2023-03-07 2 1 0 House of Reps 0 0

Tuesday, 7 March 2023

The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

BILLS 1333 BILLS Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023, Migration (Visa Pre-application Process) Charge Bill 2023, Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023, Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023 1333

Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023

Migration (Visa Pre-application Process) Charge Bill 2023

Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023

Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023

Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023

Reference to Federation Chamber 1333 12:01 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I declare that unless otherwise ordered the following bills stand referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration: the Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023 and the Migration (Visa Pre-application Process) Charge Bill 2023 at the adjournment of the debate on the motion for the second reading of the Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023; and the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, the Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023 and the Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023 at the adjournment of the debate on the motion for the second reading of each bill. COMMITTEES 1333 COMMITTEES Public Works Joint Committee 1333 Report 1333 12:02 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's report numbered 1 of 2023, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Australian Electoral Commission – proposed fit-out of new premises at London QuarterBlock 40, Section 100, Canberra City, ACTand other works—one of the most romantic names ever! Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). Mr PERRETT HVP by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present our first report for 2023. This report considers two proposals referred to the committee in October and November last year, with a combined value of just under $230 million. The first proposal is a joint work from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Australian Electoral Commission for a proposed fit-out of new premises on London Circuit here in Canberra. The second proposal, from the Department of Defence, is for phase 2 of the redevelopment of the Cultana Training Area in South Australia. The proposed fit-out of new premises in Canberra will consolidate both the department of employment and the Electoral Commission—with a combined workforce of 4,500—into a single location. Currently, the departments are spread across 11 leased buildings that have deficiencies and inadequacies caused by ageing infrastructure. The new fit-out will be in a newly constructed building and will give both departments an opportunity to have a more flexible approach to their work spaces. The total cost of the proposed project is just under $150 million. The second proposed project covered in this report is the Cultana Training Area redevelopment phase 2. This project will deliver upgrades to the Cultana Training Area, enabling the delivery of more complex training and improving usability and safety. The Cultana Training Area currently has limited ability to support and deliver urban training and vehicle activities, so this project will include road upgrades and infrastructure to support training, including a permanent live-fire training facility, ammunition transfer points, and the enhancement of the current tier 1 urban operations training facility to a tier 2 facility. The total proposed cost for the project is $79.8 million. The committee heard about Defence's engagement with the four traditional owner groups that have links to the Cultana land, and notes the Indigenous Land Use Agreement. The committee encourages Defence to ensure there are opportunities for Indigenous businesses in this project. The committee thanks all those who provided written and oral evidence in support of these inquiries. We also thank personnel of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Australian Electoral Commission and the Department of Defence for their very professional presentations on these two projects. For both projects, the committee recommends that it is expedient that the proposed works are carried out. I commend the report to the House. BILLS 1334 BILLS Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia's Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022 1334

Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia's Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022

Consideration of Senate Message 1334 12:05 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro I move: That the amendments be agreed to. Question agreed to. COMMITTEES 1334 COMMITTEES Implementation of the National Redress Scheme: Joint Committee 1334 Membership 1334 12:06 The SPEAKER 53517 I have received a message from the Senate informing the House that Senator Rice has been discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme, that Senator Shoebridge has been appointed a member of the committee and that Senator Rice has been appointed a participating member of the committee. BILLS 1334 BILLS Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023 1334

Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023

Second Reading 1334 12:06 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I'm very pleased to rise to speak on the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, which is one of a number of bills that the government has foreshadowed to implement decisions announced as part of its National Cultural Policy. This is a modest bill which does not achieve a great deal. The two substantive things it does are to rename the Australia Council as Creative Australia and to merge Creative Partnerships Australia with the Australia Council. Labor launched its National Cultural Policy in January, but it is an underwhelming policy and is not backed by serious new money. Much of what is in the document is simply a reannouncement of things that we knew were already happening. According to the Minister for the Arts, this policy will provide $286 million in additional funding for the arts over four years. However, it's clear from media reports that $45 million of this comes from cancelling the former coalition government's Temporary Interruption Fund. This means that the total new money being provided is around $240 million, and that is over four years, which means that the amount being provided each year is around $60 million. This is conspicuously lower than the 1994 Creative Nation package, which the arts minister has repeatedly referenced. That package committed $252 million in new money. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $525 million in today's dollars. In fact, what we've seen from the current minister has been, in a number of areas, the cutting of funding to the arts. The previous government, the Morrison government, as part of the March 2022 budget, committed an additional $20 million towards our highly successful RISE program. That money, which could have been put to use within months—indeed, within weeks—of the current government coming to power, was not spent. We then saw a mystifying announcement by the minister, in September, that there would be a COVID-19 Live Performance Support Fund, which was going to provide grants for events such as plays, concerts and festivals over the 2022-23 summer. The announcement itself was not necessarily mystifying, but what happened subsequent to the announcement was entirely mystifying, because that money never materialised. Recently, under questioning from the opposition in Senate estimates, officials of the department confirmed that the funding set aside for the COVID-19 Live Performance Support Fund—announced with great fanfare by the minister in September—has now been re-allocated, because, to quote the words of the relevant official, 'None of that money rolled out.' As I have argued, the amount of new funding under the National Cultural Policy is modest in comparison to previous cultural policies that the minister has repeatedly referenced. It is also extremely modest in comparison to the funding which the Morrison government—the coalition—delivered for the arts. Over 2021-22, our Liberal-National government delivered record arts funding of over $1 billion. No other government, Labor or Liberal, has ever matched this level of funding for the arts, and that has not changed after the announcement of Labor's national cultural policy. It remains the case that the highest level of funding ever delivered in one year for the arts by a Commonwealth government is the funding delivered by our Liberal-National government in 2021-22. I also highlight the point that we announced a series of new funding commitments for the arts during the 2019-22 term. Let me just mention some of those. We announced the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund, which allowed Australian screen producers to keep on with productions throughout the COVID period, notwithstanding the fact that private insurers were not willing to provide key-person insurance against the risk of a director or a key cast member coming down with COVID. In turn, that meant that screen financing was not flowing. We solved that problem with the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund. We invested, over that period, more than $370 million for local Australian content through the Australian Children's Television Foundation, through Screen Australia, through the producer offset, through the post, digital and visual effects offset, and through the Temporary Interruption Fund. Of course, we invested more than $47 million to digitise and preserve collection materials held by the National Film and Sound Archive and by seven other national collecting institutions. Included within that announcement was funding to continue the operations of the very successful and much-loved Trove digital service, provided by the National Library of Australia. It has been troubling over recent months to see concerns being raised by many stakeholders that this government has not committed to additional funding to maintain the Trove service beyond 30 June 2023. Our government made the announcement in December 2021 that provided funding certainty through to 30 June 2023. The current government has failed to provide certainty in relation to Trove, and it's yet another example of the sharp contrast between the funding commitments to the arts made by our Liberal-National government when in power and the number of areas under the present government where funding has not been forthcoming. Of course, we also provided extensive funding across every aspect of the arts sector to support that sector through the pandemic and, in turn, to recover from the pandemic. That included, as I've mentioned, $220 million for the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand—or RISE—Fund; the $90 million Show Starter Loan Scheme; $50 million for the Temporary Interruption Fund; and the $53.5 million COVID-19 Arts Sustainability Fund, which supported many of our largest, systemically significant arts companies to survive through the pandemic. We were very conscious that, if any of those companies had collapsed, that would have had an impact across the arts ecosystem. We provided $40 million to the charity Support Act for crisis relief to artists, crew, music and live-performance workers across the country; $20 million for the screen program to provide business continuity support to independent cinemas; $21.4 million for regional arts; and $12 million of extra funding for Indigenous arts centres. And there was the very successful Location Incentive program, which saw $540 million allocated over seven years to 2026-27 to attract global screen productions to Australia. It was an extremely successful program, and, again, the current government has failed to give any clarity as to whether it intends to continue it. I simply make the point that, despite all of the hype around the cultural policy released by the minister for the arts, when you look at the dollars, it's clear that our Liberal-National government provided materially greater funding for the arts than the current minister has been able to secure from his cabinet colleagues. The impacts of that on the ground across our arts sector have been very significant. The RISE program funded 541 projects, created over 213,000 job opportunities across Australia and, in turn, offered opportunities for 55 million instances of Australians going to see a performance or a production, or visit an exhibition, or otherwise interact with productions and events that were supported under RISE. I want to comment specifically on one particular element of the bill before us, noting that what this bill does substantively is pretty modest. Perhaps the most substantive thing that it does is to merge Creative Partnerships Australia with the Australia Council. Creative Partnerships Australia was established over 10 years ago with the aim of attracting more private sector funding to the arts sector. It was established in response to a recommendation of the last cultural policy—one that, again, we heard a lot about from the minister. That was the cultural policy that was released by then arts minister Simon Crean in the midst of the dying agonies of the Gillard Labor government. One of the recommendations of that policy was that there ought to be established an organisation which would have a specific focus on attracting and encouraging private sector donations to support arts activity, and that is precisely what Creative Partnerships Australia has done during the time of its operations. It is somewhat ironic that one Labor government's cultural policy recommended the establishment of what became Creative Partnerships Australia, and a subsequent Labor government is now abolishing Creative Partnerships Australia and instead rolling its functions into the Australia Council. There is a risk that the specific role played by Creative Partnerships Australia will get diluted or lost as a result of this merger. The Australia Council has a very different job to that which Creative Partnerships Australia has carried out. The Australia Council's primary focus has been to dispense Commonwealth government funding across the arts sector. That is very different from the job of attracting private sector funding, so I do want to put on the record that the opposition has some scepticism that this will be a productive change. I also want to note our scepticism about the minister's enthusiasm for adding additional layers of bureaucracy to the Australia Council. There are four new entities being established: the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, Music Australia, Writers Australia and the First Nations First body. According to the minister: These bodies will be critical in building partnerships and expertise that will both support artists directly and benefit Australian audiences. What they will certainly mean is more taxpayer dollars being spent employing more public servants. Whether that, in turn, will deliver tangible benefits to those who work in the arts and to those who go to performances, those who go to exhibitions, those who consume the services produced by the arts sector, is a question which very much remains to be seen. The minister is very keen on having this additional collection of cultural commissars. What we also know is that the minister is very keen to use the arts sector as a showcase for his wider agenda of increasing union power and entrenching restrictions on how individual Australians choose to engage in the economy. I have no doubt that a number of these cultural commissars who will be employed as a result of the minister adding this additional layer of bureaucracy to the Australia Council will be involved in pursuing the minister's industrial relations agenda and using the arts sector as an exemplar for other Australians to take careful note of. I make the point that, with all of the excited commentary that we've heard from the minister about the new National Cultural Policy, there is no new funding for our national collecting institutions within the policy and, instead, the national collecting institutions have been told to wait until the budget. We will wait and see what happens in the budget. But I reiterate the point I made earlier—that our government, the Liberal-National government, provided funding certainty, amongst other things, for Trove through to 30 June 2023, and it's very clear there is great concern across the community amongst the many people who use that service as to whether there will be continuing funding. I conclude, therefore, by indicating that the coalition will be supporting this bill, but we do note that, first of all, it's a very modest set of measures, very modest indeed. Secondly, there are reasons to be sceptical as to whether the merger of the Australia Council and Creative Partnerships Australia will be successful or whether, in fact, it will have the consequence of a reduction in the effectiveness with which private sector dollars are attracted to support arts activities. I finally conclude with the observation that, despite all the rhetoric from the current minister, the facts are very clear: the funding dollars committed by the Morrison Liberal-National government to support the arts, first of all, reached a record level in 2021-22 which no other government, Liberal or Labor, has achieved in Commonwealth arts funding and, secondly, show up the gulf between the breadth of the minister's rhetoric—the soaring heights of the minister's rhetoric—on the one hand and the rather less impressive reality as to the actual extent of funding which he has been able to secure from his cabinet colleagues on the other hand. Debate adjourned. Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023 1337

Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023

Second Reading 1337 12:22 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra The coalition supports the Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023, enacting a recommendation of the interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. As I speak to this bill, let me simply say I'm thinking of all of those who've served our country and who carry the invisible wounds of war, and I'm also thinking of the people that I referred to in my maiden speech as 'the loved ones left behind'. The royal commission is something that I am very proud the coalition brought into being during last parliament, because we know that the rate of suicide amongst defence personnel and veterans is at a crisis level. We must ensure that we thoroughly understand what's happening in order to facilitate change. I don't think I'll ever forget the words of my colleague the member for Braddon when he spoke about his time in the Defence Force and the day he went to a morgue to identify the body of one of his soldiers who'd taken his life that morning. As he stood in front of the coffin at the funeral, he told the young man how sorry he was that he'd missed the signs and hadn't seen it coming. All of us affected by suicide understand that lament. As the grandson and great-grandson of veterans, I want to say our defence personnel and our veterans are extraordinary people. They choose, without compulsion, to put their lives on the line for the sake of Australia. That life then becomes so unbearable for some that they would choose to end it is utterly tragic. We must make sure that we give this royal commission every possible chance of understanding and addressing the terrible connection between suicide and our armed forces. That's why we established the royal commission while we were in government, following the calls of veterans and ADF families. We welcome the important work being done and the interim report, released in August last year. This bill implements one of the recommendations from that interim report, and it's designed to improve the functioning of the royal commission. This is a small but important change, and we welcome the government introducing this bill. The sensitive nature of the information being shared at a royal commission means it takes a particular sort of bravery to speak to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Indeed, some of the most difficult information to share may be some of the most important information for the royal commission to hear. We want to ensure that all those who can contribute meaningfully to the commission are encouraged to do so, and, to that end, we hope that this legislation will provide Australians with a greater level of confidence in participating in the process. Embedded in the Royal Commissions Act are a number of provisions that allow for confidentiality. These provisions already allow for information to be shared in private session and for that information to be kept confidential not just while the royal commission is taking place but for 99 years. This confidentiality is extremely important for the confidence of those participating and for the depth of information that the commission can capture. Significant penalties are in place for any breach of that confidentiality. By July 2022 those provisions had enabled 178 private sessions to occur. According to the interim report, the main issues raised by participants in the private sessions have been: Australian Defence Force culture; Department of Veterans' Affairs claims management and processing; the role of families in suicide prevention and the impact of suicide on families; suicide prevention and support given following a death by suicide; and health care provided to serving ADF members. These are clearly matters that need to be heard. However, the current provisions, which provide for protections only in the context of private hearings, mean there are needless gaps in the extent of the protections. Sometimes a person might call the commission and begin to tell their story in order to explain why they would like a hearing, or a person may send documents or mementos that are deeply private, in the hope of helping the royal commission, without realising that this information actually isn't protected. This bill will allow for that sort of information to be treated as confidential when the royal commission decides it's confidential. That means that the raw, personal stories a person might share can be treated with an appropriate level of privacy and respect and cannot be subjected to an FOI application or admitted as evidence in court. Uncertainty around the privacy provisions can also scare people, particularly serving ADF personnel, into not participating in the process. The interim report cites feedback from individuals and the Defence and Veterans Legal Service, who've indicated that ADF personnel and veterans do not feel that there are adequate protections for them to engage with the royal commission. The measures contained in this bill will help them participate in the royal commission and allow the commission to capture the stories and information Australians need to hear. This bill is based on policy that the coalition adopted following the child sexual abuse royal commission in 2019 and the disability royal commission in 2021. We've seen it work. Ultimately, we all want the same thing. We want to reduce the rate of defence and veteran suicide. We want to see a better future for our defence personnel and our veterans. We want them to reconnect with civilian life when service ends and we want them to have all the support they need to deal with what they have seen and been through and to continue to play a central role in our community. I believe that this legislation will allow more people to come forward to tell their stories and provide the royal commission with more insights, and that should be the aim of all of us here. In closing, I want to thank the royal commissioners—Nick Kaldas, the Hon. James Douglas and Dr Penny Brown—for the work they are doing. We look forward to their final report. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned. Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023, Migration (Visa Pre-application Process) Charge Bill 2023 1338

Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023

Migration (Visa Pre-application Process) Charge Bill 2023

Second Reading 1338 12:29 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon I move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst welcoming moves to establish a Pacific Engagement Visa, the House: (1) declines to give the bill a second reading because: (a) permanent residency and citizenship of Australia should not be decided by a lottery; and (b) Australia's immigration system should be nation-building with a key focus on the economic contribution immigrants make to our country; and (2) calls on the Government to develop a new approach to implement the Pacific Engagement Visa." The coalition supports efforts to engage more with our Pacific neighbours. We understand how important it is that we engage constructively, that we engage with friendship and that we engage in a way that continues to lift up the people of the Pacific. It's why we have put in place strategy after strategy to make sure that we are engaging in the right way with our Pacific neighbours. We support the concept of a Pacific Engagement Visa, but we do not support this being done by a lottery or a ballot. The coalition supports a well-structured, well-planned immigration policy. Permanent residency that ultimately leads to citizenship in Australia is too important, though, to be decided by having your named pulled out of a hat. These bills, the Migration Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023 and a related bill, will for the first time create a ballot process that will be able to be used not just for the Pacific Engagement Visa but for any future visa that the government of the day may decide to introduce. This has the potential to turn Australia's immigration system on its head. Instead of Australia's current immigration policy, which is based on attracting skilled migrants who contribute to the economy, the government proposes to introduce a lottery to decide who can become a permanent resident. That is why we oppose these bills. What we would like to see from the government is for them to properly engage with the opposition as to how a Pacific Engagement Visa could work effectively and work in a way that would not only lead to better outcomes for Pacific nations but also lead to better outcomes for Australia. We are worried that the government's approach will drain skilled workers from Pacific nations at a time when those workers are needed in the Pacific. It is very curious that the Labor Party have come up with this approach, because this approach actually goes against the national policy platform of the Labor Party. I note section 28 of that policy platform: Noting Pacific Island nations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and these nations have expressed a clear desire for Pacific peoples to continue to live in their own countries where possible, and acknowledging Australia's unique responsibilities in the Pacific, Labor will: Support Pacific Islanders to remain in their homelands as the first response to this challenge; These two bills do not support the Labor Party national policy platform. As a matter of fact, they work against it. That is just one of many reasons why we think that these two bills cannot be supported, and we will not be supporting them. We do not want to stand by and allow a lottery scheme to take the best and the brightest from the Pacific nations in a way which many of those Pacific countries are very concerned about, and that is why we are opposing these two bills. Just to be clear on what these two bills are about, the first sets up the lottery scheme and the second sets up the way by which you enter the lottery scheme. You do that by paying a dollar amount to enable you to go into the lottery. I will repeat it, because what's being set up here is quite extraordinary. This will set up a lottery scheme, a TattsLotto, and the way that you enter the lottery scheme is that you pay to enter it. It fundamentally changes everything about our immigration system. I can't quite understand that we're here even debating these two bills, because there is a much better way we could've done this. The other concern that we have, amongst many others, is that it will also break with the idea of remittances. One of the great things about the PALM scheme and why it's supported both in the Pacific and here in Australia is that it enables workers to come here from the Pacific Islands and work and send those remittances back to their families in the Pacific Islands. It also enables them to get the skills that they need here in Australia, knowing full well that those skills can be taken back and utilised in those Pacific countries. For those who win the lottery this scheme would mean that they come here with their family, they're given permanent residency and the fact that they're here with their family and given permanent residency means, rightly, that their key focus will be on supporting their family here in Australia, so you won't see the remittances flowing like they do under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. It must be remembered that the Labor Party, the government, are building on this good coalition initiative of putting the PALM in place. As a matter of fact, we had the minister in the House yesterday, or it might've been the day before, stating quite proudly that the government has now lifted the amount of PALM workers who are here to 35,000. We have a scheme that is working incredibly well. One of the things that we'd be prepared to sit down and do with the government is to discuss how the PALM scheme could ultimately lead to Pacific Islanders being able to get access to the Pacific Engagement Visa, because that way there would be a demonstrated ability of someone to be able to come here, to work, and to make an economic contribution over time, and that could be a way that we could look at how you could then be eligible for the Pacific Engagement Visa. We're happy to sit down with the government and do that, but what we aren't happy to sit down with the government and negotiate on is the concept and idea of setting up a lottery, and not only setting up a lottery but setting up a charging mechanism by which you would pay a fee to enter into that lottery. The reaction of Pacific nations to the idea of a lottery and the idea that you would pay a fee to get into that lottery is interesting. Obviously, it has been mixed. I'm not saying that it is opposed across the board but there have been some very interesting reactions. In January 2023 Samoa's Acting Prime Minister told their parliament that the Australian government made the announcement on new visas without consulting the Samoan government. He said that this would hurt the Samoan labour workforce and lead to the loss of more skilled workers and their families to Australia permanently, and that this would further drain Samoa's already strained labour workforce. So we've seen concerns raised in the Pacific about this scheme. That is something that should be of alarm to those on the government benches, because this scheme doesn't seem to have the full support of Pacific nations. I think the more that they get to know and understand what is fundamentally the modus operandi of this scheme—the idea that people would enter a lottery and that that is how we would bring workers or bring permanent residents into this country—the more they would understand that, therefore, you could be getting people who are entering this lottery who have vital skills for those Pacific nations. That is also one of the reasons we think this approach that the government is proposing is flawed. If it doesn't have the full support of the Pacific islands, then that is a worry. I think that of deeper concern is that the more they know and understand what is being proposed here, the more those concerns will grow. That is something that needs to be taken on board. The other aspect of it is that we, once again, begin to confuse the very skilled approach that we take to bringing skilled migrants into this country—or we look to do—to fill those workforce shortages, especially in regional and rural areas using the migration process. What this scheme does is mix the two, and it mixes them in a way which isn't going to lead to the right types of outcomes that we need from our immigration system here in Australia. For instance, under this lottery scheme, what would happen if someone wins the lottery, is able to find a job, comes to this country and loses that job after two weeks? The government has not been able to say what will happen, and our assumption is that it will mean that that person who has won the lottery and come here as a permanent resident will get eligibility to welfare and to Medicare. The incentive to come here and work, and to continue to work, would not be there if, after a week, not liking the job that you'd come to, you would be able to have full access to welfare and to Medicare. This is of concern because, if you think about those who have come under the PALM scheme, for instance, over three or four years they have worked hard and made an economic contribution—in many instances, they play rugby, they play rugby union, they are members of the local church. They really make a contribution from their work, their effort and their community involvement. What you're saying is that, under this lottery scheme, people could come, they could work for as little as one day or one week and then they would get the full benefits that accrue to a permanent resident in this nation. Now, to us that doesn't seem to be the right type of incentive that we should be providing to those who we want to come here and make an economic contribution to this nation. That is why we think this Pacific Engagement Visa has serious, serious flaws to it. Once again, I make this offer to those opposite: we want to work constructively with you. We think the idea of a Pacific Engagement Visa is something that has merit, but it has to be done in the right way. It's rather alarming that those opposite have such cynicism, because this is something that, if there were true bipartisanship, we could work through. Mr Burnell 300129 Rubbish! Mr TEHAN 210911 I hear a member over there saying 'rubbish'. I mean, in the amendment that we are putting forward it states quite clearly 'calls on the government to develop a new approach to implement the Pacific Engagement Visa'. I state here for the record that we will work constructively with the government to do this, but do it in the proper way, because that is what we need to do. Mr Rob Mitchell M3E It's your way or not at all. Mr TEHAN 210911 We're happy to sit down and work through it but we don't think a lottery is the way to do it. We don't think pulling the name out of a hat is the way to do it. We don't think a chook raffle is the way. Mr Taylor 231027 It shouldn't be a chook raffle. Mr TEHAN 210911 No, it shouldn't be a chook raffle. What we are talking about here is a pathway to Australian citizenship. Never has it been suggested anywhere that I can find that a pathway to Australian citizenship should be done through a lottery. It is staggering this is what the government has come up with. That's why we say with serious sincerity that, given we would like to be able to support a Pacific Engagement Visa, the government should go back to the drawing board in how it's going about doing this. If they don't then it shows they are not prepared to listen, that they aren't prepared to act in a bipartisan way for the benefit of this nation, because we can't see how these two bills will in any way over the longer-term benefit Australia or benefit the Pacific Islands and that should be of serious concern for the government. It is of serious concern for us. So I call on the government to support the second reading amendment that I have put forward on behalf of the coalition. I will just read it again, especially for the interests of those government members who have been whingeing and wining from the corner over there: "whilst welcoming moves to establish a Pacific Engagement Visa, the House: (1) declines to give the bill a second reading because: (a) permanent residency and citizenship of Australia should not be decided by a lottery; and (b) Australia's immigration system should be nation-building with a key focus on the economic contribution immigrants make to our country; and (2) calls on the Government to develop a new approach to implement the Pacific Engagement Visa." I hope the government will see fit to sit down with the coalition and work through this issue. If they don't then, sadly, they are putting in place a principle which will completely change the way our immigration system is enacted in this country. In conclusion, this should give those on the government benches pause for thought. These bills also, for the first time since the White Australian Policy, undermine the non-discriminatory nature of our immigration system. For the first time since the White Australia Policy, they undermine that fundamental principle of non-discrimination when it comes to our immigration policy. If nothing else, that should give those on the government benches pause for thought. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 230531 I thank the honourable member for his contribution. Is the amendment seconded? Ms Bell 282981 I second the motion and reserve my right to speak. Debate adjourned. Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023 1340

Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023

Second Reading 1340 12:50 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023. Unfortunately, this bill does what now seems to be common practice for this government—that is, the government uses these omnibus Treasury bills to tie up reasonable measures that the coalition do support with other controversial measures that we most certainly do not. This is what this government has done with this bill. It's done it with a number of bills, and we've seen some terrible outcomes from that approach. But it is the approach the government seems to want to take, so, at the outset, it's worthwhile laying out the different parts of this bill to see how the government has mixed and matched, as it typically does. Schedule 1 amends the Corporations Act to close a loophole in the post royal commission requirement for financial advisers to register with ASIC's Financial Advisers Register. The amendments close a loophole to minimise the risk of inadvertent breaches of the law when offence provisions on providing unregistered financial advice commence. The amendments allow ASIC to streamline applications where a provider is authorised by more than one licensee to provide financial advice. Schedule 2 gives the Australian Accounting Standards Board, the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the Financial Reporting Council the power to develop climate and sustainable standards. And schedule 3 implements five recommendations from the 2020 Tax Practitioners Board review. All of those are schedules that we support. We think they're reasonable things to be progressing. As I say, there's no reason to object to any of them. But schedules 4 and 5 make two sneaky changes to the franking credits regime. Schedule 4 amends the Income Tax Assessment Act to limit the ability of the listed companies to offer franking credits in off-market share buybacks. And schedule 5 amends the Income Tax Assessment Act to limit the ability of the listed companies to offer franking credits on capital raisings. This is despite the fact that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer both ruled out changes to franking credits before the election. They both ruled out changes to franking credits before the election, and they've snuck those two schedules into this Treasury laws amendment bill. Make no mistake, this is another broken promise from the Albanese government. The coalition will move amendments to strike out these broken promises from the bill. But, if the government doesn't accept the amendments, we won't be supporting this bill because it is just another broken promise. Not even a year into this government and the broken promises are piling up. Before the election, the Prime Minister and Treasurer made a whole series of these promises. Remember the promise to cut electricity bills by $275? Broken. Remember the promise of cheaper mortgages? Broken. Remember the promise of lower inflation, a lower cost of living? Broken. And now the promise of no changes to super—broken. The promise of higher real wages—broken. One after another, their core election commitments are falling to pieces. By the time we get to the next election, the one thing the Australian people will know is that you cannot trust this Prime Minister and you cannot trust this government. In a cost-of-living crisis, Labor's priorities seem to be coming after Australians' money. We know the reality with Labor is that, when it runs out of its money, it comes after Australians' money. Both the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, and I will document this a little more in a moment, said that they wouldn't touch franking credits. Yet, six months in, here we are. A little while back, two tax grabs on unsuspecting Australian shareholders were introduced into the House. It is worth going through the commitments that this government made before the election. On 1 January 2021, the West Australian reported that the Prime Minister said, 'We will not be taking any changes to franking credits to the next election.' Well, he was right about that. They didn't take them to the election; he just broke his election promise after the election. That seems to be the format for this government. On 30 March, a couple of months later, the Prime Minister on ABC Radio said, 'We won't have any changes to the franking credits regime which is there.' As far as this government is concerned, a promise is worth nothing. The Prime Minister said his word is his bond. Well, that bond is not worth much to the Australian people. It goes on. I'm only getting started. On 15 December 2021, the Prime Minister told Tasmania Talks—perhaps when he goes to Tasmania he just ignores what he says, but this is what he said—'We've made it clear that on areas like franking credits and negative gearing, we won't be taking those policies to the next election.' Well, here it is in front of the House today. That's franking credits. Negative gearing is on the way, no doubt. It was part of the Treasurer's hit list he put out last week of all the taxes he wants to impose on Australians. There's a long queue of ministers asking for money. That's the truth. There's a long queue of ministers all asking for money, and he's got to feed them what they want. But the Australian taxpayers always pay. Let's keep going. We're only up to December 2021. We've got a bit of time to go yet! On 4 March, the Prime Minister said in relation to franking credits, and this one was short, simple and clear: 'We're not touching them.' Obviously there is a sunset date on these promises. It must be about a year, and then he decides he doesn't have to take notice of them at all. A little earlier, on 17 January 2022, the Treasurer, in this case, said, 'We won't be doing franking credits.' I'm sure he's going to get into the semantics of 'doing', but I would interpret that as: they're not going to make any changes to franking credits. I suspect the vast majority of Australians would interpret it the same way. Having said 'We won't be doing franking credits', he then said, 'I couldn't be clearer than that.' So, time after time, we saw the Prime Minister and the Treasurer make a commitment to the Australian people, a commitment which they intend to break in the legislation in front of use here today. These two measures, which limit the ability for companies to offer franking credits to shareholders, are estimated to raise at least $600 million over the next five years. That means $600 million that Australians are paying. Who are those Australians? We know the tax will fall, ultimately and overwhelmingly, on older Australians. We know that because last week the Treasurer and the Treasury put out their hit list in their Tax expenditures and insight statement of all the taxes they want to charge and the people who will pay those taxes. It's a very long list. It includes GST, taxes on health, education, food, the family home, negative gearing—it's all there. Superannuation is in the list. It's all in the list. Mr Rob Mitchell M3E Rubbish! Mr TAYLOR 231027 The member opposite should have a read of it. Work expenses—there is $9.9 billion in work expenses. They're coming after the work expenses. We will see what they say in the coming weeks and months. They don't think Australians should be able to claim work expenses. There we are. It was released last week. It found that the biggest beneficiaries of franking credits are Australians over 75. What have those opposite got against Australians over the age of 75? But that's who they're going after. That's who's at the top of the list—and that list is one that every Australian should be deeply concerned about. Now, the budget acknowledged that a substantial portion of the revenue from this measure will fall on Australians' superannuation, because it's very clear that the Labor Party doesn't think superannuation is the money of Australians; they think it's the party's money to be taxed by them and, worse, as we've seen in recent months, to be spent by them. Every minister wants every pet project to be funded by the government. There's not enough money to go around even if they tax Australians with that whole list. They will still need more. No doubt we will see pet projects that the Labor Party wants to get up for which it asks for Australian superannuation money to go in. They will not only be taxing more; they will be directing where it will be spent. We know that the impact of this will extend beyond taking money from older Australians—in particular, those over the age of 75. It's just extraordinary that this government thinks that that's okay. We also know it will have a much broader economic impact, and this is something Labor never understands about tax. There are flow-on consequences to our economy. If you want an economy that's strong and delivering higher real wages for the Australian people, you need to have an economy where people are willing to invest and willing to employ, where businesses want to get out there and do things. We know and we've heard, even in the few hours since it became clear that the debate was going to proceed on this legislation today, eminent fund managers say that Labor's legislation would destroy the ability of small companies to raise capital and pay fully franked dividends: It will significantly inhibit their ability to grow and survival prospects as the Australian economy slows. The broader flow-on economic impacts of taxes like this are never considered by the Labor Party, because, when it comes to superannuation, as far as Labor's concerned, it's not the money of Australians; it's their money. We are at a time of soaring cost-of-living pressures. We know that is the No. 1 issue on the minds of Australian households, hardworking Australians making ends meet, Australian businesses struggling with trying to find the people to put on in their businesses to meet the demands of their customers. With those soaring cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business pressures, Labor's only answer is to raise taxes. Sadly, the expectation is there is going to be another interest rate rise today and more into the future—multiple interest rate rises, according to the Reserve Bank governor when he spoke a couple of weeks ago, are on the way—and at this time the Labor Party's only answer is to impose tax. Worse: they promised before the last election that they wouldn't do it. Labor promised that they wouldn't make changes to franking credits before the election. They didn't promise it once; they promised it time and time again, as I've documented, and that promise is broken with the legislation before us in this House. They promised they wouldn't change superannuation taxes, and now they have, and no doubt there's more to come, because, whatever Labor promised, it's clear now that they feel no need to stick to those promises. How can Australians trust Labor when they say one thing before an election and do something completely different afterwards? Australians are right to be wondering what Labor will tax next. Debate adjourned. Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022 1343

Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022

Second Reading 1343 13:04 Dr ANANDA-RAJAH 290544 Higgins I rise in continuation to speak on the Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022. In mid-December last year the Albanese government abolished the AAT and set up a process to find a better model, led by an eminent judge, with merit-based transparent selection at its core. We are appointing 75 members to clear the current backlog, and have committed nearly $12 million towards better case management so that the veteran who served his country is compensated for that service injury, the elder Australian gets their age pension and, like my constituent, the NDIS participant receives funding for essential support so they can live with dignity. In bringing back integrity, we must apply a higher standard of scrutiny not only to people but also to policy. Community legal centres are a vital organ of our justice system, with deep knowledge of the strengths and failings of our legal system. When it comes to injustice and hardship among ordinary Australians, they are at the front line. In my community, the Eastern Community Legal Centre provides vital support to the wellbeing and resilience of some of my community's most vulnerable people. They know better than anyone where reform is required. Yet it was the Abbott government that barred these beneficiaries of government funding from having any say in the law reform of this country. The self-styled party of free speech effectively gagged our country's best legal aid providers from expressing their views in an area that they are uniquely qualified to speak on. The Attorney-General is ending this blatant censorship, working with attorneys-general across the country to restore the independence and free speech of community legal centres. Community legal centres should be able to advocate for better, not gagged just because they receive Commonwealth funding. The multiple-ministries scandal did not happen by chance; it was the remnant of a marching corruption that infected these corridors of power, kicking transparency, accountability and integrity to the kerb. It is clear that the work of defending democracy is never done. Inoculating the system against corruption will take our constant vigilance and care. On the topic of integrity, I'll segue into its importance in us moving to a low-emissions economy. Climate, as you know, was a key platform that we were elected on. We were brought in to end the climate wars and to pivot Australia from being a climate pariah and a climate denier to a climate doer. At the heart of this is integrity. We must be confident—and the Australian people must be confident—that we are actually achieving the goals that we said we would. With the passage of the Climate Change Act—the second piece of legislation—we introduced monitoring by the Climate Change Authority so that it will now report to government every year on Australia's progress towards net zero. This is a really important integrity mechanism to ensure that business, the Australian people and the parliament understand that we are doing what we're saying. We're removing that cloak of mystique and opaqueness that was over this entire industry previously. The second thing that is really important on the topic of integrity is our safeguard mechanism. There's a lot of debate in the House this week on the safeguard mechanism, and it's really important that we ensure we keep integrity at the core and have transparent reporting around our targets and our achievables with respect to the safeguard. It's also important that we get that legislation passed, and I hope those opposite will support it. Debate adjourned. BUSINESS 1343 BUSINESS Rearrangement 1343 13:08 Mr BURKE DYW Watson by leave—I move: That business intervening before order of the day No. 8, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day. Question agreed to. BILLS 1343 BILLS National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022 1343

