SENATE INQUIRY INTO DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN MYANMAR

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 13 February 2026 SENATE INQUIRY INTO DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN MYANMAR The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee has held a public hearing in Canberra as part of its inquiry into democracy and human rights in Myanmar. Senator Dean Smith secured Senate support to launch the inquiry in November 2025. It is specifically focused on the phased elections held in Myanmar in December 2025 and January 2026, and the barriers preventing a return to an inclusive civilian democratic government in the country. The elections are considered a sham by much of the international community, aimed at preserving the power of the military junta that has controlled Myanmar since a 2017 coup. The inquiry received 34 submissions from Myanmar community groups, legal, religious and humanitarian organisations. Among the witnesses appearing were representatives of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Myanmar Research Centre at the Australian National University. Key themes raised during the public hearing included the use of intimidation and other tactics to influence the election outcome, suppression of efforts to promote the restoration of democracy and increased attacked on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Also highlighted was the urgent need to bring Australia’s sanctions regime in line with international partners in order to deliver a stronger response. A second hearing is scheduled for early next month and the inquiry is due to report on its findings by 31 March. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “This inquiry is an important, multi-partisan effort to inform the Federal Parliament about this critical issue.” “The Australian Government has a responsibility to respond decisively and firmly to this humanitarian and political crisis, which also directly impacts on our regional security.”. I am very grateful to the many submitters and witnesses – building upon the findings from my recent visit to Malaysia and Thailand, where I met with Australian diplomats and UNHCR representatives about the situation in Myanmar and on the Thailand-Myanmar border.”

PERTH NOW LESS AFFORDABLE THAN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE AS RENTS SURGE 66 PER CENT

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 11 February 2026 PERTH NOW LESS AFFORDABLE THAN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE AS RENTS SURGE 66 PER CENT New data from Cotality’s latest Rental Review confirms Perth is now at the centre of the nation’s rental crisis, with Sydney and Melbourne offering more affordable rental suburbs than Western Australia’s capital. Rents in WA have surged 66 per cent over five years – the steepest increase anywhere in Australia, and 50 per cent higher than the national rise of 43.9 per cent. Over the same period, wages in WA have grown just 18.5 per cent. The result is unprecedented financial pressure on renters. Even with wage growth slightly above the national average, incomes have not come close to keeping pace with housing costs. Western Australians have less room in their budgets and fewer choices about where they live. Cotality’s data shows Perth’s cheapest suburbs now average $509 per week, compared with $376 in Melbourne’s most affordable and $472 in Sydney’s. Perth’s vacancy rate remains critically tight at 1.3 per cent, compared with 1.6 per cent in Melbourne and 2 per cent in Sydney. This crisis is being driven by Labor’s failure to deliver new housing supply. ABS housing construction data shows WA is now 4,500 homes behind its National Housing Accord target, with just 5,150 homes completed in the September quarter — down 11 per cent from the previous year and the lowest since the Accord began. It is the third straight quarter of falling completions, even as Perth’s median house price has passed $1 million. The supply shortfall is now directly feeding rental inflation. In Orelia, rents have surged by more than $190 a week — a 68 per cent increase since 2022 — pushing housing beyond the reach of many low-income earners.   COMMENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SENATOR DEAN SMITH: “While wages in WA have grown just 18.5 per cent, rents have surged 66 per cent in five years — most of that under Federal Labor and all of it under WA Labor.” “This is the steepest rental increase in the country, 50 per cent higher than the national figure, and it is causing unprecedented pain for renters on Labor’s watch.” “This is the direct result of Labor’s failure to deliver housing supply and an unmodelled immigration policy that has pushed demand beyond what the market can absorb.” “When vacancy rates fall to 1.3 per cent, rents rise sharply, renters pay the price.” “Without urgent action to lift construction and cut red tape — the rental crisis in the West will only deepen.”

SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE NOW MORE AFFORDABLE THAN PERTH FOR RENTERS

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 28 January 2026 SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE NOW MORE AFFORDABLE THAN PERTH FOR RENTERS New data has laid bare the depth of Perth’s rental crisis, with Sydney and Melbourne now offering more affordable rental suburbs than Western Australia’s capital. Latest figures from Cotality’s Rental Review show that Perth has fallen behind both Sydney and Melbourne when it comes to access to affordable rental housing, even at the bottom end of the market. This crisis is being driven by the Albanese and Cook Labor Governments’ failure to deliver new housing supply. The latest ABS housing construction data confirms Western Australia is now 4,500 homes behind its National Housing Accord target, with just 5,150 homes completed in the September quarter — an 11 percent fall compared to the same period last year and the fewest quarterly completions since the Accord was agreed in mid-2024. It is the third consecutive quarter of declining completions, even as Perth’s median house price has surged past $1 million and population growth continues to accelerate. While housing completions fell in WA, the rest of the nation moved in the opposite direction, delivering around 10,000 more homes than a year earlier. The supply shortfall is now directly impacting the rental market. In Perth, the most affordable suburbs to rent a home range from $473 per week in Orelia to $540 in Kelmscott, with an average of $509 across the five most affordable suburbs. By comparison, Melbourne’s most affordable rental suburb, Melton South, averages $376 per week, with Sydney’s cheapest suburbs averaging $472. Despite a population of just 2.3 million, Perth now has less affordable rental options than Sydney or Melbourne. Perth’s rental vacancy rate sits at just 1.3 percent, compared with 1.6 percent in Melbourne and 2 percent in Sydney, highlighting the extreme pressure facing renters in the West. The pain is being felt most sharply in traditionally affordable suburbs. In Orelia, rents have surged by more than $190 a week — a 68 percent increase — since 2022, pushing housing well beyond the reach of low-income earners and people relying on income support such as JobSeeker.   COMMENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SENATOR DEAN SMITH: “The WA rental crisis is now worse than Sydney and Melbourne, yet WA is moving backwards on home building — we are thousands of homes behind target under Labor, with home completions falling while the rest of the country increases supply.” “When WA builds just 5,150 homes in a quarter, the lowest since the Housing Accord began, it is no surprise vacancy rates have collapsed and rents have surged.” “This is the direct result of Labor’s failure to deliver housing supply, combined with unmodelled population growth that has pushed demand beyond what the market can absorb.” “When vacancy rates fall to 1.3 percent, rents rise sharply, renters lose bargaining power and the most vulnerable are pushed out.” “Without urgent action to lift construction, cut red tape and fix workforce shortages, Perth’s rental crisis will continue to deepen.”

UNANIMOUS COMMITTEE REPORT FLAGS KEY CONCERNS WITH COMBATING ANTISEMITISM, HATE AND EXTREMISM BILL

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 19 January 2026 UNANIMOUS COMMITTEE REPORT FLAGS KEY CONCERNS WITH COMBATING ANTISEMITISM, HATE AND EXTREMISM BILL The bipartisan Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee has tabled a unanimous report raising significant concerns over aspects of the Albanese Government’s Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026. Chief among these is that parts of the proposed legislation risk infringing fundamental rights long protected under Australian law, including freedom of expression and freedom of association. Since 1981, the Scrutiny of Bills Committee has assessed every bill introduced into the Senate against long-standing accountability and rights-based standards. The Committee comprises Coalition, Labor and Australian Greens senators and is chaired by Senator Dean Smith. Its latest report — agreed by all members — identifies multiple areas of concern in addition to potentially trespassing on rights and liberties, including questions of procedural fairness, broad and discretionary Ministerial powers, the use of automated decision-making frameworks for security assessments, and the absence of an automatic sunset clause. The Committee also drew attention to the speed at which the Bill is expected to be considered and debated by Parliament, given the scope and seriousness of its proposed measures. The Committee has now formally sought further explanation from the relevant Minister on these issues and why the Government considers them necessary. This includes a request for detailed advice from the Minister on whether provisions that criminalise speech and association are proportionate to the Bill’s stated objectives, and whether the breadth of conduct and ideas captured under the Bill is appropriately defined. Clarification has been sought regarding the expansive definition of firearms and explosive materials contained in the Bill. The Committee now awaits the Minister’s response. In the meantime, the report contains a number of recommendations made by the Committee, including the establishment of a mechanism for ongoing monitoring of the Bill’s operation, including a statutory review and the application of a sunset clause pending the outcome of that review.   Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith, Chair of the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee “This is a unanimous report — Coalition, Labor and Greens senators are all united in their concern about the breadth of the powers proposed and the limited safeguards in the Bill.” “The Committee is not questioning the importance of addressing Antisemitism, hate or extremism — but Parliament has a duty to ensure laws are precise, proportionate and consistent with fundamental rights.” “Legislation of this magnitude should not be rushed. It requires careful scrutiny, clear definitions and strong accountability mechanisms.” “Where laws affect freedom of speech and association, the threshold for justification must be very high — and that case has not yet been made.” “The absence of a sunset clause and reliance on broad discretionary powers raise serious questions about long-term oversight.” “Protecting Australians from harm must never come at the expense of undermining the rule of law.”

