This week in Parliament
NDIS safeguards fall as tax reforms pass
Eleven bills completed their passage through Parliament, covering capital-gains tax reform and its companion rates bill, new protections against manipulative sales practices, temporary fuel-tax relief, workplace rules and nurse prescribing. The main fight concerned tighter NDIS eligibility and funding rules, which the House passed after rejecting every crossbench safeguard. New work included stronger social-media age enforcement, airline passenger protections and a Senate-backed proposal to restore human judgement in aged-care assessments.
NDIS applicants face a new daily-activity test, while participants get earlier plan reviews only after significant, lasting changes to their support needs. The government proposed this after National Cabinet sought slower cost growth, arguing the scheme lacked adequate oversight of yearly payments above $50 billion. In practice, funding would cover only conditions meeting the scheme’s disability or early-help rules. Liberal National MP Henry Pike warned blunt cuts could remove about 160,000 participants and said providers received too little time to understand the bill. Crossbenchers sought accessible tests, consultation, review rights and limits on funding cuts. The House rejected every listed crossbench safeguard, adopted the government’s changes and approved the amended bill.
Passed this fortnight
Capital-gains and housing tax reform
From July 2027, individuals, trusts and partnerships generally lose the 50% capital-gains discount and instead pay tax on gains after inflation. A 30% minimum applies through the related rates bill, with exemptions for some income-support recipients; investors in new or affordable housing retain a discount option. The government said current rules overly favour capital gains and rental-loss deductions, while the Coalition warned of weaker investment and housing supply and the Greens said investor advantages remained too protected.
Workplace administration
Truck drivers and small road-transport businesses gain a separate income limit for unfair-contract and unfair-termination protections. The government said high fuel and maintenance costs made the general contractor threshold unsuitable, while other changes help Australia’s workplace tribunal manage disputes and repeated baseless claims. Independents Kate Chaney and Helen Haines warned that favouring businesses with enterprise agreements in government contracts or grants could compromise value for money and pressure employers towards union agreements.
Consumer sales practices
Consumers must see compulsory fees beside advertised prices and receive subscription costs, renewal terms and cancellation details before signing up. The government said existing law missed tactics that pressure, confuse or trap buyers without clearly misleading them. Nationals MP Kevin Hogan warned the broad unfair-practices ban would create costly uncertainty, while the Greens objected that financial services were excluded.
Temporary fuel relief
Petrol and diesel buyers received about 16 cents a litre in temporary fuel-tax relief from July. The government said the measure would ease price increases linked to Middle East conflict and help motorists and small businesses. Nationals MP Alison Penfold called it short-lived relief, while independent Monique Ryan wanted evidence that the saving reached consumers.
Subsidised nurse prescribing
Qualified registered nurses can prescribe selected medicines subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The government said nurses’ wide geographic reach would improve rural and remote access and reduce pressure on doctors and hospitals. Independent Sophie Scamps sought stronger safeguards for addictive medicines, while Liberals criticised the exclusion of qualified podiatrists.
Coal workers’ long-service leave
Black-coal workers can have incomplete service histories reconstructed, while employers with old contribution debts can pay about 80% over six instalments. The government introduced the settlement after two Federal Court decisions clarified who was covered, leaving some employers with debts dating to 2010 while workers awaited leave entitlements. One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts said waiving the balance rewarded non-payment, although he supported giving miners certainty.
Northern infrastructure finance
Northern projects can seek government-backed finance until June 2036 through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, whose board now faces stronger reporting and correction requirements when it breaches investment rules. The government said commercial finance gaps, distance and severe weather justified keeping the $7 billion lender available. Independent Zali Steggall and the Greens objected that fossil-fuel projects remained eligible, while Liberals wanted the facility made permanent.
Financial reporting oversight
Businesses, investors and government bodies will use standards overseen by a new agency, External Reporting Australia. The government said consolidating three bodies would help the system respond faster while retaining specialist accounting, auditing and sustainability boards. Nationals MP Pat Conaghan warned the restructure could weaken technical independence, while the Greens sought wider reform after major consulting scandals.
Treasury administration
People can claim deductions for charitable gifts below $2, while closely held trusts face simpler beneficiary reporting. The government said round-up donations made the old threshold outdated and that other measures would prevent public subsidies for gambling and tobacco research that worsens harm. Independent Monique Ryan argued the exclusion still allowed industry-funded research labelled as harm reduction.