National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022

Second Reading 1343 13:09 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler Today, every member of this House has the opportunity to vote for Australian jobs, has the opportunity to vote for Australian manufacturing, has the opportunity to vote for Australian skills and has the opportunity to back up Australian regions. We have an opportunity through the National Reconstruction Fund, and through the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022, to be, once again, a country that makes things here. During the election campaign, I said over and over again that we need to be a country that makes things and that we need a future that is made right here in Australia. That's because we saw during the global pandemic that Australia is vulnerable if we remain at the end of global supply chains. We didn't have enough PPE, let alone ventilators. What we need to do is make sure that we don't just export our resources—those will continue to be important—but that, where we can, we need to value add. We need to create the jobs here. For too long, the view under those opposite was that you just dig it up, export it and then wait for the value to be added, wait for the jobs to be created and import it back at much greater value. That leaves our economy vulnerable. Those opposite, for reasons beyond my comprehension, are once again saying no—once again turning the coalition into the 'no-alition'. They're saying no to repairing our supply chains, no to strengthening our economic sovereignty, no to new jobs in our regions and suburbs, and no to a future made in Australia. We, on this side of the House, will stand by our National Reconstruction Fund, and I am confident that there are enough people who are sensible and of goodwill in this parliament—in the House and in the Senate—to ensure that this fund is established. I announced this policy in March 2021. Those opposite like to talk about election commitments; well, they oppose everything that we have a mandate for. And it can't be clearer, because when I was opposition leader we actually had policies—we actually had positive policies to take Australia forward. This will be one of the biggest-ever investments in Australian manufacturing capacity, and I'll say that 'investment' is the key word. The National Reconstruction Fund is modelled on the success of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, a proven vehicle for driving an enhancement of private sector capital. It's a proven vehicle which those opposite tried to abolish not once, not twice, but on at least three occasions. Through 10 years now, every dollar invested by the CEFC has unlocked $2.60 in private sector investment. The National Reconstruction Fund will be run independently and on a commercial basis, with decisions taken in the national interest and not with the colour coded spreadsheet which is how those opposite decided fiscal and spending priorities. Its investment mandate will work across seven priority areas: renewables and low-emissions technology; medical science; transport; value adding in agriculture, forestry and fisheries; value adding in resources; defence capability; and enabling capabilities—the technologies that support new jobs in manufacturing areas. These are industries where Australian workers and Australian skills can lead the world. Many of us recall the pressure that we were under in the early days of the pandemic; it did show the vulnerability that was there. But we need not just analyse it as if we were some group of academics. We come into this chamber not only to make a difference to real lives, to respond to evidence or to respond to weaknesses when they're exposed but to strengthen our economy in ways such as this legislation. This is about building a more resilient and diversified economy, with more jobs in regional Australia. It's also about national security through economic sovereignty—our capacity to stand on our own two feet. Our National Reconstruction Fund will help to grow and create industries over the long term, revitalising our traditional strengths and seeking out new ones. It will make sure that when our universities and researchers make a world-leading breakthrough, the technology and skills are here to commercialise that idea and also workers with the right skills to make the product. As well, the NRF will help protect our economy from inflationary pressures. The Reserve Bank has spoken repeatedly about perhaps half but up to two-thirds of the inflationary pressures being because of supply-side shocks, yet those opposite seem oblivious to that. The truth is that our world-class universities have made Australia a higher education destination of choice. We can be a leader in skills and technology, and in manufacturing as well. I sincerely want us to be a country that makes things here again, and I want products that are made in Australia to be recognised and sought after around the world. Think about just one product. There is not a solar panel anywhere in the world that does not have intellectual breakthrough and innovation that was invented, much of it, not far from here at the Australian National University, and a lot of it at the University of New South Wales. Yet one country, not Australia, accounts for 85 per cent of the world's solar panels, and that will grow to over 90 per cent over the next decade unless countries make the conscious decision to defend their sovereignty going forward by supporting industrial growth here in these areas. When I met with the energy secretary from the United States here just a short time ago, this was one of the focuses that she had. It is part of the Inflation Reduction Act that they have in the United States. Countries are moving in this direction to make sure they protect their sovereign economic position, yet those opposite are opposing this legislation that's aimed at doing just that. We have a coherent economic plan going forward, a plan that's about cleaner and cheaper energy, driven in part by the Rewiring the Nation fund's $20 billion to upgrade the energy grid, backed up by the safeguard mechanism to provide business with the certainty to invest. That's step 1. Step 2 is to use that cleaner, cheaper energy to make sure we manufacture more things here, particularly in our regions. Then step 3 is making sure that we have the Australian jobs and skills to be able to do that. That's why we're creating Jobs and Skills Australia. That is why we have 180,000 fee-free TAFE places. That is why we have 20,000 additional university places. Put together, it's a plan for seizing the opportunity that is there as a result of being in the fastest growing region of the world in human history. Later today, after question time, I'll start the journey to India via Perth. We have, on our doorstep, in India and Indonesia, what will be the third and fourth largest economies in the world. We need to seize the opportunities which are there. We need to not be frightened of the future but to make sure that we seize the opportunities of the future which are there. Together, this work, this economic plan and how it fits together—cleaner, cheaper energy; driving advanced manufacturing through this National Reconstruction Fund; creating jobs and skills through Jobs and Skills Australia and fee-free TAFE—is all absolutely critical. But if you take one element away from it, then its coherence breaks down. That is why the National Reconstruction Fund is so important. It is about shaping the future rather than waiting for the future to shape us, and that's why this parliament should all be voting for the National Reconstruction Fund. This is not a radical proposition; it's a proposition based upon what works: the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Those opposite, when they couldn't abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, eventually had to acknowledge that it was an effective driver of investment in this country. They made the mistake of daring the car industry to leave, with all the jobs and the innovation that occurred—including at this dispatch box; the then Treasurer daring the car industry to leave. The truth is that they have an opportunity to actually acknowledge that they were wrong. Just like those opposite, including the shadow minister at the table there and the former deputy leader of the coalition— Mr McCormack 219646 Be careful about what you're going to say, mate. I wasn't here. I wasn't here; I was flat out on a bed. The SPEAKER 53517 Order! Mr ALBANESE R36 I note the former Deputy Prime Minister is disassociating himself from the actions of the coalition, and that shows good sense! It's precisely why we're still shocked that Barnaby Joyce became Deputy Prime Minister, not once but twice. The sequel was worse than the original, and it hasn't got any better as he sits there and mumbles during question time. We, on this side of the House, are proud to support the National Reconstruction Fund. We're proud to be on the side of Australian workers. We're on the side of Australian jobs. We're on the side of Australia's future prosperity. I ask all members to join with us in support of a better future, made in Australia. I say to the National Party—and there are a couple of sensible people from the National Party here; they're probably the only ones—that this is about regional jobs more so than anything else. The National Reconstruction Fund is not going to support new industries in the CBDs of Sydney and Melbourne. It's going to support jobs in regional Australia and in the outer suburbs of our cities. That is what this program is about, and that is why it is so important. One of the things about manufacturing jobs is that they have such a significant multiplier, and that's why the industries that we've identified—including the defence industry, where there will be some announcements down the track this month—are so important. That's why the demise of the car industry was so devastating, not just for people who worked in automotive but because it gutted innovation and it had a multiplier impact in the loss of economic activity. So I say to those opposite: now is your chance to redeem yourself. Get on board. This is very sensible reform. It's based upon evidence of what works. It's supported by existing industries who want to transform and take advantage of the energy opportunities that are there for cleaner energy, which will be cheaper, but it's also important for the growth of new industries, particularly in manufacturing. We need to be a country that makes things here again. This legislation is the most significant step that will be made in that area during this term and, indeed, for a long period of time. This is perhaps the most significant support for manufacturing that we have seen—certainly in this parliament and in this century, but also for a long period of time. I commend the bill to the House. 13:24 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina It's always good to follow the Prime Minister and always good to have quite an audience to hear my contribution! I do say thank you to the Prime Minister for mentioning regional Australia, because all too often in this place we don't hear much mention of regional Australia and regional Australians from this government—unless we're taxing them, hitting them hard with further imposts or making life more difficult for those who choose to live in rural, regional and, particularly, remote Australia. I know the member for Gippsland and I share a common view, that we want to see regional Australia be its best self. We want to see those people who live way beyond the bright city lights, beyond the bright metropolitan areas, be able to continue their agricultural pursuits, to continue manufacturing, to continue to grow the food and fibre, and all the other associated endeavours that they do for and on behalf of this nation. And yet those people who live in the regions are facing some of the highest, if not the highest, energy costs ever imposed upon them by the reckless policies by those opposite. Indeed, when it comes to heavy industry, when it comes to manufacturing, when it comes to those industries that employ people who proudly wear the high-vis for a living, they are going to be impacted upon by the reckless energy policies of those opposite, because their power prices, their gas prices, are just going to go up and up and up, and this is a concern to those people in those industries. This is a concern to those people who run those industries, who take that investment risk, not just now but indeed into the future. The trouble with those opposite is that not a lot of them have actually run small businesses, not a lot of them have run even large businesses. They have run a lot of picket lines out the front of those businesses. The definition of a small business once was what was a large business, or a medium-size business under a coalition government, and then the government changed and they all of a sudden become a small business because of the reckless policies of those opposite. We on this side are the people, the parties, behind business. We want to see business be its best self. The National Reconstruction Fund, I'm afraid, could also be called 'payback to the unions'. The trouble with those opposite is that their bills, their motions, often come with these flowery terms. I will give credit to whoever is creating them in the publicity department of those opposite who writes the titles for these bills; they all sound great. They then go out on their social media and say 'can't understand why those in opposition constantly say no'. The trouble is it is the devil in the detail. It's the fact that the bills come laced with union favours, with payback to the people who pay their way, who give them the orders. He or she who pays the piper calls the tune, and for those opposite, those who are calling the tune are the unions. So whether it's the National Reconstruction Fund, whether it's indeed the higher wages, more secure jobs bill or whatever they come to this place to promote, to push, to pass, to ram through the House of Representatives, it's always got that payback to the unions. It's always laced with that 'let's pay the unions back for the fact that they back us at each and every election, the fact that they get the nurses and other associated endeavours and sectors out to back their causes'. We all want to see higher wages. That's why we on this side made sure that we had jobs for people. We actually created many, many jobs for people. There were record numbers of women in employment when we were in government because of the sensible, practical policies that we put in place, not just for workers, mind you, but also for those paying the workers, the bosses, the employers, and you can't always forget them. Those opposite, they once came to this place and talked about the biggest polluters. Then they got a bit smarter and thought, 'We probably shouldn't call them 'polluters' because they are employing people,' so now they call them the 'biggest emitters'. But it is the same difference. It is the same deal. Those people who are running those businesses, running that heavy manufacturing, running those industries, are creating jobs. Moreover, they are creating things. They are creating goods. They're creating hope, employment and opportunity for Australians. And whether that's in regional Australia, whether that's in peri-urban areas or whether that's, indeed, in metropolitan Australia the fact remains that they are people who we should genuinely value, and not just bring policies into this place which might sound all good at the outset, but what they really are—the devil is in the detail—is just an excuse to back unions, to back union activities, to back those people who put Labor back in power— (Time expired) The SPEAKER 53517 The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 1346 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Newcastle Beer Fest 2023 1346 13:30 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle Last month I joined with thousands of Novocastrians to celebrate local manufacturing and independent brewing in Newcastle Beer Fest. The was the first time that the beer fest was able to return following COVID. It was fabulous day of sunshine, music, food and, of course, beer—independent, Australian owned and made beer. I congratulate organisers Taiyo Namba and Luke Tilse who welcomed an amazing collection of independent breweries from across Australia to Newcastle's iconic King Edward Park. Anyone who visits Newcastle knows we have a burgeoning independent brewer scene. In 2023 the Newcastle Beer Fest welcomed a number of these local breweries, including Apple Truck Cider run by Luke Tilse; Grainfed Brewing, nurtured by owner and head brewer Lachlan MacBean; Foghorn Brewery, headed up by chief brewer Shawn Sherlock; Cattleyard Brewing Co in Mayfield; Good Folk Brewing Co in Hamilton; Method Brewing in Islington; Modus Operandi Brewing in Merewether; the Rogue Scholar in Newcastle West; Shout Brewing in Islington; and Styx Brewery in Carrington. We are rich for choice in Newcastle when it comes to great beer and local live music like Big Booti, SF Wrens, Sneaky Freakers and Turpentine Babycino who performed on the day. A massive thank you to Luke Tilse and Taiyo Namba for showcasing such extraordinary local talent. This is Australian manufacturing at its best. Cancer Support Fundraising 1347 13:31 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer I know at least one of the questions you're asking yourself, Mr Speaker, and, yes, this is for a dare, a dare for a very worthwhile cause. First, let me introduce my alter ego, Tina Ley-na Turner. This is worth a fair bit of cash. At a cancer support fundraiser held in Griffith last Friday my song partner, Glenn Starr, from the local Triple M Breakfast, challenged the 700-strong crowd to reach a $100,000 target, but only if I took Tina to Parliament House. As any country MP will tell you, cancer can be a tougher curse in the country through the tyranny of distance. Two years ago I announced around $5 million from the coalition government for a new cancer centre in Griffith. That money gets you the bricks and mortar but there's always more needed for patient care, medical costs and equipment. No doubt inspired by the spirit of the occasion, the $100,000 was doubled to $200,000 by the chair of the Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Tony Noun, and his family. I want to thank the incredible generosity of the Griffith and Leeton communities who made this night such an awesome success. When things need doing out in the Riverina we just get it done. A special thanks also to you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to use parliament to support this worthwhile cause and for your generosity in also supporting the cause. I thank the House. Venerable Master Hsing Yun 1347 13:33 Ms BYRNES 299145 Cunningham I rise today to offer my condolences and pay my respects to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan, who passed away peacefully on 5 February at the age of 97. Master Hsing Yun was the founder of our beautiful Nan Tien Temple in the Illawarra. In February the member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones; state member, Paul Scully; and I joined Reverend Miao You at Nan Tien to pay our respects and reflect on a truly formidable life. Master Hsing Yun's work was a force of harmony and unity and had a positive impact on the lives of Buddhists around the world. The venerable master's life was a shining example of the teachings of Buddha. Throughout his lifetime he dedicated himself to serving countless individuals, providing guidance and hope to everyone around him. This can be seen no more clearly than in the temple's International Women's Day event, where venerables and community members sought to make Illawarra history for the largest regional mass tai chi meditation event. The event saw $4,000 raised and dedicated to support the work of another pillar of our community, SAHSSI. This event exemplifies the role that harmony, equality and compassion played in the life of Master Hsing Yun and the impression he sought to leave on the Illawarra community. Our thoughts are with Nan Tien and the wider Buddhist community during this time. Energy 1347 13:35 Mr JOYCE e5d New England I feel a little bit like what the Grateful Dead said. They said they were the most forgettable thing at Woodstock because they came on between the Who and Jimi Hendrix. After 'Tina Turner' has done her bit, I think this is going to be a rather forgettable presentation! But what I am here today to say is that one of the prouder moments in my political career was with former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull where we had Andy Vesey in one of the offices here. He accused us of bullying to try and keep Liddell Power Station open. We need to keep Liddell Power Station open because otherwise the lights in New South Wales and Australia will go out. There are four 500-megawatt units in Liddell Power Station, but currently it's around 1,200 or 1,300 megawatts. If it shuts down in April, the lights will go out. We had blackouts in Sydney merely a day or so ago in the heatwave because of the drain on power. It is incumbent upon the current government to do what both Malcolm Turnbull and I did. You must call AGL into your office and you've got to keep this power station going. I can assure you that one-third of the power for New South Wales comes from Liddell and Bayswater, and, if you shut Liddell down, the lights are going to go out. It's time for you to show gumption, stand up, drag them into the office and keep Liddell Power Station open. If the lights go out, it happened on your watch. Syria: Earthquake 1347 13:36 Ms VAMVAKINOU 00AMT Calwell On Sunday night, I attended a fundraising event organised by the Australian Syrian Arab association to raise much-needed funds for those affected by the earthquakes in Syria. Hundreds of members of the community attended to show their support and their concern and also to raise money for those affected. Most of the money that will be raised will be given to the purposes of providing shelter and medical equipment as well as other life-saving assistance. The people of Syria have had a tremendous amount of turmoil and devastation over a decade. To have had this very tragic earthquake take place further compounds their hardship and dislocation, their loss and their anguish. It makes the situation for them far more difficult. The community expressed its gratitude to the Australian government for our contribution of $3.5 million to the people of Syria, provided through the United Nations Population Fund, to deliver maternal and child health services and to protect women and girls who don't have any safe housing. This is in addition to the $3 million that Australia has committed to the United Nations Children's Fund in support of the Syrian people. On behalf of the Syrian community in my local community, I thank the Australian government, and also, on behalf of this chamber, I offer them our solidarity and our support. Mackellar Electorate: Environment 1348 13:38 Dr SCAMPS 299623 Mackellar Just this week, we've seen yet another example of people power in Mackellar. With nearly 50 hectares of beautiful bushland at Lizard Rock in Belrose under threat from an unsustainable housing development, the tireless efforts of several community groups, including local Indigenous people, have been rewarded. The New South Wales government has backflipped and promised to protect this precious bushland. At the 2022 federal election, the community told me that protecting Lizard Rock was a huge priority. Since then, I've worked hard to support these community groups in their fight to protect this beautiful bushland. Now, local community independent candidates in the New South Wales election have continued that work and made protection of Lizard Rock an election issue in New South Wales. However, we need a real solution to the protection of this precious bushland, not just an election commitment. My community of Mackellar wants to see an outcome where this land is protected from all future planning proposals, and the owners of the land, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, are fairly recompensed. People power and the power of community backed independents have forced the New South Wales government to come to the table. It's now crucial that both sides of politics in New South Wales go one step further and commit to turning the land at Lizard Rock into an Aboriginal owned national park, just like the MLALC proposed in 2013. Climate Change 1348 13:39 Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 Fremantle It's welcome that the Australian community is seriously focused on the risks and impacts of climate change, but perhaps the specific impacts on human health are not yet a large enough part of the conversation. Last week, in my electorate, I was glad to meet with eight members of Doctors for the Environment Australia, who emphasised to me the real and significant health challenges that come with global warming. I heard from Dr Sallie Forrest, who came with her baby daughter, Nina. Both Sallie and Nina have epidermolysis bullosa, a condition that causes fragile and easily blistered skin, which is exacerbated by higher temperatures. I also heard from Grainne McCabe, who lives with multiple sclerosis. Like 90 per cent of Australians with MS, Grainne's symptoms are made significantly worse in the heat. The group also pointed to the inequitable burden of climate change effects, noting that those on low and fixed incomes, those in rental housing and those in outer metro or rural and regional Australia will be less able to mitigate against rising temperatures and, in fact, already experience poorer health and poorer access to health services. For all these reasons, it is vital that we take timely, measured action to reduce emissions in Australia, as this Albanese Labor government is doing, and to show leadership in the global effort to act on climate change. I want to pay tribute to the people who contacted me. I know they'll be contacting members around the country. And I want to say thanks for the advocacy and the campaigning work of Doctors for the Environment Australia. Mental Health 1348 13:41 Ms WATSON-BROWN 300127 Ryan I want to speak on behalf of the 562 people in Ryan who signed my petition to the government to restore the 20 Medicare funded psychology sessions—and I speak on behalf of the many thousands more affected by the cruel decision of the government to cut sessions to ten at the end of last year. People who've been relying on regular specialist appoints will no longer be able to afford it. This is going to have devastating impacts on some of the most vulnerable people in our community, people who are already under increased stress due to the cost-of-living and housing crises. Now is the time to be expanding support, not cutting it. We know there's huge demand for our existing mental health services. Believe it or not, simply cutting the number of subsidised sessions does not actually reduce this demand. The government could invest in preventive mental health care and working towards free unlimited health sessions for all. Instead, the government's chosen to cruelly cut these sessions to save a quick buck. Meanwhile it's keeping the $254 billion tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the already wealthy and the $12 billion annually to subsidise the fossil fuel industry. Veteran Surf Project 1349 13:42 Mrs PHILLIPS 147140 Gilmore Last week, early on a cloudy Tuesday morning, I had the absolute joy of my very first surf on a surfboard, at beautiful Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa. It was joyous not just because of the thrill of surfing but because I was enjoying the surf with the absolutely inspiring members of the Veteran Surf Project. Local Rusty Moran, a former professional big wave surfer, started this project with Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group to support local veterans suffering from PTSD. Since then, Rusty has taken the project from strength to strength, with veterans travelling for hours from around the state to enjoy the surf together. Now, Rusty is studying a PhD so the Department of Veterans' Affairs can officially include surf therapy in its schedule of services. Their story is amazing. I've met with members on many occasions, but I was humbled to enjoy my very first surf with them and the Assistant Minister for Defence and Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite. It certainly wasn't his first surf. Whatever skill you have, Rusty guides you through and helps you reap the benefits of this unique, incredible therapy. As the motto says, 'Surf, recover, thrive'. Thank you to Rusty and every veteran who took the time to share your stories. You are a true inspiration. Easter in the Country Festival 1349 13:43 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa Roma is renowned for the mighty big rig, the largest cattle saleyard in Australia and rugby league legends Artie Beetson and Darren Lockyer. But Roma has another claim to fame. Over the Easter weekend, this community will explode with life as it hosts the Easter in the Country Festival, which celebrates everything unique that outback Queensland has to offer. So, to all the mums and dads out there: grab the kids and head out for a great time. This festival has got to be seen to be believed. It starts with wife-carrying competitions, where husbands carry their wives over their shoulders through an obstacle course, and the winner takes home the prize of the weight of their wife in beer. Meanwhile, the country music concert is sure to be one to remember. Visitors can get stuck into some quality country food, while for the little ones there are colourful floats in the Easter street parade, a virtual Easter egg hunt and a Bluey and Bingo concert. The Maranoa Monster Fishing Competition is always a hit, and it wouldn't be an outback festival without a rodeo, with all the thrills and spills. But we're not done yet! There's also the Deadly Way Culture Show, bush poetry, camel rides, burnout competitions and gin tasting. It doesn't get any better than this, so be in Roma for Easter in the Country, where you're guaranteed to enjoy a ton of laughs and experience all the hospitality that makes the outback Australia such an extraordinary place. Eating Disorders 1349 13:45 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, but there are many myths and misconceptions about them. Whether it's anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating disorder, pica or avoidant or restrictive disorders, or any other range of conditions, they are serious health issues affecting people of all ages and genders. Eating disorders spiked during the pandemic and remain high, and the minister has rightly described it as a crisis. As our new Parliamentary Friends of Eating Disorder Awareness launches this week, co-chaired with my parliamentary colleagues the member for Goldstein and the member for Fisher, I acknowledge the work by the previous government in this space. I urge the states to create the extra hospital beds they've been funded to, and I welcome the recent $13 million in federal funding for the InsideOut Institute at Sydney University to increase understanding and translate research findings into practice. But we all know that that is a start and there's more to do. Amy Cubitt, from the Banksia Practice, the only specialist eating disorder practice in the Blue Mountains, sees clients from as far as Penrith, Richmond and Bathurst and says demand outstrips availability. These are the pressures that practitioners are under. Along with organisations like the Butterfly Foundation, the friends group will support sufferers, families and medical practitioners in redacting stigma, raising awareness, and airing the challenges government and doctors face in addressing this crushing illness. Pennant Hills Golf Club 1349 13:46 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra I recently spoke at the centenary of the Pennant Hills Golf Club. I raised the centenary flag and dedicated the centenary clock tower. The golf club is something extraordinary. The clubhouse was opened in 1939 with socials and dances. Then war hit, and part of the clubhouse was requisitioned by the military. The club has endured wars, droughts and developments and changes in the community. It's a club that produced Australia's best amateur golfer, Tony Gresham. It's endured because people believed in creating not only a course but a community and an oasis in an expanding city. Almost a quarter of a century ago, Robert Putnam wrote his famous book Bowling Alone, which highlighted the decline in community organisations—people being too busy for community and too busy to volunteer. This club has defied that. Since 1923, the average length of club membership has been 25 years. There can't be many institutions that can boast of such longevity among members. Some members have been there much longer, like John Duckworth a member for 75 years and Shirley Baker, a member for 70 years. The centenary celebrations include the publication of the fourth history of the club by Joan Isles, a luncheon, a gala ball, official ceremonies and many rounds of golf. The club has a foundation and is planning further expansion by renovating its pro shop. I want to acknowledge the leadership of the club: President Michael Rowan; Vice President Suzanne Fabian; Captain Damian Maguire; Treasurer David Blackshaw, General Manager Barnaby Sumner; chair of the foundation Ross Jackson; Graeme Martin; Ray Dearlove and everyone involved in the centenary celebrations. Happy centenary. International Mother Language Day 1350 13:48 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor Tuesday 21 February was International Mother Language Day, with the theme for 2023 being to encourage the pursuit of multilingual education. I can't imagine something more delightful to celebrate, for me as a former schoolteacher but also as the member for Lalor. Since I was elected, I have encouraged our multilingual community to ensure that their children keep their mother language alive by learning it through either the Victorian School of Languages, which of course is in our government's state school sector, or through private community organisations. On 25 February in my local community we celebrated this day with the Victorian Bangladeshi Community Foundation and Wyndham City Council. In our community, we have the first Australian monument to mother language. It was its 12-month anniversary, and I was so pleased to join Tim Watts, the member for Gellibrand and the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs; my state colleagues; and our great Bangladeshi community to mark what is an important day. We know that language is integral to our identity. We also know that when one set of people wants to oppress another, they oppress their language to oppress their identity and to make them vulnerable. This day celebrates multilingualism. Superannuation: Taxation 1350 13:49 Mr HOWARTH 247742 Petrie Two weeks ago, the Treasurer announced that Australians would now have their superannuation tax doubled on balances over $3 million despite the Prime Minister promising no changes to super before the May election last year. The tax rate of 15 per cent on super is the tax rate on super. It's law. It's not a concession. Labor ministers can keep trying to cover up this debacle by minimising the impact of these changes, but the Australian people aren't silly. With inflation, those impacted will rise to at least 10 per cent of the Australian population, and it's your hard-earned money in retirement that will pay the price. That's one in 10 Australians—Australians who in May 2022 were promised by Albanese that there would be no changes to super. These changes are nothing more than another broken election promise and bad policy, and I won't support bad policy. The proposed tax on unrealised capital gains has never been a system of the Australian Taxation Office. This means Labor are coming after money you haven't even earned yet. Unrealised capital gains could be applied to other assets, like investment properties or cryptocurrency. It's like taxing your poker chips before they have even been cashed in. It has never been done before in Australia. He has broken his word on mortgages, lower interest rates, lower electricity prices and super. This Prime Minister, Albanese, can't be trusted. National Broadband Network 1350 13:51 Mr BURNELL 300129 Spence The Albanese Labor government was elected with a mandate to both enact a positive policy agenda and also fix the mess of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government. A mess of the last government that comes to mind is the National Broadband Network. The NBN was in desperate need of unshackling after nine years of not just policy inaction but policy sabotage. The sabotage impacted everyday Australians. It impacted Australian businesses small and large. Some friend to business the opposition are! The NBN is finally getting healthier because the government is putting more fibre in its diet. In my electorate of Spence, the NBN fibre upgrade will benefit households and businesses alike in Willaston, Smithfield Plains, Salisbury, Gawler South, Evanston Park, Elizabeth South, Elizabeth North, Davoren Park, Craigmore and Blakeview. They will be able to upgrade to a full-fibre connection, bringing it closer to what Labor first envisaged when we created the NBN. These benefits can even be felt across Spence's borders, in Barker. I hope folk out in Tanunda, Renmark and Mount Gambier remember who told them the ancient copper network was good enough. It's a shame for his constituents that the member for Barker has spent the last nine years playing with his floppy disc rather than helping to keep the regions connected. Thankfully, the adults are now in charge. Capricornia Electorate: Infrastructure 1351 13:52 Ms LANDRY 249764 Capricornia Last week I spent a number of days visiting the regional and rural towns of Clarke Creek, Moranbah, Lotus Creek, Nebo and Clermont. There was the same message from each visit I made to the small businesses, locals and community groups in these towns: regional and rural Australia is being forgotten. These towns are where the wealth of the nation is created through mining and agriculture production. However, there's only a minimal proportion returned to these communities who are building this great nation. Seven billion dollars is being splashed around for the Brisbane Olympic Games, and there is $1 billion to upgrade the M1 on the Gold Coast, yet in the town of Clermont locals are waiting for a month or more to access the only GP, who is stretched to her limit caring for a population of 3,000. Families are driving on some of the most dangerous and atrocious roads in Queensland. For many, taking their children to school, sports events and doctor appointments in other towns can take three hours or more on a round trip on unsafe rural roads. Queensland's state Labor government are not doing a lot to help with this. There was $94.6 billion put back into the Queensland economy in the 2021-22 financial year from the mining industry, much of which is in my electorate. These funds are being used to deliver enormous infrastructure projects in capital cities while families out west don't have access to the basics of decent roads and quality health care. I call on the Labor governments to deliver back to these communities who provide Australia with the prosperity we all should enjoy. Ngaruki Gulgul Central School 1351 13:54 Dr REID 300126 Robertson I had the privilege of visiting Ngaruki Gulgul Central School in Kariong recently to meet with a passionate principal, Andrea, and the teachers, and to introduce myself to some of the students who attend this school. NG Central School isn't like conventional schooling—it focuses on the interests of the student and uses this as its foundation for its educational programs. Students come from all over the Central Coast, and it was clear from my visit, and from speaking with several students, that they prefer this method and are thriving in this format. I saw the outstanding metal and woodwork workshops that use to gain insight and skills of the carpentry and welding industries. Currently, they are working on a mobile sick-bay unit that will be able to provide medical assistance to students who are unwell. It's close to completion, and I can say the students have done a phenomenal job. I saw the school's brilliant hidden salon and its exceptional kitchen facilities. I was told that the students understandably love cooking classes and enjoy the opportunity of cooking with ingredients fresh from the school garden. It was impressive to see the beautiful edible bush foods growing in the garden and quite the delight to see a fig tree. Education is key to unlocking the doors in life, and I am confident that the NG Central School affording students opportunities that will enable them to reach their full potential. Sydney Airport 1351 13:55 Mr HAWKE HWO Mitchell On 2 March 2023 the sod was turned on the construction of the New South Wales government's Rouse Hill Hospital public project just outside my electorate in Mitchell. The clinical plan for this public health facility, which is expected to be completed in 2024, includes urgent emergency care, a day surgery unit, adult and paediatric short stays, ambulatory and outpatient care, pre-habilitation and rehabilitation, lifestyle medicine services, and a multistorey car park. This comes on top of the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals announcing an extension of the metro line from Rouse Hill in my electorate through to St Mary's—the missing link, which will now be funded with a study to commence that project. Eventually, it will go to the Western Sydney Airport—the second airport funded by the last federal coalition government. Government members interjecting— Mr HAWKE HWO I note some of the objections from members opposite. We still have members in the federal parliamentary Labor Party opposing Sydney's second airport. The members for Chifley, Macarthur and Macquarie still oppose the construction of Sydney's second airport, even though it is driving metro infrastructure, better roads and 10,000 jobs. I ask those Labor members to listen to their leader, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and support Sydney's second airport and the infrastructure that the Liberal and Nationals government of New South Wales are providing for the future of Sydney and the people of New South Wales. Australian History: Eureka 1352 13:57 Ms CHESTERS 249710 Bendigo John Joseph was an African-American who left the United States for the Victorian goldfields in the 1850s. Very little is known about him and most of his life is a mystery, except for one key event in Australia's history. John Joseph was accused of firing the first shot in the Eureka rebellion in 1854. He was arrested, and the first of 13 men to be tried for treason in Melbourne. It took the jury only 13 minutes to find him not guilty. Over 10,000 people gathered in Melbourne—at a time when Melbourne's population was only 100,000—to witness the jury's verdict. All 13 men were found not guilty. John was carried through the streets on the shoulders of other men, and they all cheered. John Joseph died four years later, and is buried in the Bendigo White Hills Cemetery in an unmarked grave. We do not know if anyone attended or spoke at his funeral. We do not know what became of John after those days in Melbourne. On Monday 27 February, I was pleased to join the United States Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, and the US Consul General, Kathleen Lively, for a plaque-unveiling and tree-planting to mark John Joseph's grave as part of US Black History Month. For much of history, stories like John's have been forgotten, erased and silenced because of racism. It is our responsibility to make sure the stories are included in our history. May he finally rest in peace. Mobile Black Spot Program 1352 13:58 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina It takes a special kind of bias—a special kind of Labor bias—to roll out the mobile coverage black spot round that they have just done. Never before have we seen in New South Wales 25 out of 26 go to Labor seats. If you look at the list, you will see that Dobell got two, Eden-Monaro got nine—lucky Eden-Monaro—Gilmore got four, two were shared between Gilmore and Eden-Monaro, and Macquarie got four—oh how we wish we were in Macquarie. One went to Robertson, three went to Shortland and one—wait for this—the communications minister over there told the media that this was an election commitment round. Well, call it that! Don't call it an improving mobile coverage round. There is one which has gone to Berowra. If it's an election commitment round, why would it go to—there he is—the member for Berowra? Last time I looked, he was sitting with the Liberal Party—it's Julian Leeser! But there have been none, of course, in National Party seats, and we and the Liberals hold the most regional seats. Labor has completely ignored the wishes of people who live in the regions, with this absolute rorting—this absolute pork-barrelling. I don't know how you sleep straight at night when you come in with something like this! Shame on all of you! (Time expired) The SPEAKER 53517 In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 1352 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Energy 1352 14:00 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson My question is to the Prime Minister. Did the Prime Minister make a promise to the Australian people on 4 April 2022 which would 'result in energy prices coming down by $275 per household'—that his energy plan will result in energy prices coming down by $275 per household? 14:01 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler The Leader of the Opposition asks about the RepuTex modelling that was done on our energy plan. He should be able to find the RepuTex modelling, because it's the only modelling ever done for a proper energy plan, one that we put forward. Of the 22 policies that they put forward, none of them landed and none of them delivered. But they have an opportunity to deliver one of their energy plans: the safeguard mechanism that is before this parliament. I say to those opposite, if they're serious about giving business— The SPEAKER 53517 Order. The Prime Minister will pause. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Dutton 00AKI Mr Speaker, in accordance with your direction, this question couldn't be any tighter. It asked about whether the Prime Minister made that quote or he didn't. Does he stand by his words, or do we continue to hear from this Prime Minister an answer that just makes no sense? The SPEAKER 53517 Resume your seat. The Prime Minister was asked about his election commitments before the last election and about his promise before the— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Well, about his words before the election about energy prices. I will ask the Prime Minister to return to the question. I am listening carefully to his answer, and he is in order. I give him the call. Mr Dutton 00AKI Did he say those words? The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The Leader of the Opposition! Mr ALBANESE R36 The more pathetic the question the louder the interjections, Mr Speaker— The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will— Mr ALBANESE R36 the more pathetic and weak it is! They come in here and they spent all last week talking about super. Where is it? The sounds of silence—Garfunkel had nothing on this mob over there! The sounds of silence are what we hear from those opposite when it comes to the big issue that they were going to make. Instead, they go back to half quotes and half statements; it shows their dishonesty. Those opposite do have an opportunity, though, to vote for their policy on energy. They have an opportunity to vote for the safeguard mechanism. I encourage them to do so. India 1353 14:04 Dr CHARLTON I8M Parramatta My question is to the Prime Minister. Why is Australia's relationship with India so important and how will the Prime Minister's upcoming trip to India advance Australia's interests? 14:04 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Parramatta for his question and for, also, his ongoing engagement with his diaspora community there in Parramatta, one of Australia's largest. India is indeed a key strategic partner. We have a rich friendship underpinned by shared democratic values, bonds between our people and an affectionate but fierce sporting rivalry, which will be resumed later this week. The Varghese report about the relationship with India is a very significant one. But it should not be left on the shelf. What we need to do is to make sure that we continue to develop the relationship. Indeed, one of the first things that I did as Prime Minister was to go to the Quad leaders meeting in Tokyo and meet with Prime Minister Modi. I look forward to, later this week, meeting with Prime Minister Modi for the third time, along with our trade minister, our resources minister and more than 25 business leaders, including significant leaders of the resources sector, the education sector, the IT and communications sector and the transport sector, who are all travelling as part of that delegation. India is Australia's sixth-largest trading partner, but there is so much potential for so much more: creating Australian jobs, helping our industries prosper, sparking growth and innovation. Renewable energy will be a focus of this visit. India's ambitious goals of 50 per cent renewables and 30 per cent electric vehicles by 2030 provide an opening for Australian manufacturing and resources. Our relationship with India is vital from a security perspective as well. Our defence links are growing. Australia will host Exercise Malabar for the first time this year. We will welcome Prime Minister Modi to Australia for the Quad leaders meeting in the first half of this year, joining with the leaders of Japan and the United States in promoting a free, fair and rules based order and a stable and balanced region. I really look forward to the visit. The first time I went there was with a backpack in 1991—catching buses, hitching rides, catching trains. It will be a lot different this time, I suspect! The relationship with India is a very, very important one. The Indian diaspora is one of Australia's largest and is growing. They make an enormous contribution here. And it's wonderful that Indian students are once again returning to our educational institutions. We have some significant announcements about education and those relationships—how we can strengthen them, benefiting our economy but also benefiting those people-to-people links. No relationship is better on a phone or a Zoom call than it is in person. The visit of Prime Minister Modi will be a very welcome one later, in a short period of time, and, of course, India is the host of G20. I will attend there as well, as ministers are for the ministerial meetings. This will be a very significant visit and I'm really looking forward to it. We begin later today, in travelling to Perth, and then will travel there early tomorrow. It happens to coincide with Holi, which is one of the great celebrations that takes place in Indian culture. I look forward to the welcome there and I look forward to welcoming—I'm sure, with every member of this parliament—Prime Minister Modi here in a short period of time. Government members: Hear, hear! 14:08 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson on indulgence—I want to endorse the comments of the Prime Minister and wish him and the delegation well on what is a very important trip to India, an incredibly important trading partner. The cultural links and defence links, as the Prime Minister pointed out, are more important than ever. The diaspora community here is an integral part of modern Australia. They're wonderful Australians. The Treasurer and I and others joined for the national day in Brisbane, the celebrations on Australia Day. The Diwali events and others we go to regularly show how rich the culture is, and the engagement of young people in the Indian community in those events is quite a remarkable sight. I had the great pleasure and great honour of meeting with Prime Minister Modi 2½ years ago in New Delhi. The warmth that he has for our country is sincere. The way in which he will engage with the Prime Minister will see our relationship advance. Prime Minister, as I said, I wish you and the delegation well on the trip. The fourth test, I hope, will be more similar in outcome to the last test than to the first two—not to be too controversial, but it is a little precarious over there. It is an important relationship. The Quad was one of the great achievements of the coalition government when we were in power, and that relationship is more important than ever, for reasons that we all identify. Superannuation: Taxation 1354 14:09 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer My question is to the Prime Minister. Did the Prime Minister promise the Australian people on 2 May 2022, 'We have no intention to make any super changes'? 14:10 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for her question. The member would be aware that the super changes we have announced do not take effect until 2025—that is after the next election. I do thank the Deputy Leader for the opportunity to speak about the promises that we made at the election and what we've delivered— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member for Fisher will cease interjecting. Mr ALBANESE R36 because just yesterday we delivered on another commitment of an improvement in paid parental leave. It was promised and delivered. We've delivered on cheaper medicines—promised and delivered. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will pause, and I will hear from the deputy leader on a point of order. Ms Ley 00AMN On relevance, Mr Speaker: the question just could not have been any tighter—there was no scope for preamble: did the Prime Minister say those words or not? And we seek your guidance, Mr Speaker, on bringing the Prime Minister back to the question. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister has been going for less than a minute. He's entitled to a preamble. The question was about a quote that he made. I will bring him back to that question and ask him to return to it. Mr ALBANESE R36 We've made our priority clear on superannuation, which is what the question is about. Mr Dutton 00AKI Did you make the statement? The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. Mr ALBANESE R36 Once again, you have more angry ranting. What happened to the smile? You were going to smile more, Peter. What happened to happy Peter? Where has it gone? Mr Dutton 00AKI Where's the integrity? Mr ALBANESE R36 So much anger. So much vitriol. The SPEAKER 53517 The House will come to order. The Prime Minister will return to the question. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! There's far too much noise on my left. Mr ALBANESE R36 I'm responding to the interjections, Mr Speaker. It's hard to respond when someone's just yelling nonstop from go to whoa. I'll tell you what we won't do. We've said what we will do on super, something that will impact one-half of one per cent of Australians and that's supported not just by those opposite— The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will pause. The member for Fairfax will withdraw that comment. Mr Ted O'Brien 138932 I withdraw. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will continue. Mr ALBANESE R36 We are a government for all Australians. They are a government for one-half of one per cent of Australians. I encourage them to go to the wall for that one-half of one per cent. I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to go to the Liberal Party launch on Sunday, to stand up and introduce Dominic Perrottet as the Premier of New South Wales and to say that this is the hill they're going to die on. Manufacturing Industry 1354 14:13 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby My question is to the Minister for Industry and Science. Why is it important that Australia is a country that makes things again? Is there any opposition to the government's plans to support manufacturing? 14:14 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley I want to thank the member for Boothby for her question. I also think it's important, if I may, to give a shout-out to a manufacturer in her electorate. Boothby is the home to Micro-X, which is a terrific manufacturer that makes portable x-ray equipment. We can all be proud of the fact that they sent some of these machines to Ukraine to help save lives over there. Well done to them! Please pass on our gratitude for their work. It's the kind of know-how we need to back more and more. From the factory floor to the lab bench to board rooms, Australian ideas matter. Know-how matters. It helps create good jobs, particularly in terms of our manufacturing capability. We are committed, as a government, to revitalising Australia's industrial base. The NRF will invest in our industry capability, it'll address supply chain vulnerabilities, it'll build sovereign capability, and—importantly—it'll help us stand on our own two feet again in a lot of key areas. There are a lot of great Australian manufacturers with great ideas on how to get things done. What comes from a country that makes things is good, secure work. In the nearly 900,000 jobs in manufacturing, 85 per cent are full-time jobs. This matters to a lot of people. Unfortunately, Australia ranks dead last in manufacturing self-sufficiency in the OECD, and during the pandemic we learnt firsthand about how vulnerable our supply chains were. We saw how we were under huge pressure, and we couldn't get the products we expected to be able to get. We need to be able to change that. The government's determined to learn the lessons. Those opposite have never really been there for manufacturing, either in office or now in opposition. A lot of this stuff happened under their watch when they were in government. You'd think that they would have a unique understanding of how vulnerable those supply chains are, but no. And some of the quotes from those opposite! The Manager of Opposition Business and shadow minister for science described the NRF as saying, 'It's nice to have spending.' What's nice to have? Do you think mRNA vaccines are nice to have, or PPE is nice to have, or RAT tests are nice to have, or transport and defence capability is nice to have? Are well-paid and secure jobs nice to have? Under the vision of those opposite, manufacturing seems to be an optional extra in an economy. It's not really the stuff that they want to be able to fight for or support or invest. That's not what we want to see. I get that the Liberals don't support it. I'm surprised the Nationals don't understand how hard it is for regional businesses to get access to capital to grow, either through agriculture or manufacturing. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Barker will cease interjecting. Mr 91219 It is incredible that the Nationals will be led by the Liberals on this. We will not stand for this; we will back manufacturing. Australia should be a country that makes things. (Time expired) DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 1355 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Lyons Family 1355 14:17 The SPEAKER 53517 I am very pleased to inform the House that present in the gallery today are family members of former prime minister the Hon. Sir Joseph Lyons and former member of the House the Hon. Dame Enid Lyons—including grandchildren and great-grandchildren—who generously gifted the Lyons family Bible to the Australian parliament today. A very warm welcome to you all. Honourable members: Hear, hear! QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 1355 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Gambling 1355 14:17 Ms DANIEL 008CH Goldstein My question is to the Minister for Communications. AFL fans and several players have declared they want gambling ads banned from screens. Ex-Collingwood great Nathan Buckley has challenged the government to lead, comparing today's gambling industry to the tobacco industry of old. With teenagers gambling online, knowing more about 'multis' than the sport they're watching, will you read the play and ban gambling ads on TV and online? 14:18 Ms ROWLAND 159771 Greenway I thank the member for her question, and I acknowledge her continuing advocacy on this important issue. The government recognises the importance of gambling promotions being presented in a responsible manner. Whilst the Commonwealth responsibility in this sector is shared between me and the Minister for Social Services, it is the communications portfolio which regulates the types of online gambling services that can be provided to Australians— The SPEAKER 53517 The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. Ms ROWLAND 159771 and for overseeing the gambling advertising rules for the broadcasting sector. For the benefit of members, the current rules relating to the scheduling and content of advertisements on TV are contained in the co-regulatory broadcasting codes of practice. These codes are developed under the Broadcasting Services Act by industry groups in consultation with the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Generally, the codes prohibit gambling advertising during programs that are principally directed at children, and they limit when advertisements can be shown during live sporting events. The content of gambling advertisements is further governed by the self-regulatory codes of practice developed by the Australian Association of National Advertisers, and that includes its wagering code. This government is committed to ensuring harm minimisation operates within a robust legislative framework with strong consumer protections, including through the continued implementation of the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering. A key part of the framework is consistent gambling messaging, which requires stronger messaging about the risks and potential harm of gambling in all advertisements. These new taglines will actually be implemented across all platforms by 30 March. The government recognises there is ongoing community concern about the harms associated with online gambling. It is timely that this parliament should consider what more can be done to address this issue, and that's why we have established an inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm, which is being conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs. The committee is considering the effectiveness of the current gambling advertising restrictions on children's exposure to gambling products and services, amongst a range of other issues. I can assure the House that the government will fully consider the committee's recommendations when it releases its final report. Housing 1356 14:21 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton My question is to the Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness. How are the Albanese Labor government's housing reforms improving the supply of affordable rentals for Australians, and what are the risks of these reforms not passing the parliament? 14:21 Ms COLLINS HWM Franklin I thank the member for Moreton for his important question, because he knows, like all of us on this side of the House, that too many Australians are making tough decisions around their kitchen tables. We know that many are struggling with increasing interest rates and, of course, rising rents, and we have all seen the data today. Indeed, too many Australians are paying the price from the former government that did very little when it comes to social and affordable homes. The former government didn't believe the Commonwealth had any role to play in addressing the housing needs of Australians that need it most. And it seems that some opposite still believe that. Indeed, our government believes that every Australian deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. We were elected with a plan to tackle the housing challenges, including for those experiencing rental stress. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Deakin will cease interjecting. Ms COLLINS HWM The establishment of the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund will build 30,000 homes in the first five years. We're talking about 20,000 social homes and, importantly, 10,000 affordable rentals for key workers. Add to this the 20,000 affordable homes that will be delivered under the national accord, in partnership with the states, territories and local government; that's 10,000 affordable homes from the federal government and another 10,000 matched by the states and territories. I'm talking about homes like the ones we announced in Westmead last year for key workers. We heard there, importantly, from Elisa Ting, a midwife, who's already in an affordable rental being managed. She said: 'The original market value rent is $450, and I'm paying $322 a week. So it's a huge difference. I honestly thought it was fake at first, because I was like, "No way—it can't be that cheap."' The SPEAKER 53517 The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. Ms COLLINS HWM We know there are thousands of people currently struggling with increasing rents, and we know that our reforms and the Housing Australia Future Fund will make a real difference to thousands of people around the country today. Indeed, I am pleased our legislation has received such strong support from many in this place and on the crossbench, and of course the member for Bass. They know it's providing national leadership on affordable housing. As National Shelter has said, it provides 'a strategic approach to housing policy that's been lacking for some time'. Indeed, I'm astounded that those opposite continue to be opposed, that they continue to say no to building more homes for rentals for people like Elisa. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Fisher will cease interjecting. Ms COLLINS HWM They're saying no to building more homes for women and children fleeing family violence, they're saying no to building more homes for older women at risk of homelessness, and they're saying no to building more homes for veterans at risk of homelessness. They continue to say no to a reform that we made known to the people prior to the last election. Our ambitious housing reform will deliver on our policy to the Australian people. Housing 1357 14:24 Mr HOWARTH 247742 Petrie My question is to the Prime Minister. Did the Prime Minister promise the Australian people, on 1 May 2022 in Perth, 'Labor has real, lasting plans for cheaper mortgages'? 14:24 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I'm asked about our shared equity scheme that we announced in Perth, and a shared equity scheme is exactly that. That's the hint: it's shared, and there's equity. Instead of having 100 per cent of the mortgage yourself, you'll have a shared equity scheme, such as those operated in WA for a long period of time, of 10 per cent, 20 per cent or 30 per cent. That's the way shared equity works; that's why the New South Wales government are implementing one and it's why the WA government has one. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will pause. I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. Mr ALBANESE R36 I finished my answer. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister has concluded his answer and— Opposition members interjecting— The 53517 Order! Members on my left are interjecting far too often. If this continues, a general warning will be issued. I give the call to the member for Blair. Defence Personnel 1357 14:26 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government cleaning up the mess left by the former government when it comes to our greatest defence capability, our defence personnel? 14:26 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his significant contribution to the defence policy of our government. On 10 March last year, the former government, led by the member for Cook, along with the Leader of the Opposition, announced an increase in our Defence Force personnel of 18½ thousand by 2040. The announcement was made at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, with all the hoopla in tow. The member for Cook described this as the single-biggest peacetime build-up of our Defence Force in our nation's history, and he said: 'It's not just about the dollars you invest or the support you provide. It's the instinct that you have.' You can almost hear him saying it, because, for those opposite, it was all about the vibe of the thing. They really were the Dennis Denuto of defence policy! There was not a photocopier in Russell that was safe! Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order, members on my left! Mr MARLES HWQ When it came to national security policy, they were about as convincing— The SPEAKER 53517 Order, the member for Groom! Mr MARLES HWQ because this was an announcement without a skerrick of delivery. When you look at their record in government and the legacy which they left us, it could not have been more different. In 2020, the Defence Strategic Update rightly observed that Australia now sat within the 10-year threat window, an important observation to make, but they did nothing about it. In fact, they put the Defence Force on a slide. From that moment on, the Defence Force reduced in size. During the time that the Leader of the Opposition— The SPEAKER 53517 The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for McEwan— Mr Wallace 265967 Can we have a lesson on super while you're there? The SPEAKER 53517 Member for Fisher, I'm trying to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. I give him the call. Mr Fletcher L6B Mr Speaker, the question began by asking about what the Albanese Labor government is doing. We're now, in fact, one minute and 45 seconds in, and his time has been spent entirely on what the previous government did. The SPEAKER 53517 Resume your seat. The question was about how the government is cleaning up the mess left by the former government. That was the first part of the question relating to defence and defence personnel. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Longman should not give commentary when I'm giving a ruling! The Deputy Prime Minister is in order, and I ask him to continue his answer. Mr MARLES HWQ When the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for Defence, the Defence Force shrank by 1,400 people. That was his vibe. It's a challenge for this country, but it's a challenge this government is going to fix. Cost of Living 1358 14:29 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister rule out a proposed 10 per cent annual increase to the heavy vehicle road user charge, which would drive up the cost of living for all Australians? 14:29 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat Thanks very much to the member for the question. As the member knows, the heavy vehicle charges are set as a collective decision by all states and territories, including, the last time I looked, the Liberal-held states of New South Wales and Tasmania. Of course, the heavy vehicle charges are to actually fund the share of the damage that is done by heavy vehicles to our regional roads in particular. We have you all out there screaming and saying, 'There are roads, I need funding for. I want all this money. I want you to fund it,' but, at the same time, we have you guys out there again saying, 'Somehow or other, we will cut fuel tax credits'—apparently, they were the only people who did that—'and we will do these heavy vehicle charges.' Again, I would say very clearly: no decision has been taken on heavy vehicle road user charges, but this is a decision that is taken collectively by every state and territory government, including those held by the Liberal Party. Economy 1358 14:31 Ms SITOU 298121 Reid My question is to the Treasurer. What does the independent Reserve Bank's decision on interest rates mean for Australians? 14:31 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin I thank the wonderful member for Reid for her question and, while we're west of Sydney, I acknowledge the economic students from William Carey Christian School, in the electorate of the fine member for Werriwa, up the back. As honourable members would now be aware, the Reserve Bank has just announced its decision to increase interest rates by another quarter of a per cent, bringing the cash rate to 3.6 per cent. This will make life harder for many Australians who are already under the pump. This was expected, it was flagged, the markets anticipated it, but it will still sting. The cumulative impact of these interest rate rises, which began before the election, mean that, for every half a million dollars owed, the increase is now about $1,000 a month. That's the cumulative impact of these rate rises, which began before the election. Last week's national accounts showed that Australian households spent about $20 billion in mortgage interest payments in the December quarter, compared to about $11 billion in the same period a year earlier. As I said, the worst quarter for inflation was in March last year, before government changed hands. That was when rates started rising. The Reserve Bank makes its decisions independently and that independence is an important feature of our system. The government's job is to take responsibility for those things that we have influence over. Australians understand a lot of this inflation is coming at us from around the world and that broken supply chains here in Australia are part of the problem as well. We take responsibility for working through this inflation issue in a responsible and methodical way to address inflation in the ways that we can. Our three-point strategy is all about, as we said before, cost-of-living relief, repair of supply chains and restraint in the budget. As the Reserve Bank governor statement says today and makes clear, we do expect that inflation has peaked but it will be higher than we would like for longer than we would like. That is why our cost-of-living relief is targeted and responsible: to make life easier for people but not to add to inflation. We are making early childhood education cheaper, making medicines cheaper, building more affordable housing, providing help with energy bills and getting wages moving again. When Australians are doing it tough and there is a trillion dollars in Liberal Party debt left to Australian taxpayers, our highest priority is cost-of-living relief and a more responsible budget. When Australians are under the pump and interest rates are rising, the highest priority of those opposite is borrowing more so that ordinary people can subsidise bigger tax breaks for people who already have tens of millions of dollars in super. Economy 1358 14:34 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume My question is for the Prime Minister. Under the Albanese government, interest rates have now gone up nine months in a row. Economists and the RBA say there are more rate rises to come. Westpac Chief Executive, Bill Evans, says it is going to be a very tough time. There's a lot of pain out there. Why, when Australians are already doing it tough, is the Prime Minister's only answers to break promises and raise taxes? 14:34 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler The shadow Treasurer, who refuses to ask a question of the Treasurer even in the context of the Reserve Bank making the decision independently that they did, exposes the disingenuous nature of the question by refusing to acknowledge that interest rates began to rise on their watch. They talk about the rate that's now 3.6 per cent, but it was 6.75 per cent when this bloke was the Assistant Treasurer of Australia. Now, is 6.75 more or less than 3.6? More. Those opposite are so disingenuous. The shadow Treasurer, who asked the question, said as recently as last September: It is very clear that the world has changed dramatically even in the past few months … We've seen a rapid shift to an inflationary environment. Interest rates are bucking decades of downward trends. That's what he had to say. On the change in 2025 that we've envisaged on super, the shadow Treasurer was asked repeatedly by David Speers on Insiders to say that it was a bad policy, and he couldn't bring himself to, because it's precisely the policy that he backed when the changes went through in 2016-17. They know frauds when they see one. Those opposite helped create problems with supply chains, and that has fed into inflation. The Reserve Bank governor said that half and up to two-thirds of the inflationary pressures in our economy are about supply chains. Those opposite are coming in here and voting against the National Reconstruction Fund, which will assist with the supply chain issues that we're confronting. They also came in here and voted against the relief that was provided for in December—that $1½ billion of energy price relief. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Bowman is warned. Mr ALBANESE R36 They opposed the measures that we put in place for pharmaceuticals, which came into place on 1 January. They're against the childcare reform that we put in place on 1 July. What they did the last time they had an opportunity to have a budget was pour massive amounts of money into the system that all ended once— (Time expired) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 1359 14:38 Dr REID 300126 Robertson My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Why is it important to make medicines cheaper for Australians? 14:38 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh I thank the member for Robertson for his question and also for hosting me and the member for Dobell last week along with Dr Ian Charlton, a great GP on the Central Coast, to announce the expressions of interest opening for the 14 urgent-care centres that we've promised to deliver this year in New South Wales. I also know just how hard the member for Robertson campaigned on a promise to deliver the people of the Central Coast cheaper medicines at the election last year. We have delivered on that promise. In July we slashed the safety net threshold for millions of pensioners and concession card holders by 25 per cent so that now across a year, on average, pensioners and concession card holders will pay no more than $5 per week for all of their medicines needs, no matter how many medicines they take. In September we cut the price of more than 2,000 brands of medicine, delivering $130 million back into the pockets of hardworking Australians. In November, the Minister for Social Services delivered on our promise to give more self-funded retirees access to a seniors health card that would give them access to cheaper PBS medicines and bulk-billed GP visits. The Minister for Social Services has reported that, already, more than 10,000 self-funded retirees now have a seniors health card in their wallet who didn't have that before November. But the centrepiece of our cheaper medicines policy was delivered on 1 January, when we delivered the biggest cut to the price of PBS medicines in the 75-year history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme— The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Bowman is on a warning. It is the last time he will be warned. Mr BUTLER HWK slashing the price of general patient scripts from $42.50 to just $30. I'm delighted to report that in just the first two months of our cheaper medicines policy we've delivered even greater savings than we predicted. The prices of more than 3.2 million scripts have already come down, delivering more than $36 million into the pockets of hardworking Australians. This isn't just good for their hip pockets. As the member for Robertson well knows, this is good for their health. Every year, almost a million Australians defer or go without a script their doctor has said is important for their health, because they can't afford it. It's already making a big difference. Megan, who's in her early 30s, wrote to us saying: 'As a chronic pain sufferer, it's great to be able to get some savings on prescription medications. It's making a real difference to my household budget.' That's just one example of the millions of Australians who are benefitting from the Albanese government's cheaper medicines policy. Climate Change 1360 14:41 Ms CHANEY 300006 Curtin This is a question for the Prime Minister. The US Inflation Reduction Act 2022 is a global game changer, attracting capital, technology and people to the US as it leads the way towards a net-zero world. The rest of the world is following suit. Despite our natural advantages, this makes it hard for Australia to compete as a green energy superpower without our own transition incentives. To ensure we don't miss the boat on massive future export opportunities like green hydrogen, will the government respond boldly to the Inflation Reduction Act? 14:41 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Curtin for her question and for her ongoing commitment to action on climate change. She is quite right to identify the Inflation Reduction Act as not only the most significant act ever passed by the United States to deal with the challenge of climate change; it will also have an impact around the world, and it's something that the Minister for Climate Change and Energy is very conscious of as well. Because there are such strong incentives to attract capital to the United States to build manufacturing, including in solar panels, batteries and other necessary infrastructure which is required, the act will, in a global economic environment, mean that it is harder, or that we're competing, to attract that capital here in Australia. That's one of the reasons why the government is responding as we are with the safeguard mechanism—to provide that certainty for business to invest going forward. But it's also part of the frame that we promised back in 2021 regarding the National Reconstruction Fund. How do we make sure that we don't just export our resources, wait for value to be added, wait for jobs to be created and then buy those goods back once value has been added? How do we seize the opportunity which is there for us to be a renewable energy superpower? One of the discussions that I'll be having with Prime Minister Modi in India is precisely about that. Whether it is Prime Minister Modi or President Widodo of Indonesia, or any of our neighbours—which, in India and Indonesia's case, are growing to be the third- and fourth-largest economies in the world over the coming decades—that presents an enormous opportunity for us. We should be value-adding here wherever possible. We need to provide support for our industries here through the National Reconstruction Fund, which is modelled on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Essentially, we'll be funding projects that will produce a return on capital but mightn't be able to gain that capital in the market system. That's why, post the Inflation Reduction Act, it is more important that we have the National Reconstruction Fund. It is even more important that we provide the certainty through the safeguard mechanism going forward. I look forward to working with the member for Curtin. WA in particular has lithium, has nickel, has these resources that are so important, which is one of the reasons why I took the entire cabinet to Port Hedland to have discussions with the business community about how we can take advantage of our position going forward. National Reconstruction Fund 1360 14:45 Ms LAWRENCE 299150 Hasluck My question is to the Minister for Resources. How will the National Reconstruction Fund create jobs in the critical minerals sector? 