Freeze on Indexation of Excise Duty for Draught Beer
Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025
House of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Introduced by: The Hon Dr Daniel Mulino 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:
Dr Daniel Mulino ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australians have always known how to come together—around the kitchen table for a cuppa, over a snag at your mate’s birthday barbecue or cheering from the sidelines at the kids’ Saturday netball game. This bill delivers another reason for Australians to come together.”
Pat Conaghan NAT
“I rise to speak on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and a related bill, the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. The coalition will support these bills, because freezing a tax on beer is common sense, and we won’t stand in the government’s way. But there is much more that needs to be done. Let me start with a bit of background to these bills.”
Emma Comer ALP
“The price of a cold beer has been rising, and our pubs and clubs are struggling. Labor always hops at the opportunity to support venues, workers and consumers. Local businesses poured their hearts out, and, to help them get ahead, we’ve introduced a freeze in the draught beer excise. Just like the bubbles in a freshly poured beer, Labor is rising to the occasion.”
Dr RYAN
“I rise to speak in support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 but to suggest some means by which it could be improved. Australians continue to live in the grip of an ongoing, severe cost-of-living crisis. Tomorrow, the Reserve Bank is expected to keep an anticipated cash rate cut on hold after inflation exceeded recent forecasts.”
Tom French ALP
“I rise to speak in support of the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, which accompanies the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. This is a bill that, if you forgive the pun, goes straight to the taproot of Australia’s hospitality culture. This bill does something simple, sensible and overdue.”
Alison Byrnes ALP
“I am absolutely delighted to rise today in support of the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, which accompanies the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. I am really excited about this bill for so many reasons. As I’m the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Brewing with my good friend, the member for Nicholls, it is probably not all that surprising.”
David Batt LNP
“I rise to speak to the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. My electorate of Hinkler is famous all over Australia and indeed the world for producing some of our nation’s finest beverages.”
“Labor’s change with the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill, and the carry-on that they are putting to this debate, is little more than a political stunt. It doesn’t address the cost-of-living crisis that Labor has forced upon everyday ordinary Australians. Those everyday ordinary Australians love a beer. They love a punt. Tomorrow is Melbourne Cup Day.”
Meryl Swanson ALP
“We all know Australians have endless names for beer—a frothy, a cold one, a schooner, a pint, a middy, a jug, a stubby, a tinny, a longneck, a pony, a coldie, a bevvy or a brew. And, for many, it’s simply, ’I’ll have the usual, thanks.’ Whatever we call it, every Australian knows this.”
Simon Kennedy LIB
“Excise tariff amendment is critical to my electorate. We have lots of pubs and clubs in the seat of Cook, from the Feros Group, which runs a number of them, to the Laundy group, which runs iconic Northies, where I spent part of my university years doing security and working.”
Sam Birrell NAT
“I rise to speak on the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. From the outset, I make it clear that the beer relief offered by these bills is a bit of a furphy, but it is very important. I’ll come back to that shortly. I love a beer, like many Australians.”
Anne Urquhart ALP
“I rise today to speak in support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill—a practical, targeted and responsible measure from the Albanese Labor government, one that backs our pubs, clubs, brewers and hospitality workers right across Australia, including in the electorate of Braddon in regional Tasmania, where I come from.”
Aaron Violi LIB
“The coalition supports the freeze to beer excise indexation. We support welcome relief for our pubs, clubs and, indeed, all hardworking Australian beer drinkers. We recognise the immense struggle of the hospitality sector and we will not stand between it and a cut to the beer tax in this parliament.”
Matt Burnell ALP
“The member for Casey reminds me more of a baker than a brewer, but thank you for that contribution. I wish to speak in the House today on a matter that cuts to the core of Australian identity, not just in culture or economy but in how we relate to one another. In Australia, when you say, ’Let’s have a beer,’ what you are really saying is, ’Let’s spend time together.”
Alison Penfold NAT
“I rise in solidarity with my hardworking, dedicated and community minded pubs and brewers to speak on this legislation—legislation which does the absolute bare minimum to aid them and their industry and does absolutely nothing to address the significant issues that exist within the alcohol excise system. The Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill could have been a lot more than what it is.”
Ash Ambihaipahar ALP
“I rise today in support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, which goes right to the centre of communities, jobs, small businesses and Australian social life. This bill reinforces the Albanese Labor government’s decision to pause indexation on draught beer excise and excise equivalent customs duties for two years, beginning 1 August 2025.”
Zali Steggall IND
“I rise to speak on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. I have to wonder whether government MPs have genuinely read this legislation when they start talking about how this is going to help small businesses.”
Steve Georganas ALP
“It gives me great pleasure to speak on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. These bills will help pubs, clubs and breweries across our country, across our electorates and across our states, and will deliver a simple, long-overdue measure—that is, pausing the indexation on draught beer excise and excise equivalent customs duty rates for two years.”
Allegra Spender IND
“I rise to speak briefly on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025.”
Leon Rebello LNP
“I rise to speak on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. I’ll start by saying that the coalition supports these bills, but we do want to make a few points.”
Kristy McBain ALP
“I’m pleased to speak on this legislation today, which amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to support a pause on indexation of the excise of duty rates and customs duties on draught beer for two years.”
