Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026

“I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and related bills. Like every appropriation bill, it is about priorities—the choices we're making as a government to tackle the big challenges and seize the opportunities before us as a country. But it also means changes and opportunities at a local level, so I'll begin by talking about things happening locally in my electorate of Deakin, and then I'll go to some of the broader economic initiatives seen in these documents.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“The communities of southern Sydney that make up Hughes are truly special ones. It is such a great honour to be able to serve them in this place as the member for Hughes.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“I'm going to start with three good things. Firstly, this week we've seen new data which confirms the biggest jump in quarterly bulk-billing statistics in over 20 years. In just the last three months we've seen a recovery of the bulk-billing rate—GP visits that are bulk-billed—to 81.4 per cent. There are now more than 3,400 bulk-billing practices in Australia—and that's growing every week. The maths says that's a more than 50 per cent increase in the number of bulk-billing practices because of Labor's investments in strengthening Medicare. This growth has been seen in every state and territory right across the country, and it means that more than 96 per cent of Australians now live within a 20-minute drive of a fully bulk-billed practice. We promised at the election that we would take real action to turn around the decline in bulk-billing rates that we inherited from the former government, who froze the rebate for nearly their whole decade of dysfunction, decay and division in office, and that is the promise that we are delivering.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Feb 2026

“Whilst we have good news on the economy with our national accounts coming out today, our government has been diligently making sure that we're doing what we can to help Australians who have been doing it tough whilst also putting that downward pressure on inflation.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 04 Mar 2026

“While we can discuss appropriation bills in terms of numbers, line items and balance sheets, at the heart they're about our national priorities.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 11 Mar 2026

“I rise to support the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and related bills. These additional estimates appropriation bills provide the legislative basis for the Albanese government's policy decisions taken in MYEFO. MYEFO is often something that gets a bit overlooked in the wash, and I doubt there are many Australians there who are following the passage of this legislation closely today, but fair enough—it can be a bit of a dry topic.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“Governments always need a lot of goods and services to get things done, so government purchasing power can't be understated.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026, brought forward by the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, and I commend him for doing so. These bills underpin our government's expenditure decisions made since the 2025-26 budget, the commitments that we took to the 2025 election and that we have been able to deliver in my home in Melbourne's western suburbs, in Sydenham, as well as for Australians right across the country. We introduced a number of really important reforms that are already making a difference in the lives of everyday Australians.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 11 Mar 2026

“I don't even know where to start after that. I must thank the member for Goldstein. I feel he walked into the wrong meeting. That meeting's down the docks on a Wednesday night, my friend. He's forgotten what we were actually here to speak about.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Feb 2026

“Recently, I had the pleasure of welcoming the Minister for Education to Elizabeth to officially open Uni Hub Playford, South Australia's first permanent suburban university study hub right in the heart of Adelaide's north.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the 2025-26 additional estimates appropriations bills known as AEs. These bills, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026, are appropriations that are necessary for the operation of government. They underpin the Albanese Labor government's expenditure decisions made since the 2025-26 budget that relate to that financial year, including decisions made in the MYEFO.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 04 Mar 2026

“This bill is all about delivery of the commitments we took to the last election. We, as a government, are focused on delivering on the things that matter to everyday Australians, and I'm focused on delivering for my electorate of Menzies—investments in our local infrastructure, in our community organisations, in our local festivals, in cost-of-living relief, in health care, in education and in housing. I'm extremely grateful to the people of Menzies for providing me the opportunity to represent our local community and create real outcomes. Our government is incredibly grateful to the people of Australia for their endorsement at the last election, and we're working every day to make sure that Australians know we've got their backs.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“I am proudly the member for Perth. I'm proudly a Western Australian. I am proudly a federationist. I believe that secession is false hope. It's a fringe idea with real-world costs. And, as we read in the Australian this week, we're seeing in Western Australia a new generation of secessionists launching a 400-page, 15-chapter book entitled Secession by Western Australia. Now, that sounds like a very painful read for anyone—but, I'll tell you, nothing compared with the pain of separating Western Australia from the federation. As you look around the world in 2026, now is not the time for idiotic ideas like secession. Global conflict is a sobering reminder that Australia is stronger together. One hundred and twenty-five years ago this year, we federated to make sure we were better off together than we were as separate colonies. Back then, our trains didn't connect, it was very hard to post a letter from one side of the country to the other, and we clearly were not reaching our economic potential.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 11 Mar 2026

