What the Senate debated on 1 July 2026 — student fees, payday super, cost of living and a social media crackdown

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the Senate debated on 1 July 2026 — student fees, payday super, cost of living and a social media crackdown

The Senate sat on Tuesday 1 July 2026 and dealt with higher education reform, payday superannuation, online safety enforcement and cost-of-living pressures. A Greens bill to reverse the Job-ready Graduates university fee hikes was defeated after the Coalition and Labor both opposed it, while the government moved to block a disallowance of its payday super regulations and advanced legislation to toughen enforcement of the under-16 social media ban. The Greens' Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025 was the first major item of business. Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Deputy Greens Leader, opened the debate by calling JRG 'one of the five worst policy mistakes made by the Commonwealth this century'. She told the chamber the cost of humanities degrees had 'skyrocketed to $56,000' and that low-SES student commencements had declined by almost 20 per cent for the highest-cost degrees. The bill would have reverted student contributions in law, accounting, commerce, communications, society and culture to pre-2021 levels, effectively halving the cost of an arts degree. Senator Faruqi told the chamber that since 2021 nearly $4 billion had been taken out of the higher education system and argued the government could fund reform for approximately $1 billion — contrasting this with the $385 billion committed to nuclear submarines. She said students were 'skipping meals, sleeping in cars, living in tents while completing placements' and described a system where an arts student now pays 93 per cent of their degree cost with the government contributing just seven per cent. Minister for Youth Senator Steph Hodgins-May defended the government's record, pointing to the 20 per cent HELP debt reduction that cut $16 billion in student debt, fairer indexation, the new Commonwealth Prac Payment, and the establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. But she said the Greens bill would 'reduce university funding and could adversely affect course offerings, staffing, research capacity and the sustainability of regional and smaller providers'. Liberal Senator Matt O'Sullivan said the Coalition would not support the bill either, arguing it would strip an estimated $1.3 billion a year from universities without any mechanism to replace that funding. 'The Greens made the decision to introduce the bill in this place; they decided as a party not to introduce the legislation in the House, where they would have been constitutionally permitted to appropriate the consolidated revenue,' he said. He also argued the bill selectively reversed increases while keeping the JRG fee reductions for teaching, nursing and agriculture — producing a fee structure 'that has never previously existed'. Senator Pocock supported the bill's intent, telling the chamber that JRG had been in place longer under Anthony Albanese than under Scott Morrison, and relayed the story of students facing debts of $90,000 for undergraduate degrees. The bill was defeated on a division. The Senate then resumed debate on the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025, which enables designated registered nurse prescribers to prescribe under the PBS. Senator Jenny McAllister, representing the Health Minister, said the reform had been developed through 'multiple rounds of public consultation' with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia since 2017, with the first cohort of nurse prescribers expected to complete endorsement by July 2026. Jacqui Lambie Network amendments to also allow PBS prescribing by endorsed podiatrists passed the Senate at this stage but were later rejected by the House. A significant regulatory debate occurred over the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Regulations 2026. A disallowance motion was moved against paragraph 11(f) in item 18 of Schedule 1 — a provision that the opposition and crossbench argued created a loophole in the government's payday super regime. The Greens' Senator McKim sought leave to move a motion that he said would provide 'an opportunity for even one Labor senator to explain why they're voting with the antiworkers', but leave was not granted. Senator David Shoebridge moved a reference to the Environment and Communications References Committee to inquire into fossil fuel industry engagement with children and young people. The inquiry, with a reporting date of 14 October 2026, would examine educational materials, school partnerships and sponsorship, advertising and marketing directed at young people, and the industry's use of digital platforms and influencers. The Senate also debated legislation to strengthen the social media minimum age enforcement, with the Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026. The bill doubles maximum penalties to $99 million and gives the eSafety Commissioner stronger information-gathering powers to check whether platforms are genuinely complying. Question time covered housing, energy, superannuation, small business and education. A Matter of Urgency debate was held on the cost of living, with opposition senators accusing the government of failing to address rising prices for staples including milk, bread, groceries and petrol. A separate Matter of Public Importance debate focused on what the Coalition called Labor's 'unfair widow tax' — changes to superannuation taxation affecting people who inherit super from a deceased spouse. The day concluded with adjournment speeches covering the upgraded maternity facilities at Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital in Hobart, social cohesion and wages.

