This bill became law on Oct 30th, 2025.
Transport & communications
Creates a legislated Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. inside the communications department to oversee the emergency calling system across carriersA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network., phone service providers and emergency call operators.
The bill was introduced after the 8 November 2023 Optus outage and a further Optus outage in September 2025 exposed weaknesses in the way Triple Zero failures were seen and coordinated across the system. The Bean Review found that participants had siloed views of the service and recommended one body with end-to-end responsibility, so the bill puts the Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. into legislation and gives ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. stronger powers to demand information, direct action and share outage information.
Australia already regulated parts of the Triple Zero system through carrierA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network. rules, emergency call operator obligations and ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. enforcement, but the official material says no single entity had end-to-end visibility from carrierA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network. to emergency call operator to emergency service organisationA police, fire or ambulance organisation that responds to emergencies after a Triple Zero call is transferred to it.. The Optus national outage in November 2023 led to the Bean Review, which recommended a Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts.. A further Optus outage in September 2025 then pushed the government to legislate the custodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. and stronger ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. information, directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. and penalty powers.
Criticism focused on whether the bill was strong and timely enough, rather than on whether Triple Zero needed stronger oversight. Coalition, crossbench and Greens speakers supported or welcomed the directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. of reform but argued the government had acted late, moved the bill too quickly for scrutiny, and should add tougher penalties, transparency and broader network-resilience measures.
Hon Anika Wells MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 30 Oct 2025
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.
Passage speed
23 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
Creates a legislated Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. inside the communications department to oversee the emergency calling system across carriersA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network., phone service providers and emergency call operators.
Lets the Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. ask ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. to issue emergency call serviceThe system that lets people contact police, fire or ambulance services by calling Triple Zero. directionsA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something., while also letting ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. issue those directionsA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. on its own initiative.
Allows ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. to require carriersA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network., carriage service providers and emergency call operators to provide information about emergency calling matters, including network policies, procedures, maintenance and testing.
Allows ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. to require detailed outage information, including affected services, locations, restoration timeframes, network performance and communications before, during or after a Triple Zero outage.
Allows ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. to require practical action, such as sharing information with specified bodies, consulting with other stakeholders, or developing emergency calling policies and procedures.
Creates rules for using and sharing emergency calling information so the CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts., ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. and authorised people can prepare for outages, respond to them and maintain the system.
Requires ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. to report to the communications minister every six months on emergency call serviceThe system that lets people contact police, fire or ambulance services by calling Triple Zero. directionsA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. and related activity, and allows a review of the new powers in their second year.
As passed, adds $30 million maximum civil penalties for contraventions of specified emergency call serviceThe system that lets people contact police, fire or ambulance services by calling Triple Zero. obligations and the new emergency call serviceThe system that lets people contact police, fire or ambulance services by calling Triple Zero. directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. duties.
The purpose of the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025 (the Custodian Bill) is to amend the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 (TCPSS Act) to establish the legislative function of the Triple Zero Custodian (the Custodian) within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (the department).Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum
The ACMA may give an ECS direction on its own initiative or on request by the Custodian (see section 151L).Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) as-passed bill text
The direction may require the recipient to provide to the ACMA information relating to an ECS matter, including information on any of the following: policies, procedures or processes relating to an ECS matter; the installation, operation, maintenance or testing of network units, cabling, equipment, facilities, networks or software which relate to an ECS matter.Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) as-passed bill text
The direction may require the recipient to provide to the ACMA information relating to a specified ECS outage event, including details about the services impacted, timeframes relating to restoration, locations, network performance and management, and public or internal communications relating to the ECS outage event.Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) as-passed bill text
The direction may require the recipient to take specified action for the purpose of developing policies, procedures and processes relating to an ECS matter; provide the information mentioned in subsection (2) or (3) to a specified person or body; consult with, or take specified action in relation to consulting with, a specified person or body.Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) as-passed bill text
This regime allows the Custodian and the ACMA to use and disclose information in line with the objective to prepare or respond to an outage, maintain the ECS and respond to matters relating to the ECS.Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum
Subsection 151Q(1) requires the ACMA to provide a written report to the Minister within 3 months after the end of each 6 month period starting at the commencement of the section... Section 151R allows the Minister to cause a review of the effectiveness of Divisions 3, 4 and 5 of Part 8 of the TCPSS Act to be conducted in the second year after the commencement of the provision.Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum
Part 4—Increased civil penalties... in the case of a contravention of subsection 148(1) or (3) of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999—$30 million for each contravention; or... subsection 151D(1) or (2)... $30 million for each contravention.Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) as-passed bill text
Context
Australia already regulated parts of the Triple Zero system through carrierA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network. rules, emergency call operator obligations and ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. enforcement, but the official material says no single entity had end-to-end visibility from carrierA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network. to emergency call operator to emergency service organisationA police, fire or ambulance organisation that responds to emergencies after a Triple Zero call is transferred to it.. The Optus national outage in November 2023 led to the Bean Review, which recommended a Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts.. A further Optus outage in September 2025 then pushed the government to legislate the custodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. and stronger ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. information, directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. and penalty powers.