NO CHRISTMAS BILL RELIEF, JUST ONGOING ENERGY HARDSHIP FROM LABOR IN 2026

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH ACTING SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA NO CHRISTMAS BILL RELIEF, JUST ONGOING ENERGY HARDSHIP FROM LABOR IN 2026 Christmas passed without the Albanese Government delivering the $275 power bill reduction it promised. Instead, in a further demonstration of the negative impact Labor’s bungled energy policy is having on households and businesses, many Australians are entering the New Year paying higher prices and carrying more debt. ABS inflation data released today reveals electricity prices surged by 19.7 percent in the year to November 2025, with an increase of nearly 7 percent between October and November alone. The ACCC’s Inquiry into the National Energy Market report, launched at the end of last year, also confirmed electricity costs increased between 2024 and 2025. Unsurprisingly, it has led to already struggling Australians falling deeper into debt. Data released by the Australian Energy Regulator shows the confronting scale of growing debt being experienced by East Coast energy consumers. The average residential energy debt for 2024-2025 was $1,367 – an increase of $381, or 38.6 percent, since 2022-23 when the Albanese Government came to power. Small businesses are similarly impacted, with the average energy debt sitting at $2,516, up from $2,458. Contrasted with the average under the previous Coalition Government in 2020-2021, small businesses are now carrying an additional $388 in debt – an 18 percent rise in five years. These figures do not capture those Australians on hardship plans. Data from across the East Coast shows that 205,000 households were utilising hardship arrangements at the end of June 2025. The AER reports that average residential electricity hardship debt for 2024-2025 is $2,102. That represents a $415, or 19.3 percent, increase compared to 2022-2023. In the last year, it jumped by nearly 25 percent. The average residential gas energy debt for those on hardship programs was $947 for 2024-2025, up nearly 11 percent since 2022-23 and 16.6 percent in the past year. Not only has the Albanese Government broken its promise, but this data is evidence that its failed, ideologically driven energy policy has pushed prices to crippling new heights and – unless significant changes are made – will continue to do so in 2026. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “This is not the beginning to the New Year Australian energy consumers deserved – or the one they were promised.” “Labor has broken its commitment to deliver energy bill relief to Australians, while overseeing increases in both prices and debt that are pushing them to the edge. “It is no coincidence that these increases have occurred since the Albanese came to Government in 2022 and began rolling out its misguided energy and emissions reduction policy. “Until Labor adopts a sensible and responsible plan that puts Australian households and businesses first, this is what 2026 will look like for energy users.”

