Matt Gregg's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:04+00:00
items: Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Tertiary Education and Training | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Commonwealth Prac Payment | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Deakin Shield Awards | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Small Business | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Social Cohesion | Adjournment | House debates
items: Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates

Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak about what I agree to be an incredibly important topic. We are, at the end of the day, talking about individual rights—the right of an individual to benefit from the product...
encoded: I rise to speak about what I agree to be an incredibly important topic. We are, at the end of the day, talking about individual rights—the right of an individual to benefit from the product of their own labour, their original expression of an idea. Copyright has an important role, but there is just so much material that copyright technically covers now. We're producing images, expressing our thoughts and sharing our ideas at a pace unbelievable to those who were alive even only 30 years ago. The world we live in, in this space, has completely changed, and the laws have to adapt with them. We have images that are shared, cropped, shared again and moved between accounts. There is no way we can possibly source the original author. Sometimes, as we now see overseas, the original author wishes to express an idea—share an image that captures a moment in time—but it's not safe for them to share who they are because of the situation in which they find themselves. Nevertheless, they do so not to create a piece of intellectual property or to assert any kind of legal right but as part of communication and to share that idea—to share what's happening to their fellow human being. But copyright does cover all of those original expressions. Therefore, the scope of these laws is very, very real. We've got to make sure that the individual property rights of those who come up with ideas are appropriately protected at the same time as we as a community are able to benefit from what are sometimes really important expressions of ideas. Those of us who learned history, whether at school or at university, will think back to specific moments in time like the Great Depression and the Vietnam War, and many of us will have the same images in our head that encapsulate those times. Important pieces of copyright material really aid and assist a full understanding of what's gone on in that period of time. But it's not always possible to find out who wrote it. This requires and clearly defines wha…
date: 2026-02-03T17:25:00+00:00

Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: This afternoon, we have outrage unencumbered by self-awareness. The assistant minister asked earlier why the member for Hume wasn't in the chamber before. I think I can guess: it may have...
encoded: This afternoon, we have outrage unencumbered by self-awareness. The assistant minister asked earlier why the member for Hume wasn't in the chamber before. I think I can guess: it may have something to do with the fact that he, as the shadow Treasurer at the last election, proposed a budget that would have had a $7.9 billion deterioration in the first two financial years of a hypothetical Dutton government. When they wave the finger at big spending, they forget the fact that they were kind of for it only a few months ago. This isn't ancient history, and we're not going back to 2022 or 1981; this is recent history. They did not propose responsible spending measures. Now we have yet another misdiagnosis of economic reality. Today is a tough day for mortgage holders; we shouldn't walk away from that. There are many people in my electorate, often described as part of the mortgage belt, for whom today is going to be a really difficult day—another weight on the shoulder. When something that serious happens, we have to take the issue seriously, which means we have to look at the driving factors that have led to it. The RBA says it's largely from the private sector this time—and that's not about a blame game or saying, 'The private sector has done the wrong thing'; it means we have to dig a little deeper. What are the issues? One of them is that our demand is starting to be too high relative to our productive capacity. Where do we go from there? The Albanese Labor government has been investing in the productive capacity of our economy, skilling up our workforce with free TAFE and working to cut red tape. Since the productivity roundtable last year, we've seen a number of measures begin looking at simplifying government processes, ensuring that pieces of information don't have to be inputted more than once—time-wasting silly forms and things like that. They have been a focus of our government because we know that in order to support our industry, to support our economy to get…
date: 2026-02-03T16:20:00+00:00

Tertiary Education and Training | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government's policy of free TAFE supporting Australians to get the skills they want and need, and are there any...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government's policy of free TAFE supporting Australians to get the skills they want and need, and are there any threats to the future of free TAFE?
date: 2026-02-03T15:27:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I commend the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026 to the House, knowing that we could and should have done more as an institution. We had the...
encoded: I commend the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026 to the House, knowing that we could and should have done more as an institution. We had the opportunity to stand up to hate speech and vilification, and we fell short. Sadly, the political reality of this parliament means that we couldn't get done everything we thought we needed to; however, this is an important step. It should be uncontroversial that hate groups should not be given the capacity to spread that vile hate across our community and to undermine social cohesion in some of the most heinous of ways. It should be uncontroversial that people in positions of power should be prevented from spreading that hate to vulnerable young people and using their positions to inflict the worst of pain on fellow members of our community. It should be uncontroversial that people who come into Australia as guests be expected to conduct themselves in a way that does not undermine social cohesion or act as a direct attack on our nation's values. We need to ensure that we are addressing opportunities and loopholes that exist in the current law and that have enabled organisations that have preached hate for a very long time to fall just under the criminal thresholds. It's time that we stand up as a parliament and address these obvious evils in our society. These are sensible reforms. I appreciate that these have happened at a greater pace than some are used to, but there has been sufficient time to get across the detail. We do not have a lawyer shortage in this building. We do not have a shortage of people who can understand and comprehend legislation. For those who needed support, there are plenty of people around who can explain things. I get that it's complicated, but, now that we're facing two bills that are less complicated, there really is no reason for us not to pass these important reforms. When we are talking about rights, yes, there is often a balancing act. Hate speech wi…
date: 2026-01-20T12:11:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: I rise this evening to share my grief and shock and that of my community in Deakin at the horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December. Fifteen lives so cruelly and hatefully...
encoded: I rise this evening to share my grief and shock and that of my community in Deakin at the horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December. Fifteen lives so cruelly and hatefully ended—15 innocent people who should still be with their friends and family; 15 people who should have been able to practise their faith openly and with pride, not fear. The violent hatred unleashed on 14 December will forever leave its mark on the victims' families and communities. I extend my solidarity and support to Jewish Australians, and I've received countless calls and emails from members of my community who feel just as strongly—shocked, angry and wanting to see change happen, and I share that sentiment. Of course, the impact of this horrific terrorist attack has reached every corner of this country. It has touched everyone who feels more hesitant about openly practising their faith, going to places of worship or even going to public spaces. It has touched everyone who walks down the street and feels like a stranger in their own community, avoiding eye contact and keeping to themselves where previously they greeted others with a smile. The evil of terrorism cuts lives short. It leaves the lives that remain strained, and the bonds that bind us together stretched to their limit and threatening to break. It can push us to retreat from one another—to close ourselves off from our fellow Australians. Terrorism challenges our belief in the fundamental goodness of humanity, a belief that underpins our ability to live our lives freely and with security. But I believe these bonds ultimately won't break. I believe that our desire to help each other, to be there for each other, is stronger than the fear that those two hateful antisemites poured into our country on 14 December. We've already seen this in the emergency service workers and volunteers all around the country fighting floods, weeks after volunteers on the beach in Bondi did everything they could to save lives in an extraordi…
date: 2026-01-19T16:56:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: In every corner of the country, pubs, clubs and the people who power them have held communities together through tough times, and now we are backing them with targeted, responsible relief through...
encoded: In every corner of the country, pubs, clubs and the people who power them have held communities together through tough times, and now we are backing them with targeted, responsible relief through a two-year pause on the indexation of the draught beer excise and the equivalent customs duty commencing on 1 August 2025. This will benefit around 10,000 small venues—pubs, clubs, bars and taverns. All will benefit from this. Seventy-five per cent of these are small family businesses employing local people. This two-year pause to the increasing costs will help keep the operating costs of these venue stable and gives small venues the certainty they need to plan, to retain staff and to reinvest in the futures of their businesses, perhaps taking advantage of the instant asset write-off from this government. To be clear, this applies only to draught beer served from an eight-to-48-litre container, or, for the larger venues, those 48-plus-litre kegs. It's not for bottles, cans or spirits. It's not the lion's share of alcohol that's consumed, which is consumed in homes, not in licensed venues where you have responsible service of alcohol and a supportive environment for people. This means that we ensure the support goes to the venues, those community hubs. It helps to stabilise the tax component of the price of a pint, reducing the pressure on venue operators and customers alike. It offers breathing space after years of economic strain, pandemic impacts, the loss of customers, supply shocks and some rising input costs. It's a practical, temporary relief measure that will not in any way fuel inflation, because it's not adding any more money to the economy; it will simply put a pause on what would otherwise be a mechanical price increase. That ability to plan ahead is so important for the 160,000-plus workers who are employed in this industry. For many of us, one of our first jobs was working in hospitality, in many of the small towns. Whether it's the Criterion Hotel in the seat …
date: 2025-11-27T11:00:00+00:00

Commonwealth Prac Payment | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: I would also like to extend my thanks to the member for Indi for raising this very important topic, which relates to paid practicums. I remember, about 12 years ago now, being a student teacher...
encoded: I would also like to extend my thanks to the member for Indi for raising this very important topic, which relates to paid practicums. I remember, about 12 years ago now, being a student teacher and living in a caravan in Dimboola while completing a regional placement. It is a hard slog trying to juggle the cost of living, which for many students is a week-by-week proposition, and the significant expense of trying to make it through a placement without incurring unimaginable debt. That's why I'm so proud that, for the first time in its history, the Australian government has stepped up and taken decisive action in response to practicum poverty, which does occur. For the first time, we're seeing over $330 a week paid to students in teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work. It is just the start of this mission. It reflects the Australian Universities Accord's final report, which indicated an initial introduction where government funds the payments to particular course areas but which also indicated that we need to consider placement poverty across other areas as well, including allied health. And there is certainly more consideration to be given to how we support those students as they complete their sometimes far lengthier placements. For this model, the Commonwealth has stepped up and used Commonwealth funds to pay the cost of the initiative. I think it's an incredibly important part of the government's work in supporting young people on their education journey—which is work that begins from child care, which is full and fair funding for our public schools, which is free TAFE, which is increased support for our university sector and which is a clear set of policies to support the future of higher education moving forward. It's incredibly common for students to be living week by week and covering the rent at home while they're on a placement—particularly if the placement happens to be far from where they live. I've met a number of students who have gone through tha…
date: 2025-11-26T16:11:00+00:00

Deakin Shield Awards | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: As a former school teacher, I know just how far a little recognition can go. When we celebrate a young person, we build confidence, spark ambition and strengthen character. That is what the...
encoded: As a former school teacher, I know just how far a little recognition can go. When we celebrate a young person, we build confidence, spark ambition and strengthen character. That is what the Deakin Shield awards are all about. Each year, every primary and secondary school in Deakin is given the opportunity to choose students whose achievements truly stand out. This is a special occasion every year to highlight the efforts of our young people and remind them that their community sees and values their hard work. What makes the Deakin Shield so special is that each school decides what the award should honour. Every school community has its own culture, values and priorities and its own goals for its students. This makes sure that every award is grounded in real experiences, real challenges and real triumphs. The Deakin Shield, part of a long and proud bipartisan tradition in Deakin stretching back more than a decade, also reflects something bigger: a belief that every young person deserves a fair chance to succeed. I'll take this opportunity again to say how proud I am to be part of a government that has put every public school on the path to full and fair funding. People in my community know that good outcomes and great education don't come about without the right investment. If we want students to achieve extraordinary things, we must give them the resources and opportunities that they need to do so. The Deakin Shield and our commitment to full and fair funding send a clear message that we believe in our schools, our teachers and our students. We want every young person to have the chance to thrive and to pursue great opportunities, and we're backing them to make it happen. I'm proud to play my small part in celebrating the achievements of so many people in our community. I'm sorry to miss a few presentations this week while I'm obviously here in Canberra, but I say to every award recipient: congratulations. You've made your families, your teachers and your school com…
date: 2025-11-25T16:52:00+00:00

Small Business | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: We can all agree that small business needs all the support that we can provide, and I'm so proud to be part of a government that is dedicated to improving the operating environment for small...
encoded: We can all agree that small business needs all the support that we can provide, and I'm so proud to be part of a government that is dedicated to improving the operating environment for small business. I hope, taking the coalition at its word, that it's about supporting small business—that it will take a break from self-destruction and self-congratulation and be banging on the door of the minister for the environment in the hope of securing an EPBC Act reform that fulfils all of the needs of small business. And I hope that all of the benefits to small business are realised by the proper negotiation of that legislation. We've seen a lot of political theatre and a lot of performance, but, if you really meant what you said about helping small business, you would be doing everything you could to ensure the passage of that bill in the interests of small businesses around Australia. Getting rid of red tape is certainly part of the mission in assisting small business, and that's why we're looking at about 400 different regulatory reforms proposed by regulators after the economic roundtable. We've got exciting innovations that will be coming in to support small business over the next few years. This is all part of the National Small Business Strategy that was released by the minister earlier this year. We have the momentum in government and in our agencies, and in working with other levels of government, to ensure that compliance is no more complicated than it has to be, that regulations are simplified, that we're not having duplication in processes and that we are being as fair, effective and efficient as possible when it comes to the regulation of businesses, because we know that regulation and red tape are holding back both small and large businesses. The focus of this government is on ensuring that we're dealing with regulatory reform in a way that makes things easier, that the reform is facilitative and that we are able to untap the potential of our economy—and that foc…
date: 2025-11-24T11:05:00+00:00

Social Cohesion | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: This afternoon, we witnessed a stunt in the Senate that did nothing to advance policy and everything to inflame division. Senator Hanson chose to repeat her 2017 theatrics by entering the Senate...
encoded: This afternoon, we witnessed a stunt in the Senate that did nothing to advance policy and everything to inflame division. Senator Hanson chose to repeat her 2017 theatrics by entering the Senate in a burqa and demanding a ban, without a moment's regard for the people who will feel the consequences of that performance most acutely. This was not an act of leadership; it was not an act of concern for public safety. It was a calculated spectacle that was designed for attention rather than for the Australian people. Let us be honest about the repercussions of such behaviour. A stunt like this does not merely provoke commentary within these walls. It reverberates across the nation. It licenses ignorance. It emboldens hostility. It hands a megaphone to those who thrive on suspicion, division and hatred. There are women in this country, and in my community, who already steel themselves before stepping onto a bus, into a shopping centre or down a street where they had previously been mocked or questioned. There are women who navigate their daily lives with a heightened awareness of how their clothing, their faith or simply their appearance might be judged. For those women, today's spectacle was not a curiosity. It was a reminder. It was a reminder of every sideways glance, every muttered comment and every moment when their belonging was made to feel conditional. When a parliamentary chamber becomes a platform for theatrics that caricature their identities, it sends a message far beyond Parliament House. It tells them that their safety, their dignity and their freedom can be traded away for a headline. It tells them that their lived experiences, their anxieties, their hopes for their children and their sense of place in this country are secondary to someone else's political pointscoring. The reality is that this kind of performance does not spark debate. It heightens the risk that ordinary women—our neighbours, our colleagues and our fellow citizens—will face harassment, host…
date: 2025-11-24T19:35:00+00:00

Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Australia faces an increasingly complex and challenging security environment. Both state and nonstate actors have shown increasing sophistication in the way they try to advance sometimes...
encoded: Australia faces an increasingly complex and challenging security environment. Both state and nonstate actors have shown increasing sophistication in the way they try to advance sometimes nefarious causes. We need a strong and robust intelligence framework, and our national intelligence community delivers that. There is no doubt our security agencies do a fantastic job of keeping Australians, individuals, businesses and communities safe. But we live in a democracy, so we need to make sure that, as with all government organisations, there is robust oversight and accountability and that our democratic system remains at the apex of our system. This bill, the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025, ensures two layers of protection. We have the expert oversight of the inspector-general as well as the democratic oversight of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The joint committee is a very special part of our democratic system. It is a committee that has historically sat, and continues to sit, above partisan lines, where there is a genuine commitment from people all across the political spectrum to ensuring the safety and security of Australians, and good faith efforts to ensure that is the focus of that committee. It is well placed to provide that democratic oversight in a way that balances the need to ensure secrecy where required and subtlety when that's sufficient, and ensure there is nevertheless still robust oversight of the use of what are extraordinary powers of our intelligence organisations. The member for Sturt gave the example of the compulsive powers of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. That is one example of exceptional powers given to our intelligence organisations to enable them to do their jobs. But, for public trust and confidence to be safeguarded, we need to ensure that there is oversight and that members of the public can be confident those exceptional powers continue to be us…
date: 2025-11-24T13:05:00+00:00

Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges that on 1 November, bulk billing incentives were expanded to all Australians, and a new incentive payment began for practices that bulk bill every...
encoded: I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges that on 1 November, bulk billing incentives were expanded to all Australians, and a new incentive payment began for practices that bulk bill every patient; and (2) notes: (a) that these policies will mean: (i) nine out of ten general practitioner (GP) visits will be bulk billed by 2030; and (ii) the current number of fully bulk billed practices will triple to around 4,800 nationally; (b) other policies the Government has delivered to strengthen Medicare, such as: (i) opening 90 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia, with 47 more on the way; (ii) tripling the bulk billing incentive; (iii) opening 61 free Medicare Mental Health Centres; (iv) lowering the maximum cost of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listed medicines to $25 from 1 January 2026 and freezing the concession price at $7.70 until 2030; and (v) boosting funding for hospitals by $1.7 billion; and (c) that while the Government is expanding access to bulk billing, by contrast, the Leader of the Opposition as the Minister for Health: (i) never increased Medicare rebates, the only health minister in Australian history not to do so; (ii) doubled down on the then Government's $50 billion cut to hospitals; and (iii) continued the fight for the former Leader of the Opposition's GP tax. Over the weekend, I met Dr Sara Razaghi, a GP at the Forest Hill Medical & Dental Centre. This is one of the practices that has become 100 per cent bulk-billed thanks to the Albanese Labor government expanding bulk-billing incentives to all Australians, the single largest investment in Medicare since Labor created it over 40 years ago. Sara told me this change means that she can focus on her patients and their needs without worrying about how many people she can feasibly bulk-bill. She could see in her patients that a gap fee wasn't sustainable for them, so she did what she could to support her patients and bulk-billed as often as she could, often at her own financial detriment. Now th…
date: 2025-11-03T17:25:00+00:00

Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: That line worked for three years.
encoded: That line worked for three years.
date: 2025-10-30T15:42:00+00:00

Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Nine years.
encoded: Nine years.
date: 2025-10-30T15:42:00+00:00

Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Well, we have turned the inflation we inherited around. Now, we find ourselves in a position where our economic management is being compared with that of a government that, for nine years in a...
encoded: Well, we have turned the inflation we inherited around. Now, we find ourselves in a position where our economic management is being compared with that of a government that, for nine years in a row—and after entering office with an action contract promising to 'end the waste'—brought in probably every rort in existence: sports rorts, car park rorts and every other form of rort you could possibly imagine. The colour spreadsheets were active! They were overspenders. They never delivered a surplus. They showed that all their rhetoric about being responsible was just 'reduce, reuse, recycle' from the Howard years. They continue to lack credibility when it comes to jobs. We have seen 1.5 million additional jobs created in the economy since the Albanese government was elected. We've got one of the lowest unemployment rates for a new government in over half a century. We have an incredibly good record on jobs. We have an incredibly good record on real wage increases. It is not a deliberate design feature of our economic architecture to suppress wages. We want wages to grow. We want living to improve in our country, and we want to make sure we are readying ourselves for the future. We're going to have a 21st century energy grid that will power a 21st century economy. This means that young people can enter the future with a confidence they simply could not have under the coalition government. The coalition party room is where hope and common sense go to die. I'm so glad to be part of a government that is actually delivering the policy settings we need for the future Australians deserve. That is across policy areas. As we've said, people are doing it tough right now. We take that incredibly seriously. The job is not done yet, but you can tell that this government is committed to making life in this country better. We will do what we need to do to support Australian workers, Australian businesses and Australian industries. It is important for the future of the country that they…
date: 2025-10-30T15:37:00+00:00

Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: I see the coalition remained unencumbered by self-awareness as they provided that lecture on the running of the economy! They raised a number of topics in their MPI, including tax returns, from...
encoded: I see the coalition remained unencumbered by self-awareness as they provided that lecture on the running of the economy! They raised a number of topics in their MPI, including tax returns, from the party that proposed increased taxes at the last election; higher spending; higher debt; higher deficit—well done, coalition; and electricity bills, from the party that caused policy paralysis for nine years and continue to eat themselves over the very topic. The reason we have higher-than-desirable electricity bills is years of policy failure to ensure that the supply of electricity meets demand. It's a simple supply-and-demand problem. But, instead of having a coherent, consistent set of policies, we find a chopping and changing of 20 different policies over a relatively short period of time. They talk about business. How on Earth can business invest in the clean energy future if there is no policy certainty? It is the worst possible thing you could do, no matter what direction you're in, to ensure there is investment in energy. They held up coal. They even wore coal as make-up in one case, but they didn't actually make any new coal-fired power plants. They didn't increase the supply of electricity. There were three gigawatts less of coal-fired power when they left than when they went into office. So, even as coal lovers, they were terrible at their job. Now, we find ourselves in a situation where we need to rapidly deploy technologies to ensure an electricity supply that is sufficient in amount, that is low enough in cost and that we can rely on going into the future. So, instead of finding the policy that says 'renewables only'—they forget about the fact that we've got batteries that pump hydro and that are backed by gas. They go to war on a policy that doesn't exist, and then they promote a policy of their own that also doesn't exist. We had an announcement of nuclear last night, but we don't know if net zero is there, because we're waiting for Matthew Canavan's no do…
date: 2025-10-30T15:37:00+00:00

Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister for Education. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help Australians with a student debt and build a better and fairer education system?
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Education. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help Australians with a student debt and build a better and fairer education system?
date: 2025-10-30T14:40:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I should know better than to listen to the member for Gippsland. I have to admit, I'm new to this place and I occasionally make the mistake of listening to members of the coalition. I mistake...
encoded: I should know better than to listen to the member for Gippsland. I have to admit, I'm new to this place and I occasionally make the mistake of listening to members of the coalition. I mistake them for individuals who have credibility and make worthwhile contributions to debate. This particular bill is a perfect example of one where the coalition have absolutely nothing to contribute to the debate. They have an atrocious record on superannuation. They see it as a lucky dip for their own policymaking rather than as an essential part of the retirement framework of this country. The reality is: if we want the next generation to have a proper dignified retirement, we need to deal with housing, protect super and make sure that our institutions remain as strong and trustworthy as ever before. This is one of the great legacies of the Labor Party. Superannuation for workers finally gave the working people of Australia their fair share of the nation's wealth. Anything designed to undermine that or to use it as a simple slush fund for taking over the consequences of coalition policy over a long time is completely unforgivable. We need to make sure that trust and confidence in the system can be preserved, and we need to get on with dealing with the fact that millions and millions of dollars have been shafted from workers over a long period of time. I will not stand here and allow any suggestion that there is anything insidious about the idea that the workers in Deakin or anywhere in Australia, and their millions of dollars in savings—it is billions if you take it to the total for Australia, $5.7 billion. The idea of trying to ensure that that shafting doesn't happen anymore should be a completely uncontroversial proposition. But, again, we have a little bit of the usual squabble and nuttiness that we have in this House. In terms of the enforcement of these things, we need to make sure that, when superannuation is not paid, the compound interest that could otherwise have been ea…
date: 2025-10-30T10:16:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: It is the ultimate—
encoded: It is the ultimate—
date: 2025-10-30T10:16:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: The amount of unpaid super owed to workers in my electorate of Deakin was $31.4 million, according to analysis by the Super Members Council in 2022-23. The analysis also highlighted that that's...
encoded: The amount of unpaid super owed to workers in my electorate of Deakin was $31.4 million, according to analysis by the Super Members Council in 2022-23. The analysis also highlighted that that's $1.4 billion of lost super for workers in my home state of Victoria and a whopping $5.7 billion for workers across Australia. We're talking about a lot of money earned by workers owed to workers; it's not sitting in their superannuation accounts. It is an unacceptable and unsustainable situation. This is a problem we've known about for a long time. There has been report after report, including the 2020 review into retirement savings initiated by the coalition, and likewise. This is a well-known problem. The risks are increased when we're talking about small businesses with low turnover approaching insolvency and workers who are young and vulnerable, and we've seen the consequences play out in a very real way. Not only do we not have the wonderful magic of compound interest playing; we also have a significant loss of insurance coverage, which we've seen many cases of—for example, people not having the permanent disability or income protection insurance that they would ordinarily have, because contributions that were lawfully required to be made weren't paid. We've also seen situations where a person who may be eligible to withdraw their superannuation on compassionate grounds, such as upon the death of a spouse or dependent, have not been able to access super, because, once again, the money simply hasn't been put into the account. This isn't money that is given as a gift to workers; this is money earned, owed and part of their remuneration—and, unfortunately, on a mass scale, hasn't been received. These are debts that need to be claimed in a better, more efficient and effective way, and this bill provides that means. This bill is the commonsense approach. When I talk to people in my electorate, they wonder why the it hasn't already happened and why it isn't already the case th…
date: 2025-10-30T10:16:00+00:00