Tom French
Moore · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I rise to speak in support of the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. At its centre, this bill is about whether a kid growing up outside capital cities can look at university, TAFE or any form of tertiary education and see a real path rather than a distant idea.”
“That is not always an exciting word, but it is a necessary one. For too long, parts of the higher education policy have been pulled towards short term politics, institutional competition and funding settings that do not always meet national needs.”
“It can go to academic support. It can go to scholarships and grants. It can help meet the higher cost of operating campuses outside the major cities. In this bill, the base equity amount is $1,535 and the base regional amount is $1,398.”
“That is why I'm less interested in reciting every number in the legislation and more interested in what those numbers mean when they land in a family living room in a regional town. They mean a student in Merriwa does not have to see university as something for other people.”
“I know the value of a trade, and I know that university is not the only path to a good life, and it should never be treated as the only respectable path. A good tertiary system is not university versus TAFE. It is not degree versus trade.”
“In plain English, that means we're moving to a system where growth in university places is planned and funded more sensibly. The Australian Tertiary Education Commission will have a formal role in allocating Commonwealth supported places.”
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“What should have been an ordinary day—people enjoying the beach, meeting friends and spending time with family—was shattered by an act of calculated hatred. And that rupture to everyday safety is itself a source of trauma that must not be understated. From Western Australia, Bondi may feel a long way away geographically, but moments like this collapse distance very quickly. Australians understand beaches and public spaces as places of openness, shared civic environments where people of all backgrounds move freely and without fear. And when violence intrudes into those spaces, particularly violence motivated by hatred toward a specific community, it resonates across the country. This was not just an attack on those present that day.”
“I rise to speak in support of the condolence motion following the horrific and deliberate terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025. This was not a random act of violence but a deliberate attack, intended to cause death and injury and to spread fear by targeting Jewish Australians. It is for that reason that I begin by extending my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives. Nothing said in this place can ease their grief, but it is right that the Parliament of Australia pauses to acknowledge their loss and place on record our collective sorrow. For the injured, for those who witnessed the violence and for the broader Bondi and Sydney communities, this event has left an enduring mark.”
“Aged-care standards have been lifted by ensuring nurses are onsite and improving nutritional and clinical care. PBS reforms have reduced the cost of many common medicines. And the housing agenda, through the Housing Australia Future Fund, has begun expanding the supply of social and affordable houses. None of this is transformational overnight, nor is it claimed to be. It is careful, incremental work that good government undertakes. It reflects a belief that policy should be evidence based, fiscally responsible and aimed at long-term benefit. It demonstrates that parliament functions best when it focuses on solutions rather than conflict. Australians deserve that approach, and this government intends to continue it.”
“Australians expect parliament to focus on outcomes, not theatrics. The Albanese Labor government has approached its work in that spirit—steady, practical and aimed at improving people's daily lives. The government has legislated tax reductions for every taxpayer. Bulk-billing has been strengthened through the largest increase to Medicare incentives in decades. Childcare costs have been reduced for over a million families to help parents stay in work. Fee-free TAFE has supported hundreds of thousands of Australians to train in critical industries, including construction, manufacturing and care. The National Reconstruction Fund is beginning the long-term task of rebuilding sovereign capability. National energy infrastructure has been modernised through Rewiring the Nation so the grid is fit for the coming decades.”
“I stand with the small businesses of Moore and across Australia who deserve a government that backs them every single day.”
“They know the difference between the government that shows up for them and the opposition that simply shows up to talk about them. Small businesses don't want culture wars; they want practical support. Labor delivers on that. The coalition does not. So, yes, the Labor Party is the party of small business because we back the people who start them, run them, employ locals and keep communities strong. We invest in their tools, their training, their energy bills, their digital capability and their long-term success. The member for Goldstein wants small businesses to believe that this government has walked away from them. But small-business operators are not fools. They know who actually delivers for them. I oppose this motion. I stand with the Labor government that is carrying forward the proud Labor tradition of supporting small businesses.”
“We strengthened the franchising code and invested in the ACCC to protect small franchisees from unfair contract terms and power imbalances, We expanded unfair trading protections so that small operators are no longer steamrolled by large corporations. On workplace relations, we worked directly with COSBOA and employer groups to stage reforms and introduce exemptions for small business. We established a voluntary wage compliance code so genuine small businesses aren't criminalised for administrative errors. And we funded the Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Commission to give small businesses practical, accessible guidance—something the coalition never bothered with. The member for Goldstein neglects to mention all of this because none of it fits the narrative he wants to sell. But small-business owners see through it.”
“We invested $33.4 million to strengthen the Payment Times Reporting Scheme so that big corporates can't sit on invoices and choke small businesses' cash flow. We extended the $20,000 instant asset write-off so that small businesses can invest in tools, technology, equipment and machinery. That means tradies in Heathridge upgrading tools, cafes in Hillarys buying a new coffee machine that doubles output, and Joondalup office businesses upgrading their CRM systems, all with immediate deductibility, supporting cash flow. We also delivered more than $80 million in digital support programs, digital solutions, cyber wardens and the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service, because modernisation is not optional for small business; it is essential.”
“And when small businesses thrive, Australia thrives. This government actually acts on that belief; we don't just talk about it. This government has delivered energy bill relief to around one million small businesses. We backed that with $56.7 million in energy efficiency grants that help small businesses to permanently lower their power bills. The member for Goldstein talks about being pro small business, but his party's record tells another story. The coalition opposed Labor's tax cuts that benefit 1.5 million sole traders. They opposed the last round of tax cuts for small business. That's the coalition's record. This is our record. We're delivering the National Small Business Strategy, co-designed with states and territories to cut red tape and reduce duplication.”
“They introduced compulsory superannuation, creating the multitrillion-dollar national capital pool that underpins Australian investment, including the lending capacity that small businesses rely on. And let's be honest: the coalition fought Hawke and Keating on every major economic reform—the float, the tariffs, superannuation and deregulation—and they were wrong every single time. Those reforms created a competitive, stable, modern economy that allowed millions of small businesses to thrive. The Albanese Labor government continues in that tradition. We back the 2.66 million small businesses that contribute $596 billion to our economy and employ 5.16 million Australians. Small businesses keep our suburbs vibrant. The cafes, the gyms, the clinics, the tradies and the retailers make my northern corridor a great place to live.”
“I rise to oppose the motion moved by the member for Goldstein. We all know that the member is never short on rhetoric, but today he is desperately short on facts, and small-business operators deserve better than that. Labor is and always has been the party of the real economy—the workers who power small businesses and the small businesses that power our communities. That's not just talk; that's our economic record. When Hawke and Keating modernised the nation they laid the foundations that every small-business owner relies on today. They floated the dollar. They cut tariffs and opened markets. They deregulated financial systems to expand opportunity.”
“She also champions SheSails, creating a welcoming and empowering path for women in our community to experience sailing. Rain, shine or full Fremantle doctor, Kim and her volunteers show up. Moore is incredibly lucky to have her. Joy Coleman and Kim Pring are two women on two different paths with one shared impact. They're leaving our community stronger than they found it. They are the quiet champions of Moore, and I'm proud to recognise them in the national parliament today.”
“Her daughter Michelle continues to serve the community through the centre. Moore is better because of Joy's kindness, her persistence and her belief that no-one should face hardship alone. Second, I want to acknowledge Kim Pring of Hillarys Yacht Club, an organisation I am proud to serve as vice-patron. Kim is the club's training and development manager, and her contribution to local young people and families cannot be overstated. Under her leadership, Hillarys Yacht Club has opened the world of sailing to hundreds of kids and community groups, giving them confidence, safety skills and, for many, a lifelong connection to the water. Over 200 kids registered for her recent try-sailing day, with each given a safe and encouraging first step onto a boat.”
