A week of Senate Estimates hearings has revealed Australians are paying the price for a government that talks big and delivers little.
From national security to the cost of living, from health to integrity, the Albanese Government has turned promises into failures and transparency into secrecy.
The Albanese's Government's bad decisions and wrong priorities were also on full display.
Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Senator Michaelia Cash said: "The Albanese Government has been exposed as a government that would prefer to keep Australians in the dark about issues of vital importance.''
"The ISIS brides' cover-up was finally exposed through the Estimates process after the government spent weeks denying all knowledge of the status of this cohort,'' Senator Cash said.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Anne Ruston said: "The deceptive nature of this government has been exposed time and again, as has their poor decision making, ideological obsessions and broken promises.''
ISIS brides cover-up revealed
The Albanese Government knew a cohort of ISIS brides and their children were coming back to Australia months ago but refused to tell the public. They knew as early as June yet kept Australians in the dark despite repeated media stories and questions from the Opposition. It wasn't until Senate Estimates last week that the Government finally admitted two ISIS brides and their four children were back in Australia. But the Albanese government showed their contempt for the Australian people through their failure to answer even the most basic factual questions about the ISIS brides. And the Government refuses to reveal how many more are returning or when they are coming back.
Labor left Australians hanging in 000 chaos
The Coalition exposed shocking new details about the Optus Triple Zero outage and Labor's failure to act. It was revealed Optus emailed the Albanese Government the day before the outage went public, warning of the looming crisis. Yet no one in Government alerted emergency services or the Australian public. Australians were left unable to call for help, and Labor sat on its hands. The Government's attempt to bury the email and downplay its own inaction shows a disturbing lack of accountability and leadership in a life-and-death situation.
Prime Minister's Medicare lies exposed
Labor's credibility on Medicare gets weaker and weaker by the day. Department officials revealed that not only will millions of Australians still have to pay with their credit card as well as their Medicare card to see a GP, but out of pocket costs will "continue to go up." As Australians continue to pay record high costs to see their doctor, the Department says they won't feel a change from the Government's bulk billing investment for at least four years - after this term of government. The Prime Minister promised Australians they would see a GP for free, but instead they will continue to pay more than they ever have before.
Labor breaks decades of fiscal discipline
Treasury officials confirmed in Senate Estimates that there are no quantifiable fiscal rules guiding Labor's Budget. This reconfirms what the Coalition and leading economists have warned for months, Labor has thrown out the rule book and are on a spending spree. By scrapping measurable fiscal rules, the Treasurer has broken long-standing norms of budget discipline, giving himself a blank cheque.
RBA warns inflation may be hotter than forecast
Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock told Senate estimates that inflation for the September quarter could be "hotter than expected", warning of "upside risks" to the Bank's own forecasts. The admission confirms what Australians already know - Labor's cost-of-living crisis is far from over. The Governor's evidence shows that despite the Treasurer's spin about inflation being "under control", price pressures remain stubborn across services and construction. For families and small businesses already under strain, this is yet another sign that Labor's high-spending, high-taxing agenda is keeping inflation higher for longer.
PM intervenes in Chalmers' super tax debacle
Treasury officials confirmed that the Prime Minister's Office has stepped in on the government's troubled $3 million super tax plan, a measure that remains unlegislated more than two years after it was announced. Under questioning, Treasury's Diane Brown admitted that Treasury has been modelling potential changes to the policy and that "conversations with the Prime Minister's Office" had taken place. This follows former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, former Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and Labor luminaries Paul Keating and Bill Kelty all airing concerns about Labor's new tax.
False narrative on spending, debt and deficit
Treasury officials confirmed that the government has broken its own fiscal strategy. Labor failed to bank the majority of revenue upgrades in 2024-25, as promised. And government expenditure increases over the forward estimates just as debt to GDP rises, contrary to their stated policy.
Labor to officially rack up $1 trillion of debt in 2026
It was confirmed that the Albanese Labor Government will become the first Australian Government in history to hit $1 trillion of national debt. Under questioning from Senator Bragg, the Australian Office of Financial Management declared it a "fair observation" that Labor's broken budget will condemn Australia to $1 trillion of debt "sometime next calendar year."
