Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate the Minister for Climate Change and Energy on his statement and thank him for his tireless efforts in order to bring down emissions—a very difficult job but one he is doing excellently and with great skill. Just like the shadow minister's process, he didn't quite finish before it had to be interrupted by people who are above him. I know a lot of members opposite were very angry with the shadow minister for taking too long with his internal review on net zero. He didn't quite get there. The Leader of the Opposition had to step in on the timing because the shadow minister was just taking forever and making his colleagues very angry. After that ridiculous contribution, those opposite have outed themselves as the climate change deniers that they are. When they talk about credibility, they have none in the Australian community.

Moving on to more important matters, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, as I was saying before those important statements, is a bill that says we are here to support the small businesses across the country. For those who don't know—and I'm sure many members of this parliament have worked in hospitality at some point in their careers—back in my university days I did have a brief stint working at one of St Kilda's fantastic establishments, the Beachcomber restaurant. I spent a summer running plates to and from the kitchen and, when there were functions, also working behind the bar. It was hard work. It was work where, after a six-hour shift, you were really tired. You had to put in a big effort, but it was really good, honest work. I know that, for people who are working in hospitality, the moments where you get to interact with people and see people enjoying our beautiful city and our beautiful businesses are really an enjoyable part of that job.

It's really important for communities like mine that hospitality businesses are able to run them sustainably to support their workforce and not have too many costs that continue to build. The businesses, the pubs and all of the other hospitality venues were concerned about what the added costs of the CPI increases on the beer excise mean for their businesses. When you think about the thousands of people, even in my own community, who work in the sector—from the hardworking kitchen staff, the supervisors and the cleaners to the bookkeepers, the event organisers, the sound techs and the live performers—this is an industry we need to make sure we're sustaining and supporting.

A lot of young people—just as I did when I was much younger—working in such places are able to use it as an entry point into the workforce. But also they can move through their career to be in these incredibly high skilled positions, whether it be in the kitchen, behind the bar or in any other parts of these hospitality venues. It is a sector where there is really a need for high-skilled, competent and hardworking people. I think about all the things that make our community vibrant, wonderful, colourful and welcoming, and you just can't go past all those establishments.

When you think about the people who come in and sit at our establishments and are having to pay for all the beers and other products they're using, it adds up. If people don't have enough discretionary funds or savings, these are sometimes the things that fall off, and people choose not to go out, not to go and support small businesses. They choose to just stay home, because they don't have the disposable income to spend at these sorts of establishments.

When you have these sorts of excises, which do add up, they get passed on to the consumer. For the most part, a lot of the establishments are places where hardworking people, lower- and middle-income earners, like to go and decompress after work, hang out with friends or just have that social interaction. In an age when too many people are sitting at home on their phones, not interacting with people and not going out, having these venues where it's actually affordable and possible for people to go out is really important.

This bill is a small contribution to a really important part of our community and our economy. I say to all members of this place that when you think about the things that you love about your community you obviously think about the incredible community organisations—the people who give up their time, who do amazing work, who help serve our community. But you also think about the things people really love about all the different parts of our communities. For me, the inner part of Melbourne is a place where people love to come and visit. It's a place where people can get great food, have great times, go and see an amazing piece of Australian culture—performance, music, sport—all the things people love to go and enjoy. At the heart of that obviously is being able to have a drink, to relax and to be a part of these establishments.

The policy that this bill will support will mean that 10,000 hospitality venues across Australia will benefit from these changes, and about 75 per cent of them—an overwhelming majority of them—are small businesses. That's why these measures are important. This is something the sector was calling for. It's something venues were calling for. It's something that gives them more certainty, and it's something that will bring down the cost of going out over time. It will mean that the excise on our draught beer will not increase twice a year on the CPI. That fundamentally is going to help people enjoy the wonderful things that make our community vibrant. I commend the bill to the House.

Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. It's an absolute honour to follow my friend the member for McNamara, who I know is a huge advocate for publicans and small businesses in his electorate and, like me, enjoys a pint every once in awhile as well.

