Transitional Arrangements for Aged Care Subsidies and Information Sharing
Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
House of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Introduced by: The Hon Michelle Rowland MP (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Michelle Rowland ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Administrative Review Tribunal (the ART) commenced operation on 14 October 2024, replacing the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal as Australia’s federal merits review body.”
Anthony Chisholm ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— The Australian Government is committed to maintaining a migration system that is robust, effective and in the national interest.”
Sam Birrell NAT
“I rise to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The bill amends the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 and the Migration Act 1958 to allow the tribunal to decide certain matters without holding an oral hearing; in other words, the bill allows for certain matters to be heard ’on the papers’.”
Susan Templeman ALP
“I was very pleased to be here to hear the member for Nicholls, and I just want to clarify some of the things he finished with—the conclusion he drew that there was no need to change the previous AAT and create the Administrative Review Tribunal. In fact, there was a great need to undertake significant reform of the AAT.”
Kate Chaney IND
“I rise today to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The objective of this bill, to improve the efficiency of the tribunal, is one I broadly support, but I also harbour serious concerns about aspects of the government’s approach.”
“The creation of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 1975 stands as a significant achievement in Labor’s legacy. The Whitlam Labor government recognised the importance of having an impartial institution to oversee the review decisions made by ministers and, indeed, government departments.”
“I rise to speak in support of the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 brought forward by the Attorney-General, and I commend her for doing so. Our country’s history is one of migration. With the exception of our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Australians, every Australian is either a migrant or of migrant descent.”
Allegra Spender IND
“I rise to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The ART commenced operation in October 2024 in place of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.”
Gabriel Ng ALP
“I rise today to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. As some of the members of this House may know, I used to be a public servant. In my last job, I worked at the Department of Home Affairs, assessing protection visa applications.”
Zali Steggall IND
“The Administrative Review Tribunal is an important element of our judicial system, to provide an independent mechanism of review of administrative decisions. It is central to ensuring fairness, transparency and accountability in government decision-making. Immigration has again become a political football, as all too often it does in Australia, and this must be resisted.”
Shayne Neumann ALP
“Most Australians don’t commit criminal offences and don’t get involved in car accidents, so they don’t end up in courts, criminal or civil. But 111,000 Australians, or people who aspire to be Australians, appeared before the Administrative Review Tribunal in the last 12 months.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Replacing the previous Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the Administrative Review Tribunal operates as Australia’s federal merits review body and provides an independent review of decisions made by Australian government agencies, departments and ministers.”
Tony Zappia ALP
“It’s a pleasure to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and to follow the member for Sturt, who’s just given a very good argument and a clear explanation of why this legislation is so important.”
Michaelia Cash LIB
“I rise on behalf of the Liberal Party, the opposition, to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Upfront, the Liberal Party will be supporting this bill. Why will we support it, though?”
Jana Stewart ALP
“I rise today to express my support for the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Improving the efficiency of the Administrative Review Tribunal is an incredibly important issue for many people and also for me as the Chair of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. The Albanese Labor government is committed to merits review.”
David Shoebridge GRN
“Unlike the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and One Nation, the Greens will be opposing the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.”
Paul Scarr LIB
“There is some, or even a lot, that I support in the contribution that was being made by my friend and colleague Senator Shoebridge. I think that he has made a positive contribution and raised a number of material issues in relation to this debate on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.”
Tammy Tyrrell ALP
“I want to focus on one group who will be disproportionately affected by this bill, the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, and that is migrants who speak English as a second or additional language. There is no question that improving the efficiency of government processes is important.”