14:45 Ms MADELEINE KING 102376 Brand I thank the member for Hasluck for her great question and I thank her for the work she's doing here in this place. Mr Speaker, as you know and as we all know, Australia is rich with valuable, critical resources, and they represent an incredible opportunity not just for our nation but for, indeed, the whole world. Our critical minerals and rare earth elements are essential for net zero technology, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, battery storage and solar panels. The road to global net zero passes through Australia's resources industry, and in particular our emerging critical minerals and rare earth elements sector. The demand for critical minerals will only increase with world demand for lithium forecast to rise by over 40 per cent over the following two years, reaching over a million tonnes by 2024 and three million tonnes by 2030. Critical minerals are transforming and renewing communities across the country. Take Greenbushes in Western Australia for example, the largest lithium mine in the world. It is also Western Australia's oldest and longest operating mine. It used to mine for tin. It's seen ups and down in the economy and the use of tin, but now lithium mining is supporting that community once again as the world demand for lithium creates more jobs. Critical minerals present an unmissable opportunity for our nation, one that this government will not let pass by. Mining creates jobs. We know that. There are over 270,000 jobs in the resources sector across the country. Minerals processing and adding value to what we mine creates jobs. The NRF and the value adding in resources fund will create jobs. Taking our critical minerals and rare earth elements along the value chain will create jobs that are high in value, in high-tech industries, and are well paid and they will help the world decarbonise. And what do those opposite say? Well, they say no. The $1 billion for the value adding in resources fund, as part of the $15 million National Reconstruction Fund, will ensure a greater share of our raw materials is processed here. We seek to support businesses that will secure capital that will allow them to expand their workforce—create jobs. That's what we want to do in this country, bring manufacturing capability back and ensure we process more minerals here. This government was elected on a mandate to secure the National Reconstruction Fund and the value adding in resources fund. Those opposite say no. It is absolutely inconceivable that those opposite oppose job creating, nation building legislation. They used to support the Critical Minerals Facility, they used to support the critical minerals industry but now they just say no. Well, it's not good enough. We will create a critical minerals industry. Economy 1361 14:48 Ms BELL 282981 Moncrieff My question is to the Prime Minister. On 1 May 2022, at Labor's campaign launch, the Prime Minister promised that Labor has real, lasting plans for cheaper electricity, cheaper mortgages, but the Courier Mail reports that this cost-of-living crisis is forcing Queensland families to pay an extra $1,100 a month on food, groceries, energy bills and mortgages. Isn't this just another broken promise from this out of touch Prime Minister? 14:49 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for her question which goes to inflation. It is true that inflation is a global phenomenon that has arisen post COVID because of supply chain issues that occurred during the global pandemic and then were exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The previous question I was asked, which was a mature question from the member for Curtin seeking to contribute to the policy debate, was about the Inflation Reduction Act. It's called the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States because there's higher inflation there than before the pandemic and, I must say, than there is here as well in Australia. In a global economy, we are not immune to the global impact of inflation. For those opposite, who like to profess themselves as free market capitalists, to not understand that is quite extraordinary. Perhaps they're arguing that we should have a completely closed economy, Soviet style, that doesn't link up with global markets and global economic trends because that is essentially the assumption behind the direction the questions are going. Fortunately in Australia, we have some structures—thanks in part to the reforms of the Hawke and Keating government—that do ensure that we're connected with the global economy. The RBA governor had this to say just last week: Most advanced economies are in a similar position to Australia, and have responded with higher interest rates, in some cases to a level substantially higher than that in Australia. … … … Our assessment is that inflation is likely to have peaked around the end of 2022 and will now start declining. Those opposite don't have to believe the Reserve Bank governor if they are against him these days but they perhaps can listen to the Leader of the Opposition, who had this to say in May 2022: Nobody wants to see interest rates go up, but it's a reality of a world where there's inflation. Did you note that term—'a world where there's inflation'? Australia lives in that world. Apparently, those opposite live in a different one. Paid Parental Leave Scheme 1361 14:52 Mr RAE 300122 Hawke My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How will the Albanese Labor government's historic changes to paid parental leave, which passed the parliament yesterday, provide more support to parents in those crucial early years? 14:52 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston I thank the member for Hawke for his question. I know he's a passionate advocate in this place for families and I really appreciate his advocacy on these issues. Yesterday the government's paid parental leave legislation passed both houses of parliament. This is a win for working families, because paid parental leave is, of course, a proud legacy of previous Labor governments. The Albanese government is building on that legacy with the reforms that passed the parliament Labor's original introduction of paid parental leave, recent reports suggest, have boosted female workforce participation, particularly for women with children aged zero to five, because it keeps that connection between a woman, the workplace and the labour force. With these changes, over 180,000 families each year will benefit from a stronger, more generous paid parental leave scheme that's right for the times and right for the future. We know that raising children and managing work is a juggle for many Australian families. We also know it is a time when there's lots of bills to pay, and families need all the help they can get. That's why our changes mean, from 1 July this year, that not only will more parents have access to the government payment but they will now have more flexibility in how they transition back to work and how they share care between parents. The first of July will move to a single payment that allows all parents to receive government paid leave at the same time as their employer paid leave. Currently, this option is available to mums but not dads. We are removing this unfair, outdated rule to help families maintain their income while caring for their newborns. Our changes will also make it easier for parents to share the 20-week entitlement between them in a way that works for them. We know that dads and partners want more time at home with their baby. We also know that, when parents share care, it's good for gender equality, it's good for kids and it's good for the economy. Of course, with this bill passing the parliament, we will now be able to take claims from late March, so parents can pre-claim so they can get the payment with no fuss from 1 July. This is our first start to expanding paid parental leave. We intend, from July 2024, to expand the scheme by two weeks each year until we reach six months in 2026. This is a key reform that is good for the economy, it's good for families, and it is Labor that is delivering it. Housing 1362 14:55 Mr CHANDLER-MATHER 300121 Griffith My question is for the Treasurer. Recent analysis shows renters will pay an extra $10 billion to their landlords this year in rental hikes, while reports today show the proportion of rental properties below $400 a week has more than halved in the last year. Given the government was willing to work with the states to cap energy prices, will the government finally agree to do the same for rents and put a freeze on rent increases on the National Cabinet agenda as well as doubling rent assistance in the budget to help stop this mounting crisis? 14:55 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Thanks to the member for his question. I don't think it's any secret to anyone in this place that we don't have enough rental properties in this country. Vacancy rates are incredibly low. Rents are far too high. The best response to that combination of challenges is to do what we can to build more stock. I pay tribute to the housing minister for all of her work trying to make sure that we can build more housing stock in this country. There's an important opportunity for this parliament to vote for more social and affordable housing, which is part of the solution here. We recognise, when there are labour shortages, there are pressures on costs of building materials and other pressures, that it is a difficult time to be building more properties, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be putting in place the kinds of funds that are before the parliament, the kinds of arrangements that I've been talking about and the Minister for Housing has been talking about when it comes to housing supply and the Housing Accord. We recognise that Australians are under the pump. We recognise that Australian renters are particularly doing it tough in the context of low vacancy rates and unacceptably high rents. The best way to deal with that is to build more properties, and that's what we intend to do. Pensions and Benefits 1362 14:57 Ms THWAITES 282212 Jagajaga My question is to the Minister for Government Services. What has the royal commission into robodebt revealed about the steps the former government took to assure itself that robodebt was legal? What is the government's response to subsequent statements in the parliament? 14:57 Mr SHORTEN 00ATG Maribyrnong The robodebt royal commission provided Australians who are the victims of robodebt with a chance to tell their stories. These were stories which weren't heard for 4½ years while the unlawful scheme was being run. One case study was: 'When I found out, I had a panic attack and cried. This alleged debt was the third time they'd given me a debt, and the other two had turned out to be invalid as well. At this point, I live in permanent fear. I'm chronically ill and on disability. All doctors tell me to avoid stress, but there was no avoiding the stress Centrelink caused me. Last year I ended up in a psyche ward, feeling as though I should just give up and die.' Another statement: 'I received a request from Centrelink 18 months ago for me to prove I had not been overpaid by them for what was deemed to be approximately $6,000. I've had severe headaches. I'm in constant body pain from my surgery and arthritis. I've had suicidal thoughts due to this supposed debt. With my anxiety up, my body pain is up. Some days I can't even get out of bed.' Another story: 'Jenny was pursued by Centrelink for a robodebt. It had been alleged she'd been overpaid approximately $3,000 over a period of time over seven years ago. Jenny was employed during the over-payment period, but she could not prove her earnings to Centrelink as her former employer paid her in cash and did not issue her payslips. During the claimed over-payment period, Jenny's daughter took her own life. Jenny found it hard to provide instructions during in that period of time. She has a diagnosis of PTSD.' We've heard from the workers who were working at Centrelink. One worker said, 'I wanted to kill myself with a letter to tell the public what is happening. I still cry every day. I feel responsible for the deaths of others. I cannot get some phone calls out of my head.' Another worker said: 'The impact on my personal life was enormous. I took three months long service leave. I ended up in the outpatient services of a psychiatric unit.' A third worker said: 'I remember talking to a client whose debt was $5,000. He was telling me the best thing to do would be to go onto the train tracks and lay down. It was very distressing to hear him and all the other customers on the brink of suicide." This is why the royal commission is occurring. But at the end of question time yesterday, the member for Fadden gave a personal explanation to the House. He said he stopped robodebt. There was no acknowledgement of anyone else. He says he took action. He sought legal advice on 4 July 2019 because he had substantial misgivings. Leaving aside that this recollection has been contested in the royal commission, just think for a moment about the member for Fadden's version of events. He waited 155 days. If you have substantial misgivings, no matter what minister you are, do you wait 155 days? I wonder how many thousands of debts were issued in the period of substantial misgivings. I remind the member for Fadden and the coalition: you are not the victims here. (Time expired) Energy 1363 15:01 Ms WARE 300123 Hughes My question is to the Prime Minister. Before the election, the Prime Minister promised a $275 drop in power bills. That didn't work, so he passed laws on 12 December 2022 that he promised will actually be deflationary by reducing peoples' power bills next year. Where are the Australians who have had a reduction in their power bills? Doesn't this show just how out of touch the Prime Minister is with ordinary Australians? 15:01 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I'm asked about the promises that we made before the election. Can I say this: we did promise to create more fee-free TAFE places, and we delivered. We promised a national anticorruption commission, and we delivered. We promised 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, and we delivered. We promised to legislate for net zero, and we delivered. We promised to establish a robodebt royal commission, and we just heard from the minister a powerful reading into Hansard of the very real evidence of people who were the victims of robodebt. I acknowledge that people are doing it tough. Global inflation means that it has an impact, particularly the less income and funds that you have. That's why the government has put in place measures, including cheaper medicines, cheaper child care and fee free TAFE. That is why we have put in energy price relief. That is why we're taking the action that we are. That is why we have a responsible budget policy of relief, repair and restraint. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Casey will cease interjecting. Mr ALBANESE R36 We want to take pressure off inflation, but those opposite stand in the way of all of the measures that we are putting in place. Infrastructure 1363 15:03 Mr HILL 86256 Bruce My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The previous government allocated 83 per cent of its Urban Congestion Fund to Liberal- and National-held electorates. Is congestion an issue only in seats that vote for the Liberals? How is the Albanese government doing things differently? Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The members on my left will cease interjecting before the minister even gives an answer. 15:04 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I thank the member for Bruce for his question and commend him on the great work he is doing in this space. Last week we had hearings into the previous government's Urban Congestion Fund. When it comes to mismanagement of infrastructure investment, the Urban Congestion Fund, including the now infamous commuter car parks fund, are up there with the worst of the worst. This was a $48 billion fund that allocated 83 per cent of its funding to Liberal-held seats. I know those opposite like to say they should get all the regional funding, because they try and claim they've got all the regional seats; now they're saying they've got all the city seats as well—all the city seats they hold! Of course, it was meant to be a fund that targeted congestion across cities, across the whole of the country, but 136 of the announced projects were all in Liberal-held seats, with only 26 in Labor-held seats. If you look at those figures, you would think that Australia's most congested roads are only located in those seats that vote for the Liberal Party. Well, really? There's no congestion in the west of Melbourne. Ipswich and Logan are a haven for traffic-free roads. We've got Parramatta and Blacktown and Punchbowl and Cabramatta—a 10-minute commute from there, apparently. As if! Really! No matter where Australians live or who Australians vote for, they deserve to have their projects assessed on merit. This fund was, frankly, nothing short of a mammoth slush fund ready to be pulled out to prop up the election prospects of the Liberal Party. That is not what infrastructure investment is for. It's why our government has been working its way through, trying to clean up the mess left by those opposite. Not only did they actually politically target this investment; we've also seen that it has been massively underfunded. We've seen that particularly in the seat of Aston: three projects, $50 million to upgrade Napoleon Road, $50 million to Dorset Road and $110 million to Wellington Road. But the problem was, to actually deliver those projects, it was $1.3 billion to build those projects. I see the Leader of the Opposition is going around saying, 'That was just the way it's profiled; it's always done like that'—that the money is somehow there, as though there's this magical ATM in the sky. You've left a $1 billion hole because of underfunding of these three projects alone. Not only have you left us with a trillion dollars of Liberal Party debt; you've left us with project after project after project, including in the seat of Aston, that you never intended to deliver, that simply cannot be funded because the money is not there, unless you pull it from the magical ATM in the sky that the former Assistant Treasurer somehow thinks is there, available for us all. Cost of Living 1364 15:07 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt My question is to the Prime Minister. On 1 May last year the Prime Minister promised that 'Labor has real, lasting plans for cheaper electricity and cheaper mortgages'. But, according to the Resolve Political Monitor, two-thirds of Australians say higher prices and interest rates are having a serious impact on their households. Isn't this just another broken promise from this out-of-touch Prime Minister? 15:07 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Sturt for his question. I certainly understand that people are under pressure from the impact of inflation. The Reserve Bank understands that. The global impact of every advanced economy in the world understands that. Whether it's the United Kingdom, the United States or Europe, we are suffering from higher inflation than had occurred previously, pre the pandemic, and that's being exacerbated by the higher energy prices that are coming as a direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That is having an impact. I say to the member for Sturt that his constituents would be very grateful if he had voted for the Energy Price Relief Plan of $1½ billion. Our responsibility is not just to identify problems; more importantly than that, it's to identify solutions and develop practical solutions. That's why, with our Energy Price Relief Plan, our fee-free TAFE places, our expansion of paid parental leave, our more affordable housing, our cheaper child care and our cheaper medicine, all of these issues are aimed at taking pressure off families. I say to the member for Sturt that what he should do is vote for some of these measures instead of just saying no to everything, along with his colleagues. The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member for Groom will cease interjecting. Mr ALBANESE R36 Stand up for your constituents, like the member who sits next to you does on issues of principle. Telecommunications 1364 15:09 Mrs PHILLIPS 147140 Gilmore My question is to the Minister for Communications. What progress has been made on delivering the Albanese Labor government's investments in regional communications, including for improvements in mobile coverage? Why is it important for the government to deliver on its commitments, and what approaches have been rejected by the government? The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member for Riverina is excited, but can just contain his enthusiasm, because I can't hear anything. I give the call to the Minister for Communications. 15:10 Ms ROWLAND 159771 Greenway I thank the member for her question and I acknowledge her advocacy in this area. The Albanese government is delivering the most significant regional communications investment package since the inception of the NBN. We are investing over $2.2 billion in regional comms over the next five years, and that is a substantial increase on the coalition's budget of around $1.3 billion. We also committed before the federal election to addressing mobile coverage issues in a number of communities across Australia, based on feedback from councils, telcos and locals to Labor when we were in opposition. Many of those locations were in bushfire- and disaster-prone areas, such as the Blue Mountains and the South Coast of New South Wales. The SPEAKER 53517 The Leader on the Nationals will cease interjecting immediately. Ms ROWLAND 159771 These are at-risk areas that had not been addressed by the coalition. They were our election commitments. We listened, we committed and now we are acting. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Page will cease interjecting. Ms ROWLAND 159771 In addition to these election commitments at 54 locations, there are a number of other programs contained in the October budget providing additional regional comms investment. Applications will shortly open for two programs making available $150 million of federal co-investment, including for mobile black spots. The government also committed $480 million for a major expansion and upgrade of the fixed wireless network of the NBN, benefitting around one million regional premises, and $1.1 million in NBN fibre upgrades for 660,000 regional premises. This includes freeing up additional satellite capacity and has enabled a trial of unmetered Sky Muster satellite access. The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member for Wannon will cease interjecting. Ms ROWLAND 159771 These upgrades are proceeding apace. This is in stark contrast to those opposite. Their record on the NBN was a masterclass in economic and technological incompetence. But what is most amazing is to hear those opposite complain about Labor's election commitments with a total lack of self-awareness about their own approach. In the priority round of the Mobile Black Spot Program under the coalition, you might wonder— The SPEAKER 53517 The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. Ms ROWLAND 159771 You might wonder, out of 125 priority locations— The SPEAKER 53517 The Leader of the Nationals is now warned. Ms ROWLAND 159771 how many were located in Liberal and National seats. Out of 125, it was 124—99.2 per cent of the funding was driven to coalition seats. We will not be lectured to by this rabble, these mates of John Barilaro. Opposition members interjecting— Ms ROWLAND 159771 They take inspo from Bara; that is what they do. They neglect regional Australia and they have the hide to complain about Labor meeting its election commitments and not fighting for their own constituents. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! When the House comes to order, I'll hear from the member for Monash. Mr Broadbent MT4 After that, I'd better go quietly! Cost of Living 1365 15:13 Mr BROADBENT MT4 Monash My question, it is an opposition question, is to the Prime Minister. On 30 April 2022 the Prime Minister promised that Australians would be better off under a Labor government, yet evidence before the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living has revealed that Coles, Aldi and IGA are reporting that Australians are changing the way they shop because of the government cost-of-living crisis. They're moving from normal brands to home brands and buying less beef. They're even moving from fresh food to canned food. Wasn't this just another broken promise from this out-of-touch government? The SPEAKER 53517 The member for McEwen will cease interjecting. I give the call to the Prime Minister. 15:14 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Monash for his question. I also thank him for his support of our policy on super. I thank him for being genuine about understanding that people in his electorate—as is occurring around the country—are under real pressure. That's why, when you have a trillion dollars of Liberal Party debt, you have to make real decisions about how you manage the economy. That's why we made the decision that we did to lower the concession and not to remove it—just to make it less of a concession for the one half of one per cent who have funds in super above $3 million. That includes the 17 people who have over $100 million and the one person who has around half a billion dollars in their super. I have respect for the fact that the member for Monash is prepared to acknowledge that governments have to make decisions to make a difference in people's lives. We, on the side of the chamber, will continue to stand up for the most vulnerable. That's why we stood up and established the robodebt royal commission, which is having such devastating evidence before it— The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister will pause. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order. Mr Fletcher L6B Mr Speaker, it's on relevance. The question was about the cost of living. The Prime Minister has ranged over every possible topic and he needs to come to the terms of the question. The SPEAKER 53517 The question was about groceries and the cost of living. I'm listening to the Prime Minister carefully, and ask him to return to the question. The Prime Minister has the call. Mr ALBANESE R36 Earlier today, I spoke about the cost of living for one of my constituents. He was hit with a massive robodebt bill, even though he, in his 20s, had contracted cancer. He had expended all of his sick leave and holiday leave. He then went to Centrelink and got a payment in order to get by—in order to buy food at the supermarket, in order to survive. He got hit with a debt, a debt that he did not owe, because of the system that was put in place for robodebt by those opposite. So on top of having to deal with chemotherapy and cancer, in his 20s, he had to deal with the pressure that was on him and the anxiety that caused, which had an impact on his health. That is the real impact that people had to deal with. We, on this side of the House, understand that people are doing it tough. We will put in place practical measures to make a difference to them. But we won't be lectured by those opposite about dealing with the most vulnerable in our community while they continue to defend their robodebt system and continue to stand up as well for the one half of one per cent who aren't saving for their retirement but who are using the system in order to gain a significant benefit through a concession that those opposite acknowledged was not sustainable. (Time expired) Economy 1366 15:17 Dr ANANDA-RAJAH 290544 Higgins My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese government taking pressure off families and building a better future for all Australians? How is the government working with the states to assist this? 15:18 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Higgins for her question and for her outstanding representation. She is the finest member for Higgins I have ever seen, I must say! When the government was elected, we did say that we would build an economy that worked for people and not the other way around. And we are working on this. We are taking the pressure off families through cheaper medicine, cheaper child care, expanding paid parental leave, more affordable housing, energy price relief and our fee-free TAFE places. We are also working to make employment more secure, because secure jobs give people dignity; they give them purpose, stability and connection to their communities. We have acted to get wages moving again. Remember the minimum wage? Perhaps that has an impact on people buying things in the supermarket! That $1 an hour increase has an impact, but it was opposed by those opposite. They said it would all fall down—that the sky would fall down. It's why we're also committed to building up Australian manufacturing through our National Reconstruction Fund. Our Housing Australia Future Fund is delivering housing for women and children escaping domestic violence, and for veterans. It's delivering more emergency funding and delivering funding for housing, to fix up some of the housing in remote Indigenous communities as well. But that's opposed by those opposite. We know there is more to do. We know that families are feeling under pressure. But those opposite just say no to everything that is put forward. They've said no the Housing Australia Future Fund. They've said no to manufacturing jobs. They say no to power price relief for households. They say no to making super stronger for the future. They say no even to their own policy on climate change, the safeguard mechanism. They don't put forward amendments, they don't put forward improvements and they don't try to engage in serious policy debate; they just say no. It's no wonder that the Leader of the Opposition has not appeared with the New South Wales Premier since last October. There's a force field around the New South Wales Premier! He's very happy to appear with me, Mr Speaker. He's very happy to appear with me, as is the Tasmanian Liberal Premier, about getting constructive measures done—that is what we have done. I say this to the Leader of the Opposition: don't miss out this Sunday. He missed out on the Victorian Liberal Party campaign, and look where that got them! Don't make the same mistake twice. Get out there and back it in. I'll miss the Liberal Party campaign launch, but I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to attend on Sunday to introduce Premier Perrottet. I'm sure that will be a very successful thing. On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. DOCUMENTS 1367 DOCUMENTS Presentation 1367 15:21 Mr BURKE DYW Watson Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. STATEMENTS 1367 STATEMENTS Personal Explanations 1367 15:21 Mr BROADBENT MT4 Monash I wish to make a personal explanation. The SPEAKER 53517 Do you claim to have been misrepresented? Mr BROADBENT MT4 Most grievously. The SPEAKER 53517 You may proceed. Mr BROADBENT MT4 During question time, the Prime Minister said that I supported the government's policy on superannuation. That is an inaccurate statement to the House. I did not support their policy; in fact, I have a number of changes I'd like to make to it. More importantly, members of parliament are disliked for representing issues around an individual that are not correct. I was very interested to say that, as a country, we should be having a discussion about issues. That was my point. Thank you. MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 1367 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Prime Minister 1367 15:22 The SPEAKER 53517 I have received a letter from the honourable member for Deakin proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: This Prime Minister's broken promise that Australians would be better off under a Labor government. I call upon those honourable members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places. More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places— 15:22 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin I have not seen a performance like that from a Prime Minister. He was lacking in any empathy for the struggles that Australians are feeling under his watch and, indeed, refusing to accept the words that he said before the election. There is one number that will not come out of this Prime Minister's mouth—it certainly hasn't left his mouth since the election—and that's the number 275. But it's a number that before the election was used a lot by this Prime Minister in a succession of broken promises that we heard from him. It's an interesting political tactic: the Prime Minister just stonewalling, time after time, on promises and words that are in transcripts and that were recorded on television and on devices and completely refusing to acknowledge words that he used before the election. We're seeing a growing list of broken promises. Indeed, we heard yesterday from the Leader of the Opposition the top 10 shameful promises that have not been met by this government. We've seen, of course, their promise to bring power bills down by $275. We even had members of the frontbench confirm it in interjections across the dispatch box: 'Yes, we did promise to reduce power prices by $275, but by 2025.' Well, I hate to break it to the government, but, with every single year of price rises of over a thousand dollars, that task gets even harder. Does anybody seriously believe that the Prime Minister will be able to deliver $275 power and energy price reductions by 2025? They promised cheaper mortgages. Every time we ask the Prime Minister if he stands by his position on cheaper mortgages, he disingenuously says: 'Well, I didn't want to mislead the Australian people about cheaper mortgages. I was talking about our shared equity plan.' There's only one problem: their shared equity plan does not exist. It was supposed to start on 1 January. That's at least two months ago, and we have not seen this so-called shared equity plan, a very token policy, to date. We saw that they promised cost-of-living relief. Indeed, all of us will remember the drop to the papers, with the Prime Minister on the front with a supercilious smile, promising these cost-of-living reductions. Does anybody seriously think that the Labor Party ever thought they could deliver on those promises? Does anyone seriously think that the Prime Minister thought he could deliver on these promises? What we see now is a prime minister who wants to entirely divorce himself from speaking about the economy. It should be no surprise to the Australians watching on television, the Australians throughout our country and, indeed, the Australians visiting our parliament today that a prime minister who, on day one of the election campaign, did not know the cash rate and did not know the unemployment rate—someone who didn't know those two things—is someone who now sits in a very important chair in this chamber and does not want to speak about the economy. Indeed, he has no understanding or interest in economic matters. The message to the Prime Minister and his party is: Australians are very concerned. Australians are concerned about the pressures that they're facing. At 2.30 today, we saw an announcement that the Reserve Bank has increased interest rates again by 0.25 per cent. I'm not sure how that fits into the strategy and the promise around cheaper mortgages from this Prime Minister, but I've never seen less empathy come from a leader in this parliament. I'm not just confecting it. I have not seen a prime minister who refuses to empathise with the millions of Australians who now, every single month, when they get the letter or the email from the bank saying, 'Your mortgage has gone up,' have to make very binary decisions. Those decisions are: 'Do I send my child on a school camp? What do I buy from the supermarket? Do I fill up the car, or do I just not drive?' These are the binary decisions that are being made by Australians, yet we've got a prime minister who stands there refusing to even acknowledge that he made those promises. He refuses to acknowledge that those words came out of his mouth. That is an extraordinary insult to the Australian people. My advice for the Prime Minister is: apologise. Australians are very understanding people. Provided you can prove that you didn't always know that you couldn't make that promise—and, to be frank, I think there are a couple of promises here that fall into that category—the least he could do is apologise, level with the Australian people and saying: 'I'm sorry; I cannot deliver that commitment of reducing power prices by $275. I'm sorry; Labor's inflationary budget and spending has now meant that we can't deliver cheaper mortgages. I'm sorry that we can't deliver cost-of-living relief, as we promised before the election.' But they're making it up as they go, and the Australian people are the ones who are paying the price. We also see throughout question time a cavalcade of questions around their big-borrowing and big-spending funds. How many questions have we seen over the last few weeks in relation to their $15 billion reconstruction fund and their $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund? Let me turn to the Housing Australia Future Fund, as the shadow minister for housing used as an example. It will add to borrowing of $10 billion a year. If there's one message that the Reserve Bank has given the government, it's: 'Stop spending.' Why? It's because every single billion dollars that the government puts into the economy is a billion dollars that the Reserve Bank has to try to take out in higher interest rates. And so, when we hear question after question lauding the $25 billion of additional borrowing, all we are hearing from the Labor Party is that they are dedicated to pouring fuel on the inflation fire. That's why what we are suffering in Australia—yes, there are global inflationary impacts—is predominantly Labor inflation. That's what we are seeing. We've also seen from the government that the Labor Party is obviously ensuring that they don't bite the hand that feeds them, unleashing the unions onto small businesses throughout this country, creating a less competitive environment for our small businesses. What on earth does the government think that's going to do for inflation? It is making it more difficult for small businesses to employ people. It is making it more difficult for small businesses that have unique circumstances and now have to deal with the prospect of pattern bargaining. All of that is going to make the job much more difficult for the Reserve Bank and will force them, thanks to the Labor Party, to continue jacking up rates. We know that the Prime Minister doesn't face these issues. The Prime Minister talks about it in his latest broken promise, on superannuation, decrying those individuals who have worked hard, abided by the law and followed the rules to provide for their retirement. The Prime Minister's defined benefit superannuation is conservatively valued at anywhere from $5 million to $10 million. I think that highly shows that he is entirely devoid of understanding the pressures that those people face. The Prime Minister and Treasurer studiously avoided dealing with defined benefits superannuation in their announcement—their broken promise. Again, the Prime Minister was saying: 'It's not really a broken promise, because it only affects 0.5 per cent of people. If it only affects a small number of people, even though I said I would not touch superannuation before the election, it actually isn't a real promise. It's not a real promise, because it's 0.5 per cent of people and it's those nasty people who've made a bit of money.' And then we find out yesterday by happenstance in the Senate that it's actually 10 per cent of people. And who's it going to hit the most? It's going to hit people in their 20s and 30s. They're the people who are going to be hit. The Treasurer joked, 'Oh, that's 30 years away.' What does the genius think superannuation is? It's about investments for decades into the future. We see a succession of broken promises. We don't see this Prime Minister apologising. We see no empathy. Sadly, it's the Australian people who are suffering under a Labor government that always gets the big economic calls wrong. 15:32 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro It's quite ironic. You sit here, and it's like the last decade didn't happen. Somehow we've heard from the shadow minister that every policy that they didn't implement didn't happen. There were 22 energy policies, and they didn't land one. Four gigawatts came out of the electricity market; only one gigawatt went in. Apparently, that had no impact on energy prices. It is gobsmacking. Apparently, when you rip money out of universities and TAFE, it's not going to have an impact on skills shortages across the country. Apparently, when you're in it for power and you're not in it for action, that's not going to count. You've had 10 years to do something. You've done nothing. Standing here with a straight face saying that, in nine months, everything that's happened has been our fault is hilarious. Let's hide from the Australian people the electricity increases before the election. Let's change the regulation so we don't actually have to tell the truth to the Australian people. That's absolute hypocrisy. But I'm not going to dwell on the negativity of those opposite, because Australians don't want short-term politicking. They don't want short-term issues. They don't want scare campaigns. Australians are after positive plans—they want a government with vision—and that's exactly what we've been implementing. We have put significant measures in place to reduce the cost of living. The cost of medicines has gone down. The cost of child care has gone down. We've been getting wages moving. There are fee-free TAFE places. We've got an energy relief plan. We've expanded paid parental leave, because we on this side of the House are looking to build a strong economic future for the regions, one where we invest in local manufacturing, in our energy grid, in training and in regional connectivity. Yet all we've heard from those opposite is 'no'—no to the National Reconstruction Fund, no to the Housing Australia Future Fund and no to the safeguard mechanism. Not only are we working to clean up a decade of waste and a decade of stagnation in ideas and delivery; those opposite don't even want to support the future needs of Australia. The opposition want to say no to diversifying and transforming our future industries, despite the lessons we learnt from the pandemic. We're ensuring regional manufacturing reaches its economic potential. Our $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund will create a strong and diverse economy for more sustainable, high-value jobs for all Australians. Our $1.9 billion Powering the Regions Fund will support new clean energy industries and support our net zero economy. The Powering the Regions Fund will keep Australian industry competitive in a changing global economy and ensure our regions thrive. We're listening to regional communities about the infrastructure they need now and into the future, and we don't need to make those decisions based on a colour-coded spreadsheet. We're delivering $750 million through our Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. We're ensuring regional roads are fit for purpose, including through our $37.4 million investment in the Brindabella Road upgrades, which have been welcomed by locals, and $100 million towards the first stages of the Barton Highway upgrade to improve safety and freight efficiency. It's been welcomed by locals, including the Yass Valley Council, and, I'm sure, by many people in this chamber who drive on that road frequently. In many communities that I visit, people talk to me about the need for housing. It's essential for attracting people to and retaining people in those areas. You can't accept a job if you don't have a roof over your head. That's why this government has taken on the challenge, one abandoned by those opposite. We'll support housing through the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund and the regional first home buyer guarantee. The fund will be the single biggest investment by a federal government in social and affordable housing in more than a decade. Only a Labor government will prioritise a secure pipeline of funding for social and affordable housing. Since its launch, more than 2,000 people have accessed the regional first home buyer guarantee, which has been fantastic for our regions. Close to home, I've been told by those affected by bushfires that a lack of connectivity deepens the distress of disaster. During COVID, I heard of the importance of connectivity for students and businesses in particular. We recognise how important fast and reliable connectivity is to our regional, rural and remote communities. That's why we've invested $656 million in our Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia to deliver change. For business, education, entertainment and staying in touch with family and friends, having patchy, slow and unreliable connectivity isn't good enough anymore. That's why, after 10 years of poor technology choices by the former government, we're committed to enabling the NBN's full potential. As part of this plan, we're investing $2.4 billion to expand NBN full-fibre upgrades to an additional 1.5 million Australian premises. Importantly, this includes over 660,000 in regional communities, which will make a significant difference. In my own electorate of Eden-Monaro, we are improving mobile coverage in identified locations, like the Kings Highway, the Snowy Mountains Highway, the Monaro Highway and the Princes Highway, as part of our $40 million Improving Mobile Coverage Round. Before our Jobs and Skills Summit, I heard from business owners who told me that the lack of training has left our regions with an insufficient number of tradies—that the defunding of TAFE has restricted growth and slowed down expansion. Training initiatives will go towards addressing these systemic problems. We're ensuring that we provide a stronger education and training system for people in regional communities. As I said, there'll be 180,000 fee-free TAFE places across the country, many of them in our regional locations, and we're giving regional Australians priority access to 20,000 extra Commonwealth-supported places at university. There'll also be $158.5 million worth of measures to address teacher shortages. Support is now also available for apprentices working in the clean energy sector, as part of our New Energy Apprenticeships Program. Through this, we'll provide up to $10,000 in financial assistance to apprentices working in the clean energy sector. This will allow a pipeline of skilled workers to support our clean energy infrastructure now and into the future. I'm sure many people in this place receive a large number of representations from constituents facing considerable hardship in accessing health services in our predominantly rural and remote communities, which is no surprise to me and something that should have been addressed by those opposite. Even in big centres like Yass, Queanbeyan, Cooma and Bega, the ongoing crisis in health workforce recruitment and retention creates daily challenges for people seeking timely and affordable access to routine health services. These difficulties are only exacerbated by the disappearance of bulk-billing GPs. We're committed to improving this and tackling the regional skills crisis. We're incentivising doctors and nurse practitioners to work in rural and remote areas. By wiping their HELP debt, we could save these health professionals between $20,000 and $70,000 a year, and we expect this will attract 850 doctors and nurse practitioners to rural and remote Australia every year across the country, and these communities will be better off under Labor. We know that Australia needs to respond to the brunt of natural disasters. That's why we have a billion dollars over five years for the Disaster Ready Fund for mitigation projects like flood levies, cyclone shelters, firebreaks and evacuation centres across Australia. The former government's Emergency Response Fund didn't complete a single mitigation project or release a single cent in recovery funding but earnt the former government over $800 million in interest. Unfortunately, it left us dangerously unprepared for increasing natural disasters. But we won't repeat the mistakes of those opposite. In my own electorate of Eden-Monaro, I've announced that eight organisations and local governments will share in over $2.6 million in federal funding from the $29 million Disaster Risk Reduction Fund. This will support preparedness and prevention strategies and risk mitigation initiatives—something that community members who have been impacted by multiple floods and multiple bushfires have welcomed. We want to be better prepared come the next natural disaster. And our government will implement the Growing Regions Program and the Precincts and Partnerships Program to deliver real transformation our regions need. The Albanese government continues to clean up the mess left by those opposite. We have a strong vision for regional Australia. We will continue to deliver. We will stand with people when they need us most. We will deliver funding to those who need it when they need it. And only this side of the House is prepared with a positive plan for our future. 15:42 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina Jayawardene, Daryll Cullinan and Gary Kirsten all share the same highest test score. I know the member for Banks here is a bit of a cricket tragic, like me. He would know that that highest score is a number that the Prime Minister won't ever talk about, because it's 275. And I say that because the Prime Minister is going to India. He's going to the fourth test. When he's with Narendra Modi, who happens to be a real cricket tragic, he might want to talk about cricket, and he might get onto that highest score by those three test greats. I remind the House and I remind the Prime Minister again, it's 275—a number that, for some odd reason, just can't come out of his mouth, can't come out of his lips. I wonder why that would be, Member for Banks. Why has the Prime Minister suddenly turned away from 275? Mr Coleman 241067 Because he used to say it a lot! Mr McCORMACK 219646 He used to say it a lot. I'll make it really easy for him, because it's a number between 274 and 276. It's 275. Before the election, he said it 97 times. He stood at press conferences. He said 275. He stood in front of hi-vis workers. He said 275. He probably said it with pharmacists behind him—275. Why did he say the number 275? Is it because he likes that test high score by those three test greats that I mentioned? Or is it because he was talking about the amount of money that Labor was going to cut from power bills across the country? We all now know that $275 promise was a fib—a fib to get votes; a fib to convince people that somehow Labor cared about people's power prices; that somehow Labor cared that, when businesses and families went to turn on the switch, they were suddenly going to get a lower power bill. No. They broke that promise. Because that's what Labor governments do. Prior to an election, they say something; after the election, they do something else completely. You can never, ever trust Labor. Don't ever trust Labor for what they say they are going to do. Remember always what Labor does—push prices up. Today, unfortunately, we've got another rate rise. Another rate rise that's going to have such an impost on those mortgaged homebuyers, those people who are paying off a house. The greatest investment they'll ever make has just become that much more difficult, that much dearer. That's the Labor way. They never, ever see a tax they don't want to jack up. They never, ever see a policy proposal they don't want to put in place if it's going to cost people more. That's the Labor way. When the Prime Minister goes to India, I wish him well. I do. I hope his trade mission is a success. I know he's going with some high-powered players. I know he's going with Alan Joyce and Andrew Forrest and others. I wish him well in his endeavours, because we do need good trade with India. It's one of our largest trading partners. But when he's talking to India's prime minister, I do need him to remember that those trading relationships are built on trust. And the Prime Minister and the Labor Party have broken that trust with the Australian people. I also want him to remember that trade is built on jobs and opportunities for businesses that rely on lower power prices. When the Prime Minister said 97 times prior to the election that he was going to give a $275 power bill cut, he didn't mean it. We all know he didn't mean it. He didn't mean it. We knew it wouldn't happen, because that's the Prime Minister's way and that's the Labor way. He leads a party with weasel words. They say something prior to an election and do something else completely once they're elected. They've conned the Australian people yet again. But you know what? The Australian people are wise to it. They know what's happening, and they won't—hopefully—make the same mistake again. They'll remember that $275 broken promise, and they'll make sure that they kick this mob out. That's where Labor belongs—being kicked out. 15:47 Dr REID 300126 Robertson It's always an entertaining session from the member for Riverina. What I think it shows is that the opposition are either living in a dream world or their eyes and ears are just permanently shut. It's a real shame, because if they opened their eyes, if they were listening to what's happening on this side of the House or on the television, they'd be able to see that the Albanese Labor government is focused and absolutely committed to providing Australians with stability, confidence and security. Apart from that small tidbit of the budget absolutely heaving with a trillion dollars of Liberal Party debt—which we are working responsibly to repair—we also have the challenge of combating inflation. The Albanese Labor government's plan to combat the challenge of inflation is providing cost-of-living relief—cheaper child care, cheaper medicines, repairing our broken supply chains which have exacerbated our inflation challenges, and showing some spending restraint and economic maturity. That's something that the Liberal Party seem to know absolutely nothing about, yet you hear them raving on the television and raving in this chamber about how they're superior economic managers. It beggars belief and makes me laugh. I'm glad members are here. I'm glad they're all gathered around. Let's just examine a small part of the path that this shameful Liberal and National coalition has taken—a path where they have turned their back on the Australian people. They're an opposition who every question time will have a question relating to energy, yet didn't support the energy bill relief for vulnerable Australians. They're an opposition who believe that our manufacturing should be done offshore and, therefore, an opposition who doesn't back Australian industry. They're an opposition who doesn't back research, doesn't back Australian science, doesn't back Australian innovation and doesn't back Australian know-how. Even more devastatingly, they're an opposition who don't back Australians. Imagine being the so-called alternative government of this country and not backing the people that you came here to represent. They're an opposition who don't support housing for our people, like for women over the age of 50—the fastest-growing group of homeless people in this country. They're not backing housing policy for Indigenous people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. They're not backing a housing policy for our veteran community—people who have put their lives on the line for this nation to preserve our sovereignty—and for those fleeing family and domestic violence. Let's quickly go through what our government—the Albanese Labor government—is doing for the Australian people. We're providing an increase in the minimum wage, a pay rise for aged-care workers and cheaper early childhood education for millions of Australians, including thousands in my electorate on the Central Coast. That's because Labor know the importance of ensuring children get good foundations in their education. We know that this will ensure that people who want to re-enter the workforce can. Most importantly, it is a targeted, responsible cost-of-living measure. We're providing 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave, because no-one should have to choose between going to work and their safety. We convened a Jobs and Skills Summit and established Jobs and Skills Australia. We've finally ended the cashless debit card. We expanded the Commonwealth seniors health card. We established a Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. This one I'm particularly proud of: we passed a climate change bill and updated Australia's climate change targets. We are now advancing a voice to parliament—constitutional recognition for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, and a voice. We're not talking about people outside the parliament making decisions for the nation. We are simply asking the people who actually live with the issues at hand, who actually truly represent the communities we are discussing, to help us understand their perspectives of the issues and how they affect them. We don't and shouldn't profess to know everything about everything. The most powerful piece of knowledge is knowing when you are missing key information. It's the idea that consulting people with lived experience, and therefore expert knowledge, is what matters. We're repairing international relations and establishing an anticorruption commission, and that's what the Albanese Labor government is about. 15:52 Ms BELL 282981 Moncrieff Can I say, it's always a pleasure to go after the member for Riverina. He fires up, and everything that he said here in this chamber today is absolutely true, and I agree with every word. At the last election, the Prime Minister promised that life would be better and cheaper under a Labor government. This was a promise he made to the country. Ten months and many, many broken promises later, life has not been better and life has not been cheaper. In fact, life is harder and life is more expensive under an Albanese Labor government. The first promise he made, as the member for Riverina and many that came after him pointed out, was to reduce your electricity bill by $275. He said that 97 times. Gobsmacking! Ninety-seven times on national TV, in print and on radio, the Prime Minister said that your electricity bill would go down by $275. And we've never heard it again from this Prime Minister. It's crickets from those opposite. It's crickets in India. The Prime Minister will be there, and it will be crickets from the Prime Minister to Prime Minister Modi when they talk about that number—$275. Labor promised they would keep mortgage costs and inflation low. But we continue to watch as interest rates go up, forcing families to struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Labor promised they wouldn't touch franking credits. But they've been caught out adding two sneaky tax grabs on Australian shareholders. Tricky Tony's done it. Labor promised cheaper child care. But centres are struggling to cover the increasing costs of rent, food and wages, and their fees are going up. In fact, child care costs in December went up a whopping 4.5 per cent. Out-of-pocket costs have already gone up 4.5 per cent under this government. That's the largest quarterly increase outside the reversal of COVID measures since 2007. Instead of delivering support for Australian families who need it most, Labor continues to deliver nothing but broken promises. And, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, today it did! While you struggle to pay your electricity bill or you take that second job to put food on the table, interest rates have gone up again. Labor have decided to break another promise and whack you again. Labor are trying to dip their greedy little hands into your superannuation—and it's not theirs to put their hands into. It's yours! Then they lied to Australians about whether it would affect them or not. They were exposed in the other place by their own finance minister, who admitted that, actually, one in 10 Aussies will be affected by the changes—not the original 80,000 Australians that the Prime Minister said. It's moving the goalposts and broken promises: they just cannot be trusted. This Labor government wants to take more of your hard-earned money during the cost-of-living crisis and use it for whatever they see fit. That's the problem with Labor; it's never your money. Even if you work hard for it, they see it as their money. And it won't stop at superannuation; that will only be the beginning. They haven't ruled out changes to negative gearing or changes to capital gains tax. Even if they've promised not to touch you, can you trust Labor? Can you trust 'Tricky Tony'? As the shadow minister for youth, I ask— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 Member for Moncrieff; I had hoped you'd learnt from your first error. Ms BELL 282981 I withdraw, Madam Deputy Speaker— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 Please refer to members by their correct titles. Ms BELL 282981 Certainly, thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As the shadow minister for youth, I ask young people—who we know, historically, vote with Labor and their partners, the Greens: what about your super, when you retire? You'll likely need about $3 million by the time you get to your retirement, and this Prime Minister and Treasurer are not indexing their assault on superannuation. That means the amount won't go up with inflation. Let's think about how Labor are actually setting up the next generation of young people to pay for their grand social agenda. Think about that. To the youth of Australia: Labor is actually setting you up to pay for their future social agenda. As a young person, you cannot afford to trust this Labor government. Labor have said, 'We won't touch your house.' But this government is basically as untrustworthy as the Roald Dahl character Harry Wormwood, Matilda's dodgy second-hand-car-dealing father. At this point, can we trust anything that Labor tells us? We can't. We can't trust Labor to keep promises and we can't trust Labor to run the economy. Labor said it had a plan; its budget shows there is no plan. Australian families deserve to know why Australian families always pay more under Labor. 15:57 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa The Albanese government was elected by Australians to improve their lives, and since May 2022 the government has been working to move away from the inaction of the previous government over the last 10 years. It was 10 years of inaction on health, energy, infrastructure and climate change, and the list goes on. In the short time that we've been in government, we've already delivered on key promises to improve the lives of Australians. The previous government had 22 energy policies and they failed to land one. In less than a year, we've legislated our 2030 emissions target of 43 per cent; our 2050 net zero target; made EVs an option for more drivers; and supported offshore wind farms. And this is only the beginning. Australians expect our government to make up for the wasted decade under the previous government, and that is just what we're doing. Australia must reap the benefits of a clean energy future, and with the introduction of the New Energy Apprenticeships Program, we will provide support for Australians seeking apprenticeships in the clean energy sector, the sector of the future. Australians voted for a government that will deliver on climate change, and we've delivered on that promise. It's good for the climate and it's also good for Australians, because we know it's the cheapest form of energy. It's renewable, and it's good for our standing in the world—to be seen, finally, as somewhere which wants to make the changes necessary to address climate change, especially in the Pacific. We've promised to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, to improve the lives of our older Australians. We've addressed 37 recommendations of the royal commission directly by putting nurses back into nursing homes, introducing mandatory care minutes and ensuring that Australians have access to transparent information on aged-care homes. Our older Australians built this nation, and they deserve to have access to adequate health care and aged care when they need it. We promised to deliver cheaper medicines so Australians could continue to have access to affordable medications and not have to choose which ones to give up. From 1 January 2023, our government reduced the PBS co-payment by $12.50—the first time it's fallen in 75 years. In the months of January and February alone, 3.2 million prescriptions were cheaper, with four out of five receiving the full $12.50 discount. Australians are $36 million better off in just two months of this year. If that is replicated across the entire year, that will save Australians a total of $218 million, but, more importantly, they will get the medications and the health care they deserve. The Albanese government promised to implement our cheaper childcare policy, and on 1 July we will deliver. Around 96 per cent of families in Australia will be better off under this policy. That's 1.26 million families. A family with a combined income of $90,000 with one child in early education and care will be $1,100 better off a year. We've delivered on increasing the income threshold for the Commonwealth seniors health card. Just recently, 10,000 additional older Australians and veterans gained access to the Commonwealth seniors health card. That's 10,000 Australians with access to cheaper medicines and additional benefits. The Albanese government is also delivering on its promise to build more social and affordable housing for the most vulnerable Australians. We passed the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023 in the House in the last sitting. This will be the largest investment by a federal government in social and affordable housing in a decade. But the bill was opposed by the coalition, who found an ally in the Greens who abstained on a plan to build 30,000 new social and affordable homes. We promised to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, and this year Australians will have the opportunity to vote on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. There isn't enough time in the debate today to discuss everything our government has accomplished since it was elected, but I am also thinking about the National Anti-Corruption Commission, getting wages moving and the Energy Price Relief Plan. All on this side of the House are committed every day to making Australia a better, kinder place that delivers our positive agenda to improve the lives of all Australians. Unfortunately, those opposite seem to continue to say no. We know what Australians voted for, and we will continue to do our plan. 16:02 Mr VIOLI 300147 Casey Before I spend some time talking about the broken promises of this Albanese government, particularly in my electorate of Casey, I would remind those opposite and especially my friend the member for Robertson, who I do like and respect—I notice that he went with the $1 trillion debt claim. I expect that from the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, but, and I know I've spoken to him about it before, the budget papers are very clear: it's $514 billion in net debt. It's in the papers. It would be nice if we could stick to facts in these discussions. But onto the broken promises from this government: the residents of Casey know that the Albanese government have broken promises. The roads for communities program was slated to seal over 150 kilometres of roads in my electorate. We have over 734 kilometres of unsealed roads in the seat of Casey. This project was needed to improve lives, improve safety, get people home quicker and allow emergency services access to our most remote areas, and it had bipartisan support. Prime Minister Albanese, when he was in opposition, committed to this program 'to build the safe roads our communities need'. In the October budget, he ripped that money out of our community, and he broke his promise. I was at the Kallista Flood Watch event last Thursday night. I want to thank Mark and Karen from Kallista Flood Watch for organising that event and the many residents who turned up and shared their stories. There are many stories that were really impactful, and I would love to share them all today, but I can't. I think the one that impacted us the most was from Mel, who was the last speaker of the night. She shared her story of how her four-wheel drive was rolling backwards on a dirt road, and it was a matter of seconds and just good luck, as she said, that her car with her daughter in it didn't roll backwards onto a main road and get hit by a truck that had just gone past the intersection. That's what we're talking about. By ripping this money out of my community, by breaking its promise, the Albanese government is putting the lives of the residents of Casey at risk. They said it at the time. Under questioning in December, the department admitted that this project improves safety. They have broken their promise and ripped this money out of our community. I'm calling on the Albanese government to put this money back into the May budget and admit that they made a mistake and broke a promise. Over 20,000 residents in Casey are impacted. They live on these roads every day—whether it's the safety risk or whether it's the health risk of breathing in the dust. And there are many others who travel these roads on a daily basis. So I call on the government to return that funding to our community. It's not just dirt roads in Casey that this government have broken their promise on. There is $110 million for the Wellington Road duplication that, again, they committed to when in opposition and are now refusing to fund. That is impacting the residents of Casey, La Trobe and Aston. That is a road that would get emergency services onto our mountains in a time of emergency and allow residents to get off. This government needs to also pressure the state Labor government in Victoria to spend the $20 million to upgrade Killara Road. That money was funded in 2019. The state government was given $20 million to deliver that project in 2019. That project has not started. The state Labor government in Victoria is now talking about pulling that funding into other projects, which we in the outer east know is code for 'suburban rail link'. The Albanese government needs to pressure the Victorian government to deliver on their promise to fix the Killara Road intersection. It's a dangerous intersection. Sean Bethell, a CFA captain, has advocated and spoken repeatedly about how important this funding is. It's getting worse because a bike pump track has been installed about 500 metres down the road from that intersection. We have now got young children leaving the estate to go and get some exercise and crossing Melba Highway—crossing a major road—with no lights. Lives are at risk. The Victorian state government need to deliver on this promise. The Albanese government need to make sure they honour the commitment they made when they received that $20 million from the federal government. These are just two examples of this Albanese Labor government continuing to break their promises, leaving the residents of Casey worse off. 16:07 Mr LIM 300130 Tangney In my electorate of Tangney, we have so many people crying out loudly about the cost of living. I recently went doorknocking in the leafy suburb of Shelley, overlooking the Swan River. I spoke to many householders, and this was the first concern on people's minds. Once upon a time, $100 could get you pretty far. Now, you pay the same amount of money, but you get a fraction of the value. Tangney is an electorate which is filled with hard workers. Having migrated to the electorate of Tangney when I first came to Australia from Malaysia, my family chose to live in this area because it is full of aspirational people who want to do well and have a comfortable life. As a result, Tangney is seen as being very affluent and privileged in comparison to other areas. But that does not mean that the everyday concern of things being more expensive does not affect them. Tangney also has a lot of self-funded retirees. They do not benefit from the Commonwealth by accessing the pension, because the value of their assets is too high. But that doesn't mean that they have infinite cash flow. One key benefit which many in my electorate were excited about was the passing of changes to access the Commonwealth's seniors health card. Since November last year, single, self-funded retirees who have reached the government age pension age of 66½ years can now qualify for a concessional senior health card, where their income is $90,000. Couples can get cards where their joint annual income is $144,000. If a couple is separated by illness, this was increased to $180,000. This was so significant, because, under the last government, it was only $57,000 for singles, but now it is $90,000. It was only $92,000 for a couple, but now it is $144,000. It was $115,000 for couples separated by illness, but now, under the Labor government, it is $180,000. I was contacted by so many constituents thanking this Labor government for the expansion of this benefit. Also for the first time in this 75-year history, the maximum cost of general scripts under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, otherwise known as the PBS, has fallen. Since 1 January 2023, millions of Australians pay almost 30 per cent less for their PBS scripts, with the maximum general co-payment dropping from $42.50 to $30. This amount will then be indexed on the first day of every new year from 1 January 2024. This means that someone taking one medication a month could save as much as $150 every year, or for two or three medications, they could save as much as $300 to $450 a year. Many of my constituents were also extremely happy about these changes. I doorknocked almost 20,000 houses in every suburb, which the previous member did not do at all. So, when I talk about what our government has delivered for the people to help them with their everyday, I can say with confidence, based on my conversations speaking with everyday Australians within my electorate, a lot. Our government is serious about delivering our election commitments and easing the cost-of-living pressure left by the former Liberal government. I'm so proud to say we have done it, we will continue to do it, and we, as a team, will deliver a better future for Australians. 16:11 Mr WILLCOX 286535 Dawson I rise today to express my and my electorate's disappointment on the Albanese Labor government's ongoing list of broken election promises. During the 2022 election campaign, we were promised that Australians would be better off under Labor. Ten months into the Albanese government's leadership, it is clear history is repeating itself. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised many election commitments, then left a trail of backflips and broken promises. Following in Kevin Rudd's footsteps, Prime Minister Albanese is on record prior to the election stating that he would not meddle with retirement savings if Labor were elected. He said, 'We have no intention of making any super changes.' Yet the Prime Minister and his Treasurer announced only a couple of weeks ago that they were, in fact, coming after our super. Prime Minister Albanese claims that these changes will only affect a small number of Australians, yet they have failed to consult industry and peak bodies and are forgetting about our farmers. For many farmers, their land and their farms are their superannuation, and it is common practice to hold land assets in superannuation. Labor's announcement throws up significant uncertainty for family farms, with scant detail on things like grandfathering, treatment of re-evaluations and the impact on lending in a climate of rising interest rates. Labor promised that no-one would be held back and no-one would be left behind, but 30 per cent of Australians who live in regional areas have been left behind. Under Labor, the regions have had over $6 billion cut from their dam funding, opportunities that have been taken away. We have seen mobile black spot funding slashed and road infrastructure funding slashed. Multimillion dollar regional programs have been scrapped under Labor, including the Energy Security and Regional Development Plan, the Regional Accelerator Program, the Community Development Fund and the Building Better Regions Fund. They're all gone. Since Labor, groceries are eight per cent higher. The Albanese Labor government have done nothing to combat workforce shortages, which are driving prices up. Instead, they decided to scrap the coalition ag visa, leaving farmers with uncertainty and consumers with food shortages. The Albanese government promised that power prices would be reduced by $275. This was not just a slip of the tongue. This promise was repeated over 97 times. It's another broken promise. Treasurer Chalmers has forecast electricity prices will rise by 23 per cent in 2023. He provided no new relief measures for households in his October budget and no future plan. Australians with mortgages are buckling under the pressure, and the RBA has just lifted interest rates for the 10th consecutive time. The Albanese government's only solution to this is to break promises and to increase taxes. The Albanese Labor government has also turned its back on vulnerable Australians by slashing mental health support. This is a tragic repeat of history, as the current health minister cut the same program back in 2011. The Albanese government has once again disregarded experts, peak bodies and medical professionals, who have all called for these psychology sessions to be reinstated. Let's not forget that, leading up to the 2022 federal election, Prime Minister Albanese and his party promised there would be no carbon tax. Labor promised that not a single Australian coalmine would be impacted by their policy to reduce carbon emissions, but after the election the Albanese government said that any new gas or coal project would automatically come under the remit of the safeguard mechanism, which is essentially the carbon tax 2.0. As we can all see, history shows us that the Labor Party are very good at making promises but are just not very good at keeping them. Australians are struggling under the Albanese government. Australians are not better off under the Albanese government. Why do we always pay more under Labor? 16:16 Ms FERNANDO 299964 Holt During the federal election last year, the Australian Labor Party, led by the current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, promised to deliver a better future for every Australian. We are dealing with circumstances that occur once in a generation. With the substantial slowdown of economies around the world, an environment of high inflation, the RBA recommendation to raise interest rates and a succession of natural disasters, the Albanese Labor government is facing unique situations that no-one could foresee. Yet we have gotten on with tackling these challenges, introducing a range of policies that will benefit this country not only for months to come but even for the coming decades. Indeed, this government can be aptly described by Joe Kennedy's saying, 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going.' For the first time in its 75-year history, the maximum cost of general scripts under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, known as the PBS, has fallen. Australians began paying 30 per cent less for PBS scripts from 1 July this year, meaning someone taking one medication a month could save as much as $150 annually. This change brings significant relief to millions of Australians like me, who depend on PBS medications. The maximum cost for PBS medications has doubled since 2000, and I am proud the Albanese Labor government is delivering on its commitment to reduce medication costs. Similarly, childcare costs ballooned over the last few years due to the continued apathy of the Liberal-National coalition government. I am glad the Albanese government has locked in more affordable early education for families in Holt. The passage of the cheaper childcare legislation means that, from July this year, around 96 per cent of families with a child in early childhood education and care will benefit. It will also mean the childcare subsidy for families earning $80,000 or less will increase to 90 per cent. A family with a combined income of $120,000 with one child in care will be $1,780 better off in the first year under the reforms. This policy delivers real cost-of-living relief while boosting productivity. It is a significant reform that is good for children, good for families and good for the economy. As a TAFE student who completed a certificate IV in patisserie and a diploma in hospitality management I was thrilled to speak about this government's fee-free TAFE policy at William Angliss alumni International Women's Day breakfast last week. School leavers and people in Holt wanting to retrain, upskill and re-enter the workforce are encouraged to enrol in one of more than 55,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places on offer in Victoria in 2023. Along with tackling skill shortages, these places will benefit the people of Holt by providing opportunities for school leavers and people wanting to retrain or upskill to get back into the workforce. The Albanese Labor government is investing in our greatest resources, our people, to give them the skills and training they need to harness the jobs and opportunities of the future. Whether it's the need to build our care sector, construction, hospitality and tourism, or technology and digital sectors, we must deliver these skills during the acute skill shortages. We have a government that delivers and an opposition that refuses to learn anything other than saying no. They say no to a National Reconstruction Fund, no to the Housing Australia Future Fund, no to the safeguard mechanisms and clean energy, no to a First Nations' Voice to Parliament—just simply plain no. The Albanese Labor government is working to clean up a decade of waste and a decade of stagnation in ideas and delivery. Still those opposite don't want to support future Australian needs. The only people who have broken these promises are the opposition. They promised to learn from their mistakes after the last federal election but have repeatedly demonstrated they are far from doing so. I thank the House. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The discussion is now concluded. BILLS 1376 BILLS Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022 1376

