Andrew Wallace's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:02+00:00
items: Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
items: Fisher Electorate: Roads | Statements | House debates
items: Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Firman, Brother William (Bill), Leavers, Mr Ian, APM | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Report from Federation Chamber | Bills | House debates
items: Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates

Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: It's not very often that you get to rise in this place and on the passing of someone who works in this place, bringing all of us together, and that's what Luch has done. Ljupco Jonceski—I...
encoded: It's not very often that you get to rise in this place and on the passing of someone who works in this place, bringing all of us together, and that's what Luch has done. Ljupco Jonceski—I didn't know that was his full name. I used to call him 'Luciano', after Luciano Pavarotti, because I wanted to be different from everybody else who called him Luch. Luch was the kind of gentleman—and I use the term 'gentleman' in its truest sense—that had the ability to make everybody feel as though you were the only person in the room. When he was operating in a room as the attendant of 150 people, many of whom probably had pretty high opinions of themselves, Luch had the ability to make everybody feel special. It's really quite remarkable to stand here and listen to the minister and the member for Flinders and many other speakers, whether they've been here for five minutes or 25 years, and listen to their stories, because I thought I was the only one who had a really good relationship with Luch. And that was the nature of the man—that he had that kind of relationship with so many other people. I remember working very closely with Luch when I was the Speaker of the House. Listening to the current Speaker talking yesterday, he used the same jokes with me. But being the Speaker of the House of Reps is a very stressful job. Most people would have absolutely no concept of how stressful it was and is. But Luch, every single day, was a voice of reason, of calmness, of good humour and of good sense. It was his ability to be able to lighten the mood in what could sometimes be a very difficult working environment. I will always remember Luch for that. I don't know how it came to be, because, of course, we can't take photos in the House of Representatives, but somehow a photo was taken of Luch and me. We were the only ones in the chamber. The House wasn't sitting at the time. I think it was in between sitting weeks. It was after the election that we'd lost, and I think it was probably the o…
date: 2026-02-05T12:14:00+00:00

Fisher Electorate: Roads | Statements | House debates
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description: I rise to talk about some of the listening posts that I've done in my electorate over the summer. I did the 'Tour de Fisher' for 2025, where I rode around in my electorate, speaking to my...
encoded: I rise to talk about some of the listening posts that I've done in my electorate over the summer. I did the 'Tour de Fisher' for 2025, where I rode around in my electorate, speaking to my community, taking my office to them. I also did a really very busy listening post just last week. What people were telling me is that they are hurting. They are feeling like they are being consistently and economically crushed by this government. One of the other things they talked to me about was the unbelievable squeeze that they are experiencing in relation to road construction on the Sunshine Coast. I listened yesterday to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government talk about all of the wonderful things this government is apparently doing on road construction. Let me tell the minister that that's not happening on the Sunshine Coast as a result of this federal government. What she didn't talk to the parliament about yesterday was the fact that she cut $180 million from the Mooloolah River Interchange project. She also cut funding to the Caloundra access road, which would have provided a second access road into what is now a very busy Caloundra. Without the Crisafulli government picking up the slack in building and funding these projects, they simply would not have happened.
date: 2026-02-05T13:45:00+00:00

Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise to speak on the Copyright Amendment Bill 2025. This is a largely technical bill, the product of several years of consultation, roundtables and review work undertaken by the government in...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Copyright Amendment Bill 2025. This is a largely technical bill, the product of several years of consultation, roundtables and review work undertaken by the government in 2023. It's also been the subject of examination by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. While the coalition will not oppose the bill in the House and is likely to support it in the Senate based on the outcome of that inquiry, it is important that this parliament understand what this bill does, what it does not do and why its reforms matter. Copyright is not an abstract legal concept. It is about protecting Australian creators, teachers, students, libraries, museums, small innovators and the cultural and economic value of the material that they both produce and preserve. It's about balance, clarity and fairness, and it's about making sure our laws keep pace with how Australians learn, teach, share and create today. Australia's Copyright Act 1968 is more than 50 years old. It has been amended often, but it has not always kept up with new technology, new learning environments or new cultural expectations. This bill makes two sets of reforms. Firstly, it establishes a statutory orphan works scheme to allow responsible use of materials where rights holders cannot be found. It clarifies education exceptions for remote learning, ensuring teachers and students are protected when classes are delivered online or in hybrid form. Finally, it makes a series of technical and administrative amendments to modernise appointments, tribunal processes, archival definitions and notification methods. These reforms are incremental, but they're sensible and widely supported by a broad range of stakeholders. These amendments do not alter the fundamental rights of creators. They do not diminish the value of copyright, and they do not introduce the highly contentious text and data mining exception that many artists and creators feared. Schedule 1 introduces a long-awaited …
date: 2026-02-03T12:35:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise to speak on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. I want to open by using that old Irish phrase 'if I wanted to get to Dublin, I wouldn't...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. I want to open by using that old Irish phrase 'if I wanted to get to Dublin, I wouldn't have started here'. That sums up the government's handling of antisemitism since 7 October 2023. In the wake of the Bondi Beach tragedy, the coalition called for serious, collaborative, decisive and targeted action to confront antisemitism and radical Islamic extremism. What Australians were given instead was a rushed, sprawling and incoherent omnishambles of a bill. Stakeholders were given barely 48 hours to make submissions to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The PJCIS is an important committee of this parliament that was tasked by the PM to conduct what could only be described as a sham inquiry. The committee's report was only tabled this morning, making the committee's process an absolute farce. That approach was completely inappropriate for legislation of this scale and consequence, cutting across democratic principles and national security. Rather than protecting Jewish Australians, the original bill risked shielding radical Islamic extremists. Rather than stopping hate, it threatened to chill legitimate political and religious debate. Ultimately, the government was forced to abandon its approach. That collapse reflects a broader pattern. When it comes to antisemitism and radical Islamic extremism, this government either dithers or it bungles. This failure did not begin at Bondi. For more than two years, despite repeated warnings from the Jewish community, intelligence agencies and law enforcement and despite a clear and alarming rise in antisemitism, the government sat on its hands. Rather than confronting antisemitism when it mattered, the government appeased extremist protesters, abandoned the State of Israel, left Jewish Australians feeling isolated and then sat on the recommendations of its own Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism f…
date: 2026-01-20T11:32:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise to speak on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026 on behalf of the opposition. May I begin my remarks by restating that the coalition...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026 on behalf of the opposition. May I begin my remarks by restating that the coalition unequivocally condemns antisemitism, hate motivated violence and radical Islamist terrorism. We have always been dedicated to the enactment of strong, effective and proportionate measures to protect Australians and uphold national security. What was previously known as schedule 4 of the original omnibus exposure draft proposed significant changes to Australia's firearms laws, including a so-called national firearms buyback scheme and expanded importation restrictions. Evidence before the PJCIS inquiry demonstrated that these measures are poorly constructed, inadequately justified and unlikely to achieve their stated objectives. Instead, they impose disproportionate burdens on lawful firearm owners, importers, wholesalers and retailers, as well as primary producers and state and territory governments. To the detriment of the bill, the government has chosen a reactive, politically driven approach to the preparation of these proposed laws, rather than the careful, judicious, evidence based process Australians would legitimately expect in such a highly regulated policy area. The presentation of this bill has also been marked by a distinct lack of meaningful consultation undertaken prior to its introduction, a view almost universally presented by witnesses before the PJCIS inquiry. There was little or no prior consultation with farming groups, sporting shooters, industry representatives or technical experts. As coalition members of the PJCIS point out, the truncated nature of the inquiry compounded these failures, an approach utterly inconsistent with best practice lawmaking. This bill reveals the contempt the government has for the million gun owners of Australia. The Prime Minister has failed to recognise that guns are tools of trade for so many Australians, including for so many peo…
date: 2026-01-20T09:13:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
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description: In the 13th century, St Francis of Assisi said, 'All the darkness in the world can never extinguish the light of a single candle'. The act of what happened at Bondi on 14 December was an act of...
encoded: In the 13th century, St Francis of Assisi said, 'All the darkness in the world can never extinguish the light of a single candle'. The act of what happened at Bondi on 14 December was an act of profound violence and hatred. It stole innocent lives, shattered families and traumatised a community. It shocked Australians from every corner of our country. I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were murdered, to our brave first responders, to those who were injured and to all who continue to live with the consequences of that day. No words spoken in this place can ease the pain of parents who have lost children or families whose lives have been changed forever. But it is right that this parliament finally pauses, reflects and speaks with one voice, in sorrow, respect and solidarity. Bondi is more than a location. It is part of Australia's identity—a place of openness, freedom and community. That such a place became the scene of Australia's worst act of terrorism makes this tragedy all the more confronting for our nation. This attack was not random, it did not occur in isolation and it did not happen without warning. It came after more than two years of escalating, unaddressed antisemitism in this country, after repeated concerns raised by Jewish community leaders, security experts and law enforcement professionals, after hatred was allowed to become louder, more visible and more normalised. That context matters, not to politicise grief but to honour it with honesty, head on. History teaches us a difficult lesson: antisemitism never ends with Jews alone. Shortly after the attack, I reflected on words attributed to Martin Niemoller—words that bear repeating today: Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out … … … Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out … … … Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out … … … Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me These words are a …
date: 2026-01-19T10:42:00+00:00