Government funding
The government received authority to spend $178.65 billion on ordinary services in 2026–27, including limited urgent funding for fuel security. Parliamentary approval was required before departments could draw this money. Coalition speakers said the funded budget spent and taxed too much, while Greens and crossbench critics pointed to gaps including NDIS support, JobSeeker and climate resilience.
On the crossbench
Greens and many independents repeatedly voted together for NDIS consultation, accessible tests, review rights and limits on funding cuts, against Labor. David Pocock joined the Greens on housing reinvestment and broader consumer protections, but joined Coalition and Greens senators to support human judgement in aged-care assessments.
House independents also backed limits on fuel-tax credits and stronger airline compensation. Alex Antic opposed his Liberal colleagues on adding podiatrists to subsidised prescribing; no other member was recorded voting against their own party.
New on the agenda
Private health rebates
Lower-income people aged 70 and over would see their insurance rebate fall from about 32% to 24%. The government says age-based assistance is inequitable and that the savings would fund aged-care beds, home care and dementia services. The Senate’s health and welfare committee reports on 7 October.
University places
Domestic students would receive places from a planned funding pool allocated by the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. The government says more qualifications are needed by 2050 and the existing system cannot fund or plan sufficient growth. The Senate’s education and employment committee reports on 3 September.
Company tax losses
Companies with turnover below $1 billion could use losses to reclaim tax paid in either of the previous two years. The government says this would improve cash flow during downturns and encourage investment, mostly benefiting small businesses. The Senate’s economics committee reports on 13 August.
Gambling advertising
Television viewers would see no more than three wagering advertisements per rolling hour during daytime and early evening. The government says gambling losses have risen and advertising rules have not kept pace with concerns about children, families and live sport. A supporting bill would make betting providers fund promotion of the BetStop self-exclusion service; the Senate’s communications committee reports on both by 17 August.
Cash availability
Regional communities, older Australians and small businesses would gain a regulated backstop for cash distribution, plus a supporting transitional bill. The government says falling cash use is making storage, processing and transport less viable, particularly during emergencies. The Senate’s economics committee reports on both bills by 7 August.
Defence and veteran wellbeing
Current and former ADF members and their families would gain a formal lifetime wellbeing priority in Defence law. The government says the bill responds to gaps exposed by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The Senate’s defence committee reports on 4 September.
First Nations aged care
Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would gain a permanent aged-care commissioner from July 2027. The government says distrust, distance from family and culturally unsuitable care can delay help; the proposal followed consultations with more than 1,000 people. The Senate’s health and welfare committee reports on 11 August.
Medicine shortages
Medicine sponsors would need to give earlier notice of permanent discontinuations, after shortages left patients and practitioners without timely information. A supporting charges bill would let businesses group similar biological products and pay one annual charge. The Senate’s health and welfare committee reports on both bills by 1 September.
Health-provider payments
Healthcare providers could receive government incentive payments through one consistent framework. The government says programs worth more than $1.4 billion a year lacked clear common rules for eligibility, oversight and review. The Senate’s health and welfare committee reports on 14 August.
Import surges
Australian manufacturers facing sudden import surges would have safeguard inquiries handled by a specialist trade body. The government says global trade risks have grown and the protection system has not received major reform in a decade. The Senate’s economics committee reports on 28 August.
Committees & reports
- 25 Jun The health-payment, private-insurance, defence-wellbeing and company-tax bills were referred to specialist Senate committees.
- 2 Jul Senate committees took on the universities, medicines, social-security, tribunal, First Nations aged-care, biosecurity, gambling, cash and import-safeguard bills.
- 31 Jul The Senate’s defence committee reports on military discipline reforms responding to the veteran-suicide royal commission.
- 6 Aug The Senate’s communications committee reports on a proposed packaging producer-responsibility scheme.
- 13 Aug The Senate’s defence committee reports on a proposed military sexual-assault prevention commission.
Watch next
Among the bills still moving, the Senate must consider the NDIS changes, airline passenger protections and stronger enforcement of the under-16 social-media rules. The House must decide whether to accept the Senate-backed human override for aged-care assessments.