Pubs, clubs and breweries are part of our social fabric and our Australian identity. They bring people together, they keep communities thriving and they support jobs right across the country. Australia has a long history of backing local brewers and the hospitality workers who keep our pubs running. In 2025 the Albanese Labor government is stepping up again, because that's what good governments do: they back local industry, they reduce pressure on household budgets and they keep our communities connected and strong. I'm proud to stand in this House and support a bill that delivers real cost-of-living relief, strengthens a key Australian industry and gives local pubs and the people who support them a fair go.

This bill is a practical measure. It freezes the draught beer excise for local pubs and gathering spaces. In doing so, it reduces the cost of beer for consumers and businesses alike. Whether your preferred measure is a schooner or a pint, this side of the House is keeping beer affordable. The amendments in this bill are simple, targeted and fair. They support an industry that matters to communities, families and workers right across the nation and cut cost-of-living pressures, delivering real relief to Australians and their businesses. The Albanese Labor government is determined in its goal to do just this, to make sure that Australians and their businesses get real relief for financial pressures.

On this side of the House, we know that cost of living affects all areas of life. Yes, it's about the number at the bottom of your energy bill, how much it costs to see a doctor when you're sick and how much student debt you still have to pay, which is why our government is acting to clamp down on every single one of these costs. But it's also about how much it costs to do the things we enjoy and the things that keep us together. Popping down to the pub for a beer and a meal with colleagues, friends and family is how we stay connected. We understand how important it is to protect these moments. Cost-of-living pressures cannot be allowed to compromise Australians' ability to stay connected. We also can't allow it to jeopardise the future of the hospitality industry in Australia. Our hospitality sector, especially in Victoria, has been through a lot.

Pubs, clubs and venues faced huge challenges during the pandemic. Costs went up, supply chains were disrupted, and running a business became much harder. Right now, beer tax increases hit small businesses hard, especially in years of high inflation. For a small pub or club, another jump in excise can make the difference between hiring another worker and cutting back hours. It can also mean the difference between keeping the price of a pint stable and having to raise it again for customers already feeling the pinch. These aren't just numbers on a page. They are the day-to-day realities for thousands of family-run venues across Australia. We heard them, we listened, and we acted.

Pubs, clubs and brewers asked for relief, and this bill delivers exactly that. It delivers on the government's commitment in the 2025-26 budget to freeze the indexation on draught beer excise for two years. Indexation is applied to draught beer excise and customs duty twice a year in February and August under arrangements that have been in place for decades. In other words, the tax on beer goes up every six months because of automatic indexation. Unfortunately, our breweries have faced 84 tax increases in the last 40 years, so this bill is a crucial step in the right direction and is a much needed break for industry.

The legislation before us today will freeze indexation from August 2025. In other words, we're having an intermission for automatic indexation for two whole years so that the schedule increases in August 2025, February 2026, August 2026 and February 2027 won't happen. The rates will stay the same through the whole period, and, when indexation resumes in August 2027, the beer tax won't jump to where it would have been if the automatic indexation had continued. It starts from the rate we're on right now. That means the beer tax will be below what it would've been for every year in the future, which will make a difference to the price of beer in the long term.

There are around 10,000 hospitality venues across Australia that will directly benefit from this bill, including pubs, bars, taverns and clubs. Seventy-five per cent of those venues are small family-run businesses that employ local people and support community events, sporting clubs and local charities. This is an industry that supports more than 160,000 jobs and contributes over $17 billion to the national economy. I am confident these measures will give these establishments the breathing room to keep business strong and support the communities that rely on them.

I understand this bill personally because I have seen it firsthand. As a young adult, I worked in hospitality. I know how dedicated small-business owners in hospitality are. They don't just run businesses; they nurture people, invest in local talent, provide local employment and give back to the community with passion. I've met business owners who stay awake at night worrying if they can keep staff on. But I've also watched young people grow and transform through their first hospitality job like mine. When I say this policy matters, I say it from experience. I've lived it, I've supported it and I've seen it change lives. Every cent these businesses save from the freeze on tax indexation is an investment in workers, in jobs, in wages and in valuable experience.

