1The House met, at 9 am, pursuant to adjournment. The Speaker (the Honourable M. Dick) took the Chair, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

 2Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026

Ms M M H King (Minister for Northern Australia) presented a Bill for an Act to amend the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016, and for related purposes.

Document

Ms M M H King presented an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Bill read a first time.

 3Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2026

Mr Gorman (Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister), pursuant to notice, presented a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to reviews under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984, the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 and the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023, and for related purposes.

Document

Mr Gorman presented an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Bill read a first time.

 4Orders of the day returned to the House

Ms J Ryan (Chief Government Whip) declared the following Federation Chamber orders of the day, government business, returned to the House for further consideration:

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026;

Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026; and

Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026.

Resumption of each debate made an order of the day for a later hour this day.

 5Statements referred to Federation Chamber

Ms C King (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) moved—That further statements on the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission’s yearly report to Parliament be permitted in the Federation Chamber.

 6Committee of Privileges and Members’ Interests—REPORT

Mrs Elliot (Chair) presented the following document:

Committee of Privileges and Members’ Interests—Report concerning an application from Professor David Lindenmayer AO for the publication of a response to a reference made in the Federation Chamber—Report, March 2026.

 7Commonwealth Entities Legislation Amendment Bill 2026—REPORT FROM FEDERATION CHAMBER

The Speaker reported that the bill had been fully considered by the Federation Chamber and agreed to without amendment, and presented a certified copy of the bill.

 8Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the bill be now read a second time—And on the amendment moved thereto by Mr T Wilson, viz.—That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

“whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that:

(1)Opposition and community pressure forced the Government to abandon:

(a)the taxation of unrealised gains; and

(b)indexation of the $3 million threshold;

(2)the Government cannot be trusted with tax reform;

(3)the Government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem;

(4)this is the first tax that Australia did not vote for that the Government has tried to ram through;

(5)the Government’s new tax introduces new risks, including removal of the death tax exemption, and impacts on surviving spouses and total and permanent disability benefit recipients;

(6)increases to the Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO) are welcome, but modest, and do not address immediate cost of living pressures; and

(7)this change is the beginning of the Government’s high tax, high spending agenda to pour more debt petrol on the inflation fire”—

Debate resumed.

 9MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

Members’ statements were made.

 10QUESTIONS

 11DOCUMENTS 

The following documents were presented: 

Crimes Act 1914—Commonwealth Ombudsman’s report to the Minister for Home Affairs on agencies’ compliance with parts IAB and IAAA of the Act—Report for 2024-25.

Export Control Act 2020—Livestock exports by sea—Report for the period 1 July to 31 December 2025.

Health, Aged Care and Sport—Standing Committee—Issues paper relating to the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia—Government response, March 2026.

Implementation of the National Redress Scheme—Joint Standing Committee—Redress: Journey to justice: Final report—Government response.

 12DISCUSSION OF MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE—Healthcare

The House was informed that Ms Le had proposed that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely, “The postcode lottery of accessing quality healthcare in Australia”.

 13MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

Message No. 76, 4 March 2026, from the Senate was reported returning the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025 without amendment.

 14Human Rights—Parliamentary Joint Committee—REPORT—STATEMENT BY MEMBER

Ms Mascarenhas (Chair) presented the following document:

Human Rights—Parliamentary Joint Committee—Human rights scrutiny report: Report 2 of 2026—Report, 4 March 2026.

In accordance with standing order 39(e) the report was made a Parliamentary Paper.

 15Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the bill be now read a second time—And on the amendment moved thereto by Mr T Wilson (see item No. 8, page XX)—

Debate resumed.

 16SUSPENSION OF STANDING AND SESSIONAL ORDERS

Mr Giles (Minister for Skills and Training), by leave, moved—That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent debate on order of the day No. 6, government business, in the Federation Chamber today, extending beyond one hour.

 17Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the bill be now read a second time—And on the amendment moved thereto by Mr T Wilson (see item No. 8, page XX)—

Debate resumed.

 18Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the bill be now read a second time—

Debate resumed.

 19ADJOURNMENT

It being 7.30 pm—The question was proposed—That the House do now adjourn.

Debate ensued.

DOCUMENTS 

 The following documents were deemed to have been presented on 4 March 2026 (An explanatory statement has been presented with each instrument unless otherwise indicated by an asterisk): 

A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999—A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) (Frequency of Fund-raising Events) Determination 2026 [F2026L00187]. 

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Act 2015—Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Rules 2026 [F2026L00188]. 

Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973—Remuneration Tribunal Amendment Determination (No. 1) 2026 [F2026L00180]. 

Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018—Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 105/00—Blind Spot Information Systems) 2023 [F2026L00192]. 

ATTENDANCE

All Members attended (at some time during the sitting) except *Mr Burns, Mr Joyce, Mr Katter, Mr L O’Brien, *Ms Payne and Dr Reid.

* On leave