Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choices in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025. This is a bill that may appear complex at first glance, but at its heart it is about something very straightforward. It's about making sure that the systems Australians rely on are fair and transparent and genuinely work in their best interests. It's about strengthening confidence in superannuation, protecting workers at important moments in their working lives and backing regional industries that are essential to Australia's economy, culture and future.

I represent the Hunter, a proud regional community built on hardworking people. It's a region of miners, tradies, nurses, teachers, hospitality workers, small-business owners, farmers and winemakers. It's a region where people understand the value of a hard day's work and expect that effort to be respected and rewarded. People in my electorate are not looking for a shortcut or special treatment. They want commonsense policy, they want fair rules and they want a government that understands that life and work in regional Australia often look very different from life and work in the capital cities. This bill reflects that understanding.

At its heart, this legislation strengthens Australia's superannuation system. Labor created super because we believe Australians deserve dignity and security in retirement. We believe that, after a lifetime of work, people should not be left uncertain or vulnerable. Since then, Labor governments have consistently acted to protect and strengthen the system so it continues to deliver on that purpose.

However, for too long, many Australians have seen their retirement savings quietly erode, not because they made poor decisions or failed to plan but because the system allowed inefficiencies and gaps to be present. Duplicate superannuation accounts, unnecessary fees, and insurance premiums that workers did not even realise they had or were paying have steadily chipped away at balances over time. This bill takes practical and sensible steps to address that problem.

Starting a new job should be an extremely positive moment in life. It should be about opportunity, stability and progression. It shouldn't be a moment where a worker's retirement savings are put at risk without their even knowing it. By making it easier for employees to see and consider their existing superannuation fund when they commence a new role, this bill helps prevent the creation of unnecessary duplicate accounts. It empowers workers to make informed choices while preserving their right to choose the fund that best suits their circumstances. It doesn't remove choice; it strengthens it.

For workers in the Hunter, this is particularly important. Many people in my electorate work in industries where job mobility is common and often unavoidable. Apprentices move between work sites. Labour hire workers move between projects and coalmines. Casual workers pick up shifts across multiple employees. People in construction, coalmining, health and hospitality often change employers as projects start and finish and as new opportunities arise. Without sensible safeguards, each of those job changes can mean a new super account. Each new account can mean new fees and new insurance premiums. Over time, that erosion adds up. It reduces balances, it undermines confidence and it creates uncertainty about retirement outcomes. Over the course of a working life, this can make a real difference. It can affect when someone can retire, how comfortably they can retire and whether they can retire with peace of mind.

These reforms help stop that from happening. They give workers clarity and control. They ensure that more of what Australians earn stays in their super accounts, working for their future rather than disappearing through inefficiencies. This bill also supports employers by providing clearer and more timely superannuation information. That matters as we move towards Payday Super, which will ensure that workers are paid their super at the same time as their wage. Payday Super is about fairness, it is about compliance and it is about making sure workers receive what they are entitled to, when they are entitled to it. These measures will help employers prepare for that change in a practical and manageable way, reducing confusion and improving compliance across this whole system.

Another important benefit of this bill is the way it strengthens consumer protections at a critical point of a worker's journey. Starting a new job can be overwhelming, as we all know. We all started here once. There is paperwork to complete, systems to learn, safety requirements to understand and expectations to meet. It is not a time for workers to be exposed to pressure or influence when making decisions about their retirement savings. This bill ensures that when employees are providing their superannuation details during onboarding they are protected from inappropriate advertising and undue influence. Workers should be able to engage with superannuation in a safe and informed way without being steered or nudged by marketing tactics.

At the same time, the bill preserves access to relevant and important information. Employees can still see their stapled fund, they can still see their employer's default fund and they can still see regular MySuper products that meet strict standards. The focus is on transparency and informed choice, not sales. This approach reinforces trust in the superannuation system. It recognises that superannuation is not just another financial product; it represents people's financial security. Decisions about super should be made with clear information and confidence, not confusion or pressure.

These reforms build on the government's broader work to strengthen superannuation and make it fairer and more sustainable for all. Legislating the purpose of super, lifting the super guarantee to 12 per cent, expanding performance testing and ensuring funds deliver value, boosting support for low-income earners and paying super on paid parental leave are all part of a consistent agenda. That agenda is making sure Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn and retire with dignity in their older age.

