Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2026

Summary

This amendment changes how the Passenger Movement Charge — a fee that travellers pay when leaving Australia — is calculated and collected. The change modifies the existing Passenger Movement Charge Act, adjusting either the rate of the charge, which travellers must pay it, or how the money flows to the government. For most Australians and international visitors, this means the cost of leaving the country by air or sea could increase or decrease, depending on whether the charge is being raised or lowered, directly affecting the price of airfares and international travel bookings.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause