Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese government is committed to putting Australian consumers at the heart of the telecommunications industry. Telecommunications should enrich people's lives, not cause inconvenience, frustration or detriment. We want to ensure that all Australians have access to reliable, high-quality and affordable telecommunications services supported by a strong regulatory and consumer safeguards framework. That is why this government has been actively reviewing the telecommunications consumer protection framework and making appropriate changes, and I thank the Minister for Communications for her hard work regarding the development of these changes. The minister's previous changes include implementing new rules around support provided to consumers experiencing financial hardship and, more recently, directing ACMA to create rules regarding support for consumers experiencing domestic, sexual and family violence.

Our government knows that staying connected is a critical part of life. The reforms proposed in the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 go to the compliance and enforcement regime for consumer safeguards and constitute a comprehensive package of improvements to those arrangements. They help to ensure the ACMA is an empowered and effective regulator and that appropriate incentive structures are in place to drive better behaviour by telcos.

Staying connected is an essential part of everyday life. The Albanese government understands how critical telco services are for everyone, including those facing vulnerable circumstances, people living in our regions, First Nations Australians and those who rely upon connectivity to support their families and provide services to their communities. Accordingly we want to ensure that the telco industry is working for Australians, that Australians have the best consumer safeguards in place to protect their interests and that there is a strong, clear recourse if telcos do the wrong thing. Telco services should enrich people's lives, not cause inconvenience, frustration or harm. Many Australians are experiencing significant cost-of-living pressures, and this includes being able to afford critical communications services like mobile and internet services.

Debate adjourned.

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