Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

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—

AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 1) 2025

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2025 extends the sunset date of ASIO's compulsory questioning powers by 18 months, until 7 March 2027. This extension will enable the Government to progress reforms to ASIO's questioning powers, and ensure the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has sufficient time to consider those reforms.

In September 2023, the PJCIS elected to review the compulsory questioning framework ahead of its sunset date, but did not complete its review prior to the prorogation of Parliament earlier this year. This Bill will ensure ASIO retains these important powers to investigate and gather critical intelligence while reforms to the framework are progressed through Parliament, including consideration by the PJCIS.

Closing remarks

I would note that this Bill ensures that ASIO continues to have the powers it needs to navigate an increasingly complex, challenging and changing security environment and deliver on its mission to protect the safety of Australia and Australians. The regime will continue to be subject to extensive safeguards and oversight mechanisms to protect individual rights, including oversight by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.

The Bill reflects this Government's commitment to ensuring Australia's national security agencies have the powers they need to ensure that Australians can be safe, and feel safe, in an increasingly complex national security environment.

DEFENCE HOUSING AUSTRALIA AMENDMENT BILL 2025

I am pleased to present the Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025, which makes various amendments to the Defence Housing Australia Act 1987 to expand the main function of Defence Housing Australia (DHA). The changes will enable housing and housing-related services to be provided by DHA to those making important contributions to the defence of Australia.

DHA was established in 1987 for the purpose of providing Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families with quality, affordable and readily accessible housing. This housing initiative was and still is a key element of ADF conditions of service, which contributes directly to the retention and wellbeing of ADF personnel.

This Bill addresses the recommendation from a 2019 ANAO Report on the management of DHA. The report recommended expanding DHA's functions to also provide housing for foreign exchange and visiting military personnel, and philanthropic organisations that provide counselling and other support services to ADF members and their families.

This Bill recognises that the ADF, in modern times, relies on the support, services and cooperation of a wide range of external partners and organisations, including foreign militaries, who may require housing support in Australia.

In particular, this Bill will directly support our requirement to house personnel coming to Australia as part of Submarine Rotational Force—West under the Australia, United Kingdom and the United States trilateral security partnership—AUKUS.

Submarine Rotational Force-West is part of the AUKUS Optimal Pathway, which was announced in March 2023.

The AUKUS Optimal Pathway will:

The first phase of the AUKUS Optimal Pathway includes the rotational presence of US and UK nuclear-powered submarines at HMAS Stirling, known as the Submarine Rotational Force—West (SRF-West).

From Quarter 3, 2025, a small cohort of approximately 34 US personnel will arrive in Western Australia to prepare for the commencement of the SRF-West. Following this, there will be an increasing number of US and UK military, civilian and contractor personnel arriving in Western Australia over the course of five years, including some families accompanying US military personnel.

To enable the activity, Defence, through DHA, needs to ensure that housing for these US and UK personnel is available in close proximity to HMAS Stirling.

SRF-West is integral to helping Australia and Australians develop the skills and infrastructure to safely and securely maintain, own and operate nuclear-powered submarines.

Providing housing and family support to these personnel while they reside in Western Australia is a critical aspect of enabling SRF-West. Housing stock will be made available through DHA. This will be comparable to the support provided to ADF members and their families.

The Albanese Government is committed to AUKUS and supporting our AUKUS partners appropriately, however we are conscious this should not be at the detriment of local communities.

Further, in the spirit of a true partnership, the Albanese Government seeks to ensure overseas personnel are integrated into local communities in order to provide them and their families the best possible experience in Australia.

Utilising DHA will ensure Australia secures adequate and suitable housing that aligns with Australian Defence Force standards while limiting any negative impacts that may be had on local housing markets.

More generally, there is a need in a range of circumstances to provide housing to people in locations where Defence operates across Australia, including remote areas, to deliver Defence capability.

This Bill will also enable DHA to provide housing and housing-related services to organisations who are integral to Defence business, including philanthropic organisations providing important support services.

The Bill will also provide a mechanism for the Minister for Defence Personnel to determine that DHA can provide housing and housing-related services in the future to broader categories of people to meet the operational needs of the ADF and the requirements of the Department of Defence. This allows for flexibility and the ability to respond to changing circumstances, as and when they arise.

This recognises the changing nature of the Defence workforce, which no longer exclusively encompasses ADF members and APS employees.

Ultimately, this Bill will ensure that Australia's security requirements are met.

The speedy passage of this legislation is an important step in ensuring we can meet our commitments under AUKUS.

These amendments will also enable better support for those who provide assistance and support to the ADF.

I commend the Bill.

HEALTH INSURANCE (PATHOLOGY) (FEES) (REPEAL) BILL 2025

The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025 relates to the fees imposed on the pathology sector for certain categories of pathology applications. This Bill provides reforms for the current charging arrangements imposed on the sector for categories of accreditation applications.

Under the Health Insurance Act 1973, pathology services must be rendered by or on behalf of an Approved Pathology Practitioner (Approved Practitioner), in an Accredited Pathology Laboratory (Accredited Laboratory) operated by an Approved Pathology Authority (Approved Authority,) to be eligible to receive Medicare benefits.

