Anthony Albanese will return to Canberra on Monday hoping for deals on reforms to NDIS, gambling and news media bargaining with Coalition the most likely partner to hammer out backroom compromises.

NDIS minister Jenny McAllister on Sunday gave the strongest indication yet that a deal would be struck with Opposition leader Angus Taylor, saying she was “confident” the reforms to rein in the ballooning scheme could be reached as parliament returned.

“We’ve been in really close discussions with the Coalition actually for some time now, and they have been extremely constructive. We’re really hopeful. I’d go as far as saying ‘confident’ that we can reach an agreement,” she told ABC’s Insiders.

While fraud and corruption within the NDIS remain major concerns for the Coalition, Senator McAllister announced on Sunday night that the government is stepping up efforts to tackle misconduct in the scheme.

The Minister confirmed the NDIS watchdog had issued 111 banning orders to individuals, registered providers and unregistered providers between April and June 2026 — a record quarterly tally.

It pushes 2026 banning orders issued by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to 158 so far, which marks a 35 per cent surge on the same period last year.

“These banning orders have stopped convicted criminals, dodgy consultants, fraudsters and other high-risk individuals from operating in the NDIS and putting participants at risk,” she said.

The NDIS watchdog recently permanently banned provider Sydney Best Care Pty Ltd after alleging it fraudulently claimed around $4 million in NDIS funds without providing services to at least 70 participants between August and October last year.

It comes after The Sunday Times revealed in exclusive reporting that Supreme Court judges were citing NDIS funding packages to justify releasing high-risk, violent sex offenders into the community on supervision orders.

Senator McAllister said in response that the NDIS “does not” fund supports whose primary purpose is “related to the justice system” and that they were the “responsibility of state and territory justice and health systems”.

“Decisions by judges are made independently,” she said.

“State and territory criminal justice systems are responsible for ensuring an individual complies with legal orders and conditions.

“This responsibility includes supports that monitor or supervise individuals to prevent or detect offending behaviour.”

A Senate inquiry into Labor’s efforts to overhaul the scheme — which attached nearly 5000 submissions containing warnings from providers and participants — has recommended that legislation be passed.

The reforms to the NDIS aim to cut the number of scheme participants by 160,000 and reduce its growth rate from 10 per cent to two per cent as the scheme continues to place increasing strain on the Federal Budget.

The Albanese government will also continue negotiations on their efforts to pass sweeping gambling reforms, with inducements — such as VIP perks, bonus bets, boosted odds and sign up bonuses — still the main political sticking point.

It also includes broadcast advert occurrence and time restrictions, sports and uniform ad bans, “pocket pokie” crackdowns and school drop-off and pick up radio ad blocks.

A two-day Senate inquiry into the gambling reforms, which included fiery evidence around the tactics of the industry to attract or vulnerable people making bets, is expected to be delivered on Monday evening.

The report and its recommendations will likely be digested ahead of discussion at all three major party rooms on Tuesday morning.

Both the Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will visit Australia this week.

The Thai government said it would be Anutin’s first to Australia since taking office and the first of a Thai leader in 14 years. He will also visit New Zealand on the same trip.

Their visits come after Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on Sunday met with PNG Defence Minister Elias Kapavore in Port Moresby to formalise next steps under the historic Pukpuk Treaty.

It marks Papua New Guinea’s first alliance with any nation and Australia’s first in over 70 years.

The agreement will include ongoing joint military operations, infrastructure projects and establishing a recruitment pilot to allow PNG citizens to join the Australia Defence Force by 2027.

Mr Kapavore publicly described discussions with Mr Marles as “open and meaningful” and said the two countries held a “deep and shared history”.

“Implementing the Pukpuk Treaty is one of my highest priorities. Our discussions were open and meaningful, befitting of allies with a deep and shared history,” he said.

Mr Marles also described the visit as a “priority” and confirmed a Ministerial Forum would be held between Australia and PNG later this year to go over and announce specific details on recruitment advertising, selection, and eligibility.

“We are seeing our defence forces increasingly working more closely together,” he said.

“An initial pilot program . . . will start the process of proving the recruitment pathway. It will be smaller numbers to begin with, but in time we see this happening at scale over the next decade.

“We are very confident that by this time next year, this will be well underway.”