Opposition continues pressure over golf club grant
The manager of opposition business in the house, Dan Tehan returns and asks the prime minister to “stop the spin and admit he was wrong”.
It’s met with much grumblings from the government benches and the speaker, Milton Dick, asks Tehan to refer to a point, saying he does not want to set a precedent where “you can just do a statement, and then that’s a question”. Anthony Albanese answers:
After we made the commitment to the club which included fixing this issue – which has been an issue since 1947 – the state government have stepped in. That is a good thing.
Key events
Achol Arok
Good afternoon! I’ll be here to steer you through this arvo’s news.
Kat Wong
That’s all from me today! My colleague Achol Arok will take you through updates this afternoon.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (photo ops) …
In case you missed it, Christmas came a little early in Parliament House on Monday.
MPs and senators brought dolls, toy trucks, bikes and more for families experiencing hardship as part of this year’s Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal.
Catie McLeod
TGA announces new sunscreen rules following SPF saga
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed strengthening sun protection factor (SPF) requirements following a review prompted by revelations that several popular sunscreens were failing to meet the SPF factor advertised.
The medicines regulator announced today it would progress the reforms to strengthen consumer confidence and ensure that sunscreen companies and manufacturers understand their obligations.
The proposed reforms follow a three-month consultation period this year, which the TGA said drew 120 responses.
Among the TGA’s proposed new rules is that brands would have to test the SPF of their finished product – and not just the base formula – before listing it on the medicines register.
Additionally, the TGA is planning to limit the SPF claims that cosmetic sunscreens can make so that there is clear distinction for consumers between them and sunscreens that are used for a primary purpose of sun protection.
The TGA’s review came after testing by the consumer advocacy organisation Choice found 16 of 20 brands failed to provide the level of skin protection advertised on their bottles.
Choice has broadly welcomed the proposed reforms but said the TGA should go further. Andy Kelly, Choice’s consumer impact director, said:
We’re pleased to see the TGA has proposed stricter rules. However, the TGA is not proposing to routinely monitor and evaluate test results.
Sunscreen brands would also only be required to provide test results confidentially to the TGA.
In the interest of transparency and public safety, we believe these results should be made available to everyone and that the TGA should routinely monitor test results, as well as conduct its own compliance testing program.
Tl;dr here’s what happened in question time
The opposition continually pushed the prime minister to “admit he was wrong” after he previously said a $6m grant for the Marrickville golf club was to fix sewerage flows into the Cooks River.
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Labor MPs also answered dixers on a digital duty of care, migration, small businesses, veterans and more.
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The rising cost of living remained a key line of questioning for the opposition and crossbench, as was the government’s treatment of non-citizens who have committed crimes.
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Despite much talk yesterday about civility and respect in political debate, QT seemed to have revived much of its previous rambunctiousness, with one MP ejected and more warned.
Labor’s Peter Khalil ejected after interrupting Angus Taylor’s question
And just like that, we have an ejection.
The member for Wills, Peter Khalil, has been ejected from the chamber after reacting to a question from Angus Taylor.
While kicking him out, the speaker, Milton Dick, said:
The leader of the opposition is entitled to be heard in silence and shown the same respect as any other member. To give commentary like that, with remarks that I just said, is completely out of order.
Speaker urges MPs to ‘remember why we’re here’ and not to fall back into ‘bad habits’
Comments and grumblings arise from the opposition benches and interrupt Anne Aly as she attempts to answer a question about small businesses.
The speaker of the house, Milton Dick, issues a warning:
This continual sledging and remarks and ongoing comment – it is not helpful [for] democracy, and it’s not even funny.
The minister’s not saying anything controversial. We don’t need commentary, we don’t need remarks, we don’t need snide remarks.
Just remember why we’re here. We’re not getting into … bad habits.
People are entitled to their views, but not when ministers are just addressing the house on topics that we should all be supportive of.
You can disagree, but not with the snide comments.
Nationals deputy targets PM’s ‘failure’ on energy bills
Pointing to interest rate rises, and the prime minister’s “failure to deliver the $275 reduction in household energy bills he promised”, the deputy leader of the Nationals, Darren Chester, asks:
Why do Australians always pay the price because the prime minister won’t ever admit he’s made a mistake?
Anthony Albanese responds he is “stunned” at the opposition raising issues of migration and access to the labour market and said his government had brought down the level of overseas migration by 45%.
The offer has been there for other reforms, that would further help to bring down the migration numbers, and do so in a way that had no impact at all on the labour market.
Wells calls for unity over combating online harms, including threats of violence
The dixer is about how the digital duty of care protects Australians from “serious harm online, such as threats of violence and menacing or harassing behaviour”.
The communications minister, Anika Wells, uses the opportunity to offer a reminder to unite MPs:
It’s not good enough to wait until threats escalate or a person gets hurt.
