Chalmers says opposition meltdown not marketing problem as Hamilton walks out of question time

Liberal MP Garth Hamilton swore, slammed his desk shut and stormed out of the House of Representatives chamber on Tuesday after shouting “bullshit” during a parliamentary question, triggering a chaotic scene that later resulted in his formal naming and a 24-hour suspension.

The outburst came as the Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy McBain, was responding to a question that referenced a Nine Newspapers report. The report alleged that the shadow treasurer and Liberal MP Angus Taylor had claimed authorities deliberately allowed the devastating 2003 Snowy Mountains bushfires to burn because they were in a wilderness area. Speaking to the chamber, McBain described the report as “absolutely shameful”, adding that she was “disgusted” and that first responders had visited her office to complain.

As McBain spoke, Hamilton shouted an expletive, slammed the lid of his desk and immediately began walking out. Labor MPs shouted and gestured towards the Speaker, Milton Dick, urging him to call out the breach. Hamilton threw his hand up, offered a quick bow to the chair and exited. Independent MP Zali Steggall then called for Hamilton to be “named” – a procedural move that carries a 24-hour ban from the chamber. The Speaker said he had not seen the incident but urged all members to reflect on their behaviour, allowing McBain to finish her answer.

Liberal MP Garth Hamilton storms out of chamber

Later, at the conclusion of question time, Speaker Milton Dick moved to formally name Garth Hamilton for his earlier behaviour, telling the House: “This is a new low.” Tony Burke then moved for Hamilton to be named, but the Coalition refused to support the motion, forcing a division. Labor backbencher Basem Abdo shouted across the chamber: “Are you serious? Control your crew, what a disgrace, Angus.” One Nation MP David Farley abstained from the vote, while crossbench MPs, including the teal independents, sided with the government. Hamilton was subsequently named and will face a 24-hour suspension from the chamber.

The incident was not the first disruption of the afternoon. Earlier in question time, Liberal MP Andrew Wallace had also left the chamber unprompted after making considerable noise. Garth Hamilton, who represents the Queensland seat of Groom, has a history of parliamentary tension. In October 2023 he was verbally abused by a “Yes” supporter at a Voice referendum polling station and has previously expressed concerns about Australian troops being sent into war zones without a clear exit strategy.

The report at the centre of McBain’s comments – concerning Angus Taylor and the 2003 Snowy Mountains bushfires – is not the first controversy to dog the shadow treasurer. Taylor has previously faced scrutiny over allegations he used a fraudulent document relating to the City of Sydney Council’s travel expenditure in 2019. The Australian Federal Police dropped its investigation, stating there was no evidence of Taylor’s involvement in falsifying information, though then-shadow energy minister Mark Butler had called for an independent inquiry. Taylor has also faced questions over water licence purchases linked to a company he was a director of.

Aged care and health concerns dominate crossbench questions

Beyond the drama, question time covered a range of policy issues. Nationals deputy leader Darren Chester pressed Aged Care Minister Sam Rae on the number of older Australians dying while waiting for an aged care support-at-home package. The minister acknowledged that “more to do to fix this system” but insisted the government had made significant progress. “No one in this place wants any older Australian to pass away waiting for the care that they deserve,” Rae said, adding that the government would continue work to deliver on the promise of the aged care royal commission.

The “Support at Home” program, which replaced the Home Care Packages scheme in November 2025, is designed to provide in-home aged care services including personal care, domestic assistance, nursing and allied health, with funding allocated based on assessed need. The rollout has faced criticism over an automated assessment tool that remains under review.

Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie raised the issue of bowel cancer screening in young people, pointing to what she described as “this extraordinary, terrible trend” of increasing diagnoses. She noted that many GPs are reluctant to screen young patients, leading to advanced cancers being detected. Health Minister Mark Butler agreed that more action was needed. “We need to understand what is driving this big increase in diagnosis and we need to help lift the awareness among GPs about this issue and for them to know what to do about it,” he said. Butler acknowledged that Australia is seeing the largest increase in younger-onset bowel cancer “anywhere in the world”.

