I have nothing but contempt for anyone who has any sympathy with ISIS
In the chambers of Australian democracy, a government's reluctance to name its own policy became the story of the day. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor pressed Prime Minister Albanese three times on which small businesses would be shielded from capital gains tax changes, receiving deflection where definition was sought. Meanwhile, the Coalition withheld support for Labor's NDIS overhaul, nineteen Australians linked to ISIS prepared to return from Syria, and parliament paused to honour Neale Daniher — a man who turned a terminal diagnosis into a decade of purpose.
- The opposition exposed a striking gap at the heart of government policy: the Prime Minister could not — or would not — name which small businesses his own capital gains tax changes would exempt.
- The NDIS, supporting 760,000 Australians, hangs in legislative uncertainty as the Coalition refuses to guarantee passage of Labor's reform bill, calling the scheme a 'runaway train' with a ballooning budget.
- Two Coalition MPs were ejected from the chamber — one for interjecting fourteen times in a single answer, the other for breaking silence during a dixer — adding theatre to an already fractious session.
- The return of seven women and twelve children linked to ISIS sharpened tensions, with a Nationals MP framing it as 'Labor's plan' and the Prime Minister responding with rare directness that the matter should not be weaponised for partisan gain.
- Amid the conflict, parliament found a moment of shared grief in tribute to Neale Daniher, whose thirteen-year campaign against motor neurone disease raised over $100 million and earned him Australian of the Year.
Question time in late May became a study in evasion made visible. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor asked the same question three times — which small businesses would be exempted from the government's capital gains tax changes — and received three versions of the same non-answer. Prime Minister Albanese pivoted each time to budget incentives, consultation processes, and ongoing Treasury meetings. When Taylor invoked the principle that 'my word is my bond,' the Speaker reminded him he could not compel the PM to produce a list. The opposition benches laughed. The government's inability or unwillingness to name its own policy had become the spectacle.
Before question time, Coalition shadow NDIS minister Melissa McIntosh signalled that the opposition would offer no guarantees on Labor's disability scheme overhaul. She described the NDIS as a 'runaway train' with a blowing budget, while acknowledging that 760,000 Australians depend on it. The opposition would wait for a committee report due in mid-June before deciding whether to propose amendments — and was already discussing extending the inquiry, which currently had only three days of hearings scheduled.
The session had its share of disorder. Nationals MP Alison Penfold was ejected after interjecting fourteen times during a single answer — the Speaker suggested it might be a record. Liberal MP Henry Pike followed, removed for interjecting during a dixer. Energy Minister Chris Bowen, meanwhile, defended Australia's role presiding over COP climate negotiations, pushing back against opposition claims of a $200 million price tag by noting most funds remained unspent and drawing comparisons to Howard's APEC and Abbott's G20 chairmanships.
Independent MP Andrew Gee raised the destruction of a Wiradjuri cultural site cleared for a renewable energy zone in New South Wales, saying earlier warnings to the federal environment minister had gone unheeded. Bowen called it 'utterly unacceptable' and pledged to keep Gee informed.
The sharpest exchange came over the return of seven women and twelve children linked to ISIS, arriving that evening from Syria. A Nationals MP framed their return as 'part of Labor's plan.' Albanese rejected the framing with unusual force, declaring his contempt for ISIS sympathy and calling for the matter to be kept above partisanship.
The day closed with a tribute to Neale Daniher, the former AFL figure who died on Monday after thirteen years living with motor neurone disease. He had co-founded FightMND, driven the Big Freeze fundraising campaign past $100 million, and been named Australian of the Year for his advocacy. That evening, landmarks across Victoria — Flinders Street Station, Parliament House, the Shrine of Remembrance — were lit in blue in his honour.
Question time on the floor of parliament is where a government's evasions become visible. On this Tuesday in late May, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor made that visibility his project, asking the same question three times in different forms, each iteration tighter than the last, each one met with the same non-answer.
The question was straightforward: which small businesses would be carved out from the government's capital gains tax changes? The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, would not say. Instead, he pivoted to the budget's $3.5 billion in tax incentives for small business, to consultation with the Council of Small Business, to Treasury meetings ongoing. Taylor, frustrated, asked what happened to the principle that "my word is my bond." The Speaker, Milton Dick, eventually told Taylor he could not compel the PM to provide a list. The opposition benches erupted in laughter at the absurdity of it—a government unable or unwilling to name its own policy.