Labor's housing policies to push up home prices
Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock confirmed that Labor's massive non-means tested expansion of the Home Guarantee Scheme will push up house prices and make repayments higher, further putting the dream of home ownership out of reach for younger Australians. Under questioning from Senator Bragg, Bullock confirmed that under the HGS, "it's possible that housing prices might be a bit higher than they otherwise were" while also making clear "the other point to make, of course, is borrowers in such a situation will face higher repayment costs."
Labor exposed trying to backtrack on housing failures
At the last round of Estimates, the Finance Minister made it clear that Labor's Housing Australia Future Fund had "acquired and converted" 340 pre-existing homes.
Now, during a midnight appearance, Housing Australia and Treasury's Housing Division have tried to cast doubt on that plain language, suggesting that "acquired and converted" may have been misinterpreted. This is a curious backpedal. Even if the HAFF is acquiring dwellings under construction, it is still reducing private housing supply during a housing crisis.
Labor has no answers on immigration planning
Department of Home Affairs officials confirmed that the Government has walked away from its promise to lock-in long-term immigration planning, first announced following National Cabinet in August 2023. Shadow Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Paul Scarr said, "The Albanese Government has failed to deliver on its own commitment on long-term migration planning, abandoning a model that would better align our migration system with housing, infrastructure and workforce needs into the future".
Albanese Government disorganised on trade
Less than two weeks before the Prime Minister's meeting with President Trump, the Albanese Government remains disorganised and directionless on trade. Trade Minister Don Farrell was unable to point to a single outcome on tariffs, admitting, "none of those issues have been resolved." Despite crippling 50 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, the Minister dismissed the impact, saying he "wouldn't describe it as crippling," while conceding that "the UK seems to have done a better job than Australia." When questioned on Ambassador Rudd's role, Farrell could offer no evidence of progress-only a joke about sharing Rudd's mobile number.
More tariff surprises with EU
While Minister Farrell posed for happy snaps with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič last month, he confirmed with a straight "No." at the Senate Estimates hearing that Šefčovič did not give him a heads up on the EU's newly proposed 50% tariffs on steel - further offering it did in fact come as a surprise. It is really all optics and photo opportunities for the Labor Government. Not outcomes to protect our Australian exporters.
No support for our biggest exports
The Government directed a new Statement of Expectations to the Export Finance Australia agency in March this year dictating it explicitly prohibits support for coal and gas - two of our biggest exports worth over $150 billion in exports and provides more than 100,000 Australian jobs. An Estimates hearing on Friday night showed it went even further with EFA prohibited to fund adjacent businesses that provide parts, such as valves, to gas or coal industries.
Palestine recognition as a state was purely political
Labor's recognition of "Palestine" was exposed as a political stunt. At Estimates, the Office of International Law conceded recognition was a political call all whilst acknowledging the Montevideo Convention criteria for statehood exists. They also confirmed providing advice to the Albanese Government on recognition, but when asked the basics such as what is the capital of Palestine, or what the recognised borders are, officials deflected and said the questions should be referred to DFAT
IRGC terror listing delay: too little, too late?
Did the government ignore terror threats until it was politically convenient? Senator Chandler slammed the Albanese Government for taking 2.5 years to act on listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation despite bipartisan support and ASIO warnings. The listing process began in 2022, but legal barriers weren't addressed until after IRGC-linked attacks occurred on Australian soil in 2025. National security shouldn't wait for violence to escalate.
Health Department website misused by Labor
The Labor Party and the Albanese Government treat Medicare as a political toy. Now, it has been exposed that a taxpayer-funded website hosted by the Department of Health was changed on the very same day that the election was called to mirror Labor's misleading Mediscare campaign, "strengthening Medicare." Australians deserve better than a government that will blatantly politicise something as important to them as their access to healthcare.
The home care wait list blow out continues
The home care wait list has exploded by a further 26% in the past three months alone, because the Albanese Government purposely withheld support from older Australians who desperately needed it. This is the devastating impact of Labor's broken promise on home care, and it means more than 238,000 older Australians are still waiting for support to stay in their own homes. This is a crisis of Labor's own making and it is far from over.