This is not about censoring political debate, this is not about avoiding the criticism of policy, this is not about misinformation or disinformation.
If social media platforms, forums, online games, or AI [chatbot companies] know that the tools they make money from can be used to seriously harm Australians, they should put systems in place to stop it. We don’t always agree in this place, but surely we can agree on this.
Dan Tehan asks the prime minister to table the document he was reading from during his answer. Albanese shakes his head and presents the paper to have it tabled.
MPs from both side begin raising their voices, forcing the speaker, Milton Dick, to call order multiple times as he attempts to allow the member for Griffith to ask her dixer. He says:
I want to hear her question, and I’d like everyone to show her some respect while she asks the question.
Opposition continues pressure over golf club grant
The manager of opposition business in the house, Dan Tehan returns and asks the prime minister to “stop the spin and admit he was wrong”.
It’s met with much grumblings from the government benches and the speaker, Milton Dick, asks Tehan to refer to a point, saying he does not want to set a precedent where “you can just do a statement, and then that’s a question”. Anthony Albanese answers:
After we made the commitment to the club which included fixing this issue – which has been an issue since 1947 – the state government have stepped in. That is a good thing.
The mood during question time
The chamber is certainly livelier than yesterday. Each “hear hear” feels more spirited, and answers are met with louder sneers of discontent from the other side of the political aisle.
Question time warning count: one
We’ve had our first warning of the day as the prime minister answered another question about the Marrickville golf club.
Dan Tehan demands ‘straight answer’ from PM over $6m golf club grant
The manager of opposition business in the House, Dan Tehan, has kicked off question time by returning to the $6m grant to the Marrickville golf club. He asks:
On 9 September 2026, the prime minister told this house, his $6m taxpayer-funded grant … was to fix sewerage flows into the Cooks River. On 10 September 2026, the prime minister doubled down on this claim in this house.
Last week, the Department of Infrastructure confirmed to a Senate inquiry, sewerage works were not in the scope of the $6m grant. This was confirmed again at Senate estimates last night.
Will the prime minister give Australians a straight answer, admit he misled the House, and correct the record?
The prime minister said it was a matter for the Department of Infrastructure, noted the council was finalising the design of the project – which includes improvements to the clubhouse, stormwater harvesting, a new toilet, and landscaping – and pointed to funding the NSW government later committed to addressing sewerage at the club.
Question time begins
Question time is now beginning.
After much talk about civility and respect in parliament, following the alleged attack on Helen Haines, yesterday’s QT was a relatively subdued affair.
Let’s see if this lasts more than a day.
Melissa Davey
Dementia responsible for more than a tenth of deaths in 2025: ABS
Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, accounted for just over 10% (19,019) of all deaths in 2025, according to the latest causes of death data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The ABS head of mortality statistics, Lauren Moran, said: “This is the first time that dementia has accounted for more than 10% of all deaths in Australia”. It is the leading cause of death.
Investment in dementia services, supports and prevention have not kept the same pace, Dementia Australia’s CEO, Prof Tanya Buchanan, said.
The other leading causes of death in 2025 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovasculardiseases (such as stroke), lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
The data reveals the highest number of asthma deaths recorded in 10 years. There were 484 Australians who died from asthma in 2025, up from 478 deaths in 2024.
Women account for almost two-thirds of asthma deaths, and almost to two-thirds of all dementia deaths.
Asthma Australia’s CEO, Kate Miranda, said poorly controlled asthma increases the risk:
We have effective treatments and clear clinical guidelines, yet too many Australians are not getting the care they need to stay well.
Fatima Payman clashes with Don Farrell over office staffing allocation – video
At a late-night Senate estimates hearing, the independent senator Fatima Payman accused the prime minister of being “petty” by not granting her additional staff members after she defected from Labor in 2024.
Watch the interaction here:
Andrew Messenger
Queensland minister defends decision to slash legal centre’s funding
The Queensland minister for youth justice, Laura Gerber, has been pressed on her decision to slash funding for one of the government’s chief critics.
Greens MP Michael Berkman asked Gerber why the 45-year-old Youth Advocacy Service had lost its funding for bail support services in question time this morning.
Gerber said 13 organisations had been approved for funding under a new bail program. She said:
The Youth Advocacy Service was not successful in that. They delivered the former Labor government’s failed bail programs. They delivered a program that saw youth offenders on bail reoffend 60% of the time, and when it came to serious repeat offenders, it got even worse.
YAC was responsible only for children in Brisbane, not the rest of the state. Other organisations that provided services under the previous scheme will continue to be funded, including Anglicare, which will take over YAC’s funding.
Berkman said a recent state government evaluation had shown the YAC scheme was effective in reducing the frequency and seriousness of offending.