Sharkie also secured a second question on allied health services for veterans, asking Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh about a proposed A$5,000 cap for services. She cited a 64-year-old veteran in her electorate who would hit that cap in under four months. Keogh replied that the median use of allied health by veterans is A$1,900, and that about one in ten veterans may exceed the A$5,000 amount. He committed to working with the veteran community on the best method for approving higher care needs and accused the opposition of heckling and “trying to create fear in the veteran community”.

Education Minister Jason Clare revealed that the government has cut funding to a childcare centre in Victoria that repeatedly failed to meet standards. It is the first such cut under new legislation passed last year to crack down on underperforming providers. Clare said issue notices had been sent to 115 centres, of which 47 had “suddenly fixed the problems they had refused to fix for more than five years”. Seven other centres relinquished their licences. “This is not the end. This is just the start,” Clare said. The government spends approximately A$16 billion annually on childcare subsidies, which are paid directly to centres.

Independent MP Helen Haines raised concerns about rural communities losing access to after-hours care, specifically the Walwa Bush Nursing Centre in her electorate. Health Minister Mark Butler said funding changes reflected a drop in demand, partly due to new services such as the 1800 Medicare phone line and urgent care clinics. He confirmed the primary health network had provided funding for the Walwa centre through the 2026–27 financial year, but noted the service had been experiencing low volumes.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, meanwhile, used question time to target the Liberal Party after frontbencher Melissa McIntosh called for a party “rebrand”. Chalmers said the opposition was not having a marketing problem but “a meltdown”, attributing their struggles to a “divisive, anti-worker, anti-housing agenda”. McIntosh had argued the party is perceived as “stuck in the past” and needs to modernise, a view that comes as the Coalition faces historically low polling numbers.

CFMEU corruption allegations continue to dog government

The opposition pressed the government repeatedly on allegations of corruption within the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Employees Union (CFMEU), with three separate questions on the topic. Nationals MP Pat Conaghan asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese what assurances he had received from the Victorian premier that no taxpayer funds had gone – directly or indirectly – to underworld figures connected to the union. Albanese responded that in 2024 the Commonwealth inserted provisions into funding agreements with states and territories that “place obligations on jurisdictions to report any allegations of unacceptable behaviour”. He added that Victoria continues to keep the Commonwealth informed of integrity-strengthening work.

Angus Taylor then made two attempts to press the Prime Minister on the same issue. In the second, he asked Albanese to confirm that no taxpayer funds had been handed to criminal underworld figures. Albanese replied by recounting his actions against the union: he expelled former Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka from the Labor Party in 2019, excluded the CFMEU from being an affiliate, and placed the union into administration in August 2024. Setka, who resigned as Victorian CFMEU secretary in July 2024 amid reports of alleged criminal links, has claimed he was assured the union would be “left alone” if he resigned – a claim Labor has dismissed as “ridiculous” and “fanciful”. Albanese said of Setka: “He has no legitimate place in the Labor movement.”

The CFMEU’s Victorian branch has been the subject of a report by corruption fighter Geoffrey Watson SC, who described it as a “crime syndicate”. Reports allege that over two decades the branch engaged in violent, criminal and greedy behaviour, with government construction sites acting as “drug distribution centres” and instances of bribery and extortion. One allegation claims that A$15 billion of government money was “poured directly into the hands of criminals and organised crime gangs”. Leaked files suggest infrastructure companies repeatedly warned the Victorian government about CFMEU demands inflating labour costs.

The Liberal Party has highlighted that the CFMEU has donated over A$6.2 million to the Labor Party since Albanese became leader. In November 2025, a father and son with senior roles at the CFMEU were sentenced to imprisonment for accepting illegal payments from a construction company owner. As the opposition pushed its questions, Conaghan attempted to make a point of order, but Speaker Milton Dick shut it down, ruling that Albanese was being relevant. The opposition’s attempts to have the Prime Minister confirm that no taxpayer funds reached criminals were met with procedural resistance, and the government ultimately prevailed in a division that saw Hamilton named and suspended.