In the House – Wednesday 7 May 2025

It was an action-packed Wednesday in the Upper House with a bill related to electoral funding introduced and another related to abortion law reform debated. Along with the establishment of a committee inquiry into the illegal tobacco trade, the House agreed to eight orders for papers – a strong representation of the Council’s powers to hold the government of the day to account. Read on for more…

INTRODUCED: ELECTORAL FUNDING AMENDMENT (MAJOR POLITICAL DONORS) BILL 2025

The Electoral Funding Amendment (Major Political Donors) Bill 2025 was introduced by the Hon Tania Mihailuk (Independent) on Wednesday. This private members’ bill seeks to amend the Electoral Funding Act 2018 requiring that applicants for government funding or an appointment to certain government positions must disclose if they are a major political donor.

In her second reading speech, Ms Mihailuk explained that this bill would introduce a requirement for major political donors – as defined in the Electoral Funding Act 2018 – to disclose their donor status when applying for NSW Government funding or for appointment to a government board. It seeks to close a gap in the current grants administration framework, which does not classify major political donations as a conflict of interest. The bill would apply narrowly to applicants for funding or board positions and does not affect public service employment. Under the bill, decision-makers would be legally required to investigate whether an applicant has been a major donor in the past five years before making such appointments or funding decisions. Read more about the bill in Ms Mihailuk’s second reading speech, and continued here.

Following the bill’s introduction, debate was adjourned for five calendar days, according to standing order.

DEBATED: ABORTION LAW REFORM AMENDMENT (HEALTH CARE ACCESS) BILL 2025

Debate on the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 continued in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. This private members’ bill, previously introduced by Dr Amanda Cohn (The Greens), would amend the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 to increase access to abortion health care.  Read more about the bill in our previous blog.

Contributions to the second reading debate were made by members of the Government, the Opposition, The Greens and Independent member the Hon Taylor Martin. Read all member contributions in the Hansard record.

Both the Government and the Opposition gave their members a conscience vote, which means that those members are not bound to vote according to party. The House divided on the second reading of the bill (Ayes: 24/Noes: 16) before the Hon John Ruddick (Libertarian Party) rose to move three separate instructions to the committee of the whole.

Instructions are the mechanism by which the House gives permission for the committee of the whole to consider amendments which go beyond the long title of the bill, which defines the subject matter of the bill.

• The first instruction related to amendments relating to the prohibition on sex selection. This motion was negatived on division (Ayes: 13/Noes: 27).
• The second related to amendments relating to the care of persons born alive after termination and late-term interventions. This motion was negatived on division (Ayes: 13/Noes: 27)
• The third instruction related to amendments relating to terminations by medical practitioners at more than 23 weeks. This motion was negatived on division (Ayes: 14/Noes: 26)

Read the instructions in full in the Hansard record.

Consideration of the bill in committee of the whole was then set down for the next sitting day.

GENERAL MOTIONS

The following motions were debated in the House over the course of the day:

Topic	Moved by	Agreed to?
Suspension of Standing Order 34 – Hard Adjournment on Thursday 8 May 2025	The Hon Penny Sharpe (Labor)	Agreed to, on division (Ayes: 23/Noes: 16)
Parental choice in education	The Hon Rachel Merton (Liberal)	Agreed to
Sydney Royal Easter Show 2025	The Hon Scott Barrett (Nationals)	Agreed to
Portfolio Committee No. 5 – Justice and Communities – Reference	The Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones (Liberal)	Agreed to, as amended

In addition to the above motions debated in the chamber, the following motions were agreed to without debate, during the morning’s formal business:

• Resignation of the Honourable Leslie Williams MP, moved by the Hon Aileen MacDonald (Liberal)
• Detection of Cattle Tick near Bonalbo Showgrounds, moved by the Hon Scott Barrett (Nationals)
• A Place to Go Program, moved by the Hon Aileen MacDonald (Liberal)
• Order for Papers – Development in Leeds Street and Blaxland Road, Rhodes, moved by the Hon Mark Latham (Independent)
• 9th Chinese Gold Miners Memorial 2025, moved by the Hon Cameron Murphy (Labor)
• Design For Care Event 2025, moved by the Hon Mark Buttigieg (Labor)
• Legislative Council Regional Road Show in Queanbeyan, the Hon Susan Carter (Liberal)
• Yom Hashoah 2025, also moved by Mrs Carter
• 110th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, also moved by Mrs Carter
• Australian South East Asian Network Summit for Social Cohesion and Australian Values 2025, moved by the Hon Anthony D’Adam (Labor)
• Westpac Regional Bank Branches, moved by the Hon Nichole Overall (Nationals)
• Brain Cancer Awareness Month 2025, moved by the Hon Taylor Martin (Independent)
• Order For Papers – Employment Record of Ivan Robert Marko Milat – Further Order, moved by the Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party)
• Wings for Life World Run 2025, moved by the Hon Scott Barrett (Nationals)
• Anzac Day Dawn Service 2025, moved by the Hon Stephen Lawrence (Labor)
• Order For Papers – Abuse in the Greyhound Racing Industry, moved by the Hon Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party)
• Dubbo Animal Shelter, moved by the Hon Stephen Lawrence (Labor)

ORDERS FOR PAPERS

Request	Moved by	Agreed to?	Due date
Development in Leeds Street and Blaxland Road, Rhodes	The Hon Mark Latham (Independent)	Agreed to	28 May 2025
Employment of Ivan Robert Marko Milat – Further order	The Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party)	Agreed to	4 June 2025
Abuse in the greyhound racing industry	The Hon Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party)	Agreed to	4 June 2025
Local Small Commitments Allocation – Further Order	The Hon Chris Rath (Liberal)	Agreed to	28 May 2025
Bayside Council and Conflicts of Interest	The Hon Chris Rath (Liberal)	Agreed to as amended, on division (Ayes: 22/Noes: 18)	28 May 2025
Regional and rural paramedics	The Hon Rod Roberts (Independent)	Agreed to, as amended	28 May 2025
Community Justice Centres in NSW	The Hon Susan Carter (Liberal)	Agreed to	28 May 2025
Firearms health risk assessments	The Hon John Ruddick (Libertarian Party)	Agreed to	4 June 2025

COMMITTEE REFERENCE: ILLEGAL TOBACCO TRADE IN NSW

Over the course of Wednesday’s proceedings, a new inquiry was referred to Portfolio Committee No. 5 – Justice and Communities, on the motion of the Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones (Liberal), to inquire into and report on the illegal tobacco trade in New South Wales. Read the terms of reference in the Hansard record, and keep an eye on our website for full details of the inquiry published soon.