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: Zali Steggall supports the bill to improve tax transparency and limit multinational profit shifting, but argues it doesn't go far enough. She points out how big fossil fuel companies avoid tax while receiving public subsidies, and call for stronger reforms - especially to the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax - to ensure corporations pay their fair share and secure future public revenue.
Introduce short-term price caps (e.g. on rent and gas prices)
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has raised concerns about the ongoing cost-of-living crisis - including high inflation, rising interest rates, housing pressures, and small business struggles. Zali Steggall has expressed concern that the current response has been too slow and inadequate, and has expressed the need for timely action to support struggling Australians.
Support a significant reduction of individuals employed by the public service
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has not expressed support for cuts to public service jobs. In a 2023 speech to parliament, Zali Steggall made the following statement: “We know the Public Service plays an important role in the lives of all Australians, so a bill to improve the Public Service is critical to the delivery of better outcomes for Australians who use and depend on their services.”
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_speaks_on_the_public_service_amendment_bill_2023
Prevent big companies from controlling the market and limiting consumer choice (e.g. supermarkets)
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Steggall emphasises the need for robust competition to protect consumers from price gouging and collusion. Zali Steggall supports empowering the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to enforce regulations more effectively, including making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory and introducing financial penalties for noncompliance.
Phase out tax concessions for property investors (e.g. negative gearing or capital gains tax discount)
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports reform to property taxation policies such as negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions, but not the complete phasing out of these policies.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_speaks_on_housing
Incentivise state/territory government to increase renter rights and protections
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports measures to improve housing security & access to affordable housing. In a 2023 speech to parliament, Zali Steggall made the following statement: “We have a rental crisis in Australia. There are communities around the country that simply do not have any accessible properties for rent.”
Increase investment in public and community housing
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports an increase in funding for public & community housing, and spoke in support of the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023.
Allow first home-buyers to access their super to help purchase their first home
We could not find evidence to suggest Steggall supports this policy
Incentivise state/territory governments to increase housing supply
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports further action on housing to address supply by both building and ensuring greater availability of rental properties.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_speaks_on_the_help_to_buy_bill_2024
Help first-home buyers with shared equity programs that would allow participants to co-purchase a home with the government
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports the Help-to-Buy program as a means for young people to enter the housing market.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_speaks_on_the_help_to_buy_bill_2024
Introduce energy bill rebates
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of an energy bill rebate for households in the 2025–26 financial year, stating “Zali Steggall supports the energy bill rebate, but believes it should be designed to better target those who are most in need of assistance.”
Increase financial support for energy efficiency upgrades
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has expressed support for the funding of a people's power plan to accelerate the electrification of households.
Increase funding for community batteries that increase access to solar
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has expressed support for incentives for for community batteries, making the following statement during a 2013 speech: “We need to look at heat pumps, community battery projects and vehicle-to-grid technology.”
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_urgent_household_electrification_2
Strengthen regulations to prevent price-gouging by energy companies
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: While Zali Steggall has not developed a specific policy on this issue, her broader policy approach aligns with this position.
During a 2024 speech to Parliament on the Energy Price Relief Plan, Steggall made the following statement: “I do support for the government to intervene. What the bill does, it will cap gas prices to $12 a gigajoule in the domestic market for new gas contracts for the next twelve months. It gives the government the ability to implement a mandatory gas industry code of conduct, which I would say is well overdue.”
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_speaks_on_energy_price_relief_plan
Make university free
Type: Statement, They Vote for You
Summary: Despite Zali Steggall responding to our survey as being supportive of wiping all student debt and making university free, stating “The Australian government must fix the inequitable indexation of student loans, which would indirectly assist students to pay off their loans. Zali strongly supports the policy to remove HECS-HELP from debt-to-income reporting and serviceability assessments”, Steggall voted against the amendment to the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 introduced by Stephen Bates, calling on the Government to wipe all student debt, make university and TAFE free.
Source: https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/divisions/representatives/2024-10-09/7
Cut a portion of existing student debt
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports reform to indexation on HECS/HELP debt, and supported the University Accords Bill 2024.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_speaks_on_the_university_accords_bill
Support more fee-free TAFE places
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of the Free TAFE bill or comparable legislation. In her 2025 Federal Budget Analysis, Steggall stated “The current Fee-Free TAFE agreement between the Commonwealth and state governments expires in 2027. I welcome the commitment to continue funding the Fee-Free TAFE program, as VAT.”
