See how we've assessed them for all policy statements included in the Build a Ballot tool. Want to suggest a revision? Send us an email at tool@buildaballot.org.au
Statement
Evidence
Score
Introduce a tax on the excess profits of large corporations (e.g. on banks, gas companies)
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Allegra Spender has spoken in a parliamentary speech about the issue of multinationals and tax avoidance: “I want to make sure that my words and my amendments can't be characterised as trying to stand up for multinational tax avoidance, because, frankly, quite the opposite is true. I've been a strong proponent of addressing multinational tax avoidance, but if you're going to change tax policy we should make sure there are exposure drafts that businesses can have legitimate engagement with. Then we can pass these through the House and through the Senate.”
Introduce short-term price caps (e.g. on rent and gas prices)
Type: Social Media, Website
Summary: Allegra Spender doesn’t support rent caps as per above, but believes in permanent energy bill relief. Allegra Spender posted on X: ““While rent control appears to help current tenants in the short run, in the long run it decreases affordability, fuels gentrification, and creates negative spillovers on the surrounding neighborhood.” Research shows rent controls will not solve housing”
Source: https://x.com/spenderallegra/status/1665207181791178755 https://www.allegraspender.com.au/energy_bill_relief
Support a significant reduction of individuals employed by the public service
Type: Statement
Summary: Allegra Spender, when discussing the Coalition’s plans to reduce the number of public service employees, was asked whether she thought voluntary redundancies were the way forward. Spender replied: “Look, firstly I think we just don’t know what the policy is. We have heard three different versions of this policy in the last week or two, and so I genuinely don’t know what it is. If you are trying to reduce headcount, voluntary redundancy is one way to do it. But the truth is, I think what they need to commit to, is what are the service levels they’re going to provide to the Australian people, and what is their plan in relation to the public sector workforce. Because again, it would be great for the leader and the opposition spokesperson to be on the same page on this, and until we know what that is, I’m afraid I don’t think I can really comment.”
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-WGDSF_3_Y (35m 40s in)
Prevent big companies from controlling the market and limiting consumer choice (e.g. supermarkets)
Type: Media Quote
Summary: In Allegra Spender’s National Press Club address, she stated: "There are moves to improve this, such as through competition reform or migration, but nowhere near the scale we need."
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/4821/economic_reform
Phase out tax concessions for property investors (e.g. negative gearing or capital gains tax discount)
Summary: Allegra's Tax Green paper is clear that she advocates for a reform process, but not any specific individual tax changes.
Incentivise state/territory government to increase renter rights and protections
Type: Parliamentary Speech, Website
Summary: Allegra Spender supports improving renters rights, stating: “We need to push the states to improve renters rights particularly in New South Wales where I'm from, where we still have no grounds evictions which are undermining renters rights across my state.”
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_cWv3zy66Yhttps://www.allegraspender.com.au/housing
Increase investment in public and community housing
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender supports doubling federal investment in social housing.
Allow first home-buyers to access their super to help purchase their first home
Type: Media Quote
Summary: Allegra Spender supports allowing first home-buyers to access their super when purchasing their first home, with a quote from Allegra Spender’s office stating: “Allegra believes super-for-housing will work for some, but it must be part of a broader package including that boosts supply of all types, including affordable and social housing”
Incentivise state/territory governments to increase housing supply
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender supports sharpening incentives to build more homes, stating: “We need to redesign these payments, giving states and territories an incentive to remove impediments, shorten planning approval processes, and deliver the critical infrastructure that enables housing.”
Help first-home buyers with shared equity programs that would allow participants to co-purchase a home with the government
Type: Voting Record
Summary: Supported initial legislation
Introduce energy bill rebates
Although Allegra Spender has previously supported the budget appropriations in 2024/2025, in 2025/2026 she would prefer this funding to go to home electrification rather than one-off handouts.
Increase financial support for energy efficiency upgrades
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender supports permanent energy bill relief through federal financial incentives for home electrification, solar, battery storage, and energy efficiency upgrades. Allegra Spender has put forward a Permanent Energy Bill Relief Plan to roll-out over the next 5 years.
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/energy_bill_relief
Increase funding for community batteries that increase access to solar
Type: Media Quote, Social Media
Summary: A community battery was built in 2024 through the Community Batteries for Household Solar program. Member for Wentworth Allegra Spender said the Bondi battery is a huge win for Wentworth, stating: “The battery will help deliver cleaner and cheaper electricity for our community, reducing both power bills and climate pollution.” Allegra Spender supports permanent energy relief through rooftop solar and battery storage.
https://www.instagram.com/allegra.spender/p/C-eIlFuzo5Y/?img_index=1
Strengthen regulations to prevent price-gouging by energy companies
Type: Statement
Summary: Allegra would consider industry-agnostic powers, but these should be operated by the regulator and independent of politics.
Source: Allegra Spender’s Office
Make university free
We could not find evidence to suggest Allegra Spender supports this policy
Cut a portion of existing student debt
Statement from Allegra Spender’s office: Changing the HECS indexation, secured by the Crossbench, did cut student debt. However, Allegra is concerned by the fairness of a point-in-time, one-off cut.
Support more fee-free TAFE places
Type: Parliament Speech
Summary: Allegra Spender supports more free TAFE, but did not support this bill specifically.
Increase funding for public schools
Type: Parliament Speech
Summary: This bill amends the Australian Education Act, to allow the commonwealth to increase it’s funding share beyond the 20% in the SRS.
Increase funding for and access to childcare subsidies
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender supported the budget inclusion for early childcare education “Budget Win: $1 billion Building Early Education Fund to build early childhood education and care centres where they’re needed most”
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/26_march_newsletter
Stop fossil fuel project approvals and expansions
N/A
Accelerate the rollout of renewable energy projects
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender has targets that help reduce climate pollution before it’s too late and replace the 90% of coal-fired power due to retire in the next decade.
