This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Welfare & housing
The bill would set up an independent Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments. to give Parliament advice on poverty, its causes, ways to reduce it, and minimum social security payment levels.
Millions of Australians were left below the poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level. because income support was unavailable or inadequate, and JobSeekerThe working age income support payment the page uses as an example of a payment that has not kept up with living costs. had seen only minimal rises above inflation over decades. The bill creates an independent Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments. to review poverty and payment adequacy, advise Parliament on minimum payment levels, and require a public government response.
With millions of Australians living below the poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level. and JobSeekerThe working age income support payment the page uses as an example of a payment that has not kept up with living costs. rising only minimally above inflation over decades, the government set up an interim Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground. in 2022 but the Greens argued that was not enough and introduced this bill in March 2023 to create an independent Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments. and force public responses on payment adequacy. Poverty remained a visible issue through 2023, including concern about older women facing hardship, but the government said in September 2023 it would not support the bill because it planned a permanent Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground. instead, and the bill later lapsed in July 2025.
The main criticism was that the bill would set up another advisory body that duplicates existing poverty work, adding cost, complexity and more reviews instead of direct action. That case was raised by Labor senators speaking against the bill, while supporters rejected the duplication claim and argued a stronger independent body was still needed.
Senator Janet Rice introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Greens.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
844 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
The bill would set up an independent Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments. to give Parliament advice on poverty, its causes, ways to reduce it, and minimum social security payment levels.
Australia would get a regular national poverty review at least every three years, including a poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level., the groups hit hardest, and recommendations on what governments should do next.
Social security paymentsGovernment welfare payments such as unemployment support that the bill says should be checked for whether they are high enough to live on. would be checked at least every four years to decide whether they cover a basic standard of living, and to recommend higher rates or better indexationThe automatic adjustment of payment rates over time, usually to stop them losing value as prices rise. if they do not.
Reviews of welfare payments would have to use a living standardThe minimum level of everyday life the bill says payments should be enough to support, including housing costs. that does not leave people below the poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level., including housing costs.
The government would have to publicly answer the Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments.'s recommendations, saying whether it accepts them and why if it does not.
The object of this Bill is to establish a legislated, independent, evidence-based process that draws on the experience of people living in poverty, to provide advice to Parliament. The Antipoverty Commission will be able to provide advice on:Ending Poverty in Australia (Antipoverty Commission) explanatory memorandum
15. Clause 11 specifies that the Commission must undertake antipoverty reviews at least every three years, or more frequently if directed, including determining a poverty line, areas and groups that are particularly impacted, and provide recommendations as part of the review.Ending Poverty in Australia (Antipoverty Commission) explanatory memorandum
if the Commission determines that the current level, or rate of indexation, of the payment does not provide adequate support to meet that standard—a recommended increase to the level of the payment, or recommended change to the rate of indexation of the payment, that the Commonwealth Government should adopt.Ending Poverty in Australia (Antipoverty Commission) explanatory memorandum
an acceptable standard of living (including housing costs) must not result in recipients falling below the poverty line, using the poverty line determined by the Commission under paragraph 11(2)(b) as part of the most recent antipoverty review”.Ending Poverty in Australia (Antipoverty Commission) explanatory memorandum
53. Subclause 23(1) specifies that as soon as practicable, the Government must provide a response to the Commission’s recommendations.Ending Poverty in Australia (Antipoverty Commission) explanatory memorandum
Context
With millions of Australians living below the poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level. and JobSeekerThe working age income support payment the page uses as an example of a payment that has not kept up with living costs. rising only minimally above inflation over decades, the government set up an interim Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground. in 2022 but the Greens argued that was not enough and introduced this bill in March 2023 to create an independent Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments. and force public responses on payment adequacy. Poverty remained a visible issue through 2023, including concern about older women facing hardship, but the government said in September 2023 it would not support the bill because it planned a permanent Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground. instead, and the bill later lapsed in July 2025.
Government establishes an interim Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground.
Senate debate later described the interim committee as the government's existing mechanism for independent advice on economic inclusion and disadvantage before this bill was proposed.
Hansard ↗Greens introduce a bill for an independent Antipoverty CommissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments.
The bill was introduced as a response to millions of people living below the poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level. and decades of only minimal real increases in JobSeekerThe working age income support payment the page uses as an example of a payment that has not kept up with living costs..