But this bill is about more than just super alone. It reflects on a broader commitment to supporting communities and industries across Australia. It supports Australia's role as a trusted host for major international sporting events, delivering jobs, tourism and long-term social benefits. It strengthens international tax arrangements to encourage trade, investment and innovation while ensuring integrity and fairness in the tax system. It supports the philanthropic and not-for-profit sector, which plays a vital role in communities like the Hunter, where volunteers and community organisations often provide essential services and support.

Crucially for my electorate, this bill delivers meaningful and practical support for the Australian wine industry. The Hunter Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions and one of its most distinctive. Wine has been produced in the Hunter for generations. It is part of our history and part of our identity. But the wine industry in the Hunter is not frozen in time. It is a modern, highly skilled industry that brings together agriculture, science, tourism and a fantastic group of workers. Wine production in the Hunter supports vineyard workers, winemakers, cellar door staff and logistics operators. It supports accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes, transport operators, event organisers and tour guides. It supports local tradies, local suppliers and local service businesses. It brings visitors to our townships and villages and sustains local employment right across the Hunter region. When people visit the Hunter for wine, they don't just come for a tasting and leave. They stay overnight. They book local accommodation. They dine at our amazing local venues. They shop in our local towns. They attend concerts, weddings and festivals. That flow-on effect is essential to the health and resilience of a regional economy.

The Hunter wine industry also plays an important role in exports and promoting Australia's wine reputation overseas. As we all know, and as I've said in this place many, many times, the best wine in the world comes from the Hunter. Hunter wines carry the story of the region onto the international market and contribute to the Australian brand. That reputation has been built carefully over decades through quality, innovation and consistency, often by family businesses that have weathered the good seasons and the difficult ones alike.

However, Hunter wine producers are facing increasing pressures. Rising costs of energy, packaging, freight and labour are squeezing the margins. Climate vulnerability is adding uncertainty to every single vintage. Global competition is intense, particularly for smaller producers competing against large international brands with far greater scale. For many family owned wineries, the pressures are consistent. These are businesses deeply connected to place. They employ local people. They invest locally. They support community events, sporting clubs and charities. When they face uncertainty, the impact is felt well beyond the vineyard gate.

That is why an increase to the wine equalisation tax producer rebate cap under this bill is so important. By lifting this cap from $350,000 to $400,000 per financial year from 1 July 2026, the government is providing targeted, practical support that reflects the real cost pressures facing wine producers today. This is not about advantage or excise. This is about stability and sustainability. For many Hunter wineries, this additional support will help fund investments in water efficiency, energy upgrades and climate resilience. It will support training and retention of skilled staff. It will help producers innovate, improve quality, diversify offerings and reach new markets. In the Hunter, this kind of support also keeps the entire local supply chain moving. Every vintage relies on regional truck drivers and freight operators, label and packaging suppliers, fitters and plant mechanics maintaining plant and equipment, and the local builders and lecos when winery upgrades or expanded facilities are needed. It supports chefs, waitstaff and cleaners at restaurants and accommodation venues that benefit from cellar door tourism. It supports event crews who run tastings, weddings and festivals that bring visitors into the region throughout the year.

When a Hunter winery can invest in a plan with confidence, that confidence spreads through the local economy, creating more shifts, more jobs, more apprentices getting a start, more bookings for local businesses and more families able to stay in the community they love. Importantly, it also supports people behind the industry. In the Hunter, wine is often a family affair. Parents, children and grandparents work side by side across the vineyards, the cellar door and the back offices. These businesses provide stable employment in regional towns, where opportunities can be very limited. They allow young people to stay local rather than move away for work. They help keep schools open, sporting clubs strong and main streets active. Supporting wine producers through this rebate is ultimately about supporting those families and ensuring the Hunter remains a place where people can live, work and build an amazing future. It will also help protect cellar door operators, which are central to the Hunter's tourism appeal. Keeping those cellar doors open means keeping people employed, keeping visitors coming and keeping regional towns vibrant.

This measure also sends a clear signal that regional industries matter. It recognises that wine is not a niche concern or an afterthought; it is a significant contributor to regional jobs, exports and tourism. Supporting wine producers means supporting entire regional economies. In the Hunter, wine sits along coalmining, manufacturing, agriculture and energy as key pillars for economic strength. A strong wine industry helps diversify the regional economy and makes communities more resilient to economic change and global shocks. This is exactly the kind of practical, targeted policy rural Australia needs. It understands local conditions, it builds on existing frameworks and it delivers real benefits where they are needed most. It reflects Labor's values of fairness, security and opportunity. It reflects a commitment to making sure economic growth is shared and that no community is left behind. That's why I support this bill and I commend it to the House.

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