Albanese's Hospital Funding Broken Promise
It was shocking to receive confirmation that the Government is walking away from its clear and unconditional commitment to fund 42.5% of hospital costs by 2030. The Government is now saying that its promise is subject to funding caps, which could actually send Commonwealth hospital funding backwards at a time when hospitals are facing escalating pressures - with patients being ramped outside of emergency departments for hours and left waiting in pain for years for elective surgeries. It is now almost assured that the Government will not meet its hospital funding commitment, making this another broken promise from Anthony Albanese.
Modelling reveals true high costs of Labor's net-zero
Treasury officials revealed its climate modelling shows that Australia could face a cost of $293 per tonne to cut emissions under the government's preferred net-zero plan.
Most dangerous strategic environment since WWII
Defence officials confirmed that Iran, Russia, North Korea, and the Chinese Communist Party are working closer than ever, with the goal of reshaping the world order and increasing the risk of conflict. Defence officials said the risk of a US-China conflict are "no longer remote." Under questioning from Senator Michaelia Cash Defence officials said they see no disagreement with the New Zealand government's assertion we face the most dangerous time since World War II. This is despite the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister instead downplaying the risk as "challenging".
Defence expects more PLA Navy Flotillas off Australia
The Secretary of the Department of Defence, and Chief of the Defence Force used their opening statements to warn of more frequent deployments of the Chinese PLA into waters near Australia. Under questioning from Senators Cash, Henderson, and Price, officials placed the blame for non-warned live-fire exercises squarely at the Chinese government and said they had raised concerns with Beijing over inadequate notification of live-fire activity in the Tasman Sea and repeated "unsafe" behaviour.
Cyber-attacks, economic coercion part of warfare
Defence officials confirmed that so called 'grey zone warfare' is an increasing reality of the strategic environment, with cyber attacks, economic coercion, propaganda and foreign influence now enabling states to pursue their strategic ambitions without firing a bullet. Officials stated that defending Australia is now a whole of government priority that covers economic, infrastructure, cyber, and defence policy.
Despite danger, Labor offering no funding, no plans
Across extensive questioning from Coalition Senators, the consistent story was one of spin, distracted priorities, and rhetoric that was not matched by delivery. Defence officials explicitly rejected Deputy Prime Minister Marles' claim to be spending 2.8% of GDP on defence. Under extensive questioning from Senator Dean Smith, the Department of Defence CFO confirmed that defence spending this year was just 2.03% of GDP, and any claim that another 0.77% (roughly $19.25 billion) was "certainly not [being spent on capability or sustainment] for the Australian Defence Force, no"
Cookbooks and missiles
Senator Henderson confirmed that the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance Group would no longer produce cookbooks, rather than missiles. Senator Henderson pointed out to the GWEO that while they managed to work weekends to produce a cookbook, they had failed to sign a contract for domestic missile production and cancelled tenders linked to hundreds of regional jobs.
Plan for Henderson Defence Precinct invisible
Senator Cash confirmed that the government's $12 billion in funding for the Henderson Defence Precinct had no funding profile, and no plan on how to spend the money - with Defence saying the government was yet to work that out. The result is no plan to spend the money, no plan to accelerate the precinct, and no plan to deliver 10,000 skilled jobs for Western Australia.
PNG Defence Treaty details lacking
Defence confirmed there was no funding envelope attached to the 'Puk Puk' treaty signed by Australia and PNG this week, with no detailed plans on how to implement the obligations under the treaty. Recruitment, investment, training, and immigration details are yet to be worked out. Defence officials indicated that they were not involved in briefing the premature signing of the treaty to the media, despite the Prime Minister building an entire media event around the signatures.
Flying blind on AUKUS Review
Defence officials confirmed they had stood up no task forces to respond to the AUKUS Review, with engagement being left to ad-hoc requests. Defence officials refused to answer whether advice was provided to government on possible initiatives to secure a positive outcome for the Review.
Defence's net zero strategy exposing cyber security
ASD has issued formal warnings about the cybersecurity risks of connected and electric vehicles, including potential foreign interference. Whilst Defence officials confirmed the ADF does not purchase electric vehicles manufactured in China and acknowledged the risks of EV disruption by adversaries are factored into capability design and delivery, Defence has not adopted a clear procurement stance, leaving security and policy gaps exposed.
Labor's botched Administrative Review Tribunal
Labor's $1 billion rebrand of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has been confirmed as nothing more than a glossy name change. When the Coalition left office, the AAT had around 67,720 cases on hand, and the median time to finalisation was 30 weeks. The Registrar conceded the ART is currently looking at a shortfall of 100+ FTE, and of 85,845 cases lodged in the past year, only 46,447 were finalised. Labor promised a "more efficient" tribunal, instead they have delivered the opposite.
Labor's "$930k jobs for mates" exposed
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) officials were interrogated on the controversial "jobs for mates" appointment of Labor-linked Mike Kaiser as Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water.
PM&C officials, and later APS Commissioner Dr Gordon de Brouwer, were grilled on Mr. Kaiser's past as a former state Labor MP and ALP state secretary in Queensland, and his resignation from parliament after admitting to electoral fraud, and whether this history is consistent with APS Values for an apolitical and ethical public service. Senator Paterson also criticised the speed of Kaiser's appointment, noting it was filled in approximately three weeks through a "closed competitive process" by invitation only, contrasting it with a much longer process to replace the Secretary of the Department of Finance.
APS Commission grilled on FOI cover-ups
The APSC could not explain the Government's persistent refusal to release the final report of the Briggs Review into public sector board appointments that had been provided by Lynelle Briggs to the Minister for the Public Service, Senator Gallagher, in August 2023 under both Senate OPDs and FOI. APS Commissioner de Brouwer was unconvincing in his explanation that the report could not be released under FOI because it is currently sitting with government for consideration despite publicly available information suggesting the government intended to publish the report in full in at least late 2023.
Immigration detainees in $8 million Medicare scam
Services Australia officials revealed that a small ring of immigration detainees defrauded at least $8 million in a sophisticated Medicare scam, but this number could rise amid an ongoing joint investigation with Australian Federal Police (AFP). The accused perpetrators who are awaiting deportation allegedly impersonated customers to the Agency, and impersonated the Agency to medical providers, in order to trick people to provide login details to gain access to systems to divert payments to be made to bank accounts controlled by the alleged offenders, and that only some of the funds have been frozen.
National security architecture: A MoG U-turn
Department of Home Affairs officials were grilled on the Albanese Government's abrupt reversal on its Machinery of Government changes (MoG) to our national security architecture, in a move that implements the Coalition's election commitment to restore the Home Affairs portfolio to its previous settings before it had been dismantled in Labor's first term.
Minister Watt cited a constantly evolving security environment and argued that the restored architecture was now the "best structure" to meet current operational needs.
Home Affairs Chief of Staff's corruption not disclosed
The Secretary of Home Affairs, Stephanie Foster, was questioned on a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigation into a Home Affairs official, namely Ms Foster's Chief of Staff. Questioning revealed that the Department's integrity and professional standards branch became aware of the integrity issue in late December 2024, yet Secretary Foster was not informed of the investigation until her return from leave weeks later in January 2025.
Minister Ayres out of touch on bracket creep
Treasury officials admitted that the average rate of tax paid by the average taxpayer will rise from 20.6 per cent to 23.6 per cent under Labor's current policies, which Senator Tim Aryes described as "a good thing".
No answers on meeting emission reduction targets
Despite several questions being asked the Government was not able to answer a simple question as to how it will meet its 2030 and 2035 emission reduction targets. The Department claimed to have a year by year model of emissions reduction that does not align with reality and their estimates to 2030 are excessive as they expect a rapid acceleration of carbon emission reduction a couple of years before 2030 - despite how emissions reduction has basically flatlined in recent years. The Government has indicated they would not follow the detail of the Climate Change Authority's advice - including elements which the CCA is clear are required to deliver on the 2035 target. This clearly shows that the Government has no credible plan for delivering on 2035.
Climate effect on property values unverified
The Australian Climate Service (part of the Bureau of Meteorology) did a cut and paste from a 2019 report from the Climate Council - a climate activist group - and put them in their National Climate Risk Assessment stating that climate change will cause losses in the Australian property market by $571.0 billion in value by 2030 and $611.0 billion by 2050 and $770.0 billion by 2100. Yet after extensive questioning the Australian Climate Service was unable to verify that statement and unable to provide any independent analysis of a claim that was made 6 years ago.
Climate risk assessment
The Government's climate risk modelling relies on flawed and alarmist assumptions, predicting a 444% increase in deaths in Sydney and a $611 billion property crash. This is pure scare tactics masquerading as science. All this modelling reflects bad science, and bad policy, designed to justify Labor's extreme climate agenda rather than to inform sound decision-making.
A shadow carbon price revealed?
When questioned about modelling used The Department of Climate Change and the Department of Treasury which contained a price per tonne of carbon of between $293 a tonne and $328 a tonne by 2050 if this was basically a carbon tax or a shadow carbon tax the minster at the table went out of their way to not answer the questions and confuse the argument that the Coalition Senators were making.
ABC should contact staff impacted by asbestos at work
The ABC was pushed for information on its list of current and former staff members who may have been impacted by asbestos at its Elsternwick studios from the 1950s to 2010s. ABC executives said they didn't know of a 'list' of those communicated with despite The Age reporting on this matter in February 2025.
ABC Lattouf case cost taxpayers more than $2.5 million
Taxpayers have been slapped with a $2.5 million bill so far for the ABC to pay for its legal defence in the Lattouf workplace court case. The ABC in February's Estimates said the cost then was approximately $1.1 million, it has more than doubled in just 8 months.
SBS shares Hitler article
SBS executives admitted they were unaware of an article SBS shared from Reuters which took information from the International Association of Genocide Scholars which included 'scholars' Adolf Hitler', Palpatine from Star Wars and Hebrew speaking dogs. Social cohesion issues have flared dramatically in recent times in Australia and SBS should check sources before sharing such content which they pay for.
Still waiting for export grants
The only grant program of its kind for Australian exporters, which has been around since the 1970's and is credited with helping iconic businesses Wiggles and Penfolds succeed on the world stage - the Export Market Development Grant program - has just become a race to submit under the Labor Government. Some 70 per of applicants were still waiting 9 months after applications were submitted because of their flawed assessment approach and IT issues.
ACCC calls for Victoria to remove gas ban
Under questioning from Senator McDonald, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb confirmed that they have been calling on the Federal Labor Government to remove Victoria's anti-gas moratoria, and support opening up new gas acreage to encourage domestic supply. Ms Gottlieb also confirmed that increased diversity of supply will increase efficiency and competition in Australia's east coast gas market.
Charities commission silent on EDO funding
Under questioning from Senator McDonald, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission was unable to confirm the source and legality of the Environmental Defenders Office's ghost-creditor. After being found to have confected evidence in Federal Court, the EDO received a $6.5 million loan from an unknown entity to cover its legal costs. Despite being a registered Australian charity, under questioning from Senator McDonald the ACNC was unable to confirm that it could verify the source of the funding, nor comment on whether the EDO was under investigation.
Driving instructor misconduct
Minister King has not asked her Department for advice on the Commonwealth's options to protect vulnerable young learner drivers from predatory driving instructors.
Electric Vehicle Security Framework
There is currently no dedicated Security Framework for remote access to data and Over the Air system updates for foreign-made connected and electric vehicles.
Projects under corruption investigation funded
State governments have referred three projects to the Commonwealth with alleged improper or unlawful behaviour. The Albanese Government is making milestone payments on federally funded infrastructure projects where corruption and unlawful behaviour investigations are ongoing, despite having the power under funding agreements with the states to pause payments.
No shovels on the promised Maitland Overpass
It was revealed that no business case has even been sought on the Maitland Overpass project. Labor is set to break a critical election promise for a project that is years away from starting.
Agriculture Secretary Payout Revealed
Labor secretive about reasons why former secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Adam Fennessy, was sacked after just two years.
$1 million DCCEEW travel bill in just over two months
After struggling to find the correct number, officials from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water revealed to Senator Smith the travel spend for 64 staff attending 31 international climate change and COP31 advocacy events was $1,030,000 for July and August 2025 alone.
Government hiding DCCEEW incoming brief
Having been ordered multiple times by the Senate to provide the complete incoming government brief from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Albanese Government again refused to do so, making a mockery of its transparency claims. Labor has only provided the same documents it did for a recent FOI applications, but officials admitted to Senator Smith the Senate OPD process should be handled differently.