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022

Second Reading 1376 16:22 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 In accordance with standing order 133(b), I shall now proceed to put the question on the motion moved on the second reading of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill of 2022 on which a division was called for and deferred in accordance with the standing orders. No further debate is allowed. The SPEAKER 53517 The matter before the House is the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022. The question is that this bill be read a second time.    

The House divided. [16:26]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

88 AYES Aly, A. Ananda-Rajah, M. Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Bowen, C. E. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Chandler-Mather, M. Chaney, K. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Conroy, P. M. Daniel, Z. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Freelander, M. R. Garland, C. M. L. Gee, A. R. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. Gosling, L. J. Haines, H. M. Hill, J. C. Husic, E. N. Jones, S. P. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Le, D. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. Murphy, P. J. Neumann, S. K. O'Connor, B. P. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Scrymgour, M. R. Sharkie, R. C. C. Shorten, W. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Spender, A. M. Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Steggall, Z. Swanson, M. J. Templeman, S. R. Thistlethwaite, M. J. Thwaites, K. L. Tink, K. J. Vamvakinou, M. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wilson, J. H. Zappia, A. 52 NOES Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Chester, D. J. Coleman, D. B. Conaghan, P. J. Coulton, M. M. (Teller) Entsch, W. G. Fletcher, P. W. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Joyce, B. T. G. Landry, M. L. Leeser, J. Marino, N. B. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. Morrison, S. J. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pasin, A. Pearce, G. B. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Price, M. L. Ramsey, R. E. (Teller) Roberts, T. G. Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Thompson, P. van Manen, A. J. Vasta, R. X. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Ware, J. L. Webster, A. E. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Young, T. J. 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.
Bill readh a second time.

Consideration in Detail 1377 16:32 Mr CHANDLER-MATHER 300121 Griffith by leave—I move Greens amendments (1) to (3) together: (1) Schedule 4, item 3, page 22 (lines 32 and 33), omit "the disclosure threshold", substitute "$1,000". (2) Schedule 4, item 3, page 23 (lines 1 and 2), "the disclosure threshold", substitute "$1,000". (3) Schedule 4, item 3, page 24 (lines 14 and 15), "the disclosure threshold", substitute "$1,000". The intention of these amendments is to enshrine the $1,000 disclosure limit for donations during referendums. We think it's a sensible policy. It's one that was actually announced by the Labor Party and it will only see the Labor Party fulfilling their promise on donation disclosures. We ask the government to support the amendments. 16:33 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs The government opposes these amendments. It was the great Labor prime minister Bob Hawke who first introduced a funding and disclosure scheme into federal elections in Australia in the 1980s with a $1,000 threshold. Regrettably, under former prime minister John Howard, the Liberal government increased the threshold to $10,000 and indexed that figure, causing it to blow out. Think about this—every member of the House should think about this—the current disclosure threshold is $15,200. The Labor Party has been pursuing donation reform for years, including from opposition, when we introduced legislation to reduce the donation threshold to a fixed $1,000. The Special Minister of State, Senator Farrell, has already asked the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to consider and report back on the proposal of a fixed $1,000 threshold for elections. Any such change would then be replicated in the context of a future referendum under the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act. However, pursuing such a proposal now would not be practical or sensible. We do not wish to add any additional or unanticipated administrative challenges or confusion in the months immediately preceding a referendum. That's why we're opposing this amendment, although the government looks forward to working with the Greens party and others on its electoral reform agenda. The SPEAKER 53517 The question is that the amendments be disagreed to. Question agreed to. 16:35 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah by leave—I move amendments (1) to (3), as circulated in my name, together: (1) Schedule 3, item 2, page 11 (line 26) to page 12 (line 2), omit subsection 3AA(4), substitute: Rebuttable presumption for certain matters (4) Without limiting subsection (1), the dominant purpose of the communication or intended communication of matter that expressly promotes or opposes: (a) any of the referendum options; or (b) a person or entity associated with any of the referendum options; is presumed to be the purpose referred to in subsection (1), unless the contrary is proved. (2) Schedule 3, page 16 (after line 30), after item 17, insert: 17A After Part IX Insert: Part IXA — Misleading and deceptive political advertising 111 Definitions In this Part: engage in conduct means: (a) do an act; or (b) omit to perform an act. publish means communicate by any means, including by print, radio, television, internet or telephone. 112 Referendum matter that is misleading or deceptive etc. Referendum matter that is misleading or deceptive etc. (1) A person must not print, publish or distribute, or cause, permit or authorise to be printed, published or distributed, referendum matter if the matter contains a statement purporting to be a statement of fact that is: (a) misleading or deceptive to a material extent; or (b) likely to mislead or deceive to a material extent. Example 1: Referendum matter that states that a person or entity associated with any of the referendum options made a statement that that person or entity did not make. Note: See also section 122 (Misleading or deceptive publications etc. in relation to the casting of a vote) of this Act. Impersonating or passing-off (2) Without limiting subsection (1), a person must not engage in conduct if: (a) the conduct is likely to cause another person to believe any of the following in relation to referendum matter that is printed, published or distributed: (i) the referendum matter is printed, published or distributed by a particular person or entity associated with any of the referendum options; (ii) a particular person or entity associated with any of the referendum options authorised the referendum matter to be printed, published or distributed; (iii) the referendum matter is authorised by a particular person or entity associated with any of the referendum options; and (b) that belief would be incorrect. Example 1: Referendum matter that purports to have been published by a person or entity associated with any of the referendum options but is actually published by someone opposed to that person or entity or opposed to one or more of the referendum options. Example 2: A pre-recorded telephone message that consists of a voice recording of someone impersonating a person or entity associated with any of the referendum options. 113 Complaints Any person may make a written complaint to the Electoral Commissioner that another person has breached section 112. 114 Powers of Electoral Commissioner Electoral Commissioner may investigate possible breaches (1) The Electoral Commissioner may investigate (whether in response to a complaint made under section 113 or on the Electoral Commissioner's own initiative) a possible breach of section 112 if the Commissioner is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the investigation would be in the public interest. Electoral Commissioner may request person to end breaches (2) If the Electoral Commissioner is satisfied on reasonable grounds (whether or not following an investigation under subsection (1) of this section) that a person has breached section 112, the Electoral Commissioner may: (a) ask the person not to print, publish or distribute the relevant referendum matter, or not to cause, permit or authorise the relevant referendum matter to be printed, published or distributed; or (b) ask the person to publish, or cause to be published, a retraction or correction in specified terms and in a specified way; or (c) publish a correction. 115 Powers of courts (1) On application by: (a) the Electoral Commissioner; or (b) a person who has made a complaint under section 113; a court of competent jurisdiction that is satisfied on reasonable grounds that a person has contravened section 112 may order the person: (c) not to print, publish or distribute the relevant referendum matter, or not to cause, permit or authorise the relevant referendum matter to be printed, published or distributed; or (d) to publish, or cause to be published, a retraction or correction in specified terms and in a specified way. (2) The Electoral Commissioner must not make an application under paragraph (1)(a) in relation to a contravention of section 112 unless the Electoral Commissioner has made a request under subsection 114(2) in relation to the contravention. (3) Without limiting the powers of a court in dealing with an application made under paragraph (1)(b), the court may dismiss such an application if the application: (a) is frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or lacking in substance; or (b) has no reasonable prospects of success; or (c) is otherwise an abuse of the process of the court. 115A Offence (1) A person commits an offence if: (a) the person is subject to a requirement under section 112; and (b) the person engages in conduct; and (c) the person's conduct breaches the requirement. Penalty: 50 penalty units. (2) In a prosecution of a person for an offence against subsection (1), it is a defence if the defendant: (a) took no part in determining the content of the referendum matter to which the offence relates; and (b) could not reasonably be expected to have known that the statement to which the offence relates was misleading or deceptive, or was likely to mislead or deceive. Note: The defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters mentioned in this subsection (see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). (3) If a person is found guilty of an offence against subsection (1) of this section, the court must take the person's response to any relevant request under subsection 114(2) into account in deciding the penalty for the offence. (4) Section 15.2 of the Criminal Code (extended geographical jurisdiction—category B) applies to an offence against subsection (1) of this section. 17B Section 122 (at the end of the heading) Add "in relation to the casting of a vote". 17C After subsection 139(10) Insert: This section does not apply in relation to contraventions of Part IXA (10A) This section does not apply in relation to a contravention of, or an offence against, Part IXA (Misleading and deceptive political advertising). (3) Schedule 3, item 20, page 17 (after line 15), at the end of the item, add: (3) Section 112 of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, as inserted by this Schedule, applies in relation to referendum matter printed, published or distributed on or after the commencement of this Schedule, regardless of when: (a) the writ for the referendum to which the referendum matter relates was issued; or (b) when the content of the matter was approved. These amendments seek to prevent misleading and deceptive advertising in the upcoming referendum campaign. These amendments, which will prohibit misleading or deceptive political advertising and referenda advertising, are a practical, popular and proven way to clean up our politics. They approach the regulation of political advertising with caution and respect for our constitutional freedom of political communication. They are also urgent. We live in a world where our democracy is under attack from disinformation. A vote based on lies and misleading information lacks social licence and divides our communities. It lacks legitimacy and erodes trust in election results. As Brexit demonstrated, referenda are particularly vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation. In his review of every Australian referendum, Scott Bennett concluded that a great deal of exaggeration and distortion is standard fare. Already, baseless claims that the Voice would constitute a third chamber of parliament have polluted the public debate. For this reason, Professors Gabrielle Appleby and Lisa Hill last year recommended enacting truth in political advertising laws to protect the legitimacy of the referendum. Social media companies, such as Facebook, have voluntarily removed misleading and deceptive advertisements from their platforms, based on advice from the RMIT Fact Check team. Almost three-quarters of Australians came across false political advertising during the 2022 federal election campaign. Australians were relentlessly targeted with SMS advertising making all sorts of wild claims. We should have protections against this type of attack in advance of the referendum. Nine out of 10 Australians want truth in political advertising legislated in advance of the next election. Really, in this context, the 'next election' will be this referendum. We should have these protections in place to have a debate grounded in facts that the public can rely on. 16:38 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs The government will be opposing these amendments. They are amendments that seek to introduce a truth in political advertising regime into the referendum machinery legislation. The framework proposed by the amendments that have been moved by the member for Warringah appears to create an offence of printing, publishing, distributing or authorising referendum matter that purports to be a statement of fact that is 'misleading or deceptive to a material extent' or is 'likely to mislead or deceive to a material extent'. As has been clear from the debate on this bill, the intention of this bill is to bring the referendum machinery legislation into line with the Commonwealth Electoral Act. Australia has not had a referendum since 1999, and the referendum legislation needs to be updated in line with modern electoral machinery. The government intends for voters to have an experience at this upcoming referendum that is consistent with their experience at the last federal election. This amendment would introduce a new element beyond this intention, in effect a new framework that has not yet been tried and tested at a federal election. Last year, the Special Minister of State, Senator Farrell, asked the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to consider and report back on the potential for truth in political advertising laws to enhance the integrity and transparency of the system. After the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has deliberated on this matter and reported, the government and the parliament will be in a stronger position to consider how a truth in political advertising framework could be applied to Australia's federal elections and to referendums. That's the time in which the parliament should be considering this kind of proposal, after the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has reported. The SPEAKER 53517 The question is that the amendments be disagreed to.    

The House divided. [16:44]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

 62 AYES Ananda-Rajah, M. Archer, B. K. Bell, A. M. Boyce, C. E. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Chesters, L. M. Claydon, S. C. Collins, J. M. Conaghan, P. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Garland, C. M. L. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Gorman, P. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Howarth, L. R. Landry, M. L. Laxale, J. A. A. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. McCormack, M. F. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. Murphy, P. J. Neumann, S. K. Pasin, A. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Pitt, K. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Ryan, J. C. Scrymgour, M. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Templeman, S. R. Thwaites, K. L. Vamvakinou, M. van Manen, A. J. Ware, J. L. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Zappia, A. 16 NOES Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Chandler-Mather, M. Chaney, K. E. Daniel, Z. Gee, A. R. Haines, H. M. Le, D. Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Sharkie, R. C. C. Spender, A. M. (Teller) Steggall, Z. (Teller) Tink, K. J. Watson-Brown, E. Wilkie, A. D. 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.
Bill agreed to.

 Third Reading 1381 16:48 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. It's disappointing that the opposition has refused to support this bill, a bill that it claims to largely support. In fact, now that the government has agreed, in a show of good faith, to reinstating the 'yes-no' pamphlet, the opposition no longer appears to object to any provision in the bill; the opposition has not moved a single amendment. That is a position that the Liberal Party can continue to prosecute without opposing this bill. Later this year, there will be a referendum to amend the Constitution. The Constitution is the rulebook that governs our nation, yet, for 122 years, our Constitution has failed to recognise the country's first peoples and their more than 60,000 years of continuous connection to this land. The Constitution is the people's document. Politicians can't change it. Only the Australian people can change the Constitution, and I have faith in the Australian people to get this right. Australians understand that constitutional recognition will move Australia forward for everyone. So I say to the Liberal Party, there is still time to support constitutional recognition. There is still time to support the Voice. I urge members of the opposition to keep an open mind and an open heart when it comes to this referendum. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. COMMITTEES 1382 COMMITTEES Treaties Joint Committee 1382 Report 1382 16:51 Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 Fremantle On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's report, entitled Report 206: International Labour Organization Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 by leave—I'm glad to make a statement on the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties report into the International Labour Organization Convention concerning minimum age for admission to employment. The purpose of the convention is to effectively advance the abolition of child labour, to see it abolished the world over. Child labour by definition means improper, unacceptable harmful forms of work by children, and the abolition of child labour is to be achieved by protecting the right of children to attend school, by regulating the types of economic activity that may be undertaken by children and by ensuring that children's health, safety and morals will be protected. The convention contains three key obligations. Members that ratify are to specify the age of completion of compulsory schooling, which, in any case, shall be not less than 15 years of age, as the minimum age of admission to employment. They are to establish 18 years as the minimum age for hazardous work or 16 years where certain protections are in place and, where permitted by national law, specify the conditions for children no younger than 13 years to undertake light work. While there's no Commonwealth legislation governing the minimum age for employment or work in Australia, while practices across jurisdictions differ, it is nevertheless the case that state and territory legislation governing school attendance in effect sets 15 years as the minimum age for employment or work. Although Australian law does not specifically preclude a person under the age of 16 from engaging in hazardous work, the committee was made aware of a combination of work place health and safety laws, compulsory schooling requirements and sector-specific regulations that effectively limit its occurrents in most fundamental respects. Like other international labour organisation conventions, this agreement provides flexibility mechanisms to accommodate the differing legal systems of members. Australia plans to rely on one such mechanism, article 4, to exclude from the application of the convention limited categories of work. These would be categories that allow children under 13 years to undertake light work like delivering newspapers or pamphlets or working in a family enterprise like a farm or market stall either because it's permitted by existing state and territory legislation or because the type of work occurs in practice, and the available evidence suggests to us that such work is undertaken in beneficial circumstances without impact on the health and wellbeing of children. It is worth noting that Australia has not exactly moved swiftly to ratify this convention and will in fact be the 176th country to do so. Considering that we exist in a region where relatively few nations have ratified the convention where preventing child labour is a relevant challenge, Australia's ratification will strengthen our credibility when it comes to promoting strong measures to eliminate child labour in the Asia-Pacific. For all those reasons, the committee supports the convention and has recommended that binding treaty action be taken. I thank the deputy chair, our fellow committee members and the secretariat for their work on this inquiry. On behalf of the committee, I commend this report to the House. 16:55 Mr THOMPSON 281826 Herbert by leave—I thank the House for the opportunity to make a brief statement on this report. It would surprise no-one that Australians do not believe children should be engaged in child labour. It's been a long-held view and something which has not been allowed for a very long time. Children should be just that—children. They shouldn't need to worry about a job, especially one in which they are exploited. They should be focusing first and foremost on their education. The responsibility for laws which govern the arrangements around whether young people can work lies with the state and territory governments. While it might come as a surprise to some Australians that it's taken so many decades for our country to sign up to this convention, we have more or less been complying with it the entire time. So it is good that the Australian parliament is saying to the world formally that we agree with the intent of the convention and that is something we should all support, which is why the committee has agreed that binding treaty action should be taken. In doing so, we join 175 other countries around the world that have committed to eliminating child labour through the convention. Importantly, the convention does allow some flexibility, which is something I raised during the public hearings. Not every young person fits the cookie cutter mould when it comes to going to school; my own experience attests to that. So it's good that there are some exemptions for apprenticeships, which are effectively work in conjunction with education. It also doesn't mean we will put an end to the newspaper or catalogue runs by young people in the neighbourhoods or the stocking of shelves at family-run convenience stores. Hopefully, as was mentioned through the committee process, the ratification of this convention will go some way to allowing us to show leadership in our part of the world. As we know, this is a significant issue in developing nations in our region. We need to be able to say to our Asia-Pacific neighbours that child labour is not okay. This move gives us that edge. I thank the committee members, those who made submissions and the secretariat for their work on this, and I commend the report to the House. BILLS 1383 BILLS National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022 1383

