This week in Parliament
Eight bills receive assent as media reforms clear Parliament
Eight tracked bills received assent. They covered illegal-tobacco penalties, customs duties, business tax reforms, state and territory foreign arrangements, transitional cash safeguards, BetStop funding, news-bargaining charge administration and news-payment administration.
Four other tracked bills had passed both houses: gambling-advertising restrictions, the cash-distribution framework, the news media bargaining charge and news journalism payments. There were no recorded divisions or floor-crossings during the week.
Passed this fortnight
Stronger illegal-tobacco penalties
Received assent. Maximum prison terms and fines increased for deliberate and reckless illegal imports, and penalties increased for illegal manufacturing.
Customs tariff changes
Received assent. General import duties were removed from almost 500 product groups, while the additional duty on most Russian and Belarusian goods was extended to 24 October 2027.
Business tax reforms
Received assent. Eligible companies can reclaim tax paid in either of the previous two years, and the permanent instant asset write-off threshold for small businesses rises to $20,000.
Foreign-arrangements changes
Received assent. State and territory foreign deals can be assessed against the wider national interest and approved subject to conditions.
Transitional cash safeguards
Received assent. The competition regulator can temporarily set prices and terms for critical cash services during the wider framework’s transition.
BetStop levy changes
Received assent. Licensed betting providers can be charged for promoting and operating the national self-exclusion register.
News-bargaining charge administration
Received assent. Covered digital platform groups must lodge returns and pay assessed charges within the specified deadlines.
News-payment administration changes
Received assent. Registration information about news businesses will be shared with the department running the payment scheme.
New on the agenda
Early childhood worker wage support
Eligible early childhood workers would keep receiving a wage increase worth 15 per cent above the former minimum rate until 30 June 2028. Education Minister Jason Clare said the earlier increase was benefiting more than 215,000 educators at over 11,600 centres. The Senate’s education and employment committee reports on 4 September.
National sport integrity offences
People who deliberately risk corrupting a sporting result for someone’s gain or loss could face up to 10 years in prison. The government says match-fixing can defraud the public and expose athletes to pressure and exploitation. The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on 2 October.
Superannuation for workers under 18
Workers under 18 would receive employer-paid retirement savings no matter how many hours they work. The current threshold is more than 30 hours a week. Barbara Pocock said 530,000 teenage workers miss out on $411 million in employer-paid retirement savings each year. A committee report is due on 17 November.
Protecting Australians from Foreign Terrorist Fighters
People overseas who voluntarily supported a listed terrorist group could be barred from Australia by the Federal Court for up to two years. Pauline Hanson said the bill was needed to protect Australians from people returning after involvement with Islamic State. The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on 7 September.
Shackling during childbirth
People giving birth in prison, hospital detention or other custody could not be restrained during the birth process. Lidia Thorpe says shackling can cause bleeding, reduced foetal heart rate and dangerous delays during an emergency caesarean. The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on 7 October.
Strip searches of children
Children under 18 could not be strip searched, extending the existing federal protection from children under 10. Lidia Thorpe says strip searches harm and traumatise children while rarely finding prohibited items. The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on 13 October.
Committees & reports
- 1 Sep The Senate’s community affairs committee reports on Therapeutic Goods (Charges) Amendment and Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medicines Shortages and Other Measures).
- 3 Sep The Senate’s education and employment committee reports on Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity).
- 4 Sep Senate committees report on continued early childhood worker wage support and defence legislation changes.
- 7 Sep The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on Protecting Australians from Foreign Terrorist Fighters.
- 2 Oct The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on national sport integrity offences.
- 7 Oct Senate committees report on private health insurance rebate changes and the prohibition on shackling during childbirth.
- 13 Oct The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee reports on the prohibition on strip searching children.
- 17 Nov A committee report is due on superannuation for workers under 18.
Watch next
Committee reports are due first on Therapeutic Goods (Charges) Amendment, Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medicines Shortages and Other Measures), Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity), continued early childhood worker wage support, defence legislation changes and Protecting Australians from Foreign Terrorist Fighters. Later inquiries cover national sport integrity offences, shackling during childbirth, strip searches of children and superannuation for workers under 18.