This bill builds on the broader tax relief announced earlier this year for Australia's brewers, distillers and winemakers. These industries aren't just part of our culture; they drive jobs, innovation and exports. Right now eligible producers can receive up to $350,000 in tax remission. This government will lift this remission to $400,000 from 1 July 2026. Our goal is simple. We want to reduce pressure on producers, boost local manufacturing and strengthen regional economies. Freezing the indexation on the draught beer excise is real cost-of-living relief that recognises the fundamental importance of pubs and breweries to Australians. It's another piece in the broader set of policies we've introduced to tackle the cost of living and ensure that the financial pressures on Aussies decrease in all areas of their lives, from sitting down to pay the energy bill to heading down to the local pub for a drink.

Reducing the cost of living has been our government's mission in this parliament, and I'm proud to say that we've delivered. We've provided three rounds of energy bill relief to homes and small businesses to take the sting out of bills, as well as up to $1.8 billion to extend energy bill relief for another six months until the end of 2025, bringing the total Energy Bill Relief Fund commitment to $6.8 billion.

We've delivered targeted cost-of-living relief for students, locking in 100,000 free TAFE places each year from 2027; legislating a 20 per cent cut to student debt—I'm proud to say three million students will see their HECS balances cut over the next two weeks; and raising the minimum repayment thresholds so that repayments are lower and kick in only when you earn more.

We're putting more medicines on the PBS and capping the cost of a prescription on the PBS to no more than $25. We've invested $7.9 billion to expand the eligibility for the MBS bulk-billing incentives and to establish the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program so that every electorate in the country will have GP practices that bulk-bill every patient. Australians will only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, to receive the health care they need.

When it comes to delivering real cost-of-living relief, the Albanese Labor government is truly leaving no stone unturned. That includes making sure that going down to the pub for a beer—something that makes so many Australians feel a whole lot lighter—doesn't make the wallet feel lighter as well. The best local stories and conversations come over a cold beer at the local pub, not in a meeting room and not at the office. What I hear loud and clear is that the cost of living has been weighing heavily on families, workers and small businesses. Prices keep rising, and people are struggling to get by. This includes paying the cost of a refreshing beer.

From the very first day I was elected, I promised this community I would fight for them, that I would stand up for affordability in our community, that I would fight for fairness and that I would use every tool in my tool belt to ease these pressures and make life a little bit easier for the people of the western suburbs of Melbourne. This change will help ease costs for every local venue in the seat of Gorton. It will also help keep a pint more affordable for everyday Australians.

This matters especially in Melbourne's west, where the pub culture is so strong. We've got so many loved pubs across Melbourne's west, from the beautiful Sugar Gum Hotel, in Hillside, to the Taylors Lakes Hotel; the Green Gully Soccer Club, another club whose food is well loved by the residents of Gorton; and the Keilor Hotel, which is a very special place close to me because it's where I met my husband, Chris. Just across from my office in Caroline Springs is Desir. Brenton, Michelle and Lorenzo have put their hearts into it. They're creating something really special in Gorton. This is a local business at its best. I know they'd be thrilled to see a government standing up for pubs and brewers, fighting to ease the cost-of-living pressures and working to bring down the cost of a pint in your hand so they don't have to worry about passing on the rising costs to customers. These venues are more than pubs in Gorton. They're community spots. They're where people catch up, unwind and feel connected. This measure helps keep them strong, and, because of that, I couldn't be prouder to support this bill.

In a rare show of good sense, the coalition has decided not to stand in the way of this cost-of-living measure. It's reassuring to know that, for all their faults, they enjoy a beer like the rest of us. I wish I could say the same had happened with other cost-of-living measures we've introduced.

Last term, they voted against our tax cuts for every taxpayer. They voted against us when we established the energy bill relief scheme. They went to the election promising to scrap our 20 per cent reduction on student debt. They opposed our fee-free TAFE policy and voted against it in this place, telling Australians that, if they didn't pay for their education, they wouldn't value it.

The coalition has shown a rare display of sense by getting out of the way of this cost-of-living measure, but make no mistake—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member is entitled to be heard in silence.

Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

getting real cost-of-living relief to Australians is not a priority for those opposite. It's we on this side of the House who are delivering tangible cost-of-living relief.

When it comes to bringing down the cost of living for Australians, every bit counts. On this side of the House, we're leaving no stone unturned to accomplish this goal. It's been our mission in this term of government, and we'll continue to act decisively to ensure that nobody is held back or left behind—not Australian people and not Australian businesses. The cost of living cannot be allowed to compromise Australians' ability to keep connected and make treasured memories. After all, pubs, clubs and breweries are special places. It's where I met the person I'm married to today. It's where we find community, stay connected and celebrate life.

The bill before us shows that our government isn't just talking; we are acting. We are proving that practical policies can make a tangible difference in everyday life. I couldn't be prouder to stand with my government, which truly cares about its people. With this two-year pause on indexation of draught beer excise and excise-equivalent customs duty, the Albanese Labor government is standing up for Australia's pubs, clubs, brewers and hospitality workers. We understand that local pubs, clubs and breweries are not just businesses but community institutions that bring people together, provide employment and help keep economies strong. We're also standing up for Australians, who deserve to grab a beer with family and friends without worrying about the cost. I commend this bill to the House, I thank the Assistant Treasurer for introducing it, and I thank all of the speakers who are supporting it.

Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In communities right across Australia, from our biggest cities to the smallest towns, the local pub or club is much more than a business. It is a gathering place—a place where people come together after a long shift, a long week or a long day; a place of celebration when the local footy or netball team has a win; or a place of commiseration or comfort when the week hasn't been easy. It's where friendships form, where stories are shared, where loneliness is forgotten and where the heart of community life beats strongest.

That's why the Albanese Labor government is stepping up to support our venues, their workers and the Australian brewers who supply them. The Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 gives effect to our decision to pause indexation on draught beer excise and excise-equivalent customs duty for two years, beginning on 1 August this year. This is a practical measure. It is a targeted measure and a responsible measure. It keeps the price of a pint stable for everyday Australians, it provides certainty for publicans and their staff, and it strengthens the industries and communities built around our local venues.

In my electorate of Corangamite, from the Surf Coast to the Bellarine and across the Geelong region, pubs and clubs are part of who we are. They host fundraisers when a family is doing it tough. They sponsor local sporting clubs. They offer that first casual job to a young person, building confidence and independence. They are where local musicians get their first gigs, where community groups meet and where generations of locals have gathered around the same tables for decades, sharing in laughter and debate and often providing a supportive ear. These venues also keep workers in shifts, keep our regional economies moving and keep our communities together.

In my electorate of Corangamite, there are many distinctive townships—coastal, rural, thriving communities—each with their own distinctive watering holes, like the Torquay Hotel, the Barwon Heads Hotel, the Dina, the Grovedale Hotel, the Portarlington hotel, the Drysdale Hotel, Sporties in Leopold, the Esplanade Hotel in Queenscliff and so many more. We have brewers, like Bells Beach Brewing, Barwon Heads Brewing, Blackman's Brewing and Little Creatures, and our changes in this bill back them in.

Our pause to the excise applies specifically to draught beer served from kegs between eight and 48 litres—the containers used every day in pubs, clubs and bars—and to larger kegs over 48 litres used in bigger hospitality venues. It does not apply to bottled or canned beer, spirits or other excisable beverages, because this is a policy targeted squarely at supporting hospitality venues. Around 10,000 venues across Australia will benefit directly from this decision, and roughly 75 per cent of those venues are small, family run businesses. These are venues that employ local people, donate raffle prizes to the bowls club, lend their function rooms when the SES need space after a storm or put on a community night when the town has had a tough season.

For operators of small venues across the nation, we know the pandemic hit hospitality hard—so have supply chain disruptions and so has inflation. Publicans, managers, brewers and hospitality workers have carried a heavy load through a turbulent period. Our two-year excise freeze is not a silver bullet, but it is real relief. It stabilises one of their major cost pressures. It keeps the tax component of a pint steady for two years. It reduces pressure on venues to raise prices for their customers, many of whom are feeling cost-of-living pressures themselves, and it gives publicans predictable operating conditions at a time when they need certainty.

This support does not stop at the pub door. When a local venue can stay open and stay strong, the whole supply chain benefits: the brewers who rely on keg sales to stay viable benefit, the farmers growing barley and hops benefit, transport operators moving goods up and down the coast benefit, and equipment suppliers, refrigeration companies, event organisers and musicians all benefit too. Across the hospitality and brewing sectors, around 160,000 Australians rely on these venues staying open and profitable. This pause helps keep their jobs more secure.

Small and independent brewers, including so many proudly Australian, community minded, innovative producers, rely heavily on keg sales to keep their businesses afloat. For them, indexation is not an abstract policy issue; it directly affects whether they can make payroll, plan production runs, invest in new equipment and keep their team employed. Pausing indexation for two years will help brewers manage costs, stabilise cashflow and continue to invest in their local communities and local economies. It will also ensure these small and independent brewers can continue to compete fairly against large multinational producers. Fair competition matters. It protects diversity and innovation in the Australian beer market. It ensures consumers have real choice, and it keeps our hospitality sector vibrant, diverse and reflective of local tastes and local talent.

This measure is also the product of extensive consultation. The Albanese Labor government has listened carefully to publicans, brewers and small-business groups right across the country. We've heard from venue owners and brewers trying to balance growth and unpredictable input costs. We've heard from operators of small hospitality businesses who simply wanted some breathing space, not a hand-out but a fair go and a fair chance to plan ahead. This measure reflects that feedback. It is targeted where it needs to be. It is temporary by design, and it is one part of a broader support package for small business across Australia.

Alongside this excise pause, the Albanese Labor government is delivering a comprehensive suite of support for small business, the backbone of our economy and the heart of so many communities. We have extended the instant asset write-off so small operators can invest in the equipment they need without facing cashflow barriers. We're supporting small businesses to adapt and adopt digital tools, streamline administration and modernise their operations, saving time and reducing costs. We're helping businesses lower their energy bills through targeted support and clean energy investments.

I'd like to make the point that this broader package recognises that small businesses do not operate in isolation. They need coordinated support across tax, energy, skills, digital infrastructure and cost-of-living pressures. Within this wider framework of support sits our draught beer excise pause. This measure is practical, and it is also fiscally responsible. Indexation will resume after two years, ensuring the integrity of the broader alcohol excise framework is maintained. So it's a temporary adjustment designed to help small venues through a challenging period without compromising the long-term sustainability of the budget. That's what responsible economic management looks like.

The importance of this measure is especially visible in regional communities like mine. In many regional towns, the local pub is where loneliness is eased, where a newcomer to town meets their first neighbour, where families gather after Saturday sport and where stories are passed down across generations. It's where people hold charity nights when the community needs to rally around someone. It is where people go after a funeral to share memories and support each other. It is where local bands start out and where travellers stop in and keep regional tourism strong. These venues are cultural institutions. They are part of our national identity. Keeping their doors open matters. This government understands community life because it is connected to it. We understand the pressures that publicans, club managers and hospitality staff are facing. We know what these venues mean to local people, and we are acting decisively to support them.

This support is also aligned with our broader cost-of-living agenda. From 1 July, we have delivered practical measures that help make everyday life easier. We have increased the national minimum wage and award wages by 3.5 per cent. We've lifted the super guarantee to 12 per cent. We have expanded Paid Parental Leave to 24 weeks. and it will be 26 the year after next. We have ensured superannuation is paid on all government paid parental leave. We have delivered energy bill relief, with another $150 to come off before the end of the year. We have made home batteries cheaper for households. We have cut student loan debt by 20 per cent for around three million Australians. We have delivered paid practical placements for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students. We delivered another instalment of the aged-care wage rise in October, following the first increase earlier this year. And, through 2025, more responsible measures will continue to roll out, including tax cuts for every taxpayer, 50 more Medicare urgent care clinics, including one in my electorate in Torquay, and expanded bulk-billing.

Inflation is rising overseas, including in the United States, Canada and New Zealand. It remains stubbornly high in many parts of Europe. Australia, by contrast, has seen inflation fall because of disciplined economic management. We have avoided the recession and the job losses seen in many comparable economies. We have kept employment strong through uncertain global conditions. This is what steady, responsible government looks like—delivering relief for businesses, workers and consumers.

This is a modest measure with a great impact. It is temporary, targeted and responsible. It is shaped by industry consultation. It supports fair competition. It protects diversity and choice in our beer and hospitality industries. It strengthens the community institutions that matter to people's lives. At its core, this is not about taxation formulas or economic modelling. It is about people. It is about the workers pulling beers on a Friday night. It is about the apprentices learning how to run a venue. It is about the families who pour their savings, their time and their heart into running a small pub. It is about the brewers, crafting something uniquely Australian. It is about the tourists who stop in and keep small towns strong. It is about the locals who find connection, friendship and belonging at their local. It is about keeping the heart of community life beating.

This is the Albanese government backing in small business, backing in workers, backing in regional communities. This is a good, steady, responsible government in action—delivering for small venues and the Australians who rely on them every day. Thank you.

Trish Cook (Bullwinkel, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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.

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This legislation, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, which I rise to support today, has been very welcomed in the community that I represent because Lalor is home to some of the most community minded pubs and clubs in Victoria—venues that are major employers, community sponsors and essential gathering places.

Australians are a social mob. We like to get together. Whether we're drinking a beer out of a seven-ounce glass, a pint, a pot or a schooner, having a beer together has been part of our traditions for a long, long time, whatever part of Australia you're in, however you want to label the size of your glass and the beer that's inside it, and whatever the brand of beer you drink. Things have changed with our emerging craft beer industries coming through. When I was growing up people were branded by their cars and branded by their beers. In my house, we drank Victoria Bitter. Not everybody did, but all of us agreed, and the parents of all of my friends agreed, that nobody drank Foster's. That was a rule where I come from.

Our local pubs continue these traditions. It's a sector that's faced various pressures, particularly around supply chain pressures and post-pandemic recovery. The draught beer excise pause that comes in with this piece of legislation is a practical, targeted measure that delivers real support to the venues, to our social industry if you like, and to our night economies.

I will give an overview of this measure: it pauses the automatic CPI indexation of draught beer excise for two years from 1 August this year. This prevents scheduled rises in August 2025, February 2026, August 2026 and February 2027. Indexation resumes in 2027 but from the frozen rate, creating a permanently lower excise trajectory. This was very welcome news across my community. The measure has strong industry support, has bipartisan backing and forms part of the Albanese Labor government's cost-of-living strategy. It's supported by other small-business measures, including the increased excise remissions for brewers and distillers.

What does this mean for our venues? What has been interesting about this debate is that we've had some insight into almost every electorate around the country, as people take us on a tour of their social establishments. I'd start locally at the Racecourse Hotel—my local, the closest to my home. It's one of Lalor's most iconic venues. The high draught volume means the pause will directly stabilise operating costs, support staff retention and help keep meal prices stable for local families. Most Saturday nights you can't get a table at the Racecourse; it is booked out by families for the traditional pub meal. The last time I was there I saw three or four families with very young children having a counter meal, and a few multigenerational families celebrating their grans' birthdays. It's that kind of pub.

When I walk into the Racecourse Hotel—to give you an insight into this hotel—in the traditional front bar you'll still find workers in their steel capped boots and shorts, or their long pants and high-vis. The formal lounge is where we have our counter meals. The bar manager is a former student of mine. His name is Dave. To capture the tone of this place, when I walk into this hotel I am met by Dave—who I taught a long, long time ago—and every time, even if he's behind the bar when I walk in and take a seat in the front bar or the lounge, I get a nod, a wink and a, 'Hello, Senator'—just to capture that Australian sense of humour!

