Policy/Bills/Reforms Update
A quick note before this month's update: three of the items below are still moving. The changes to the private health insurance rebate for over-65s are before a Senate committee due to report in October and are not yet law; the Attorney-General's framework on automated decision-making across government is still being developed; and the digital duty of care laws are in draft and out for consultation.
I'll keep you posted as each progresses.
NDIS reform In August
Parliament passed the biggest changes to the NDIS since it began, with a shift over time toward assessing support based on how disability affects daily life, stronger action on fraud, and a new Thriving Kids program to give younger children with developmental delay earlier support through schools and health services. These are significant changes and I know they've caused real anxiety, so let me be clear about the why: the NDIS is growing faster than it can be sustained, and these reforms are about making sure it's still there for the people who genuinely need it, now and in decades to come. Some concerns raised through the Senate inquiry, particularly about timing and making sure the new supports are ready, are fair, and the Government has committed to a staged rollout with more consultation. If you're a current participant, nothing changes overnight, and my office in Moore is here to help you understand what it means for you.
https://ndis.gov.au is an invaluable resource for news, updates and information.
Amendment to NDIS Bill
Legislation: Parliament of Australia bill page for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 — official record, passage and full text.
Department: NDIS plain-English participant page on what's changing and when.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/ndis-laws/securing-ndis-future-generations
Algorithmic assessments on the NDIS
Some of you have raised concerns about the role of automated or "algorithmic" decision-making in NDIS assessments, and it's a fair thing to ask about. The new NDIS laws do allow computer systems to assist with certain determinations, and I understand why that makes people uneasy, particularly after Robodebt. Let me be straight about where things stand: the Government's position is that automation should support decisions, not replace human judgement, and that any decision affecting a person's supports must remain lawful, transparent and subject to human oversight. Separately, the Attorney-General is developing a consistent, whole-of-government framework for how automated decision-making can be used safely across government, which is a direct response to a recommendation of the Robodebt Royal Commission. That work is still underway, and I think it's reasonable to expect those safeguards to be robust and to keep a person at the centre of decisions about their own support. If you have concerns about how an assessment has affected you or someone you care for, please contact my office in Moore and we'll help you understand your review options.
Gambling advertising
Parliament has passed the strongest gambling advertising reforms in the country's history, taking effect from 1 January 2027. Betting ads will be banned during live sport, at venues, on players' uniforms and around school drop-off on radio, and the use of celebrities and sports stars to spruik betting is gone. I know some feel these should have gone all the way to a total ban, and I understand that view. But this is a genuine turning point after years of gambling ads saturating the sport our families watch together, and it will make a real difference to what our kids are exposed to. It's the biggest step this country has taken, and I'll keep listening on where we can do better.
Gambling Advertising Bill
Legislation: Parliament of Australia bill page for the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 — official record and explanatory memorandum.
Department: Department of Infrastructure "Gambling Reforms 2026" explainer of the new advertising rules.
Holding big tech more to account -
Digital Duty of Care and News Bargaining
This month the Government took two more steps to rein in the global tech platforms. First, it introduced draft "digital duty of care" laws that would put the onus on platforms, social media, messaging apps, games and AI services, to actively protect users from harmful content and design features, with a particular focus on children and on things like addictive, algorithm-driven feeds. Serious or systemic breaches could attract penalties of around $110 million. Separately, the News Bargaining Incentive is now law, giving platforms like Meta, Google and TikTok a clear choice: strike fair deals with Australian news publishers, or pay a levy on their local advertising revenue, which is about keeping the local journalism our communities rely on alive. Together these say the same thing: if you operate here and profit from Australians, you have responsibilities here too. The duty of care laws are still in draft and out for consultation, so I'll keep you posted as they progress.
News Bargaining Incentive Bill
Legislation: Parliament of Australia bill page for the News Media Bargaining (Administration) Bill 2026 — the lead bill of the five-bill package.
Department: Treasury minister's "NBI legislation finalised" release explaining how the incentive works.
Digital duty of care
Legislation: none yet — it's an exposure draft, not a bill before Parliament.
Department: Department of Infrastructure exposure-draft page with the draft laws and consultation details.
Early childhood educator wages
The full 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators has now been delivered, worth around $160 a week for a typical educator, through a $3.6 billion investment. These are the people helping our youngest kids learn and grow in the most important years of their development, and for too long they were undervalued and underpaid. The pay rise was tied to a cap on fee increases so we could lift wages without passing the cost on to families, and it's already meant tens of thousands more educators staying in the sector. If your family has questions about how it applies at your centre, my office is happy to help.
Early childhood educator wages Bill
Legislation: Parliament of Australia Senate committee inquiry page for the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026 — the bill that locks in the $3.6 billion (I've used the committee page because I couldn't confirm the bill-result page's ID without opening aph, which blocks direct access).
Department: Department of Education Worker Retention Payment page — plain-English explainer of the pay rise, eligibility and fee cap.
https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/announcements/worker-retention-payment
Private health insurance rebate
There's been a lot of coverage this week about the Government's plan to change the private health insurance rebate for Australians over 65, so I want to explain it clearly. At the moment, an older Australian can receive a larger rebate than a younger person on exactly the same income, purely because of their age. This change would make the rebate depend on income alone, the same way it already does for everyone under 65, with the savings reinvested into aged care. Importantly, over-65s will still receive government-subsidised discounts of up to 24 per cent on their premiums, the same as the rest of the population. I know cost-of-living pressures are very real for older Australians, and those concerns are being heard as the bill goes through a Senate committee. If you'd like to understand how the proposal might affect your own cover, my office in Moore is here to help.
Private health insurance rebate Amendment Bill
Legislation: Parliament of Australia bill page for the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 — official record; currently before a Senate committee.
Department: Department of Health private health insurance rebate explainer (general rebate; won't yet reflect the proposed over-65 change while the bill is in committee).
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