Shadow Portfolio — 27 May 2026

Garth Hamilton (LNP) used the second reading debate on Appropriation Bills No. 1 and No. 2 2026–27 to mount a wide-ranging attack on the government's fiscal and policy record, then shifted to national security scrutiny in Question Time — two distinct lines of attack that together map the breadth of his current opposition positioning.

The centrepiece of his appropriations contribution was a multi-front critique of the budget's structural consequences. Hamilton characterised the budget as the highest-taxing in Australian history and the highest-spending in 40 years outside the pandemic, arguing this spending profile is directly sustaining domestic inflation at five per cent [TA-260527-house-ef5cc5d1c124:s124].

He warned the forward estimates lock in a decade of deficits, a legacy he framed as damaging to future treasurers. On housing, Hamilton argued that changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax will remove 35,000 homes from private-sector supply, worsening affordability for younger Australians by compressing supply while government demand-side measures push prices higher.

He also flagged the introduction of what he termed a "death tax" in 2026 as a further burden on young Australians — a politically charged framing that extends the generational-equity argument beyond housing.

Hamilton also used the debate to prosecute two specific infrastructure and energy criticisms. On Inland Rail, he accused the government of abandoning a commitment made while in opposition to extend the project to Toowoomba, leaving more than $50 million in private investment stranded. He called directly on the government to reverse course.

On energy, he challenged the practical feasibility of the government's east-coast gas reservation proposal, pointing to the existing Queensland-to-Victoria pipeline already operating at capacity as evidence the plan cannot deliver.

On NDIS, Hamilton recalled prior calls for reform and accused the government of structuring the system in a way that disincentivises care for high-need recipients — a criticism directed at how the scheme's design affects the most vulnerable participants rather than at cost per se.

In Question Time, Hamilton pivoted to foreign affairs and national security, asking the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether any Australian government agencies have provided operational support to repatriate ISIS sympathisers since 2022 [TA-260527-house-ef5cc5d1c124:s156]. The question is notable for its specificity — the reference to operational support and the 2022 start date suggests Hamilton is probing whether there is undisclosed agency involvement in repatriation decisions, not merely policy settings.

This sits apart from the fiscal agenda he pursued in the appropriations debate, but together the two interventions present Hamilton as covering economic, regional infrastructure, and national security ground in a single sitting day.