Ministers left in dark on child sex abuse case
It was only during a routine, already-scheduled meeting with a Victorian Government counterpart that the two relevant Federal Ministers - Jason Clare and Jess Walsh - first heard of the alleged sexual offending of Joshua Dale Brown at more than 20 of the State's childcare centres. The Federal Government's most senior figures in the Education portfolio were not proactively informed about the case. Instead, they were first told about it by the Victorian Minister for Children during a routine meeting apparently also convened about various other matters.
No co-ordinated data on childcare sex abuse
Under questioning from Senators Duniam and Kovacic, the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) divulged that it does not hold consolidated national data on allegations and incidents of sexual abuse in childcare centres. Instead, the national regulator must seek these figures from State and Territory governments - and, even when it attains them, then keeps the numbers confidential from most Australians.
Full funding fail on schools
Victoria still has no bilateral arrangement in place with the Albanese Government on its so-called national 'Better and Fairer Schools Funding Agreement' (BFSA). Answers to Senator Duniam at the Education hearing also confirmed that the Victorian Government had, by as early as March 2024, decided to strip $2.4 billion from school funding by delaying the start date of any such deal by at least three years, from 2028 to 2031. Each of these revelations flies in the face of public statements from Anthony Albanese who said, in the lead up to the 2025 Federal election, the BFSA was being "delivered" and his government had "fully funded all of these agreements".
NDIS style blowouts in NCCD scheme
Testimony at the Education hearing exposed that the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) scheme - designed to support school students with disabilities - is now the subject of mounting financial blowouts. There is rapidly growing concern about widespread rorting of the program and increasing activity from the Education Department to try to claw back misappropriated funds. In response to questioning from Senator Duniam, the Department conceded that officials now budget for at least $18 million annually as money that they expect will be dishonestly claimed, and that must later be the subject of attempted recovery.
Nothing to see here
Remarkably, the Department of Education Secretary, Tony Cook, claimed he couldn't think of anything his organisation had done wrong in relation to the current national childcare safety crisis. His "nothing to mind specifically" denial was offered even though the crisis has exposed glaring flaws in how governments and their agencies handle childcare safety across Australia - problems so serious that a range of senior politicians have themselves acknowledged their parties' own historical failures on the issue.
CTRL+ALT+OVERSPEND
The Department of Education paid a staggering $45,000 to a computer programmer for just 30 days of work. In yet another example of the Albanese Government's extravagant misuse of taxpayers' money, that's the equivalent of a yearly salary of more than half a million dollars (far above normal market rates) for an individual IT contract with the Department.
Beefing up childcare in marginal seats
Coalition questioning at the Education hearing uncovered that the Government's Building Early Education Fund (BEEF), which was designed to provide new services in childcare deserts, has been swallowed up by Labor election commitments. One in ten of the new or expanded early childhood education and care services promised under the scheme have already been pre-allocated to seats that Labor was desperate to win at the last election.
69 staff, zero structure
The Government's much-hyped Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), despite still only being an interim body, somehow already boasts a staff of 69 Departmental employees. ATEC's three interim Commissioners are also curiously already actively engaging with universities about their future directions.
Climate trigger pulled
In a significant backdown, the Albanese Government has finally ruled out legislating a so-called 'climate trigger' as part of any new environmental laws. Pressed by Senator Duniam, the Environment Minister, Murray Watt, said he was "happy to rule out" the trigger. Albeit that industrial emissions are already heavily regulated under the Government's punitive Safeguard Mechanism, the abandonment of the climate trigger is a welcome development - given that its introduction would have caused untold damage to many Australian businesses and jobs, as well as to future investment.
Labor's leaky bucket and the missing 6000 gigalitres
A volume of water equivalent to 12 times that of Sydney Harbour is unaccounted for in New South Wales, due a lack of appropriate compliance mechanisms worthy of an Academy Award. Under questioning on Tuesday, Inspector General of Water Compliance, Troy Grant, spoke to his office's recent report which said that "New South Wales data could not be assessed due to water resource plan status." It came after questions were asked about the appropriateness of the decision by the ACT Water Minister to approve the release of 360 megalitres from Lake Ginninderra for a Netflix film, while others are left scratching for water for the environment and productive use.