LABOR’S COST OF LIVING CRISIS FORCING RECORD NUMBERS OF OLDER WESTERN AUSTRALIANS BACK TO WORK

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 28 November 2025 LABOR’S COST OF LIVING CRISIS FORCING RECORD NUMBERS OF OLDER WESTERN AUSTRALIANS BACK TO WORK New figures reveal the Albanese Government’s cost-of-living crisis is deepening in WA, with a record 35,700 Western Australians aged 70 and over now in the workforce—a staggering 31.2 per cent increase in just one year. Working into your 70s was once a choice, but under Labor it has become a financial necessity for thousands of seniors. ABS data shows one in ten Western Australians over 70 are now working, compared with one in 25 a decade ago. An additional 8,500 seniors have re-entered the workforce in the past year alone—many because they simply cannot afford to retire on fixed incomes that have been eroded by rising prices. This surge reflects the reality of life under Anthony Albanese and Labor, with relentless price hikes, soaring housing costs and a shrinking retirement buffer. Perth continues to suffer some of the highest cost pressures in the nation, recording 4.3 per cent inflation in the October quarter—the second highest of any capital city. At the same time, rents have risen 75 per cent since 2020, increasing from $400 to $700 a week and placing immense strain on older Western Australians living alone or on part pensions. Soaring property prices have added to the burden, with Perth’s median house price climbing by nearly $300,000 in three years, forcing some to delay retirement or even take on second mortgages to help their children enter the market. This mirrors a national trend, with Census data showing the number of Australians aged 55 to 64 who own their homes outright has almost halved in two decades. Research from Digital Finance Analytics reveals three-quarters of retirees with a mortgage owe more than they have in superannuation, leaving them little choice but to stay in the workforce. While some Australians choose to work longer, thousands in Western Australia are being forced to because Labor has let inflation and housing costs spiral out of control. Older Western Australians deserve security in retirement—not a Government that forces them back to work to keep up with rising bills.   Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “This surge in WA people aged over 70 returning to work is not a sign of choice—it’s a sign of worsening financial distress under Labor.” “When one in ten seniors in the West has no option but to stay in the workforce, something is fundamentally broken in the Albanese Government’s economic management.” “Stubborn inflation and Perth’s housing and rental crunch are pushing many older Western Australians to keep working long after they planned to retire.” “With three-quarters of retirees with a mortgage owe more than they have in super it is no wonder so many are delaying retirement.” “Older Western Australians deserve dignity and security in retirement, not the financial pressure that forces them back into the workforce.”

COST OF LIVING CRISIS FORCING RECORD NUMBERS OF OLDER WESTERN AUSTRALIANS BACK TO WORK

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 28 November 2025 COST OF LIVING CRISIS FORCING RECORD NUMBERS OF OLDER WESTERN AUSTRALIANS BACK TO WORK. New figures reveal a deepening cost-of-living crisis in Western Australia, with a record 35,700 Western Australians aged 70 and over now in the workforce—a staggering 31.2 per cent increase in just one year. Once, working into your 70s was a choice, but under the Albanese Labor Government it has become a financial necessity for thousands of seniors. ABS data shows one in ten Western Australians over 70 are now working, compared with one in 25 a decade ago. An additional 8,500 seniors have re-entered the workforce in the past year alone—many because they simply cannot afford to retire on fixed incomes that have been eroded by rising prices. This surge reflects the reality of life under Labor – relentless price hikes, soaring housing costs and a shrinking retirement buffer. Perth continues to suffer some of the highest cost pressures in the nation, recording 4.5 per cent inflation in the September quarter – the second highest of any capital city. At the same time, rents have surged 75 per cent since 2020, rising from $400 to $700 a week placing immense strain on older Western Australians living alone or on part pensions. Soaring property prices have added to the burden, with Perth’s median house price climbing by nearly $300,000 in three years, forcing many older Western Australians to delay retirement or take on second mortgages to help their children into the market. This mirrors a national trend with census data showing the number of Australians aged 55 to 64 who own their homes outright has almost halved in two decades. Research from Digital Finance Analytics reveals three-quarters of retirees with a mortgage owe more than they have in superannuation, leaving them little choice but to stay in the workforce. While some Australians choose to work longer, thousands in Western Australia are being forced to because Labor has let inflation, housing costs and interest rates to spiral out of control. Older Western Australians deserve dignity in retirement—not a government that forces them back to work to keep up with rising bills.   Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith “This surge in over-70s returning to work is not a sign of choice—it’s a sign of financial distress under Labor.” “When one in ten seniors has no option but to stay in the workforce, something is fundamentally broken in Canberra’s economic management.” “Perth’s skyrocketing rents and stubborn inflation are pushing older Western Australians to keep working long after they planned to retire.” “Families tell us they are helping their kids buy a first home while still paying off their own—this is the real cost of Labor’s housing crisis.” “Three-quarters of retirees with a mortgage owe more than they have in super—no wonder so many are delaying retirement.” “Older Western Australians deserve dignity and security in retirement, not the financial pressure that forces them back into the workforce.”

