Welcome to Country, an address by the Governor-General, and the swearing-in of elected members are featuring in today’s opening of the 48th Parliament.
It marks the first Parliamentary sitting since Labor’s landslide May 3 election victory.
The Albanese Government has promised to legislate a HECS discount, penalty rate protections, and childcare crackdowns as its first measures to commence its second term.
Meanwhile, the Coalition and the Greens will return with new leaders who have promised different political styles.
New Parliament
At the 3 May election, Labor won 94 out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives (the lower house), led by Anthony Albanese.
The Coalition was reduced to 43 seats from 55. Former leader Peter Dutton lost his northern Brisbane seat of Dickson.
Sussan Ley has since become the Leader of the Liberal Party and will return to Parliament as the first female leader of the Opposition.
The Greens’ representation also went backwards in the lower house, from four to one.
The party’s leader Adam Bandt lost his Melbourne seat.
Senator Larissa Waters has since been named leader of the Greens.
112 women and 114 men were elected across both houses, making the 48th Parliament the most gender-balanced in Australian history.
HECS debts
Labor promised to cut 20% off HECS debts when Parliament resumed.
The discount will be backdated to pre-indexation, which took effect on 1 June.
Indexation is an increase in value pegged to another measurement. HECS debts increase in line with the wage price index (WPI), measuring the growth of wages against inflation (rising prices).
The Australian Tax Office will automatically apply the discount.
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TDA understands the legislation will be tabled on Wednesday, and the Government hopes to pass it on the same day.
The bill will need either the support of the Coalition or the Greens to pass the Senate.
In the lead-up to the election, the Greens called for all student debts to be wiped.
The Coalition opposed the 20% discount during the election campaign. However, this week, Shadow Education Minister Jonathon Duniam said the Coalition would not “stand in the way” of the legislation, while not fully committing to supporting it.
Childcare
The Government has also vowed to legislate a tool to cut funding for childcare centres that don’t meet national standards.
In 2023/24, the Federal Government spent $18 billion on the childcare sector through subsidies and wages.
It follows a Melbourne childcare worker, Joshua Brown, being charged with 70 offences, including sexual abuse and producing child abuse material.
Health authorities have advised that more than 2,000 children should be tested for infectious diseases.
Penalty rates
Legislation to guarantee extra protections for penalty rates, including public holidays and overtime, is also set to be tabled in Parliament.
It’s in response to a proposal brought in by the peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), which would allow bosses to offer staff higher pay in exchange for waiving some entitlements, including rest breaks and penalty rates.
The proposal is currently being debated in the Fair Work Commission.
The Government has since opposed the ARA plan. Its legislation would mean penalty rates can’t be scrapped if it leaves workers “worse off”.
Shadow Employment Minister Tim Wilson said the Coalition would consider the legislation, saying the ARA proposal doesn’t pose a “threat to penalty rates”.
The ARA criticised the Government’s plans as undermining “choice” and “flexibility” for businesses.
Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus told TDA workers deserved to be paid “fairly for staying back or working anti-social hours at night and weekends.”
