Senate — 13 May 2026

The Senate sitting of 13 May 2026 was dominated by post-budget contestation across every segment of the day's proceedings, with the 2026–27 Budget's tax changes, housing measures, NDIS funding, fuel security and debt trajectory providing the through-lines for question time, motions, senators' statements and the adjournment debate. The day also produced substantive legislative activity — including a contested government bill granting new crisis powers to the Treasurer and the ACCC — and a heavy slate of committee referrals aimed at extending Senate oversight into housing governance, foreign influence, AI regulation and the Inland Rail project.

Question time opened with a series of opposition take-note motions. Senator Liddle accused the government of "intergenerational tax fraud" harming young Australians [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s051], and Coalition senators Chandler, Hume, Cash and Bragg pressed ministers on projected debt reaching $1 trillion [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s127], on pre-election promises not to change negative gearing, capital gains tax or trust arrangements [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s145], and on whether higher housing taxes would reduce supply [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s153].

Senator Ananda-Rajah noted the house-price-to-income ratio has risen to eight-to-nine times national earnings. On the government side, Minister Wong asserted that "the tax system is screwing over young Australians" and said the budget would correct that imbalance [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s162]. Minister Gallagher characterised the budget as seeking intergenerational fairness through lower debt, tax reform and increased housing investment, and Minister Wong reiterated housing targets of 35,000 additional homes and 75,000 owner-occupiers over the decade [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s183].

Beyond the government-opposition contest, Senator Steele-John condemned what he described as a $185 billion cut to the NDIS over a decade — calling it the largest reduction to a social program in living memory — and demanded a guarantee that no participant would be worse off [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s056]. Senator Thorpe pressed Minister McCarthy on Northern Territory child-placement legislation that she argued weakens the Aboriginal child-placement principle [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s057], and Minister McCarthy said the government had consulted Aboriginal commissioners and was weighing Commonwealth intervention.

Senator Pocock raised data-centre energy expectations and criticised the absence of AI regulation, while Minister Ayres defended the government's AI plan and announced renewable generation projects. The government also emphasised regional fuel-security agreements with Singapore, Brunei, Korea, Japan and Malaysia in response to the Middle East oil shock.

The legislative segment saw four bills debated or introduced. The Opposition-initiated Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Tackling the Gender Super Gap) Bill 2025 attracted speeches from six Coalition senators who framed the voluntary spousal super-redistribution mechanism as a practical fairness measure [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s002]. Senator O'Sullivan cited data showing women retire with roughly a quarter less super than men [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s003], and Senator Ruston outlined safeguards including caps, exclusion of defined-benefit schemes and pension phases, and the use of existing rollover mechanisms.

The most contested bill was the government's Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 2026, introduced by Minister Ayres [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s012]. Schedule 1 creates new powers for the Treasurer and the ACCC to coordinate business actions during a crisis through an extraordinary circumstances declaration; Schedule 2 raises maximum Oil Code of Conduct penalties to $10 million or 10% of turnover for corporations [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s013].

Opposition and cross-bench senators uniformly challenged the bill's breadth: Senator Canavan argued existing ACCC authorisation processes already deliver rapid exemptions; Senator Hume warned the powers are non-disallowable and called for a Senate economics committee inquiry; Senator McDonald raised the absence of a sunset clause and retrospective effect; and Senators Blyth and Sharma questioned a seven-day publication delay for exemptions.

Senator Colbeck later warned the bill creates permanent exceptional-circumstances powers for the Treasurer and the ACCC, grants retrospective authority over the fuel crisis, and lacks independent scrutiny. Senator Whish-Wilson introduced the Greens' Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Packaging (No Time to Waste) Bill 2026 [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s062], noting that Australia's plastic consumption has more than doubled since 2000 while recycling rates remain around 14% [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s063].

Senator Chisholm introduced the government's Customs Legislation Amendment (False Trade Marks Infringement Notices) Bill 2026, creating a new strict-liability offence for importing goods with false trade marks and empowering Australian Border Force officers to issue infringement notices [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s111].