National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022

Second Reading 1383 16:58 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina I'm glad the member for Moreton is in the House to listen to my contribution on the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022, because—that's the bloke—that's the member who, on 1 November 2021, said: My grandfather was a grader driver during the Great Depression. If a road hasn't had a grader on it since the Thirties why on earth would a responsible federal government make it a priority now while the population in the bush is decreasing? No doubt your grandfather was a very good man, as you are, member for Moreton. I've been on trips with you. I have been on committee trips with you and I know you are a man of good heart and of good intention. When you wrote that tweet, you were wrong. I know the member for Forrest will back me up and the member for Herbert and anyone who's represented a regional electorate or peri-urban regional electorate will know that when you put bitumen on gravel, you add hope and prosperity to those regions, because it's the regions which are providing the food and fibre for all of Australia and many other countries besides. Indeed, it has a lot to do with the National Reconstruction Fund because, as Labor says, this will provide mostly jobs in the bush. I agree—that's what we want; that's what we need—but we're not going to get jobs in the bush when Labor come to this place and jack the energy prices up, sending them skyrocketing through the roof. We're not going to see manufacturers in regional Australia with the policies of those opposite, who have shown reckless abandon in the past when it comes to the regions. This National Reconstruction Fund, I agree, was part of their policy platform prior to the election, and good on Labor for at least honouring one of the things that they said they were going to do. They didn't tell us that there was not going to be a $275 price cut in power bills. They didn't tell us that they were going to readjust people's superannuation or start to tinker with franking credits. Indeed, they did not tell us that, but they did tell us there was going to be a national reconstruction fund. This is the bill which puts that into the mechanics of the parliament. But is it good policy? Well, Labor comes to this argument, comes to this debate and comes to this motion making out as if there's been no construction happening in Australia at all, let alone in regional Australia, which actually showed the way during COVID. It was regional Australia. Mrs Marino HWP Hear, hear! Mr McCORMACK 219646 I hear, 'Hear, hear!' behind me. I think that was the member for Forrest. Mrs Marino HWP Yes, it was. Mr McCORMACK 219646 It was regional Australia that did this, no thanks to those opposite, who opposed everything that we were trying to do and everything that we did do during COVID. I constantly hear—and it drives me nuts—about this supposed trillion dollars worth of Liberal Party debt. Mrs Marino HWP Rubbish! Mr McCORMACK 219646 It absolutely is rubbish, member for Forrest, because it's nowhere near a trillion dollars—but, then again, facts and figures were never a strong point of those opposite. This bill ignores key economic issues. The key economic issue at the moment is cost of living. There's another really key economic issue, and that is rising energy prices. There is another really key economic issue, and that is labour market shortages. I was speaking to transport operator Peter Rodney, who runs a trucking company out of Wagga Wagga. He has 17 B-doubles backed up against his fence because he can't find drivers, yet what's Labor doing? What's Labor proposing to do? They're going to the states to jack up and whack up the price of fuel, with a 10 per cent price hike on our truckies, who led the way during COVID. They were the real heroes, aside from the nurses and the frontline medical professionals. They were the ones who carried the goods and the personal protection equipment. They are the lifeblood of our nation. No good gets delivered in Australia without a truckie—without someone who puts it on the back of their B-double or their little lorry. I know that's an old-fashioned word, but nothing gets delivered in Australia without the help, in some way, shape or form, of a truckie. What we have at the moment is a Labor government wanting to increase the excise on fuel, and this is just a disgrace. It's a 10 per cent increase for our truckies. And it's not only that; they're also trying to force those family operators off the road by reckless policies pushing the envelope too far when it comes to climate, making sure that our truckies just don't have a hope for the future. The bill will make it even tougher for manufacturers, and it annoys me that Labor comes to this space and this argument saying there's been nothing done for manufacturers. The Modern Manufacturing Initiative was an absolute boon for regional Australia. I know that, with the funding that we gave to businesses such as FlipScreen—with a $10 million grant to help this regional manufacturing hub create up to 147 full-time jobs during construction and up to 502 ongoing full-time jobs over the first five years of the project—the proponents there were absolutely delighted. The MMI was the centrepiece of the then coalition government's $1½ billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy, designed to position Australia as a globally recognised, high-quality and sustainable manufacturing nation. Indeed, it was doing the job. It wasn't—as Labor will be doing—sending manufacturing jobs offshore because of sending industry offshore—that's because of high, reckless energy prices and high, reckless energy policies. That's what I really fear and worry about. Businesses will benefit from their own entrepreneurial endeavour. Yes, many require government help, and government help is always going to be there. I look at the Wagga Wagga meat processor, Teys, which has unveiled a $42 million waste energy hub plan that's going to reduce their—and these are their words are not mine—'skyrocketing' energy costs and protect 900 jobs. That is a good thing. They were worried about energy costs, I have to say, when we were in government, let alone what they must think now! If you go right throughout my electorate you'll see manufacturers and businesses in regional Australia trying to operate in a market which is becoming harder and harder because of those opposite and their policies. The biggest factor—one of the greatest critical factors—is not just energy costs, as I said before, but it's finding the workers. The Regional Australia Institute identified 80,000 vacancies in regional Australia. The member for Page, no doubt, has any number of heavy industry, manufacturers and small, medium and large businesses in his electorate which just can't find hired help. There are signs in every window. If you go down the main street of any country town, city or regional centre then you'll see signs in shop windows which say, 'Apply within'. It's because there just aren't the people. It isn't just COVID, it's just very difficult. But what are those opposite doing about it? They're proposing a lottery-type scheme in the Pacific which doesn't actually cut the mustard, I have to say, nor does the National Reconstruction Fund. Let's look at the critical issues first: labour shortages, rising energy prices and, basically, the cost of living. Let's let Labor address those issues in government before going down with this fanciful bill that they have before the House. Good luck with that! I know it was part of their election commitments, and let's wish them good luck with it. But, like everything that Labor does, tries or attempts, it will be a folly. It will be a folly, because, unfortunately, that's the Labor way. 17:07 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton I rise to speak on the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022. I say that for the benefit of those listening, because the member for Riverina obviously brought in the wrong notes for the wrong speech for the wrong piece of government legislation. Unbelievably, he did stumble on the title for the legislation in the last 30 seconds of his speech but then quickly backed away from it! The Australian Labor Party is committed to manufacturing. Manufacturing matters to the people of Australia. I know it does in my community of Moreton and especially to everyone in the mighty Australian Labor Party. Why does it matter? Because it's a driver for jobs. And I don't mean that unpaid-slavery-sort of work; I'm talking about meaningful, secure full-time jobs. For way too long, manufacturing was neglected by the former coalition government, which is perhaps why the member for Riverina, despite having a lunch break to work on his speech, did not actually address the issue of manufacturing and all that will flow from the National Reconstruction Fund. Who can forget when the then treasurer Joe Hockey stood right at that dispatch box and dared Holden to pack up and leave Australia? I remember that. Nick Champion, one of my friends who got elected at the same time, would remember that. The first Holden rolled out in his electorate, and he saw Joe Hockey do that. And what did Holden do? They packed up and left Australia. How many jobs were lost, not just from the Holden plant but from all of those associated jobs? There were export jobs as well. Not only jobs in the manufacturing the cars but those associated manufacturers and suppliers who relied on Holden and the like. I'm sure all of my colleagues from South Australia know firsthand the devastation it had on local economies when those doors closed at Holden. In Queensland, we have our own stories of how an LNP government failed to trust and support local manufacturing. I remember the disastrous decision by the Newman Liberal National Party government to order trains from overseas. No guesses for how things turned out when that genius let his ideology dictate policy. When the trains eventually arrived, not only did they not meet basic disability access requirements; they needed even more modifications, including air conditioning, ventilation, braking and sight lines for drivers. Thankfully, the great train-building community of Maryborough stepped up to the plate to rectify Mr Newman's defective trains. That was in an electorate that is not held by the federal Labor government, but still we invest in making trains. I note that the Prime Minister has been to that Maryborough train factory many times. Thankfully, the Queensland state Labor government just a few weeks ago announced that Downer, in Maryborough, again will build a new fleet of trains. Queensland workers are building Queensland trains for Queenslanders. Can you imagine the positive economic impact this is having on the Maryborough community? I'm not sure that the local member for Wide Bay, Mr O'Brien, or Queensland senators Matt Canavan or James McGrath have ever visited Downer and Maryborough lately and seen what is happening there. They could be taken on a tour by the Prime Minister, he's visited that often. I have the mobile of the state Labor member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders; I'm sure I could organise a visit for all of those gentlemen and he would be happy to take them on a tour. It's regional communities, like Maryborough, like the one represented by the member for Riverina, that will really benefit from this National Reconstruction Fund. The $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund is the mechanism to support, diversify and transform Australia's industry and to create sustainable, well-paying jobs. Hopefully some of it will come to inner city seats like Moreton, but we know most of them will be in the regions, the areas represented by the Nationals. The NRF will provide finance, including loans, guarantees and equity to drive investments in seven priority areas of the Australian economy. It will leverage our natural and competitive strengths and support the development of strategically important industries and shore up supply chains. The seven priority areas include value-adding resources, which means expanding Australians' mining science technology and ensuring a greater share of raw materials that have been extracted from the ground are then processed domestically—for example, the high-purity alumina from red mud in bauxite processing or lithium processing for batteries. This is to add as much value as possible here in Australia before we send those resources overseas. It includes value-adding in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, where we will unlock the potential and value-add to raw materials in things like food processing, textiles, clothing and footwear manufacturing. We know that we grow enough food and fibre for 75 million people in the world when we've got only 25 million here, so let's value-add all the way along and get those good jobs. We'll develop capabilities in transport manufacturing and supply chains, including for the electric cars of the future, trains and shipbuilding. In medical science we will leverage Australia's world-leading research to provide essential supplies such as medical devices, personal protective excitement, medicines and vaccines. I know one of the advanced manufacturing plants in my electorate, Cook Medical, is where they tailor-make aortas. I have seen rooms full of, mainly, women sewing up the aortas that are going to be shipped off to Germany, California or wherever. It is unbelievable. There are renewables and low emission technologies, the way of the future. we will pursue commercial opportunities, including for components for wind turbines, production of batteries and solar panels, new livestock feed to reduce methane, emissions, modernising steel and aluminium, hydrogen electrolysers, innovative package solutions that reduce waste and defence capability. We will maximise the sourcing of requirements from Australian suppliers employing Australian workers, whether that be technology, infrastructure or skills. Lastly, enabling technologies will support those key enabling capabilities across engineering, data, science and software development, including the emerging areas, like artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum. This is why the Albanese government's National Reconstruction Fund is so important to manufacturing in our nation. I'm disappointed those opposite have taken this as an opportunity to sledge rather than explore the future. They're happy to dredge up the past rather than look to the future. They're so scared of the future. We all saw during the pandemic how international supply chains could so easily result in major disruptions. It shone a light on how important manufacturing was to Australia. It demonstrated how vulnerable we are down under and how crucial it is to establish resilient and robust domestic production capacity—that little bit of economic nationalism. The pandemic also reminded us of how innovative our local manufacturing can be and of the skills and production that is there that, sadly, the previous government failed to support and invest in. Before the pandemic, just five per cent of personal protective equipment, PPE, used in Australia was made in Australia. Put simply, we didn't have the manufacturing capacity to meet demand. But the Palaszczuk Labor government moved quickly at the time on this supply and production issue. They mobilised local manufacturing to deliver PPE and COVID-19 related equipment for frontline health and essential workers. Our local manufacturing businesses quickly pivoted and stepped up to the challenge. I'll mention a few of my local businesses that did this. Belgotex Fabrics at Acacia Ridge, one of Queensland's only textile manufacturers, purchased special looms, upskilled their workforce and commenced making special-gauge fabrics for local PPE production. The lightweight tight-weave fabric can be used to make medical scrubs, uniforms, hospital linen, sheeting, privacy screens, reusable face masks and gowns for frontline health workers. Imagine how many lives Belgotex at Acacia Ridge has saved in Queensland. AnteoTech at Eight Mile Plains launched its 15-minute COVID-19 antigen rapid test platform, EuGeni. This project created five new, highly skilled jobs and protected 20 existing jobs. EGR—a business that I drive past every day I go to work—a 46-year-old car accessories manufacturer at Salisbury, pivoted early in 2020 to produce protective face shields for frontline workers. EGR export bumper bars to Germany for German cars. They are very competitive, but they immediately changed. Their 800 staff were set up to mass produce the equipment at a rate of hundreds of thousands a day. These are just a few of the local manufacturing businesses in my electorate, and there are many others, who pivoted when Australians needed them most. Sadly, the Morrison government didn't back in local businesses. In deciding to award contracts for PPE that could have been filled by local manufacturing businesses, they instead went offshore. Shame! As I said, a little bit of economic nationalism goes a long way in a crisis. Being able to manufacture, innovate, build and create products right here in Australia is so important for our security and long-term prosperity. Australia is rich in valuable critical resources that the world wants and needs—resources we could rightly have expected would be used to build our manufacturing base to add value and create secure jobs right here in Australia, in our suburbs, in the bush and in our regional communities. But for decades we've mined those resources all too often and shipped them overseas, only for other countries to process, add value and then have us buy them at the local shop. We import them back at many times the price, sending the manufacturing industry and their profits and the thousands of jobs they create to other countries. If we mine it here, we should make it here, wherever possible. Australian know-how, our scientists, our innovators and our capital are amongst the best in the world. Photovoltaic technology solar cells were invented here, but today 87 per cent of the world's cells are made in the one country, and in the next three years that number is expected to rise to 94 per cent. As the world urgently focuses on decarbonisation, the transition to renewables and low-emission technologies will play a vital role in delivering Australia's emissions reduction target of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. We're well placed to make the most of our technology and our skills. If we invent it here, we should make it here and monetise it here. We've seen what happens when Australia fails to back itself and when we fail to back our people—those people go overseas. We've seen that brain drain in the past. They take their experience, their know-how and their passion with them. We want Australians living overseas who have the skills and know-how to come home to good careers here. We recognise many of them left our shores seeking support and funding for their ideas. Sadly, that girt-by-sea capital is a little too risk averse when it comes to backing in innovation. Too often, good ideas can't find support and funding and the right sort of helping hand at home. We want to empower the NRF to invest in Australians for Australia—Australian know-how, Australian ideas and Australian ingenuity. Both this bill and the investment mandate guiding investments will make sure the $15 billion fund drives Australia's natural inclination towards innovation. The Department of Industry, Science and Resources has consulted widely both on the structure of the legislation and, most recently, on how the NRF will be implemented. Partnering and working with industry is vital, so co-investment plans will be developed with industry. These will outline investment opportunities in priority areas and actions for government and industry to build our industrial capabilities. The minister has said that plans are expected to be released by the end of this year. Importantly, the NRF's investment decisions will be independent and at arm's length from government. We know the coalition aren't big fans of independent decision-making. For too long while they were in government, decisions were made in the interests of the coalition and their mates, not in the interests of Australia. Who can forget the stench of those colour coded spreadsheets and then the odour of mendacity associated with defending those dodgy, dubious, devious decisions—or a minister approving a grant to clay target shooting clubs that they were a member of? It was appalling behaviour and a clear demonstration of the coalition putting their interests or their mates' interests ahead of the Australian people, the Australian taxpayers. Is there a flaw in the coalition's DNA? You don't have the answer to that, but I will take a closer look at the LNP-led Brisbane City Council, which failed to heed the mistakes of the Newman government and recently ordered their new bendy buses from overseas. At a time when we want to grow jobs and build industry skills and capacity onshore, Lord Mayor Schrinner decided to go offshore. Why not invest in local companies and create local jobs and even new and bigger industries right here in Australia? Just two weeks ago I stopped to visit a local business, Bus Stop, which is located in Rocklea. It's a local family-operated business with more than 50 years experience in servicing and manufacturing buses. About three years ago they transitioned away from diesel to manufacturing and assembling electric coaches and buses for schools. Just imagine if the coalition had invested in and supported this wonderful local business by assisting in creating a vibrant and robust local bus manufacturing industry with jobs of the future, the way the Labor Palaszczuk is doing and the way the NRF will do. What do the Liberals and Nationals have against workers in manufacturing? I shook my head in disbelief when I was listening to the opposition leader saying that the Liberals were the party of the Australian working class. That is such a joke! I'm not sure if politicians are eligible for the Logies, but the member for Dickson is surely a frontrunner already. Remember, this is the party that had the economic strategy of deliberately ensuring wages were kept low. We believe in investing in manufacturing. 17:22 Mrs MARINO HWP Forrest I was a member of this parliament during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor years, and I learned very quickly how to recognise when the government became desperate when it was trying to force a bill through both houses of parliament. Extraordinary and extreme claims were made, and the desperation was palpable. Disappointingly, that's what we saw recently from the Minister for Industry and Science when, in desperation to get Labor's rushed National Reconstruction Fund legislation through the parliament, he resorted to using our key defence pact AUKUS as a political pawn, a bargaining chip. In my view national security, and the role of AUKUS in our national security, should be above politics. Clearly for this Labor government, it is not; it was absolutely shameful. Even with what I've seen in previous Labor governments, this really surprised and profoundly disappointed me, particularly when the minister himself never mentioned the word 'AUKUS' once during the introduction of the bill. Obviously, it wasn't a priority at that stage; if it had been, the minister would have certainly made much of that in his introduction of the bill, but the minister didn't mention national security once. Not once! So I'm wondering how much of the initial $5 billion and overall $15 billion for the National Reconstruction Fund will actually be quarantined for defence on the back of the minister's comments. It's a very good question to ask. The minister has not provided any of this detail. There are those of us who actually take national security very seriously and know that AUKUS was the work of the former coalition government. I am possibly the only daughter of a World War II war-widow in this place who understands how important national security is, what the cost is to Australian families, why we take it seriously and what was fought for. AUKUS builds very strongly on our existing relationships with the United Kingdom and the United States. The reasons for this are clear, given how significantly the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region have grown. AUKUS builds further on the three nations' longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties. For Australia, the first initiative under AUKUS was the eight nuclear powered submarines. There will be a concentration on cooperation around a range of existing and emerging security and defence capabilities designed to enhance joint capability and—the most important thing—interoperability. Speaking of interoperability, it is critical. I have seen firsthand through the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program just how much emphasis is placed on interoperability in any given theatre of operation. For instance, RIMPAC, the world's largest international maritime exercise, in 2022 saw approximately 1,600 Australian Defence Force personnel join 26 international partners in exercises held across training areas in and around the Hawaiian islands and Southern California from 29 June to 4 August. The Rim of the Pacific Exercise is a biennial international military exercise hosted by the Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The ADF was really committed, and it was a substantial commitment, with the ships Canberra, Supply and Warramunga, the RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft, a submarine, mine warfare and clearance diving capabilities, and a joint landing force led by the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, accompanied by personnel and capabilities from across Australian Army units. RIMPAC, as we know, aims to be the premier joint combined maritime exercise and enables Australia to strengthen international partnerships, enhance that interoperability piece, and improve readiness for a wide range of potential operations—something that is becoming more and more critical in our regions. The interoperability piece is critical. The original plans for AUKUS was to focus on cybercapabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and additional undersea capabilities. I was recently briefed on the cybercapabilities and issues both here in Canberra by our defence members and in Edinburgh. Given that AUKUS is a historic opportunity for the three nations, working with like-minded allies and partners, aimed at sharing our shared values and promoting security, it is very important. But this is a Labor government. During the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years it never built one ship, and if the government were really serious about AUKUS in relation to this bill and anything else, it should be focused on energy security. After all, energy security is national security. Given those challenges in the Indo-Pacific, surely, energy security should be at the top of the government's priority list, even with this bill. AEMO's recent 2022 electricity statement said there is an urgent need for additional dispatchable power and projects. As we know, gas continues to play a critical role, but there are questions around whether there will be shortages of gas and shortages of energy. Again, given Labor's very rushed energy price-cap legislation just before Christmas, putting price caps on energy, we know this will have an impact on gas exploration, extractions, plans, investment and future manufacturing. We know that the Victorian Labor government has demonised gas. Genuinely, Labor does not see gas as a critical and transitional energy—which it is. Labor's much-hyped plans for renewable generation transmission and storage are not delivering. I remember the minister for energy at the AFR energy and climate summit saying we will need to install 40 seven-megawatt wind turbines every month until 2030, more than 22,000 500-megawatt solar panels installed every day—that's 60 million by 2030—and 10,000 kilometres of transmission lines and corridors. If the decision is green hydrogen, I actually saw a map that showed that it would require 25 per cent of Australia's landmass, regional areas, to be covered by solar panels. Then there is the wind turbine issue as well. AEMO's latest report on the state of Australia's energy grid is a clear warning that the Labor government's energy policies are failing. The report shows Labor's rush to bring on the early closure of power stations and delays to the Kurri Kurri gas plant as key drivers of the deterioration in the grid stability since the coalition was in government. Under Labor, Australian households and businesses are not only being hit with higher energy prices but now they are being told to brace for potential blackouts as well. As I said, energy security is national security. How on earth, as a nation, can we deal with national security challenges when we're facing in our own region a lack of reliable, affordable and dispatchable power? Even in Western Australia, which sits outside the national energy market, we're facing power shortages. The state government has plans to shut down all coal-fired power by 2029. Even the privately owned Blue Waters power station may close as well. Combined, this will take 1,440 megawatts of baseload power out of the system. Dr Steve Thomas, the shadow minister for energy, recently belled the cat when he said: The current plan cannot be delivered by 2029, and it cannot supply the state's power needs. He went on to say that the WA state Labor government has no plans for storage of renewables at night and that building battery storage to last overnight will cost at least $7 billion, twice the cost of the state government's entire transition plan budget. Steve Thomas also highlighted that in the transition process the WA state government will also have to change its ageing gas generation fleet from peaking stations to baseload, just try to keep the lights on. But the Labor state government doesn't have sufficient gas stations to deliver both baseload and peaking power. In recent month we've seen 100,000 tonnes of coal imported from Newcastle in New South Wales to Collie—unprecedented. This is an up-to-date figure of $19.5 million in a WA taxpayer funded grant given to Collie coalminer Griffin Coal. Griffin supplies Blue Waters Power Station and South32's Worsley alumina refinery, and this is manufacturing of alumina from bauxite. The viability of Premier and Griffin are in the firing line through the state Labor government's decision to shut down all of those power stations by 2030 but without other sources of reliable, dispatchable and affordable power. I recently read that a former director of WA's state owned energy retailer Synergy said blackouts are inevitable in WA and the state's key energy grid is headed for disaster under the McGowan government's plans. But we also know that under the NRF that the unions have plans to install union officials on the board—a bit like union controlled superannuation fund boards—and they plan to steer. That's what they said, that they plan to steer the NRF investments in a similar way to the union controlled super fund boards. We know that the unions are totally opposed to independent experienced directors on the NRF boards. And we know that Labor has backflipped on superannuation, on lower mortgages. The Prime Minister said 'life will be cheaper under me' on the $275 promise of reduced power prices, and there's every chance that the Labor government will roll over on union demands over time. Of course, we don't want to see this just become the next honey pot hive for Labor and its union bosses. Australian people know they can't trust Labor when it comes to union control of the Labor government, whether it's the ABCC, through the CFMMEU, or the extreme changes to the industrial relations laws affecting small and medium businesses. For the first time, we have unions in small businesses, in our doors, through enterprise bargaining, through union demands to charge bargaining fees for non-union members. Of course it's reported that total union contributions—we can't be surprised—to Labor at state and federal levels rose from $13 million to about $16.7 million ahead of the 2022 election. I think the CFMMEU delivered about 25 per cent of all contributions to Labor, so it is no wonder that those decisions are made— Mr Hogan 218019 Paying the piper. Mrs MARINO HWP Exactly. And now we know the way ahead. We had a very good meeting last night, with the Parliamentary Friends of Trucks, Trailers, Transport and Logistics, and we certainly heard from that industry about the issues they're facing. They are concerned for many reasons about the proposed increase in the fuel excise tax and what that will do to their businesses. There was one business that indicated the cost of their electricity, given they are in that space, has gone from over $400,000 to over $1 million. They are in the refrigerated space. Labor is looking to revive the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which, as we know, will affect 35,000 small owner-operators in the trucking industry. What we are facing as well is one of the world's highest carbon taxes, and we're waiting for Labor to backflip on legislated tax cuts ahead. I think that's something that none of us would be surprised to hear. So there are many reasons that I have concerns about this particular bill, but, I must admit, I was surprised and disappointed to hear the minister's reference to AUKUS in promoting this bill. 17:36 Mr THISTLETHWAITE 182468 Kingsford Smith I'm obviously speaking in support of this very good bill, the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022. It's a major reform for Australia. The previous speaker's presentation and speech had all the hallmarks of a classic Liberal speech: climate denialism and a bit of union bashing on the side. It had all of the hallmarks of a classic Liberal speech under the Dutton leadership. Of course, the opposition fails to recognise that this particular bill and policy was one of the features of the Albanese government's suite of policies that we took to the last election. We actually put this before the Australian people, and—guess what?—they voted for it. They voted for it in a big way because they do want to see a resurgence of manufacturing in Australia. The Albanese Labor government was elected to deliver this $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, and that is what we intend to do to keep faith with the electorate. This is a key election commitment that will diversify and transform Australia's manufacturing industry. During COVID, we saw the vulnerability of many sectors of our economy and, indeed, many communities because of supply chain shocks associated with COVID and a lack of access to shipping, to air freight and to other important markets that Australians had relied upon in the past. We know that Australia has the capacity—we had the capacity in the past, and we can reinstall that capacity—to be a leading, powerful nation when it comes to manufacturing. Manufacturing creates good full-time jobs that are high skilled and provide secure conditions of employment for workers. As the Assistant Minister for Defence, I've been struck by, and tremendously respectful of, the capacities that are being delivered by Australian industry when it comes to Defence Force capability. Both large and small companies throughout the country, with their very skilled workforces, are playing a crucial role in ensuring that Australia's future economic prosperity and our national security are strong and that our sovereign capability and cutting-edge defence industry are underpinning our Defence Force. After the pandemic, the supply chain constraints on our economy made a difference, and the government recognised the need to build a robust sovereign industrial base at a time of accelerating technological growth and acute competition for workforce skills. This reconstruction fund is the key to delivering on that endeavour. The fund includes defence capability as one of its focus areas, and it will complement the defence industry development strategy and seek to partner with the private sector to build defence capability and economic sovereignty. Recently I was fortunate to visit RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland and see firsthand the partnership between Boeing Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force on technology involving uncrewed vehicles. The program is colloquially known as 'ghost bat'. These are high-tech, uncrewed vehicles manufactured here in Australia, in Melbourne, providing high-tech jobs for Australians, improving the capability of the Australian Defence Force, but, more importantly, providing export potential for Australia. A number of our allies are keenly interested in this technology and don't have similar technology in their industrial base. This is a great example of government being able to work with the private sector to leverage improved capability for our nation's defences, but, at the same time, invest in the high-tech industry and support the highly skilled jobs of the future. We have to build on that capability if we're going to embark on a deeper level of co-operation and integration between the Australian Defence Force, our allies and defence industry ecosystems. The government is committed to growing Australia's industrial base, to provide that game-changing capability that we're going to need into the future. That is what the Defence Strategic Review is all about. It's also why the new government commissioned the defence industry development strategy, informed by the DSR, to articulate the strategic rationale and the national security imperative for a strong, resilient and integrated defence industrial base. The National Reconstruction Fund will help drive regional development and invest in our national sovereign capability, which will broaden and diversify Australia's economy in support of our national interest. That diversification and that focus on broadening our national interest is focused on seven priority areas, value-adding in: resources; agriculture, forestry and fisheries; transport; medical science; renewables and low-emissions technologies; defence capability, or course; and enabling capabilities as well. These investments are about ensuring Australia's security into the future. We need to revitalise manufacturing after years of neglect under the former coalition government. I've had the opportunity to make a couple of trips down to South Australia to see the burgeoning SME defence industry that is growing in Elizabeth and the former industrial manufacturing bases that were the powerhouses of manufacturing in Australia, particularly in the car components and car manufacturing industry. It's such a shame, when you visit the sites where those massive car manufacturing plants once dotted the main road that goes into Elizabeth, to see that many of them are now empty shells of what they previously were in the past. That is because the previous government didn't support automobile manufacturing in this country; they let it wither on the vine. That was a classic example of some of the lack of support that they gave to manufacturing. Their philosophy was simple: let the market rip, and the market will pick winners. Well, the market didn't work in that case. That is why governments of all persuasions throughout the world tend to ensure that they can support their manufacturing industries and boost the resilience of those industries, particularly in the wake of COVID, with the supply chain disruptions that we've had. The ironic thing is that the previous government was then throwing buckets of money at industry to try to reinstall some of that manufacturing capacity that we had in the past that had been lost because it was left to the market. The new government takes a different approach. We have a strategic interest and a definitive aim of ensuring that we support manufacturing through a fund such as this. The fund will, of course, ensure there is a pool of $15 billion of investment funds that will be invested, and the returns will provide the basis for investments in industry. That will revitalise manufacturing in Australia after years of neglect under the former coalition government. The NRF will provide finance, including loans, guarantees and equity to drive those investments in those seven priority areas of the Australian economy. It represents the Labor government having a plan to revitalise manufacturing in Australia—a plan to ensure that we're investing in strategic industries that provide the best opportunity for growth, for technological advancement and for high-skill jobs into the future. It's coupled with important policies such as our fee-free TAFE policy and our policy of boosting the number of university places that are accessible, particularly to students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, because, if you invest in manufacturing, you're going to need the skills base to ensure that that manufacturing capacity can grow into the future. We've got a suite of policies that are all aimed at ensuring that we're looking to the future, to technological advancement, to investment in hi-tech manufacturing and to growth of high-skill jobs that will improve the productivity of our nation and provide higher incomes for Australians. It's a deliberate strategy, and that's what the Australian people voted for. That's why it is bewildering that the opposition still have their heads in the sand and still think letting the market rip is the right strategy when it comes to investing in manufacturing. These leveraged Australian natural and competitive strengths will support the development of strategically important industries and, in due course, shore up supply chains as well. This includes NRF finance to grow advanced manufacturing and support businesses to innovate and move up the technological ladder. We all know that Australia is rich with valuable critical resources—resources that many Australians rightfully expect would be utilised on home soil to build our industrial base, to add value and to create jobs here in Australia. For decades, we've mined those resources and shipped them overseas only for other nations and industries to process and add value to them. Then we import them back at many times the original price. Sending the manufacturing industry, their profits and thousands of jobs overseas makes no sense, but that's what was occurring under the previous government. Australia's know-how, our scientists and our innovators are some of the best in the world. We know we can process those resources that we mine here and that belong to the Australian people to add value, to create new industries and to create jobs in the process. I think a classic example where Australia has led the world in technological advancement, in creating new industries, is in the solar and photovoltaic industry. I'm very proud to have the University of New South Wales in my electorate. That is where scientists such as Professor Martin Green were leading technologists in the development of solar cell panels and solar cell technology throughout the world. Basically, most of the solar cells that are produced throughout the world now have technology that was invented and commercialised at the University of New South Wales. That is something that we should be enormously proud of—I certainly am—as the representatives of that. We have the capacity to expand on that, to grow that and to ensure that we're creating jobs in that industry and nurturing it. That is exactly what this government is doing. I was very pleased to be able to go with the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, to the University of New South Wales, to provide them with a multimillion-dollar injection of funds through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to ensure that we're leveraging the scientific development, innovation and work occurring at UNSW in the Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and to ensure that they're developing the next generation of solar cells. We witnessed some of that innovation in practice, and they are the type of investments that governments should be making in cooperation with industry to leverage industrial capacity and manufacturing into the future and to create high-tech jobs. The perfect example of how the world views the University of New South Wales was explained to me by a PhD student when I visited UNSW some years ago. I asked him what it was like to work at the University of New South Wales in their solar research facility, and the answer was a simple one but perfectly exemplified why we are so proud of UNSW. He said to me: 'If you want to work in space research, you want to work at NASA. If you want to work in solar research, you want to work at UNSW.' That perfectly explains the capability that the Albanese Labor government is trying to leverage with this National Reconstruction Fund. 17:50 Mr BIRRELL 288713 Nicholls From the outset, let me state that I believe in manufacturing, innovation, secure jobs and appropriate government policy to support businesses. The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation may be well intended, but it is the wrong model, poorly executed and even more poorly targeted. It falls well short of what is needed to support agriculture, manufacturing and transport logistics businesses in my electorate. Why does this matter so much in Nicholls? Well, my electorate of Nicholls has a long and proud history of growing, manufacturing and moving products nationally and internationally. In competitive global markets, they have had to be nimble, innovative and cost conscious. At times, many of these businesses have had cause to seek government support for innovation, sometimes transformation, to support them to take risks that they otherwise might not take. Nicholls has, based on the 2021 census data: 2,291 agricultural businesses with annual gross production totalling $2.3 billion; 739 manufacturing businesses, including many large employers; and 1,260 transport and logistics businesses. These industries are targets of the corporation this legislation will create, but the notions are vague and the models flawed. It is perhaps best described, and for those who remember this great moment in Australian history, as the 'Leyland P76 of industry and innovation policy'. The Leyland P76 was launched with great fanfare in the early seventies—there was a Labor government that was also launched with great fanfare in the early seventies. It was comfortable, it drove well and it stopped okay. You could even fit a 44-gallon drum in the boot, which was quite a selling point in those days. Initially, the public and the motoring reviewers were sold on it. It even won Wheels Car of the Year in 1973. But reality soon set in, because people started to realise that the windows didn't seal and that, when it rained, water would pool at your feet. The exhaust could set fire to the carpet. Opening windows could cause the rear windshield to blow out completely. Interior fittings would come loose and rattle. The paint faded quickly, and the wheels literally fell off one vehicle. The Prime Minister at the time, Mr Whitlam, even referred to the P76 car as a dud eventually, and Bill Hayden called it a lemon. I think this legislation is both a dud and a lemon. The P76 was a dud because Leyland was trying to reinvent the popular family sedans of the dominant players Ford and Holden, but Leyland failed on design, quality control and construction. The National Reconstruction Fund looks shiny and new on the showroom floor, and everyone's getting up on the other side and saying how great manufacturing is. We all agree manufacturing in Australia is great, but this policy won't stand up to a road test in the real world. It's poorly designed, and, while $15 billion is plenty of quantity, there is no quality. The important thing to remember—and I saw this before I came into this place—is that there was no need to create a new model. The former coalition government had appropriate policy settings and funding pools in place to support our manufacturing, agricultural and transport sectors. Dr Aly 13050 Except you didn't. Mr BIRRELL 288713 We absolutely did, and I saw it in my electorate. I'll give you a couple of examples. One is the Modern Manufacturing Initiative at HW Greenham & Sons. Greenham operates a meat processing facility in Tongala, in my electorate. Under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, the coalition committed $10 million towards a $60 million project to expand the facility, increasing the production from 50 tonnes a day to 200 tonnes. Greenham can expand into premium beef and premium beef export markets. At the same time, it creates 240 jobs. Labor has ditched the Modern Manufacturing Initiative but the already committed Greenham grant survived, and I'm grateful it did. I was out there the other day looking at all the wonderful employment that's going on. I was looking at a company that got some government help to take a risk and is going to export fine northern Victorian and southern New South Wales meat products around the world. It's an example of investing in outcomes. The commitment by the government enabled a larger investment by business. A grant provided the certainty businesses crave. Tom Maguire, the Group General Manager of HW Greenham & Sons, said this when the grant was confirmed: It is very welcome news, we have a project that is going to create 240 jobs, and that funding was critical. We have faced significant increases in costs since we started the project, and this will help us to overcome that and complete the project and start employing. The coalition provided $2.5 billion to create the Modern Manufacturing Strategy. This support sought to bolster our sovereign manufacturing capability, and it empowered over 200 projects across Australia. We invested, we leveraged private investment and we got results. The Modern Manufacturing Initiative backed businesses to expand, innovate and create jobs, and it did that by leveraging private capital. In contrast, the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation will use debt, guarantees and equity. I'm all for supporting industry innovation and advanced manufacturing, but loan schemes and government equity are less accessible than grants. Competitive grants, or targeted grants where they are justified, are a much better mechanism and fairer to the circumstances of individual businesses. There is a real risk that good manufacturers will be excluded because they can't meet the return on investment thresholds or can't complete a high-level business case in-house. There is a risk of crowding out, rather than leveraging, private investment. And there should be real concern about the bitter pill for family businesses in giving up equity in exchange for what is ultimately government support—support that could and should have been delivered as a grant by a government confident enough to back good projects. Here's another example from my electorate. J Furphy & Sons not just is an industry-leading manufacturer; it also lays claim to being one of the oldest continuously operated family businesses in Australia—159 years in my electorate and still going strong. Furphy, for those of you who may be interested, is famous for its water carts. The description of something as a furphy—and I've heard a few furphies since I've been in this place—means it is a rumour or a falsity. Used unwisely in this place, a furphy could be ruled unparliamentary, but 'furphy' came from the gossip and rumours amongst our soldiers gathered around the water tank in World War I. So that's where the word 'furphy' comes from—from that fine Shepparton business. Furphy Engineering is an innovator and now makes highly technical stainless steel tanks, such as storage tanks, processing tanks and pressure vessels for industry: milk, wine, beer—you name it. Furphy was supported in its modernisation by the former coalition government, whether it was solar panels on the roof or the $675,000 grant—a grant, not a loan—for a laser welding machine under the Goulburn Valley business innovation fund, part of the coalition's regional jobs and infrastructure program. Furphy are going right ahead with state-of-the-art laser welding as a result of the kit they've been able to buy with some government support. A grant enabled production of pillow plate heat exchange panels for existing and new applications, including value-added panels to help revolutionise solar thermal technology. It's a great example of the previous coalition government investing in practical outcomes when it came to energy transition. This is a real-world example of what the Minister for Industry and Science in his second reading speech could only express in vague generalities. It was targeted, meaningful and productive investment. We on this side understand how to support our industries. Many on this side have lived experience. The best way this government can support industries is to create the right economic conditions for them to flourish. Instead, under Labor, we have soaring input costs, disrupted supply chains, critical labour market shortages, radical new industrial relations laws, rising interest rates, rampant inflation and, if the government gets its wish, rising wage costs for no additional productivity. That's no way for us to compete on the global stage. Without policies that create strong economic conditions, any government spending is in vain. The simple fact of the matter is that without addressing these key economic challenges, which are holding industry back—including those great industries in my electorate—government spending in this fashion will not achieve the outcomes we all want. I want a strong industry and innovation policy to support manufacturers. I have hundreds of manufacturers in my electorate who would embrace support from this government, but it must be the right support. Grants that provide confidence and leverage investment are the right mechanism. Loans and equity schemes with union strings attached are not. There is inappropriate ministerial discretion in this bill which allows the minister to appoint the chair and board members who will oversee the corporation and its funds. And a corporation with $15 billion in public funds will be a honey pot for union influence. Nobody should be shocked by the support for the governance arrangements for the corporation shown by the ACTU, the AWU and the AMWU. Worst of all, the risk is that the corporation won't deliver outcomes. As the member for an electorate with a large agricultural and manufacturing base, including food manufacturing, I know how important it is to foster good outcomes. We need competitive industry, we need innovative industry and we need industry to have the confidence to invest in the future and create the jobs of the future. Above all, we need a government that understands what industry requires. I can't say this enough: I support the aims of the legislation, and I support our industries and the need to invest in sovereign capability. We need to continue to foster growth in high-skilled, well-paid jobs. We need an industry and innovation policy that is fit for this purpose, and not just a jalopy. Thank you. 18:01 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie I rise to speak on the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022. It is extraordinary, standing in this chamber and hearing those opposite give a plethora of reasons for why they can't possibly support Australian jobs in manufacturing and expanding our manufacturing capacity. I appreciate that in the context of an election there's a whole lot of rhetoric that comes around, but I am staggered that those opposite can't see the difference that this can make for our ability as a country to make things here. It's a really simple proposition, and I would really urge those opposite to get on board and come on this journey with us, because our community deserves to have the confidence of all members of this House that we have the capacity to make things. I think what those opposite say really undermines the confidence of our manufacturing sector. But, more than anything, it talks it down, which is the last thing that we need. We, as the Albanese government, were elected on a mandate to drive the transformation of Australian industry and to revive our ability to make world-class products. In my community, we are already doing that. People are surprised when I say that we make things in the Blue Mountains. We make them on a smaller scale; there are around 500 or so manufacturing jobs in the Blue Mountains. In the Hawkesbury, we have more than 2,000 people working in the manufacturing sector with more than 400 manufacturers. A lot of those are technicians and trade skills people, but there are all the other jobs that go around the work they do. They deserve to be trusted to expand and to do more here—not to be affected by international supply chains that hold up their work and their businesses. This $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, which I'm so pleased to be speaking on tonight, is one of the biggest government investments in manufacturing in living memory. This is big, and we do believe that it will drive economic development in the regions and, importantly for me, in the outer suburbs. I think one of the things that really struck me during the pandemic was the shock recognition by people that we don't make stuff here as much as we probably thought we did. There was the inability to get PPE and ventilators for our hospitals. It was things like that, which were actually life-and-death sorts of equipment, which made people suddenly realise through that terrible time that not only were supply chains under huge pressure but that we just simply could not do the stuff here that we needed to. I have to say—I've heard people opposite talk about it—that across my community this was a constant source of conversation during the pandemic. I know that this is a very widely supported initiative of our government. One of the things that I particularly like about manufacturing is that it creates full-time and meaningful work. My memory tells me about 85 per cent of manufacturing jobs are permanent jobs—secure, permanent work. Knowing that they have ongoing, secure work transforms people's lives. There are a number of benefits that this legislation brings, which is why everyone in this place should be supporting it. The way this will work is the National Reconstruction Fund is going to provide finance—and that includes loans, guarantees and equity— so that we can drive investments in seven priority areas, areas that we know are key for our economy. But we also know our natural strengths and the things that will help us in terms of global competition. This fund will support the development of these strategically important industries and shore up our supply chains. I think we need to keep in mind that that supply chain shock that we experienced has been one of the things that has been a contributor to inflation. It's led to the price rises. This is one factor we can do something about, not just in the short-term but over a long period of time, and take that out of our economic system. We've identified seven priority areas. The first is value-add in resources. We know as a country we're great at digging things up and shipping it away and then letting other people do clever things and then we buy it back. But it makes sense—to everyone I've spoken to—   to do more of that value-adding onshore in Australia. We can talk about it at a specific mineral level if we look at high purity alumina from red mud in bauxite processing, for instance, but let's go to something that we equally have a passion for and that is renewable energy and the things that we could do in terms of lithium processing for batteries. The value-adding in resources is a key area, as is value-adding in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, so that we can unlock potential and value-add to those raw materials. I want to give you a great example of one of my businesses in the Hawkesbury that's already doing that and that's Kurrajong Kitchen and their world famous lavash. They looked at it and said, 'We do not want to have Australians buying lavash from offshore when we can make it here.' Karen and Ben Lebsanft have worked for years to build that business and to turn a product that they could easily have walked away from at various times and said, 'No, this is all a bit too hard,' but they saw the value in creating jobs in Hawkesbury, and, just as importantly, creating a really high-quality product. Food processing is one of the areas we know we can do more in. Textiles, clothing and footwear manufacturing—and for me this feels a little bit like a full circle, because I was a young journalist in the 1980s when a previous Labor government was looking to make us more efficient and that was an area where changes had to happen. The consequence was that we lost a lot of that capacity. When you look at the ability to manufacture some of those PPE things that we needed the textiles industry and the footwear manufacturing sector were really key. We want to encourage people to look at that sector and see what they can do. We're prepared to do loans or guarantees or equity where people have a really viable idea around that. Transport is another area. This one is also very close to my heart. Remember, the Blue Mountains is the place where the New South Wales government has bought trains from South Korea that do not fit the tracks. Instead of making them here, they bought trains from another country that literally don't fit the tracks of the Blue Mountains. It's not like they couldn't have worked out the measurements of the platforms, but as it is the platforms have to be shaved. They have to be reshaped. Tunnels have to be widened because of the New South Wales government going, 'We don't make things here.' It should never have been the case. When I looked at the platforms that needed to be changed and thought about the history that they have, I saw that in order to make these trains fit our railway tracks now you have to make adaptions to platforms that have been there for more than 100 years. The Leura Station was built in 1890 and Katoomba was built in 1874, yet no one thought to take the measurements and make sure that the trains fitted those tracks. That $2.3 billion that went offshore could have stayed onshore and provided long-term, secure, high-quality jobs, and they wouldn't have messed with our railway lines and our platforms. This is a classic example of how some misplaced idea that getting it offshore would be cheaper has led to all sorts of consequences. We can stop that from happening anywhere else. Transport is not just about trains and ship-building but also cars. I sat in this parliament when I heard the then government essentially dare the car-manufacturing sector to go offshore. The loss of that sector has had implications across innovation for a whole lot of parts of our manufacturing sector. Transport was the third area we identified. The fourth is medical science. We know Australia's world-leading research to provide essential supplies such as medical devices, medicines and vaccines can be much better-leveraged than it is. In my community, we had one of the few manufacturers of rapid antigen tests—a scientific innovation—who saw the opportunity there because everyone so desperately needed COVID tests. They have now been able to expand what they do on the back of that. They were willing to take a risk, they were willing to pitch everything in and support the Australian community, and out of it they have now evolved. I look forward to seeing how they continue, and I hope they go from strength to strength. That's an example in the medical science area of things that our National Reconstruction Fund will be able to support. The fifth area of seven is renewables and low-emission technologies. It does seem completely crazy that we created the photovoltaic technology which is used in virtually every solar cell that sits on peoples' roofs, yet you can't buy one that is made in Australia—they are all made overseas. Eighty-seven per cent of the world's cells are made in one country, and in the next three years the expectation is that will rise to 94 per cent. We need to reverse these trends that see great Australian ideas and innovation simply get shipped offshore. The sixth area is defence capability, and that matters to the electorate of Macquarie because we are home to RAAF Base Richmond and a large defence industry sector. It provides long-term, good jobs, and it could be providing more, particularly as the needs of the RAAF change. That base may well at some stage in the future have more capacity for defence industries. It's a really key part of the local Hawkesbury economy, and we'll be looking to ensure that we completely secure defence industries there. We know that there are huge opportunities for that on the outskirts of Western Sydney. Under the National Reconstruction Fund, we'll be able to maximise the sourcing of requirements from Australian suppliers. We've got them employing Australian workers, whether it's in technology, infrastructure or skills—there's huge opportunity. The last category that we want to see investment in is around the enabling capabilities. That means supporting the capabilities around engineering, data science, software development, artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum. When I've done technology visits overseas I've seen incredible things happening and asked, 'Why aren't we doing this in Australia?' It's because there has not been the support required to turn great ideas into great businesses. As a co-investment fund, the NRF is going to draw in investment support from superannuation, venture capital and private equity sources. It is not just going to be government funds; it is partnering with all those sources of money to grow the taxpayer funded component of it. What's key too is that we have a model that we know works. Modelling it on the successful Clean Energy Finance Corporation means it is administered at arm's length to government by an independent board appointed jointly by the Minister for Industry and Science and the Minister for Finance. I've heard some members opposite talking about how wonderful competitive grants are. For things like this, you want it to be above politics. You actually want it to be done as part of an overarching strategy rather than who happens to write the best grant application, or who can have a word with a minister, which is not the way we are going to be approaching this. The government will provide guidance on expectations and policy priorities through a legislative instrument and an investment mandate, but the NRF will be administered at arm's length to the government. That is really key to its effectiveness. The board will independently make investment decisions and manage its investment portfolio to achieve both the reconstruction fund's objectives and the positive portfolio rate of return. Free from political interference, there will not be a colour-coded spreadsheet in sight. That's what our community expects—good decisions made by the right people for the best interests of this nation. 18:16 Mr WALLACE 265967 Fisher I rise to speak on the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022 and, I have to say, I am somewhat bewildered. I have been really looking forward to speaking on this bill. This is one of those bills that I had a really good look at. I've been really excited to talk about it because it's very close to my heart. But I've been utterly bewildered, because families and their businesses across the country are contending with the most challenging cost-of-living crisis in a generation. I'm bewildered that we're discussing this bill while Australians are crying out for the federal government to do something, anything, to help them get through this cost-of-living crisis. Inflation is at a historic high. Interest rates have climbed nine times since Labor took office but 10 out of the last 10 months. The price of doing business is soaring with each piece of red tape this government slaps on small and family business owners. The price of turning on the aircon, of filling up the car with fuel, of putting food on the table just continues to grow and grow and grow. You'd think that, instead of another bill throwing money at Labor union pay masters, they might consider introducing legislation to address the cost of living. The only thing the Australian people care about right now is how this government is going to reduce their costs and how Australians are going to be paying their bills. Rent, school fees, mobile phone and internet, Australians are struggling to make ends meet. It seems that everything is going up in cost and now, for many Australian families, there is a lot more month at the end of the money. That disparity is growing. It is getting worse under this Labor government's policies, and Labor just don't seem to care. What should the bill do? This bill is Labor's signature manufacturing policy. They are going out to the electorate and saying, 'This is the bee's knees.' It is modelled on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The fund is designed to allow government to invest in initiatives which support their manufacturing priorities. These are not investments in grants; they are through government equity and loan schemes. This model means manufacturers may struggle to meet return on investment thresholds based on the government's arbitrary milestones. The federal government announced that the fund would be up and running by next financial year, but they refuse to commit to a launch date. Given their track record, not committing to a date is probably the safest option for them. However, last time they set up a fund like this, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, it took 10 months before any money was invested. Across industry, there is widespread concern that the delay in investment, increased red tape and time taken to get the model running effectively will mean lost years in manufacturing. It means private and personal investments might dry up. Anyone that has started a business—I probably shouldn't be looking over the other side when I say that—would know that dithering and delays such as these mean the difference between survival and closing up shop. What we are seeing across this country more and more as the cost of living really bites on small and medium sized businesses is, unfortunately, more and more businesses closing, particularly in the building industry where I come from. What does this bill actually do? Well, it opens the door to unions yet again. I am gravely concerned about the potential for union interference in this fund. We already know what the unions want: they want board positions, they want power and they want money. Government members interjecting— Mr WALLACE 265967 Those opposite can laugh at that! They want an enterprise agreement with unions as a precondition to any application. Isn't it funny how, as soon as a member of the coalition mentions the word 'unions', they arc up on the other side? Isn't that funny? Under this scheme, the government wants a requirement that applicants commit to direct employment or, at least, direct employment conditions. Yet the Prime Minister still hasn't ruled out mandating union board members and union agreements as a condition of entry into the fund. He could easily do that; he could just rule it out and say, 'No, that's not what we're after.' This is mandated unionism enshrined in law for Australian manufacturers who just want the backing of their government. Compulsory unionism for start-ups and small businesses will rob them of their unique selling points—their ability to innovate, their agility, their capacity to pivot as the market and as technology requires it. Far from the objects and purposes of this act, it will have a crippling impact on manufacturing. When we were in government, we outlined six core manufacturing priorities after significant consultation with industry, academia and across levels of government. These six areas were food and beverage, medical products, clean energy, critical minerals and resources, defence manufacturing, and space industry. We invested $1.5 billion into the landmark modern manufacturing strategy to cultivate manufacturing sectors in these six priority areas. I've taken a personal interest in the defence manufacturing priority area as part of my commitment to back small businesses and local manufacturers on the Sunshine Coast. I think of the $47.4 million that the previous federal government invested to enable manufacturing generators for the ADF's protected mobility vehicles like the Bushmasters, which are now being used in active combat in Ukraine. I think of the Sunshine Coast's share of the $103 Advanced Defence Aerospace Manufacturing Network, with firms like HeliMods delivering the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, the first combat aircraft to be built in Australia in over 50 years, which I had the privilege of again seeing at Avalon just last week. Mr Hastie 260805 Good old Will Shrapnel! Mr WALLACE 265967 Indeed. Good old Will Shrapnel, indeed. I was incredibly disappointed to see the defence minister recently call into question the AUKUS alliance as if it were under threat if we didn't support his bill. Conflating our opposition to bad policy with a reversal of our long-held support of the AUKUS alliance and defence sector is utterly despicable. AUKUS would not have happened but for the former Prime Minister, the previous defence minister, Linda Reynolds, and the current opposition leader. It is absolutely shameful for this Labor government to suggest that we are somehow not locked in with AUKUS. It's also very disrespectful, considering the work that we did to get it up. Our defence and national security are not bargaining chips for Labor to gamble on its latest whim or novel policy. AUKUS is about our defence, security and economic strength. It was the coalition government that co-designed the alliance with our UK and US allies. Labor continues to ride on the coat tails of our defence achievements, but AUKUS should be above politics. The government should be embarrassed by this appalling and desperate attempt to pass their flawed bill. Despite Labor's reckless politicisation of our defence and national security, our record unequivocally demonstrates the coalition's commitment to sovereign defence industry manufacturing: the coalition government's $270 billion decade-long sovereign capability program proves it. The very existence of the AUKUS alliance is proof, once again, of this commitment. It's also why we put space industry at the core of our Modern Manufacturing Strategy. Australia should be at the forefront of science and advanced manufacturing, that's why we established the Australian Space Agency. Having a cutting-edge space industry is not just a matter of national pride; it's imperative that we operate in space for the defence of our nation. Space and cyber are domains in which we must be ahead of the game. Protecting Australia's interests in space means maintaining the security of our communications, financial, navigation and signals capabilities. Space affects almost every aspect of everyone's life in Australia. Many Australians would not even recognise the importance of this and, apparently, neither does this federal Labor government. While our competitors and our allies are investing heavily in the sector, Labor are ripping out incentives. Just think about this: in less than five years the US Space Force has amassed 16,000 military and civilian personnel, with an operational budget of $24½ billion. In contrast, the Australian Navy, now in its 122nd year, has 15,200 personnel. The RAAF, in which our Defence Space Command sits, is just 14,500 personnel—that's the entire RAAF. We have a very long way to go, and we must. The Defence Space Command motto says it well, 'Space really is the ultimate high ground'. When in government, we did just that, investing in research, manufacturing, exports and missions. Labor appears to be dismantling our progress at every turn, and both industry and the community deserve to know why. In the seven key priority areas that Labor are talking about, they have very silently dropped space off—nothing to see here. It absolutely beggars belief that this government would drop this off in an increasingly contested environment—the most contested and geopolitically unstable period since the end of World War II, where space and cyber are going to be critical domains should conflict come our way. Yet, under this fund that the government is putting together, this reconstruction fund, they're not investing in space. It beggars belief! In rushing this bill through, the Albanese government wants to offer $15 billion in taxpayer funds to a board picked by Labor to fund priorities set by Labor. They are leaving the task of determining manufacturing priorities to the minister. The potential for misuse is enormous, and I need not remind the House how out of whack Labor's priorities are. Instead of addressing energy security, they're funding climate warrior training programs. Instead of mental health support, they're spending $400 million a year of borrowed taxpayers' money on a housing policy experiment that may not result in the construction of one home. Borders are opening and the Navy is on alert. Regional GPs are closing. Businesses are shutting up shop. The construction sector is teetering on the edge of collapse. Mobile towers are going up across Labor held seats while regional Australia languishes once again at the hand of Labor's neglect. And those opposite have the gall to talk about integrity and transparency! We know where Labor's priorities lie and we know what Labor do. It's kind of like a reverse Robin Hood. They rob hardworking families and their businesses to pay for union elites. They promise to fix the problem, but they want Australian taxpayers to foot the bill. Labor promises the world, but then they give you an atlas. Why do Australians always pay more under Labor? I remind the government that they are just that: they are the government now; they are not an opposition in exile. They are not playing with union funds on the campaign trail. They are tasked with investing taxpayers' money to provide for them the best return. That means investing in priority economic areas which are clearly defined and based on reality, not on political whim. It means investing those funds with value for money and long-term success in mind. It means protecting funds from special interest groups, including political donor bodies such as the trade unions to which they are so beholden. It means keeping national security and defence beyond day-to-day politics. It's time for Labor to get up, grow up and show up for the Australian people. No more politics. No more smoke and mirrors. It's time for real action and real outcomes for Australian families and their businesses. 