What was debated in Parliament
Summarised using AI from the official Hansard transcript of the debate only. It is not a record of the debate and may leave things out. Read the Hansard below to check it.
This bill raises the threshold for waiving small Centrelink debts to $250 and lets debts caused by domestic violence or financial abuse be waived. It also makes a past way of calculating debts, called income apportionment, legally valid, and sets up payments of up to $600 for people affected. Much of the Senate debate focused on a schedule added late in the House, letting payments be cancelled for people evading arrest warrants for serious violent or sexual offences.
Arguments made in support
Government and crossbench members said lifting and indexing the small debt waiver would clear about 1.2 million small debts and spare people stress.
Labor, Greens and independent speakers welcomed letting debts be waived where a partner's coercion or financial abuse caused them.
The government said validating income apportionment avoids recalculating millions of old debts, which would cost billions and cause distress.
The government said payment cancellation would apply only to people charged with serious violent or sexual offences who are evading police, with dependants considered.
The Coalition supported the bill and agreed with the intent of the payment cancellation schedule.
Arguments made against, or for changes
The Greens and One Nation said making past unlawful debt calculations valid denies people a proper remedy, and the $600 maximum is too low.
The Coalition and the Ombudsman raised that the bill does not deal with people criminally convicted over wrongly calculated debts.
The Greens, Senator Pocock and Senator Thorpe said the late schedule cancels payments without a conviction, skipped committee review and could harm children.
Senator Pocock moved to split the late schedule into its own bill for an inquiry; the Greens sought a higher $440 waiver.
Independent MPs Wilkie and Haines moved to bring back a six-year limit on debt recovery, as the robodebt royal commission recommended.
262 speeches by 44 members in the House and Senate over 10 sitting days.
Hansard: House of Representatives, 4 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: House of Representatives, 27 Oct 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: House of Representatives, 29 Oct 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 3 Nov 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 5 Nov 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 24 Nov 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 25 Nov 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: House of Representatives, 26 Nov 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 26 Nov 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 5 Feb 2026 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Australia's Voice
1 Yes
0 No
The last column counts members who did not vote. Party counts are for current members.
2 votes were cast by people who have since left Parliament.
Every party member who voted went with the majority of their party.