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Priority bills for federal parliament

The spring session of federal parliament will consider a raft of federal government priority bills.

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Source: AAP


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KEY PRIORITY BILLS FOR THE SPRING SESSION OF FEDERAL PARLIAMENT

GAY MARRIAGE PLEBISCITE

* Laws to set up the national vote on same-sex marriage.

COUNTER TERRORISM

* Laws to allow authorities to continue to lock-up high-risk convicted terrorists after their sentences expire if a judge decides they still pose a threat to the community.

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WAR CRIMES

* Changes to the criminal code to clarify war crime offences of murder and attacking civilians in a non-international armed conflict do not apply to protect members of organised armed group.

MEDIA

* Repeal of the reach rule which prevents TV licence holders from broadcasting to more than 75 per cent of the population as well as the two-out-of-three rule which limits ownership of radio, TV and newspapers.

CHILDCARE PACKAGE

* Changes to the childcare payment system which creates a single means-tested subsidy and adds a top up subsidy for disadvantaged families.

WORKPLACE RELATIONS

* A bid to re-establish the building and construction watchdog. The bill was a trigger for the recent double dissolution election.

* Moves to increase penalties for union corruption. Also a double-dissolution election trigger.

* A bill to protect volunteers following the Country Fire Authority dispute in Victoria

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

* A new scheme called Youth Jobs PaTH aimed at giving internships to young job seekers.

SOCIAL SERVICES

* A bill that softens the Abbott government's controversial crackdown on mothers "double-dipping" on paid parental leave.

* Laws to scrap the pensioner education supplement, and education entry payment.

* Laws to make job seekers aged under 25 wait a month until they can claim welfare payments. The Abbott government originally proposed a six-month wait.

TAX

* An increase to the 32.5 per cent personal income tax threshold from $80,000 to $87,000 from July 1 2016.

BUDGET SAVINGS

* An omnibus bill of budget savings across 20-odd departments aimed at budget repair. It has $6.5 billion in savings which Labor agreed to during the election campaign. It includes removing the clean energy supplement, funding cuts to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, changing repayment thresholds on university student loans and freezing the Medicare levy and private health insurance rebate income levels.

VETERANS

* Plans to extend non-liability health care for certain mental health conditions to cover all current, former and future Australian Defence Force members.


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