Summary
The Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief No. 2) Bill 2026 completed its second and third readings in the House on 23 June 2026. The bill amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to reduce fuel excise by approximately 16 cents per litre from 1 July until early August 2026, extending a cut due to expire on 30 June. The measure is estimated to cost around $400 million in foregone revenue. No divisions were recorded. During question time, the Leader of the Opposition asked Prime Minister Albanese about tax implications for self-managed superannuation fund holders, and Albanese noted grandfathering provisions before discussing housing policy. Minister Rowland reported that 90 per cent of the NBN fixed line network can access gigabit speeds and 1.5 million premises have been upgraded to full fibre. Minister Wells acknowledged a constituent case involving motor neurone disease and aged care eligibility, offering a private meeting without addressing the specific assessment decision. Minister Clare outlined five early childhood education reforms. Treasurer Chalmers described the government's tax reform agenda including measures for first homebuyers, small businesses, and superannuation.
Questions
Self-managed super fund taxes
The Leader of the Opposition asked whether Australians with self-managed super funds would face higher tax bills under the government's policies. Prime Minister Albanese stated that proposals are grandfathered, then pivoted to defending the government's housing policy and criticizing the opposition for opposing legislation without reviewing it, without directly addressing the specific tax implications for self-managed super fund holders.
MND Aged Care Support
The Member for Kooyong raised concerns about a constituent with motor neurone disease who is ventilator-dependent but was deemed ineligible for the highest level of aged care support under the government's integrated assessment tool. Minister Wells acknowledged the difficulty of the case and offered to meet privately to discuss specifics, but did not directly address or justify the assessment tool's decision in the chamber, instead pivoting to general comments about MND.
Superannuation borrowing deal
The Member for Goldstein accused the Treasurer of reversing his position by striking a deal with the Greens to restrict self-managed superannuation fund property investments. The Treasurer responded by defending the policy change as necessary to protect retirement savings, citing multiple inquiries including the Murray inquiry, and characterized it as a minor but important amendment with grandfathering provisions, while also attacking the member's voting record on related issues.
Migration and employment
The Member for Kennedy questioned the Treasurer about how the government would manage financial impacts from high numbers of temporary visa holders concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne. The Treasurer responded by stating that net overseas migration has decreased 45 per cent from its peak and is at its lowest level in years, and highlighted the government's record on employment, but did not directly address the specific financial concerns or employment situation in the named cities.
Housing
The Prime Minister was asked whether they would rule out agreeing to the Greens' demand for a tax on the family home. Rather than directly addressing the specific question, the Prime Minister deflected by criticizing the Opposition's record on housing policy and emphasizing their own government's measures to support first home buyers, such as Help to Buy and the five percent deposit scheme.
Water
David Farley asked whether Australia's irrigated water capacity is sufficient to secure food supply during prolonged droughts and whether the minister has negotiated water allocations from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder for food production. Tony Burke responded by discussing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and water security variations across different regions, explaining how water security levels affect crop types, but did not directly address the specific questions about overall capacity or negotiations with the Environmental Water Holder.
Prime Minister
Angus Taylor asked the Prime Minister when they would stop lying, referencing a March statement about not negotiating with the Greens. The Speaker intervened to demand withdrawal of the word 'lying' as unparliamentary, citing the need to maintain House traditions and dignity, and the member complied with the withdrawal. The Prime Minister did not address the substantive question.
Aged Care: Motor Neurone Disease
Ryan asked how the minister could justify the integrated assessment tool not qualifying Graham Crossan, an 80-year-old ventilator-dependent MND patient, for the highest level of aged care support. The minister acknowledged Crossan's difficult situation and offered to meet privately to discuss specifics, but declined to address the broader question about the assessment tool's justification in parliament, citing privacy concerns.
Greens diesel fuel rebate
The Member for Nicholls asked whether the Prime Minister would rule out abolishing the diesel fuel rebate as part of negotiations with the Greens. Prime Minister Albanese deflected by criticizing the opposition for opposing legislation before seeing it, emphasizing Labor's willingness to cooperate with other parties including the Greens, and highlighting Labor's electoral success against the Greens, but did not directly address whether the diesel fuel rebate would be protected.
Greens family home tax
The Member for Parkes asked whether the Prime Minister would rule out agreeing to a Greens demand to impose a tax on family homes. Prime Minister Albanese did not directly address the specific question about a family home tax, instead pivoting to criticise the Opposition's position on negative gearing and outlining the government's homeownership support measures.
Murray-Darling water security
The Member for Farrer asked whether Australia's irrigated water capacity is sufficient to secure food supply during prolonged droughts and whether water allocations from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder have been negotiated for food production. The Minister for Emergency Management deflected the question to the responsible water minister, who began explaining how the Murray-Darling Basin Plan affects water allocations and agricultural practices across different regions based on water security levels, but did not directly address the specific questions about food supply security or negotiations with the Environmental Water Holder.