Julian Hill ALP
“Member for Eden-Monaro, you had five minutes to go. You could’ve gone over the highlights and the best-ofs in that wonderful 10-minute contribution. Ms Price: And talked about beer! Ms McBain: I wanted to give you more of a chance.”
“The member for Bruce is right; this bill is all about the cost of living. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about medicines, it doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about child care, it doesn’t matter whether we are talking about student debt, it doesn’t matter whether we are talking about medical bills, and it doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about beer.”
Jerome Laxale ALP
“I rise in strong support of these bills, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. For so many Australians, including my community of Bennelong, the local pub or club isn’t just a business. It’s a place where people gather after work. It’s where communities come together. It’s where members of parliament like me hold our events.”
Dan Repacholi ALP
“There’s one thing you learn quickly as the member for Hunter: it’s that a good conversation usually starts over a beer. Not in the office, not in a formal meeting—you’re standing at the bar of one of our fantastic pubs and clubs right here in the Hunter.”
Matt Gregg ALP
“In every corner of the country, pubs, clubs and the people who power them have held communities together through tough times, and now we are backing them with targeted, responsible relief through a two-year pause on the indexation of the draught beer excise and the equivalent customs duty commencing on 1 August 2025. This will benefit around 10,000 small venues—pubs, clubs, bars and taverns.”
David Moncrieff ALP
“One of my favourite ads of all time tells us that a man’s got to win, and to win he has to get on top and stay there. You can’t do that without a canoe. You’ve got to have the biggest, strongest, longest canoe. Life can be tough, and canoes can be awkward. So why not just ignore it all with a refreshing Carlton Draught?”
Jo Briskey ALP
“Maribyrnong is known for many things—iconic sporting venues, historic shopping strips and long-established suburbs that have helped shape Melbourne’s identity for well over a century. With such strong foundations, it’s no surprise that our electorate is also home to many of Melbourne’s most popular pubs and hospitality venues.”
Sarah Witty ALP
“I rise to speak today in support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 because Melbourne understands hospitality. In Melbourne, hospitality is not a backdrop; it is the soundtrack—from the clutter of plates on Brunswick Street to the roar of a pub before the siren at the G.”
Josh Burns ALP
“What an honour and pleasure it is to follow the member for Melbourne, my new neighbour in this place. The Yarra River used to be the border between Melbourne and Macnamara, but now we have this wonderful amalgamation of the southern and CBD parts of Melbourne.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. It’s an absolute honour to follow my friend the member for McNamara, who I know is a huge advocate for publicans and small businesses in his electorate and, like me, enjoys a pint every once in awhile as well.”
Libby Coker ALP
“In communities right across Australia, from our biggest cities to the smallest towns, the local pub or club is much more than a business. It is a gathering place—a place where people come together after a long shift, a long week or a long day; a place of celebration when the local footy or netball team has a win; or a place of commiseration or comfort when the week hasn’t been easy.”
Ben Small LIB
“I joke with friends that representing Forrest in this place should really be called being the member for wineries and breweries, because I take both a close personal and professional interest in their affairs throughout the south-west of Western Australia.”
Barnaby Joyce PHON
“I rise to foreshadow an amendment to the amendment but not to move it at this stage. In so many regional areas, the issue surrounding the excise is closely related to the viability of local hotels, local restaurants and suchlike.”
Bob Katter KAP
“I could tell a thousand stories, but I have just a quick one. I was in the pub at a little place called Garradunga in North Queensland, and I was going to a Lions Club meeting. I had my Lions badge on. Someone said, ’I didn’t know you were a Lion.’ The bloke across the bar said, ’Mate, he’s been a lion all of his life,’ and everyone roared laughing at my expense.”
Andrew Willcox LNP
“Well, mates, anyone in North Queensland will tell you our one day of winter normally falls on a Wednesday! For the rest of the year, it’s prime beer drinking weather. There’s nothing quite like the sound of just cracking a coldie open after a long hot day.”
Tom Venning LIB
“Let me start by saying quite clearly that the Liberal Party supports the freeze on the beer excise indexation. Personally, I support reducing excises, especially in our pubs and clubs, and so we welcome this relief for every Australian who enjoys a cold one. I know I certainly do.”
Colin Boyce LNP
“I rise to make a few brief comments on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the amendment moved by Mr Joyce, the member for New England. I listened to the member for New England’s contribution, and he’s absolutely right to refer to the iconic song by Slim Dusty: …there’s-a nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer.”
Anthony Albanese ALP
“I’m very proud to speak on this legislation, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill, because this is one of the most popular commitments that we took to the election on 3 May—a two-year freeze on the draft beer excise, the first time this has happened in 40 years. I note the amendments moved by some on the other side.”
Anne Webster NAT
“I do note the Prime Minister’s comments that, as people around Australia raise a glass in a pub, the price won’t go up for the next two years. If it were only dependent on this excise freezing, that would be one thing, but we know that wages have gone up. We know that electricity has gone up. We know that the cost of living continues to rise under this government, so beer will go up.”
Luke Gosling ALP
“I rise enthusiastically, following our prime minister, to speak in strong support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. As the Prime Minister said, pubs pouring draught beer are made up of communities—communities of people where everyone has a seat.”
Scott Buchholz LNP
“I rise to offer my support for the freezing of excise taxes on draught beer, an election commitment that we made during the last election. It’s now time to action it.”
Tim Ayres ALP
“I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted.”