Increases too small to change hardship
Critics argued the extra support was too modest to make a real difference, especially for people on very low incomes, and said it left many recipients in poverty despite rising costs.
Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net)
Current status
This bill became law on Jul 9th, 2024.
Policy area
Welfare & housing
What does this bill do?
Rent assistance goes up by a further 10 per cent, giving people on eligible payments more help with rising rents.
Why was it introduced?
Rising rents and rigid social security rules left renters, some disabled JobSeeker recipients and carers with too little support and flexibility. This bill lifts rent assistance and some JobSeeker payments, and expands Carer PaymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. work, suspension and respite rules.
Broader context
After earlier budget measures had already lifted parts of the social security safety net, rising rents, broader cost-of-living pressure and rigid payment rules for some disabled JobSeeker recipients and carers left many people with too little support or flexibility. The 2024 bill answered that squeeze by adding another rent assistance increase, extending the higher JobSeeker rate to some people assessed as able to work up to 14 hours a week, easing Carer PaymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. work and respite rules, and then becoming law in July 2024.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that the bill's increases were too small and targeted to meaningfully reduce poverty or keep up with rent and other living costs. That view was pushed hardest by the Greens and some crossbenchers, while the Coalition still backed the bill but described it as only limited or band-aid relief.
Who supported it?
Amanda Rishworth MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Introduced in House 29 May 2024
Passed House 05 June 2024
Passed Senate 04 July 2024
Became law 09 July 2024
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 09 July 2024
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
1 recorded amendment or procedural vote was found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.
Passage speed
41 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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Rent assistance goes up by a further 10 per cent, giving people on eligible payments more help with rising rents.
-
Single JobSeeker recipients with a physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment who are assessed as able to work up to 14 hours a week can get the higher JobSeeker rate.
-
Carer PaymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. recipients can work up to 100 hours over four weeks instead of being limited to 25 hours each week, giving carers more flexibility to balance paid work and care.
-
Carer PaymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. recipients who go over the new work limit can have their payment suspended for up to six months instead of cancelled, and they keep their Pensioner Concession Card during that period.
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Carers can use single respite days when they occasionally exceed the work-hours limit, instead of having to use their respite entitlement in seven-day blocks.
Show source excerpts
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That is why, as part of this bill, the government will increase Commonwealth rent assistance maximum rates by a further 10 per cent, providing recipients with more support to manage rental pressures. This builds on our increase in the previous budget, providing the first back-to-back increases to rent assistance in over 30 years.
Second reading speech -
The second measure delivered by this bill will extend eligibility for the higher rate of JobSeeker to single recipients who have been assessed as only being able to work up to 14 hours per week due to a physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment. This higher rate is currently $816.90 per fortnight and goes to single recipients with dependent children and single recipients aged 55 and over on payment for nine or more continuous months.
Second reading speech -
This includes provisions to change the 25-hour-per-week participation limit for carer payment recipients to instead allow up to 100 hours over a four-week settlement period, effective from 20 March 2025.
Second reading speech -
Currently, the carer payment can be cancelled if the 25-hour limit per week is exceeded. As well as greater flexibility, this measure also introduces a six-month suspension period for recipients who work over the new flexible limit, meaning if their circumstances change they won't need to reapply to access the carer payment. They will also retain their pensioner concession card during this period.
Second reading speech -
Policy changes will also provide for the use of single temporary cessation of care days, providing for one-off or occasional instances of exceeding the participation hours limit. Currently, carers receive 63 of these respite days—which they can use for any purpose. But they are required to use them in seven-day blocks where these days are used to cover exceeding the participation limit. This change means that they can opt to use only a single day.
Second reading speech
Context
Broader context for this bill
After earlier budget measures had already lifted parts of the social security safety net, rising rents, broader cost-of-living pressure and rigid payment rules for some disabled JobSeeker recipients and carers left many people with too little support or flexibility. The 2024 bill answered that squeeze by adding another rent assistance increase, extending the higher JobSeeker rate to some people assessed as able to work up to 14 hours a week, easing Carer PaymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. work and respite rules, and then becoming law in July 2024.
- 29 May 2024
Government introduces a new safety net top-up
The minister said the bill built on earlier safety net measures and used the 2024-25 budget to deliver targeted cost-of-living relief for renters, some JobSeeker recipients and carers.
