Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025

Senator GREEN (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Tourism, Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Assistant Minister for Northern Australia) (12:54): To assist the chamber—and we can hopefully move on through the amendments—I will put on the record that the minister has been very clear that the government is willing to work with all parties to enhance penalties for telcos.

There is currently a bill before the House, the enhancing consumer safeguards bill. That is an appropriate way to deal with such amendments which are of a particularly significant nature and should be considered through the TA(ECS) Bill, allowing full parliamentary debate on that. Nevertheless, I will indicate to the chamber that we think this bill is too important, so the government will ensure passage of the bill today, and we will be considering amendments put forward by the opposition in regard to penalties.

I note that the shadow communications minister wrote to the minister to accept an offer to negotiate these penalties through the TA(ECS) Bill. Nevertheless, whether that's been acted on and in good faith or not, we foreshadow possible further amendments to the civil penalty framework through the enhancing consumer safeguards bill. But we do think that this bill is too important, so the government will support amendments put forward by the opposition today regarding civil penalties.