UNANIMOUS SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORT RAISES SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS WITH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION REFORM BILL

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 20 November 2025 UNANIMOUS SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORT RAISES SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS WITH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION REFORM BILL The bipartisan Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee has tabled a unanimous report raising substantial concerns about the Albanese Government’s Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, questioning its impact on individual rights, the rule of law and the level of parliamentary oversight applied to major environmental decisions. Since 1981 the Scrutiny of Bills Committee has assessed every bill before the Senate against long-standing accountability standards. The Committee operates on a non-partisan basis, and its current membership includes Coalition, Labor and Australian Greens senators, and is chaired by Liberal Senator Dean Smith. Its latest digest — agreed by all members — identifies seven major areas of concern in relation to the Environment Protection Reform Bill. The Committee has sought further explanation from the Minister on a range of issues, including the Bill’s broad and layered discretionary powers, the significant matters left to delegated legislation, the limited availability of merits review, the use of notifiable instruments that bypass full parliamentary scrutiny, and the lack of transparency around Commonwealth grants to the States and Territories. Key excerpts from the report highlight the seriousness of these issues. The Committee questions why core national environmental standards cannot be included in primary legislation, and why the Bill creates “layered discretionary powers” that shift central policy decisions from Parliament to ministerial regulation. It also warns that a broad “national interest” exemption power could be applied to “a broader range of contestable interests,” and raises concerns that penalties may be imposed without sufficient justification or consistency with comparable Commonwealth offences. On grants and spending powers, the Committee notes that delegating the establishment of new Commonwealth programs to the Executive risks undermining Parliament’s constitutional role — particularly in areas governed by section 96 of the Constitution. These findings — agreed unanimously by Government, Coalition and Greens senators — make clear that the Environment Protection Reform Bill requires significant further justification and amendment before it can meet long-standing parliamentary scrutiny standards. The Committee will consider the Minister’s responses in due course. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith, Chair of the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee “This is a unanimous report — Coalition, Labor and Greens Senators all share deep concerns about the breadth of ministerial powers and the lack of parliamentary oversight in this Bill.” “Environmental reform should strengthen accountability, not weaken it. The Parliament cannot be expected to sign off on legislation that shifts core policy decisions into delegated legislation with little explanation or justification.” “The Committee is particularly concerned by the layers of discretionary power given to the Minister. These are not small administrative matters — they are fundamental decisions that shape national environmental standards.” “The Government must explain why national environmental standards cannot be set out clearly in the primary legislation. These are enduring issues, and Parliament has a responsibility to ensure they are properly scrutinised.” “We have also raised serious questions about the use of notifiable instruments, which bypass the usual disallowance processes and leave Parliament with limited capacity for oversight.” “Delegating broad spending powers to the Executive, including potential grants to States and Territories, requires clear constitutional justification. Section 96 of the Constitution is explicit about the Parliament’s role, and the Committee expects that role to be respected.” “The Minister now has an obligation to address each of these concerns in detail. Australians deserve clarity, transparency and safeguards — not vague powers and unexplained departures from established scrutiny principles.” Key quotes from the report: Broad discretionary powers and matters in delegated legislation Page 11 1.21 Firstly, it is unclear to the committee why it is not possible for core national environmental standards to be included in the bill, given that environmental concerns are in many (if not all) respects relatively constant over time. 1.22 Secondly, the committee notes that the structure of the decision-making process envisaged in relation the Commonwealth approval process layers ministerial discretion upon ministerial discretion. The minister is given a broad power to fix, by way of regulation, the content of the national environmental standards. Having established the standards, there is a further discretionary power to prescribe which of those standards apply in relation to management or authorisation processes. It remains unclear to the committee why this structure of layered discretionary powers is necessary given the extent to which it transfers central policy matters from the bill to the regulations. In this regard, it is further noted that a rule or standard will only apply to a particular factual situation if they have relevance to that situation. The committee therefore considers that further explanation of the power to prescribe national environmental standards as irrelevant to particular processes is necessary. 1.23 Thirdly, the committee is concerned about the requirement that the minister must be satisfied that a management or authorisation framework is not inconsistent with applicable national environmental standards. This drafting seems to suggest that there is space between a framework complying with a standard and a framework not complying with the standard (i.e the framework may be not inconsistent with a standard even though it neither complies nor conflicts with the standard). The committee considers that exactly how this criterion conditioning the minister’s powers would function in practice has not been adequately explained in the explanatory memorandum and, as such, that this lack of clarity may operate to expand the scope of discretionary power available to the minister. 1.28 It is unclear to the committee why declarations or accreditations are not considered legislative in character but are nonetheless subject to a bespoke disallowance process. This approach, which appears to be novel in Commonwealth legislation, may operate to lessen the level of parliamentary scrutiny to which these matters are subjected. Broad discretionary powers Page 19 1.53 The committee notes that the national interest exemption power in proposed section 157H provides a broad ministerial discretion to…

Australia’s Emissions Flatline Under Albanese Labor Government as Key Sectors Worsen

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The latest Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: March 2025 exposes the Albanese Labor Government’s failure to deliver on its emissions reduction promises, with rising emissions in key sectors leaving Australia dangerously off-track to meet its 2030 target. While overall emissions remained relatively flat, this is not the result of Labor’s policies. The only real progress in emissions cuts came from COVID lockdowns, state schemes and the favourable weather — not from anything the Albanese Government has implemented. Despite Anthony Albanese’s rhetoric, the data tells a very different story: Transport emissions are now higher than pre-COVID levels, up 1% (0.5 Mt CO₂-e) since 2020, driven by surging domestic aviation. Agriculture emissions have surged 7% (5.3 Mt CO₂-e) since 2020, dominated by post drought livestock recovery and fertiliser use. Fugitive emissions from gas venting have surged 24% (2.4 Mt CO₂-e), even as Labor touts safeguards and CCS schemes. The land sector “net sink” has weakened sharply since 2022 as La Niña ended, rainfall declined, and bush fires increased — exposing the fragility of Labor’s reliance on offsets. Half of Australia’s 2030 carbon budget is already spent, yet Labor has no credible plan to tackle the harder task ahead. These figures make it clear: Labor is failing to deliver durable outcomes. Agriculture and transport — two of the hardest sectors for families and exporters — are moving backwards. Gas venting is surging. And the land sector, heavily relied upon by Labor to meet targets, remains vulnerable to rainfall and fire seasons. The update also confirms that reductions in the electricity sector are being driven by projects approved years earlier, many under the Coalition, rather than by new policies from Labor. To meet its 2030 emissions target, Australia needs to reduce emissions by roughly 15 Mt CO2‑e per year from now until 2030. By comparison, emissions fell by only 3 Mt CO2‑e in 2023–24, and the long-term average reduction since 2006 has been around 12 Mt CO2‑e per year. As the Climate Change Authority highlighted in its 2024 Annual Progress Report, maintaining the current pace of reductions will leave Australia well short of its 2030 goal (p. 29). Without a significant acceleration in emissions cuts, the target is unlikely to be achieved. Australians deserve an energy policy that lowers bills, ensures reliable power, and reduces emissions. This latest update shows the Albanese Labor Government has delivered none of the above. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith “Labor is coasting on the legacy of Coalition projects. Their emissions reduction policy is failing, and families are left paying the price.” “Halfway to 2030, Labor has already burned through half the carbon budget with no plan for how to deliver the rest.” “Labor’s climate plan isn’t a plan at all — it’s higher prices, rising pollution, and a reliance on good rainfall and luck with the fire season.” “Australians deserve a credible energy and climate policy that cuts emissions while keeping the lights on and bills down — not empty promises and excuses.” “Labor promised transformation, but instead emissions are flatlining, while transport emissions are now higher than before COVID, agriculture is surging, and gas venting is up 24% — that’s Labor’s record.” Quotes from the Quarterly Update “Australia is 48% of the way through the Paris Agreement target period and has generated emissions equivalent to 48% of the emissions budget to 2030.” (p4) “Overall transport emissions in the year to March 2025 are 0.1% above the levels observed in the year to December 2019, immediately before the COVID pandemic. This overall increase is largely the result of increases in annual emissions from domestic aviation and road transport diesel consumption, which are 16.8% and 7.6% higher in the year to March 2025 than they were pre-COVID in the year to December 2019 respectively.” (p19) “There have been significant declines in electricity sector emissions since 2020… This decline in emissions has occurred while demand for electricity across residential and industrial sectors has increased. Residential demand is increasingly being met by rooftop solar supported by the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, putting downward pressure on demand from the grid. Similarly, industrial demand is being met with a growing proportion of renewable generation, supported by state and federal policies such as the expanded Capacity Investment Scheme.” (p30)