SenateDivision 20 · 31 Mar 2026

Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Criticism of Government

Not passed25 aye · 34 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted against parts (b) to (g) of an amendment introduced by Tasmanian Senator Claire Chandler (Liberal), which means they were not successful. Had it been successful, the amendment would have added the text below to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate notes that: ...

(b) the Government initially denied there was a fuel supply problem in Australia and by delaying taking action to ensure distribution of fuel to where it was needed, exacerbated price pressures and supply shortages;

(c) the Government delayed acting on cost-of-living relief despite mounting pressure on Australian households, small businesses and transporters;

(d) the Government has failed to provide any budget offsets or outline how this measure will be funded, increasing the risk of additional inflationary pressure—where the only fuel guaranteed is for inflation, not for farmers or families;

(e) within 24 hours of the announcement, the Government's proposed GST arrangements have already fallen into disarray, raising further concerns about fiscal credibility and coordination;

(f) uncertainty remains regarding fuel supply security and the risk of heavy-handed market interventions; and

(g) Australians deserve timely leadership and responsible economic management during this national fuel crisis".

Context written by They Vote For You volunteers (ODbL), reproduced unchanged.

Second reading: The second reading vote decides whether the chamber agrees with the bill in principle. A second reading amendment attaches commentary or conditions to that agreement without changing the bill's text.

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	0	24
Liberal–National Coalition	21	0
Australian Greens	0	9
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	3	0
United Australia Party	1	0
Independent	0	1

Every vote

Other divisions this sitting day

What the Senate divided on around this vote, in order.

31 Mar 2026National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - CriticismSenate 28–34
31 Mar 2026National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 - in Committee - Plan variation provisionSenate 30–11
31 Mar 2026National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 - in Committee - NDIS supportsSenate 12–32
31 Mar 2026National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 - in Committee - People who have been convicted of criminal offencesSenate 13–30
31 Mar 2026Motions - Australian Defence Force - Put the questionSenate 23–10
31 Mar 2026Motions - Australian Defence Force - Let another motion be movedSenate 10–23
31 Mar 2026Regulations and Determinations - Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes — Cash Acceptance) Regulations 2025 - DisallowSenate 17–28
31 Mar 2026Committees - Community Affairs References Committee; Reference - Gender dysphoria treatmentSenate 19–41
31 Mar 2026Committees — Procedure Committee; ReferenceSenate 5–44
31 Mar 2026Documents — Housing Australia; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 36–23
31 Mar 2026Documents — Superannuation; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 26–34
31 Mar 2026Documents - Housing Australia - Order for the production of documentsSenate 37–23
31 Mar 2026Matters of Urgency - Taxation - 25% tax on gas exportsSenate 10–26
31 Mar 2026Copyright Amendment Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Educational institutionsSenate 16–26
31 Mar 2026Copyright Amendment Bill 2026 - Second Reading - CopyrightSenate 16–26
31 Mar 2026Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Repeal of restrictions relating to fossil fuelsSenate 26–36
31 Mar 2026Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Greens amendmentsSenate 11–36
31 Mar 2026Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Independent review of operation of amendmentsSenate 27–32
31 Mar 2026Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Reduction in fuel excise and heavy vehicle road user chargeSenate 22–36
31 Mar 2026Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - RenewablesSenate 10–32