Strengthen policies that ensure Australia’s biggest polluters genuinely cut their emissions
Type: Website, Parliamentary Speech
Summary: In response to a series of reforms to the SGM proposed by the government: Allegra believes the proposed reforms are reasonably well-balanced overall. They provide the policy certainty that businesses need to invest in the future and it is therefore important they pass the parliament. The proposed legislative changes will move the SGM closer to the kind of ‘cap and trade’ scheme that has worked effectively in other jurisdictions and the reforms reflect an accelerated path for emissions reduction. There are also tougher penalties for non-compliance and a commitment to a future consultation on a carbon border adjustment mechanism.
However, the reforms are not perfect and Allegra has urged the government to adopt sensible amendments put forward by the crossbench. As currently proposed, the scheme will allow unlimited access to carbon offsets for our Australia’s biggest polluters. The government has also capped the cost of these offsets at $75 per tonne, which will allow firms to keep polluting on the cheap. Allegra is concerned that easy access to cheap offsets will limit incentives for real (gross) emissions reduction, and may expose the taxpayer to a financial liability in future if the market price of offsets exceeds the government’s cap.
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/safeguard_mechanism_event
Increase investment in preventative health programs
Type: Website
Summary: Improving affordability of primary care - with a greater focus on preventative health measures.
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/where_does_allegra_stand_on
Make GP visits free or more affordable by increasing bulk billing incentives
Type: Parliamentary Speech, Website
Summary: Since being elected, Allegra Spender have supported significant investment in women’s healthcare and efforts to raise GP bulk-billing. Allegra has spoken and written regularly to the Health Minister regarding local healthcare issues in Wentworth, including detailed analysis she conducted on bulk billing rates.
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/where_does_allegra_stand_on
Increase funding to train, attract, and retain more healthcare professionals, especially in regional areas
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Allegra Spender speaking on bulk billing crisis “I have shared my concerns directly with the minister and urge him and the government to act on these concerns urgently and ensure that Medicare remains the effective respected and accessible system it was intended to be and that we are training and developing and retaining the GPS we need to meet community needs”
Increase funding for dental and mental health
Type: Website
Summary: Supports the expansion to include mental health, but not dental
Expand subsidies to make more prescription medicines cheaper
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender supports “hugely welcome investments in women’s health, cheaper medicines, pay rises for early childhood educators, and more funding for public schools. Including: Reduction in the cost of PBS medicines to a maximum of $25”
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/26_march_newsletter
Increase investment in large-scale renewable energy and storage
Type: Voting Record
Summary: Voted in favour of the Electricity Infrastructure Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Require multinational gas companies to prioritise domestic supply, without supporting the approval of new gas projects
Statement from Allegra’s office: Allegra is not opposed to the reservation in principle. But the coalitions policy does not ban new gas projects. The options in this answer do not cover our policy.
Invest in nuclear power as a future energy source, while extending the life of coal power and increasing gas use in the interim
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender on her website “ I’m not ideologically opposed to nuclear and it will certainly have a role to play in other countries. But it’s not right for Australia – and the evidence is clear that we can achieve a much faster and cheaper transition with renewables, backed by storage.”
Improve access to government-held information about government policies and decisions
Type: Statement
Summary: Allegra Spender would support an immediate injection of funding for the Freedom of Information system and introduce statutory timeframes for external FOI reviews to remove backlog and delay.
Source: Allegra Spender's Office
Protect the ABC and SBS’s independence and funding
Type: Website
Summary: Allegra Spender on her website “I know how important the ABC and SBS are to our community, and I will advocate strongly to ensure they continue to provide impartial news and analysis, contribute to our sense of national identity, entertain, inform and reflect Australia’s cultural identity, promote the arts and project Australia to the world.”
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/where_does_allegra_stand_on
Require all lobbyists that meet with politicians to be publicly disclosed
Type: Voting Record, Parliamentary Speech
Summary: There is more to national resilience than spending. We can achieve and address supply chain security in ways other than insourcing. I move here an amendment to ensure that funding under the FMIA framework does not proceed unless all other alternatives have been exhausted. We deserve more transparency over fund allocation. This should include processes which don't include NDAs, closed ministerial diaries and redaction of FOIs, processes which involve open calls for tenders, not lobbying firms and negotiations facilitated by former Labor Party staffers, which don't waste the time, money and effort of other companies and which don't cause a loss of trust in government. The amendments I move here address those concerns, and I commend them to the House. Voted in favour of the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024
Make public transport more frequent and reliable
Type: Statement
Summary: Allegra supports incentivising public transport where it is needed but is conscious the Federal Government has a poor track-record in investing in evidence-based transport infrastructure projects. See Allegra’s Private Members Bill for more information.
Source: Allegra Spender’s team
Improve bike paths and footpaths to encourage active transport
Type: Statement
Summary: Allegra supports incentivising suitable local amenities and transport options where it is needed but is conscious the Federal Government has a poor track-record in investing in evidence-based transport infrastructure projects. See Allega’s Private Members Bill.
Source: Allegra Spender’s Office
Increase access and affordability of electric and low-emissions vehicles
Type: Website
Summary: “I am delighted to see the government finally taking action that's good for cost of living and for our climate. It's long overdue and something that I have been campaigning for since before my election. However, there is still much more that needs to be done. Alongside the introduction of the standards, there was also a $60 million investment in EV charging. I know this is a real pain point for EV drivers in Wentworth, so I will be pushing hard for more funding.”
Source: https://www.allegraspender.com.au/new_vehicle_efficiency_standards
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