Murray Darling communities desperate for action
The communities within Australia's food bowl want action, not more consultation from a Labor Government only interested in writing cheques, as opposed to delivering what the communities of the Murray Darling Basin are calling out for. Troy Grant, Inspector General of Water Compliance, told Estimates his "concerns are the concerns of community… that they can see and have trust and confidence, and they have got surety and assurance." Mr Grant's recent report found that 20 per cent of water license holders that operate within the Murray Darling Basin were unaware they were within the basin.
Can public trust Labor's National Messaging System?
Australia's National Messaging System is now more than three years behind schedule, with a question marks remaining over how the system will operate, and whether it could fall victim to similar outages experienced by the 000 network this year. Deputy Coordinator-General, NEMA, Joe Buffone, told Estimates that the new system "does rely on the telecommunications networks," following an exchange about the recent Optus outage. When asked about the compatibility of mobile devices in receiving alerts, Mr Buffone was less forward in his information, saying "I don't have the exact... We don't have a percentage."
Trump tweets guide DFAT on tariffs
Key staff within the Trade and Investment Group at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were forced to admit they have been reliant on social media posts from the United States President to understand potential changes in the trade relationship between the two countries. Deputy Secretary, Georga Mina, said the department "became aware of the decision by the administration to seek to increase tariffs through the President's true social account." The discussion came after Minister Farrell was forced to defend former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's role as US Ambassador. "I say this about Ambassador Rudd? He's absolutely the right man in the right place for Australia."
Labor's infrastructure failures laid bare
Labor's chaos and delay were on full display this week as Senate Estimates exposed the Albanese Government's lack of progress on key Western Australian infrastructure projects. From the stalled Outback Way to the hollow election promise on the Kwinana Freeway, it's clear that under Labor, WA's roads are going nowhere fast.
Garden Island Highway
Officials confirmed the Department of Infrastructure has met with Defence, who has now established an inter-departmental committee to discuss the project. When pressed further, the Department refused to answer any additional questions and referred all inquiries to Defence, yet another sign of stonewalling on a critical WA defence access route.
Kwinana Freeway widening fiction
Officials admitted all Commonwealth funding for the project sits in the outer years, not in the forward estimates. No timeframe could be provided for the planning and scoping studies. Senator O'Sullivan noted the Prime Minister's election promise to widen the freeway was pure fiction, Labor's only prepared to widen the freeway after the next election, and only have funding in the forward estimates to conduct a scoping study.
Outback Way off the mark
When asked about the four-year delay, the Department blamed Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) and Native Title matters, despite confirming two-thirds of the agreements are already in principle. Those two ILUAs agreements were reached 12 months ago with no progress since. After questioning, the Department conceded that works could be rolled out progressively but still could not explain the year-long delay.
Nicholson Road & Garden Street flyover
Department officials claimed cost increases (from $80 million to $145 million) were due to gas utility relocations and labour costs. They admitted delays had contributed to rising costs but couldn't quantify the impact. The Department took on notice when asked when the Commonwealth was told that the 50:50 funding contribution would need to rise. Officials now claim contracts will go to market in 2026, construction in 2027 and completion in 2028 - another year, another promise that progress is "just 12 months away.
Reid Highway: West Swan Road interchange
Officials said the project proposal report is expected this month, insisting the project is "on track." Yet, the Infrastructure Investment Australia website was quietly updated just three days before Estimates, pushing the project's start back by two years. When asked to explain the delay, officials recycled the same answer they gave in 2024: "land acquisition and environmental approvals." The $87.5 million commitment made by the Morrison Government in 2020 still hasn't been released to the State. Astonishingly, the Department claims the total cost has not increased despite being costed five years ago.
Labor welcomes more uranium mines
Under questioning in Senate Estimates on why the Government has not included uranium on Australia's Critical Minerals List, Assistant Minister Chisolm said that the fact that Australia is selling more uranium is "a good thing", and that if companies wanted to come and invest in Australia, they would be welcomed with open arms.
Labor cannot guarantee delivery of defence minerals
Under questioning from Senator McDonald, Assistant Minister Chisolm and the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources had little information to provide in relation to reports that a shipment of Australian antimony - a key defence mineral - was intercepted in a Chinese port and returned to Australia without reaching its destination. The Minister was unable to guarantee that this would not happen to future minerals, despite the Prime Minister's recent comments about offering priority access to the US for Australian critical minerals.