Link: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/2025_federal_budget_analysis
Increase funding for public schools
Type: Parliamentary speech
Summary: Zali Steggall MP speaks on the Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024
Increase funding for and access to childcare subsidies
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has in an advocate for for affordable childcare, and supported the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Cheaper Child Care) Bill 2022. In a speech to parliament, Zali Steggall made the following statement: “For children, we know high-quality early childhood education and care is robustly associated with positive outcomes at school entry and improvements in social development. This is an investment into our future as a nation.”
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_speaks_in_support_of_cheaper_childcare
Stop fossil fuel project approvals and expansions
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Steggall supports a transition to a carbon neutral Australia, and her ‘5-step plan to Net Zero for Australia’ commits to “an orderly transition to 80% renewable energy by 2030, with no new coal or gas developments.”
Accelerate the rollout of renewable energy projects
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Steggall supports a transition to a carbon neutral Australia, and her ‘5-step plan to Net Zero for Australia’ commits to “an orderly transition to 80% renewable energy by 2030, with no new coal or gas developments.” Zali Steggall supports the introduction of a ‘Future Transmission Fund’ to support deployment of transmission infrastructure.
Strengthen policies that ensure Australia’s biggest polluters genuinely cut their emissions
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall supports strengthening exisiting policies (eg. the Safeguard Mechanism) to ensure they deliver genuine emissions reductions from Australia's largest polluters. A 2023 speech to parliament calls for tightening of the framework and closing of loopholes that have historically allowed emitters to continue “business as usual.”
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_moves_amendments_on_safeguard_mechanism
Increase investment in preventative health programs
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Steggall supports a focus on preventative healthcare & education, as opposed to over-reliance on treatment.
Make GP visits free or more affordable by increasing bulk billing incentives
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of an increase in incentives (between $5-15 billion) to make GP visits more affordable nationwide.
Increase funding to train, attract, and retain more healthcare professionals, especially in regional areas
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of increasing funding to train, attract, and retain more healthcare professionals, especially in regional areas.
Increase funding for dental and mental health
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of the expansion of medicare to include dental & mental health, stating ”I support expanding Medicare to offer coverage for mental health, especially long GP mental health consultations and bulk billing for mental health video consultations, as well as inclusion of dental. However, any expansion should be exercised with caution, such as staggered approach, as not to unnecessarily inflate government spending.”
Expand subsidies to make more prescription medicines cheaper
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall supports affordable access to medication under the PBS, however it isn’t currently clear whether she supports further subsidies to lower the current cap.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/2025_federal_budget_analysis
Increase investment in large-scale renewable energy and storage
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Stegall supports a transition to 80% renewable energy by 2030, as well as the introduction of a ‘Future Transmission Fund’ to support deployment of transmission infrastructure. Zali Steggall supports “community energy and storage projects and ownership models to allow the community to participate in the transition.”
Require multinational gas companies to prioritise domestic supply, without supporting the approval of new gas projects
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of a domestic gas reservation scheme that does not enable new gas projects.
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/Statement
Summary: Zali Stegall does not support investment in nuclear power, and opposes any new coal or gas developments.
Improve access to government-held information about government policies and decisions
Type: Statement
Summary: Zali Steggall responded to our survey as being supportive of an immediate injection of funding for the Freedom of Information system and introducing statutory timeframes for external FOI reviews to remove backlog and delay.
Protect the ABC and SBS’s independence and funding
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Steggall supports a strong, safe and independent media environment and increasing funding to the ABC. Zali Steggall supports updating regulatory frameworks to evolve with the media landscape, and supports unbiased reporting and Australian content.
Require all lobbyists that meet with politicians to be publicly disclosed
Type: Website
Summary: Zali Steggall supports ensuring the scrutiny and accountability of federal politics through the establishment of a national integrity commission with real powers and a professional Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians.
Make public transport more frequent and reliable
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has spoken in support of greater investment in public transport and a move away from single vehicles.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_responds_to_the_annual_climate_change_statement
Improve bike paths and footpaths to encourage active transport
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has spoken in support of support of greater investment in public transport and a move away from single vehicles.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_responds_to_the_annual_climate_change_statement
Increase access and affordability of electric and low-emissions vehicles
Type: Parliamentary Speech
Summary: Zali Steggall has spoken in support of clearer targets around transport emissions and building on existing fuel efficiency standards.
Source: https://www.zalisteggall.com.au/zali_steggall_mp_responds_to_the_annual_climate_change_statement
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