“Over the years, the group moved into what became known as the Granny Spiers Community House, honouring Frances 'Granny' Spears, whose generosity and community spirit in the early 1900s set the tone for service in our region. The house grew, the programs expanded, and in 2009 it became what we now know as the Spiers Centre, a vital community hub offering support groups, financial assistance, family and parenting programs, a creche, Foodbank services and mental wellbeing support. In the words of Mullaloo resident and Spiers Centre volunteer Marilyn Krueger: 'It's not just about food, clothing or financial help. It's a welcoming place that encourages you to join in, meet people and become a contributor in making other people's lives brighter.' Joy passed away in August at the age of 85.”
“I rise today to recognise two extraordinary local legends from my electorate of Moore—people whose service shows, in very real terms, what community leadership looks like. First, I want to pay tribute to Joy Coleman, whose remarkable legacy lives through the Spiers Centre in Heathridge. Back in 1980, when Heathridge was still new, still isolated and still finding its identity, Joy opened the doors of her own home to around 40 local women. What began around her lounge room grew very quickly into the Heathridge/Beldon Women's Community Group, a place to gather, support each other and build the foundations of a stronger community.”
“Those before us build the foundations, we strengthen them and those after us will stand taller because of what we do now. Our duty, Labor's duty, is to run our leg with clarity and courage, and leave behind an Australia that is fairer, stronger and more secure than the one we found.”
“There are energy rebates, cheaper child care and targeted tax cuts for middle- and low-income Australians—not handouts but responsible, targeted relief that actually helps households rather than inflating executives' bonuses. We put 24/7 nurses back into aged-care homes. We lifted aged-care wages. We're rebuilding a system that treats older Australians with dignity, not austerity. We're rebuilding Australian manufacturing, investing in clean energy and new industries, and backing communities in the transition, because a strong future must be made in Australia, not outsourced. This is what Australians want—practical improvements that make life easier, fairer and more secure. And that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is delivering. The struggle for fairness in Australia isn't a circle; it's a relay.”
“We're rebuilding the TAFE system and delivering fee-free TAFE places so people can get skilled without taking on crippling debt. We created the Housing Australia Future Fund, the first serious federal investment in new social and affordable homes in a generation. We expanded rent assistance. We're partnering with the states to build more homes faster, and we're shifting the national conversation away from speculation and back to housing as a basic human need. We made medicines cheaper by cutting the PBS co-payment. We tripled the bulk-billing incentive so children, pensioners and concession card holders can see a GP without breaking the bank. We're strengthening Medicare because affordable health care should not depend on where you live or what you earn.”
“Everything we stand on was built by the people who came before us and who fought for rights they were never guaranteed and for institutions the conservatives have tried to dismantle ever since. Our responsibility is simple: to carry the torch forward so those who come after us inherit something stronger than what we found. We are the custodians of a tradition defined by one idea—progress is only real when it lifts people up, not when it leaves them behind. That is why the work of the Albanese Labor government matters so deeply right now, because it speaks directly to the real, practical things Australians need in their lives. We lifted wages after a decade of wage stagnation. We made wage theft a crime. We strengthened bargaining so workers can negotiate collectively again.”
“Young Australians take on life-shaping debt just to get a foothold, and, the more debt people carry, the less power they have at work. That is not an accident; it is the consequence of political choices that have treated shelter as a commodity rather than a right. When conservatives promise efficiency, discipline or reform, we must ask: better for whom? Margaret Atwood wrote: Better never means better for everyone … It always means worse, for some. Privatisation means higher prices. Deregulation means weaker rights, and budget repair often means cuts borne by the people who can afford them least. This is where our obligation lies. As a Labor member I know I am part of a movement that is far bigger than myself.”
“After the Second World War, Australians learnt something important: if we can mobilise the entire economy to win a war, we could mobilise to build a fair peace. From that came full employment, public housing, Medicare's early foundations, TAFE, universities and compulsory superannuation. These were deliberate choices that recognised what Australians want: a secure job, a decent home, health care when they need it, education that opens doors and dignity in retirement. From the 1980s onwards a different ideology took hold. It weakened unions, privatised essential services and insisted that markets alone should rule. Its sharpest impact has been on housing. Government once built homes, and now homes are treated as speculative assets. Tax concessions reward investors.”