Practitioners (pathologists) are required to sign an undertaking to the Minister that they will comply with the requirements of the legislation and certain administrative arrangements. They must pay an acceptance fee to become an Approved Practitioner. Similarly, the proprietor of a laboratory must sign an undertaking and pay an acceptance fee to become an Approved Authority. Laboratory premises may be approved by the Minister as an Accredited Laboratory following the submission of an application and relevant supporting documentation. This includes an accreditation assessment and payment of the accreditation fee once the premises are provided with an in-principle approval.

The accreditation requirements impose obligations on Approved Practitioners, Accredited Laboratories and Approved Authorities to undertake to meet, or demonstrate compliance with, quality assurance standards for pathology services provided under Medicare.

The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) Act 1991 (Pathology Fees Act) specifies the fees which must be paid for the acceptance, and approval of, applications for the Approved Practitioner, Approved Authority and Accredited Laboratory. This allows approved providers to be identified in the Services Australia billing system of Medicare eligible services. These fees were arbitrarily set to be between $500 and $2,500 in 1991.

The 2022 Health Portfolio Charging Review identified that the fees set against each of these application categories have not been reviewed or changed since the Pathology Fees Act came into force. Further, when investigated, the fees were found to exceed the administrative cost of processing these application categories. As such, this arrangement does not align with the Australian Government Charging Framework (2015).

Removing the fees applied to the three categories of applications through the repeal of the Pathology Fees Act will resolve this misalignment with Government Charging Policy. It will provide fee relief in addition to reducing the administrative burden for the pathology sector.

The consequential amendments included in this Bill remove all references to the payment of fees for these application types from 1 July 2025. In line with this intended commencement date, provisions have been included to allow the refund of fees collected between 1 July 2025 (inclusive) and the commencement date of this bill where the applicant's approval has come into force on or after 1 July 2025.

To preserve the high level of confidence in the accuracy of pathology testing in Australia provided under Medicare, the administrative requirements including accreditation obligations will remain unchanged.

PACIFIC BANKING GUARANTEE BILL 2025

I move that this Bill be now read a second time.

Today I am proud to re-introduce the Pacific Banking Guarantee Bill 2025.

This Bill will help secure access to banking services across the Pacific.

It will help ensure our entire region can stay connected to the global financial system.

Australia's relationship with the Pacific is a special one.

Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor Government has been working hard to be a partner of choice with the entire region.

We've been restoring trust and rebuilding relationships.

Within our first 12 months in office, Albanese government ministers visited every Pacific Islands Forum member country.

To renew our Pacific partnerships, listen to Pacific priorities and deliver on our collective interests.

We've been making record investments, and we are the region's largest development partner.

I pay tribute to the work of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Trade Minister and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs.

When it comes to banking in the Pacific, the challenges in front of us are clear, and confronting.

We know the Pacific has seen the fastest withdrawal of correspondent banking services of any region in the world.

We know these vital services help communities access foreign currencies and international payment systems.

And we also know that without them, large parts of the Pacific risk being cut off from the global financial system.

At stake here is the ability of the Pacific to engage with the world.

This pressing challenge was one of the main topics discussed with counterparts at the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting last year.

That marked the first time an Australian Treasurer had travelled to the Pacific to attend that forum in almost two decades.

It's also the challenge this Bill helps tackle.

This legislation allows the Commonwealth to use its balance sheet to support Australian banks to maintain their Pacific operations.

It will enable the Commonwealth to guarantee an Australian banks' business in the Pacific—either directly or through its subsidiaries—against the unlikely possibility of a default in the region, which may force them to shut their operations.

Eligible Australian banks will pay a fee to the Commonwealth for the guarantee, it is not a subsidy.

It is highly unlikely this guarantee will be needed.

But it is still an important and necessary change to make sure our Pacific family can continue to bank with confidence.

This legislation is just one part of the substantial progress we've already made to secure the future of banking services in the region.

Working with the Commonwealth Bank to establish banking operations in Nauru this year.

Working with ANZ and Westpac to secure their continued presence in the Pacific.

Working with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to develop digital identity infrastructure and improve compliance with regulations.

And funding our Attorney-General's Department to help build capacity in Pacific countries, to strengthen protections from financial crime and build trust in the system.

We've been able to make all this progress at the same time as also securing access to banking services around Australia.

Because of our efforts, all major banks now have a moratorium on branch closures in regional Australia for two and a half years.

And we've helped secure a number of new agreements to shore up the vital services provided by Bank@Post.

We are standing up for regional Australians, helping to secure the banking services they need and deserve.

More than banking, this is about keeping regional communities, that contribute so much to our national economy, connected and thriving.

Banks have a responsibility to regional communities and we're holding them to it.

We will continue to work with regulators, industry and communities to ensure our regions have access to fit-for purpose and sustainable banking services over the long term.

This includes a focus on sustainable cash distribution and ensuring Australians can use cash to pay for essentials if they want or need to.

This Bill will help prevent the loss of banking services in the Pacific, which is vital to the security and economic development of our region.

But it won't solve the challenge overnight.

We'll continue to work with the banks and our international partners to address this issue.

To make our region safer and more stable.

To make sure loved ones, families and communities can continue to access their money.

And to build a better future for the people of the Pacific.

Full details of the measure are contained in the Explanatory Memorandum.

Ordered that further consideration of the second reading of these bills be adjourned to the first sitting day of the next period of sittings, in accordance with standing order 111.

Ordered that the bills be listed on the Notice Paperas separate orders of the day.