Optus outage exposes Triple Zero risk
A national Optus whole-of-network outage affected Optus customers and reseller customers, interrupted critical services and affected calls to Triple Zero.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum ↗Government appoints Richard Bean to review the outage
The government announced a post-incident review led by former ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. deputy chair Richard Bean to examine the outage and the emergency calling system response.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum ↗Bean Review recommends one Triple Zero custodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts.
The review said different participants had siloed views of the emergency calling system and recommended a custodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. with overarching responsibility and visibility of end-to-end performance.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum ↗Another Optus outage blocks hundreds of Triple Zero calls
The explanatory memorandum says another Optus network outage left hundreds of Optus and reseller customers unable to connect to Triple Zero while investigations continued.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) explanatory memorandum ↗Government introduces Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. bill
The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to put the administratively established Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. into law and give ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. new directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. powers.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Senate agrees to Greens penalty amendment
The Senate progress record says one Australian Greens amendment was agreed to in committee, and the as-passed text shows the bill gained $30 million civil penalty provisions.
Parliamentary timeline and as-passed bill text ↗Parliament passes the amended bill
The House agreed to the Senate amendment and the bill finally passed both houses before receiving Royal Assent on 30 October 2025.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
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
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber. Later message exchanges with the other chamber were still recorded afterwards.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
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
The Senate considered the bill in committee of the whole and agreed to one Australian Greens amendment. The as-passed text shows this added $30 million civil penalty provisions.
Committee of the Whole debate
The Senate continued detailed consideration of the bill before third reading.
Committee of the Whole debate
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The House agreed to the Senate amendment, allowing the bill to pass in its amended form. The main accepted Senate changes reflected in the final bill were: The final Act added the accepted Senate amendment that inserted Part 4, setting $30 million civil penalties for contraventions of specified emergency call serviceThe system that lets people contact police, fire or ambulance services by calling Triple Zero. obligations and the new ECSThe system that lets people contact police, fire or ambulance services by calling Triple Zero. directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. duties. Other proposed amendments sought outage offences, higher or lower penalty amounts, public outage registers, faster reporting and regional-connectivity wording, but those changes are not shown in the as-passed text.
Consideration of Senate message
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
Criticism focused on whether the bill was strong and timely enough, rather than on whether Triple Zero needed stronger oversight. Coalition, crossbench and Greens speakers supported or welcomed the directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. of reform but argued the government had acted late, moved the bill too quickly for scrutiny, and should add tougher penalties, transparency and broader network-resilience measures.
The supplied debate record shows criticism of the bill’s adequacy and implementation, not a broad argument against stronger Triple Zero oversight.
Rushed bill after delayed action
Coalition speakers said the government waited too long after the Bean Review and then gave parliament too little time to test the bill before it was pushed through. Their concern was that emergency-calling reforms need careful stress-testing, not crisis-driven lawmaking.
Penalties seen as too weak
Greens and Coalition senators argued that directionA legally binding order from the regulator requiring an organisation to give information or do something. powers needed stronger consequences for carriersA company that owns or operates telecommunications network equipment, such as parts of a phone network. that fail emergency-calling obligations. The Greens sought criminal outage offences and higher civil penalties, while the Coalition proposed its own higher civil penalty amounts.
Transparency and reporting gaps
Opposition amendments sought a public register of outage events, faster ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. reporting, publication of reports and parliamentary tabling. The concern was that the public, emergency services and parliament should get clearer information during and after failures.
