BUSINESS

Senator CASH (Western Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (12:15): I seek leave to move a motion relating to the consideration of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Removing the Widows and Spouses Tax) Bill 2026 as circulated. Leave not granted. Senator CASH: Pursuant to contingent notice standing in my name, I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the consideration of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Removing the Widows and Spouses Tax) Bill 2026.

I have to say this is possibly one of the most urgent suspensions to ever come before the Australian Senate. The Albanese government openly admit that they have imposed a tax on women escaping domestic violence. They now openly admit that they have imposed a tax on Australians going through divorce and relationship breakdowns.

They have openly admitted this. They know they have a problem. They stand up here day after day telling us how they are the party for women in this country, yet they then sit back and are emasculated when it comes to bringing in a change to this.

Well, guess what? The opposition is going to help the government. We have today introduced into the parliament the Treasury Laws Amendment (Removing the Widows and Spouses Tax) Bill 2026.

It is a very, very simple bill. It basically cleans up the mess that the government itself has created. The government has had Tuesday of this week.

The government has had Wednesday of this week. The government has had today, Thursday, of this week to introduce a bill to clean up its mess. It has sat on its hands and it has done nothing.

All the Senate now has to do is agree to this suspension so that, at three o'clock today, we will not interrupt any government business time. We will end question time in an orderly way. We will then join together as the Senate to debate the bill that has now been introduced into the Australian Senate and, after 30 minutes, do you know what we'll do?

The Labor Party, the great defenders of women in Australia, and the Australian Greens—I think they're even greater defenders of women in Australia—can then be judged by their actions and not their words. There is now a bill that is able to be brought on at 3 pm today. As I said, it is a very, very simple bill.

It cleans up the mess that the government itself has openly admitted it created, and that's what the sad reality is here. The Labor Party, when they rushed their tax hikes through the Senate, already knew that they were imposing a tax on widows and on those fleeing domestic violence situations. As we all know, there is a woman out there now who is personally, at this point in time, feeling the impact of this tax hike on her.

They were imposing a tax on Australians going through one of the most difficult times of their life, and that, of course, is divorce and relationship breakdown, but they proceeded anyway. They then had weeks and weeks during the parliamentary winter break to bring forward legislation. There has been Tuesday of this week, Wednesday of this week and, now, Thursday of this week, and they have failed to do so.

The coalition are ready, willing and able to work with the government. All the government needs to do is acknowledge that this is an urgent matter. They failed the Australian people, they've worked a tax hike on them in the most shocking of situations, and they failed to do anything about it.

All the government needs to do is agree this matter is urgent, as it is. They need to agree that we, at three o'clock, will suspend the Senate standing orders, we'll agree to the suspension, and, instead of moving to take note, we will move to consider for 30 minutes the Treasury Laws Amendment (Removing the Widows and Spouses Tax) Bill 2026. It is there now.

It has been introduced. I have to say, when this goes to a vote, I hope it goes through. It's a very simple one.

I hope it goes through. You are dealing with here a woman who loses her husband. You are dealing with here a woman who escapes a violent partner.

You are dealing with here a marriage that breaks down. You are dealing with here a family that falls apart. You've made a mistake.

You admit the mistake. You admit you stuffed up badly. You admit that you are hiking taxes on these people.

There is a woman now who has been directly affected by this as a result of a domestic violence relationship. And this bill now can actually go through at 3.30 today. The government won't take any action, but the coalition will.