Parliament returns without one of its most respected

A day set aside

Parliament returns today without Helen Haines (Independent, Indi), and like you, our thoughts are with her family, friends, community and colleagues as everyone tries to make sense of the shocking events of last week. The House is expected to set much of the day aside for her.

Front of mind is obviously the security of parliamentarians, which had already been making headlines for weeks. The Speaker and the Senate President wrote to all members on Friday about additional security across parts of Parliament House. Chaney (Independent) is among the crossbench members backing calls for MPs to sign a civility pledge, which the ABC reports Haines was the first MP to sign.

Here's where to watch, on an unusual and sombre day which includes the opening of the last Senate Estimates hearings for the year.

Today, in the House

The Leader of the House has this morning moved a suspension of standing and sessional orders on the time and order of business and the Prime Minister has moved a motion relating to the Member for Indi, allowing for MPs to offer messages of support which will run until no further members rise to speak, at which point the House adjourns immediately.

The priority private members' business that had been scheduled for today will continue tomorrow, along with business the government wants done by the end of the year, including:

Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Transparency) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 1, second reading resumption (last debated 14 October), with amendments from Tehan (Liberal) and Joyce (One Nation) moved Child Support and Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Ending Financial Abuse in the Child Support Scheme No. 1) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 2, second reading resumption from 15 October, with amendments moved including Steggall's (CSA) on non-lodgement of tax returns Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 [No. 2] (aph.gov.au): item 3, second reading resumption from 15 October Domestic Gas Reservation Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 4, second reading resumption from 14 October Domestic Gas Reservation (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 5, companion bill Domestic Gas Reservation Levy Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 6, companion bill Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 3) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 9, second reading resumption from 14 October Income Tax Rates Amendment (Minimum Tax on Discretionary Trusts) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 10, companion bill Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au): item 11, second reading resumption from 15 October.

Today, in the Senate

The Senate chamber is not sitting today because of Estimates hearings (aph.gov.au), which if you're a Statekraft subscriber, you can watch live in the app. By way of update to my bonus edition of Krafted. from last week: Snowy Hydro's cost reassessment was released on Friday, ahead of its otherwise slated date of today. It puts Snowy 2.0 at a $22 billion target, with a further $3 billion allowed if required, and first power in early 2029. Snowy Hydro Limited appears before the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee at 1.45pm today.

Four Senate committees sit today and tomorrow, with the rest of the committees to hold hearings Wednesday and Thursday:

• Environment and Communications Legislation Committee:today, climate, energy, environment and water from 9am, including the Emission Reduction Assurance Committee at 12.15pm, Snowy Hydro Limited at 1.45pm, the Clean Energy Regulator at 3.15pm and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority at 4.15pm
• tomorrow, communications from 9.30am, with the ABC at 10.45am, the Australian Communications and Media Authority at 1.45pm, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner at 2.30pm, NBN Co Limited at 3.30pm and Australia Post at 4.15pm.
• Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee:today, the National Indigenous Australians Agency from 11am, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2.30pm and the Australian Electoral Commission at 9.45pm
• tomorrow, the Department of Finance from 2pm and Services Australia at 4.45pm.
• Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee:today, the Attorney-General's Department from 9am, with its Integrity and Security Group (which includes the Royal Commission Branch) from 12.30pm, the National Anti-Corruption Commission at 3pm and the Australian Human Rights Commission at 5.10pm
• tomorrow, the Department of Home Affairs from 10am, with migration programs from 1.25pm, the Australian Federal Police at 7.05pm and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation at 8.55pm.
• Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee:today, infrastructure and transport from 9am, with Airservices Australia at 7.30pm, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority at 8.15pm and Inland Rail at 8.45pm
• tomorrow, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from 9am.

From the (regular) committees

No public hearings are listed for today or tomorrow outside Estimates. Coming up this week, in Canberra:

• Wednesday 28 October - House Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, Inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling in Australia (aph.gov.au)
• Friday 30 October - Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Transparency) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) inquiry
• Friday 30 October - Senate Economics Legislation Committee, Domestic Gas Reservation Bill 2026 and related bills (aph.gov.au) inquiry
• Friday 30 October - Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, Department of Veterans' Affairs funded health treatment (aph.gov.au).

Hearings for the new inquiries on trust tax and digital duty of care inquiries are now scheduled too. The Senate Economics Legislation Committee's Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 3) Bill 2026 and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Minimum Tax on Discretionary Trusts) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) inquiry sits in Canberra on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November. The Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee's Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) inquiry sits on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November. Submissions to the gas and trusts inquiries close on Thursday 29 October, and to digital duty of care on Friday 30 October. Reports are due 11 November (gas), 13 November (trusts) and 20 November (digital duty of care).

Know someone who'd find Krafted. useful? Send them the sign-up link (statekraft.au).

Until tomorrow.

— Mia