Australian Parliament House ↗Poverty among older women becomes a visible budget issue
The Australian Financial Review reported Treasurer Jim Chalmers was troubled by poverty among older women as budget measures on JobSeekerThe working age income support payment the page uses as an example of a payment that has not kept up with living costs. were being discussed.
Australian Financial Review ↗Government says it will not support the bill
During Senate debate the government said the bill would not pass and pointed instead to replacing the interim committee with a permanent Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground..
Hansard ↗Bill lapses at the end of Parliament
The proposal did not become law and fell away when Parliament ended.
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 bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that the bill would set up another advisory body that duplicates existing poverty work, adding cost, complexity and more reviews instead of direct action. That case was raised by Labor senators speaking against the bill, while supporters rejected the duplication claim and argued a stronger independent body was still needed.
Criticism focused on duplication and implementation, not on denying poverty as a real problem.
Duplicates existing advisory work
Critics argued the bill would create an extra commission on top of the government's Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground. and other ongoing inquiries, risking wasted money, added bureaucracy and more process instead of practical policy action.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Rice says the Greens support the bill as a constructive and important step toward ending poverty in Australia, while arguing it should sit alongside an immediate increase to income support payments.
Read in Hansard ↗Marielle Smith says the government will not support the bill.
Read in Hansard ↗McKim supports the bill and says it is a constructive step toward ending poverty because it would create an independent body focused on poverty, with a national poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level. and stronger accountability for government responses.
Read in Hansard ↗Ayres opposes the bill, saying it duplicates the government’s planned Economic Inclusion Advisory CommitteeThe government's existing advisory body on disadvantage and economic inclusion, which opponents say already covers some of the same ground. and would add another inquiry instead of delivering real action on poverty.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 oppose
“What doesn't help these challenges or help the picture of poverty in Australia is the idea that the challenges before us can be fixed with quick fixes or simple ideas, committees and commissions. We need complex policy responses to meet complex challenges. Tackling poverty is never going to be a simple fix; it's never going to be solved by motions or debates in this chamber. And, unfortunately, despite what I recognise as the good intent behind this bill, it won't be solved by the proposals it puts forward—proposals which duplicate existing and established government practices and the work underway in the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. That's why we're not supporting it.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Greens bill would establish a new commission and a joint standing committee. What is required, of course, in this area of policy is not another inquiry but action. The only people that the Greens party proposal would lift out of poverty are the four to 12 commissioners that the commission would appoint. The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee structure provides an efficient, responsive and practical method of researching, advising and recommending options to government.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
3 speakers · 4 contributions · 3 support
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Janet Rice on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Rice says the Greens support the bill as a constructive and important step toward ending poverty in Australia, while arguing it should sit alongside an immediate increase to income support payments. She says the bill is a useful framework and urges other parties to support it.
“We think this is an important bill. It sets out a clear framework, and it goes further than any other proposals in this place. We urge the other parties to support it, and we will be using it as a blueprint for our deliberations on legislation in this area.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Rice supports the bill and says the Greens want it passed because an independent antipoverty commissionThe proposed independent body that would review poverty, advise Parliament, and recommend changes to social security payments. would give transparent advice, set a poverty lineThe income threshold the bill would use to judge who is in poverty and whether payments leave people below that level., and push government to lift inadequate income support payments. She also argues it goes further than the interim committee and should be used as a benchmark for the government's planned permanent body.
“I would love to see this bill passed. It probably isn't going to be passed today.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
“During this debate, colleagues need to understand that the Greens are putting forward a constructive step towards ending poverty in Australia. An independent body to provide advice to government on the issue of poverty is something we have long advocated for. Interestingly, successive governments have used the lack of a national definition of poverty as an excuse to keep people on inadequate income support payments. That is why we need a nationally agreed definition of poverty, one that takes into account different needs and contexts and one, critically, to which the government can be held accountable.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I also heard in previous contributions that this bill can't be supported because it duplicates things that already exist. I listened to the contribution of my colleague, and I heard Senator Rice say that this is about putting forward concrete ideas for how what is being proposed can be significantly improved. That's not taking the simple approach. That's acknowledging that some parts of this are complex and we need a body that can deal with that in a manner which it deserves.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
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 · Lapsed at end of Parliament
Lapsed at end of Parliament
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