Firman, Brother William (Bill), Leavers, Mr Ian, APM | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: Today I rise to pay tribute to the life and service of Brother William Firman. Brother Bill, as he was known to all, passed away in Launceston on 15 November 2025 after a short illness. He was 82...
encoded: Today I rise to pay tribute to the life and service of Brother William Firman. Brother Bill, as he was known to all, passed away in Launceston on 15 November 2025 after a short illness. He was 82 years old. Brother Bill joined the De La Salle Brothers on 13 January 1962 at the age of just 18. For more than 60 years, he dedicated his life to faith, education and service. Brother Bill embodied the Lasallian charism, placing the dignity of every young person at the heart of his work. His vocation was not simply a profession. It was a calling with humility and unwavering commitment. I had the privilege of knowing Brother Bill during his time as my headmaster of St Bede's College in Mentone. He was a truly remarkable man. Brother Bill was a man of deep integrity and quiet strength, and he enjoyed the profound respect of both students and staff. His leadership was marked by fairness, compassion and a genuine concern for the wellbeing of every boy in his care. Those of us who knew him saw firsthand the way he inspired excellence not only in academics and sport but most importantly in character. Brother Bill's passing is a great loss to the Lasallian family and to Catholic education in Australia, yet his legacy endures in the countless lives he shaped and the values he championed. I, and thousands of Australian men, am who I am today in large part due to the influence of Brother William Firman. Brother Bill impressed upon us the importance of our school motto, and it is something I continue to try and live my life by—'Per vias rectus', by right paths. On behalf of this house, I extend our deepest condolences to his fellow brothers, his family and the communities he served. May he rest in peace. Vale, Brother William Firman. I also want to acknowledge the passing of Ian Leavers APM. Ian was a frontline officer, a union leader and a steadfast advocate for the Queensland Police Service. His leadership was marked by conviction and an unshakeable commitment to those who wear our…
date: 2025-11-27T10:06:00+00:00

Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. BokaBites is a fish-and-chip shop in my electorate of Fisher. Since June this year, BokaBites has seen its power bills surge by 23...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. BokaBites is a fish-and-chip shop in my electorate of Fisher. Since June this year, BokaBites has seen its power bills surge by 23 per cent. The owner, Bec, has told me it's simply 'untenable' to run a business under these conditions. Minister, when will power prices come down?
date: 2025-11-25T14:43:00+00:00

Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: The decisions that the Attorney-General makes about parole are not administrative conveniences; they are moral and legal responsibilities that demand accountability. Ministerial accountability is...
encoded: The decisions that the Attorney-General makes about parole are not administrative conveniences; they are moral and legal responsibilities that demand accountability. Ministerial accountability is not a political inconvenience; it is a cornerstone of our democracy. It is how the public knows that, when something goes wrong, there is someone in government who is responsible and there is someone in government who should be accountable. These bills sever that link. The bills transfer responsibility from a minister accountable to the parliament to a statutory authority accountable to no-one but itself. That undermines confidence in both the system and the democratic principle that those who wield power must also bear its consequences. Federal offenders are not ordinary offenders; they include some of the most dangerous individuals in our country—terrorists, child sex offenders, people smugglers, cybercriminals, drug kingpins and foreign agents who seek to do us harm. These are offenders whose cases often involve classified intelligence, complex diplomatic implications and serious risks to national security. Such cases cannot and should not be determined by a board removed from the oversight of government. Only the Attorney-General, supported by the agencies of the Commonwealth, is equipped to consider all relevant factors, from intelligence assessments to foreign policy and even defence considerations. These bills strip all of that away. These bills hand that power to a board that, while it may be made up of experts, will never have the full picture, as the Commonwealth Attorney-General should. These bills also impose a significant financial cost on taxpayers for no appreciable benefit. The establishment of the Commonwealth Parole Board will cost taxpayers $28.3 million over the forward estimates and $7.3 million per year ongoing. That is $28 million to remove responsibility from the Attorney-General and give it to a new bureaucracy. It is $28 million to do something tha…
date: 2025-11-25T12:01:00+00:00

Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise to speak on the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 and the associated Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. These bills go to the heart of one...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 and the associated Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. These bills go to the heart of one of our most serious responsibilities as legislators and that is protecting the Australian people. They ask a simple but profound question: who should have the authority and the accountability for deciding when convicted criminals are released back into the community? The Albanese government's answer is to hand that responsibility to an unelected board of so-called independent experts. Our answer on this side of the House is clear: those decisions must remain the responsibility of the Attorney-General, an elected minister who is directly accountable to the Australian people. The coalition will oppose these bills because they weaken ministerial accountability, they increase risk to community safety and they create another costly and unnecessary bureaucracy. At present the Attorney-General is the decision-maker for parole in relation to federal offenders. That arrangement has served Australia well. It provides ministerial oversight, democratic accountability and clear responsibility for decisions that have life-and-death consequences for the Australian community. But now Labor wants to change that. This bill seeks to create a new statutory body, the Commonwealth Parole Board, which will take over those responsibilities from the Attorney-General. The government argues this change is necessary to depoliticise parole and to bring the Commonwealth into line with the states and territories, which already have their own independent parole boards. Let's be clear about what this bill really does. It removes accountability from an elected minister who answers to the public and gives it to a group of appointed officials who answer to no-one. That is not independence; that is avoidance. The Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 establishes an independent statutory authority called the Common…
date: 2025-11-25T12:01:00+00:00

Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Do we all remember when the Prime Minister promised $275 power cuts—on 97 occasions, no less! After three years of Labor, families and small businesses are being hit with some of the...
encoded: Do we all remember when the Prime Minister promised $275 power cuts—on 97 occasions, no less! After three years of Labor, families and small businesses are being hit with some of the highest electricity prices that we have ever seen. In Fisher, the stories are starting to pile up. Craig from Miles Plastics told me his bills have risen so sharply that he's had into increase prices just to stay afloat—all while struggling to find workers. Dave from BokaBites, just near my office, said his electricity tariff has jumped from 22c to more than 27c per kilowatt hour. That's a 20 per cent increase in just five months. And Howard, who runs a convenience store in Aroona, is paying 62 per cent more for power than he was a year ago. That is not sustainable for any business. This is the real cost of a Prime Minister who made a promise he never intended to keep and a part-time energy minister who's more focused on politics than policy. The coalition backs responsible emissions reduction, but we will never support a path to net zero that punishes families or shuts down local businesses. Our plan puts reliability, affordability and Australian jobs first.
date: 2025-11-24T13:57:00+00:00

Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise today to speak on the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025. The coalition will support this bill. Australia currently faces real, emerging and serious...
encoded: I rise today to speak on the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025. The coalition will support this bill. Australia currently faces real, emerging and serious threats to its national security. That fact was borne out in the recent despicable attacks on places linked to our Jewish community—the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne and the kosher Lewis' Continental Kitchen in Sydney. The director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO, recently attributed at least two of those attacks to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC. This parliament has separately taken action, long called for by the coalition, to address state sponsored terrorism targeted at Australia by the ability to list foreign state entities as state sponsors of terrorism, with associated criminal offences and penalties. The coalition understands and believes that, to meet these real and ongoing national security threats, intelligence and security agencies must have the powers and resources necessary to protect Australian citizens and our national interests. By way of overview, the national intelligence community comprises 10 agencies: the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the ACIC; the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, the AGO; the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, ASIS; the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO; the Australian Signals Directorate, ASD; the Defence Intelligence Organisation, DIO; the Office of National Intelligence, ONI; the Australian Federal Police; the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, AUSTRAC; and the Department of Home Affairs. Given the importance of our democracy, the parliament must ensure that we deliver these agencies with the right tools to protect Australia's essential security and national interests while also safeguarding our essential rights and freedoms. An important way in which to do so is to ensure that we have strong and eff…
date: 2025-11-24T12:28:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Report from Federation Chamber | Bills | House debates
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description: Yes, thanks, Mr Speaker. I just want to raise this to your attention, and this goes to the neutrality of the chair, which is a fundamental principle of this place. The member for Wentworth stood...
encoded: Yes, thanks, Mr Speaker. I just want to raise this to your attention, and this goes to the neutrality of the chair, which is a fundamental principle of this place. The member for Wentworth stood in her place trying to speak on the amendments moved by the member for Indi. Madam Deputy Speaker Claydon, who was in the chair at the time, did not give the member for Wentworth the call. The members on this side of the House were alerting the Deputy Speaker to the member for Wentworth being on her feet. This is not the first time this has happened, and I would ask that you inquire into the issue. Every single member in—
date: 2025-11-06T09:59:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Report from Federation Chamber | Bills | House debates
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description: I won't delay the House long. I just want to make it clear and make the point that this is why we tried to have the debate in the House the other day. Rather than going backwards and forwards...
encoded: I won't delay the House long. I just want to make it clear and make the point that this is why we tried to have the debate in the House the other day. Rather than going backwards and forwards between here and the Fed Chamber, these matters could have been dealt with in their entirety here. I won't take it any further—
date: 2025-11-06T09:47:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
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description: The Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills is reviewing the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill. My question to the minister is this: Will the minister commit to amending or...
encoded: The Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills is reviewing the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill. My question to the minister is this: Will the minister commit to amending or withdrawing the bill if the Senate committee finds that it undermines the public's right to know? The government must respect the findings of independent scrutiny. I urge the minister to act on the committee's recommendations. Finally, as I have previously indicated, this bill does not have a friend in the world apart from the Public Service. And, quite frankly, I would have thought that the Public Service would have welcomed the changes that the Attorney has finally made today around anonymity. But the amendment that the Attorney has moved today does not, in and of itself, correct a bill with all the many faults and problems that so many of my colleagues have spoken of for such a long period of time. This government is allergic to transparency. It continues day in, day out, particularly as we get closer to the Christmas break, to be jamming legislation through this place. Every Australian should be very concerned when they hear that their government is looking to create efficiencies in everyday Australians' access to information. Democracy is a very precarious thing but it is something that should be cherished, and I think is cherished—mostly—by 27 million Australians. But the downward slide in democracy can happen very easily. In the lead-up to the '22 election, this government prided itself on making it a fundamental election principle. 'Vote for us,' they said. 'We'll restore,' they said, 'integrity to the parliament. We'll restore integrity to government.' And what we have seen, particularly over the last four to six weeks, is this government continuing to ram legislation through this place. This bill should send a shock wave through the hearts of 27 million Australians. I have just spoken about a few of the stakeholders who have raised concerns about this bill—just a few. Th…
date: 2025-11-05T17:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
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description: The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has criticised the lack of consultation with media organisations. My question to the minister is this: What consultation was undertaken with media...
encoded: The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has criticised the lack of consultation with media organisations. My question to the minister is this: What consultation was undertaken with media organisations, civil society and legal experts before drafting these amendments? Transparency reforms must be developed transparently. I urge the minister to engage with stakeholders before legislating.
date: 2025-11-05T17:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
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description: Some lawyers have warned that the changes to the FOI Act could increase litigation and legal costs. My question to the minister is this: Does the minister acknowledge that these reforms could...
encoded: Some lawyers have warned that the changes to the FOI Act could increase litigation and legal costs. My question to the minister is this: Does the minister acknowledge that these reforms could lead to increased litigation and legal costs rather than reducing inefficiencies? This bill may create more problems than it solves. Has the minister performed a cost-benefit analysis of these reforms, and, if not, will she commit to doing so before proceeding with the bill?
date: 2025-11-05T17:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Schedule 5 alters review procedures, placing additional burdens on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. My question to the minister is this: has the government considered the...
encoded: Schedule 5 alters review procedures, placing additional burdens on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. My question to the minister is this: has the government considered the operational burden these changes will place on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner? This bill risks overwhelming the OAIC and delaying transparency and justice. I call on the minister to consult with the commissioner and revise these provisions.
date: 2025-11-05T17:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: The Centre for Public Integrity has warned that the new fee structure under schedule 6 could deter legitimate public interest inquiries. My question to the minister is this: what measures are in...
encoded: The Centre for Public Integrity has warned that the new fee structure under schedule 6 could deter legitimate public interest inquiries. My question to the minister is this: what measures are in place to ensure that the new fee structure does not become a barrier to legitimate public interest inquiries? This bill risks pricing out transparency. I call on the minister to exempt public interest requests from fees.
date: 2025-11-05T17:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Schedule 6 introduces application fees for FOI requests. The Australian Council of Social Service warns that this will disproportionately affect low-income Australians. My question to the...
encoded: Schedule 6 introduces application fees for FOI requests. The Australian Council of Social Service warns that this will disproportionately affect low-income Australians. My question to the minister is this: how will the introduction of application fees not disproportionately affect low-income Australians seeking information about their rights or entitlements? Attorney, access to information should not depend on one's ability to pay. I call on the Attorney to remove this financial barrier.
date: 2025-11-05T17:42:00+00:00