18:31 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan What does the future of Australia look like under a Labor Albanese government? Jobs, jobs and jobs. And not just any job—good jobs, secure jobs, well-paid jobs, jobs that our kids can be proud of, jobs that will exist in the year 2100. Australia is rich in critical minerals and needs to build batteries, wind turbines and solar panels. We can rewire the nation so we can power Australia for the future. We can become a renewable energy superpower. I thank the member for Fisher for pointing out the similarities that we have. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which the Labor Party put together and the coalition kept, was great policy. We took 10 months to get the architecture right, and we got it right. And have a look: the architecture is still in place; there are still companies that are using the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to fund projects and finance projects that we need right now. In my first speech I spoke of my father, who, after 19 years of service at the nickel mine, was made redundant because the nickel price tanked. He was 56 years old at the time. He's a man from a generation of metalworkers who have less than 10 fingers—my dad has 9½. Losing his job hurt him far more than losing his finger did. In the climate space, we have the term 'stranded assets'. These are things that have been prematurely written off. My father felt like a stranded asset. He was someone who had more to give. From the age of 16, my dad was the breadwinner for his family. This was ingrained in him. When we talk about markets, jobs and economic fluctuations, we cannot lose sight of the fact that what we're actually talking about is people and prosperity and homes and families—hopes and aspirations. A disruptive exit out of carbon-intensive industries will hurt people. So, yes, I want strong action on climate change, but I also want a just and orderly transition. Our carbon-intensive industries aren't something to be left to the market to sort out alone, nor are they things that can be switched off overnight. There needs to be a plan for transition that acknowledges that it's no longer business as usual for our large emitters whilst also ensuring that Australian workers have a place for them to work and for their children to work—obviously, when they're of working age—with jobs that are meaningful and jobs that are secure. That's why I support the National Reconstruction Fund. The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022 will establish and fund a body that finances investments in seven priority areas across the Australian economy. That includes value-adding in the resource sector, something that's very important to Western Australia; value-adding in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector; expanding transport manufacturing capability, and here I'll point out that we now manufacture our own trains in WA; medical science; defence capabilities; and enabling capabilities such as data science and software development. Finally, the things that I would like to focus on the most are renewables and low-emissions technology. For 12 years, I have spent my professional career working with some of Australia's biggest companies that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to help them transition to a low-emissions economy. During the time that I worked, what I saw was that there was nine years of delay and denial under the previous coalition government. However, in WA, there were parts of the private sector that were getting on with business and reducing emissions. Despite this, we need the whole economy to transform, and we need to make sure that all workers are prepared for the transition to net zero emissions by 2050, and this requires a plan from government. Without a plan, we risk workers and communities, and they are at risk of being left behind. We risk more Australians in transitioning industries becoming stranded assets. Under the previous government, there were nine industry ministers in nine years. That's nine years without a plan. However, I would like to acknowledge the member for McPherson as a standout in her time as industry minister. She oversaw a remarkable turnaround in Australia's domestic capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harvard University's Center for International Development ranks economies according to diversity and complexity to assess their potential for growth. They placed Australia at 91 out of 133 in 2020. Our neighbours on that scale were Kenya and Namibia. In the last decade, we have slipped 21 places. When we put our all our economic eggs in one basket, we open ourselves up to risks. Simply put, the Australian economy needs to become more sophisticated. We need to diversify, and we need to be able to do advanced manufacturing. We need to be able to make it here and build it here. As our economy transitions, there needs to be a safe and stable set of hands inspiring confidence among manufacturers to invest in capital to provide jobs for the future. A diversified industrial sector will insulate our economy against risks. The decade of delay, waste and indecision did not set up Australia well to enter this current chapter of Australia's history. A future economic vision for Australia is needed now more than ever. Capital markets are moving, and they are moving fast. Businesses and investors are turning away from fossil fuels. The market is shifting away to renewable and cleaner forms of energy, and the government must play a role to support this shift to ensure that our communities, industries and workers can be there to benefit from this change. There is so much opportunity, and we need to realise this. We would be doing our communities a disservice if we didn't act and if we pretended that it was business as usual for the next 30 years. We would be setting up workers, towns and regional economies for failure. We're acting immediately on this challenge, because the days of delay and denial on clean energy have sent a chill through renewable energy manufacturers. This is why we have brought this bill before the House in the first eight months of our term. The Albanese Labor government has a plan for Australia's economy. We're fixing the safeguard mechanism while rewiring the nation and increasing the amount of renewable energy into the grid. This backdrop to the decarbonising of the economy creates lower emissions electricity and cheaper electricity, and this will be a fantastic backdrop to the building of our manufacturing capability. We're going to build our capacity and confidence in the economy, and then walk with our workers and communities together in the transition process. When Minister Husic launched our nation's first battery strategy, on the third of this month, he chose to do so at Energy Renaissance, an Australian lithium-ion battery technology manufacturing company at Tomago, in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It's a remarkable region with remarkable representatives such as the wonderful members for Hunter, Shortland, Paterson and Newcastle. It's a region that's a powerhouse of the Australian economy and one that has a proud history of building things for this country. Our centres of manufacturing should not only be about making high-quality Australian products; they should also be places where new industries can flourish. Our battery strategy will be integral to helping Australia transition to a decarbonised economy, hit our ambitious targets, foster Australian innovation and support Australian industry. The strategy, in conjunction with the National Reconstruction Fund, will send a strong message to investors about Australia's industrial potential in battery manufacturing. The National Reconstruction Fund has earmarked up to $3 billion of funding to support the Powering Australia plan. This will drive investment in areas such as clean energy component manufacturing and technologies, and improved energy efficiency. Australians invented photovoltaic technology, but today about 85 per cent of the world's cells are made in one country. Over the next three years, that will become 95 per cent. Australian manufacturers of hydrogen electrolysers, green metals, wind turbine components and, of course, batteries should take comfort in knowing that we want them to succeed here. Australian innovation shouldn't mean that we're going to send that intellectual property overseas and offshore jobs. If we're talented enough to invent it here then we should be able to make it here. Governments can and should strategically and thoughtfully invest in industries for the future. Investing in manufacturing will be critical for Australia's economy to transition to net zero. It will also be critical for us to have sovereign manufacturing capacity in times of crisis. When the pandemic hit, there was one factory in Victoria producing face masks. I want to echo the remarks of the member for Robertson, who recounted his experience with personal protective equipment availability during the early stages of the COVID pandemic and the risks to which that exposed our front-line workers. Global supply chain shocks such as COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have tested our domestic energy markets, fertiliser stocks and, as mentioned, medicines and medical equipment. Developing our manufacturing capacity will expand our sovereign capacity. In these increasingly uncertain times, this must be a national priority. This bill puts forward a plan for sovereign capacity and the money we need to execute that plan. Dr Jens Goennemann, from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, has observed that, if we understand manufacturing as a capability that permeates every industry, we can transform Australia from a lucky country to a smart country. Australia has demonstrated that it has the capacity to produce medical personal protective equipment. Adarsh, in Western Australia, was able to direct its manufacturing capabilities to produce 10,000 face shields for our front-line medical staff within the first four months of the pandemic hitting the WA shores. They could do this because they had pre-existing manufacturing capability. There has to be a base level of capacity for us to ramp up. Ensuring the strong foundations of a manufacturing sector relies on an interconnected manufacturing ecosystem. One example is large car manufacturers in Adelaide and Melbourne. They created downstream demand for components such as windshields, cast metals and textiles. Then there was the creation of ventilators in Australia in the COVID-19 pandemic. That came through researchers working with manufacturers such as Ford and precision tool company ANCA to meet domestic needs and save lives. The other example I'd like to highlight is in Western Australia, where trains are built on site in WA for WA railway lines. It was interesting to hear earlier about trains being built in New South Wales—$2 billion I think—and the trains could not fit the track. They had to change the platforms where they were being delivered. By developing the capacity of one aspect of a sector, we're creating job for the future downstream and the ability to adapt when our nation faces times of crises. Conversely, if you shut down an industry, like the Liberals did to the car manufacturing sector, you send shockwaves through to small and medium businesses and suppliers. I support this bill because I think the government can and should strategically and thoughtfully invest in industries for the future. This is what this bill does, and this is how we will create jobs. As our economy transitions away from emission-intensive industries, there needs to be a plan. We cannot leave the future of our workers and communities to chance. It was heartbreaking to see my father become a so-called 'stranded asset'. I don't want that for anyone, least of all the constituents of Swan. 18:46 Mr HAMILTON 291387 Groom It's always a pleasure to talk on manufacturing in this place. I'm probably one of the few here who has stood, worked and maybe even sometimes sweated on a shop floor. I'm very happy to say I was the worst welder on that shop floor. I'm probably the best in this House, though. Times have changed. To reflect on some of the comments in this conversation, watching that industry over a long time, most of my association was with the mining industry, but manufacturing played huge part in riding that great wave that happened in the early 2000s. The sad truth is that manufacturing in this country has been in a long decline, particularly as we've increased our engagement with Asia and we've seen the loss of those manufacturing jobs, over many governments. I don't think there's any evidence that really stands that it's one side or the other. That's been a long-term trend. So I always welcome a conversation about how we as Australians can return manufacturing back to these shores. As has been pointed out many times, and if the pandemic taught us anything, if there is one great thing we can take from it, it's the importance of self-reliance. If that's the great lesson we get out of it, that fantastic. To speak on this particular bill, I think we should, as always, view it within the context of its times. Today we've just seen another interest rate rise. We're seeing in this period the steepest rate rises since the RBA became an independent institution. In the last three months of last year, we saw a slower economy than we expected. We're seeing confidence—not just consumer confidence, but business confidence—at a low. At the same time, we're seeing spending continue. So we're in a time of extreme turmoil, and today's Courier Mail relates the increase in costs for the average Queensland family over the last 12 months: they have risen by $1,150. Some of the comments in there were quite strong. You're seeing families make decisions about whether kids continue with swimming lessons, whether holidays are continued. We're in a period now where pressures are being felt, and they are being felt very strongly. They are being felt in families as well as businesses. I'm very lucky in my patch to have quite a strong manufacturing sector. We support, obviously, our traditional agricultural industries but also the newer industries that have come to our region, particularly transport, and that will only increase as Inland Rail comes. As I'll get to, we are also getting more and more into defence. Every time I sit and talk with our manufacturing industries, be they large or small, they have two issues they'd like to see addressed. One is energy costs. Quite simply, for many of our manufacturers, this has become the driving cost in their decision making. The other is, of course, labour costs. To look at this piece of legislation within the context of what's happening throughout the rest of the government's policies—Deputy Speaker Goodenough, you may enjoy this—I made a trip into the record books, looking at the impact of price caps historically. Obviously, this government has embarked on that pathway. I couldn't find the earliest possible example but there is a great one from 301 AD. I won't pretend to know this myself. It's under Diocletian 301 AD. They brought price caps in in ancient Rome because things were getting a bit too hot. Prices were too high, and wages weren't high enough. That particular piece of intervention went the way that, surprisingly, every other piece of price cap interventionist policy has gone; it failed, and failed terribly. When I talk to my manufacturing sector and they raise the issue of energy costs, they look at what we know: when you have price caps, you have a restriction of supply; it follows. It will only ever drive up costs in the longer term. We have that sitting in front of people. Then there's labour costs and they are to be driven up. If we look at the IR legislation that went through the House and if we reflect on the comments from the Productivity Commission report, when you move people from individual agreements to enterprise-level agreements, you see a reduction in productivity. Understand what that loss of productivity means to a company that's already borderline, that's on the one hand weighing up energy costs and on the other hand looking at the impact of R legislation coming through. These are the things weighing on people's minds. In that context, if we turn to the solution provided by this legislation, there appears to be more union power. If you want to assess a piece of legislation, a good way to do it is to see who it makes happy. Many of the previous speakers have spoken to the long list of demands that unions have made, licking their lips at the prospect of what the NRF opens up to them. When we see this sort of intervention, when we see unions wanting to force enterprise agreements as a precondition for application, that makes small manufacturers very scared. When we see calls for a third of board positions are to be hand-picked by the Council of Trade Unions, you start to get a feel that these decisions are not always going to be made in the best public interest, which of course, public investment should be. I will speak to the two points that the government have often raised in this debate. One is that this is great for regional jobs. As someone who represents a regional area, Groom in the beautiful Darling Downs, I hear that a lot from Labor. It is always important, when we talk about jobs, to look at the record of the previous government, because our approach to jobs worked. We saw near-record-low unemployment. In regions like mine, we saw businesses pick up, thrive. We saw activity grow. Those jobs were available, which was fantastic for regions like ours. I meant that our kids, the younger generation, didn't have to go elsewhere, didn't have to leave the regions to find work. There were jobs, careers, lifestyles to be had at home. That's the record we delivered on. I would turn also then to—this will tie in a little here—the other point that's made around defence and how important this is for Australia's national security. Leave alone the fact that this wasn't raised when the bill was brought forward. This is something that was found down the track as a very important part of it but not initially. I have to ask the question: How do you cut space industry out of your priorities when you are having a conversation about national defence given where the world is now and the threats of hypersonic missiles, just as one? It's almost implausible to think that you could have a serious conversation on defence while leaving out space industries. The previous government did not. Under the modern manufacturing scheme, I was proud to fight for trailblazer funding for UniSQ, located in Toowoomba in my patch, that made them a leader of Australian universities in space research. It's extraordinary, and I'll tie that back in with a comment about regional jobs. If you're looking for somewhere that has regional jobs, we're the largest privately funded inland city in Australia, apart from Canberra, and we had this huge investment. On top of the investment that we got from that Trailblazer funding, we've seen Boeing make a significant investment there. We've also seen Virgin Galactic make significant investments in our patch. It's extraordinary. Twenty years ago, you would never have thought this, but Toowoomba has become a hub for space research. It's not just big companies coming in; it's local companies joining in and finding their way into that. It's great to hear that local manufacturing firm JRS Manufacturing Group is moving out to the Wellcamp aerospace district and investing in new technology there. When we talk about this great investment under the previous government's Modern Manufacturing Initiative, which did identify the space industry as being important to defence and which did spur regional jobs, we're not just talking about jobs in the defence industry or in manufacturing. What we're also talking about is everything that goes with that, be it not only the business support services or the logistic services but the education stream that goes with it. I was very happy to be at UniSQ with Vice-Chancellor Geraldine Mackenzie just recently, where we were looking at the future that's being laid out for the space engineering program that they are pioneering at their Toowoomba campus. The opportunities that this offers young people from Toowoomba and from the regions is an absolutely crucial part of our future. We understand that when we talk about regional jobs, we're talking about new industries. When we talk about manufacturing, we're not talking about the sort of manufacturing that used to take place when Labor had people who worked in manufacturing. We're talking about modern manufacturing. We're talking about technologies just like this space engineering—the incredible work that's taking place out there. We're focused on that. We understand that's where new investment needs to go. So I point to the record of the previous government. We did understand that this was important. We did invest in the space industry, and we did provide local jobs. The next point I'll make is that, whilst we talk often about the space industry as it relates to defence, the same research and the same industry in a region like mine drives our other key industries forward. Of course, great work has been done in the agtech space in recent years, where we've seen farms being run out of the palms of people's hands, with technology and information coming through. This is where investments in manufacturing, properly timed and properly focused—and with an eye to the future—don't just help out the one industry that they're focused on but have a broader impact. Why it was so important for the Modern Manufacturing Fund to focus on space was not just because of defence but because of everything else that came out with it, be it logistics or agriculture. Certainly, my region was very happy to play a part in that. I'll reinforce my earlier comments. This piece of legislation is fighting against other pieces of legislation that are currently in play in the drive to bring manufacturing back to Australia. This is at a time when we're seeing price caps which will have a negative effect—and which have already had a negative effect on future investment, as the Senex case proved. They will have that negative effect on prices for up to two, three, five, 10 and 15 years down the track, because we will see a reduction in supply. This is fighting against that legislation at the same time as we're seeing legislation like Labor's IR bill, which is deliberately designed to move employees onto agreements that deliver lower productivity. Once again, we're seeing this legislation fighting against other legislation that is currently in play. It baffles the mind that when you speak to the industry, when you speak about their concerns, their concerns are only too clear. When we speak to those in the manufacturing industry about their concerns, we understand their need for lower energy prices and for lower labour costs. But the solution provided is a mechanism for more power for unions in this space. I don't speak against unions on the basis that they are simply unions, I speak against any monopoly that tries to exert too much power—and I fear that's exactly what this legislation opens up the opportunity for. Small manufacturers, like HBS, where I first learnt to weld, would struggle under the increased union power that legislation like this would enable. 19:01 Ms ROBERTS 157125 Pearce I rise to speak in proud support of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022, a significant and important commitment made by the Albanese Labor government and a clear commitment to help the growth of industries in Australia. The National Reconstruction Fund will be independent, and will work in the national interest. It will help rebuild our industries and capture strong opportunities for Australia. It is important to the nation's economy that we be a country that manufactures things again. The National Reconstruction Fund will absolutely help to achieve this. The Albanese Labor government has a plan, and part of that plan involves reviving Australian industry so that our industries can be a global leader in high-value manufacturing rather than sending things overseas, as the opposition has done in the past. The National Reconstruction Fund is about investment. It will be one of the biggest investments in Australian manufacturing capacity, and our manufacturing capacity is crucial to our nation's economy. This bill is about jobs and more jobs, and to keep those local is especially important in my electorate of Pearce in Western Australia, because it will provide opportunities for much-needed local jobs and help manufacturing businesses grow and prosper, and to become world leaders through innovation. In Pearce, there are two industrial areas that help support and boost the state of Western Australia's economy and the nation's economy. One is the Wangara Industrial Area and the other is the newer Neerabup Industrial Area, which has so much potential. These two areas are the foundation of thousands of local jobs in the electorate of Pearce. Nine per cent of people in Pearce work in the manufacturing sector, compared to 6½ per cent across the state of Western Australia. The number of manufacturing businesses in my electorate is rising and, at last count, in 2022, were 762, up by 42 from the previous year. Manufacturing is the most productive industry within my electorate, generating $18,017 million in 2020-2021. Just imagine the potential to continue that growth, particularly in Neerabup. This site is primed to provide long-term economic growth opportunities, which will be achieved through the creation of local jobs for people in what is one of the largest and fastest-growing areas in Australia. Let me share some detail in relation to Neerabup with you. The area provides manufacturing opportunities, economic growth opportunities and local employment opportunities. It is a parcel of approximately 1,000 hectares of land in the north-west metropolitan area of Perth. In coming years, the Neerabup industrial area is expected to become a large employment node in the electorate of Pearce, with connections to major freight links. The area is in the early stages of industrial growth, and is projected to be home to 20,000 jobs in the not-too-distant future. The development of this area is a strategic priority for the region and the electorate of Pearce. Recognising the absolute importance of this industrial area, the Albanese Labor government committed $15 million in infrastructure funding to bolster it. This industrial area is just a few kilometres from transport links, which are vital for supporting businesses to deliver their goods when and where they are needed. It will benefit greatly from the Albanese government's $15 million investment in creating the dual carriageway on the local road, which is on Flynn Drive. This investment will mean significantly better access to and from the Neerabup industrial area by ensuring completion of the dual carriageway for the entire length of Flynn Drive. I have been a strong advocate for funding and government support for projects, including this one, in the years prior to my election as the member for Pearce, in my previous role as the mayor of the City of Wanneroo, so I am very pleased that the Albanese Labor government is delivering this election commitment to the electorate. Appropriate investment in infrastructure is a key driver to attract businesses to industrial areas, so this project will be important for generating local job growth in my community. We have a large and fast-growing youth population. There are 56 local schools in the electorate, and I know how hard those schools work. I know the need for apprenticeships. I know the need for traineeships. I know the need for future growth in employment opportunities. I sit on eight of those school boards and I see, time after time, students trying to source opportunities for work experience, because there's not a great deal of opportunity in the local area. They have to travel far and wide for work experience, let alone for the opportunities for traineeships and apprenticeships. In this area, local employment opportunities will be very important. The area is also planned to be the home of the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct, which has a 51-hectare site and is set to generate up to 5,000 ongoing jobs in the growing fields of robotics, remote operations and automation, which used to be something futuristic, but now are something of the norm. These are all areas of innovation and are jobs of the future—and they are something that our youth are incredibly interested in. It will be used for testing, research and development, and training in autonomy and robotics. This precinct will deliver a long-term strategic employment cluster, and it's very exciting. It's one that will provide quality employment opportunities and attract talent from all over the world. The strategy of the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct is to create and manage access to a globally linked and locally relevant test facility. This will include design co-labs, test laboratories and virtual laboratories. Precinct users and researchers will have the opportunity to accelerate technology and analytics testing and scaling. As we elevate our national economic, environmental and social wellbeing, build our strategic industry capability and drive economic growth, we need to partner with industry and researchers. That is what the National Reconstruction Fund will do. It will be independently run, and its decisions will be made in the national interest. Investment will focus on seven priorities: renewables and low-emissions technologies; medical science; transport; value-adding in fisheries, forestry and agriculture; value-adding in the resources sector; defence capabilities; and technologies that support jobs in manufacturing. The National Reconstruction Fund is a key commitment of the Albanese Labor government and will consult with industry to reveal market gaps and investment opportunities. The priority areas reflect current and emerging industry strengths that will help strengthen our capacity to respond to domestic challenges and also global opportunities. It is a significant step in rebuilding Australia's industrial capability and economy, so why would those opposite want to oppose it? It's because they don't have a plan, other than to be contrary and say no. They're the 'no-alition', who left Australia with a trillion dollars of Liberal debt. On the other hand, we in the Albanese Labor government have a robust plan, and the National Reconstruction Fund is another step in creating secure, well-paying jobs for Australians. Australia can be a country that manufactures things again, and we should. The pandemic emphasised the importance of having an advanced and agile manufacturing capability in order to be able to pivot to produce critical products to meet our nation's needs, especially at times when we need them the most. The National Reconstruction Fund will oversee one of the largest investments in our country's history—$15 billion. This will be invested in independently assessed projects that will diversify, support and transform Australia's industry and economy. So, I repeat, why do those opposite say no to this vital investment in Australia's economy? Because they don't have a plan. Australian industry needs a government that recognises their contribution. Our future generations and babies that are being born deserve opportunity. Our communities want to know their government is supportive and loud about it, and is also backing that support with robust actions. We all know that actions speak louder than words. They want to know that their government is helping make the most of global opportunities. It is time to stop the good ideas heading overseas due to lack of supportive capital. The Albanese Labor government knows the National Reconstruction Fund will help retain businesses and talent here on our shores, and to grow our economy and our nation. It will also help Australian industry capture new high-level market opportunities. The National Reconstruction Fund will help research and innovations move on the path towards commercialisation. The fund will help bolster national resilience and support well-paid, sustainable jobs of the future. Why would anybody say no to that? The National Reconstruction Fund is about helping built and transform our industry capabilities in a strategic manner. That includes manufacturing. It is also about strengthening the nation's ability to harness technologies so that we can futureproof our prosperity and national wellbeing. The fund will allow the support of investment in medical manufacturing for things like vaccines and medical devices. Australia was once a leader in solar technology, and the independent National Reconstruction Fund will enable investment in solar and wind technologies, as well as the development of batteries to store renewable energy. This will be a win for our environment, which the Albanese Labor government values. The fund can accelerate our nation becoming a renewables super power. I have already talked about robotics and automation in Neerabup and the National Reconstruction Fund will build on our expertise in quantum technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence. We will partner with state and territory governments and industry to seek out investment opportunities within priority areas. It is important to remind those opposite that the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation will be fiercely independent—an independent board making independent investment decisions is crucial to success. It will also be independent of political influence, the way it should be. There will be no sports rorts and colour-coded spreadsheets like we saw under the previous government. The Australian taxpayer expects—as they should—their tax dollars to be treated properly and respectfully, to be spent in the national interest rather than to suit political interests. Under the Albanese Labor government, that's what taxpayers will get with the National Reconstruction Fund. Along with the Buy Australian Plan and Future Made in Australia Office, the National Reconstruction Fund ties in with the Albanese Labor government's plan for Australia to be strong and self-sufficient, and to have a renewed basis to sell to the world. I urge those opposite to walk with us and support the bill instead of making terrible decisions that do not support Australians or the future of Australia. I commend the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill to the House. 19:14 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright It's a privilege to be able to offer commentary in the debate on the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022. I want to acknowledge those contributions that have gone before the House as the debate comes to a close for the evening. Listening to debate from both sides of the House, it is right to acknowledge that this was a fundamental that was taken to the election and that Labor definitely have the right to bring this piece of legislation to the table. However, in doing so, they have claimed some falsities. It behoves us, as an opposition, to prosecute a case against the falsehoods that are being debated as, time after time, members of the government roll up with their speaking notes and, one after another, deliver exactly the same message. That this piece of legislation will miraculously fix our international supply chain issues here in Australia, as it's claimed, is not true. It just will not do that. I come from 25 years in transport and logistics—domestic, intrastate and international. I can tell you, Mr Deputy Speaker Goodenough, with my hand on my heart that this bill is not the panacea—the fix for all the international supply chain failings that have hampered us—that Labor claim it to be. We've heard the argument rolled out time after time that there was a failure in PPE equipment, personal protective equipment, during COVID, but not one of those on the other side has complimented our Australian manufacturing sector. Not one of them has complimented those who were able to move nimbly and dexterously to change up their business models. The Australian manufacturing sector is alive and well, and it is my intention tonight, in the time afforded me, to prosecute the case for how amazing our Australian manufacturing sector is. We've been told that there are going to be a plethora of jobs in the regions as a result of this fund, but there've been no figures brought forth on that. We were told by the Prime Minister this afternoon, at the dispatch box when he made his contribution, that a $15 billion off-budget investment would create zero inflationary pressures in the country—zero to none. He actually went on to cite the RBA governor's comments to say that the inflationary pressures we are dealing with at the moment have all come from Ukraine—it's the Ukraine conflict; it's not government spending. There is $46 billion of off-budget investment coming through government. Mr Deputy Speaker, I'll just take you back to the UK parliament when they had a new Prime Minister who said she was going to go and borrow a heap of money. She didn't last very long. The markets rejected it. The markets collapsed, and quite rightly. They should have. Those opposite have spoken about making Australia a great manufacturing country again. I say, 'Well done and strength to the arm of our Australian manufacturing sector today.' They do an amazing job. As I mentioned, our job is to prosecute a case against the untruths that are coming. We are debating this bill today, of all days, when the RBA has delivered yet another rate increase. Here we have, metaphorically, the Reserve Bank governor putting both feet on the brake of the economy by raising interest rates for an unprecedented 10th consecutive time—nine rate rises under this government, one previously. He has two feet on the brake, and the Labor Party, directly in contrast, are bringing into the parliament another $15 billion worth of accelerated spending. The reason I speak against this bill tonight is not just through the prism of manufacturing but through the prism of pure economics. The RBA governor has been forced to put up interest rates 10 consecutive times. It's a blunt instrument that he has. It is the determination of this place that we set the terms of reference for the RBA, and we ask them to keep the inflation rate at between two and three per cent. If we really wanted to help them, we would slow that spending down, and the IMF have made some comments about that which I will share with you. Please be mindful that the RBA governor has one blunt instrument, interest rates. He has two feet—the governor speaks collectively for the board—on the brakes in trying to slow the economy down, but the Australian Labor Party needs to take its feet off the accelerator. That's because of the unintentional consequences through this bill, which puts a noose around every mortgage holder in my electorate, in the great state of Queensland, and in the country of Australia as interest rates are forced up. Even though during the campaign this government said they were going to make mortgages cheaper, but since this government came to power, if you have a $700,000 loan with a bank your mortgage payments are $1,700 more expensive as a result of leaving these guys in charge. Don't just take my economic credentials for it. The IMF, the International Monetary Fund, have made comment specifically about this program and their heightened concerns about the spending by this government in light of what the Reserve Bank is trying to do by dampening interest rates. Section 16 of the IMF press release says: Strong aggregate demand and the tight labor market warrant continued focus on fiscal consolidation in the near term. Saving of expected revenue overperformance— And this is the piece I want you to listen to— and judicious implementation of spending programs, notably infrastructure investment, would help in containing demand pressures and inflation. So they're saying, 'Be careful! Be careful with programs like that.' They continue: Implementation of below-the-line activity through newly created investment vehicles (National Reconstruction Fund, Rewiring the Nation, and Housing Australia Future Fund) should be … should be avoided. Cost-of-living support in light of high energy prices should be targeted, aimed at protecting vulnerable households and small viable firms. These comments aren't being delivered by Liberal Party hacks. This is the International Monetary Fund raising concerns about the very issues that I raised earlier in my speech. But time after time we have those opposite coming into the House and saying that we're fearmongering and carrying on, as they preached from their speech tonight. Open your eyes: this is a concern. Open your eyes! We have an amazing manufacturing sector and, as the former assistant roads and freight minister for this country, I'll say how proud I am of companies just in that portfolio alone, like one by the name of Paccar, situated in Bayswater in Victoria. Most Australians don't know about this company, which manufactures Kenworth trucks. They've got about 147 engineers on site. They manufacture from chassis rails to the entire production of Kenworth trucks here in Australia. Mack-Volvo do exactly the same thing in Queensland at Rocklea. So do not say that manufacturing is dead and that this single piece of legislation is going to reinvigorate the manufacturing sector, because it's just not true. Can I tell you how much government subsidies these two great Australian businesses get from government? One of the CEOs once said to me, proudly: 'We do not take a cent of government funding. We raise our own capital internationally or through our parent companies, and we are proud of it'. I said to them, 'You should be proud of it, because there's a long list of skeletons in the manufacturing cemetery of those that have relied on government subsidies as a result of doing deals with the Australian union moment.' Volvo, Mack, Kenworth and DAF are manufacturing and assembling right here in Australia. They're speccing these trucks up for Australian conditions. And then the value chain to that—the mufflers, the exhausts, the brakes and the motors—is all prepared here in Australia. Some of the componentry comes from other than Australia. In fact, one of the choke points when it comes to manufacturing and getting trucks off the assembly line—they can probably do, collectively, around 30 to 40 trucks a day between those two businesses here in Australia—was out of Taiwan. It was the superchip conductors. This bill will do nothing to affect the supply chain pressures on superchip conductors out of Taiwan, because we do not have the technological capabilities to compete. As geopolitical threats exist, what we could do is partner with those Taiwanese companies and bring them to Australia so that we've got first access to them. I stand here proud of the Australian manufacturing sector. Those on the other side mentioned that wide consultation was conducted and that there's wide-ranging support for this bill. When I go through and have a look at some of the non-government stakeholders who were consulted, there's the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors. I'm not too sure what they manufacture. But I've spoken to manufacturers, and after I tell you who they consulted with I'm going to share with you what the manufacturers really want. They also—surprise, surprise—consulted with the Australian Council of Trade Unions. What do they manufacture? The Australian Investment Council, Industry Super Australia and the Law Council of Australia are some, to name a few. When I talk to the manufacturers here in Australia that are employing Australians, producing products that we use every day and putting food on our tables, they say they want cheap, reliable energy. They're not getting that from the other side. They're saying they want a reliable workforce that's globally competitive. It's not forthcoming. Australia needs bipartisan support on programs like this. We need cheaper power. We need reliable power. We need affordable wages. The consultation process was short of concerning. I came from a financial background before the transport sector, so I'll ask a question of the Australian government. Let's put this to the test. If this was a corporation and there was an opportunity to invest money in it, how many of those on the other side would mortgage their homes and invest their money, as we on this side do when we go and start up businesses, borrow money from the banks, take a risk and employ Australians? Most of us on this side are small business operators. I currently have a mortgage over my house. If I fail in my business operations, the bank will take that house. How many of those on the other side would take that risk and invest in this program? How many? That should be the litmus test. Have another look at your speaking notes and have a look at Labor's track record. Have a look at how much was raised when Labor brought the mining tax into this House, which was going to deliver rivers of gold. There was to be $350 million raised in the first year, but what ultimately happened over the forward estimates was that they went and spent the money that it was supposed to raise and Australia was left with a debt. Remember when Labor told us: 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead'? You can't trust Labor. They've said that this bill will address the international supply chain pressures. Believe me, it will not. They may endeavour to achieve that, but I can assure you it will not. There are a number of irresponsibilities, and the last one is that the bill is fiscally irresponsible, delivering funding well in excess of the coalition's Modern Manufacturing Strategy, which was about $1.3 billion. This is an additional $5 billion for appropriations, plus a $10 billion investment, but the government's not going to tell you when it's going to be invested. The clanger is: 'We're going to create a committee, but we're not going to tell you who's going to be on it when the time is right.' You can't trust Labor. Debate interrupted. ADJOURNMENT 1405 ADJOURNMENT Victoria: Juvenile Detention 1405 19:30 Ms DANIEL 008CH Goldstein In November last year, I was provided with materials outlining disturbing allegations about the treatment of young people in youth detention in Victoria. If Victorians knew what was happening to young people in detention, they would be horrified. The system must be fixed, but, more to the point, we must implement diversion programs to keep young people out of detention. The materials provided to me came from whistleblowers concerned by the treatment of young people in detention at Parkville's Melbourne Youth Justice Centre, specifically solitary confinement being used as a punishment and a management tool. I did not provide this correspondence to the press. However, given that it's now public in the Age newspaper, I'm releasing the letters quoted in the interests of transparency and to support the case for action to protect the welfare of these children. I put clearly on the record here in this chamber that I have concerns about reprisal against the staff who blew the whistle to me. I know that a number had concerns about retaliation. I call on the Victorian government to guarantee there will not be reprisals against these individuals. They have done the right thing in raising these issues, confident that I would deal with their concerns without breach of confidence. The whistleblowers were particularly concerned about COVID rules being used inappropriately to punish those in detention and to cover for staff shortages. As a result of initial written materials, followed by conversations with the whistleblowers and after taking legal advice, I wrote to the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews; the relevant state minister; the Victorian ombudsman, Deborah Glass; and the federal Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus. In the letter, co-signed by the member for Kooyong and the member for Melbourne, whose electorate covers Parkville, I questioned whether the use of isolation was justifiable and proportionate, made the point that solitary confinement of children is prohibited under international human rights law and raised the whistleblowers' concern that children were being detained in isolation for up to 23 hours per day on multiple days per week to make it easier to manage children with limited staff numbers. After sending the letter, I had several subsequent conversations with the federal Attorney-General about the situation, along with correspondence from the ombudsman and the Victorian Department of Justice. The Victorian ombudsman replied extensively saying, among other things, 'I share many of the concerns you raise in your letter.' The ombudsman noted that in 2019 she had formally investigated what effective implementation of the optional protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, OPCAT, should look like and recommended that a single independent body be designated in Victoria referred to as a national preventative mechanism, or NPM. In her report, at the time, the ombudsman estimated the cost of the establishment of an effective independent inspection function within her office to be a mere $2.5 million out of a total prison budget of $1.8 billion in Victoria, a relatively small amount, therefore, to ensure that children are not subject to this kind of punishment. The Andrews government is apparently demanding the Commonwealth provide the money, an unjustifiable excuse for inaction. But, if that is all it would take, I appeal to the federal Attorney-General to make the money available and test Victoria's bona fides. In their original communication with me, the whistleblowers noted that in October last year they were informed of a possible visit by a UN OPCAT delegation. During that week, they allege, the centre was staffed up to ensure that young people in custody would be up and operating on the floor, as they put it—attending classes and operating as normal. This, they said, was another gross and deliberate attempt to hide the goings-on inside Parkville youth detention precinct. In return correspondence, the justice department chose to defend the situation, accusing the whistleblowers of misinformation and citing figures showing a decline in isolations. The whistleblowers, with firsthand experience of the situation, vehemently disagree. The welfare of these children must be protected. Australian Passport Office 1406 19:35 Dr REID 300126 Robertson I would like to acknowledge the Albanese Labor government's commitment, since winning government in May 2022, to supporting the Australian Passport Office, the APO, to overcome the enormous backlog of passport applications left behind by the former Liberal-National government. The Australian Passport Office do an exceptional job receiving and processing applications and issuing passports to Australians to enable them to travel safely and efficiently and to connect them with the rest of the world. The Australian Passport Office is considered one of the best passport offices in the world when it comes to passport security, passport technology and customer service. The Passport Office continues to strengthen and implement new features regularly to ensure our passports maintain their international cutting-edge superiority. It's no secret that Australians love to travel, especially to our favourite destinations, including New Zealand, Indonesia, the United States, Europe and many places throughout Asia. During 2022-23, Australians have once again begun to embrace international travel since the global pandemic. Each month the Australian Bureau of Statistics records a steady increase in overseas departures. During December 2022, over 1.5 million people had departed our international airports across Australia for an overseas destination. However, there had been a great deal of distress and a great deal of uncertainty for many Australians last year as the new Albanese Labor government responded to an overwhelming number of passport applications that had been left behind by the former Liberal-National government. At 430,000 outstanding applications at its peak, our new government got straight to work employing and training more staff in the Passport Office to address the gargantuan, gigantic build-up of requests for passports. Between July and December 2022, the Passport Office issued the most passports ever in a six-month period, at over 1.6 million passports, and that's over half a million more than in the same period in 2019, which was the previous six-month record. In my electorate of Robertson, constituents were frequently contacting my office for assistance to get their passports, as wait times had blown out from an average of 14 business days to as much as 50 business days. Many constituents were emailing and calling our office for help. Where my staff were prepared and able to assist, we managed to process every request for assistance, and in every circumstance we were able to provide the correct information to the constituent or organise for their passports to arrive before their departure date. Of course, this could not occur if it were not for the outstanding and professional public servants working in the Australian Passport Office, who understood the mammoth task that was ahead of them and did not waver in getting on top of this crisis. I'd also like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, who immediately understood the situation and put into place practical measures to address the passport backlog, as well as the assistant minister, the Hon. Tim Watts, whose office continues to help and provide advice on all aspects of passports and wait times. Thank you, Minister. I am still encouraging constituents in Robertson and, indeed, all Australians around the nation, to reach out to their local federal member if they are experiencing longer than usual wait times for new passports. On the New South Wales Central Coast, Assistant Minister the Hon. Emma McBride and I are welcoming and ready to assist any constituent with their passport inquiry. Further, the greatest advice that I can provide to constituents and Australians is to prepare to travel well in advance of that travel. If you need to renew your passport or you need to acquire a passport, get in and get it done. The online system is efficient and simple to navigate. Lastly, safe travels to any Australian heading overseas. Be a smart traveller, ensure you have travel insurance, register your travel at smartraveller.gov.au, enjoy your time away, and happy holidays. Brisbane Olympic Games 1406 19:39 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax I rise to put on record my concerns with recent government decisions with respect to Brisbane 2032, the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in South-East Queensland. As the former Prime Minister's representative for the bid that secured the 2032 games as former special envoy and a director of the organising committee, I remain enormously proud and supportive of Australia hosting the world's greatest sporting event. It was a bipartisan unity ticket that helped secure those games, and each of us has reason to be proud. On that note, I also congratulate the organising committee, which by my assessment is not only well led but doing some really great work in progressing their agenda. However, it is not the responsibility of the organising committee to deliver on infrastructure for Brisbane 2032. That is the responsibility of government and that's where my concerns lie. There are three points of context. First, when the LNP's team Queensland—the senators and MPs in this place—supported, together with the South-East Queensland Council of Mayors, the bid for 2032, we made it crystal clear that the primary motivation was improved public transport, in particular rail, and that the first step in that rail plan would be a connection through to Maroochydore. Second, in securing the games, all parties in the Australian bid team promised to honour the International Olympic Committee's new norms. We'd keep the cost of sporting facilities down by leveraging mainly existing facilities and avoiding any new, flashy, multibillion-dollar projects. The fiscal constraint was more than just a pitch to the IOC; it was also an agreement with the Australian public, particularly the people of Queensland, that their taxpayer money would not be used in a poor way. Third, what clinched the deal was when the Australian Prime Minister, Prime Minister Morrison, proposed to Queensland Premier Palaszczuk a 50-50 partnership between the federal and state governments—a partnership that was subject to, among other things, a shared governance model maximising private sector participation, with a separate entity to be established to manage the end-to-end procurement process. That would put it beyond politics. Now, these three points of context also represent three compacts, each of which has subsequently been breached. First, on transport infrastructure and specifically the new rail line connecting Brisbane to Maroochydore, the coalition, as its single largest infrastructure item for transport in last year's budget, allocated $1.6 billion to the $3.2 billion project—a price tag that had been forecast as part of a business case with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads plus 10 per cent for additional contingency. Since then, the Queensland Labor government has sought to publicly rubbish the very business case on which their own people had worked. Then the new Labor federal government decided to postpone any release of funding for that very project. If there were any suggestion that the Queensland government actually didn't want this project done, that was put to bed when they stood with the local council and decided that Maroochydore would not be used as a place for a sporting event—the basketball preliminaries—removing one of the key arguments for having the rail line to Maroochydore. That was only in recent months. Then, of course, we have the idea of there being no new, flashy facilities. We raised our eyebrows when the state government thought the Gabba upgrade would cost $1 billion. Now we find out it's going to cost $2.7 billion. That's not the only multibillion-dollar venue that's going to be created through this. As for a shared governance model, that's no longer happening. As for maximising participation for the private sector, that's not going to happen either. There's not going to be a separate entity; it's all going to be run out of the Queensland government. We have a series of agreements, to which I was personally a part, all of which are being changed, breached. I give a warning to all governments: don't breach the faith with the Australian people on this one. Don't do it. (Time expired) Mining Industry 1407 19:45 Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Hunter The Minerals Council of Australia has just released the full report for the New South Wales mining expenditure impact survey for 2021-22. I'm proud to inform the House that mining is alive and thriving, with the report showing that the mining industry contributed a record $16.7 billion across the state, while also supporting 30,981 jobs and 6,833 businesses. It has been shown time and time again that when our economy is going through a hard time it is the mining industry plays a large role in helping us to pull through. And it is no different this time round with the industry providing a record $6 billion in royalties, which is a $2 billion increase from the original New South Wales Treasury budget forecast. Thank goodness for mining. The Hunter is the heart of the mining industry in New South Wales and the mining industry is the heart of the Hunter. This is once again proven by the results from this report. This report shows that there are 13,580 jobs in the Hunter which are supported by mining companies. This is the second highest number of jobs reported since the survey started being conducted a decade ago. Some parties in this place scream that the decline of the coalmining industry has already begun, but the Hunter is seeing no sign of the decline. We have mines who are seeking extensions out until 2050 and beyond. There are more jobs in this industry this year than there were last year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this indicates growth. This report also shows that the mining sector injected $6.3 billion into the Hunter economy. This is another element of the industry which has grown, with this number being $200 million higher than the previous financial year and equal to the highest results in a decade. This is also the third year in a row that direct spending in mining has been over $6 billion. Miners in the Hunter receive over $1.6 billion in wages and salaries. That is $1.6 billion that's gone towards helping families to put food on the table and pay their mortgages. This is the money which is earned by locals in the Hunter and much of it will have gone straight back into local businesses in the Hunter, helping to support the local industries and sectors in my electorate. There was also $4.6 billion which was spent on goods and services from over 3,000 mining supply businesses in the Hunter. It is clear that the benefits from the mining sector flow right throughout the Hunter. This industry is good for Hunter and it's good for the people of Hunter. I'm proud to have mining in my electorate. Representing this sector and those impacted by it is a responsibility that I take very seriously. The importance of mining in the Hunter cannot be underestimated. The $6.3 billion that it contributed to our economy over the last year makes up almost 30 per cent of the Hunter's gross regional product. While there is no way to tell what the mining sector will look like in decades to come, one thing is for certain: the mining sector in the Hunter today is strong. And, as the result of this survey shows, over the past year mining in the Hunter has continued to grow. The New South Wales Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said: Thousands of locals will head to the polls on election day at least partially considering their vote based on who will best support a strong mining sector into the future. His words could not be any truer. I've said it in this place before and I will say it again: let me assure the voters in my electorate that you will not find a stronger voice for the mining industry and its workers than me. I'm proud to be a Mining and Energy Union member, I'm a proud former coalminer and I'm also proud to be part of a Labor government that lets me fight for this mining sector as much as we need to. The export market for coal is as strong as it's ever been and for as long as this continues, and it will for years and years to come, I will make sure that the Hunter remains at the forefront of supplying the best and cleanest coal in the world. Thank you to all the dedicated mineworkers in the Hunter and all around Australia for the long hours you all put in, and I hope you all get home safely. Cashless Debit Card 1408 19:50 Mr PITT 148150 Hinkler I rise to speak on what has now become the debacle of this nation: the cashless debit card. What we have seen since Labor has come to power has had an impact in the four trial sites, and it's not a positive impact; it is a detrimental impact to the people that live there, to those poor kids who are being directly affected and to all of those individuals who struggle with alcohol abuse. Yet what we see is Labor ideology at work. They vowed to get rid of the cashless debit card regardless of what the community wanted. They vowed to go with their ideology rather than with something that clearly works. They vowed to the people that they would get rid of the CDC, even though all of the coalition sitting members in the trial sites were returned at the last election and the election before. What do we see now in place of it? I refer you to some pieces by Ellen Whinnett in the Australian. The headlines are: 'Cashless debit card cut, "now it's bedlam" in Ceduna' and 'How the cashless debit card's axing left chaos in remote WA'. That's chaos and bedlam. When we rolled out the cashless debit card trial in my electorate, it took months. It was done in many, many weeks, in small portions at a time to help people adjust to the change and set up whatever structures they needed. Yet we saw a Labor government that was hell-bent on shifting something simply because they were ideologically opposed to it. The people that I and member for O'Connor and the member for Grey represent have all been directly impacted by what is a very, very poor decision. Mr Speaker, I'm sure you've heard this before: Labor claimed that we had privatised the welfare system, simply because the cashless debit card was provided by—would you believe?—a bank. Would you believe you need a bank for a debit card? Who'd have thunk it! Guess what? The same bank providing the same card is still in place under this Labor government, because you need it to deliver the service. So all of those commitments were completely untrue, and it just hasn't happened. But what we have seen—even though the Alice is not a trial site—is exactly what happens when you take away systems that work in areas that need tough decisions. This is a tough but necessary policy. I would urge the minister to put it back in place, because it actually matters. The feedback I got was that there was an increase in rent rolls being paid. Fewer kids were using breakfast clubs in schools. In fact, the number at one particular school halved after we introduced the debit card. The number of individuals whose parents were then allowing them and helping them to go and do extracurricular activities that cost more money doubled. That sounds like a pretty good outcome to me. Every single one of those children were being fed and had opportunities because the CDC was in place. Now, we've seen the mayors of the four towns affected by the abolition of the cashless debit card in WA and the remote Goldfields. They were pretty clear. They said the abolition of the card was a retrograde step that would increase social harm and that did nothing to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, unemployment and substance addiction that some residents were suffering. In Ceduna, the residents have held a crisis meeting following the abolition of the CDC amid fears it has contributed to a spike in alcohol abuse, child neglect and absolute bedlam. The descriptions are about bedlam in Ceduna and chaos in remote WA, and I have challenges in my own electorate, where the trial was very, very different. It was applied only to those individuals who were 35 and under and were on four separate payments, and those were Newstart, youth allowance other, parenting payment single and parenting payment partnered. It worked. We had significant and strong support from community leaders, from other individuals and from Aboriginal organisations who want this to be put back in place. I have never had a policy which had a stronger level of support in my electorate than the cashless debit card. Roughly 70 per cent either supported it or were not opposed. This was tested by the media and by other individuals. They polled it; they did everything. And guess what? The people that I represent know that it's a tough but necessary policy. They know you have to implement tough but necessary policies if you want change. Nothing will ever be a silver bullet, but to simply take it away and replace it with nothing—well, we have all seen what the results of that look like. I say shame on the Labor government. Foreign Interference 1409 19:55 Mr HILL 86256 Bruce When we think or talk about foreign interference, most people's minds would turn to countries like China or Russia. But it's not just larger and powerful countries trying to interfere in Australian politics in our community. Smaller, medium-sized powers are doing the same. The Minister for Home Affairs called out Iran for this kind of behaviour. One of the unacceptable things these countries are doing is interfering with the rights of Australian citizens in diaspora communities, including threats to their families in their home countries as a way of silencing Australians in their criticism or those who speak up for democracy and human rights. These subversive activities are often carried out in the shadows yet at other times the activities are far more blatant and public. I want to highlight Cambodia as a case study. In February 2018, the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, prior to an ASEAN Australian summit meeting held here in Sydney, threatened protesters planning to burn effigies of him that he would 'pursue them to their houses and beat them up'. A month later, by coincidence, anonymous death threats were sent to Australians, including then state MP Hong Lim, now state MP Meng Heang Tak and then councillor Youhorn Chea, as well as the wife of a murdered Cambodian political analyst, Kem Ley, who was granted asylum in Australia after her husband's murder. These threats were from a person purporting to be a member of Hun Sen's ruling family, who threatened to shoot them dead. Hun Sen's nephew Hun To was questioned by police about these threats. In 2003 Australian police sought to arrest Hun To on suspicions that he was trafficking heroin into our country hidden in loads of timber. Since then, Hun To and his wife, Jackie Tai, have amassed millions of dollars' worth of property in Australia with seemingly no legitimate explanation for where their wealth has come from. It's no secret that Hun To has his finger in lots of pies—drug trafficking, illegal deforestation, animal trafficking, illegal gambling. Most recently, we've heard reports he's dipping his toes into human trafficking, as well. That's diversifying, isn't it? In 2008 Hun To was accused by two opposition party candidates of ordering his bodyguards to assault them in Cambodia. I heard similar stories of him doing the same to critics living here in Australia without consequence. One may well ask: Why have there been no consequences? Why didn't the victim file a police report? The answer is simple, because of the victim's concern for their family overseas. Most members of diaspora communities here in Australia still have family residing in their home countries, including Cambodian Australians and many others. This is a very difficult problem to tackle. Our police and intelligence agencies can protect people here in Australia but they have little ability to protect people overseas, and gangsters like Hun To and his dear uncle Hun Sen know that. So when Cambodians in Australia criticise Hun Sen or his government publicly or join with opposition groups or refuse to participate in the Cambodian People's Party propaganda events organised regularly in Australia, Hun Sen doesn't necessarily go after them; he goes after their families in Cambodia. It's a worryingly effective strategy and it's not historical. Hun Sen's Cambodian regime is still at it. In January this year, a CPP delegation led by Kim Santepheap travelled to Australia to mark Victory Over Genocide Day. Kim Santepheap is a spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of Justice, which is more popularly known in Cambodia as the 'ministry for injustice'. Whilst purported to be a national holiday, it's primarily a political event for Hun Sen and his gangster regime. This was clearly the case for events held here in Australia. There was party propaganda prominently displayed at events in every capital city. This is an organised outfit, as I talked about to the parliament before. I know of people, both Cambodian Australians and Cambodians studying in Australia, who were forced to join these events. The implicit threat, not usually explicitly stated here, was: we know who you are, we know where you are and, most importantly, we know where your family is in Cambodia. They're also interfering in temples in Australia, in temple elections, holding fake charity events to raise funds. Cambodian Australians and others from diaspora communities must be able to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms without being threatened or coerced. It's a difficult problem to tackle, and the government is doing what we can. I express my firm view that people like Hun To and Kim Santepheap should never again be granted visas to visit Australia. We need to do what else we can to shine a light on organised foreign influence and the network of fake community organisations run out of the Cambodian embassy. House adjourned at 20:00 NOTICES 1410 NOTICES Presentation 1410