“Australia doesn't replay its history in a loop, but we do see a pattern every time the political pendulum swings. When Labor are in government we build the institutions that give ordinary people security and opportunity, and, when the Liberals return, their instinct is to wind those gains back. Understanding that pattern tells us exactly what's at stake here today and exactly why this moment matters. The real wealth of this country is not the markets or the forecasts. It is our land, our resources and our people. For most of our history, working people have had little control over that wealth. The rights we now enjoy were won by shearers, miners, maritime workers, suffragettes and migrants, people who organised because no-one else would fight for them.”
“It is, in every sense, what good government looks like—practical, careful and built to last. I commend the bill to the House.”
“So, yes, this bill is small. It won't make the evening news. But its impact will last. It strengthens privacy, validates the good-faith actions of people who did their job, modernises the administration of student loans and reinforces the integrity of one of the most important programs in our education system. It gives students confidence that their personal information is safe, it gives providers certainty that they are operating within the law and it gives the Australian people proof that their government is paying attention to even to the fine print. The VET sector is one of the great engines of national opportunity. It changes lives, opens doors and drives innovation. By maintaining integrity and trust in the systems that support it, this bill will help ensure that opportunity endures. It may be modest, but it's meaningful.”
“They are the reason we make sure every part of it, from the online form to the privacy settings, works flawlessly. When we get these details right, we're not just fixing a database; we are reaffirming the social contract that government will look after people who put in the effort to better themselves. That's something Labor will always stand for. I often think that good government is a bit like good wiring. You don't notice it when it's done well; it just works. This bill is the wiring behind a much larger system. It's the quiet work that keeps the lights on, literally and figuratively, for the thousands of students who rely on VET loans every year. It shows that we take responsibility seriously. When we find a problem, we own it, we fix it and we make sure that it never happens again. That's what separates governing from posturing.”
“They might treat governance as theatre; we treat it as service. Service means doing the unglamorous work of tightening a definition, updating a system or closing a legal loophole so that the whole machine runs as it should. That's what this bill does. It ensures that every form lodged, every record kept and every repayment made under the VET Student Loans program sits securely on the right side of the law. It's easy sometimes to think of legislation like this is as dry or technical. but behind every data point and clause is a person—a mature-age student retraining after a redundancy, an apprentice starting their first job in the trades or a single parent studying nursing to re-enter the workforce. They are the reason this program exists.”
“More than 280,000 VET and apprenticeship loan accounts will benefit from that change, representing over $500 million in debt relief. That's money that will stay in people's pockets. It's money that will help them pay rent, buy tools or simply breathe a little easier when they build their future. It's another example of a government that understands what fairness looks like in practice. This bill also reinforces something deeper—confidence in the government itself. That's because, when citizens see their government fixing problems quietly and properly rather than ignoring them or playing politics with them, it strengthens faith in every other reform we deliver. This is responsible lawmaking—no fanfare and no finger-pointing, just solid, careful work that keeps our systems strong. Those opposites might prefer a headline; we prefer results.”
“We extended the training support payment and priority hiring incentive through to the end of 2025, providing up to $5,000 for apprentices and employers in priority occupations. We increased the living-away-from-home allowance to help young people relocate for work, and we boosted support for apprentices with disabilities by removing unnecessary red tape. Each of these measures helps someone start and finish their trade, and each of them builds a stronger, more skilled workforce for our nation. We also understand that students and apprentices are under real cost-of-living pressures. That's why this government took decisive action to cut student debt by 20 per cent and lift the repayment threshold so that graduates begin repaying only when they can actually afford to.”
“They deserve a government that has their back, and that's exactly what this bill represents: a government that's making sure the system that supports them is watertight and fair. When those students apply for a VET loan, they deserve to know that their personal information is safe, that their the debt is correctly recorded and that the government has done its homework. Labor's skills agenda goes further. We're backing apprentices in every corner of the country, because they are the ones who are building the homes, the infrastructure and the clean energy projects of the future. From July 2025, the Key Apprenticeship Program was expanded to include a dedicated housing construction stream, offering up to $10,000 in incentives for new apprentices.”
