Senate — 29 June 2026

The Senate on 29 June 2026 was dominated by the government's budget tax package, which attracted sustained challenge across question time, legislation debate and procedural motions throughout the day. The government framed its reforms as delivering fairness for workers and small-business growth, citing $3.8 billion in small-business relief measures including a permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off, a two-year loss carry-back for companies, loss refundability for startups, and an active-asset reduction threshold raised to $10 million covering 2.7 million businesses [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s048].

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher confirmed income averaging was removed in 1999 for integrity reasons and defended the reforms against One Nation criticism by pointing to productivity gains and housing-affordability measures. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong described the small-business concessions and, on a separate front, characterised the Vanuatu-Australia Nakamal Agreement as transformative for regional security, development and cultural ties [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s188], contrasting the current Pacific engagement with the previous coalition's approach.

Opposition parties pushed back hard across multiple segments. During question time, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Senator Jane Hume pressed the government on whether construction firms paid Mick Gatto for site access, sought a guarantee that no Commonwealth-funded contracts involve payments to organised-crime figures, and questioned why Gatto continues to receive money following the appointment of a CFMEU administrator [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s128].

Senator Wong clarified that Gatto is not currently facing charges. Senator Michaelia Cash moved to suspend standing orders to censure the Treasurer over the tax package; the motion was not granted. Senator Hume followed with a further suspension motion to deliver a five-minute statement criticising government accountability and tax legislation [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s005], while Senator Wong countered by describing the opposition's motion as deceitful.

One Nation's Senator Malcolm Roberts argued the government's budget punishes investment across all industries and questioned why tax brackets are not indexed to prevent bracket creep. Senator Alex Antic attributed rising costs to a Labor high-tax agenda and globalist elites, while Senator Kerrynne Liddle cited industry bodies warning that the tax reforms increase uncertainty and could reduce housing supply and squeeze first-home buyers.

The legislative program was heavy. The Senate passed the Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Sunsetting Provision) Bill 2026, extending section 122.4 of the Criminal Code by six months to 29 December 2026, with cross-party support but the Greens noting deficiencies in the broader secrecy reform agenda [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s018]. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Delivering an Efficient and Trusted Tax System) Bill 2026 generated the day's sharpest legislative contest: the Senate voted to adopt the Greens' amendment to Schedule 4 excluding gambling and tobacco from the R&D tax incentive, rejected a One Nation amendment that would have permitted such funding, and passed the Thorpe amendment on SMSF trustee duties.

Senator Matthew Canavan (Nationals) called the bill's title misleading and accused the government of breaking trust on tax promises, while Senator Sarah Hanson-Young moved to fully exclude gambling and tobacco from R&D incentives and condemned One Nation's contrary amendment.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Reporting System Reform) Bill 2026 also passed, with Greens amendments inserting ethics language and eligibility criteria for the new External Reporting Australia body and barring senior partners of the big-four auditing firms from its governing council. This bill's progress was directly connected to the Greens' concerns about KPMG misconduct raised separately in question time, where Senator Barbara Pocock had moved to note answers about a $1.3 million KPMG ethics-training contract [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s052].

Gallagher responded that cancelling the KPMG contract would be unlawful and confirmed a review of all KPMG contracts is underway. Senator Deborah O'Neill echoed these concerns in senators' statements, urging release of all committee-requested documents and legal advice on the KPMG governance issue.

The Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 divided the chamber along familiar lines: Labor and the Greens supported the bundled Fair Work Commission efficiency reforms and the Part 9 procurement provisions tying Commonwealth contracts to union-backed enterprise agreements, while the coalition sought to split the bill and labelled the procurement provisions a "pay-to-play scheme" and a corruption risk [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s095].

The Appropriation Bills passed after the Greens moved an amendment proposing a 25 per cent minimum tax on gas export revenue to raise approximately $17 billion annually [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s105] and One Nation moved to remove all funding for net-zero measures [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s106], both reflecting the sharply divergent fiscal priorities of the crossbench.

On fuel excise, One Nation's Roberts introduced a standing order 75 proposal seeking a freeze on the 16-cents-per-litre excise increase until 2028, describing it as a "tax on tax" that harms small businesses [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s100 TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s101]. Labor's Senator Charlotte Walker announced an extension of the temporary 16-cent excise reduction through 2 August, linking it to broader cost-of-living relief.

The Greens moved amendments to cap fuel tax credits at $50 million annually and to exclude the fossil-fuel extraction industry from the scheme. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief No. 2) Bill 2026 ultimately passed with those amendments.

The Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026 was introduced by NDIS Minister Senator Jenny McAllister and framed as delivering greater consumer transparency through published practitioner fees, outlawing health-insurance product phoenixing, and strengthening ministerial oversight of premium changes.

The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026 drew a three-way contest: Labor defended a ten-year extension, the coalition pushed to make the NAIF permanent citing the independent review's recommendation, and the Greens sought to bar NAIF funding for coal, gas and logging projects, warning the facility risks becoming a slush fund for fossil-fuel expansion.

In senators' statements, Labor's Senator Lisa Darmanin announced that from 1 July parents will receive up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave with superannuation paid on that leave [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s037]. Senator Nita Green highlighted the 15 per cent pay rise for early-childhood educators [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s040], a measure also defended by Minister Jess Walsh during question time, who said the pay rise has reduced vacancies by almost a third and lowered staffing waivers by 40 per cent.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi described the cost-of-living crisis as systemic and proposed taxing gas-giant profits and breaking up duopolies to fund public services. Senators Hanson-Young and Whish-Wilson warned that One Nation is using overseas meme factories and sock-puppet accounts to conduct personal attacks online and called for a formal investigation [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s032].

Procedural business included a sustained debate on Orders for Production of Documents. Senator Ayres asserted government compliance with OPDs 27 and 119; Senator Bragg countered that the documents were heavily redacted and non-compliant; Senator Pocock noted the Senate had not received required Treasury advice on the five per cent deposit scheme or the Housing Australia Future Fund, and highlighted only 1,432 homes built under the HAFF; and Senator Scarr cited Centre for Public Integrity findings labelling the government's approach a "culture of secrecy." Senator Darmanin countered by citing a 1.2 million homes target and 260,000 first-home purchases through the deposit scheme [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s012].

Finance Minister Gallagher gave notice of a motion under Parliament Act 1974 section 5 to approve National Capital Authority capital works commemorating Jimmy Clements and George John Noble within the Parliamentary Zone [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s054]. The adjournment saw Senator Whiteaker outline six July 1 measures including tax cuts, wage rises for three million workers, expanded paid parental leave, a ban on supermarket price-gouging, permanent Medicare urgent-care clinics and new women's-health services [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s118], while Senator Blyth warned that Australia's reliance on imported fossil fuels and limited strategic reserves leave the nation exposed to geopolitical instability [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s119].

Senator Barbara Pocock used the adjournment to highlight Tibet Lobby Day and call on the government to press China on ethnic-unity laws and human-rights violations [TA-260629-senate-a8fa2fb3debd:s120].