Radioactive waste and the mystery funding
The Australian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARWA), and Department of Industry, Science and Resources officials, were unable to conclusively outline what funding the Government has now allocated to radioactive waste management. Since the Labor Government cancelled the development of a site at Kimba, the almost $500 million in funding allocated to ARWA and the development of a permanent radioactive waste storage site is unable to outline where this money now was, or how much was allocated to the future development of a site.
Trying to find "car-boot" minerals piles
The Department of Industry, Science, and Resources were unable to provide any detail on Labor's Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve announced by the Government earlier this year, with no information on the locations, storage options, or quantity of minerals. The Department also confirmed that Minister King's announcement of "boot-full of a car" sized piles of minerals was not Departmental language. It appears that this policy announcement was cooked up during the campaign, and now the Government is attempting to back-pedal, but that could not be confirmed, as there is still no detail.
Misstep in appointment of union official to NRF
In an extraordinary admission, the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DSIR) admitted that the appointment of former union official Mr Glenn Thompson to the board of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) involved a serious "misstep." In Senate Estimates, Secretary Meghan Quinn conceded that DSIR did not document desktop due diligence checks on the appointment of Mr Thompson and that no external provider was engaged to check on Mr Thompson's qualifications and background.
Foreign influence and diaspora threats
Is foreign interference hiding in plain sight? Senator Chandler has questioned why former premiers like Bob Carr and Daniel Andrews aren't registered under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme. She's also investigated threats to diaspora communities and the government's failure to act. Australia's sovereignty is at stake.
Does SDA still protect biological women?
If the SDA doesn't define "biological woman," who is it protecting? Senator Chandler raised serious concerns about the interpretation of the Sex Discrimination Act (SDA), questioning whether it adequately protects biological women in female-only spaces like domestic violence refuges and prisons. In a tense exchange, Commissioner Dr Anna Cody confirmed that the SDA includes trans women under its protections and does not use the term "biological female." Women's safety in sex-segregated spaces may be compromised by legal ambiguity.
Questions on Race Discrimination Commissioner
Is the Race Discrimination Commissioner pushing ideology over equality? Senator Chandler challenged Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman on his public commentary around Australia Day, systemic racism, and the Israel-Gaza conflict. She questioned the government's failure to implement the National Anti-Racism Framework and raised concerns about claims that "white people can't experience racism." Australians expect anti-racism policy to be impartial and inclusive.
Accused Child Rapist Allowed to Leave
Did Home Affairs let a predator slip through the cracks? Senator Chandler is demanding urgent answers after it was revealed that Avand Singh, a Fijian national charged with raping a 4-year-old girl, was allowed to leave Australia before facing trial. Home Affairs officials claimed they were legally obligated to remove Singh unless police requested a criminal justice certificate, a claim Queensland Police publicly rejected. A child rape suspect may have evaded justice due to bureaucratic failure.
$15M review over one underpayment.
Is the government overreacting or covering up? Senator Chandler exposed a corruption complaint involving a senior staffer and questioned why a single payroll error triggered a costly external review. She's asked whether this is about protecting staff or hiding systemic issues. Public money, public accountability.
Why the delay in child safety reforms?
Is the government dragging its feet on child safety? Senator Chandler has scrutinized the government's slow response to the Joshua Brown childcare scandal. She's asking why it took six weeks to act and whether the promised national register of banned workers will be delivered on time. Children deserve protection now, not next year.
Class action exploitation: who really profits?
Are class actions failing the very people they're meant to help? Senator Chandler has backed calls to regulate litigation funders after vulnerable First Nations claimants received as little as $10K from multi-million-dollar settlements. She's pushed for transparency and fairness in the justice system. Justice shouldn't be a business model.
Privacy, Whistleblowers & Identity Crime
Is the whistleblower watchdog toothless? Senator Chandler has scrutinized the rollout of whistleblower protections and identity crime support. She's asked whether the new ombudsman model will actually protect whistleblowers or bury their complaints. Vulnerable Australians need real safeguards.
World-First Quantum Computer or World-Class Delay?
Is PsiQuantum's quantum leap stuck in bureaucratic limbo? Senator Chandler has raised concerns about the Albanese Government's commitment to PsiQuantum, questioning whether Australia will actually host the world's first utility-scale quantum computer.