“That's 685,000 Australians who are getting a real qualification for a real job, without the financial barrier that once kept them out. When the opposition leader was shadow minister for skills, she said, 'If you don't pay for something, you don't value it.' Well, Australians are proving her wrong every single day. They value free TAFE, because it changes lives—theirs and their family's. In my own electorate of Moore, I've seen that transformation up close at the North Metropolitan TAFE. Under the leadership of Michelle Hoad, it's dedicated staff are training the electricians, engineers and technicians who keep Western Australia running. These people are juggling work, study and families. They're showing the same grit and determination that built this country.”
“The truth is, when Labor returned to government, we inherited a skills system that had already been hollowed out. TAFE campuses were left to crumble, apprentice numbers were in freefall, and billions had been stripped from training budgets. Young Australians were told, implicitly and sometimes explicitly, that choosing a trade or a technical career was second-best. We reject that nonsense. We believe that, whether you are wiring a hospital, caring for the elderly or coding a new piece of software, your contribution matters equally to this country's future, and that's why Labor has put TAFE back at the centre of Australia's training system. Since Labor came to office, free TAFE has delivered more than 685,000 enrolments across the nation, in early childhood education, disability care, construction and in digital technology.”
“The principles behind the bill are simple and consistent with the values that underpin our democracy. It supports the right to education by ensuring that the VET Student Loans program continues to operate smoothly for those who already rely on it to study and upskill. It supports the right to work, by guaranteeing access to training that leads directly to secure jobs in our economy. And it protects the right to privacy, by tightening the rules so that personal information is handled only when absolutely necessary and always within the bounds of the law. That is how we maintain trust in public administration: through careful, proportionate reform that respects both the individual and the institution. The bill may look technical, but it sits within a much larger effort of rebuilding Australia's vocational education system after its neglect.”
“They must meet a 'fit and proper person' test, undergo extensive approval processes and report any breach immediately. They are subject to civil penalties and even criminal offences for misuse of data. Those safeguards remain. What changes under the bill is the certainty that every past action performed in good faith and to get the student loans processed or reconciled sits squarely within the law. For the future, the system will operate with even higher privacy standards. No provider will see, store or transmit a student's tax file number. That's exactly how it should be in the digital age: minimal access, maximum protection. The bill, therefore, strengthens both integrity and confidence in our program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of Australians learn, train and work.”
“That's modern governance in action—tightening privacy, reducing risk and removing unnecessary human handling altogether. This bill doesn't create new powers or broaden access to personal information; it simply aligns the law with the secure digital systems we already have and ensures that people who are already doing their jobs—providers, Commonwealth officers and departmental staff—are protected from the technical uncertainty created by a missing line of legislative authority. It sends a clear signal: when Labor finds something that isn't quite right, we don't bury it. We fix it, and we make it stronger for the future. From the day the VET Student Loans program began, privacy has been tightly controlled. Providers have been bound by strict information-handling rules under the VET Student Loans Act.”
“There were no complaints, no breaches and no scandals—just a gap between what the law said on paper and how the system worked in practice. This bill closes that gap. It makes clear that everything done in good faith since 1 January 2017 was and always had been lawful, and it confirms that, from 1 October 2025, providers no longer need to handle tax file numbers at all. Earlier this year the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations finished a major technology upgrade. Student tax file numbers are now masked from view in the student loan portal and transferred automatically between government systems. That means the data never passes through the hands of training providers or their staff. It moves seamlessly and securely from the student's application to the ATO and back again.”
“That's what ties the loan to their tax record and ensures repayments are made correctly through the Australian Tax Office. It's a safeguard that keeps the whole scheme honest so that the person who borrows the money is the person who pays it back. But here's the issue: the technology that made this possible moved faster than the legislation that governed it. While the law required the tax file number to make the system function, it never clearly authorised providers to handle it. For years, approved training organisations were doing exactly what the system needed them to do, entering data into secure government portals and reconciling loan information. But the authorising words in the statute weren't there. No-one acted improperly. No-one misused data.”