Hansard ↗ - 05 June 2024
House passes the bill
The House approved the package, sending to the Senate measures including a further 10 per cent rise in Commonwealth rent assistance and more flexible Carer PaymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. rules.
Parliamentary timeline ↗ - 03 July 2024
Senate debate highlights soaring rents and poverty
During Senate debate, speakers argued that soaring rents, grocery prices and poverty were leaving many people on income support in deeper hardship, underscoring why the bill's increases were being pursued.
Hansard ↗ - 04 July 2024
Parliament passes the bill
Both houses agreed to the same text, completing the bill's parliamentary passage and clearing the way for it to take legal effect.
Parliamentary timeline ↗ - 09 July 2024
Bill receives Royal AssentThe final formal approval that turns a passed bill into an Act of Parliament.
Royal AssentThe final formal approval that turns a passed bill into an Act of Parliament. turned the package into law, locking in the legislated increases and rule changes to Australia's social security safety net.
Parliamentary timeline ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 29 May 2024
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 29 May 2024
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Second reading debate 04 June 2024
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Second reading debate 05 June 2024
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House second reading agreed 05 June 2024
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
House third reading agreed 05 June 2024
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Introduced 24 June 2024
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 24 June 2024
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Second reading debate 03 July 2024
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate second reading agreed 03 July 2024
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
Committee of the Whole debate 03 July 2024
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate third reading agreed 04 July 2024
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Passed both houses 04 July 2024
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
Assent 09 July 2024
The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final formal approval that turns a passed bill into an Act of Parliament., turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
The main criticism was that the bill's increases were too small and targeted to meaningfully reduce poverty or keep up with rent and other living costs. That view was pushed hardest by the Greens and some crossbenchers, while the Coalition still backed the bill but described it as only limited or band-aid relief.
Most criticism was about the bill being too modest, not about removing its measures.
Does not tackle deeper housing and cost-of-living pressures
Some supporters said the bill offered only short-term relief and did not address the underlying drivers of housing stress, inflation and broader cost-of-living pressure, so its gains could be quickly eroded.
Leaves disability support settings unchanged
A sharper objection was that the bill failed to make structural changes for disabled people, including lifting support above the poverty line and fixing the partner income test, so it still left discriminatory settings in place.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
How the bill itself passed
The bill passed both chambers on the voices. The counted divisions below were about amendments or procedure, not final passage.
Passed House passed the bill
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed
House passed the bill
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Passed Senate passed the bill
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed
Senate passed the bill
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Amendments at a glance
Recorded amendment and procedural votes grouped by chamber. Expand a vote to see the party breakdown.
Senate
Defeated Greens income-support requests defeated
Defeated 12 to 35. Support came from Greens and Jacqui Lambie Network. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal Party, Nationals, and One Nation. Minor-party and independent votes were split.
Defeated
Greens income-support requests defeated
The requestsA Senate proposal asking the House to make changes that affect appropriations or other matters the Senate cannot amend directly. were defeated, so the bill kept the government’s payment-rate settings.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 21
Greens 10 / 0
Liberal Party 0 / 8
Nationals 0 / 3
Independent 1 / 1
Jacqui Lambie Network 1 / 0
One Nation 0 / 1
UAP 0 / 1
These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself. The bill passed both chambers on the voices.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Sponsor speech Supports
Amanda Rishworth
Rishworth supports the bill, saying it gives targeted extra help through higher rent assistance, expanded JobSeeker support and more flexibility for carers.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead opposing voice Opposes
Larissa Waters
Waters says the Greens think the bill is woefully inadequate because its rent assistance and payment changes are far too small to address poverty, the housing crisis, or the cost of living.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead supporting voice Supports
Kylea Tink
Tink supports the bill as a small step forward, but says it falls well short of what is needed to lift people out of poverty because the increases are too modest and do not address the deeper housing and income-support problems.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead non-major voice Opposes
David Pocock
Pocock opposes the bill in its current form because he says the $9.40-a-week rent assistance increase is far too small to keep up with soaring rents.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Labor
6 speakers · 7 contributions · 6 support
Labor
6 speakers · 7 contributions · 6 support
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Shayne Neumann Shayne Neumann strongly supports the bill, saying it will provide much-needed cost-of-living relief and strengthen the social safety net for people struggling with rent, JobSeeker eligibility, and carer support.