The capital gains tax question was not the only pressure point. The Coalition's shadow NDIS minister, Melissa McIntosh, held a press conference before question time to signal that the opposition would offer "no guarantees" it would pass Labor's NDIS overhaul. The scheme, she said, was a "runaway train," its budget "blowing out." Yet she acknowledged the weight of the thing: 760,000 Australians depend on it. The opposition would wait for the final committee report in mid-June before deciding whether to propose amendments. There were also talks, she noted, about extending the inquiry itself—at present only three days of hearings were scheduled before the report was due.
Two Coalition MPs were ejected from the chamber during the session. Nationals MP Alison Penfold was removed for interjecting 14 times during a single answer to a question—the Speaker called it "potentially a record." Liberal MP Henry Pike was booted later for interjecting during a dixer, that peculiar parliamentary moment between question and answer when silence is the only acceptable response. At the end of question time, the opposition welcomed back Liberal MP Phil Thompson, who had been suspended from the chamber.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen defended the government's role at the upcoming COP climate summit, where he is serving as president of negotiations. The cost, he said, was "very good value for money for Australia." The opposition had claimed the bill would be $200 million. Bowen countered that most of the money had not yet been spent, and that previous governments—Howard chairing APEC, Abbott chairing the G20—had incurred similar costs. "They were good for the country," he said, "and the Labor party supported them because we're a patriotic party."
Independent MP Andrew Gee raised the destruction of a Wiradjuri cultural site in New South Wales, obliterated to make way for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone. He said he had previously flagged the issue to the federal environment minister with no result. Bowen, taking the question, called it "utterly unacceptable" and promised to keep Gee informed of progress in any investigation.
On the matter of Australians returning from Syria, the government faced sharp questioning. Seven women and 12 children linked to ISIS were arriving that evening. Nationals MP Kevin Hogan called them a "plane-load of ISIS sympathisers" and suggested their return was "part of Labor's plan." Albanese rejected the framing with force: "I have nothing but contempt for anyone who has any sympathy with ISIS, as I hope everyone in this chamber would agree. This should not be an issue of partisanship."
The day also saw a tribute to Neale Daniher, the former AFL footballer and coach who died on Monday, 13 years after his motor neurone disease diagnosis. The Victorian government announced that buildings across the state—Flinders Street Station, the Royal Exhibition Building, the National Gallery of Victoria, Parliament House, the Shrine of Remembrance, and others—would be lit up in blue from 5:30 p.m. in his honour. Daniher had become a prominent campaigner for medical research after his diagnosis, co-founding the charity FightMND and spearheading the Big Freeze, an annual fundraising campaign that has raised more than $100 million for research. He was named Australian of the Year last year for his advocacy work.
Notable Quotes
I have nothing but contempt for anyone who has any sympathy with ISIS, as I hope everyone in this chamber would agree. This should not be an issue of partisanship.— Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, responding to opposition questions about returning Australians
The NDIS budget was a runaway train, but it was important to balance that with the scheme's importance for the 760,000 or so participants who use it.— Shadow NDIS Minister Melissa McIntosh
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the Prime Minister refuse to name which small businesses get the carve-out? It seems like a simple factual question.
Because naming them locks him in. Once you list the businesses, you've defined the policy. Right now, the government is still consulting—or so it says—and a list would constrain what they can do later.
But the opposition asked the same question three times. Doesn't that suggest the government is hiding something?
It suggests the government hasn't decided, or has decided and doesn't want to say. Either way, the refusal becomes the story. Taylor made that visible by tightening his language each time, removing the room for deflection.
What about the NDIS? McIntosh said no guarantees. Does that mean the bill could fail?
It means the opposition is keeping leverage. The scheme is genuinely in trouble—the budget is unsustainable—but 760,000 people depend on it. McIntosh is signalling they'll negotiate, not block. The final report in June will be the real moment.
And the MPs being ejected—was that just theatre?
No. Penfold interjecting 14 times in one answer is a genuine breach of parliamentary decorum. But it also shows the temperature in the chamber. When you're that frustrated, you break the rules.
What about the Australians returning from Syria?
That's the hardest question in the room. Seven women and 12 children. The government says they're a security matter, not a political one. But Hogan framed it as a choice, a "plan." Albanese rejected that frame entirely—said it shouldn't be partisan. Whether the public agrees is another thing.