What the Senate debated on 30 June 2026: NAIF extension, nurse prescribing, LGBTIQA+ commissioner, and tax clash

The short answer

the Senate debated on 30 June 2026: NAIF extension, nurse prescribing, LGBTIQA+ commissioner, and tax clash

The Senate passed the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026, extending the NAIF for a decade, after rejecting Coalition and Greens amendments. Debate continued on allowing registered nurses to prescribe PBS-subsidised medicines, with calls from the Coalition and Greens to include podiatrists. Senator McKim introduced a Greens private senator's bill to create a Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics Discrimination Commissioner, which passed its first reading 35 to 6. Question Time was dominated by Opposition attacks on Labor's so-called widows tax and falling auction clearance rates, while the Government highlighted new cost-of-living measures taking effect from 1 July, including additional tax cuts, a minimum wage rise, and grocery pricing reforms.

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Evidence review

NAIF extension passes after three amendments rejected

The Senate passed the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026 on 30 June, extending the NAIF's investment decision-making period for a further 10 years to 30 June 2036. The bill, which strengthens accountability and compliance mechanisms and refreshes statutory review requirements, was supported by both the Government and the Coalition, but three separate sets of amendments were rejected in committee.

Senator Dean Smith (Liberal, WA) said the NAIF had supported 33 projects backed by $4.3 billion in commitments, forecast to generate $33 billion in public benefit and support more than 18,000 jobs across northern Australia. Senator Paul Scarr (Liberal, Qld) highlighted the Mount Morgan Tailings Reprocessing and Rehabilitation Project in Queensland, supported by a $66 million NAIF concessional loan, as an example of how the facility drove both environmental rehabilitation and economic benefit.

A second reading amendment moved by Senator Malcolm Roberts (One Nation, Qld) sought to require the investment mandate to prioritise coal, natural gas and mining projects and prohibit financing for 'net zero measures'. It was defeated 31 to 20. In committee, amendments from Senator Susan McDonald (Nationals, Qld) to make the NAIF permanent — aligning with the independent review's first recommendation — were also defeated 30 to 20.

A Greens amendment from Senator Penny Allman-Payne (Qld) sought to prohibit NAIF funding for coal, gas and native forest logging. Senator Allman-Payne cited the experience of Tennant Creek residents enduring extreme heat driven by climate change, arguing that continuing fossil fuel investment would 'condemn the people of northern Australia to an unliveable future'. Assistant Minister Nita Green said the Government would oppose the amendment, maintaining that the NAIF was 'sector agnostic' and guided by an investment mandate that already required alignment with sustainability and climate change principles. The amendment was defeated 26 to 11, with only the Greens and independents David Pocock and Barbara Pocock voting in favour. The bill then passed its third reading 29 to 10.

Evidence review

Nurse prescribing bill: debate and calls to go further

Debate continued on the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025, which would allow suitably qualified registered nurses to prescribe certain PBS-subsidised medicines. Senator Jordon Steele-John (Greens, WA) supported the bill, describing it as a reform that nurses had 'been pushing for for a very long time' and which would allow 'faster, more affordable quality health care'. He noted the bill included safeguards such as prescribing agreements with existing prescribers, a six-month clinical mentorship, additional training requirements, and expanded Professional Services Review oversight.

Senator Steele-John also called on the Government to extend PBS prescribing access to podiatrists and podiatric surgeons, who he noted are already endorsed prescribers but cannot access PBS subsidies. He cited the example of a 72-year-old man on the age pension who, after a podiatrist identified a fungal infection, was left choosing between paying $27.99 out of pocket or booking an additional GP appointment solely to access a subsidised script.

Senator Wendy Askew (Liberal, Tas) supported the bill but argued that by 'limiting this expansion to registered nurses alone and excluding other suitably qualified health professionals such as podiatrists, Labor has missed an opportunity for more comprehensive reform'. She noted that more than 20 submissions to the Senate inquiry had called for podiatrists to be included, and expressed disappointment that the Government had failed to respond to the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce — Scope of Practice Review, completed 18 months earlier. Senator Charlotte Walker (Labor, SA) spoke in favour of the bill before debate was interrupted at 1:30 pm for two-minute statements.