“This government is focused on one thing, and that is helping with the cost of living, because we know every little bit helps.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak in support of the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and the related bills because I am proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is delivering on its commitments across the country, including in my electorate of Whitlam. I am proud because our government is focused on delivering real outcomes for the Australian community. We aren't a government of empty promises. We don't hide behind empty slogans. We're not engaged in fearmongering or culture wars. We are focused on delivering real outcomes for the Australian people.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the appropriation bills before the House and, in doing so, I want to celebrate the priorities of this Albanese government.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. High-performing governments invest money efficiently and in line with their priorities. It takes hard work, careful diligence, running the numbers and then running the numbers again and again. It requires a degree of engagement with risk. It's a deliberate policy act, and I am careful to refrain from describing this as spending, because it is actually investment. It is an investment in Australia's people—their futures and Australia's future. It is an investment in sustainability, in security and in health. It is an investment in systems that work and in infrastructure that delivers value for Australians. This is what the Albanese Labor government is doing. We are investing in Australia for the future. In these appropriation bills, there is more than $3.2 billion to implement the 2024 NDS, the National Defence Strategy, and Defence's 2024 Integrated Investment Program, the IIP, and to enable the delivery of prioritised capabilities.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. These bills represent the continuation of our government's responsible and fair economic management. They provide roughly seven-twelfths of the annual funding required for this fiscal year, alongside allocations for budget measures announced earlier in the 2025 budget and some additional items since that include funding for election commitments and measures highlighted in the pre-election fiscal outlook and adjustments following machinery-of-government changes.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“The appropriation bills provide a great opportunity to step back and take a look at how this government, the Albanese government, is delivering on the commitments we've made across vital portfolios—health, education, social services, climate change and energy—and the cost-of-living assistance that we have been able to deliver.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“In the 1950s a significant change took place in medicine. The advent of evidence based medicine saw that field move from an approach which had previously prized grey-bearded experts towards a more scientific and critical approach, which looked to test new treatments. Streptomycin, the polio vaccine and other treatments were evaluated using randomised trials. This was a significant step forward for medicine, saving thousands of lives. Treatments which were previously thought to be effective turned out, when subjected to a rigorous control, to be ineffective. Treatments which had been thought to be long shots turned out to save lives.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Mar 2026

“I feel an affinity for the member for Capricornia, myself coming from the country originally.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Mar 2026

“The appropriations in these bills reflect those priorities in practical terms. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will receive over $2.9 billion, predominantly to continue support for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. In Western Australia, particularly in my electorate of Hasluck, this really matters. Households across suburbs like Dayton, Noranda and Guildford are already embracing rooftop solar at remarkable rates. We in the west have recently led the nation in household solar uptake, but until now too many families have generated clean power during the day, have seen it flow back into the grid and then have had to buy it back at peak prices in the evening. Home batteries flip the script. They allow families to store their own power, reduce reliance on the grid at peak times and cut their bills. It's a win-win for the environment and the cost of living. Labor is delivering.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise in support of the appropriations bills for 2025-26. Just under a year ago, the Albanese government took to the voters of Australia an ambitious plan to ease cost-of-living pressures and to rebuild the economy. That plan was built around three main pillars: that the economy worked for people, not the other way around, that no-one was held back and no-one left behind and that workers would earn more and keep more of what they earn. We hear these words daily in this House. This plan was backed up by an ambitious agenda around a fairer industrial landscape, housing, health care, renewable energy, climate, education and the environment, all designed to simultaneously address the biggest challenge confronting our communities: cost of living. So these bills put money behind this plan, enabling the Albanese Labor government to deliver for Brisbane and every other electorate across this country.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“After listening to the member for Fairfax, I have one question: what are you going to cut, mate?”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Feb 2026

“I rise today to speak in support of the 2025-26 additional estimates appropriation bills: Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. Before making my remarks, I acknowledge I am making these remarks on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who have joined us in the gallery today.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Feb 2026