Leaving the Racecourse Hotel, I'd next go to the Bridge Hotel, my other local, because it's the closest to the Lalor office; in fact, it's directly across the road! It's central to Werribee's night-time economy. It's popular for live sport and social gatherings and live music. This freeze helps plan operating costs. This pub has a long history in Werribee. In fact, I've told this story in this place before: my mum was the first woman to be served in the public bar of the Bridge Hotel. It was a Werribee Cup night, and she went with Dad, who was president of the Werribee Racing Club at the time, and she just refused to get off the stool in the front bar until they poured her a beer—so she was the first woman served. It's a pub now run by a very-well-known Victorian group that run hotels. It's an incredibly-well-run hotel and it even has a draught beer called 'the Werribee'.

Down the road we have the Commercial Hotel Werribee. This pub was famous for a lot of years because the Geelong Football Club always stopped there on their way home from the game in Melbourne. They would stop and have tea at the Commercial Hotel, which is famous for its large lounge called the Grenada. It has a huge front bar with beautiful billiard tables. It's been a main-street institution for generations. The excise pause will provide certainty for entertainment, functions and employment at the Commercial Hotel.

The Park Hotel, formerly the Werribee Hotel, is a key location for family dining and community events. The freeze will help it, too, with food and produce costs. It's also a live music venue. You can see how this freeze will help this industry plan things and keep their employees paid and in jobs.

We then go to the Italian Sports Club Werribee, a major multicultural and community hub, built by our Italian community some 50-plus years ago. It supports seniors activities, junior sport, large family functions, the Werribee Soccer Club. These measures will help it with its function prices and keeping function prices affordable and keeping its members happy.

The Plaza Tavern in Hoppers Crossing is a large employer of local young people and students. The cost stabilitymeans casual and part-time jobs will be better protected there. Hotel520 Tarneit, one of our newer establishments, is a significant venue in a rapidly growing suburb. This measure helps venues redirect savings into staff, upgrades and better services for the community.

Club Tarneit and the Tigers Clubhouse have a connection to the Werribee Football Club. They're important venues for local sport and multicultural events. These measures will help keep community hiring and event costs down. These clubs sponsor local sport in my community, including Chirnsides by the River at the Werribee Football Club—all our local sporting clubs, whether they be soccer or football clubs, anywhere you are imbibing a beer that is draught beer, on-tap beer or beer poured from a barrel or a keg, depending on which part of the country you want to talk about, these measures will help keep costs down.

Pubs and clubs in Lalor support hundreds of jobs, particularly for young workers. The excise pause helps protect those jobs by stabilising operating costs. It'll help prevent price increases from being passed on to customers. The benefits flow through to food producers; to people working in transport and logistics businesses; to maintenance contractors; to people working in local events, including entertainers and suppliers; and to community sports clubs, as I've said, relying on sponsorship. Hospitality venues are essential social infrastructure in our fast-growing suburbs. They're essential social infrastructure in the Australian ethos. They host sporting presentations, fundraisers, cultural nights, charity events and family gatherings. These venues support social connection.

In terms of the events that I host in my electorate, I have my Lalor Heroes event annually at the Italian Sports Club of Werribee. I have my International Women's Day event there annually. I host my sports president night annually at Chirnsides by the River. These are places frequented by locals to catch up on weekends and to share stories. It's where we actually build the glue that binds us together. The excise pause helps keep these venues open, active and accessible.

These measures obviously complement other cost-of-living measures introduced by this government, including tax cuts for every tax payer; cheaper PBS medicines; expanded bulk-billing, which is going off in my electorate; energy bill relief; paid parental leave expansion; and super guarantee increases, not to mention the most important one in my electorate this week is the 20,000 young people getting the text messages to say they've had 20 per cent cut off their HECS debt. Isn't that being celebrated across my electorate?

This is just one measure that demonstrates that the Albanese Labor government cares about how our communities are getting on. We care about the cost of living and the pressure that is putting on people in our community, and we care about how those families are getting on and how they'll continue to get along. We are continuing our cost-of-living measures to assist families in electorates just like mine.

I say to all the members in my community: I wish you a very, very, very merry Christmas, and I hope you all get to have a draught beer to celebrate Christmas this year.

Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour.