Senate debates
Thursday, 14 May 2026
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Meeting (1 speech)
If there is no objection, the meeting is authorised.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (2 speeches)
I move: That on Thursday, 14 May 2026: (a) the questions on all remaining stages of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 2026 be put at 11 am; and...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Selection of Bills Committee; Report (8 speeches)
I present the sixth report of 2026 of the Selection of Bills Committee and seek leave to have the report incorporated into the Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— Selection...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
I move: That— (a) the following government business orders of the day be considered from 12.15 pm today: Export Control Amendment (Clarifying Obligations Relating to Registered...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (1 speech)
If there is no objection, the business is postponed.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Dowling from 12 to 14 May 2026, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Directions to Committees (2 speeches)
I move: That— (a) for the duration of this Parliament, any question directed to a witness appearing before any legislative and general purpose standing committee and any current or future...
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate directs the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee to publish answers to questions on notice relating to sponsored passes for Parliament House asked by...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Renewable Energy; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
by leave—At the request of Senator Kovacic, I move general business notices of motion Nos 493, 494, 495 and 496 together: GENERAL BUSINESS NOTICE OF MOTION NO. 493 That there be laid on the...
- Housing; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
by leave—At the request of Senator Bragg, I move general business notices of motion Nos 497, 498, 499 and 500 together: GENERAL BUSINESS NOTICE OF MOTION NO.497 That there be laid on the...
- Aged Care; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, by no later than 5 pm on Thursday, 21 May 2026, the national median price for Support...
- Budget (0 speeches)
- Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate directs the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner, the Honourable Paul Brereton AM RFD SC, and the National Anti-Corruption Deputy Commissioners, Ms Nicole Rose PSM, Dr...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Budget (0 speeches)
- Consideration by Estimates Committees (5 speeches)
At the request of Senator Kovacic, I move: That the Senate: (a) notes that: (i) Mr Mark Irving KC was appointed as Administrator of the Construction and General Division of the Construction,...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Export Control Amendment (Clarifying Obligations Relating to Registered Establishments) Bill 2026; Second Reading (3 speeches)
On behalf of the coalition, I rise to indicate that we will be supporting the passage of the Export Control Amendment (Clarifying Obligations Relating to Registered Establishments) Bill 2026. We...
- Export Control Amendment (Clarifying Obligations Relating to Registered Establishments) Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
- Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026; First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time.
- Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026; Second Reading (4 speeches)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— In beginning this...
- Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
- Customs Legislation Amendment (False Trade Marks Infringement Notices) Bill 2026; Second Reading (3 speeches)
The Customs Legislation Amendment (False Trade Marks Infringement Notices) Bill 2026 deals with a serious and growing issue, the importation of counterfeit goods into Australia. At its core, the...
- Customs Legislation Amendment (False Trade Marks Infringement Notices) Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
No amendments have been circulated. Does any senator require a committee stage? If not, I shall call the minister to move the third reading.
- Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026, Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions Bill 2026; First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That these bills may proceed without formalities, may be taken together and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bills read a first time.
- Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026, Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions Bill 2026; Second Reading (3 speeches)
I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— PUBLIC AND...
- Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026, Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025; Second Reading (11 speeches)
I rise to speak on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025. This bill deals with very important matters: the security of our nation, the powers available to...
- Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
- Budget (7 speeches)
Labor's fifth budget has again ignored the silent cry for help from Australian families who are struggling with the cost of living, the lack of relief in the budget, higher mortgages and the...
- Lung Health Awareness Month (1 speech)
I rise today to acknowledge Lung Health Awareness Month, which takes place throughout May, and to recognise the work of Lung Foundation Australia. Lung health is something many of us do not think...
- Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025 (1 speech)
This coming Monday, 18 May, will mark Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, when the world remembers the appalling crimes inflicted on the Tamil people in 2009 in the closing days of the conflict between...
- North Bondi RSL Club (1 speech)
On Anzac Day, many of us are able to visit various RSLs and other community groups as we acknowledge the contribution of our armed services over these last 125 years. This Anzac Day, I was...
- Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, Manufacturing Industry (1 speech)
It might be a few years away, but I can tell you that many in my family are already excited about the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. My kids weren't born when the Olympics came to Sydney in 2000, but...
- Parliament House: Sponsored Access (1 speech)
When I came to this place, I was really shocked at how loose our lobbying rules are in Australia. I didn't know that as a parliamentarian you can give out an unlimited number of sponsored passes,...
- Inland Rail (1 speech)
There's already been a lot of talk today about this in this chamber, but I will go back to the Inland Rail cuts and what they mean for my area of the Hunter. Previously, before coming to this...
- Trucking Industry (1 speech)
I'm delighted to inform the Senate that this week is national Truck Week, which will run from 11 to 18 May. An initiative of the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, Truck Week 2026 is a national...
- Budget: Housing (1 speech)
I recently met with Sebastian, a remarkable 13-year-old young South Australian. He has crunched the numbers for himself and his generation and worked out that he won't own a home—it will be...
- Nakba (1 speech)
This week marks the Nakba, the catastrophe of 1948 when more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly removed from their land. As an Aboriginal woman, I do not see this as a distant history; it's...
- Budget (1 speech)
Small business owners, start-ups, founders and entrepreneurs were shocked to learn on Wednesday morning that they've got a new co-founder. Somehow a sneaky shareholder has crept onto their...
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
Australia's political landscape has changed for the better. Everyone is going to have to learn their way around it. That especially includes the ABC. Their behaviour towards One Nation has been...
- Medicare (1 speech)
Six months ago I tabled a petition to save cohealth's community bulk-billing clinics across Victoria. It now has almost 8,000 signatures. That gave Labor, state and federal, six months to...
- Farrer By-Election (1 speech)
Prime Minister Albanese has mastered the art of winning by not appearing where the losing might be visible. Take the Farrer by-election, a great example, or rather take the fact that the Labor...
- Budget (2 speeches)
I had to do a double take today when I read that the Liberal shadow treasurer plans to repeal our negative gearing changes, but then I remembered that that mob opposite actually voted against...
- Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
- Tyrrell, Senator Tammy (3 speeches)
I seek leave to make a short statement. Leave granted. It gives me great pleasure to inform the Senate of an additional senator on the government benches. We welcome Senator Tyrrell—...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Housing (28 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong.
- Women's Budget Statement (10 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. On Tuesday, the Albanese Labor government delivered its fifth Women's Budget Statement, which showed gender...
- Budget (22 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Minister, the Prime Minister has claimed that his government's budget measures are about intergenerational equity,...
- Taxation: Gas Industry (14 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. In an interview with SBS News last night, the Prime Minister said that the proposal for a gas export tax was a slogan...
- Budget (25 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Youth, Senator Walsh. Young people want to feel optimistic about their future. They want a home they can afford and confidence that, if they work hard, they can...
- Aged Care (16 speeches)
My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Minister McAllister. How many people are currently waiting for a Support at Home package, and how many people...
- Energy (35 speeches)
My question is for the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Minister, in every budget speech delivered by your government before this week, there was a promise to lower the...
- Housing (11 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Minister, documents uncovered by One Nation under freedom of information show that foreign owners of Australian...
- Budget (31 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. This week, the Treasurer delivered the Albanese Labor government's fifth budget which continues...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Housing (3 speeches)
I have some further information for Senator Bragg in relation to the question asked in question time. The table Senator Bragg referred to was for 2025-26, which was—
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move: That the Senate: (1) notes the referral of the provisions of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS...
- Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
- Tyrrell, Senator Tammy (1 speech)
by leave—I inform the chamber that I am now a member of the Australian Labor Party.
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (17 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. There is a lot of focus around housing today in what's going on...
- Taxation: Gas Industry (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by the Minister representing the Prime Minister (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked by Senator Waters today relating to taxation of...
- Aged Care (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Senator McAllister) to a question without notice I asked today relating to...
- Housing (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister representing the Treasurer (Senator Gallagher) to a question without notice I asked today relating to foreign ownership. I've...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- Acknowledgement (1 speech)
I welcome His Excellency the Ambassador of Indonesia and I wish him a very warm welcome to the Australian Senate on behalf of all senators. Honourable senators: Hear, hear!
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Australia-Indonesia Treaty on Common Security (1 speech)
by leave—I table the Australia-Indonesia Treaty on Common Security and I move: That the Senate take note of the document. It is indeed a privilege to today speak on the Australia-Indonesia...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Economics References Committee; Report (1 speech)
I want to add my comments to the comments of Senator Pocock on the funding and resourcing of the CSIRO. Both of us attended the CSIRO inquiries. Indeed, we initiated this inquiry with the other...
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee; Report (1 speech)
I rise to speak on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee inquiry into human rights and democracy in Myanmar, set against the reality on the ground five years after the 2021...
- Taxation of Gas Resources Select Committee; Report (1 speech)
Australians are being ripped off. That is the unavoidable conclusion of the Greens-led Senate inquiry into the taxation of Australia's gas resources, chaired by my colleague, Senator Steph...
- Education and Employment References Committee (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I will comment on the report Quality and safety of Australia's early childhood education and care system. Australian families are struggling...
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee; Report (1 speech)
I rise to speak to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee's report on democracy and human rights in Myanmar. I want to reflect on the significance of this particular report...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (1 speech)
I table the following documents: Australia's 2026 National Defence Strategy speech to the National Press Club, the 2026 Integrated Investment Program and the 2026 National Defence Strategy.
- Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
I table documents related to an order of the Senate for the production of documents concerning the Housing Australia Future Fund.
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Budget (8 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) the Budget is one of broken promises, higher taxes, more debt, lower living standards, fewer homes and more division, (ii) the Prime Minister and the...
- Budget (0 speeches)
- Statement and Documents (7 speeches)
I seek leave to table the Leader of the Opposition's budget-in-reply speech and to have it incorporated into Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— The speech was...
