund to upgrade the Bilgoman pool's heating system. We are partnering with the Shire of Mundaring to swap out the old gas infrastructure for modern, efficient technology that prioritises solar power. By electrifying this local asset, we aren't just cutting carbon emissions but cutting costs.”
“My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare and making it easier for Western Australians to access urgent care when they need it? How does providing more urgent care clinics help strengthen Medicare after a decade of cuts and neglect?”
“A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 12:12 to 12:22 The amazing women I played alongside during these games, some of us have been playing together, or in opposition, for nearly 40 years. These are my second family and we've celebrated life's wins and supported each other through the losses, both on and off the field. That social connection is highly valued and something that you don't always find. So I share this gold medal win with my Southerns team members: Jeanie Antonovich, Barb Priest, Robyn Davies, Julie May, Marie and Kay Walley, Vicki Egan, Sherri Huntress, Leesa Hogarth, Di Chreia, Sandy Thompson, Donna Delarie, Toni Staples, Jill Green and Bullwinkel residents Lynda Harvey and my sister, Diane Parker. To all the women and girls out there I say: find your team and stay in the game.”
“Today, I rise to speak about my necklace. It's a gold medal from the Australian Masters Games that I won just two weeks ago right here in Canberra with my team mates from the Perth team called Southerns. This medal represents more than just a win on the softball diamond; it represents the importance of staying in the game. There is an alarming trend in Australia where girls and women drop out of sport. Recent data shows a dropout rate of approximately 60 per cent for girls aged 15 and older. Life gets busy, with study, careers and, for many women, raising a family taking priority, and it becomes too easy to hang up the glove. But what I've learned is that sport is the very thing that can get you through all those things. It's about much more than physical health; it's about your support network and your community.”
“My question is to the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australia's critical minerals sector? Why is reliable energy so important for this sector, and what other proposals have been put forward?”
“The state government is also contributing, along with the shire's contribution of $690,000, a great example of governments working together at the three levels. There has been some miscommunication circulating about this project that it is somehow linked to the state based North Stoneville urban development proposal, and this is untrue; it's completely unrelated. I want to reaffirm my longstanding opposition to the North Stoneville urban development proposal as it is. My voting is on the record, and it's a matter that is publicly available and has been consistent. As federal member, I continue to engage with community and councils.”
“The Shire of Mundaring put in an application for the Brooking Road extension and the Falls Road bridge replacement in Parkerville in my electorate of Bullwinkel. They submitted that in January 2025. The successful outcome of this project was announced on 6 August, and the council was informed of that decision then. I'm pleased to clarify that the Australian government has committed nearly $1½ million towards the project under our Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. This was a direct request from the Shire of Mundaring to this program. It's federal funding based on improving bushfire evacuation routes and emergency vehicle access, making our communities safer for existing residents.”
“They have had plenty of time to digest the Samuel review, on which these bills are based; the opposition leader was in support of that review five years ago. Quite frankly, Australians are demanding environmental reform. To the Greens: please do not let perfection get in the way of progress. Nothing has happened for the environment for some time. The EPBC Act is over 20 years old. We need to get on with this job. These reforms are pragmatic. They are strong. They are balanced. They deliver for the environment, they deliver for the economy, they deliver for community groups such as the ones I belong to in Bullwinkel and they deliver for the boardrooms in the city. Every day we delay is a day our environment is degrading further. I commend these bills to the House.”
“They're also happy about the inclusion of significant increases in fines and new enforcement powers. The Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund want the new EPA. They want environmental protection orders which will help stop potential offenders in their tracks and stop the excuses for not acting on their complaints. They support it, business supports it and the roundtable industries support it, and they want parliament to get on with this job. Where are we now? The nature-positive laws got stuck in the Senate for six months. The Liberals wouldn't pass them; they said they went too far. The Greens wouldn't pass them; they said they didn't go far enough. We need to get this done.”
“This legislation is not a tug of war between the environment and the economy. The coalition and the Greens may try to assert that, but it's not true. This reform delivers a balanced package. It delivers more efficient and robust project decisions, meaning more renewable projects can be decided on more quickly, helping with energy costs and lowering emissions. At the same time, it delivers stronger environmental protection and restoration laws. The need for this change is urgent. Our environment cannot wait any longer, and neither can our economy. The message from environmental groups is also very clear. The three biggest environmental groups have welcomed the confirmation from the Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, that these amendments will improve the country's national environment laws.”
“Seventh, we are streamlining access pathways, cutting green tape by rationalising three existing pathways into one. Eighth, we are reducing duplication by fixing the inflexible and unresponsive bilateral agreements with states and territories, ensuring they can deliver assessments and approvals if they meet our new national environmental standards. Ninth, we are delivering proper landscape-scale approaches through bioregional planning. By doing the upfront work to map areas, we can give certainty to industry about where development can and can't occur, while protecting areas of high environmental value. This isn't trivial. Analysis shows that these efficiencies will deliver annual savings of at least half a billion dollars—and potentially as much as $7 billion—to the national economy.”
“Fourth, for the first time these amendments will define what we consider to be unacceptable impacts for each protected matter—clear no-go zones to prevent irreversible loss unless a project is proven to be in the national interest. Fifth, we're introducing new emissions disclosure requirements in line with the Samuel review. It's not a climate trigger. We have that covered by the safeguard mechanism, but we will require major project proponents to disclose their scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and their plans to reduce them, consistent with government policy. Sixth, we will codify the involvement of First Nations peoples in environmental governance, creating new statutory advisory functions for the Indigenous Advisory Committee.”
“We need these environmental reforms to get quicker decisions so that we can deliver the energy transition faster, and that's what Australians voted for. What do these reforms do? First, they establish a national environmental protection agency, the EPA. The EPA will be a strong, independent regulator responsible for education, compliance and enforcement, with powers independent of the minister. Second, we are inserting a new ministerial power to make national environmental standards. This was the central recommendation of the Samuel review. These standards will finally set clear, enforceable expectations for proponents and decision-makers. Third, we are fixing the broken offsets framework. We are moving from 'no net loss' to 'net gain' for the environment.”
“Together with our action on climate change, such as the safeguard mechanism, this means easier processes and faster decisions that are required for building homes, renewable energy infrastructure and critical minerals projects—all things our nation needs for our future. As of 31 October, this government has approved 111 renewable energy projects, producing enough electricity to power more than 13 million homes. Under this government, renewable energy generation has reached new records. It's gone up in volume by around 30 per cent since we came to government. In October around half of all electricity in the national grid came from renewable sources—the highest monthly rate on record. Coal generation is down to only 46 per cent. Our plan is working.”
“This bill delivers on the recommendations of the Samuel review. Our approach is balanced. It's pragmatic. And it aligns perfectly with the three pillars of reform that Professor Samuel recommended: firstly, stronger environmental protection and restoration; secondly, more efficient and more robust project assessments; and thirdly, greater accountability and transparency in decision-making. This is about getting the balance right. It's about delivering laws that are better for the environment and better for business. This means stronger environmental protections to protect and restore our precious natural habitats.”
“We know this for a fact because that 2020 independent review, led by Professor Graeme Samuel AC and commissioned by the now opposition leader, delivered a comprehensive and scathing report. The Samuel review found that the current EPBC Act is not delivering for the environment—which we all know—and neither is it delivering for business or for the community. It is slow. It is cumbersome. It is ineffective. And our environment is paying the price. The opposition leader was handed that report five years ago and, for all those five years, it sat on the shelf. Faced with a critical and urgent challenge, the coalition did nothing for the environment. Well, we're not walking away. The Labor government tried last year with the nature-positive laws, and now we're doing the job this year.”
“Here's a little bit of history: Labor is the party that has delivered in every single major environmental reform in Australia's history. It was Labor that saved the Franklin. It was Labor that protected the Daintree and Kakadu. It was Labor that built Landcare, which is now an institution that is copied across the world. It was Labor that built the largest network of marine parks on this planet. And it is this Albanese Labor government that is finally, meaningfully, and ambitiously addressing the existential threat of climate change. These bills continue that legacy of environmental responsibility. There is a clear and widely accepted need for this reform, which is why the opposition leader commissioned the report five years ago. For a decade, the EPBC Act has been failing.”
“We are unable to build a prosperous future for our children if we do not protect the air they breathe, the water they drink and the natural world that sustains us all. I care for my community and I care for our environment. My own electorate of Bullwinkel is a truly beautiful electorate, filled with bushland and walking trails that trek beside the Mundaring weir, which is a protected drinking water source for Perth and the Goldfields region. It's filled with Australian natives, including fauna like the black cockatoos, which all need our protection. I'm proud to be part of the Labor Party that is doing just that. This is why I'm so proud to be a member of this Labor government. When it comes to hard work, like the nation-building work of environmental reform, it's always Labor that delivers.”
“It was forged walking through the degraded banks on the Darlington wetlands, championing the local volunteer groups who are rehabilitating this precious ecosystem. It was forged while kneeling in the soil of the Darlington Community Garden—another environmental project which I was proud to help establish—watching my community come together to build something sustainable, local and green. My commitment was also tangible in the restoration of the Friends of the Native Triangle group to continue the environmental protection legacy and rehabilitate local grounds. Those local projects reinforced a fundamental lesson for me: a community's health, its ecosystem and the environment's health are inextricably linked. It is our duty to be good custodians of the environment that we all rely on, as has been done by First Nations peoples for millennia.”
“The bigger picture is the environment, and I rise today to speak strongly in support of this historic reform to Australia's environmental laws. This is a great day! It's a great day for me, it's a great day for Labor government and it's a great day for hope for the environment. Here's a quote from Prime Minister Bob Hawke. It reads: When the earth is spoiled, humanity and all living things are diminished. We have taken too much from the earth and given back too little. And it's time to say enough is enough. My commitment to protecting our environment wasn't forged here in the halls of Canberra. It was forged at my home in the electorate of Bullwinkel, standing side by side with my community.”