“Every now and then a bill comes before this House that doesn't spark headlines or hashtags but quietly makes the system fairer. This is one of those bills. At its core, the VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025 is about trust in the law and our institutions and trust for the students and providers who rely on them. It fixes an ambiguity that should never have existed. It confirms that the people administering student loans did so lawfully and in good faith. And it future-proofs privacy protections, so the same uncertainty can never happen again. That's it. There's no spin and no sleight of hand. It's just the kind of measured repair work that good government does quietly and well. When Australians apply for a VET student loan, they must include their tax file number.”
“Openness without order breeds chaos, and bureaucracy without openness breeds cynicism. The amendments in this bill strike the right balance between the two. They make the system fairer, faster and safer, and will help rebuild confidence in government decision-making, the confidence that comes when Australians know they can see for themselves. This is reform about good government, not politics. It will outlast parliament as all good legislation should. I commend the bill to the House.”
“In a world of misinformation and deepfakes, the antidote is credible information from credible institutions. A functional FOI system helps deliver that. It shows the state does not fear transparency and that truth does not wait for a whistleblower or a leak. It shows the machinery of government can adapt to the technology of the times, and it shows we can be both open and secure, transparent and accountable without being naive about the risk. This bill is about trust, balance and modernisation. It brings a 40-year-old law in line with contemporary practice. It protects the Public Service, empowers genuine applicants and restores the integrity of the FOI framework. It ensures freedom of information remains exactly that—freedom with purpose, not freedom with boundaries.”
“This government welcomes it because we learn from it. We know sunlight makes systems stronger. We want citizens to ask questions and for answers to come quickly, clearly and safely. The amendments in this bill do not weaken scrutiny; they make scrutiny work. They give Australians confidence that their right to know is respected and that the system administrating that right is robust and humane. Labor has always strengthened democratic institutions. We introduced the Freedom of Information Act in 1982, the 2010 reform act and the independent Information Commissioner. We established the National Archives and the public interest disclosure scheme. This bill continues in that tradition, ensuring that Australians can trust both the government that serves them and the systems that hold it accountable.”
“This bill complements the broader integrity framework of this government, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, public interest disclosure reforms and the APS Integrity Taskforce. It reflects a belief that integrity and efficiency go hand-in-hand. The amendments reduce duplication between agencies in OAIC so public resources are spent on outcomes, not process. The result will be faster, fewer disputes and better service for applicants. The reforms will deliver modest net savings through administrative efficiencies, but their real value is institutional, restoring confidence in a framework that has lost both speed and credibility. They will ensure FOI officers can do their job without fear of harassment, and reaffirm that transparency and respect for staff can coexist. Some governments hide from scrutiny because they fear it.”
“We are fixing the system so that sunlight reaches where it should, efficiently, safely and fairly. Transparency is not an abstract concept; it matters in the communities we represent. It matters to local journalists in Joondalup, who lodge an FOI to see how a grant is delivered. It matters to a community group in Kingsley seeking information about housing programs. It matters to small business owners in Currambine needing clarity on licensing or tender processes. It matters to advocates in Edgewater and Beldon helping families with disability or aged-care services. And it matters to pensioners in Woodvale waiting for a Centrelink file. A modern FOI serves all of them, people who simply want answers from the government.”
“They support the right to freedom of expression under article 19 by keeping genuine public interest information accessible while protecting security and privacy. The application fee framework includes mandatory hardship waivers, ensuring no Australian is priced out of transparency. The opposition will say this bill limits access. It doesn't. It fixes a system that is collapsing under its own weight. A broken system is not transparency; it is bureaucracy. Under the previous government, delays grew, trust fell and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner was left underresourced. They had nine years to act and did nothing. When secrecy suited them, they kept the blinds drawn. We saw it with robodebt, a scheme cloaked in denial and exposed only by a royal commission. This government is taking the opposite approach.”
