Bonus edition: last week wrapped, Estimates week prepped

I got so busy at the end of last week that my usual weekly wrap didn't make it out of the nest. My actual thanks to readers who did a welfare check 🦉 To make up for getting distracted, I'm providing you with both a wrap of the last sitting period plus a hint at what might turn up at Senate Estimates when Parliament resumes next week. It makes for a longer than usual edition though, so no judgement if you skip past what's not relevant for you.

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Clean desks, full inboxes

Last week ended the way sitting fortnights often do, with the Senate agreeing (without a division) to a time limit that forced final votes on nine bills on Thursday afternoon. Forty minutes of votes later, eight had passed and the ninth was on its way back to the House with a request for a change. Three major new government packages, on domestic gas, discretionary trusts and online safety, went the other way: straight to Senate committees, with submissions closing in the next ten days.

Outside the chambers, the Australia–EU free trade agreement became a live fight. Senator McKenzie (Nationals) confirmed on Friday that the Coalition will oppose the signed but unratified deal, calling it "a bad deal", although the ABC's politics blog noted the party room hadn't finalised its position. Friday also brought the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church's most senior elder before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (more below).

The week that was in the House and Federation Chamber

Three government packages were introduced, and the Senate has already sent each to committee.

Domestic Gas Reservation Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), with the Domestic Gas Reservation Levy Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and Domestic Gas Reservation (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au). Minister King (Labor) said LNG exporters will contribute up to the equivalent of 20 per cent of exports to the domestic market, with export licensing and supply obligations from 1 January 2028. Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 3) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Minimum Tax on Discretionary Trusts) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au). Trustees pay a 30 per cent minimum tax from 1 July 2028, with expanded rollover relief from 1 July 2027 for anyone restructuring out. Wilson's (Liberal) bid to send them to the House Standing Committee on Economics failed 46 to 87. Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au). Platforms must risk-assess features such as recommender algorithms and AI generation every year, users over 16 get "My Feed, My Way" controls to opt out of algorithmic feeds, and low-risk services (small business websites, internet service providers) can self-certify. Obligations start 12 months after assent.

The government also reintroduced its over-65s rebate cut as the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 [No. 2] (aph.gov.au), a day after the Senate discharged the original. Minister Butler kept the 1 April 2027 start date. Tehan's (Liberal) bid to suspend standing orders and congratulate the Senate failed 47 to 91.

The Customs and Other Legislation Amendment (Illicit Tobacco Enforcement Modernisation and Other Measures) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) cleared the House on Tuesday after Coalition amendments failed 40 to 97. Joyce's (One Nation) call for a 75 per cent excise cut drew just five Ayes. The Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Amendment Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) passed Wednesday, after Ryan's (Independent) amendment for a national clinical registry and health data linkage failed 9 to 70.

Private members added Leeser's (Liberal) Antisemitism in Higher Education Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and Spender's (CSA) Sex Discrimination and Fair Work Amendment (Equality in Treatment in Religious Schools) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au). The House also referred Wilkie's (Independent) complaint about a Federal Court subpoena for his office's communications to the Standing Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests (aph.gov.au).

By way of update to Edition 053: we had the Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Transparency) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) resuming; it wasn't called on and remains adjourned. The Child Support and Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Ending Financial Abuse in the Child Support Scheme No. 1) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) did resume, picked up a second amendment from Steggall (CSA) on loopholes including non-lodgement of tax returns, and was cut off at 1.30 pm. We also said the joint replacement levy bill (aph.gov.au) was "off to the Senate"; it didn't get there last week.

The week that was in the Senate

Thursday's time-limited votes produced:

Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner and Other Measures) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), passed with amendments the House accepted the same afternoon. Ruston (Liberal) said the Coalition's price was an independent, published review of the assessment algorithm and a time limit: the bill's interim assessment changes (schedule 4) now apply only to decisions made on or before 31 December 2027. A Greens bid to split the bill failed 11 to 31. Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), passed with Coalition amendments the House accepted the same afternoon. If the minister isn't satisfied industry disaster roaming arrangements are in place by 31 October 2026, a mandated framework must start by 1 December 2026, and the minister must ask the ACCC to weigh domestic mobile roaming in its current inquiry. Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Iran and Syria) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), passed unamended and has since received assent. Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 (aph.gov.au), passed unamended. National Student Ombudsman Levy Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment (National Student Ombudsman Levy) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), passed unamended. Sport Legislation Amendment (World Anti-Doping Code Implementation) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and the illicit tobacco bill (aph.gov.au), passed unamended. Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), agreed subject to a government request to exempt Stolen Generations redress and reparations payments from the income test. The House made it; the bill returns to the Senate for its last step.

Monday, 12 October's big finish was the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au). A Greens deal stripped the minister's power to "designate" courses (and zero their funded places), lifted the over-enrolment buffer to 105 per cent and brought the allocation deadline forward to 1 June. The Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) also passed and has assent.

The trust tax got its committee in the end. McGrath's (LNP) urgency motion failed 17 to 29, but the Selection of Bills Committee sent both bills to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee. McKim's (Greens) select committee on fuel tax credits for miners failed 12 to 33, and Hanson's (One Nation) staffing bill (aph.gov.au) was kept from committee 28 to 7. When Bell (One Nation) called that "very, very unusual", Kovacic (Liberal) shot back: "It happens every Thursday!". Lambie's (Jacqui Lambie Network) motion urging laws against AI deepfakes, including in political ads, was agreed.