“I'm so pleased we're making these changes, because they are about the kind of Australia I want, where everyone gets a chance, where no-one is left behind and everyone gets an opportunity.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Carina Garland Garland supports the bill and says it will strengthen the social security safety net by increasing rent assistance, extending the higher rate of JobSeeker to more people with limited work capacity, and giving carers more flexibility.
“On the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024, though, this is an important piece of legislation that is part of our government's plan to deliver targeted assistance to further strengthen Australia's social security safety net, which is something we should both be proud of and always work hard to protect.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Julian Hill Julian Hill strongly supports the bill, saying it will raise rent assistance, expand access to the higher JobSeeker rate and give carers more flexible and fairer payment rules.
“This Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024 makes important changes to increase support payments, as outlined in the budget, to strengthen Australia's social safety net. The boost to Commonwealth rent assistance complements Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts. Every worker in Australia will get a tax cut on 1 July. We heard the good news as well this week that the minimum wage will rise again, faster than inflation, delivering to the lowest paid workers in the country a real wage rise that will flow to many others. Of course, strengthening the social safety net is so important for those Australians relying on social security: pensioners, disability pensioners and others.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Amanda Rishworth ★ 2 contributions Rishworth supports the bill, saying it gives targeted extra help through higher rent assistance, expanded JobSeeker support and more flexibility for carers.
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Amanda Rishworth on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Rishworth supports the bill, saying it gives targeted extra help through higher rent assistance, expanded JobSeeker support and more flexibility for carers. She argues the package provides responsible relief for vulnerable people and removes barriers to work.
“The Albanese Labor government believes in a strong and sustainable social security system, and with these measures, we are providing more support in the safety net.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗Second reading speech
Rishworth says the government is improving the safety net with targeted cost-of-living relief, higher rent assistance, a higher JobSeeker rate for more people, and more flexible carer paymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. rules. She presents the bill as responsible support for low-income recipients and says the opposition will back it.
“The government's measures delivered in this bill, along with our measures in last year's budget, represent an additional $11.5 billion in spending in our social security system. In 2024-25 alone, it's estimated the government will spend $143 billion on social security and family payments. I'd like to thank the member for Deakin for his confirmation that the opposition will be supporting this bill. Of course, these are responsible, targeted measures that will provide more support to people on the lowest incomes. I did note that his speech didn't quite stick to the bill and was pretty free ranging, but I am pleased to have the confirmation that the opposition will support this bill.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗ -
Brian Mitchell Brian Mitchell supports the bill and says it will deliver targeted cost-of-living help through higher rent assistance, a higher JobSeeker rate for some people with partial capacity to work, and more flexibility for carers.
“I rise today in support of the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024. The Albanese Labor government is committed to responsible cost-of-living relief for Australians, delivering targeted support for pensioners and income support recipients.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Carol Brown Carol Brown supports the bill, saying it delivers targeted cost-of-living help by lifting rent assistance, expanding access to the higher JobSeeker rate, and giving carers more flexibility.
“Through this bill, we are further strengthening Australia's social security safety net with targeted and responsible cost-of-living support which eases pressure on people and does not add to inflation.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Coalition
4 speakers · 4 support
Coalition
4 speakers · 4 support
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Henry Pike Henry Pike says the coalition will support the bill because it delivers welcome help for renters, JobSeeker recipients with partial work capacity, and carers.
“So I think this bill is certainly going to be a step in the right direction. The coalition will be supporting the bill. We hope that it will have some sort of positive impact. Of course, it's not the be-all and end-all. There are many problems in this nation and in this economy that we need to sort out. However, as a first step towards addressing some of the symptoms of the problems, we welcome this initiative.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Michael Sukkar Sukkar says the opposition will support the bill, mainly because its rental assistance and flexibility changes are small but sensible measures.
“We'll be supporting this bill. Sadly, two years into this government, Australians are paying the price for a succession of bad decisions and the wrong priorities from this government. We'll be supporting these measures because Australians are poorer after two years of a Labor government. Australians have rarely in our history looked back from one election to the next and—without overstating it, without overblowing it, without trying to throw all the political rhetoric out there—been able to say, 'We are actually poorer than we were at the last election.' That is sadly what is going to happen at the time of the next election.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Anne Ruston Ruston says the opposition will support the bill because it provides useful though modest help with rent assistance, JobSeeker flexibility, and carer paymentIncome support for eligible people who provide constant care to someone with disability, illness or frailty. access.
