September 7, 2026
Parliament returns with AI on the agenda: a new Joint Select Committee, two private members' bills on human control of AI, the childcare wage bill and a new Tasmanian senator.
Spring and signs of weather becoming a dominant topic came ahead of Parliament returning today (for Canberra, this is known as the 'false Spring'). And, in a large part due to offshore events plus a trip by the Deputy PM to the United States (minister.defence.gov.au), AI also came to town before resumption. The first two private members' bills back on the notice paper both want more human control over artificial intelligence. They land a sitting day after the Parliament established the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (aph.gov.au), to report by 30 November.
This sitting period is a quiet re-entry by recent standards: no guillotine, no backlog of a dozen bills chasing a final vote, mostly the business of picking up threads left hanging three weeks ago. The Senate welcomes a new member this morning and records the death of a senator who once held the balance of power in the chamber she served in three decades ago. Here's where to watch.
The government has built the day almost entirely around one bill. The Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) has its second reading, consideration in detail and a third reading by leave this evening. The bill locks in the sector's 15 per cent pay rise, worth $255 to $410 a week depending on role, for another two years, extending the special account's sunset date from 2028 to 2029 and crediting it with a further $3.6 billion. It also lets the government attach child-safety conditions to worker retention payment grants. Bell (LNP) has pointed to out-of-pocket childcare costs rising 7.6 per cent in the year to June, twice the headline inflation rate.
Three new private members' bills get first readings only today, debate adjourned in each case:
None will progress today, but they signal where the crossbench wants to take the artificial intelligence conversation - and where regulated industries have already gone in light of the OpenAI and Hugging Face disclosures (bbc.com) on agentic swarms. The Petitions Committee also tables its regular report on ministerial responses.
Vanessa Bleyer, the environmental lawyer chosen by Tasmanian Greens members to replace the retired Peter Whish-Wilson, is sworn in as the state's newest senator this morning. The Senate also formally records the death of Dr Diane Elizabeth (Dee) Margetts, who represented Western Australia for the Greens from 1993 to 1999 and shared the balance of power with fellow Greens senator Christabel Chamarette until 1996.
Government business gives the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) their first reading in the Senate, both subject to introduction today. The Universities Accord bill passed the House on the last sitting day after late government amendments some crossbenchers called "Hanson-proofing"; its Senate committee report landed (aph.gov.au) during the break, clearing the way for debate. The tax adviser bill also carries a late floor amendment, made under crossbench pressure, extending to 2040 the sunset on a capital gains tax discount for renewable energy investment. The Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) and the Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Amendment Bill 2026 (aph.gov.au) also resume second reading debate, both largely uncontroversial holdovers from June.
Senator Shoebridge's (Greens) call for "urgent reconsideration of Australia's military relationship with the United States," will be voted on today; D Pocock (Independent) wants the herbicide paraquat referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee (aph.gov.au); Allman-Payne (Greens) is moving to disallow parts of the government's income management instrument; and One Nation's Bell has a second attempt at referring the Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility to the same committee, after an identical motion was defeated 26 to 33 on the last sitting day. Payman (Australia's Voice) introduces a Diplomatic Appointments (Selection Process) Bill 2026, and Smith (Liberal) introduces a Tax Laws Amendment (Incentivising Food Donations to Charitable Organisations) Bill 2026.
The Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee's report on the MRH90 Taipan Helicopter incident (aph.gov.au) is due today, more than three years after the crash that killed four soldiers from the 6th Aviation Regiment near Lindeman Island. Also due today is the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee's report (aph.gov.au) on One Nation's Protecting Australians from Foreign Terrorist Fighters Bill 2026 (parlinfo.aph.gov.au).
The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties holds the only public hearing (aph.gov.au) today, on the Agreement between Australia and Canada on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, one of the batch of treaty inquiries opened in July. A run of committee reports landed during the break that haven't had a mention in this edition yet:
Separately, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion (asc.royalcommission.gov.au) has now closed its public hearings after nine blocks running since May. Commissioner Bell's final report is now due 14 December after successfully seeking agreement to extend tabling from early December (noting one year post event is the same day, 14 December).
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Until tomorrow!
— Mia
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