New arrivals include the government's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and Canavan's (Nationals) Water Amendment (Ending Further Murray-Darling Basin Water Buybacks) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au), which would bar buybacks that grow the Commonwealth's share. Duniam (Liberal) gave a valedictory speech after ten years in the chamber.

By way of update to Edition 053: we flagged Hume's (Liberal) credit card payments bill for introduction; it wasn't introduced. The Crimes Amendment (Prohibiting the Strip Searching of Children) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and Crimes Amendment (Prohibiting Shackling During Childbirth) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) were debated as listed, then adjourned.

The week that was in the committees

New committee inquiries:

• Domestic Gas Reservation Bill 2026 and related bills (aph.gov.au) (Senate Economics Legislation Committee): submissions close 29 October, report due 11 November.
• Tax Reform No. 3 and Minimum Tax on Discretionary Trusts bills (aph.gov.au) (Senate Economics Legislation Committee): submissions close 29 October, report due 13 November.
• Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) (Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee): submissions close 30 October, report due 20 November.

Reports tabled:

• Advisory report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security): supports passage of the bill subject to its recommendations, including making rehabilitation a secondary object of post-sentence terrorism orders
• Their Courage, Our Responsibility (aph.gov.au) (Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme): recommends to extend applications to 31 December 2027
• Developing the north is not a catchphrase (aph.gov.au) (Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia, interim, with a dissent): calls for a dedicated northern Australia budget and a stronger Office for Northern Australia
• Report 518 (aph.gov.au) (Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit): recommends Defence to report the minimum viable capability of flagged projects
• Report 236 (aph.gov.au) (Joint Standing Committee on Treaties): calls for binding action supported for all four treaties, including the Vuvale Union
• Hume Circle Precinct report (aph.gov.au) (Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories): recommends better National Capital Authority consultation. D Pocock (Independent) has given notice to disallow the plan amendment
• When the rubber hits the road (aph.gov.au) (House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science): recommends national end-of-life tyre rules and phasing out on-site burial of mining tyres
• Financial support for state and territory infrastructure projects (aph.gov.au) (Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee): calls for regular public reporting on project progress and spend
• Crimes Amendment (Prohibiting the Strip Searching of Children) Bill 2026 report (aph.gov.au) (Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee): has three recommendations aimed at working with the states; the Greens and Senator Thorpe (Independent) dissented.

Last Friday's hearings, which were all in Canberra:

• Inquiry into the 2025 federal election (aph.gov.au) (Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters): Bruce Hales, the Brethren's senior leader worldwide, said he "did not fund" or direct members' 2025 campaigning. Senator Henderson (Liberal) called the questioning a "hyper partisan attack", the ABC reported.
• Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (aph.gov.au): evidence centred on hosting AI training compute onshore. Amazon Web Services cited $18.9 billion invested in its Sydney and Melbourne regions.
• Domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide (aph.gov.au) (House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs): ACT Policing said it responded to 4,371 domestic and family violence incidents in 2025-26, up about 30 per cent in five years.
• Critical minerals projects (aph.gov.au) (House Standing Committee on Primary Industries) and Cyber security for small to medium businesses (aph.gov.au) (House Select Committee on Cyber Security for Small to Medium Sized Businesses and Organisations): transcripts not yet published.
• Child support bill inquiry (aph.gov.au) (Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee): broad support, but the Commonwealth Ombudsman said the bill "does not go far enough". Report due 12 November.
• Aviation sector inquiry (aph.gov.au) (Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee): research commissioned by the Australian Airports Association found 73 per cent of surveyed regional airports ran an operating loss in 2025.

Reporting dates moved:

Australia Post retail network (aph.gov.au), to 22 October. Greenwashing (aph.gov.au), to 17 March 2027. Commonwealth Land (Affordable Housing) Bill 2026 inquiry (aph.gov.au), to 26 February 2027.

The Senate also refused, 15 to 26, to make the paraquat inquiry (aph.gov.au) hold a public hearing.

All-rounder for Senate Estimates

Supplementary budget estimates run 26 to 29 October. Where last week's business is likely to surface:

• Environment and Communications (26–27 October): digital duty of care carve-outs, the 31 October disaster roaming trigger, age assurance trial documents and Snowy Hydro's cost reassessment, which the Senate has ordered tabled by 26 October.
• Finance and Public Administration (26–27 October): the Senate has directed the PM&C Secretary to appear; expect crossbench staffing and community infrastructure grants.
• Legal and Constitutional Affairs (26–27 October): Home Affairs on Ministerial Directions 117 and 119 and migration modelling, both subject to Senate orders.
• Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport (26–27 October): regional airport finances, and paraquat with no public hearing.
• Community Affairs (28–29 October): the aged care algorithm review, the [No. 2] rebate bill (aph.gov.au) and the Ombudsman's child support evidence.
• Economics (28–29 October): the trust tax (the Coalition claims up to $13.3 billion in restructuring costs) and gas reservation.
• Education and Employment (28–29 October): the Accord's new allocation timetable.
• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (28–29 October): the EU free trade agreement.

That wraps the sitting fortnight. Know someone (or people) who would also benefit from receiving Krafted. in their inbox? Send them the sign-up link (statekraft.au). The House is back, and Senate estimates begin, on Monday 26 October.

See you then!

— Mia