“The opposition will be supporting the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024. But, sadly, two years in, Australians are paying the price for a succession of bad decisions and wrong priorities by this government. We will be supporting these measures because Australians are poorer after two years of Labor government. Australians have rarely in our history been able to look back from one election to the next—without overstating it, without overblowing it, without trying to throw the political rhetoric out there—and say, 'We are actually poorer than we were at the last election.' Sadly, that is what will happen at the time of the next election.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
James Stevens Stevens says the coalition will support the bill because it increases rental assistance and other safety-net payments for vulnerable Australians.
“I too rise to speak in favour of the second reading of the Social Services and other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024. The member for Deakin, our lead speaker on this, has articulated that the coalition will support this bill that effectively puts in place a range of measures that were announced in the budget, particularly around increases to rental assistance and expansion of eligibility for a number of supports that are an important part of the social safety net that we have in this country.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Greens
7 speakers · 8 contributions · 3 support · 4 oppose
Greens
7 speakers · 8 contributions · 3 support · 4 oppose
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Larissa Waters ★ Waters says the Greens think the bill is woefully inadequate because its rent assistance and payment changes are far too small to address poverty, the housing crisis, or the cost of living.
“This is a woefully inadequate bill from the government and these changes will not make a dent in the poverty crisis or the cost-of-living crisis we're in. What should be done, and what my colleague Senator Allman-Payne will be moving to do, is to increase the base rate of JobSeeker to above the poverty line.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Dorinda Cox Cox says the Greens will not stand in the way of the bill, so they will support it, but she argues the $1.30 a day increase is woefully inadequate and will barely make a difference.
“Obviously, we on this side of the chamber will never stand in the way of a bill that delivers an increase in support for some people, but at the end of the day I want to reinforce from a Greens perspective that it is woefully inadequate to accept that $1.30 a day is providing more support.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Nick McKim 2 contributions McKim opposes the bill as far too small a response to the cost-of-living crisis, saying it does little to lift people out of poverty and falls well short of what is needed.
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Nick McKim on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
McKim opposes the bill as far too small a response to the cost-of-living crisis, saying it does little to lift people out of poverty and falls well short of what is needed. He argues Labor should instead raise income support above the poverty line and provide much stronger structural help.
“We are a wealthy country, colleagues, and we could make a political choice to ensure that no-one lives in poverty in this country. Instead, the choices we make keep large numbers of Australians trapped in poverty and trapped on income support payments that don't even come close to meeting their basic needs. So it's time for the establishment parties to do the right thing. This legislation nowhere near approaches the ballpark of doing the right thing. Labor needs to do better. Millions of Australians want you to do better, and the Greens are demanding that you do better.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗Second reading speech
McKim says the Greens cannot support Senator Tyrrell's amendment because they do not make tax policy on the run, but he says the underlying problem is that JobSeeker is too low and should be lifted to $88 a day. His speech backs higher support payments, not the specific mechanism proposed in the debate.
“I do want to say, through you, Acting Deputy President, to Senator Tyrrell, that the Greens aren't in the business of making tax policy on the run, so we're not in a position to be able to support Senator Tyrrell's amendment today.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗ -
David Shoebridge Shoebridge says the Greens will not oppose the bill, but argues it is a tiny and inadequate response that leaves millions in poverty and does not lift income support enough to matter.
“We're not going to oppose any of those changes, but what we're going to highlight is just how appallingly inadequate this is. These changes won't make a dent in poverty. They won't address the cost-of-living crisis; they don't even pretend to. In fact, in many ways the inflation that we've seen since these things were announced has eaten up the rental assistance. The increase in rents since these things were announced has eaten up the increase in rental assistance.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Penny Allman-Payne Allman-Payne says the Greens will not stand in the way of the bill’s small income support and rent assistance increases, but argues they are far too small to meet the poverty crisis.