“The bills before us, as other speakers have established, are Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. These bills underpin the government's expenditure decisions that have been made since the last budget. They are related to the financial year and include the changes that have been made and were announced in the midyear update at the end of last year.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise today to discuss the appropriation bills. We've heard from the health minister recently that the work the government is undertaking on bulk-billing is ensuring our bulk-billing rates are climbing and are back on the right track after years of lost investment under the previous government. In just three months, we have seen the bulk-billing rate for all Australians jumped to 81.4 per cent nationwide. That is the largest quarterly bulk-billing jump in 20 years, outside of the COVID pandemic. To put this into more practical terms, this increase in bulk-billing and bulk-billing practices means that approximately 96 per cent of Australians are now within a 20-minute drive of a registered Medicare bulk-billing practice.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“It is a great honour to be the member for Wills in Melbourne's northern suburbs because of the people who choose to live, work and be there play there every day.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and related bills. It gives me great pleasure to be speaking on this bill, because this bill is the next bill to actually focus on our government's agenda of delivery. Our government has been delivering and delivering, and I'm really very proud of that. I want to start by speaking about delivery in my local electorate in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. I'm going to have to disagree with the minister for infrastructure. I think the southern suburbs of Adelaide is the most beautiful place in Australia and, indeed, probably the world. It is the gateway to the Fleurieu Peninsula, with an incredible coastline and beaches that run from Hallett Cove all the way down to Maslin Beach. It's a wonderful community to live, work and raise a family in. It has had its challenges over the last little while with the unprecedented algae bloom that has been persistent on our beaches. But I have to say, being down on our coastline, it is magnificent. I'd encourage anyone to get down and enjoy the South Australian coastline. There are businesses that are ready to take your order, ready to sell you something, ready to give you an experience that you will enjoy.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise today with a profound sense of purpose, because what we are delivering as a Labor government is not an abstraction; it's a statement of values, a declaration of the kind of country we are choosing to build and a reflection of who we are as a people.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 11 Mar 2026

“I'm incredibly proud to be part of a government that is delivering for my community of Newcastle—delivering real projects, delivering real investment and delivering real opportunity because that is what Labor governments do: we build, we invest and we back communities for the long term, not just election cycles.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“In communities right across Perth's south-eastern suburbs, families are working hard every day to give their kids the best possible start in life.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, the Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. Australia, like most of the world, continues to experience persistent inflationary pressures, but we know that inflation is much lower than when we came to government. Inflation has a three in front of it instead of a six, but it's still higher than we would like. We also know people are under pressure and are worried about paying the bills, including people in my electorate of Dickson. That is why we have been clear-eyed and focused on responsible cost-of-living relief while, at the same time, delivering a $235 billion turnaround in the budget. This government has got the Liberal debt down by $176 billion, saving Aussies $60 billion in debt interest. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has also delivered two surpluses—something the previous coalition government could never achieve, no matter how many black mugs and premature slogans they put out.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“Greek philosopher Aristotle is credited with saying that true democracy requires citizens to care about injustice to others.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No.3) 2025-2026. Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor government has been focused on strengthening Medicare and delivering more accessible and affordable health care for all Australians. As the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health and the federal member for Dobell on the Central Coast of New South Wales, I am proud of the progress that we're making.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“I rise today to speak in support of this package of appropriation bills: the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and related bills. These bills give effect to decisions outlined in the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which the Albanese Labor government delivered at the end of last year. MYEFO strengthened the budget, reduced debt and reinforced our government's responsible approach to economic and fiscal management. The figures demonstrate a significantly stronger budget position than the one we inherited and a stronger position than was forecast at the time of the election. In fact, it was the only mid-year update on record to deliver a better bottom line in every year of the forward estimates, less debt in every year of the forward estimates and net policy decisions that improve, not worsen, the fiscal outlook. We are delivering on our commitments, making space for unavoidable pressures and strengthening the budget all at once.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Mar 2026

“I rise today to speak in support of the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026. These bills represent the Albanese Labor government's unwavering commitment to delivering for all Australians. As we move through the parliamentary term, our focus remains clear: providing responsible economic management and cost-of-living relief. For the people of Bullwinkel, a brand new electorate that I am incredibly proud to represent, these appropriations are not just figures on a page; they are blueprints for a healthier, more supported and more connected community. As a nurse, I'd like to use my speech to talk about the health expenditure that this bill allows for.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 24 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak in support of these appropriation bills. These bills enable the Albanese Labor government to deliver on the commitments that we made to all Australians at the last election—commitments grounded in fairness, responsibility and care for one another. They fund the services Australians rely upon every single day—things like health, mental health services and aged care, and ensure this parliament has the resources it needs to function effectively. When re-elected, the Prime Minister promised to make a positive difference to all Australians each and every day, to invest in our youngest Australians, to look after our oldest and to build a society that is strong and fair and as resilient and generous as Australians themselves. These bills give effect to that promise.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Feb 2026

“These Bills underpin the Government's expenditure decisions made since the 2025-26 Budget that relate to the 2025-26 financial year, including decisions made in the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO).”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 25 Mar 2026

“The Albanese Labor government is now into its second term after having been elected in May 2022 and re-elected in May last year.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 12 Mar 2026