Senators' statements extended the budget debate beyond question time. Senator Bragg condemned $77 billion of new taxes and forecast 35,000 fewer houses. Senator Waters argued the budget fails to tax gas exports, cuts the NDIS and allocates billions to weapons [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s024].

Senator Dolega praised Tasmanian community organisations and a $64 billion TasRail investment [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s026]. Senator Antic questioned the $654.3 million allocation to the Digital ID Act, noting it was previously promised to be voluntary [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s035]. Senator Walker highlighted $1.2 billion for crisis and transitional housing for women and children escaping domestic violence.

Senator Pocock called for improved paediatric oncology services in the ACT, noting only two paediatric palliative-care nurses are available. Senator Thorpe urged a national truth-telling process for First Peoples, referencing the Yoorrook Justice Commission report. Senator Hanson attacked the budget for raising taxes, inflating debt and lacking support for families.

Motions business included a procedural fight over the competition bill. Senator Ayres moved to exempt it from the standing-order cut-off [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s008], while Senator Duniam argued insufficient briefings had been provided and Senator Canavan noted the bill is retrospective to 1 April. Senator Henderson tabled a standing-order 75 proposal characterising the budget as broken promises, higher taxes, more debt and fewer homes [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s084].

Multiple senators from all parties debated the budget motion. Separately, Senator Pocock moved an urgent motion for increased investment in nature conservation, noting that only 0.1% of the budget funds environmental protection and proposing a 1% target for biodiversity [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s093].

The Senate referred multiple matters to committees. Senator Hanson-Young referred the regulatory framework for data centres and AI's impact to the Environment and Communications References Committee [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s075]. Senator Bell referred the appropriateness of granting Deductible Gift Recipient status to Equality Australia to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s076].

Senator Cadell referred foreign influence in critical infrastructure to the Economics References Committee [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s112], and Senator Bragg referred the appointment of the next Housing Australia Board chair to the same committee, after Senator Cash noted that Housing Australia had built zero homes in 2025–26 despite $10 billion of taxpayer funding [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s115].

Senator Askew referred the Inland Rail project to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, and Senator Gallagher moved a time-critical bills referral covering all bills introduced between 14 May and 4 June 2026.

On the estimates front, opposition Chief Whip Senator Askew moved motions to extend meeting hours for the Economics, Foreign Affairs and Defence, and Community Affairs legislation committees to 9 am–11 pm during the 2–5 June estimates period. Minister Gallagher pushed back, saying committees are being "micromanaged on the floor of the Senate" [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s071] and that estimates programming should remain with committees.

Greens Senator Allman-Payne intervened to call for committee chairs to allow meetings to discuss program changes [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s073]. Assistant Minister Chisholm tabled the 2026–27 regional budget statement [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s106].

Procedural motions pressed the government on document production. Senator Askew moved orders noting non-compliance on the Integrated Assessment Tool and the Housing Australia Future Fund, directing the Treasury to table advice on the impact of housing-tax changes on supply and rents by 14 May [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s065], and requiring the Housing Minister to table fund documents and the appointment of the next board chair [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s069].

Senator Thorpe ordered the Attorney-General to table briefings on raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s081] and the Indigenous Affairs Minister to table documents on the Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment Agreement. Minister Gallagher responded that the government had already provided the requested documents.

The adjournment debate rounded out the day. Senator Ciccone announced a $10 billion fuel security and resilience package creating on-shore strategic reserves and increased stockholding obligations, alongside $53 billion of defence investment. Senator Askew condemned the divestment of the Training Ship Argonaut and other Tasmanian defence sites.

Senator Shoebridge relayed testimony from Caroline Graham criticising secret ASIO questioning powers. Senator Sharma delivered a broad budget critique accusing the government of raising taxes, inflating debt, eroding real wages and harming younger Australians [TA-260513-senate-d4ffca432415:s125]. The Senate adjourned at 19:53.