Summary

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The majority voted against amendments introduced by Senator Louise Pratt, which means they failed.

The amendments related to the new ability of the Child Support Registrar to retrospectively change a child support assessment. Senator Pratt explained that:

It is simply not fair for a parent who has received child support in good faith and has spent it on their children to find out that, through no fault of their own, that money must now be repaid. It is simply unsustainable for us to consider having such a big impact on a family's ability to meet the cost of living. This is why we are moving this amendment today to part 2 of schedule 1 of the bill to attempt to deal with this issue ... This amendment permits the Child Support Registrar to change a child support assessment, following the amendment of an income tax assessment, prospectively and retrospectively in limited circumstances. A child support assessment can only be made retrospective if either the amendment was due to fraud or evasion or the registrar is satisfied that changing the administrative assessment retrospectively would not cause the parent unjustified financial hardship, having regard to the financial situation of the other parent.

Read more about the changes made by the bill in the bills digest.

Votes Not passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives No
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Andrew Bartlett Queensland Yes
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Jordon Steele-John WA Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (84% turnout) 21 Yes 0 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Yes
Carol Brown Tasmania Yes
Doug Cameron NSW Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Jacinta Collins Victoria Yes
Patrick Dodson WA Yes
Don Farrell SA Yes
Alex Gallacher SA Yes
Kristina Keneally NSW Yes
Chris Ketter Queensland Yes
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Yes
Gavin Marshall Victoria Yes
Jenny McAllister NSW Yes
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Yes
Claire Moore Queensland Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Lisa Singh Tasmania Yes
Glenn Sterle WA Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Murray Watt Queensland Yes
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Katy Gallagher ACT Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Centre Alliance (0% turnout) Absent
Stirling Griff SA Absent
Rex Patrick SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party Yes
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Yes
Steve Martin Tasmania Independent Yes
Fraser Anning Queensland Independent No
Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent No
Tim Storer SA Independent No
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party No
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland No
Liberal Party (83% turnout) 0 Yes 19 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Simon Birmingham SA No
Slade Brockman WA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
Jim Molan NSW No
James Paterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Dean Smith WA No
Amanda Stoker Queensland No
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Lucy Gichuhi SA Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (33% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Absent
John Williams NSW Absent
Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Stirling Griff SA No
Rex Patrick SA No
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Brian Burston NSW No
Peter Georgiou WA No
Pauline Hanson Queensland No
Scott Ryan Victoria President No
Totals (88% turnout) 33 Yes – 34 No