Helen Haines's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:03+00:00
items: Victoria: Bushfires | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
items: Victoria: Bushfires | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Business | House debates
items: Perth: Attack | Motions | 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; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Commonwealth Prac Payment | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Ethnic Religious Minorities | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women | Motions | House debates
items: Shanahan, Dr Lucie | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: g60.1
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

Victoria: Bushfires | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management. Bushfires are still burning in Victoria, and thus far over 75 per cent of homes lost and private land burnt is in my electorate of Indi....
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management. Bushfires are still burning in Victoria, and thus far over 75 per cent of homes lost and private land burnt is in my electorate of Indi. My electorate is grateful for the support provided by the government to date, but so much more is needed. Minister, what further support, beyond that already announced, can communities in my electorate expect from the Commonwealth?
date: 2026-02-05T14:14:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to support the member for Bradfield's amendments. These are good and sensible amendments. In my electorate of Indi and north-east Victoria we are lucky enough to have locally owned,...
encoded: I rise to support the member for Bradfield's amendments. These are good and sensible amendments. In my electorate of Indi and north-east Victoria we are lucky enough to have locally owned, locally loved and nationally renowned breweries no matter where you turn. In Beechworth, Bridge Road Brewers are celebrated for their Beechworth Pale Ale, a craft staple in pubs across the country. They're also a leader in the zero-alcohol market, with their popular Free Time pale ale now accompanied by a full range of alcohol-free stouts and hazy ales. Their raspberry sour was recently crowned Australia's best non-alcoholic beer. Bright Brewery, a little further into the mountains, certainly know how to put on a family friendly party. This terrific venue beside the Ovens River is the place to be, no matter whether it's the Bright Rod Run or the Brighter Days Festival. Back in the High Country we have Mountain Monk Brewers and Crank Handle Brewery in the upper Kiewa Valley in Mount Beauty, both popular destinations after a big day on the slopes in snow season. Mitta Mitta Brewing Company is a great stopover on your way to the High Country, while King River Brewing Co have an impressive range and hold their own against the famous wineries of the King Valley. In Wangaratta, Pedal Slowly are demonstrating that a regional microbrewery can achieve in a small place, while On Point Brewing in Alexandra is a must-visit for those travelling through Murrindindi shire as it recovers from devastating bushfires. Breweries aren't just a nice place to visit; they're vital supporters of local industries. When a local brewery thrives, it creates jobs, engages local agriculture and helps sustain the visitor economy. Local, independently owned breweries are strong contributors to the social and economic fabric of many regional communities, with the sector being worth more than $3.5 billion per year. Independent breweries reinvest profits in local wages, local suppliers and local infrastructure rathe…
date: 2026-02-04T09:53:00+00:00

Victoria: Bushfires | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I acknowledge the words of the Attorney-General. The Longwood fire in the south and the Walwa fire in the Upper Murray have burned through hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, national...
encoded: I acknowledge the words of the Attorney-General. The Longwood fire in the south and the Walwa fire in the Upper Murray have burned through hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, national park, private property and small rural towns. Earlier fires in December destroyed homes and agricultural land in places like Goomalibee and Markwood. The bushfire season is far from over. As I speak, emergency services personnel are still on the ground protecting lives and communities. On behalf of the people of Indi, I say thank you to each and every one of you. Bushfire disaster is something the people of Indi sadly know all too well. As I've travelled through affected towns in recent weeks, I've seen the same thing I always do: communities showing up for each other, town halls turned into relief centres, neighbours helping neighbours, people giving all that they can. But our resilience is not limitless. For many communities, this is the second or third catastrophic disaster in just a few years. What were once-in-a-century events are now happening once-in-a-decade, or even more often. This is the lived reality of my electorate. In Strathbogie Shire, 455 properties have been affected, with 115 homes destroyed or made uninhabitable; more than 13,500 hectares of pasture burned; 2,400 kilometres of fencing lost; and thousands of livestock killed. In Murrindindi Shire, a community still living with the trauma of Black Saturday, more than 190 homes have been lost—the highest number in the state. At the Yarck Town Hall, I met Sandy Keath. Her husband, Andrew—known as Spud—has worked relentlessly since the fire, facing the heartbreaking task of disposing of 300 sheep. Sandy told me that farmers like them are exhausted—but they keep going. They need mental health support that meets them where they are in ways that work for their lives. In the Towong Shire, farmers like David and Tara Brewer lost nearly a million dollars in fodder and infrastructure, along with years of regenerative…
date: 2026-02-03T16:07:00+00:00

Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Business | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to make a brief contribution on the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. I acknowledge the member for Moreton, who's given us such an elegant...
encoded: I rise to make a brief contribution on the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. I acknowledge the member for Moreton, who's given us such an elegant explanation of what this bill is about, what this bill aims to do and what I feel very confident this bill will achieve. I thank her for her acknowledgement of nurses right across Australia, many of whom are old former colleagues of mine, and I thank her for her very clear recognition and understanding of the work that nurses do. This bill amends the National Health Act 1953 and the Health Insurance Act 1973 to allow authorised registered nurses to prescribe medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In doing so, it adds the final piece to an important reform that's been under development for almost a decade. This isn't a flash in the pan. This isn't something that someone's just come up with. This has been a long time in development, and that's because it's important to get these things right. I highlight that this is about authorised registered nurses. This is about nurses who have undertaken significant further education and training to enable them to expand their scope of practice now to prescribe a formulary of medications. The introduction of registered nurse prescribing is the result of extensive coordination and collaboration between the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, the Australian and New Zealand Council of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers and the health ministers across all Australian jurisdictions. The member for Moreton laid out the extensive training that's required in order for authorised nurses to prescribe schedule 3 and 4 medications, and made it quite clear that this is part of a bigger suite of reforms to strengthen Medicare. I was involved many years ago, in Australia, in the very beginning of nurse practitioner education and training. It was part of my role, leading the educat…
date: 2026-02-03T19:20:00+00:00