“It limits automatic party status in reviews to the applicant and the respondent, while allowing others to apply if genuinely affected. These measures let the OAIC focus on resolution, not red tape. The objects clause of the FOI Act is being rewritten for the first time in four decades. It will now expressly recognise that, while openness is fundamental, it must operate, as far as possible, consistently with the protection of private interests and the effective operation of government. The balance has always existed in practice. Now it will be clear in law. These reforms have been carefully tested against Australia's international human rights obligations. They promote the right to privacy under article 17 of the ICCPR by limiting the unnecessary release of employee information.”
“It ensures that documents belonging to a former minister can be appropriately handled when portfolios change, addressing the uncertainty identified in the Patrick case. It confirms that material stored on government systems that relates purely to a public servant's private affairs—a family email, for instance—is not a document of an agency. These clarifications save time, reduce disputes and bring certainty to both applicants and agencies. The bill also strengthens the role of the Information Commissioner to ensure faster and more efficient reviews. It allows the commissioner to remit matters back to agencies with directions for reconsideration where that would achieve a quicker, better outcome. It permits reviews to be resolved by agreement between parties without the need for formal written decisions every time.”
“The bill also allows modest application fees for non-personal information, with waivers for financial hardship. Access to one's own records, such as a Medicare or a Centrelink file, remains free. Charging a small fee for large or commercial requests helps manage costs and discourages speculative or automated bulk lodgements. Fourth, this bill resolves several grey areas that have fuelled confusion and litigation. It clarifies what constitutes a cabinet document, reinforcing the confidentiality that underpins collective ministerial responsibility. It refines the deliberative process exemption, providing clearer guidance on what internal advice should remain confidential to protect the integrity of decision-making.”
“It allows agencies to continue accessing requests even when statutory timelines have elapsed, ending the stop-start paralysis that currently occurs when a deadline is missed. It moves from calendar days to working days, aligning the act with modern administrative practice. These are practical, commonsense updates, the kind any efficient organisation would make. Third, the bill restores balance by introducing a 40-hour processing time cap on individual requests. This means one request cannot consume hundreds of staff hours while others wait indefinitely. Applicants whose requests exceed that cap can narrow the scope, discuss priorities or appeal. The cap is not a barrier. It is a safeguard to ensure the system serves everyone, not just the loudest voice.”
“The bill introduces new protections for employee-identifying information, ensuring that personal details like names and direct emails are not automatically released unless disclosure is genuinely in the public interest. Senior executive officers remain subject to scrutiny, but junior staff, who carry out decisions rather than make them, will no longer have their personal details spread online. Transparency must never come at the cost of personal safety. Second, the bill brings FOI into the digital era. It modernises how requests, reviews and complaints are handled, allowing for electronic forms, online submission and clear communication with applicants. It gives the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the OAIC, flexibility to manage matters digitally rather than through outdated paper processes.”
“First, the bill gives agencies stronger tools to deal with vexatious, repetitive and abusive requests. It empowers agencies to refuse requests made in bad faith or that are designed to harass staff while preserving the applicant's right to seek review through the Information Commissioner. It removes the ability to lodge anonymous or pseudonymous FOI claims. Applicants must identify themselves and, if acting for someone else, declare that fact. This closes a major security gap. Anonymous requests have been used by foreign actors to test government systems and gather data that can be pieced together for intelligence purposes. It also stops those who hide behind fake names from issuing threats or abusing to public servants.”
“Personal email addresses and phone numbers have been published online. Transparency does not mean putting public servants in the firing line. It means accountability with civility and openness with safety. This bill modernises the FOI framework from top to bottom. It balances three objectives: to protect the rights of Australians to access government information, to protect the people who administer that right and to make the system efficient and secure in the digital age. The amendments implement recommendations of the 2013 Hawke review, respond to the 2023 Senate inquiry and address issues exposed by the 2024 full court decision in Attorney-General v Patrick. They also reflect advice from the National Intelligence Community and the Australian Public Service Commission about the growing risks of anonymous and automated requests.”