Broader network resilience still unresolved
Crossbench and regional speakers said the bill was only one step and did not solve wider telecommunications vulnerabilities, especially for rural, regional and remote communities or during disasters. Greens speakers also argued deeper reform was needed because essential telecommunications services were run for profit.
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.
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 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.
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 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 grouped by chamber. These cards include amendment outcomes recorded without a counted division.
House
The House agreed to the amendments made by the Senate, so the bill could pass both chambers in the same form.
Carried on voices
The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Wells supports the bill and wants it passed because it puts the Triple Zero CustodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. into law and gives ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. stronger powers to oversee outages and force action to protect access to triple 0.
Read in Hansard ↗Helen Haines supports the bill and says it should pass because stronger oversight and emergency-calling powers are needed after repeated Optus outages put lives at risk.
Read in Hansard ↗Tom French supports the bill and wants it passed, arguing it will make triple zero more reliable by creating a clear national custodianThe national official or body that oversees how the Triple Zero emergency calling system works across all its parts. and stronger emergency powers after serious network outages.
Read in Hansard ↗McGrath says the bill is rushed and too weak, arguing it mainly adds bureaucracy without fixing the failures exposed by the Optus outage.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
6 speakers · 6 support
“I rise to speak in support of the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025. This bill represents something simple yet profound: the guarantee that, when Australians dial triple 0, help is always within reach. It says that, in a country as advanced as ours, no person should ever hear silence at the other end of an emergency call. I commend the Minister for Communications, the Hon. Anika Wells MP, for her leadership in driving this reform.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This piece of legislation today is part of a suite of things that are so vital to communities like mine—peri-urban areas that can be some of the most disaster prone places but also have a high number of users of roads and accidents on well-used but not always best-maintained and highest-grade roads through quite sparsely populated areas. We do need to have a triple 0 custodian who can have the oversight on this aspect of it. No doubt, as we get this new technology happening, as new things come in, their remit will expand to ensure that, whatever the mode of communication, whether you're dialling triple 0 through a LEOsat, whether you're using your wi-fi through your NBN or whether you're using your mobile phone or your landline, you have the ability to connect to the services that you need most. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This Bill cements into law the powers and functions of the existing Triple Zero Custodian, to strengthen the resilience and oversight of the Triple Zero system.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill cements into law the powers and functions of the existing triple 0 custodian, to strengthen the resilience and oversight of the triple 0 system.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I therefore urge everyone—the Greens and the coalition—to stop playing political games and join with the government in commending this bill to the Senate.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I do urge the opposition and the crossbench to support this bill. I am concerned to hear that amendments are going to be moved that could potentially delay the introduction of these important reforms, and I cannot believe that we'd be even contemplating not taking action and pushing that further out. I am concerned to hear that those amendments are being put forward, and I would urge the opposition to make sure that they are supporting these important reforms that get that moving on 1 November—not delaying it but getting it moving on 1 November. As someone who has worked on the front line of disaster response, I know that we need this action now, because it means saving lives, it means protecting families and it means giving every Australian the confidence that, when they dial triple 0, we have their backs.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
4 speakers · 6 contributions · 2 support · 2 unclear
“This government's failure to act on the recommendations of the Bean review, which they accepted and agreed to in full 18 months ago, is lazy and shows a disregard for the triple 0 service. This bill, at face value, does little more than add bureaucratic layers to an existing process that already has multiple failure points. The coalition will continue to call for an independent review of the triple 0 ecosystem. It is vital that we find out what the failure points are so we can fix them and ensure that this system works. Australians deserve more. They expect more, and it is on the Minister for Communications, as the steward of the system, to deliver that. This system is broken. The minister needs to do her job and fix it. Australians are depending on this government, but also on this Senate, to get this right. With disaster season upon us, there is no time to waste.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“What was the minister doing? She is ramming this bill through at the last minute. It should have happened last year. After ACMA ran its consultation on these new, enhanced triple 0 rules, they should have come into effect straightaway. Now, of course, the carriers are saying, 'We need so much more time.' Well, no, they don't need more time, when there is an outage, to tell emergency services. I recall the outrage of the South Australian Premier, who was also in the dark when we had that scrambled Friday night press conference by the CEO of Optus. He was outraged because services in South Australia and, I assume, in Western Australia were not told—state governments were not told—and the whole thing was a fiasco.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Regional Australians live a long way from an ambulance station, let alone a hospital and let alone a police station or firefighting services. These are regional Australians who take it upon themselves to look after themselves and to run, for instance, farm firefighting units because they know they are so far from help and they need to be self-reliant. They cannot contact triple 0 during an outage to report that a fire is moving in a certain direction or that they need help stopping an outbreak. How do motorists or Indigenous Australians report a car accident and the need for urgent assistance if triple 0 fails? This is why, as shadow minister for regional communications, I am proposing amendments to this bill to bring specific emphasis to rural, regional and remote Australians.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 3 separate contributions by Melissa McIntosh on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
McIntosh attacks the bill as a rushed and poorly scrutinised response to the Optus triple zero outage, arguing it is far from perfect and may create real risks because it was introduced with almost no time to test it. In this excerpt she does not clearly say whether the coalition will vote for or against the bill.