Perth: Attack | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: I wish to thank the member for Curtin for bringing this important motion to the House and to Senator Thorpe for bringing the motion in the other place. I commend this motion, and I condemn the...
encoded: I wish to thank the member for Curtin for bringing this important motion to the House and to Senator Thorpe for bringing the motion in the other place. I commend this motion, and I condemn the attempted bombing attack on First Nations people on 26 January in Boorloo, Perth. This was a deliberate and terrifying act designed to murder innocent people—innocent, ordinary Australian people. And it is rightly being investigated as a potential act of terrorism. Every Australian should pause and sit with what could have happened when this homemade bomb was hurled into a peaceful rally. As a nation, we should be outraged. I'm outraged. Around 2,500 people had gathered peacefully for an Invasion Day rally. This is not a one-off event. This is an event that happens year after year. If that device had detonated, the consequences would have been catastrophic. We've heard from the member for Curtin and the member for Perth, representing those constituents who could relate so meaningfully what this could have meant in their communities. This could have meant that we saw a massacre of peaceful protesters on a day that is already one of deep mourning for many First Nations Australians. And make no mistake—this was an act of hate. This was an act with racist overtures. This was an attack on First Nations people, and therefore it was an attack on all Australians. An attack on peaceful process strikes at the very heart of our democracy. It's appalling, and I think that this House is right today to speak of what could have been the most dreadful atrocity but what was an absolute and appalling act of hate. The date of 26 January, for many First Nations people, is one that marks dispossession, one that marks loss and deep grief and one that marks injustice. We must be a nation that comes together, not a nation that seeks to tear each other apart. I acknowledge the profound harm this incident has caused, and I express solidarity with everyone impacted, particularly our First Nations brothe…
date: 2026-02-03T17:26:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak to the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. The horrific attack on Jewish people celebrating in peace on 14 December ignited...
encoded: I rise to speak to the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. The horrific attack on Jewish people celebrating in peace on 14 December ignited demands for strong and decisive action in response to this act of hate driven by violent extremism and carried out with firearms. There is much I wish to say about these reforms. While I welcome the government's decision to split the bills and allow each to be debated on its own merits, we have in fact been given very little time as a parliament to speak on them. There are deep concerns being flagged by constitutional experts, civil society, faith leaders and the public, not only about the substance of these reforms but about the process. In his submission on the bill, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism raises concerns that elements of the bill are inconsistent with Australia's international human rights obligations and, in relation to the rushed process, observes: It is the experience of the Special Rapporteur's mandate worldwide that hasty law-making is prone to lead to over-reach, unintended consequences, and violations of human rights law, which does not well serve the victims of terrorist attacks or protect society. There is widespread confusion and misinformation about what these reforms do and what they don't do. Rushing the legislative process only deepens that uncertainty. These reforms carry far-reaching consequences. As legislators, we must hold ourselves to the responsibility that poorly drafted or poorly examined laws may not actually make Australians safer. I welcome the increased penalties for threatening force or violence, which appropriately reflect the seriousness of these crimes. I also welcome the new aggravated offences for hate preaching and grooming, which recognise that hate crimes are especially abhorrent when they're committed from positions of trust and influence. …
date: 2026-01-20T12:07:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise in support of the member for Mackellar's very sensible amendments, notwithstanding what the Minister for Home Affairs has just said, because closing a knowledge and evidence gap in our...
encoded: I rise in support of the member for Mackellar's very sensible amendments, notwithstanding what the Minister for Home Affairs has just said, because closing a knowledge and evidence gap in our national gun laws is absolutely critical. The prevailing question from people in my electorate, in relation to killers such as those who perpetrated the horrors in Bondi, is: how can one of them have been a registered gun owner? It speaks to the critical elements in the legislation that I've just voted for, around bridging these evidence gaps, closing the problems that we have and assessing who is out there trying to get their hands on guns. These laws aren't about law-abiding gun owners, many of whom live in my electorate and many of whom have written to me about their concerns around these laws. These are people in my electorate who, indeed, are trying to manage pests on farms and national parks, who are tragically having to euthanise sheep and cattle, or who are sporting shooters. But the key point they make to me, which I have listened to so carefully, is that every gap that we possibly have that allows people with criminal intent to get their hands on guns must be closed. So I support legislation which does that. I support what the member for Mackellar is trying to do. I want to put on the record that the truncated debate that we have had this morning in regard to such important laws as these is really frustrating for us as legislators. As a member of parliament from a regional area who could not get on the speaking list, I welcome the opportunity to speak to the member for Mackellar's amendments, which I think are sensible ones. I welcome the government working on this council. I want to see that succeed, because ultimately I want guns in this country to be used for the purposes for which they are intended, with law-abiding citizens using them as a tool of trade or for sporting intent with complete safety. Question negatived. Bill agreed to.
date: 2026-01-20T11:10:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: On behalf of the people of Indi, I rise to offer my deepest condolences to families, friends, Jewish Australians and the community of Bondi, as we mourn the loss of 15 innocent lives at the...
encoded: On behalf of the people of Indi, I rise to offer my deepest condolences to families, friends, Jewish Australians and the community of Bondi, as we mourn the loss of 15 innocent lives at the Hanukkah celebration on 14 December. I acknowledge the victims-survivors, and the family and friends who have been in the parliament today. I have followed many condolences that have been made today. I particularly want to acknowledge the member for Wentworth, in whose electorate this act of terrorism took place and who stands steadfastly beside her shocked and grieving community. I want to acknowledge our Jewish parliamentarians: the member for Isaacs, the member for Macnamara, the member for Berowra and the member for Macarthur. Shalom. I want to acknowledge the member for Chifley and the member for Cowan, who have been such voices of peace in this parliament. The iconic beach of Bondi is a long way from the mountains and valleys and small towns of Indi. Bondi looks nothing like Barnawartha, Benalla, Boorhaman or Bright. But the 15 people so callously murdered that day are indeed just like every one of us—everyday people enjoying gathering together on a summer evening. In Indi, our links to Jewish Australians are strong. The very first member for Indi, Sir Isaac Isaacs—a storied Jewish Australian, an attorney-general and later a justice of the High Court and our first Australian born governor-general—was raised and educated in and worked in the towns of Yackandandah and Beechworth, and we are so proud of his legacy. In Bondi, anyone can throw down their towel and enjoy a refreshing dip. It's a place where children play, where families picnic and where tourists flock, and, just like on that tragic December day, it's a place where people gather to celebrate important events. On that night, Jewish Australians were doing just that, and it was because of their Jewishness that they were singled out. A day that should have been marked by joy in the Jewish calendar was instead marred b…
date: 2026-01-19T15:14:00+00:00

Commonwealth Prac Payment | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: On 1 July students in nursing, teaching and social work became eligible to be paid while undertaking mandatory placements as part of their studies. The Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme is a...
encoded: On 1 July students in nursing, teaching and social work became eligible to be paid while undertaking mandatory placements as part of their studies. The Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme is a critical step in reducing financial barriers to higher education, but nurses, teachers and social workers are not the only ones who complete placements. Students in medicine and allied health also complete hundreds and sometimes thousands hours of work—and it is work, especially in the final years of their studies. Students are like apprentices, practising the very skills they will soon use as healthcare professionals. While they are on placements, students can't do much—if any—paid work. Their income drops but they still have to pay for food, rent and other bills. In fact, they often have extra expenses related to their placements. For many students, it is absolutely unsustainable. That's why I secured an amendment to the legislation to make sure that when the scheme is reviewed the government must consider expanding it to other students. But a review in the future will not do anything to help students who are experiencing placement poverty right now. I am regularly contacted by allied health and medical students who are struggling to stay afloat because of placements. They tell me they are working all night on night shifts, borrowing money from friends and family, delaying subjects and making hard choices between their financial security and their future careers. Darcy O'Shannessy from Wangaratta in my electorate is going into his fourth year as a physiotherapy student. In 2026, Darcy will need to complete 25 weeks of full-time unpaid placement to finish his degree. We have a shortage of physiotherapists in regional Australia, so it is terrific that Darcy is so close to completing his studies. Next year will be great for Darcy's career but, by gee, it will be tough on his bank balance. He will have to give up his part-time job and will earn nothing for every week he is on place…
date: 2025-11-26T15:23:00+00:00

Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: It's on relevance. I appreciate the Prime Minister's response in regard to gender based violence, which I know we all care about and the Prime Minister deeply cares about, and the government is...
encoded: It's on relevance. I appreciate the Prime Minister's response in regard to gender based violence, which I know we all care about and the Prime Minister deeply cares about, and the government is doing a lot to respond. But the question went to the relationship between gambling advertising and gender based violence.
date: 2025-11-26T14:50:00+00:00

Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, 16 Days of Activism is a powerful and unified campaign to eliminate gender based violence. Family violence is three times more likely to...
encoded: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, 16 Days of Activism is a powerful and unified campaign to eliminate gender based violence. Family violence is three times more likely to occur in families where there is problem gambling. In 2024, the government's rapid review of evidence based approaches to prevent gender based violence backed up the Murphy report with a recommendation to restrict gambling advertising, leading to a total ban. Prime Minister, when will the government act to ban gambling advertising?
date: 2025-11-26T14:49:00+00:00

Ethnic Religious Minorities | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Is there a seconder for the motion?
encoded: Is there a seconder for the motion?
date: 2025-11-24T18:52:00+00:00

United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
encoded: The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
date: 2025-11-24T18:07:00+00:00

Shanahan, Dr Lucie | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Dr Lucie Shanahan. Lucie was a widely respected Indi healthcare executive, academic and public health leader, whose contribution to the wellbeing of...
encoded: I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Dr Lucie Shanahan. Lucie was a widely respected Indi healthcare executive, academic and public health leader, whose contribution to the wellbeing of communities across Albury-Wodonga and our wider region was both substantial and enduring. Across her distinguished career at Albury Wodonga Health, Dr Shanahan held several senior positions, including Executive Director of Public Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing and as Chief Allied Health Officer. In every role she brought integrity, clarity of purpose and a deep commitment to equitable access to high-quality care. I had the great privilege of working with Dr Shanahan around the huge challenges we face locally to address eating disorders. I saw firsthand her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, where, at a time of profound uncertainty, she provided measured judgements, strategic foresight and genuine compassion. Dr Shanahan wrote her doctoral thesis on adolescence and brain injury, reflecting her lifelong concern for vulnerable adolescents and their families. Her legacy endures in the public health strategies she shaped, the mental health services she strengthened and the allied health leadership she championed. To her partner, Mark; her mother, Ann; her brothers Matt and Tim; and all who mourn her passing, I offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences. Vale, Dr Lucy Shanahan.
date: 2025-11-24T16:03:00+00:00

Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise today to oppose the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025. First introduced by the member for New England in his individual capacity, this is now the official stance of the coalition. This bill would...
encoded: I rise today to oppose the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025. First introduced by the member for New England in his individual capacity, this is now the official stance of the coalition. This bill would unravel Australia's emissions reduction framework without putting anything else in place. It would close the Net Zero Economy Authority, which supports the workforce transition across regional Australia. It would repeal vehicle efficiency standards that drive down fuel costs. Turning away from renewables would jeopardise almost $10 billion in direct payments to farmers and landholders by 2050. It would rob regional communities and councils of another $1.9 billion in community benefit-sharing programs. It would threaten the thousands of jobs expected to be created in the next five years. There is no alternative proposal nor positive vision for the future—just repeal, rescind and omit. This bill is a missed opportunity to make sure Australia's path to net zero delivers substantial, tangible and lasting benefit to regional and rural communities such as those that I represent. I support the transition to a net zero economy, but not blindly. It must be done with regional and rural development front of mind. That's why, when I identified serious deficiencies in the community engagement on renewable infrastructure projects, I didn't just stand on the sidelines. I went to the government and I worked with the minister to secure the Dyer review, which is helping shape best practice and will ultimately lead to community benefit. In Indi and across regional Australia, people are ready to share in the benefits of the energy transition. These are communities who want fair warning, fair process and fair intergenerational community benefit. Their demands for meaningful engagement should not be contorted into blanket opposition, because there is support. Recent polling shows strong support for the transition to renewable energy across regional Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, includ…
date: 2025-11-24T10:23:00+00:00

g60.1
type: item
title: Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
description: by leave, I move amendments (1) to (19), as circulated in my name, together: (1) Schedule 1, item 168, page 69 (line 12) to page 70 (line 22), omit the item. (2) Schedule 1, item 194, page 85...
encoded: by leave, I move amendments (1) to (19), as circulated in my name, together: (1) Schedule 1, item 168, page 69 (line 12) to page 70 (line 22), omit the item. (2) Schedule 1, item 194, page 85 (line 10), at the end of subsection 87(5), add: ; and (c) the national environmental standards dealing with community engagement and consultation, First Nations Peoples and community consultation and environmental impact assessment have been complied with as relevant. (3) Schedule 1, item 320, page 158 (lines 17 and 18), omit "30 business days", substitute "60 business days". (4) Schedule 1, item 323, page 161 (line 18), at the end of subsection 177AD(2), add: ; (g) high value agricultural land; (h) drinking water catchment areas. (5) Schedule 1, item 323, page 165 (after line 22), after paragraph 177AL(1)(a), insert: (aa) a copy of the bioregional plan strategic assessment report prepared in accordance with subsection (1A); and (6) Schedule 1, item 323, page 165 (line 25), omit "30 business days", substitute "60 business days". (7) Schedule 1, item 323, page 165 (after line 25), after subsection 177AL(1), insert: (1A) Before the Minister publishes a draft bioregional plan under subsection (1), the Minister must prepare a bioregional plan strategic assessment report that identifies the conservation and recovery priorities for the bioregion and considers the cumulative impacts of any proposed activities under the bioregional plan, and meets the requirements prescribed in the regulations. (8) Schedule 1, item 323, page 169 (line 8), at the end of section 177AP, add: ; (g) that the bioregional plan does not compromise high value agricultural land or drinking water catchments. (9) Schedule 1, item 323, page 175 (lines 7 and 8), omit "30 business days", substitute "60 business days". (10) Schedule 1, item 323, page 182 (line 24), omit "30 business days", substitute "60 business days". (11) Schedule 1, item 323, page 182 (line 31), omit "30 business days", substitute "60 business day…
date: 2025-11-06T12:34:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Report from Federation Chamber | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: To assist the House, I thought it would be useful to give some explanation, given that these amendments were debated last night in the Federation Chamber and there may be many members who didn't...
encoded: To assist the House, I thought it would be useful to give some explanation, given that these amendments were debated last night in the Federation Chamber and there may be many members who didn't have a chance to hear that debate. In a bill full of antidemocratic reforms that will worsen transparency and accountability, these amendments are particularly important because they go to the question of the expansion of cabinet exemptions. Under the bill that is before us, the test of exemptions is elastic and will be stretched in practice, meaning the public's right to access government information can be determined by whether the public servant thinks it would involve an exempt document. While you can appeal, many people will simply give up on that. It's already incredibly difficult under the current FOI Act to access documents that have gone anywhere near the cabinet room, and years of litigation have established a very high threshold for the disclosure of documents involved in the cabinet process. I fully respect and support the principle of cabinet solidarity. There must be rigorous and appropriate protections for cabinet confidentiality where it's needed, but, under this bill, anything considered or even simply noted in the cabinet process will be exempt, rather than the previous definition, which referred specifically to deliberation and decision-making. I'm also extremely concerned that the previous 'dominant purpose' test will be replaced by a 'substantive purpose' test, increasing the threshold even higher. Under these proposals, a document could be exempt simply because it helped to inform the minister in relation to an issue the cabinet will consider. I believe, and I think many people do—civil society organisations from right across the nation say that this is a long bow, way too long. This is a serious extension of what is considered cabinet confidentiality. My amendments seek to remedy that issue, and I really ask members of the House to think very carefully…
date: 2025-11-06T09:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise in support of the Attorney-General's amendments. I think these are sensible amendments. I recognise that we had a conversation in her office some time ago which included a conversation...
encoded: I rise in support of the Attorney-General's amendments. I think these are sensible amendments. I recognise that we had a conversation in her office some time ago which included a conversation about such measures to improve the bill. I thank the Attorney-General for bringing these changes to the chamber. Question agreed to.
date: 2025-11-05T17:28:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the Attorney-General for her response. I feel, though, that I need to ask the Attorney-General to respond in particular to the Law Council opinion on cabinet exemptions and the explicit...
encoded: I thank the Attorney-General for her response. I feel, though, that I need to ask the Attorney-General to respond in particular to the Law Council opinion on cabinet exemptions and the explicit advice that they've given in regard to the robodebt royal commissioner's recommendation. I don't feel that the Attorney has addressed that and I have real concerns about that, so I'd ask, respectfully, that the Attorney address that particular concern with this bill.
date: 2025-11-05T16:35:00+00:00

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: by leave—I move amendments (3) and (4) as circulated in my name together: (3) Schedule 7, Part 1, page 59 (line 2) to page 60 (line 9), omit the Part. (4) Schedule 7, Part 2, page 61 (line...
encoded: by leave—I move amendments (3) and (4) as circulated in my name together: (3) Schedule 7, Part 1, page 59 (line 2) to page 60 (line 9), omit the Part. (4) Schedule 7, Part 2, page 61 (line 1) to page 63 (line 8), omit the Part. In a bill full of antidemocratic reforms that will worsen transparency and accountability in our government, the amendments proposed in schedule 7 are perhaps the most egregious changes proposed. The amendments I'm moving today seek to repeal both the changes to cabinet exemptions as well as new powers to refuse FOI requests without even consulting the relevant documents. First, on the summary refusal of request. This part of schedule 7 would enable decision-makers to refuse a request when 'it would clearly be exempt' under the relevant section of the act. This means that a decision-maker can refuse a request without ever checking whether it is actually an exempt document. Simply believing it would be exempt will be enough to refuse a request. I'll say that again, just to make sure everyone has got this straight: you're right to access government information can be determined by whether the public servant thinks it would involve an exempt document. That doesn't pass anybody's pub test. It's lazy, at best. The test of 'clearly exempt' is elastic and it will be stretched in practice. That is not a fair contest, and it will discourage legitimate scrutiny. It will result in worse outcomes. Now while you can appeal, most people will simply give up. It's just another way that freedom of information will be harder to access. Second, on cabinet exemptions. It's already incredibly difficult under the current FOI Act to access documents that have gone anywhere near the cabinet room. Years of litigation have established a very high threshold for the disclosure of documents involved in the cabinet process. Now, I fully support the principle of cabinet solidarity, and I agree there must be rigorous and appropriate protections for cabinet confidentiality w…
date: 2025-11-05T16:15:00+00:00