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Evidence review

Greens bill to reverse student fee hikes defeated

The Senate debated and rejected the Greens' Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025. Senator Mehreen Faruqi called the Job-ready Graduates scheme 'one of the five worst policy mistakes made by the Commonwealth this century' and said the cost of a humanities degree had 'skyrocketed to $56,000'.

Senator Faruqi pointed to evidence that low-SES student commencements in the highest-cost degrees — humanities, commerce and law — had declined by 19.7 per cent. She argued that since 2021, nearly $4 billion had been taken out of the higher education system and that the government could fund reform for approximately $1 billion — contrasting this with the $385 billion committed to nuclear submarines.

The government opposed the bill on the grounds it would reduce university funding. Minister for Youth Senator Steph Hodgins-May cited the 20 per cent HELP debt reduction, fairer indexation and the new Commonwealth Prac Payment as evidence of the government's commitment to students.

The Coalition also opposed the bill, with Senator Matt O'Sullivan estimating revenue losses of $1.3 billion a year and warning that up to 8,400 full-time equivalent university jobs could be at risk. Independent Senator David Pocock supported the bill's intent, telling the chamber a constituent faced a $90,000 HECS debt for an undergraduate degree.

Evidence review

Nurse prescribing and podiatry PBS amendments

Debate continued on the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. The bill allows designated registered nurse prescribers — the first cohort expected to complete endorsement by July 2026 — to prescribe under the PBS, improving affordability for consumers.

Jacqui Lambie Network amendments to extend PBS prescribing rights to endorsed podiatrists and podiatric surgeons passed the Senate at this stage. Senator Jordon Steele-John, moving a Greens second reading amendment, noted podiatrists are 'the only professions in Australia who can gain endorsement to prescribe medicines but are not able to access PBS benefits for those prescriptions'. These amendments were later rejected by the House of Representatives.

Evidence review

Payday super disallowance and cost of living

The Senate considered a disallowance motion against a specific provision of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Regulations 2026, which opposition and crossbench senators argued would weaken the new payday super regime. The debate reflected broader tensions as the system was set to commence on 1 July 2026.

A Matter of Urgency debate on the cost of living saw opposition senators accuse the government of failing to address rising prices. Senator Bell's urgency motion stated that 'the price of basic staples like milk and bread, everyday groceries, petrol at the bowser and energy bills are all going up under this Labor government'. A separate Matter of Public Importance focused on what the Coalition termed Labor's 'unfair widow tax' — changes to superannuation rules affecting those who inherit a deceased spouse's super.

Evidence review

Social media enforcement and committee inquiries

The Senate advanced the Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026, which doubles maximum penalties for non-compliance to $99 million and gives the eSafety Commissioner power to compel information from platforms and third-party age assurance providers.

Senator David Shoebridge moved a reference to the Environment and Communications References Committee to inquire into fossil fuel industry engagement with children and young people, to report by 14 October 2026. The inquiry would examine educational materials, school partnerships, advertising and digital marketing aimed at young people.

A separate reference was moved to investigate foreign currency loans issued by Australian banks, with the Economics References Committee to report by 25 November 2026.

Evidence review

Trade Advisory Group Bill introduced

The Senate gave a first reading to the Trade Advisory Group Bill 2026, introduced by Minister for Industry Senator Tim Ayres. The bill establishes a statutory Trade Advisory Group to provide advice to the government on the negotiation of free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties. The group would be composed of representatives from business, unions, civil society and academia, providing structured input into Australia's trade negotiations.

The bill reflects a commitment to greater transparency and stakeholder engagement in trade policy. Australia is party to 16 free trade agreements, covering markets that account for approximately 70 per cent of Australia's two-way trade. The establishment of a statutory advisory body is intended to ensure that trade negotiations benefit from a diversity of perspectives, including those of industries likely to be affected by tariff reductions, workers whose employment conditions may be impacted by trade liberalisation, and community organisations concerned with labour rights and environmental standards in trade agreements.

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