Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. As a self-described new minister, over the last two days the minister has informed this House that it is not appropriate for the minister to express empathy, that the email that alerted the minister's office to the escalating crisis needed no response from the minister or her office, and that the coalition's request to double the penalty for telcos who let Australians down is 'confusing'. When will the minister step up, take responsibility and restore trust in the triple 0 network for Australians?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Before I call the minister, I want to make all questions relevant, but to simply give opinions—you know, it would help the House if any member, including the Leader of the Opposition, could perhaps give a quote or read something from Hansard or a newspaper article rather than just giving an opinion about what you think someone has said or hasn't said, because—

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! I don't have every single word that anyone has said in the whole House, so it's very hard for me to know exactly what is accurate or not. I'm trying to work with everyone here. Perhaps, moving forward for the rest of the week, if people could just be a little bit more accurate with their questions in terms of what has been said, that would be great, I think, for all members—and also for ministers to be accurate with their responses as well. I hope everyone gets the point.

Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I will deal with various elements of it. With respect to penalties, as I said in my previous answer, there is a bill before the House, the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025. It's an amendment to the Telecommunications Act. It was introduced on 28 August. It was debated on 4 September. The shadow minister for communications herself debated this bill on 4 September.

Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before the outage.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Lindsay has the MPI. She won't be here for it if she continues interjecting, which means we won't have the debate.

Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister for communications spoke on this bill about enhancing consumer safeguards on 4 September. She spoke about penalties on 4 September. She spoke about her support for the increase in penalties up to $10 million and, in some particular cases, even more than that. She spoke in support of that work. So I would contend it is confusing for her, having done that on 4 September, to now bring an amendment to a different bill and object to us not supporting that amendment because we have already done this work which she has already supported in this place.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, members on my left!

The member for Gippsland is warned.

Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nonetheless, we can all agree, surely, that what happened in September was not good enough, and the Albanese government will always work to protect Australians and we will always work to hold those who fail to deliver on their obligations to full account. There are several investigations underway now to this effect. If a telco fails Australians as Optus did, it will face real and serious consequences. There are no excuses. Telcos must deliver resilient and reliable triple 0 services. That is their obligation under the law, and that is the work we will continue to do on this side of the House to hold them to account.