“We need to be very clear about what the budget surplus represents. It represents a decision by Labor in the middle of a poverty crisis to refuse to spend public money—our money—on helping the people who need it the most. As Greens we are not going to stand in the way of the tiny increases being put forward in this bill, but we want to be absolutely clear that this is not enough. For this season, I foreshadow that we will be putting forward an amendment to lift the base rate of JobSeeker and other income support payments to $88 a day, above the poverty line.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Peter Whish-Wilson Whish-Wilson opposes the bill because he says it barely helps people on income support and does not do enough to lift payments above poverty.
“This bill won't even touch the sides of the cost-of-living crisis being felt most acutely by people on income support payments. Many of those people that I've talked to would like a job. They desperately don't want to be in their current predicament, and we need to do everything we can to help them get out of that. JobSeeker is a starvation payment, and millions of Australians are currently living in abject poverty. Those statistics I went through are just some of the relevant statistics, and they are black and white and stark. A bill to move less than one per cent of jobseekers onto a slightly higher payment is not a solution; it's actually cruel. Income support is so inadequate that people can't cover their most basic needs. Some are showering only once a week because they can't afford hot water, others can't buy essential medication, and a third of Australian households are struggling to put food on the table.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Jordon Steele-John Steele-John opposes the bill because it does not lift the disability support pensionIncome support for eligible people with a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that stops them from working enough hours. above the poverty line or fix the discriminatory partner income test.
“The cost of food and housing in this country is a disgrace. The fact that government after government has allowed the situation to get this bad is a disgrace. People are struggling to eat. That is not okay. That demands the most urgent response. We do not see that in this bill. What we see is fiddling around the edges—a dollar here, a dollar there—but no actual engagement with the structural changes needed, let alone the increases needed to mean that people who rely on supports will be able to live free of the fear of where the next meal will come from. No mother, father or family member in this country should have to ask themselves that question.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Minor parties and independents
4 speakers · 3 support · 1 oppose
Minor parties and independents
4 speakers · 3 support · 1 oppose
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Kylea Tink ★ Tink supports the bill as a small step forward, but says it falls well short of what is needed to lift people out of poverty because the increases are too modest and do not address the deeper housing and income-support problems.
“While this bill is a small step forward, I will reiterate the point that the budget is about choice, and that the government has chosen not to go further when it comes to lifting Australians out of poverty.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
David Pocock ★ Pocock opposes the bill in its current form because he says the $9.40-a-week rent assistance increase is far too small to keep up with soaring rents.
“At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Allegra Spender Spender supports the bill and says it moves in the right direction, but argues it does not go far enough to lift support to adequate levels, especially for JobSeeker.
“In conclusion, this bill moves the needle in the right direction and I commend the government for listening to the advice of experts and delivering help where it is most needed. I acknowledge the truth of the Treasurer's words that he cannot provide money or funds for all the worthy projects that he and others across this parliament are approached on. However, I think that in this budget we should have seen greater support for those who most need it, particularly in terms of the rate of JobSeeker, and we should have considered other areas of spending restraints to enable that to happen—including, for example, holding back some of the current infrastructure spending, which could have allowed some of that spending to be available, or looking at things like fuel tax credits, which could have also freed up some money for the budget in this case.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Tammy Tyrrell Tyrrell supports the bill because it provides welcome help for vulnerable people, but she says it does not go far enough and uses the debate to press for an amendment to exempt JobSeeker from income tax.
“This bill, the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024, will provide welcome support for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and I'm proud to support that, even though, as many of my colleagues have mentioned, there's a lot more we can do in this space.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Act title
- Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Act 2024
- Act number
- Act No. 66, 2024
- Became law
- 09 July 2024
- Takes effect
- The whole of this Act 09 July 2024
- Registered
- 10 July 2024
- Administered by
- Department of Social Services
- Final law metadata was collected from the APH progress table; commencement rows were parsed from the bill text.
- Status
- Act -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- 29 May 2024
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 29 May 2024
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 04 June 2024
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 05 June 2024
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 05 June 2024
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
- 05 June 2024
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
- 24 June 2024
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 24 June 2024
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 03 July 2024
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 03 July 2024
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
- 03 July 2024
Senate · Committee of the Whole debate
Committee of the Whole debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 04 July 2024
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
- 04 July 2024
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
- 09 July 2024
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final formal approval that turns a passed bill into an Act of Parliament., turning the bill into an Act.