“I'll just take a moment to get over that, before I go into my speech, because I'm just so shocked by the previous speaker's comments. I'd like to quote from Graeme Samuel, when he was asked recently about this review—oh, you're not going to listen to this? Goodbye! Maybe later—because he says: 'I can't understand why there's opposition from the coalition. It doesn't make sense, particularly as the then minister Sussan Ley embraced the report. She knew what was in it. Now, what minister Watt'—the quote goes on—'has produced is exactly what the report recommended. It's all there. I've been through and I've done a comparison between my report and the legislation and the environmental standards.' So it shocks me to hear the opposition speaking in such a tone and losing sight of the bigger picture.”
“My question is for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government working with experts to strengthen Australia's preparedness and response capability to pests and diseases, and why is this so important for our farmers and our regions?”
“This is a massive, once-in-a-generation reform which cannot wait. The longer we delay, the more workers are missing out. Every week we wait, another $100 million in super goes unpaid. This bill is pro worker, it's pro good business, it protects the vulnerable, it simplifies administration for responsible employers, and it closes a $5.2 billion gap of systemic wage theft. Let's get this done; let's fix unpaid super for good. This reform continues Labor's proudest legacy—ensuring that every Australian worker can build a dignified retirement. I commend the bill to the House.”
“Critically, the ATO will adopt a facilitative compliance approach in the first year. Employers who are making a genuine attempt to comply, even if they face technical hurdles, will not be the target of ATO compliance actions. This is about helping employers like myself to get it right, not catching them out. This reform helps employers by aligning super with their regular payroll cycle, reducing the end-of-quarter administrative burdens. Finally, I want to address the urgency of this legislation. This legislation must pass as soon as possible. The start date of 1 July 2026 is necessary to give the entire ecosystem time to prepare. Employers need to update their systems, payroll providers need to build and test new software, and super funds and the ATO need to finalise their data-matching and reporting infrastructure.”
“These charges are designed to prompt employers to fix mistakes fast and ensure workers are made whole. I know some in the business community will be concerned about the transition, and I want to address that directly. This is not a gotcha campaign. The enforcement of the reform is smart, modern and data driven. The ATO will use its data it already receives from Single Touch Payroll and match it with data from the super funds. This allows for near-real-time detection of missed payments. It's not about creating new red tape; it's about using existing data more intelligently to protect workers. This data matching allows the ATO to intervene early, reducing the risk of those massive unpayable debts building up. This government is backing the reform with a $404 million commitment to support the implementation.”
“This is the penalty employers face for failing to pay on time. Under this new framework the charge will apply for each payday that an employer fails to pay in full and on time. This new charge is designed to be tough but fair. It includes notional earnings to compensate employees for the investment returns they lose because of a late payment; an administration uplift to reflect the cost of enforcement—and, importantly, this uplift can be reduced for employers who put their hands up voluntarily and disclose an honest mistake; and choice loading, which is an additional penalty if the employer fails to pay into the employee's chosen fund. For those employers who still refuse to pay even after the ATO has raised a SG charge, the penalties will be higher—up to 50 per cent of the unpaid amount.”
“This bill is simple. From 1 July 2026 employers will be required to pay superannuation guarantee contributions at the same time as their wages. It's incredibly reasonable and incredibly fair. The benefits of this are immediate and profound. First, for employees it makes it easier for them to track their super—no more trying to cross-reference with a payslip from July when the super fund statement is in October and wondering where the money is. They will see the payment on their payslip, and within seven business days they will see it land in their super fund. It gives them visibility and power. Second, for enforcement this bill allows the ATO to detect missed payments earlier before the debts become unrecoverable. This brings me to the new strengthened superannuation guarantee charge.”
“They had earned it and they deserved to have it paid into their accounts promptly, where it could start working for them by the magic of compound interest. I also did it because it was simply good business practice. It never meant I had a large looming superannuation liability building up, waiting to ambush my cash flow at the end of the quarter. It integrated super into my regular fortnightly payroll processes and kept my books clean, with obligations clear. This legislation doesn't punish small businesses; it levels the playing field. It aligns the law with what is good and responsible business, small and large, what is good practice and what many already do. It ends a system that allows unscrupulous employers to use their employees' superannuation entitlements as a cheap short-term loan to prop up their own failing cash flow.”
“These are the very people who can least afford to have their retirement savings stolen from under them. The long-term impact is devastating. Before I entered this place I was a small-business owner. I ran a small business for 10 years in my electorate of Bullwinkel, employing occupational health and safety nurses for remote area healthcare centres. So I know what it's like to manage a payroll. I know what it's like to balance cash flow in order to meet your obligations and to deal with the pressures of running a business. I know it's possible to do the right thing by your staff. I made the decision in my business to pay my staff's superannuation monthly, not quarterly. I did it when I paid their wages. First and foremost, it was their money.”