A black and white head shot of Mathias Cormann, who is smiling and wearing a dark jacket, shirt and tie.

Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

Minister for Finance

18 September 2013 to 30 October 2020

Government priorities pass the Parliament in a productive end to the year

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

Senator the Hon. Mathias Cormann
Minister for Finance and the Public Service
Leader of the Government in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia

The Hon. Christopher Pyne MP
Minister for Defence
Leader of the House
Federal Member for Sturt

Date

The Government has successfully passed 72 bills through Parliament since 1 September 2018, covering priority areas including national security, trade and tax reform for hard working Australians.

The Government lowered taxes for 3.3 million small and medium businesses to 25 per cent.

Every state and territory is now better off under new laws passed by the Parliament that will deliver a fairer and more sustainable distribution of the Goods and Services Tax. An additional $9 billion in extra untied funding will be delivered to the states and territories over 10 years and an additional $1 billion in perpetuity once fully implemented.

In the last two months, the Parliament passed bills to enact the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, providing access for Australian exporters to unprecedented access to new markets around the world.

The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme will commence soon, meaning any person who undertakes certain activities, on behalf of a foreign principal for the purpose of influencing a political or government process will be required to register under the scheme.

Australian Secret Intelligence Service officers will have an increased ability to protect themselves and others through the passage of the Intelligence Services Act Amendment Bill 2018. Officers will be able to protect a broader range of people and use reasonable force if someone poses a risk to an operation.

Following Bill Shorten’s capitulation, the Parliament has tonight passed one of the most important pieces of legislation - the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018. Our law enforcement and security agencies will now have more of the tools they say they need to combat serious crime, including terrorism, murder and child sex offences.

What is clear is that every test that has been set for us we have passed. We are a Government that delivers for Australians and we will continue to deliver for Australians.

A full list of Government bills that have passed the Parliament since 1 September is attached.

LEGISLATION PASSED SINCE 1 SEPTEMBER 2018

A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Amendment (Indigenous Land Corporation) Bill 2018

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2018

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund Bill 2018

Aged Care (Single Quality Framework) Reform Bill 2018

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Bill 2018

Airports Amendment Bill 2018

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Amendment Bill 2018

Aviation Transport Security Amendment Bill 2018

Bankruptcy Amendment (Debt Agreement Reform) Bill 2018

Civil Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2018

Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced Funding for Proprietary Companies) Bill 2017

Criminal Code Amendment (Food Contamination) Bill 2018

Customs Amendment (Collecting Tobacco Duties at the Border) Bill 2018

Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018

Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018

Customs Amendment (Product Specific Rule Modernisation) Bill 2018

Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018

Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals) Bill 2018

Customs Tariff Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018

Defence Amendment (Call Out of the Australian Defence Force) Bill 2018

Education and Other Legislation Amendment (VET Student Loan Debt Separation) Bill 2018

Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2018

Excise Levies Legislation Amendment (Honey) Bill 2016

Excise Tariff Amendment (Collecting Tobacco Duties at Manufacture) Bill 2018

Fair Work Amendment (Repeal of 4 Yearly Reviews and Other Measures) Bill 2017

Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018

Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018

Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Bill 2017

Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Amendment Bill 2018

Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Student Protection) Bill 2018

Imported Food Control Amendment Bill 2017

Intelligence Services Amendment Bill 2018

Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Medicare Levy Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018

Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016

Modern Slavery Bill 2018

My Health Records Amendment (Strengthening Privacy) Bill 2018

National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation Amendment Bill 2018

Office of National Intelligence (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018

Office of National Intelligence Bill 2018

Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Road Vehicle Standards (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018

Road Vehicle Standards Bill 2018

Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition—Customs) Bill 2018

Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition—Excise) Bill 2018

Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition—General) Bill 2018

Shipping Registration Amendment Bill 2018

Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Promoting Sustainable Welfare) Bill 2018

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card Trial Expansion) Bill 2018

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Student Reform) Bill 2018

Student Loans (Overseas Debtors Repayment Levy) Amendment Bill 2018

Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018

Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2018 Measures No. 1) Bill 2018

Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Accelerated Depreciation for Small Business Entities) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Australian Consumer Law Review) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Black Economy Taskforce Measures No. 1) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Black Economy Taskforce Measures No. 2) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing ASIC's Capabilities) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Sector Regulation) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Gift Cards) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Lower Taxes for Small and Medium Businesses) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Every State and Territory Gets Their Fair Share of GST) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Australian Farmers) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2018

Treasury Laws Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Employer Register) Bill 2017

Unexplained Wealth Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2018

Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018

Media Contact(s)

For Minister Cormann: Karen Wu - 0428 350 139
For Minister Pyne: Scott Bolitho - 0439 764 809