“We are here today discussing this because we have a rushed piece of legislation. It's policy on the run in its worst form. This legislation is far from perfect. If it had been moved to 18 months ago—even 12 months ago—would it have stopped the September outage, when four lives were lost? We haven't even had time, because it came to us with less than 24 hours notice to stress test or scenario test it. Those scenario tests will now have to happen in real life, and with that come extraordinary risk as to whether the legislation will actually work.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
McIntosh attacks the government’s handling of the Optus outage and says the minister, ACMAThe Australian communications regulator. In this bill, it can order some organisations to provide information or take action about Triple Zero issues. and the department failed to act or be transparent about problems with triple zero. In the supplied speech excerpt she does not clearly say whether the opposition will support or oppose the bill.
“According to the minister, the triple 0 custodian has been operational since March this year in her department—the very same department that got the alert email from Optus the day of the outage and did nothing with the email. What exactly has this person or persons been doing since March? Clearly not checking their emails from Optus about a triple 0 outage where four people have died. What astounds me most is that it's taken yet another absolute crisis with Optus to get this weak, lazy Albanese government off their backsides, and they still don't have a clue. If the role was established back in March, why wasn't it legislated then? If the role was fully operational back in March without legislative authority, why does it need it now? And how much are Australian taxpayers paying for this custodian who can't even check an email? This is nothing but a dog-and-pony show from this arrogant government, who think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and nothing is going to happen. Nothing to see here.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
McIntosh says the opposition will support the bill, but argues it has been rushed and is too weak on its own. She says she will move amendments to strengthen protections for the triple zero system and urges the government to back them.
“I foreshadow that I will be moving detailed amendments to strengthen this bill, even though we have been given 24 hours notice, because, unlike those opposite, I want to properly fix and protect the triple zero network. Colleagues on this side have been doing all they can over those few hours to contribute to fixing the system, because we care. We care about Australians when they are in their greatest need. People are depending on us to get this right, so we will support this bill and I implore—I deeply, deeply mean it—the Albanese Labor government to support my amendments. We come across a little bit aggressive now, but it's because we care about Australians, and we're moving these amendments because we know they will strengthen this bill. Albert Einstein is reported to have said, 'The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.' Don't let it blind your actions here. Do what is right and what will ensure that all Australians are safe and they can call triple 0 when they really need it.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
5 speakers · 6 contributions · 4 support · 1 unclear
“These corporations need to hear the signal of money loud and clear. They need stronger penalties, and I would put it to this chamber that we need criminal penalties as well, because this is criminal. Failing to deliver on the most basic service of triple 0, putting your profits ahead of the safety of people and thinking about your shareholders and the stock exchange before the Australian community and your customers—that should be criminal. That's why we'll be moving to increase the penalties in this bill. I urge the government: if you want to talk tough, work tough. Pass the amendments and let's get this done.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise today to speak to the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025. Regulating telecommunications companies is essential, and the Greens welcome the introduction of this bill. However, it has taken the government far too long to take steps to regulate the telecommunications companies. This legislation is only being introduced now, 18 months after it was recommended, allowing big corporations to be left to run rampant. Why have we left triple 0 up to the operation of profit-seeking companies? Something as life-and-death as calling triple 0 should be bulletproof.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is the bare minimum. The public deserve to know that when they dial triple 0, they will reach a system that works and that they will get help that they need. When it fails, there must be only the most serious of consequences. Frankly, this debate isn't a new one. Here we are again, talking about the inability of private corporations to provide the essential and even lifesaving services that the Australian public deserves. This recent Optus triple 0 outage on 18 September is a catastrophic example linked to three deaths, including an eight-week-old baby. More than 600 emergency calls went unanswered. I cannot begin to imagine the terror of reaching out for help in your moment of greatest need only to be met with an empty dial tone. And, as we've heard, this isn't an isolated incident.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“We shouldn't be having this bill in front of us today because this was all apparent and clear in the 2023 outage. We're going to support this legislation, in one form or another—hopefully with some penalties that meet the damage—because something's better than nothing. I can tell you this: communities deserve far better. Once again, it's the Greens who are standing here, calling for serious penalties for corporate malfeasance and for when the negligence of corporations results in death. It's the Greens who are here saying that corporations need to be held to account and that regulators need the powers. It's the Greens who have been repeatedly calling out the failed experiment of privatisation—that religion of privatisation that both Labor and the coalition keep preaching but that Australians know is a short path to scrapping services, and, in this case, doing so with lethal consequences.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Mehreen Faruqi on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Faruqi argues the bill does not address the real cause of the triple zero outage, saying it is only a minor regulatory fix for a deeper failure caused by privatisation and profit-driven telecommunications services. She strongly criticises Optus and the government, but this excerpt does not clearly say whether she will vote for or against the bill.
“The Optus triple 0 outage last month that left hundreds of calls unanswered and that ended up in three deaths was catastrophic. It was a catastrophic failure of privatisation, of marketisation and of corporatisation of essential services. This is the failure of putting profits over people. The system failures are not a surprise. These disasters are not an anomaly, and the problem will not be solved with some minor tweaks or by creating yet another toothless regulatory role. Failures like this are baked into the very systems that created Optus and Telstra. The roots of the problem are privatisation, neoliberalism and the endless pursuit of profit at the expense of people and the planet.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Faruqi condemns the privatised telecommunications system and argues that small regulatory fixes or new positions will not solve the failures exposed by the triple zero crisis. She calls for essential services to be brought back into public hands, but this speech does not clearly say whether she will support or oppose the bill.
“I think this should be a real wake-up call for the Labor government to say, 'Enough!' The privatisation experiment has failed, and we must have the courage to end it. We cannot tinker around the edges. We cannot create more toothless, underfunded regulators or positions. We cannot pretend that small changes will fix a crisis. We cannot pretend that for the climate. We cannot pretend that for any other public services. We need to rebuild public ownership. We need to bring back public accountability. We need to invest in the people and the systems that keep our country fair and safe. We need to put public interest above private profit and make sure that a company like Optus can never hold our lives in its hands, because, when a mother cannot reach triple 0 and her new baby dies, we know the system has utterly failed. Privatisation is not delivering efficiency; it is delivering neglect, it is delivering cruelty, and the disaster has been built, brick by brick, by decades of political cowardice by governments. So today I say to the government: stop selling us out. Let's end the neoliberal experiment. Essential services must be in public hands for the public good.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 support
“Following the last absolutely unacceptable outage, the minister has moved to fast-track the establishment of the Triple Zero Custodian in the legislation that we have before us and to give ACMA new powers to hold the telcos to account. Of course I welcome this, and I welcome this bill, and I will support its passage through the House. But I criticise the government most strongly for its slow implementation of key outstanding Bean review recommendations.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
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.
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.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
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.
House · Consideration in detail debate
Consideration in detail debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
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.
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.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
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.
Senate · Committee of the whole: amendments considered
Greens penalty amendment agreed
The Senate considered the bill in committee of the whole and agreed to one Australian Greens amendment. The as-passed text shows this added $30 million civil penalty provisions.
Senate · Committee of the Whole debate
Committee debate continued
The Senate continued detailed consideration of the bill before third reading.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
House · Consideration of Senate message
House accepted Senate amendment
The House agreed to the Senate amendment, allowing the bill to pass in its amended form.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