Evidence review

Greens introduce LGBTIQA+ Discrimination Commissioner bill

Senator Nick McKim (Greens, Tas) introduced the Anti-Discrimination Legislation Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics Discrimination Commissioner) Bill 2026, a private senator's bill to create a dedicated commissioner within the Australian Human Rights Commission. The bill passed its first reading after two divisions: a suspension of standing orders carried 35 to 8, and the introduction motion carried 35 to 6.

According to the second reading speech incorporated into Hansard, the bill would fill a gap in human rights advocacy — the protected attributes of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status (added to the Sex Discrimination Act in 2013) are, the speech stated, the only attributes in the four main Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws without a dedicated commissioner. The bill also proposes replacing the term 'intersex status' with 'innate variations of sex characteristics', in line with calls from the Darlington Statement, a 2017 consensus statement by Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand intersex organisations.

The vote to suspend standing orders split along unusual lines: the eight 'no' votes comprised Senators Antic, Babet, Bell, Canavan, Hanson, McDonald, Roberts and Whitten. Labor senators voted with the Greens and most Liberals to allow the bill to proceed. Debate on the second reading was then adjourned.

Evidence review

Question Time: 'widows tax', housing, and cost-of-living from 1 July

Question Time was dominated by exchanges over the Government's recent tax legislation package. Senator James Paterson (Liberal, Vic) pressed Senator Penny Wong, as Leader of the Government in the Senate, on when the Prime Minister became aware that the legislation 'would impose what has become known as the widows tax' — a label the Opposition applied to certain grandfathering consequences of the tax changes. Senator Wong said the Treasurer had indicated on Insiders the previous Sunday that the issue would be addressed through subsequent tranches of legislation, describing it as 'an issue of the extent of grandfathering arrangements'. The President, Senator Sue Lines, rebuked the chamber at one point, calling a 'disgraceful display' and reminding senators that Question Time was 'not a football match'.

Senator Canavan (Nationals, Qld) challenged the Government over declining auction clearance rates, citing Sydney's drop below 50 per cent (the lowest since April 2020) and similar falls in Brisbane and Adelaide. Senator Wong responded by pointing to Treasury forecasts assuming house prices would continue to grow and that the budget changes would mean prices around two per cent lower than otherwise, arguing the status quo was 'not sustainable' for first home buyers.

Senator Tammy Tyrrell (Independent, Tas) asked the Government to outline cost-of-living measures taking effect from 1 July. Senator Wong detailed tax cuts for every Australian worker, a six per cent increase to the national minimum wage (taking it above $1,000 per week for the first time), a 4.75 per cent increase to modern award wages, an ACCC-enforced ban on excessive grocery pricing, a 16 per cent fuel excise cut continuing through July, and the permanent extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small business.

Senator David Pocock (Independent, ACT) questioned Senator Don Farrell about a ministerial exemption allowing Carnival Cruise ships operating in Australian waters to pay crew members as little as $2.50 per hour. Senator Farrell said the Maritime Labour Convention provided standards for seafarer welfare and that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority had 'a zero-tolerance approach to breaches' and could detain vessels. Senator Pocock asked why the exemption had been granted to ships 'based here in Australia and operating in Australian waters'.

Evidence review

Motions and adjournment: CFMEU, One Nation clash, and paraquat

Senator McKim sought leave to make a statement about One Nation senators denying him formality for introducing his LGBTIQA+ commissioner bill — retaliation, he said, for the Senate rejecting One Nation's attempt the previous day to introduce what McKim described as 'transphobic, hateful' legislation. When leave was refused, he moved to suspend standing orders and used the opportunity to directly challenge One Nation, asking why its senators were 'so obsessed with other people's genitals and reproductive organs'. The Acting Deputy President, Senator Deborah O'Neill, required him to withdraw the word 'perverts'.

In the adjournment debate, Senator Maria Kovacic (Liberal, NSW) criticised Labor and the Greens for voting against her motion for an inquiry into corruption in the construction sector, which she said was the fourth time such a motion had been blocked. She cited the Prime Minister's comments on ABC's 7.30 regarding corruption in the CFMEU, contrasted them with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan's claim that $15 billion in cost overruns was due to inflation rather than corruption, and warned that a 'corruption tax' was adding between 15 and 30 per cent to infrastructure project costs.

Senator Steph Hodgins-May (Greens, Vic) used her adjournment speech to condemn the continued use of paraquat in Australia, stating it was linked to Parkinson's disease and had been banned in more than 70 countries. She called the decision to keep the herbicide available a 'deadly call'.

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