Tuesday, 7 March 2023

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Stevens ) took the chair at 16:00.

 

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS 1413 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Women's Health 1413 16:00 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah I rise to speak about women's health in this constituency statement. In advance of International Women's Day tomorrow, I'd like to use this opportunity to really talk about it. After all, women are 51 per cent of the population. Despite tremendous strides in health care, women's health continues to be an area that needs more attention. There are over 78,000 women in my electorate of Warringah. Many have health issues that can have profound effects on their lives, their families and their communities. That's why we need to prioritise women's health education, awareness and research. Last week I visited Women's Health Road medical practice, in Frenchs Forest, to understand the work of Dr Talat Uppal in offering medical care for women and promoting public health for women. It was incredibly inspiring to visit that practice because it was a comprehensive, holistic approach to all aspects of women's health. It is, I think, a model that should be inspired and replicated. Increasing awareness about women's health issues is crucial because it can help reduce the stigma and the discrimination that many women face. For example, misogyny in health care leads to women's pain often being dismissed or trivialised. Women are more likely than men to be prescribed pain medication but less likely to receive appropriate pain management. The stereotyping that occurs has often led to a culture of disbelief and invalidation, which can lead to delayed or inadequate treatment for women's health issues. Women's health issues such as menstruation and menopause are often taboo subjects. It can make women reluctant to seek help and information. But by raising awareness about these issues we can reduce stigma and increase access to health care for all women. Menopause will impact all women at some stage in their age. It is mostly between the ages of 45 and 65 that the perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause period will occur. It often impacts women at the peak of their careers, and it is misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment that too often results in adverse impacts on women's careers and contributes to the unequal economic outcomes that women suffer in our society. Every woman is affected by menopause in some way. Symptoms vary from hot flushes, night sweats, problems sleeping, pain in joints, tiredness, anxiety, mood changes and others. Historically, medical research has focused primarily on men. It was not until the mid-1980s, in fact, that women were included in medical trials; hence many health treatments have been designed with male bodies in mind, not acknowledging the impact on women's bodies. We need to raise and do better. Tomorrow, on International Women's Day, the theme is 'Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future'—and, I would say, a focus on women's health. Australian Constitution: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice 1413 16:03 Mr O'CONNOR 00AN3 Gorton I rise to express my support for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. As we continue our journey towards reconciliation, it is imperative we take steps to sincerely engage with our Indigenous communities and give them a meaningful say in the decisions that affect them. Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting with local Indigenous advocates—Melton councillor Ashleigh Vandenberg and her partner, Simon Vallone. During our conversation they shared with me their personal experiences as Indigenous Australians and the challenges they had faced with many aspects of their life that most of us take for granted, from education to employment. They also spoke of the importance of identifying and protecting local sites of cultural significance. There are many sites in and around my electorate of Gorton, but they are not always recognised appropriately. I look forward to working closely with our local Indigenous groups, local councils and other agencies to help rectify this matter. As I listened to Ashleigh and Simon, it became clear that they believe the Voice will be an important step towards ensuring greater recognition and genuine consultation with Indigenous peoples. Constitutional recognition, to them, means acknowledging who they are and recognising the continuous connection they have with this country. It means being accepted by Australia and Australians as an integral and equal part. Ashleigh and Simon told me that they recognised the progress Australia has made in the last 20 or so years. This conversation could not have even been held when they were kids, they told me. They want to keep seeing Australia progress for their child and other Indigenous children. This is a critical moment in our nation's history. We have an opportunity to build a more just and equitable society that recognises and values the rich cultural heritage of our Indigenous communities. By supporting the Voice referendum, we can demonstrate our commitment to reconciliation and work towards a brighter future for all Australians. I urge all members of parliament and all Australians to support the Voice. Let us come together as a nation to create a future that is built on mutual respect, understanding and empowerment for all Australians. Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre 1414 16:05 Mr PASIN 240756 Barker The community of Mount Gambier has been discussing the need for an indoor rec centre for about as long as I've been alive. Today I stand in this place to inform the House that the 40-plus years of discussions have culminated in the Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre, which will be officially opened next week. This is a major piece of infrastructure, the largest council-led project ever constructed. It will provide substantial year-round facilities: an outdoor 50-metre pool, a new indoor 25-metre pool, a splash pad, a program pool, a learn-to-swim pool, multipurpose timber courts, function and community rooms, a healthcare centre and a cafe. It will increase the ability of people in Mount Gambier to host major sporting competitions, conferences and events. It will provide significant social and economic benefits to the broader Limestone Coast. It's been a long journey, but it's something that I began championing when I joined the council for my eight-year stint in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately we didn't get the job done then, but I took the campaign to Canberra. Those who know me know I don't give up. I'm always looking to deliver for my community. So, as the member for Barker, I met with council in 2017 to get the proposal back on the agenda and begin a community conversation. I facilitated a community working group, who first met in my office in early 2018. The group's work needs to be acknowledged. They're responsible for this amazing result. They never wavered in the cause. There were naysayers but not these people who worked alongside me on this group. That original group of passionate community members are to be commended: Peter Collins, Hazel Grant, Jane and Scott Martin, Yvette Holmes, Matt Charlton, Rowan Williamson, Nathan Stratford, Julie Moran, Darryl Starick, Tom Koch, Grant Horrigan, Chris O'Callaghan and Ben Hood. Thank you for standing up even when it didn't look promising. In March 2018 we held a community meeting at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre. Three hundred and fifty people attended, calling on the council to pursue this outcome. I was banging on doors in Canberra. My friends in the Liberal Party in South Australia were banging on doors in Adelaide. As a result, we received a pledge of $15 million from the former federal Liberal government and a pledge of $10 million from the former South Australian state Liberal government, the result being the Wulanda rec centre, to be opened next week in Mount Gambier. It's a great use of public funds. I'm proud to have been a part of its journey to creation. I'm even prouder that it was Liberal governments that delivered $25 million to make it happen. Ballarat Electorate: Community Events 1414 16:08 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat This week Australia's largest regional LGBTQIA+ event, the Chillout Festival, begins in Daylesford. There is a huge line-up of events, including Ballarat's iconic drag king, Lance DeBoyle, who is back from performing at World Pride in Sydney. I always look forward to the annual parade that takes over the centre of the town on the Sunday. It is a joyous and inclusive event. There will be a special addition to the Chillout Festival this year, with the installation of the Big Rainbow, designed with members of the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations communities. The Big Rainbow celebrates regional pride. There will be fantastic photo opportunities with the Big Rainbow, and it will encourage some great conversations and highlight the importance of visibility in our regions. I can't think of a better home for it than Daylesford. One week each year the Goldfields town of Clunes becomes another world; it becomes an international book town. It's an extraordinary experience to wander through a town where every possible space indoors and outdoors has been converted into a book bazaar. This year's festival is on the last weekend in March, and it will feature conversations with authors, illustrators, film, TV and theatre makers, and songwriters. There'll be live music, street performances and thousands of stories at our fingertips. The organisers invite visitors to immerse themselves in Clunes from cover to cover. Again, I am certain that Clunes Booktown Festival will be a spectacular event. Another event in my electorate I look forward to is CresFest in the first weekend in April. It's hard to believe that Creswick's folk and roots festival only started last year. It is run by a group of dedicated and very busy locals. It's an immersive experience where every location becomes a music and a dance venue. There's the town hall, and there are pubs, cafes, and the local RSL and primary school halls as well as the outdoor stage. Over three days, more than 300 artists descend on Creswick from as far as Tibet, South Africa and the UK and from as close as the next town. You can imagine that, in a town of 3,000 people, there isn't accommodation for that many travelling artists so community members open their homes to host performers for the weekend in exchange for a festival pass. From regional pride to books to music, events in our region provide opportunities for visitors and locals to explore and experience something out of the ordinary, and I hope many other people across our community get a chance to come to Daylesford, Clunes and Creswick over those weekends. Brumby Hill Aboriginal Corporation 1415 16:11 Mr PEARCE 282306 Braddon I rise today to update the House on the outstanding work that Brumby Hill Aboriginal Corporation is doing right across the great electorate of Braddon in Tasmania. Brumby Hill is based in the rural town of Smithton on the far north-west coast of Tasmania, but their work reaches right across the entire coast. They're an organisation that's helping Aboriginal people to find sustainable, meaningful employment, and this is an employment model that is working. Brumby Hill has developed a successful mechanism by which they get jobseekers on the first rung of the employment ladder. It's a model that works because it's local and it's aimed at locals. It's meaningful and it's driven by a passion to make a real difference in the lives of young Aboriginal people. The statistics speak for themselves. Since the organisation began in 2017, Brumby Hill has supported over 200 clients, and over 80 per cent of them have been connected with meaningful employment. Among their many successes and their stories is a young Indigenous woman undertaking her first-year apprenticeship at Alpha Electrics as a fitter. A couple of young fellows are working at Rodney Collins's earthmoving business as plant operators and fitters. There are also placements at the William Adams CAT dealership. Brumby Hill is not just about getting people into work and walking away. Providing an ongoing face-to-face mentoring mechanism and being there for them when the road gets a little bumpy is important. Providing the advice and the calm assurance that young people sometimes need is the secret behind this fantastic success. Closing the gap is complex. But I firmly believe that, in order to do that, we need to instil self-confidence and a sense of self-esteem and pride in our young people and get them standing on their own two feet, with their shoulders pulled back and their chests puffed out. That's what we need for our young Indigenous people: the pride that comes from employment, hard work and achievement. When you have to work hard at something in order to achieve it, that's what builds this pride. They can hold their heads up high, as I said, and look forward to what the next day will bring because they can meet any challenge head on. Having a job often leads to getting a better job. Success breeds success. This contribution from Brumby Hill is making a real difference. They're, indeed, a force multiplier in our region when it comes to employment. Thank you and congratulations to the team—Leonie, Scott and Graeme. You genuinely care about the future of young Indigenous people in Tasmania. Bardee 1415 16:14 Dr MULINO 132880 Fraser It's not often that I get to talk about a start-up that ticks so many boxes: a win for the environment, a win for farmers, a win for high-skilled jobs and a win for women in leadership roles. So a big shout-out to Bardee, a three-year-old agtech company based in Sunshine that is tackling the wicked problem of food waste, more than seven million tonnes of which are created every year in Australia. Most household food waste goes to landfill, where it produces the potent greenhouse gas methane, which has more than 25 times the warming power of carbon dioxide once in the atmosphere. At Bardee, about one billion black soldier fly larvae are fed a special recipe using food waste, and in seven days they grow to 3,000 times their original size. The larvae and the manure that they create are separated and then processed into protein and fertiliser products. Bardee's protein replaces fishmeal and soybean protein, the production of which is driving overfishing and deforestation. Bardee's organic fertiliser replaces chemical and mined fertilisers produced with fossil fuels. It also restores soils, which is critical, given that poor soil health is causing significant losses in crop yields. Bardee was co-founded by Phoebe Gardner and Alex Arnold, who were included in the Australian's top 100 innovators of 2022. Phoebe and Alex met at university through a shared love of hiking. Alex grew up in rural Australia and studied genetics and agricultural science, specialising in food security. Phoebe, an architect, was inspired by Europe's recycling infrastructure after volunteering at the Australian pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. With $20,000 of seed funding from the University of Melbourne, the pair built a small lab, and venture capitalists came onboard following their early success. Bardee's current facility diverts 10 tonnes of food waste every eight hours. The company is in the process of a massive expansion in their facilities. Bardee has already offset more than six million kilograms of CO2 equivalent, and has been certified by the Australian Clean Energy Regulator to produce carbon credits. Among the team of 28, eight first languages are spoken, and 80 per cent of its leadership roles are held by women. Working at Bardee are entomologists, geneticists, environmental and data scientists, biologists, ecologists, chemical engineers, analysts, automation specialists and animal husbandry experts. I want to give my congratulations to the team at Bardee for all you have already achieved and wish you the best of luck for your ambitious plans for the future. Bowman Electorate 1416 16:17 Mr PIKE 300120 Bowman I recently undertook a citywide survey to determine the areas of key concern for the constituents in my electorate. The results have shown that Redland Hospital and healthcare services in my electorate are the most widespread areas of concern for local residents. In fact, an astonishing 82 per cent of respondents identified these as their top issues of concern. The community sentiment in the Redlands is that our hospital is in crisis, with unsustainably high levels of ambulance ramping and recent news from the state government that promised stage 1 upgrades to the hospital have been significantly delayed. This is totally unacceptable, and I'll be pushing for immediate action from the state government to make sure this issue is addressed. I've also been strongly encouraging the state government to reverse the decision to impose parking fees at the hospital. At a time of such severe cost-of-living pressures, these new and unjustified charges on staff, patients and visitors are the last things that my community needs. This isn't a situation where an agreement has been struck with a private operator to build the car park and then recoup their costs later. This car park has been built entirely out of taxpayer funds—$16 million from the former LNP government—and, unfortunately, the state government has taken it as an opportunity to revenue-raise. In addition to healthcare concerns, the survey identified other areas of pressing concern for Redlanders. Forty-eight per cent of respondents identified support for older Australians and aged care as areas of concern, and 47 per cent highlighted reducing the cost-of-living pressures on families. With energy prices rising, rents and mortgages increasing, and inflation eroding the value of wages, it is clear that many local households are feeling the full impact of these pressures. I'll be advocating for government responses that will make a real difference to my community. The survey also found that 41 per cent of respondents are concerned about local overdevelopment; 37 per cent would like to see the duplication of the Cleveland rail line; and 36 per cent highlighted hooning and other antisocial behaviour as areas of key concern. Residents of the bay islands cited an overwhelming concern on the lack of island infrastructure. It is clear that the Redlands has not received its fair share of funding, and many locals have felt ignored and overlooked. The sentiment of the community is reflected in the responses I have received from residents during my recent doorknocking across the electorate. I will continue to advocate, to the new federal government and to the Queensland state government, to ensure that the Redlands gets its fair share of funding to address these areas of key concern. Thank you to all the Redlanders who took the time to respond to my survey and to share their views with me. Darwin: Defence 1416 16:20 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon Darwin is Australia's Fleet Base North, and it is increasing in value to Australia's defence as our strategic circumstances worsen. As the ADF goes on a footing of what Minister for Defence Richard Marles calls 'impactful projection', long-range strike capability is going to be a key part of the equation for keeping any adversaries at bay, and, with our F-111s retired now, AUKUS submarines will be the key to boosting Australia's power projection into our Indo-Pacific region. Rotating nuclear-powered submarines through Darwin could prove tactically decisive in our ability to deter or defeat a long-range threat. As a 2011 Defence department report concluded, 'Darwin, as a forward operating base for future submarine operations, will enhance future submarine capabilities.' Rotating through Darwin also gives our conventional Collins class submarines 10 days extra fuel and that much more range into the Indo-Pacific. Additionally, Darwin has the logistical, airport and housing infrastructure to sustain a skilled local workforce to perform light maintenance on civilian and ADF vessels. And we are closer than ever to this goal. Just this week, the Northern Territory government awarded a design consultancy contract— A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 16 : 22 to 16 : 3 6 Mr GOSLING 245392 Just this week the Northern Territory government awarded a design consultancy contract to Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec for the building of the $515 million Darwin ship lift. It will be the largest facility of its kind in northern Australia. Currently ships must travel to Queensland or Western Australia for maintenance. It's a long way. Not only is this ineffective but also it is costly in terms of time, fuel and wages. The ship lift at East Arm will bring millions into the NT economy, employ 250 Territorians and generate hundreds of local jobs. It will also play a vital role in our national defence by strengthening the Royal Australian Navy's ability to operate in the region for longer. While at the Avalon air show last week I discussed some of these matters with US Navy Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Sam Paparo. I also met with former defence minister and former ambassador Kim Beazley, who recently noted that Australia spent 34 per cent of GDP on defence in World War II and should spend at least 3.5 per cent today, like the US does. Nowhere is our alliance with America stronger than in the Northern Territory, where the marines will soon be joined by the US Army, Air Force and Navy. LifeFlight Bundaberg 1417 16:37 Mr PITT 148150 Hinkler Twenty-five years—what an anniversary. It's not so great if you're a horse. And, for others, it's a long time if you're married. Twenty-five years for LifeFlight Bundaberg is an incredible milestone. It's an organisation has literally saved the lives of thousands of people in our region. There have been 25 years of critical aeromedical care, saving lives in the Wide Bay-Burnett region. Would you believe that they cover 34 different locations in Queensland, including Hervey Bay, Kingaroy, Gladstone, Barcaldine and beyond? The service started from very humble beginnings. They operated out of a donga, with just a pilot and a paramedic. Would you believe that they had to pull out the front seat to get access for the stretcher. If we fast-forward to today, we see that they have a wonderful joint operating facility with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. They have pilots, crewmen, critical care paramedics and a critical care doctor. This is thanks to support from the community and, of course, the previous coalition government. Cardiac issues, serious injuries, motor vehicle accidents, boating accidents, transfer of expectant mothers, infants with specialised care, snakebites and offshore rescues—they do it all. The joint facility received $3 million from the coalition government under Building Better Regions. It was opened in 2020. In the past 10 years alone—and these are some critical numbers—the Bundaberg based RACQ LifeFlight rescue helicopter crew performed 2,724 critical missions. More than 2,300 people who needed help received help at their time of absolute need. Every person in Queensland should have equal access to that free emergency aeromedical care. That's why funding of these critical services is just so important. In the 2011 and 2013 floods they winched people off the roofs of their homes. Let's look at some of the team. Rescue pilot Peter Marris started on the service 25 years ago and is still there. QAS flight paramedic Kevin Charteris has been on the Bundaberg chopper since the service began. John Kennedy, someone who I'm pleased to call a friend of mine, just retired after more than 20 years service—what an incredible contribution. I want to give a shout-out to Pat Denham, the former QAS officer in charge. Dale Rethamel, the board and the local community worked hard to get a doctor on board the chopper, which will reinforce the services that are provided. Just last month the critical care doctor rotation was bolstered from three day shifts a week to seven to absolutely enhance what is already an outstanding aeromedical care service provided throughout the region. They plan to expand that doctor roster to 24/7 in the future. I want to congratulate the team, those hardworking individuals who get out in some very difficult circumstances to provide services to regional Queenslanders at their time of desperation. Robertson Electorate: Australia Day Awards 1417 16:40 Dr REID 300126 Robertson I rise to commend the Australia Day honours recipients in my electorate of Robertson. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 16:40 to 16:51 Dr REID 300126 As I was saying, I rise to commend the Australia Day honours recipients in my electorate of Robertson. This year there are six recipients, and they are Julie Commins OAM, Pauline Maniskas OAM, Dr Michael Mitchelmore OAM, Clint Newton OAM, John Wade OAM and Stuart Tipple OAM. These six individuals have led outstanding lives and have committed themselves to enriching the lives of others and the community. Julie Commins devotes her life to several social organisations and to sport. Julie has been a group leader at the 1st Turramurra Scout Group since 1992 and has been a member since 1990. Julie has been involved with the Kissing Point Softball Club, where she has undertaken roles as team official, manager secretary and general manager. Julie has also devoted time to the North Shore District Softball Association in the roles of team manager and volunteer. Pauline Maniskas has contributed to improving the quality of life of people with a disability. She has been the board director at Camp Breakaway since 2019, where she also assists as a personal carer and activity programmer. Pauline is also a founding member and secretary of Central Coast Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, which began in 2005. Moreover, Pauline has volunteered at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Terrigal, and Youth Off The Streets. Dr Michael Mitchelmore is an honorary associate professor at Macquarie University across the subjects of the arts, mathematics, science and education. Dr Mitchelmore has helped author 19 books. He is one of several founding board members of the Kuringai Youth Orchestra, a member of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, a performer with Central Coast Opera, Treasurer of Central Coast Conservatorium and a volunteer with Gosford Theatre Company. He is also involved in the Copacabana Community Men's Shed. Clint Newton is a rugby league and English Rugby Super League legend. Clint has had an illustrious career in rugby league and now works with the Australian Rugby League Players Association, where he advocates better conditions for players and their families. Clint has also been an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation, White Ribbon Australia and Project Rescue Children. Stuart Tipple is a lawyer and has been the principal of Stuart Tipple Law since 2017. During his career he has represented high-profile cases, including the Michael and Lindy Chamberlain trials, appeals and inquests. Stuart is a former president of the Central Coast Law Society and is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales. He has been involved with the Salvation Army, Legacy in New South Wales, War Widows of New South Wales and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. Lastly, John Wade is a respected former businessman who has owned and developed familiar brands including Sunpak Fruit Juice, Sunrise Juice and Snackbrands Pty Ltd. Nowadays John provides his support to veterans affairs and Brisbane Water Legacy. From the bottom of my heart, I want to personally commend each and every one of these six recipients and congratulate them on receiving this distinguished title. Our nation is greater because of citizens like you. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 176304 In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded. BILLS 1418 BILLS Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023 1418

Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023

Second Reading 1418 16:54 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie I'm very pleased to speak to the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, which will make several important changes to the mandate and functioning of the Australia Council for the Arts. These changes are a significant step in the implementation of our new national cultural policy: Revive. The policy, Revive, has been informed by the concerns, insights and ambitions of Australia's arts community, with whom the Minister for the Arts and I have been in close dialogue since the Albanese government took office. The creation of the Australia Council for the Arts, in 1975, was a signature reform of the Whitlam government in terms of cultural policy. It replaced a number of pre-existing bodies and created a single statutory agency. It was founded on the basic principle that artists, not politicians, should be at the centre of funding decisions. The creation of the Australia Council not only increased funding in the arts but also introduced a more focused strategy to the federal government's investment in Australians' creativity. In introducing the first Australia Council bill, Prime Minister Whitlam said: It will be the first task of the Council to promote excellence in the arts. Next, we want it to provide opportunities for people to practise the arts and for the public to appreciate and enjoy them. We want to promote the general application of the arts in the community and foster the expression of a national identity by means of the arts. We want to uphold the right of everyone to freedom of artistic expression. We want to promote a knowledge and appreciation of Australian arts in other countries. We want to promote incentives for, and recognition of, achievement in the arts. They are an amazing set of words. At the time that Whitlam said them, there was an urgent need for intervention. For decades, creative Australians have been taking their ambitions to more supportive environments overseas. The increased local support provided through the Australia Council helped to stop this outgoing tide of Australian talent and allowed Australian artists to realise their ambitions in their own country. For more than five decades, the Australia Council has built and maintained the faith of Australia's arts community. It has nurtured the careers of generations of artists and arts workers. It has supported the creation of countless powerful works of music, visual arts, dance, theatre, literature and other art forms. It has given Australians improved access to cultural experiences and brought Australian art to the world. Its place at arm's length from government and removed from political interference has allowed it to act as a guarantor for freedom of expression in Australia. This independence has been fundamental to the council's credibility and effectiveness. In a healthy democracy, we should expect to see public funds spent on creative works that extend boundaries, that are challenging and that, at times, make politicians feel uncomfortable. From the very beginning, the Australia Council has been a forceful and effective champion of First Nations' cultural expression. The Australia Council Aboriginal Arts Board was one of the very first instances in which self-determination was integrated into the structures of government. The Australia Council not only funds the creation and presentation of artistic work but also provides research and advocacy on issues affecting the cultural sector. It develops artists' capacity, skills and networks in order to expand markets and audiences for Australian creative work. The Albanese government recognises the value of this legacy and the enormous benefits of public investment in the arts. That's why we want to equip the agency to be as effective as it can be for the years ahead. This bill takes the first step in the strengthening and the modernisation of the Australia Council for the Arts. These reforms will amount to the most significant changes to the organisation in its history. The bill will enable the Australia Council to operate under its new name: Creative Australia. Whether or not the arts community will let go of the nickname 'AusCo' remains to be seen. The governing board of Creative Australia will continue to be known as 'the Australia Council'. The bill will also enable the Australia Council to commence work on the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces from 1 July this year. This is an important and really urgent expansion to the Australia Council's mandate. On 1 September 2022, the Raising their voices report was released. It detailed the scale and severity of sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination and other forms of harm within the music industry. The findings detailed in the Raising their voices report were harrowing, but, sadly, they were not surprising. The problems raised in the report have been an open secret for a long time, and action on these issues is long overdue. The experiences of those who provided evidence for the report needed to be heard and acted on. One respondent described a manager who was 'notorious for hiring young women'. They said: You're made to feel you were so lucky to be working there. He had grossly sexual behaviour. If you resisted or said something about it, there would be retribution. Another respondent left the music industry entirely, saying: Music saved my life so many times before, and now that it is being taken away. It's been devastating. The Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces will provide advice on issues of safety and welfare in the arts and entertainment sector. On pay, it will refer matters to relevant authorities. It will develop codes of conduct and resources for the sector. It will help set a higher standard. It will help ensure that artists and arts workers feel secure at work and that they are fairly treated. The government are establishing the centre because we recognise that the work of creative Australians matters and that they deserve to feel safe, no matter where that workplace is. The centre will provide funding to Support Act, to provide mental health services for those working in the music industry. As Special Envoy for the Arts, I was tasked with assisting and consulting the arts community in preparation for Australia's new national cultural policy, Revive. One of the messages I heard time and time again from the whole industry was that they needed a new body to provide strategic leadership, particularly for Australian music. We listened to that message, so this bill provides for the creation of Music Australia, within Creative Australia, from 1 July this year. Music Australia will bring the major stakeholders, both artists and industry representatives, around one table. It will grow the market for contemporary Australian music. It will look at increasing the development of original music through investment in artistic creation. It'll deliver songwriting and recording initiatives in schools. It'll develop new strategic partnerships within and beyond the music sector, including to undertake research and data collection around key issues such as festivals and venues. It'll provide ongoing support for Sounds Australia, Australia's export music market development initiative. It'll support industry professionals to learn business and management skills—this is something that's come up time and time again in inquiries I've done. It'll provide central coordination around access to live music venues for bands and solo artists and develop new co-investment agreements with states, territories and the industry to deliver national sector-wide priorities. It'll create community music hubs in high-density living areas. Music Australia has a big task, and I want to thank all of the individual musicians, music producers and industry organisations whose input has shaped Music Australia. I particularly want to thank the Association of Artist Managers, the Australian Festival Association, the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association, the Australian Live Music Business Council, the Australian Music Centre, the Australian Music Industry Network, the Australasian Music Publishers' Association, APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, CrewCare, the Live Music Office, Live Performance Australia, the Music Producer and Engineers Guild, the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Music Office, OneMusic, Sounds Australia, Support Act, and The Push. The third element of this bill is to transfer the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia to Creative Australia. The state has a responsibility to nurture creative endeavour, but without diminishing the role of government. We do want to encourage philanthropic support for the arts. The transfer of Creative Partnerships Australia will leverage the Australia Council's expertise and bring together arts philanthropy and arts funding within the one entity. This will create synergies between public and private partnerships, as well as government and philanthropic investment. Through this legislation, Creative Australia will assume responsibility to assist Australian artists and arts organisations to attract and maintain support from donors and businesses, diversifying their sources of revenue, and it will encourage and celebrate innovation and excellence in giving to, and partnerships with, the arts and cultural sector. The measures contained within this bill are just the first steps in the delivery of Australia's new national cultural policy, Revive. Another new significant measure is the restoration of the $199 million in funding to the Australia Council. This funding will mean more support across all art forms, including underfunded areas like youth arts, small to medium-sized organisations and independent artists. The policy's objective is that there's a place for every story and a story for every place. This has simply not been possible with the arts sector living on basic rations, as it has been for nearly the last decade. The best, boldest and most powerful creative work is not produced by an arts sector in survival mode. This uplift will reverse the brutal Brandis cuts that devastated the arts community and came without any warning or consultation. The Brandis cuts hit individual artists and the small to medium sector particularly hard. These organisations are essential to the health of the arts ecosystem, but many simply don't survive. The Community Arts Network in WA commented: We have operated in WA for 30 years and have witnessed, and responded to, many changes that have threatened our sector. There is nothing however that rivals the instability, upheaval and "vacuum" created by the recent withdrawal of almost $105 million from the Australia Council for the Arts. That's what they said at the time of the Brandis cuts. The funds raided from Australia's arts funding agency were diverted to projects favoured by the minister himself. In doing this, the previous government broke the decades-long consensus that arts funding decisions should be made at arm's length from government. Unlike the previous government, this government upholds the principle that artists themselves should make the decisions about artistic merit, not politicians. The government will listen to, and work in partnership with, Australia's arts community. In my role as Special Envoy for the Arts I have continued the conversations that the Minister for the Arts and I started in preparation for the new national cultural policy. Only last week I visited Orange and had deep conversations with a range of people about how this policy will benefit them in their regional community but also about how they have survived this last decade and what they see as their vision for the future. As the Minister for the Arts has said many times before, we recognise that arts jobs are real jobs, and I certainly saw people who are working really hard to ensure that not only is there a vibrant arts community for the Central West but that they are accessing every bit of support they can for that community. This government respects the contribution that Australia's artists and arts workers make not just to our economy but to wellbeing, our sense of identity and our connection to each other. We don't regard the work of artists as an optional extra or an indulgence. It's a fundamental element of our society that enriches and empowers every Australian every day. There are further steps to take in the modernisation of the Australia Council. The implementation of the Australia Council reforms under the national cultural policy will be staged to allow for proper consultation across the arts sector and to ensure a smooth transition. A staged approach will enable Creative Australia to responsibly scale up and implement new functions within available resources. Subsequent legislation will create a dedicated First Nations led board within Creative Australia which will give First Nations people autonomy over decisions and investments. Writers Australia will provide direct support to the literature sector for writers and publishers to grow local and international audiences for Australian books. A strengthened, modernised and properly funded Creative Australia will be crucial to the realisation of the ambitions of Australia's arts community. I'm going to finish with the words of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1974: I regard this Bill as an historic development in the promotion of the arts in Australia … I believe that the formation of an independent Australia Council will inaugurate a new era of vitality and progress in the arts, that creative artists of all kinds will enjoy a new measure of security and status in the community and that the Australian people as a whole will have new and wider opportunities to participate in the arts and enjoy the emotional, spiritual and intellectual rewards which the arts alone can provide. 17:10 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo I rise to support the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023. I also want to use this as an opportunity to talk about some of the amazing artists and art groups in my community of Mayo. The arts contribute so positively, I think, to all of our communities and certainly to all of the communities across my electorate. They facilitate social harmony by providing an opportunity for individuals and groups to express themselves. The arts also maintain access to community and government funded institutions which preserve our cultural heritage and provide a platform for the curious to engage with various local histories. I honestly think that, when we're talking about photographs and about history, we are talking about art. The National Library of Australia's digital record platform, Trove, serves as an institutional backbone for the preservation of our cultural heritage and our arts and allows many historical groups within my electorate to maintain their operations in the interest of educating and serving community members seeking greater knowledge of the past. I'd like to provide context on Trove as a platform and how it has served my local community since its creation. Trove was launched online in 2009. It's the National Library's single business discovery project, and it creates that entry point for the nexus between history and art. It is a treasure trove. I am concerned that, when we're talking about this bill and when we're talking about funding arts, we are potentially missing that link and that that funding is currently under threat. It is a cultural institution, and it's unparalleled in its ability to enhance the knowledge of our various local histories and our community—of all of us, including our souls. I believe it's paramount that it should be continued. I'd like to talk about some of the amazing organisations that I have in Mayo that, honestly, have just had the most difficult time through COVID. I'd like to just list some of those groups. Many of these are groups that work to support children in their artistic endeavours, but not all of them. Some of them are providing opportunities for amateur theatre as well as other mediums of art. When I'm talking about performing arts, I'm talking about Ink Pot Arts, the Stirling Players, the Yankalilla Youth Theatre, the Hills School of Theatre Arts, the Stirling Community Theatre, the Adelaide Hills Performing Arts Centre, the Adelaide Hills Arts, Rockit Performing Arts, Theatre Bugs, South Coast Choral and Arts Society, JamaeRaw School of Performing Arts, Fortuna House of Performing Arts, Fleurieu Dance Collective and—this one's really cute—Laughing Llama Dance and Drama based in Cherry Gardens. Cherry Gardens is a small community of mine. All of those performing arts groups live within Mayo, and all of them have managed to survive to varying degrees through COVID. I think it's really important, when we're looking at this bill, that we don't just fund and focus on the very high end but that we make sure that there is funding for community and grassroots arts. I'd like to acknowledge some of the art programs that exist in my community and across South Australia. I'm really fortunate to have a lot of people in my electorate who are actually employed in the field of art. They are children's books illustrators. They are people like Silvio Apponyi. He's a sculptor. In fact one of his works is here in our Parliament House gardens. They are potters; they work in the fine arts and the visual arts. Then we have festivals like the SALA festival and Country Arts SA. We have wonderful facilities such as the Hahndorf Academy and the Top of the Torrens Gallery, which is in Birdwood and is run entirely by volunteers. When we talk about fine arts and the making of artwork, we sort of forget about music and how important music is—live music, composing, local festivals. And I think it's going to be really important, when we're looking at funding the arts moving forward, that we don't forget about fantastic local organisations. In my community, I would say, very few people have ever got to the Sydney Opera House. In fact, not all of my community would even have been to the Adelaide Festival Centre. So we need to make sure that the arts are within reach for every Australian and that we fund the arts appropriately in that regard. Whether it's street art or volunteers who are working with young people, teaching them how to act, how to perform, it's critical that we put that focus in. I recently met with Evette Wolf, who established the Yankalilla Youth Theatre. Evette's home has doubled for years as a makeshift storeroom for props and costumes used in the theatre productions. This has made it very difficult. It has made her home a tripping hazard. It's such a shame, when all she needs is a shed to be able to put the equipment in. She volunteers all of her time. She gives support to young people to improve their wellbeing—young people who don't necessarily fit into the mould of football or netball or other group sports. She provides a home and a safe space for those young people to thrive, and it's just so challenging. For many years we've seen arts and the funding of arts as an afterthought, so I'm pleased that there is this significant investment here in the arts. But I do want to make sure that that filters down from the national galleries and the high end and goes all the way down to the community. As I was saying, Yankalilla Youth Theatre just need a small storeroom. It would be their dream to actually have somewhere real to perform, some kind of amphitheatre. They're inspirational in what they do, and I want to support them in both of those dreams—to get a small shed to store things in without them getting wet and without them being in people's homes and, more broadly, to get a space where we can see performance down in the Fleurieu. I'd like to talk about another group that operates within my community, the Stirling Players. Last year they celebrated 50 years of operation. I'm fortunate enough to be their patron, and I thoroughly enjoy attending their performances. The players provide an opportunity for people of all ages to come together, sharing a common passion to be involved in productions, either on or off stage. It's been a great starting ground for many young performers who have then gone on to brighter lights. This is the kind of thing that we need to be investing in. They shouldn't be needing to spend every other moment that they have, when are not performing, running fundraising just to be able to keep the electricity on. Inkpot Arts is another example of local group which continues to grow and thrive within my community. This group offers workshops on a regular basis for children, young people and adults. Everything from drama to dance, creative writing and improv sessions is on offer, meaning there is truly something for everyone. As I mentioned before, music is such a huge passion in my community. I am a true believer in live music, being the daughter of a muso. It's incredibly important that we support live music. We've already seen, across my electorate—and I think this is across much of South Australia and probably Australia—that pokies have, unfortunately, taken the place of live music in so many venues, particularly pubs, where people often get their start. Dining rooms and large areas with stages have been converted into pokie rooms, and it's left very little place for budding musos to play. I would also like to mention—and I'm sure many people here in the chamber would know these two, because they've been on national television, on The Voice—Ella and Sienna. They performed live on The Voice. They're two wonderful young women in my community. I've been lucky enough to see these women perform. I've seen them grow from quite young people and watched them take that significant step into the national spotlight. They've done that as all musos do—with very little support, apart from family support, and a true belief in themselves. The benefit of creative arts cannot be understated. Time and again we are presented with findings that highlight a strong relationship between the development of cognitive capacity through visual arts and improvements in both academic and social performance. Our artistic experiences help to develop individual creativity and self-expression, along with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills we require through all stages of our life. Henri Matisse said, 'Creativity takes courage,' and I could not agree more. I take courage from people who get up on stage and sing and dance and write. I will happily speak in front of thousands of people but you won't hear me belt out a tune, that's for sure! I take such courage and such value out of people who bear their soul and put their words to paper. It is this courage, which equips us with a capacity to accept anomalies and embrace the abstract, that allows us to engage with tested concepts and test the boundaries of what is possible. I support this bill. It provides a platform on which to recognise the contribution of arts to our society and the way in which greater investment will allow all artistic pursuits, irrespective of origin or size or flourish. I would just say to the government: don't forget the communities and please don't forget regional arts. 17:21 Dr GARLAND 295588 Chisholm This is the first in a series of bills that will support the implementation of Australia's national cultural policy, Revive. This is really exciting. As someone who has cultural studies as their field of academic practice, this is really thrilling to me on a personal level. This first bill, the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, amends the Australia Council Act 2013 to support the implementation of the national cultural policy. This bill will allow the Australia Council to operate under the name Creative Australia. This expands the functions of the Australia Council to support the upcoming establishment of the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, Music Australia, Writers Australia and the First Nations first body. This is an important early step to realise Revive, our new cultural policy for the nation. It's really important to reflect that it's always Labor, under prime ministers Whitlam, Gillard and now Albanese, who lead the way in cultural policy in this country. As I said in my first speech in this place, the arts enrich us all and make our communities more vibrant places to live. In my electorate of Chisholm we have much-loved galleries, including Artspace, The Track and the Monash Gallery of Art, and enthusiastic community artists in all the art disciplines. There are regular music gigs across my electorate, including at the iconic Notting Hill Hotel and at the university campuses in Chisholm, at Deakin and Monash. There are academic courses in the arts right across my electorate at the universities and at TAFEs. Every day, people engage in music lessons, fine arts lessons, ballet lessons, drama lessons and other forms of creative practice. Something I really love about the arts and encouraging young people to be creative is that you never know where it will take people. For instance, someone who started out in the arts at a young age in my electorate grew up to be Flea, of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It's amazing, the people that come through our suburbs and undertake cultural practice every single day. Our TAFE campuses equip people with skills to work in technical roles in the arts. It's always a pleasure in my electorate to attend a performance at the Alexander Theatre and the other spaces we have. Just last week, I attended Artspace, in Box Hill, and saw their terrific On the Street exhibition, featuring recognisable sites in the area but seen, again, in a creative way, celebrating the everyday and the spectacle that is the local community. The familiar became new, fresh and considered in a different way by the artists. I commend everyone who contributed to that exhibition for their vision. In late February I also had the enormous privilege of opening the smART exhibition at the Track Gallery, which is in its fifth year. It's a show designed for new, emerging and established community artists to platform their art. I spoke about our cultural policy at the opening at the gallery. I was so pleased to have had such rich conversations with the community at the viewing and reception about just why the creative arts matter. There was so much joy and relief that we now have a federal government that wants the arts to thrive. The arts are an important part of our communities. It is high time that we as a nation have a creative policy that seeks to ensure the sector thrives, seeks to ensure that there is diversity in the sector and that recognises the oldest continuous culture in the world and the contribution that First Nations people in this country have made and continue to make to creative practice. Since 1975 the Australia Council has been the principal Commonwealth arts investment and advisory body, with a strong profile in the arts sector. It supports and promotes creative arts practice that is recognised nationally and internationally, and provides research and advocacy on issues affecting the sector. The centrepiece of our national cultural policy is the establishment of Creative Australia. This means strengthened capacity of the Australia Council, better strategic oversight across the sector and a way to ensure that funding decisions are made on the basis of artistic merit and at arm's length from government. It will also include the establishment of independent bodies and funds for First Nations arts and culture, for contemporary music and for writers, as well as a centre for arts and entertainment workers. The implementation of the Australia Council reforms under the national cultural policy will be staged to allow for necessary consultation. We are a consultative government. It is really important that we undertake that process, but we do need to get some elements through with this bill so that we are able to take the next step. This is the first step of several that will really give life to this revived national cultural policy. This bill provides for the Australia Council to operate under the name Creative Australia as an interim measure. Additional functions in this bill will also enable the Australia Council to commence work on the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, and Music Australia. A follow-up bill will be introduced later this year to establish Creative Australia as a new organisation and to formally establish Music Australia and the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces within it. These bodies will be critical in building partnerships and expertise to support artists and benefit us all. Music Australia will support the Australian music industry to grow, including through industry partnerships and initiatives, research, training, skills development and export promotion, so we can really showcase to the world the amazing talent that we have in Australia. This bill will also provide authority for Creative Australia to deliver the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia. This is really important to attract and recognise public sector, private sector, philanthropic and commercial support for, and investment in, the arts and to undertake research on all of that. This bill also allows Creative Australia to assume responsibility for the Australian Cultural Fund from 1 July this year, which includes all the donations made to the fund prior to the transfer. Through this legislation Creative Australia will assume responsibility of assisting Australian artists and art organisations to attract and maintain support from donors and businesses, diversifying their sources of revenue, and of encouraging and celebrating innovation and excellence in giving to, and partnerships with, the arts and cultural sector. This legislation is also about setting up the foundation to do more to support creative workplaces. The Raising their voices report—an inquiry into the music industry by the charity Support Act—made clear that there is, unfortunately, a prevalence of harassment, discrimination and bullying within the music industry. In 2021 over 30 artists, workers and leaders from across the Australian contemporary music industry came together to address that prevalence. It is clear that there needs to be more support for arts workers to ensure that the culture in the industry is changed, like other workplaces seek to do, including this parliamentary workplace. This bill expands the functions of the Australia Council to allow for the upcoming establishment of the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, which will be incredibly important in ensuring that the harmful culture described in the Raising their voices report is addressed and workers in the creative industries are adequately supported. Given the nature of creative work and the fact that gig work is a dominant form of employment for many parts of the sector, having a centre dedicated to promoting positive and safe workplace culture is really critical to ensuring that everyone, even if they work across multiple workplaces, is supported while doing their work. The Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces will work with artists, industry workers and employers to raise and maintain standards, to improve remuneration and safety for all art forms and arts organisations, and to ensure matters are referred to relevant authorities as appropriate. The centre will, very importantly, ensure that under our cultural policy such companies not adhering to those standards will be prevented from receiving government funding. The standard we walk past is the standard we accept, after all. I'm so proud of our government's commitment to improving the quality of Commonwealth investment in the arts sector. We're also committed to ensuring that the access to support for arts organisations and artists is stronger and sleeker with more streamlined access through a properly resourced Creative Australia. It is really exciting that, from 1 July this year, with the passage of this bill, initiatives to strengthen the arts sector and to do more to support artists and arts organisations will commence, and we will take those first steps to give life to our new cultural policy for the nation. I just know that this new vision for a creative Australia will unlock so much potential in our communities, suburbs, regions and cities right across Australia and will bring people such inspiration and joy and enrich us all. I'm so proud to support this bill today. 17:31 Mr VIOLI 300147 Casey I rise to discuss the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023. Before I start on the detail of this bill, I do need to celebrate and congratulate two members of the electorate of Casey, which is rich with creative talent. Josh and Anya are in the top eight of the Australian Idol finals. To have two residents from Casey in the top eight of the whole nation is something we're really proud of. They're great young people. Josh is a local singer and songwriter, who grew up on a rose farm in Mount Evelyn, while Anya is a Selby local, growing up playing gigs in the hills at the Sooki Lounge in Belgrave. They're both brilliant in different ways, and I'm voting for both of them, and I encourage everyone out there to vote for both of them as well. I had the chance last Friday to speak to both Josh and Anya, and it was amazing. You could just hear in their voices the passion that they've got for music and the arts. They're essentially, as they said, 'living the dream', and it's wonderful to see to two young Australians living their dream. That's what creative arts is about. It's about many things, but it is about allowing young people and those who have been in the industry for a long time to do something that they've got a deep passion and love for. I look forward to watching the rest of their journey. I will move on, after congratulating Josh and Anya, to the bill that rebrands the Australia Council as Creative Australia as a result of the government's decision to transfer the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia to the Australia Council. Creative Partnerships Australia was established 10 years ago with the aim of attracting more philanthropic funding for the arts, and it has operated successfully ever since, yet the first thing Tony Burke did when he came into government was to abolish the agency. This bill is being promoted as implementing the government's national cultural policy, but in reality it doesn't do very much. Labor promised its national cultural policy would transform our arts sector, yet its policy is long on rhetoric and rather thin on specifics, and they fail to back it with serious funding support. Labor released its national cultural policy, Revive, in January. It's a five-year plan for the arts and provides $286 million in additional funding to the arts over four years. However, according to media reports, at least $45 million of this comes from cancelling the former coalition government's Temporary Interruption Fund, meaning total new money is around $240 million, or $60 million a year at best, and much of the document is simply a reannouncement of what we knew was already happening. This bill follows the very standard Labor formula of having a very impressive sounding name while actually delivering very little. I'm a little concerned, to be honest, about the creation of the so-called Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces. It shows Mr Burke is keen to use the arts sector as a showcase for his wider agenda of increasing union power and entrenching restrictions on our economy. The contrast with funding committed for the arts by former Liberal-National governments is stark. New funding commitments during our 2019-2022 term totalled $1.1 billion. Our Liberal-National government delivered record arts funding of over $1 billion, as I said. No other government, Labor or Liberal, has matched this level of funding for the arts, and that remains the case even after the announcement of Labor's new national cultural policy. This funding from the former government included programs like the RISE Fund, which supported arts companies, promoters, festivals and entrepreneurs to put no-shows on as the sector sought to rebuild from the challenges of COVID. I know there were many in the industry in Casey who benefited from this program. RISE funded more than 541 projects, 50 per cent of which were in rural and regional Australia, and created more than 213,000 job opportunities across Australia for experiences reaching more than 55 million Australians. One thing I have noted about Labor's national cultural policy is that it contains no new funding for our national collecting institutions. Funding decisions to support these institutions have evidently been kicked down the road to the May budget. There have been a series of media reports about the funding needs of our collecting institutes, including the National Library of Australia's public digital service, Trove. I've had many residents in Casey write to me concerned about the funding for Trove, and I look forward to and will watch with interest any future announcements by the government on this. Again, the coalition has a proud record of investing in these institutions, including a funding boost of $5.7 million over two years to support and enhance the continuing operation of Trove through to 30 June 2023. The policy also contains no new funding for our national performing arts organisations. These organisations are experiencing a change in behaviour, with audiences not purchasing tickets until the last minute, making it harder to return to financial stability. It was the coalition who invested over $50 million in these organisations through the Arts Sustainability Fund, which prevented many from closing their doors. It was the coalition who created a $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund to provide certainty for screen producers. It was the coalition who invested more than $370 million for Australian local content through the Australian Children's Television Foundation; Screen Australia; the production offset; the post, digital and visual effects offset; and the Temporary Interruption Fund. It was the coalition who raised the producer offset for television content from 20 per cent to 30 per cent so Australian producers received a greater rebate, making producing film and television content in Australia more attractive and affordable. It was the coalition who invested more than $47 million to digitise and preserve collection material held by the National Film and Sound Archive and seven other national collecting institutions and to maintain the National Library of Australia's Trove website. As I said, it's so important that we maintain this funding. We understood during COVID and understand now how important the arts industry and culture are to the very essence of social community and the wellbeing of human beings. Our COVID-19 Creative Economy Support Package of nine measures across 2022 and 2021 provided over $500 million worth of investment, including the $220 million for the RISE—Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand—Fund and $21.4 million for regional arts, including $11.4 million to support arts and cultural development tourism experiences. We also provided $12 million to support Indigenous art centres and Indigenous art fairs in regional and remote Australia, delivered in full through the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program. We invested $540 million over the seven years to 2026-2027 through the location incentive, to attract domestic and international film and television productions to Australia. All of this was on top of the recurrent funding provided to the Australia Council, which stands at around $220 million a year; $260 million for our national collecting institutions; and over $80 million for Screen Australia. In my electorate of Casey, we've a proud, passionate, thriving creative community, nurturing literature, fine arts, crafts and music through many organisations. One such organisation is the Dandenong Ranges Music Council. It's a community music organisation that was established in 1979. Its work focuses on the needs of communities who wish to listen, to learn, to perform and to create music in partnership with paid professional arts workers and artists. Bev McAlister established the council to enable all ages and abilities to participate and enjoy music in all its forms. Although Bev herself is not a musician, she appreciated and recognised the huge benefits music can bring to the community. Bev received her OAM in 1994 and received the Yarra Ranges shire's Mayor's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, both in recognition of her dedication to the Dandenong Ranges Music Council. I had the pleasure of meeting Bev last week and talking to her about this policy. I won't provide her feedback yet because she has to sign it off through the organisation, but what really was clear was her passion for our community and the arts and the inspiration that they provide her and many others in the Dandenongs. The projects that the Dandenong Ranges Music Council brings to the community include workshops and master classes with professional musicians, music lessons on a wide variety of instruments, concerts in which our communities can participate and music therapy sessions and performances for and by people with disabilities. Community music is used to celebrate, to grieve, even to protest and to heal. It tells community stories of bushfires, of storms and of our cultural history, as well as of the issues of today and those of the future. It definitely played a big part in the Dandenong Ranges in particular, as the residents there recovered from the storms of 2021. The Dandenong Ranges Music Council has nine ensembles at the moment, from orchestral to swing, to strings, and artists with disabilities, and numerous projects on the go at any one time. They encourage family participation in their projects. In fact, some local musicians had their first musical experiences as children with the DRMC. They've gone on to study and become music professionals and have returned to live in the local community, which keeps our community fresh and vibrant. This cross-generational aspect of what they do is really important. We have other strong creative institutions. Burrinja is a great example. It's named after Lin Onus, an Indigenous artist who's no longer with us. I was fortunate growing up: my father was a painter and a sculptor, and he was good friends with Lin Onus. Lin lived in Upwey, and I had the pleasure of spending time at Lin's house with his family growing up. So it was a real treat when I went to Burrinja and found out that it's actually named after Lin. It's another example of our local community staying together. The Ridges and Rivers project, which is being delivered by Yarra Ranges Council, is a $30 million project and investment partnership between the federal government, the state government, the local council and Bendigo Bank, which continues to support creative arts projects in Yarra Ranges and to bring tourism into our area. I had the fortunate opportunity to visit one of the 'lung walks', which is a display by Peter Mcilwain, in ngurrak barring, which is RidgeWalk, which means 'mountain paths'. It was a great example of how, in Casey, we can bring together the creative arts community and the natural environment that we have in the Dandenongs. There are many more great creative arts organisations in Casey. There's a strong music culture, celebrated by Bev, Josh and Anya, who have all helped create that culture we all enjoy. As the son of a musician, painter and sculptor, I look forward to continuing to support the arts sector in Casey. 17:45 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara I'm pleased to rise and speak on the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023. I'm extremely proud that the launch of this policy happened right in the middle of my electorate of Macnamara—and there's a reason for that! One thing that I'm sure about and that every member right across the parliament can agree on is that Macnamara is the home of our creative sector in Australia. It's definitely something that people in this House know. Macnamara is absolutely at the heart of all cultural activity around the country. We have not only some of Australia's best institutions but also some of the world's best institutions, mixed in with some local and independent companies. We are so fortunate to have so many incredible organisations in my electorate. If anyone comes to Melbourne, you cannot do so without walking through Southbank, walking past the National Gallery, walking past institutions like the ABC and walking past the big spiral Arts Centre, which is one of the most magnificent theatres in the world. They say Australia has the best opera house, with the outside being in Sydney and the inside being in Melbourne, and you'll know that's absolutely true when you see a production in the Arts Centre. We also have some of the most dynamic and modern theatre companies, like the Malthouse Theatre. In our local backstreets, we have incredible local organisations, like Gasworks Arts Park, which is a real mixture of sculpture, theatre and galleries. One of my favourite local organisations is Theatre Works in St Kilda. It's a small independent theatre company that is home to some of St Kilda's best local productions. It's a place that really characterises St Kilda. It's just down the road from the Palais Theatre, which is one of the most iconic theatres in Australia and where I'm sure many members of our parliament have seen everything from comedy shows to some of the world's best acts. In case you haven't realised, you should come to Macnamara, come to a show and come and experience some of Australia's best art and productions. That is absolutely what we have to offer. But it's not just about productions and the creative outlets; it's also about jobs. One in 10 people in my electorate work in the creative sector. It's a significant employer of people. It was only fitting that the launch of Revive happened in Macnamara, in the Gershwin Room of St Kilda's Espy Hotel. That's another great place. If you are in Melbourne, want a night out and want to visit a local watering hole, you could pop into the Espy and enjoy yourself, and the Gershwin Room is one of the best acoustic rooms and one of the best live music rooms. On the morning of the launch, the Prime Minister and the Minister for the Arts came to our iconic Espy. We had some really incredible artists. We had Deborah Cheetham, who is breathtakingly good. She is an extraordinary artist and singer, and she has helped form a company called Short Black Opera, which is one of the first ensembles led by Indigenous Australians to perform opera and classical music. They are extraordinary and they often play alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras around the country. We had Josh, a didgeridoo player, who really set the tone with very impressive didge playing. Sarah Holland-Batt performed a poem that she had written, and she was very, very impressive as well, but one of the big highlights, of course, was having Missy Higgins come and play a song for the cultural policy. It was a great morning. It was one of the best mornings I've had since winning the election because one thing that was clear about the message coming from our creative sector and coming from all of the wonderful institutions that I'm proud to represent was that we needed a change in cultural policy. In fact we needed a cultural policy. What the sector was desperate for was, obviously, more funds to support the creation of work and also to take those funds out of government hands and put them back into independent industry led bodies, and that's exactly what we are doing. We, as government, are not there to pick and choose our favourites. There is no doubt that the RISE funding of the previous government went to some worthwhile organisations, and there were organisations in my electorate that were the beneficiary of that funding, and I absolutely don't begrudge them for receiving it, but, in terms of the way in which we are here to design policy, it was not the right way to design policy. Industry should be making decisions about what sort of art they should be funding, not government. Going right back to when George Brandis took money out of the Australia Council and decided to play favourites with the arts sector, we have had a series of coalition governments who, in various forms, were trying to take money out of the Australia Council and put it into projects that they wanted to put it into, and that's wrong. That's not how creative policy should happen, and we are fixing that as part—and it is only one part—of this bill. This legislative reform is part of a series of legislative reforms that will be there to implement our national cultural policy. We are amending the Australia Council Act, and, while many will be familiar with the name 'the Australia Council', it has had a strong profile in the arts sector and more broadly. But let's go back and go through some of the history of the Australia Council. The Australia Council was the principal Commonwealth arts investment and advisory body since 1975. For nearly half a century, it has been supporting and promoting creative arts practice throughout the country and across all disciplines of the arts. It also provides research and advocacy on issues that affect the sector. For this, it has been recognised nationally and internationally. We want to ensure that the work of the Australia Council continues and is enhanced for the changing and evolving nature of our arts sector so that it is strong and supported for the next 50 years, so we're going to modernise, strengthen and rename the Australia Council. It will be known as 'Creative Australia'. Through Creative Australia, the arts sector will benefit from greater strategic oversight and engagement. This will go alongside a mechanism for funding decisions that will continue to be at arm's length from government and will make decision on the grounds of artistic merit, not decisions based on favourites of the Liberal Party. Our policy also includes the establishment of independent bodies and funds for First Nations arts and culture, contemporary music and for writers, as well as a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces. This is an important reform and one that recognises that our theatres, sound recording studios and TV studios must be safe places for all workers. Having project work means that sometimes you have new workplaces, and you are frequently in new workplaces as a creative worker, but that is no excuse for some of the behaviour that we have seen alongside and inside our sector. We are going to support our artists with a strengthened body that will be there to support them and ensure that they have a safe workplace to work in. As I mentioned at the outset, this is the first in a series of legislative reforms that will implement our national cultural policy. The reason we have staged this approach is to provide an opportunity for consultation to take place in our arts community. However, there are a number of elements that require implementation from 1 July this year, and they are covered in this particular piece of legislation. In addition to giving effect to the name change, this bill will enable the commencement of work on the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces and Music Australia, and bring together Creative Partnerships Australia and the Australian Cultural Fund with the Australia Council. Under the name 'Creative Australia', the role of attracting and recognising public and private sector support for the arts will align with the expertise from within the existing Australia Council to ensure maximum benefits for the arts and for artists. We're also beginning consultation work on quotas for streaming platforms to ensure that, whenever you turn on your TV, there will be Australian content there for our kids and ourselves to enjoy. Through our national cultural policy, we are committed to improving the quality of Commonwealth investment in the arts sector and to strengthen and streamline access to support, including for artists and arts organisations. This is about making sure that government is there to support our artists and that we value the jobs that are created in our creative sector. But we are not there to pick and choose which art gets funded; that is done by industry. We are ending the days of governments playing favourites. We are going back to the days of governments being there to facilitate Australian stories and to empower Australian artists to do their job. We all derive enjoyment from the arts. Great art provokes thought, feelings and emotions. We are captivated and we are entertained. But its impact exists beyond these individual responses. The arts are a way that a nation reflects itself to itself and to others. We are richer for having a thriving and vibrant cultural sector. It helps us better understand who we are, and it also helps us show ourselves to the world. I look forward to this thriving under the stewardship of Creative Australia. Our reforms will ensure we have a governance and funding body that meets the expectations of the arts community for another five decades. I am privileged to be the representative of an electorate with arts at its absolute heart. Macnamara is one of Australia's premier cultural precincts. As the federal member for Macnamara, I will continue to advocate to ensure that our workers in the creative sector are supported to do what they do best. Our local community is much more colourful, inclusive and vibrant through our artists. I'm glad we have prioritised ensuring the arts sector is well governed, well funded and well supported. But most of all, through our national cultural policy, we are demonstrating to the arts that the contribution of the sector is valued. I look forward to seeing what will come, what will be produced, what stories will be told and what the future of our creative sector has for our wonderful community. I commend the bill to the House. 17:57 Dr HAINES 282335 Indi Arts and culture, through theatre, music, film, television, visual art and literature tell our stories back to us. They share familiar and unique perspectives. They shape our dreams and our imagination and improve our wellbeing, our social cohesion, our health, our sense of place and belonging, and our sense of pride. They bring people together, especially in rural and regional Australia. The Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill signals the beginning of a new era for arts and culture in Australia. It amends the Australia Council Act 2013 to allow the Australia Council, the government's principal arts investment development advisory board, to operate under the new name 'Creative Australia'. Creative Australia will, in addition to the Australia Council's existing functions, establish a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, as well as Music Australia, Writers Australia and the First Nations first body. This will provide direct support to these sectors so they can continue to grow. The new Creative Australia is part of the government's major national cultural and arts policies they're rolling out, which they're calling 'Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place'. Revive is an apt name for a sector that's been neglected for far too long. Our arts sector suffered major blows during COVID-19. As theatres, art galleries and music events shut down across the country while the lockdowns were on, many of our arts workers were out of work. Sadly, the previous government hesitated for far too long in including the arts sector in COVID support. As a result many workers felt they were being treated as hobbyists; their value to society was undermine. That's why it's heartening to see this government make the largest investment in our arts and culture sector in over a decade. This policy will make artists and workers feel recognised, that their work is meaningful to all Australians, that it's a job that benefits our nation. Under the Revive policy, the government is committing additional resources and funding to the arts in regional Australia, recognising that regional Australia benefits socially and economically when the arts sector is given the attention it deserves. Arts and culture sectors don't exist in a vacuum. In regional Victoria, they drive tourism, and it has flow-on effects, with great benefits to our hospitality and accommodation sectors. In my electorate of Indi, these sectors employ thousands of people. These are the people who teach our kids to play the piano and dance. They're the bands that perform in local pubs. They're the artists who perform at our local theatres and exhibit in our local art galleries, both large and small. They're our sound engineers, our theatre technicians, our roadies, our curators, our editors, our costume designers, our bookings and ticketing officers. One of the pillars of Revive is to build strong cultural infrastructure. It will provide support across the spectrum of institutions which shape our arts, culture and heritage—galleries, libraries, museums, archives and digital collections—so they are restored, built and maintained. The government has committed $11.8 million for sharing the content of national collections by establishing a program of long-term loans of works from the National Gallery of Australia's collection to regional cultural institutions, and I welcome that. The Benalla Art Gallery is the largest art gallery in Indi. It's a jewel in the crown, but, after long-term funding cuts, it's lost its sparkle. Benalla has a master plan to realise its potential as a world-class regional gallery, but it needs support to realise that dream. Phase 1 of its plan is due for completion very shortly and will see the construction of a secure off-site facility for the optimal storage of art and cultural artefacts, so much so that they can now welcome collections of the NGA that the government has specifically identified in its policy. But, to finish its plan, the Benalla Art Gallery needs more help, and it's calling on the Commonwealth for support towards the $7.5 million it needs to expand gallery space, to activate opportunities and to improve the interface and activities between the gallery, Lake Benalla, the central business district and the heritage botanical gardens. Let me paint you a picture of this local treasure. Housed in an iconic modernist building and set amongst the beautiful botanical gardens, the Benalla Art Gallery has on its flank the magnificent bronze sculpture, by sculptor Louis Laumen, of soldier, surgeon and war hero Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop. Weary was born in Benalla in 1907 and later attended Benalla High School. I'm sure many of you know about Weary. From March 1942 to the end of the Second World War, he was a prisoner of war under Japanese command in Singapore and, from January 1943, in Thailand, where he worked on the infamous Burma-Thailand railway. Unintimidated by the Japanese, he became a legend with the Australian prisoners for his modesty, for his remarkable efforts in scrounging food for the sick and for building makeshift hospitals and operating with handmade instruments. Every place has a story. Every story has a place. Benalla Art Gallery is the perfect place to deliver the Revive policy's vision of the very best of our national collection touring the whole country. These artworks are proudly supported and owned by all Australians, and they should be accessed by everyone, no matter where they live. So let's fund our regional art galleries, like our gallery in Benalla, so that we can actually see this policy come to fruition. This funding would bring people together by giving us the space to share our artworks and celebrate local, national and international works and the stories they bring to us. I want to recognise Eric Nash, the Director of the Benalla Art Gallery, for his dogged advocacy on behalf of his community and the arts sector across our region, and the dedicated committee that supports him, chaired by Barbara Alexander AO. Investment in our local arts infrastructure is not just our galleries but it's our theatres. The HotHouse Theatre redevelopment in Wodonga is one of the region's key cultural tourism assets. HotHouse is the only regionally located producing theatre company in Australia, and it's with us in Wodonga, on the border, on the Murray River. It has a rich and celebrated history in commissioning, producing, nurturing and presenting new contemporary Australian theatre. The company offers professional creative development opportunities and education through theatre training and drama programs. It engages the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and it has a particular focus on young artists. Now HotHouse needs $1.2 million over the next four years. Imagine what they could do with this investment if it was funded under Revive. I want to acknowledge the work of the HotHouse director, Karla Conway, and her board for all the work they do in continuing to deliver high-quality, original, entertaining theatre to the broader region I proudly represent. Under the Revive policy, the government will increase regional arts funding by $8.5 million. This fund supports sustainable cultural development in our regional communities. The government also intends to increase funding for regional arts through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program. This program could fund arts and cultural precincts that transform a place and benefit communities across regional cities all over rural Australia—precincts such as Benalla, as I've described, and the HotHouse, as I've described, but also the Wangaratta Creative Precinct, which was recently approved at a council meeting in Wangaratta, and places like the Mount Hotham resort, in Indi. Through a series of art installations, Mount Hotham Alpine Arts is looking to diversify its year-round tourism and give people more reasons to visit the resort at any time of year. This project involves the installation of large, high-impact, permanent sculptural pieces across the resort's five key precincts which draw from the natural environment, the traditional owner heritage and the ski field history. The alpine resorts need $1.5 million to fund this exciting arts precinct proposal. Festivals Australia will also continue to be funded by the government under the Revive policy. I call on them to direct some of this to the world-famous Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues. Since 1990 this festival has attracted a diverse, eclectic mix of jazz and blues greats and rising stars from the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and home ground Australia. This festival had a triumphant return in 2022 after a number of missed years. It's home to Australia's most prestigious jazz competition; the National Jazz Awards have been a highlight of the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues each year since the festival began in 1990. It's launched many a brilliant career. Another core principle of Revive is to ensure all Australians, regardless of language, literacy, geography, age or education, have the opportunity to access and participate in arts and culture. Reliable digital infrastructure is key to fulfilling this principle, and this requires the NBN. I feel like I speak about the need to deliver the NBN to regional Australia almost daily in this place; in fact, I stood here yesterday at about the same time talking about it. If we are truly going to deliver to everyone in Australia in accessing the arts, no matter where they live, then we must finish the NBN. We can't have a streaming service that doesn't stream to everyone. The resources delivered under the Revive policy will transform and safeguard our regional arts and cultural sector to be sustainable and vibrant into the future. That's what the government promises, and that is truly my hope. It will provide new skills and opportunities for our young people and connect people of all ages across our large region, if it's done well. According to the Australia Council for the Arts, in 2019 around seven out of 10 people in regional Australia attended arts activities. It's a funny thing; when I moved to the country after spending a couple of years in the city, my city friends said to me, 'Oh, how will you get to the theatre?' I asked them, 'How often do you go to the theatre?' To be honest, I went more often than they did! So seven out of 10 regional Australians are just like me; they make the most of arts and culture, if they have the opportunity locally to do so. A policy that invests in digital and cultural infrastructure, that invests in our festivals and theatres, will continue to foster this participation and all the economic benefits that come with it, if it's done right. Once again I wish to use this platform to extend a warm invitation to both our Minister for the Arts and our Special Envoy for the Arts to pencil in a visit to Indi. Perhaps you could come down to the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues in October. Perhaps you'd like to be there for the national jazz awards. We'd love to have you. Come to us and enjoy everything that the Indi artists have to offer. 18:10 Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 Fremantle I'm very glad to speak in support of the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023. I welcome the timeliness, substance and responsiveness of the Minister for the Arts in his delivery of a new national cultural policy, which was well overdue. This bill is one of the first steps in the implementation of that policy. The policy is called Revive. It is appropriately titled, but it should be a matter of sober and even in some ways sad reflection that we have called it Revive, because it tells you something about where arts, culture and creative industries are at in this country. They are not in a good place. That's a terrible shame. It's a loss for all of us. It was lovely hearing the member for Indi talk about all of the various art activities and organisations and arts workers in her community. I think we could all tell that story. In fact, I think it would be a good thing for people who represent the 151 electorates around the nation to spend some time actually trying to itemise and understand by category the different kinds of cultural and arts organisations—if they don't already know—because it is, unfortunately, still an under-regarded part of life in Australia. I think it is part of a kind of an anti-intellectual streak, which is perhaps the unfortunate consequence of having an egalitarian culture where we tend to lean into sport and other kinds of physical endeavours. There has been a bit of a tendency throughout time to think that arts and culture are perhaps not down to earth enough. They are seen as something you do as an added extra and you do as an indulgence and they are seen as something that people do as a matter of personal predilection. Rather, arts and culture are actually one of the most important things about being human and certainly one of the most important things about human communities in so many ways. We rush too quickly to try to economically justify arts, culture and creative industries and their workers. That tells us something else about our tendencies. Unless we can find a way of saying that they have economic importance, we feel like we can't make a convincing argument as to why they are important more generally. That's stupid. I think most of us know that the most important things in our lives aren't the things that can be quantified or have economic value. You can take health as an example. It doesn't matter how many assets you have or how much money you have, if you don't have your health you have nothing. Equally, if we didn't have all of the rich forms of cultural activities in our lives, what would we have? What would be the point of a material life, or a material life alone, if it weren't for music, dance, stories and of course these days film and gaming even? These are the things that really give life meaning and help us understand our past and look to our future. They connect us. They are intrinsic to our identity and help us shape the best form of our future selves. Arts, culture and creative industries are actually the most dynamic drivers of all of those things. Frankly, if someone on reflection doesn't recognise those as the most important things, I'd be very surprised. As I said, this bill is the first instalment of a long project—the Revive project. It transfers the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia to the Australia Council, which will be known as Creative Australia in the future. It shifts $15.2 million in funding across from 2023-24 for three years, and then there will be $5 million in annual funding that's applied to the Creative Partnerships piece. That's indexed and is ongoing from 2026-27. But, as the minister has explained, it's the first step in trying to give arts and cultural workers and enterprises a fair go, and it's the first step in repairing a lot of damage that's happened in recent times. That damage began before the pandemic. It's another thing that I think we have to be wary of—a sort of lazy thinking that looks at some of the circumstances we faced and says, 'Well, that was the pandemic.' Some people, perhaps those on the other side, will say, 'A trillion dollars worth of debt—that was the pandemic.' But the debt had doubled before the pandemic, and a third of it was added after that. The same is true for what has happened to the arts and cultural sector. It really kicked off around the time of the awful 2014 budget. The then minister pulled $100 million out of the Australia Council, literally defunding 65 arts organisations overnight. It said, 'You've previously been a recipient of four-year funding under the Australia Council. That's gone. Goodbye and good night.' That was incredibly harmful. The defunding and the demonisation of two of our greatest cultural institutions, the ABC and SBS, had a terrible impact as well, particularly on screen producers, and I say that as someone who has a very strong screen production industry in my electorate of Fremantle. So that happened before the pandemic. And then, during the pandemic, when we were controlling infection in the early days, the need to socially isolate and not gather together, and not being able to move around Australia to the same degree, had an impact that couldn't be avoided, because it was part of the health response. But there were things that could have been avoided. Some things could have been avoided if not for the ineptitude in the construction of JobKeeper. It should have been foreseen that there were people who worked in arts and cultural enterprises who were likely to be left out because of the way JobKeeper was set up, and that proved to be the case. So you had this—I was going to say double whammy, but you could say it was a triple whammy. The first part is that, unfortunately, arts and cultural workers aren't properly paid in this country. There are plenty of people who you can say aren't properly paid. It's a failure of our economic system sometimes, and it's a failure of the market when you have people doing vital work on the front line in health care and aged care and areas like that who are not properly paid. It's no less of a tragedy that people who apply their heart and soul, all of their great skill and expertise, to the production of cultural artefacts are substantially underpaid. It has ever been thus in Australia, and we need to do something about it. That is the first whammy. The second whammy that followed was the COVID restrictions and the impacts of COVID which couldn't be avoided. But then there was the response of government which left literally tens of thousands of arts and cultural workers out in the cold. That did completely unjustified harm to people and arts enterprises at the time. Some of that harm will be lasting because there are people—particularly, I would say, younger and mid-career artists—who were essentially forced to say, 'I'm going to give this up. I've got a gift'—a writer, a poet, a dancer, a playwright, a musician—'and I'm on the path of trying to make that work, which is hard enough. But now, in these circumstances, I have to give that up. I have to go and become something else in order to survive.' It'll take us some time to really measure that harm. I think it's a terrible shame because, in many instances of crisis, it's arts and culture workers who are often the first to step up to be part of the response. I certainly reflected with some bitterness, when I saw how arts and cultural workers were being treated in the course of the pandemic, on what happened after the summer 2019 bushfires occurred on the east coast, which were awful—awful. One of the first things that happened in the early part of 2019 is that musicians in my community joined with the Fremantle Arts Centre, a great cultural organisation, and put on two concerts to raise money to send to the eastern states. In the end, I think it was about $100,000 that was raised over those two concerts. Musicians performed for free and the promoter made their contribution free of charge, and all those things were done simply to maximise the fundraising that could then be directed to people who'd suffered awfully through those bushfires. It was called From WA, With Love. It was amazing to be there. It felt like it was exactly what you'd expect to see from the Australian community at its best: coming together, doing something creative and celebratory—but also sombre and reflective, considering the circumstances—and raising funds and saying to another community in another part of Australia, 'We're with you; we feel and understand your pain, and we want to make a contribution to your wellbeing.' Unfortunately, when COVID came along, the same didn't happen in reverse. It happened at a local level. I know of plenty of people who made an effort, to the extent that they could, the moment we were able to go to a gig again. In Western Australia, we were fortunate in our response in that we probably had longer periods of time where we weren't subjected to lockdowns, and the moment that it was possible to go out and support live arts and culture, the community did that. They did it not just to help out arts and cultural workers and enterprises at a time of need, but, as I said before, because the experience of the pandemic made us realise how important those parts of our lives are. So that's certainly something that I reflect on. More broadly, when we talk about the importance of a future made in Australia, and when we say that we should make things here as a matter of self-sufficiency—and, I think, as a matter of pride in our productive capacity and in the things that are distinctively Australian—then, of course, making things in Australia has to include making stories, songs, dance performances, screen products, movies, drama, children's television and games and all those things. They should be made in Australia—and not just, as we might say in other areas, as a matter of self-sufficiency. Frankly, as to some things that we make—it could be a pencil, and it's great if we can make pencils in Australia, but I dare say we don't—does it really matter if someone else makes them better and cheaper than us? Probably not. Does it matter if we don't make songs and stories and dance performances, and TV drama and children's drama in Australia? Absolutely it does, because that is core to who we are. We cannot protect, enhance and evolve our identity, and we cannot understand ourselves and our past and shape our future, if we don't have strong arts and cultural production in every area. So in addition to that, I could say: creativity is king—or queen; or I should say, it is gold. One thing that almost every piece of innovation and every meaningful kind of productivity will have to involve in the future is creativity. The people who are the best at what creativity involves as a human productive process are, of course, artists, and we don't use enough of that. We don't actually say to ourselves, in lots of areas of life, 'Let's get creative and let's involve the creatives.' We'd be better off if we did. Needless to say, our arts and cultural and creative industries are critical to innovation. They are also critical to some other areas of economic life in Australia—particularly our two biggest service exports: education and tourism. All of the surveys show that, when students in other parts of the world are considering a study destination, one of the things they look for is the broader cultural experience that they're likely to have. So there's no doubt that, when we put our best foot forward artistically and culturally, we do a lot for our international education sector. The same goes for tourism. It's incredibly significant that we've managed to get to the point where we have two service exports in our top six export earners. Post COVID, they should become stronger again. You're not going to make international education or tourism stronger without having a strong arts and cultural sector. We believe very strongly that Australia should be a place that makes things. As I said, we should make songs, stories, plays, screen drama, documentaries—all kinds of performance and all kinds of visual arts. It's essential to who we are, and it is among the best things that we get to experience. The people who produce it are among the most important people in our society. They're not valued enough; we should value them more. We've begun on that path with Revive, but there's a lot more to do, and I welcome this bill. 18:25 Ms McKENZIE 124514 Flinders I rise to speak on the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, which I will refer to as the Creative Australia bill. This, I understand, is the first in a series of bills that will implement the government's national cultural policy, Revive, announced on 30 January this year, so I will save the majority of my remarks on the policy itself for a later time. I note only that, on first glance, it offers nothing—or, in fact, very little—for the people of Flinders, whose arts and cultural activity remain beyond the remit of the Australia Council or, indeed, of public funding through Regional Arts Victoria, as we are not considered regional but for very small slivers of the peninsula where our cultural bodies tend not to be resident. The Australia Council is the vehicle by which the government intends to implement the national cultural policy. This bill provides for the Australia Council to operate under the name 'Creative Australia' as an interim measure. It is, in that respect, the beginning of a rebranding exercise for the Australia Council for the Arts, which has been known as such since it was established by the Rt Hon. Harold Holt, Liberal Prime Minister of Australia, when he rose in this place on 1 November 1967, albeit a bit further down the hill, and he said: I now wish to inform the House of two decisions by the Government and a number of other developments in the field of cultural activities. The Government, for some time, has been actively considering ways to increase, at national level, Commonwealth patronage of the arts without creating a monolithic structure which could inhibit the free play of our cultural interests and enthusiasms at all levels. For some years now Government encouragement for the arts in general has been increasing and we feel that financial aid properly directed on the best advice is one significant area where the Commonwealth Government can provide material assistance. We need to ensure that we have a system for giving financial assistance which takes full account of the important role played, not only by State governments, but by municipal governments and a host of professional and amateur organisations throughout the country. With this in mind the Government, in its first decision on cultural activities, has decided to establish an Australian Council for the Arts to be its financial agent and adviser on the performing arts and other activities connected with the arts in general. Thus began the life of the Australia Council for the Arts, which has continued in more or less the same form under the same name for over 50 years. I had the great pleasure of serving on the board of the Australia Council for six of those years, and I recognise here the remarkable people both with whom I served on that board and across the Australia Council's leadership, who deserve our gratitude for the dynamic state in which our cultural sector finds itself after the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. I particularly recognise Adrian Collette, CEO, and Tim Blackwell, executive director of corporate resources, who worked so closely with Dr Stephen Arnott, deputy secretary of creative economy and the arts, whose partnership and tireless work helped to sustain the Australian cultural sector through those dark years. More meaningfully, this bill merges Creative Partnerships Australia with the Australia Council, soon to be Creative Australia. Creative Partnerships Australia was created by the Rudd Labor government under the stewardship of arts enthusiast and former Labor leader Simon Crean back in 2013. Its establishment followed a thorough review of private sector support for the arts undertaken by Harold Mitchell. At that time, it brought together two independent—yet successful—bodies focused on arts philanthropy: the Australian Business Arts Foundation and Artsupport. Its inaugural CEO, who remains CEO to this day, is Ms Fiona Menzies, who brought to that role a successful career in arts administration and leadership in arts policy at the national level. Under the leadership of Ms Menzies and a remarkable line-up of directors engaged across arts and culture in Australia, Creative Partnerships has been extremely effective in its task of raising philanthropic support for the arts. In its last financial year, it raised almost $10 million from over 9,000 individual donors. In its first year, it raised less than $1 million. It is worth noting that its peak fundraising achievements occurred in a COVID affected year. The CPA staff are experts in arts fundraising. The sector has benefited enormously from their independence from the government's funding priorities and processes. In addition, they have provided a vital and impartial source of advice to the sector, with a local presence in most capital cities. It is proposed that these functions be absorbed by the Australia Council. It's worth noting briefly that the Council tried its hand at philanthropic activity in the past, without resounding success. In my time on the board, a co-investment subcommittee— The DEPUTY SPEAKER C2T The member for Flinders will resume their seat. It being 6.30 pm, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 192B. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. The member for Flinders will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed on a future day. GRIEVANCE DEBATE 1432 GRIEVANCE DEBATE Fairfield Hospital 1432 18:30 Ms LE 295676 Fowler In 2019 I ran as an independent candidate for the state seat of Cabramatta, which is in the Fowler electorate. One of the issues I discovered during my community consultation was that our local hospital, Fairfield Hospital, had no electricity capacity load. Basically, our hospital did not have enough electricity to enable wi-fi or provide enough power for basic needs, such as air conditioning and other equipment to assist in the care of patients. I was shocked, to say the least, that our Fairfield Hospital, in one of the neediest electorates, with a significant disadvantaged population, seemed to function like one in a Third World country. So I campaigned on the issue passionately. Twelve months or so later, at our council lunar new year festival, a couple of young women approached me on the street and thanked me for advocating on the electricity issue. They said: 'You don't know the difference you've made. We work in the basement of the hospital to treat patients, and we can't treat them, as it's too hot and we don't have air conditioning. But it looks like now we will.' With those words, they disappeared into the crowd as our community continued to celebrate the lunar new year. I didn't get the chance to ask their names, but I was so moved and touched by these two women who stopped to ask me to continue to advocate for our community, and I will continue to do so. Fairfield Hospital is a critical institution for most people in my electorate. Since its construction in 1988, it has received only $7 million in upgrades. Compare this to nearby hospitals: Liverpool Hospital, $1.4 billion in funding; Bankstown, $1.3 billion in funding; Blacktown, $700 million in funding; and Ryde, nearly $480 million in funding. Rouse Hill Hospital has been promised $700 million by the New South Wales opposition leader, Chris Minns, and $300 million by the Perrottet government for the upcoming March election. For many politicians, I'm sure that hospital funding is a great way to win votes in marginal seats, but, for me, hospital funding means providing my constituents with the basic health care that every Australian is entitled to. Why has Fairfield Hospital become the forgotten hospital? Why are we constantly underfunded and under-resourced? Why are our people and community being treated as less than those in the vicinity of the above hospitals? We pay taxes like everyone else. Why are we constantly forgotten or just left with the crumbs? This lack of funding and resources has a profound human impact. A local carpenter from Abbotsbury shared his story with me about how he injured his hand on a circular saw at work. He drove to Fairfield Hospital, where he was given a paracetamol for pain. It turned out that the hospital had run out of morphine. There weren't enough staff at the time, so he was transferred to Liverpool Hospital to get treated, but, eventually, he had a finger amputated. An elderly gentleman went to Fairfield Hospital to be treated for his liver, but the hospital doesn't have a radiologist after 5 pm on weekdays, and it doesn't have one on weekends. The CT scans would need to be sent to a private company who send the images overseas to be read by doctors, as they do not have a radiologist on site after hours. His daughter said they were grateful to the nursing staff and doctors at the hospital who were able to see her father straightaway, but he had to wait three days before being transferred to Liverpool Hospital. While she waited with her dad for the transfer, she looked out the window to see a queue of people lining up outside the demountable Hand Clinic, in the heat. She saw a gentleman lying on the grass, clearly trying to make himself comfortable in a line that had barely moved for hours. The Hand Clinic is supposed to service the largest number of hand patients in the Southern Hemisphere, and yet it operates out of a demountable. We are a First World country, and yet here we are, providing Third World services to our community. It's stories like these that make me feel like our community has been unfairly targeted and treated like second-class citizens by the establishment. That lack of funding, though, does not mean a lack of commitment on the part of the doctors, nurses, staff or volunteers at Fairfield Hospital. Sammi Sayed is a local resident, who, at 80 years of age, has been a volunteer there for a very long time. She's an example of the strong community spirit we have in Fowler. She volunteers to support people who might have problems navigating the hospital system. She says that, when she sees patients take out their frustrations on hospital staff about excessive wait times, especially nurses at the hospital, she reminds them to be grateful to be living in Australia—a country with a reputation for excellent health care. Yes, the system is strained, but it is the government of the day that we must hold to account for the lack of resources our health system currently faces and not the people working in the system who are trying to help us, especially under pressure. We elect our government to govern for all. We elect our government to make responsible decisions that will ensure our people and citizens have equitable and deserved access to quality care. I'm very proud to say that the upgrades on the electricity loading will be completed in the next month or so. That's almost four years ago to this month since my campaign in 2019. I want to thank the CEO of the South Western Sydney Local Health District, Amanda Larkin, and the Fairfield Hospital General Manager, Paul Crowe, for their commitment to our hospital. I also want to acknowledge the work of the other hospital in my electorate, Liverpool Hospital. They have seen major upgrades and delivered incredible services with first-class facilities. But, while this is good news, the pandemic showed why this disproportionate funding was, ultimately, detrimental. Fairfield Hospital still has some of the highest emergency department admissions in New South Wales and, on top of that, the fourth-highest increase of patients who left without getting treatment in the June to September 2022 quarter. This is due to a number of factors which came to light after many community consultations with local health professionals in Fairfield Hospital. In my health forums with the Vietnamese- and Assyrian-speaking GPs in the area, they told me that many of our migrant communities do not differentiate between a health clinic and a hospital. With a population with one of the highest rates of non-English speaking people in the country, it's important that electorates like Fowler have community outreach programs to inform them on where they need to go if they have a health issue. Lack of bulk-billing and GP shortages are causing a flow-on effect on emergency departments. Patients are having to wait weeks to get a GP appointment. If they get sick or if their conditions worsen, their best bet for immediate care is the ED. Therefore, to fix the hospital system, we must also look at reforming Medicare, and we need to ensure this overall provides equal access to health care. The price you pay for your doctor should not determine your level of health care. Together with Mayor Frank Carbone and my Fairfield Council colleagues, we have been pushing for state and federal funding for a multicultural health and wellness centre. This will ensure that multicultural health services can be provided to patients. Ultimately, this will take the pressure off the GPs and hospitals and offer community support for those of non-English speaking backgrounds. I understand the federal and state governments have jointly announced a rollout of urgent-care clinics across Australia. If you won't fund our hospital, at least give us one of these urgent-care clinics in Fowler, for goodness sake. This will take the pressure off the emergency departments and, ultimately, ease the burden on our GPs and staff as well. Health care is a basic human right to every single Australian. Many in this House will say that hospitals are state funded and it's a state matter, but health care is not just a matter for one level of government. I acknowledge that the New South Wales opposition leader, Chris Minns, recently pledged $150 million to Fairfield Hospital over three years, but I'll wait and see if he will actually deliver on his commitment or not, as compared to the $700,000 to Rouse Hill. In the lead-up to the last federal election, there was a $200 million pledge by the Albanese government to the Flinders Medical Centre, which looks set to go ahead. This just shows that, if any government, state or federal, wants to fund hospitals, they will. So, today in this House of the people, I ask the government, federal and state—the major parties on both sides—to really look hard at their objectives, after being elected to government for the country and their state. Be bold. Make decisions and develop policies that will ensure every Australian can equitably access health care and services. Tangney Electorate: Community Events 1434 18:39 Mr LIM 300130 Tangney In the last few weeks, I have been so proud to host a number of ministers in my electorate of Tangney. We had a shared roundtable discussion with the member for Swan about the Early Years Strategy with Minister Rishworth and Minister Aly. We visited the Bull Creek RAAFA with Deputy Prime Minister Marles and Minister Butler to see the work of volunteer veterans in the Aviation Heritage Museum. Minister Butler also visited a local pharmacy and a medical centre in Willetton, alongside my state colleague the member for Riverton, who was previously a GP himself. We had Minister Keogh talk about our election commitments that benefit our CALD communities at the Perth Hindu temple. Minister Shorten visited our local Services Australia centre in Cannington to say hello and to thank the team for what they do. And I had an industrial roundtable and a visit at Murdoch University with Minister Husic to talk about the Community STEM Engagement grants. I spoke fondly during the last sitting weeks of when the Prime Minister came to Tangney and reflect on that time with great joy. This is because the importance of a ministerial visit is not lost on the WA team. Even right now, the three hours' time difference from Perth due to daylight savings is an adjustment. So what did we do during these visits? During the Early Years Strategy roundtable with the Member for Swan, Minister Rishworth and Minister Aly, we had an open forum and discussion with representatives from the early-years sector. The strategy has been developed to shape our vision for the future of Australian children and their families. The early years are so important for children's development and later outcomes in life, and for me it is so crucial, so critical, to ensure that their foundations when they are young are strong. Our government's strategy will support better outcomes for young children in Australia and their families. We heard from many representatives about their experiences and contributions, moving forward to shape this strategy. It was good to see that we have so many passionate educators and leaders in this industry that want to see our next generation thrive. The feedback that my team in Tangney have received from the representatives in our electorates reflects well on the proactiveness of this government in this space. I look forward to more opportunities to learn and develop our ability to help our future talents. Deputy Prime Minister Marles came to visit the Bull Creek RAAFA to see our local Aviation Heritage Museum. It was amazing to showcase what the veteran community at RAAFA do. They were very pleased that Deputy Prime Minister Marles was able to visit and see the work the veterans volunteer group have done in wonderfully curating and preserving our aviation history, most of which was in the military. For me, I cannot help but feel a great sense of gratitude for the dedication and service of our veterans. These brave individuals have made tremendous sacrifice to defend our nation's freedom and security, and their commitment to our country is a testament to the very best of Australia. The visit to the Aviation Heritage Museum was a reminder of the important role that our military play in protecting our nation. It also highlighted the need for continued investment in our Defence Force to ensure that they have resources they need to carry out their duties effectively. The visit from Minister Butler to our local Southlands Pharmacy in Willetton and the Willetton Medical Centre was very impactful. The WA state member for Riverton, who has previously been a GP, was also able to shed light in this space based on his experiences and accompany us in this visit. Sharing the accomplishments by this government regarding the change of the PBS medicines is something I am so proud of. Someone taking one medication a month could save as much as $150 every year, or, for two or three medications, as much as $300 to $450 a year. This government has committed to and delivered on a promise to make medicine more affordable. Minister Butler also managed to speak to my first GP, Dr Kulaendra, when we visited Willetton Medical Centre. He was my first family doctor who helped my daughter through her battle with cancer. It was an honour to have him meet the minister. For me, it was very heartwarming to be able to say that I'm a part of the team in government doing more to support the health and wellbeing of everyday Australians. Minister Keogh and I visited the Perth Hindu Temple to discuss funding and election commitment delivery. I'm so happy that I have a local minister who is as equally committed as I am to the local community. I also want to extend my personal thanks to him and his team in recent weeks for their guidance and support. I am so grateful. Minister Shorten saw how wonderful Richard and his team at Cannington Centrelink were in making sure that our community is looked after. One of the team, Delaney, had her eight-year work anniversary when we visited. It was an honour to be there to celebrate that occasion with her, with the minister present. It is important that, regardless of what you do for work, your work is not forgotten and you're thanked by those at the top. I know that Minister Shorten's visit will not be forgotten by the team anytime soon. Minister Husic was able to see some of Tangney's contributions to industry and science, from both a business and a student perspective. Tangney has more than 17,000 businesses that have the ability to really thrive under our Labor government. Minister Husic was able to connect with some representatives of industry within my electorate to discuss ways to promote innovation, research and business enterprise, for existing businesses as well as for new tech start-ups in the state of Western Australia. It was also an honour to have shared this opportunity with my local and state government colleagues. My sincere thanks to the City of Melville and their staff for hosting Minister Husic and the delegation. Special thanks to the Lord Mayor, Mr George Gear. Having once run my own business, I know and appreciate the importance of government providing opportunities for local businesses to flourish. Minister Husic's visit was a shining example of this. At our visit to Murdoch University we talked about the Community STEM Engagement grants which will help fund the purchase of advanced agricultural robotic platforms, to be used in competitions and for teaching and research, and to be lent to schools to use for their own curriculum. We also got to meet the talented WA Robotics Playoffs team. It is so exciting to know that so many things are happening in the world of science and technology. The need to think ahead and foster growth in this space is so important because this is about what will create jobs in our Australian economy. So, to my ministerial colleagues, I say thank you. Thank you for visiting Tangney and meeting its people and its businesses and shaping its future. I look forward to hosting any of you who come to my electorate soon. Administrative Appeals Tribunal 1435 18:49 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra 'The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation.' So said George Orwell when describing the political practice of asserting one thing and doing the direct opposite. For most of us, the writings of George Orwell serve as a warning; for some in the government, they act as a playbook. On 16 December 2022 the Attorney-General issued a press release entitled 'Albanese government to abolish Administrative Appeals Tribunal'. It was a media release so partisan that the Attorney-General's Department has not put it on its website. Indeed, the only place it appears is on the Attorney-General's 'Mark Dreyfus MP' personal website. Think about that for a minute. Here is a major decision to gut a major legal institution, a purge without precedent in our history and a decision that will potentially have flow-on effects affecting tens of thousands of cases, but the media release is so vitriolic and so partisan that the department, to its credit, won't allow the release on its website. The decision to rip up a respected institution is all about politics, it's about settling scores and it's about stacking a new institution from the start. In any decision-making system and in any legal system you judge performance by the quality of decisions. The AAT is a uniquely Australian institution whereby individuals can seek merits review of decisions of the government. Many do so without costly legal representation. Tens of thousands of government decisions are challenged and tested. In 2021-22 an average of 850 applications for review were lodged every week. These are decisions about migration, citizenship, child support, social security, the NDIS, taxation, veterans and workers compensation. Every day the AAT makes decisions that directly determine the course of the lives of Australian families. In 2021-22, 20,800 migration refugee cases were finalised, as well as 12,000 social security and child support decisions and 3,300 NDIS decisions. No-one should be under any illusions. These are difficult decisions. Yet the benchmarking of user feedback indicates strong support for the responsiveness and level of service given. The user satisfaction rate in 2021-22 was 74 per cent—above the target of 70 per cent. Now keep in mind that there are many cases where participants were dissatisfied with the final result and yet their satisfaction of their treatment by the tribunal was high. The tribunal outperformed its target. As well, decisions must be robust. The AAT takes great pressure off the courts. The best test of this is the rate of successful appeals. The AAT's benchmark it sets itself is fewer than five per cent successful appeals on appealable decisions. In 2021-22 the result was 1.9 per cent, and well under target. The AAT has also worked to lift confidence in decision-making by the publication of key decisions. In 2021-22 a target of 5,000 published decisions was set. This was exceeded, with over 5,400 decisions published in 2021-22. On the key measure of performance, the AAT was meeting the mark. You judge a system on how it's performing. But the Attorney-General's complaint wasn't about performance; it was about politics. That's why the government said that there would be no changes to the AAT staff, only to tribunal members. The Attorney-General's press release announcing his purge claimed that as many as 85 people serving on the tribunal were associated with the coalition, yet this was a dubious claim taken from Crikey and the left-wing Australia Institute, an institute that covers its partisanship by misappropriating the name of the country we share. The people who are on the Dreyfus-Crikey-Australia Institute hit list include people who have done nothing more than be a volunteer member of the Liberal or National parties. It sounds McCarthyist because it is McCarthyist. You can imagine that for nine years the Attorney-General read Crikey like gospel late at night, slowly building his enemies list. The Attorney says that he seeks to purge people he claims are unqualified. He wants to give them the Hu Jintao treatment. He doesn't care whether the people he has targeted are qualified or not. What he really wants is a supine tribunal that will rubberstamp the decisions of his government. The Attorney seeks to purge people who are qualified and who believe in public service but who do not meet the Attorney's Labor loyalty test—a test that the Australian Public Service would rightly consider illegal. So let's look at the statutory qualifications for appointment to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. They are either being enrolled as a legal practitioner for at least five years or having special knowledge or skills relevant to their duties. Among the people that the Attorney-General wants to purge are people with master's degrees from Ivy League and Oxbridge universities, people with doctorates in law, people with first-class honours degrees and at least two university medallists. They include senior decorated military officers and others who have served in the Australian Defence Force, senior public servants, academics, barristers, partners in law firms and police officers with decades of experience. They include people who've served on tribunals at a state and territory level, including one person who headed a territory tribunal and was appointed to that role by the Labor Party. They include public servants who headed departments and agencies, including public servants who have received the Public Service Medal for their work as a public servant. They include a former deputy registrar of a state Supreme Court, a former Sex Discrimination Commissioner, the chair of the Accounting Standards Board and the editor of the legal service on practice and procedure for one of the state tribunals. This is by no means an exhaustive list of their qualifications. While the Attorney-General's list includes people who have served in this place and in the Senate, in state and territory parliaments and as advisers, that should not in and of itself exclude a person from appointment. In fact, when the coalition was in government we appointed several former Labor parliamentarians who were qualified to the tribunal. The Attorney is now purging these people and replacing them with up to 150 new tribunal members. This includes the 75 new tribunal members and at least the same number again of existing tribunal members who have been invited to reapply for their jobs. News reports indicate the cost in payouts for the Attorney-General's cultural revolution are in excess of $10 million—and this doesn't include any claim for loss of earnings as a result of the Attorney-General's outrageous decision to publicly sully the reputations of those who serve on the tribunal. The Attorney-General says he will institute an independent selection committee. The committee is to be made up of three members: first, the new AAT president, who will be appointed by the Attorney; second, the Attorney-General's Department secretary; and third, a delegate representing the Attorney-General. Independent? Three people—someone who reports to the Attorney-General, someone representing the Attorney-General and, finally, somebody appointed by the Attorney-General who might be subjected to the Attorney-General's 'please explain' phone calls. That's important, because it leads us to the appalling treatment of former AAT president Justice Fiona Meagher. We know from news reports that the Attorney called her on 12 November, after Justice Meagher put out a statement detailing the progress the tribunal had been making since her appointment. Justice Meagher had commenced as president just eight months earlier. The call from the Attorney, according to the Financial Review, was a 'please explain' call. We know that within weeks Justice Meagher had resigned and silently moved to the Federal Court. We don't know the full circumstances of that call, but we know that that statement from Justice Meagher has been scrubbed from the AAT website. Justice Meagher has been erased from history in a true Orwellian tradition. Justice Fiona Meagher, a respected leader and a respected lawyer, is now serving on the Federal Court, and I wish her well. The day will come when we will hear the full story of this disturbing episode. I believe more was at play than purging people with any association with the coalition and replacing them with supine Labor supporters and left-wing legal activists who will do the bidding of this government. One aspect of the AAT's work I'm concerned about is its important work in helping keep our borders secure. I'm concerned this is about the further weakening of our border protection system. In the immigration and refugee division of the tribunal, about 20,900 decisions were made in 2021-22. At the end of 2021-22, there were 56,100 decisions on hand. Our borders are strong, and I don't want the AAT, because of its members, to become the weakest link in our border protection chain. It was because of Peter Dutton that hundreds of violent and sexual offenders had their visas cancelled. We don't want to see a cohort of Labor lawyers and left-wing activists making decisions that undermine our border protection regime, allow criminals to stay and weaken our visa system. Labor's actions are all about purge and stack. They have nothing to do with improving the decision-making system Australians rely on. Labor's dismantling of a trusted decision-making system will play itself out in second- and third-order consequences such as on our borders. When that happens, the Attorney-General won't be able to hide and blame it on the AAT, saying it was the AAT's fault. When that day comes, as it surely will, we will hold the Attorney-General to account. Housing 1437 18:58 Mr LAXALE 299174 Bennelong Throughout Australia, people are worried about the cost of housing. Many residents in my electorate of Bennelong are faced with growing rents while they are priced out of the housing market due to high prices. Over 40 per cent of my electorate of Bennelong are renters. Our median rental rate is 12 per cent higher than the New South Wales average and over 25 per cent higher than the Australian average. Almost 35 per cent of those renting in our community are paying more than 30 per cent of their household income towards their weekly rent. Just today, a member of my community reached out to me to discuss their experiences applying for rental properties in Bennelong and the important need to make renting more equitable and accessible. He expressed to me that he was attending rental inspections with over 50 people per inspection and that his landlord refused to renew his lease as it would mean he could not raise the rent further than the $80 increase he had experienced just six months before. This is not the first piece of correspondence I've received from people within my electorate about the financial and personal pressure they are facing as renters. It's one of many. The latest PropTrack market insight report shows that less than 18 per cent of rental properties listed online are available for less than $400 a week, the lowest rate of availability for affordable rental properties in Australia since 2018. Rental vacancy rates are currently at a record low of 0.8 per cent. Renters are being taken advantage of with the increase in interest rates, being advised that their rent must continue to increase due to increased costs. They are being wedged into a corner by those who wish to seek profit, through the combination of low rental vacancies and high interest rates. The Reserve Bank of Australia continues to make decisions about interest rates without any true, complete understanding of the impact of rate rises on renters. With over 30 per cent of households renting across Australia, it being the biggest form of housing tenure in New South Wales, how can decisions that deeply impact this large proportion of Australians continue to be made without reflection on the impact that they may have on them? Affordable housing rental availability is at an all-time low. It has been at crisis point for over 10 years. Put simply, the housing market continues to fail households, especially those on very low, low or moderate incomes. And it's everyone's responsibility not to fail them. This crisis is especially severe for the most vulnerable members of our society, including low-income families, the elderly and those experiencing homelessness. For them, the lack of affordable housing options can have dire consequences. Without addressing this crisis, we risk leaving behind those who need our support the most and damaging the social and economic fabric of our communities. In 2011—that's a long time ago—7,450 key worker households in my electorate of Bennelong were in need of affordably priced housing. It is estimated that, by 2031, the Ryde LGA alone will need 10,700 affordable housing dwellings for key workers. As I've spoken about before in this place, as the Mayor of the City of Ryde I worked with the council to formulate a clear vision for affordable housing in Ryde. We produced extensive and detailed planning proposals and policies to deliver the much-needed changes to housing in our area. After three years of waiting for a response to our planning proposal, it was refused by the Liberal state government. They said it was ahead of its time yet they refused it. From my experience, I've learnt that it is absolutely essential for all levels of government to work together to take action to address the rental and affordable housing crisis we're currently living through. With a measured and consistent plan spanning across government, we can make the changes we need to move towards solutions to the affordable and rental housing crisis. That's why this government is so determined to invest in affordable housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund. This will bring a much-needed increase in housing supply. With an increase in housing supply, more rental properties will become available in the market, reducing the cost of housing. Without the ambitious reform of this government in housing, the market will continue to fail to provide affordable rental properties and affordable homes to buy. That's why we will work with state governments around the country, through the National Housing Accord, to continue to increase the supply of new housing into the market. State governments must look closely at their rental legislation as well, to ensure that renters are protected and supported. In a few weeks time, we'll have an election in New South Wales, and I note only one party of government is pledging a comprehensive policy agenda for renters. State legislative changes such as the appointing of a rental commissioner, banning secret rent bidding, allowing pets in rentals and introducing affordable bonds have been put up by the Labor Party New South Wales. They must be implemented to ensure that renters will be adequately protected. Local governments also have a crucial role in ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of affordable housing in our communities. They can all work together to create more affordable housing options, implement zoning laws that support the development of affordable housing and ensure that rental properties are up to standard and habitable for tenants. In our experience in Ryde, we did lodge that planning proposal, to try and force developers to provide affordable housing. But, as I mentioned earlier, unfortunately the Liberal state government knocked it back. What we were able to do was to negotiate, through the planning system, the delivery of affordable rental housing for key workers in our area. In Macquarie Park, we have not only retail workers but also workers in the tech industry, students and people who travel across Sydney to work. In Macquarie Park alone, through the affordable housing policy that we were able to establish, we were able to get over 30 units, in a matter of years, for a small local government area. If each and every local government area were able to do that, that would increase the available stock of housing supply. If the state government were able to do more, that would increase the stock of housing supply. And, of course, if the federal government were able to get the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023 through the Senate, we'd be able to do something for the first time in over a decade. I find it extraordinary that those opposite, the Liberals, come in here and complain about the cost-of-living crisis yet they're not supporting the solutions this government continues to put up. We put up solutions to bring down the cost of housing, and they say no. We bring up solutions to put downward pressure on the cost of energy, and they say no. Yet they still have the gall to come in here each and every day and complain about the cost of living. This huge investment through the Housing Australia Future Fund will ensure the delivery of 30,000 affordable rental homes across Australia, and we know, from talking throughout our communities, that it is absolutely essential that this piece of legislation makes its way through the Senate. Every housing provider that I'm aware of is supportive of this package. They're supportive that we have a federal government that is willing to help state and local governments to tackle the cost of housing and to do something about affordable rental. We know that communities are more vibrant, more diverse when there is an affordable housing mix. Particularly in seats like Bennelong, where we have huge economies in Macquarie Park that need workers who live close by, it is crucial that the federal, state and local governments work together to intervene in the market to ensure that a percentage of housing available is actually affordable, because, as I've said, the market is absolute failing right now. We are just not getting properties available for rent for under $400 a week. We've got extreme hyperinflation in the rental market at the moment. You just need to pop online and have a look at locals who are posting videos and posting photos of landlords and real estate agents sending them notices that their rent's going up by $80, $90 or $100 a week. No supply makes it incredibly difficult for those who wish to live in areas like Bennelong—particularly in inner-city areas, where you're close to transport, close to jobs, close to great schools—to stay in those areas, set up their family and have an affordable place to live near work. I really encourage all those in the Senate who are yet to consider the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill to get behind the government's plan to deliver this huge, much-needed and long-overdue intervention into the housing market. We are in desperate need of more supply of good-quality homes built that are affordable for those who need them most. Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay, Busselton Health Study 1438 19:08 Mrs MARINO HWP Forrest I want to talk about the Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay and the building of the Busselton Men's Shed, and how the promise of a $50,000 donation from the Rotary club was the spark that resulted in a million-dollar men's shed. In 2012, Trevor Fisher was a member of the board of BESS, the Busselton Elderly Support Service, now known as Community Home Care. He was also a member of the Busselton-Geographe Bay Rotary Club, which had begun the Sail into Life experience for people with disability, seniors and people who'd never previously enjoyed the thrill of sailing. He mentioned to Leanne Miller, the CEO of BESS, that the Rotary club would need a shed for its Sail into Life boats and equipment. Leanne and Trevor then mentioned the idea to David Johns, a registered builder, and a member of Rotary club. They agreed, 'Let's build a shed.' On behalf of the Rotary club, Rotarian Don Harrington applied to the City of Busselton for some land on Roe Terrace, on the edge of the Busselton light industrial area. Sadly, Don was diagnosed with cancer and died several months later. His widow, Rose, approached Trevor and David and gave them the papers she found in Don's files. David and Trevor then approached the city's mayor, Ian Stubbs, and CEO, Mike Archer, requesting the grant of 4,000 square metres of land to the Rotary Club to build the Men's Shed and Rotary shed. David drew up plans for the proposed building, but tragedy struck again, and David Johns was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died a few months later. In his place, Trevor Fisher and Alex Meares approached the city, who approved David's plans and agreed to clear the site and remove the vegetation and topsoil. The city's planning engineer, Paul Finucane, accepted a proposal to amalgamate the two existing vacant blocks and arranged for planning approval to be waived. The project was now up and running, with Trevor and Alex as the project managers responsible for organising the bulk of the work needed to get the project completed. It was delayed, as the main funding source, Lotterywest, wanted reasonable proof that a Men's Shed would be a viable activity in the Busselton area. A small shed was built on Bussell Highway near the CBD, leased and made into a Men's Shed, attracting over 100 members within just a few weeks of opening the doors. After 12 months of successful operations in this shed, Lotterywest were actually convinced that a full-scale Men's Shed would be viable, so they agreed to provide the funding of $386,000 to add to the Rotary Club's promised $50,000. Julie-Anne Howes and Emily Brown from BESS agreed to be the financial managers, making payment for materials and services provided to the construction project as they were completed. The Rotary shed was built first, and then the Men's Shed on Bussell Highway was able to move into half of the Rotary shed for 18 months as their new and much larger shed was being built. Thanks to Trevor asking contractors if they could undertake work on a costs-plus basis, the Busselton community then proceeded to donate materials and services either for free or at cost. APH Contractors donated and delivered 542 limestone blocks that formed the wall, within which clean sand was laid as the foundation. Matt Treasure laid the blocks without charge for his time. After 18 months of work, the shed was completed and ready to be used. The final cost had been budgeted to be $472,660, but a total of over $301,000 was donated. The City of Busselton provided a cash donation of $50,000, the Bendigo Bank Community Bank Busselton donated $1,000, and the Rotary Club donated over $40,000. So, including the land, the total value of today's Men's Shed is close to a million dollars. What a great result for the Rotary Club's initial offer of $50,000 and a fantastic effort by all of those men involved in the Men's Shed that were part of this project from day 1. We have a lot of Men's Sheds in my part of the world. I know that a lot of other members do as well. There's a lot of great work they do in the community as well as in their own work. Today, the Men's Shed in Busselton turns over between $65,000 and $75,000 in paid-for work for the local community, although the actual value is at least double that amount, thanks to donations of materials and services by Men's Shed members. The hourly cost of work is $80, but for groups like the Busselton Hospice and not-for-profits, people on low incomes and City of Busselton projects such as slabs and benches in the Japanese garden, they're provided free of charge. The current membership is 108, and their work entails administration, woodwork and metalwork, as well as reupholstering of items such as pool tables. All that investment, all that work, has produced a fantastic result. I want to also touch on a second project of the Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay. They took on a really ambitious project to provide lightweight swags called Shelterbags for local homeless people. The club imported Shelterbags from South Africa, where they were made by people with disabilities. Rotary Australia World Community Service partner with The Ark City of Refuge, who provide training, accommodation and support for homeless people in South Africa. The Ark have trained seamstresses to make the bags, which are affordable, lightweight, suited to the climate of Busselton and Dunsborough, and waterproof for some warmth, shelter and dignity for those sleeping rough. The cost of importing a container of 750 Shelterbags is estimated to be nearly $70,000, including the Shelterbags and the shipping. The Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay was prepared to donate up to $10,000 to kickstart the project, the rest to be sought from donors, but in the end the community response—like we've seen in Busselton on a regular basis—was actually overwhelming, and the club only needed to contribute just under $7,000. The community contributions towards the project included a $20,000 grant from the City of Busselton, $10,000 from the Dunsborough Lions Club, contributions from the rotary clubs of Kenwick and Wyalkatchem, and $5,000 from Shelter Brewing Co and Rio Tinto. Other contributors included St Mary's Anglican Church, the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association and the Geographe Bay Yacht Club, and private donations were made by Rose Harrington, Kevin Dodson, Noelene Hartley and Peta Saunders amongst many others. I was at a meeting where the Rotary Club were talking about the bags that they'd already distributed. They expected a particular demographic of people to seek these bags, but they were incredibly surprised at who actually needed them and who came forward to receive them. This is a fantastic project. In finishing, I want to briefly touch on the fabulous Busselton Health Study started in 1966, one of the longest research projects anywhere in the world. It is a global collaboration, it's cross-sectional and it's focused on a range of conditions and diseases and illnesses, from sleep, respiratory and cardiovascular to diabetes and genetic issues. They have an extraordinary and valuable database with data from 1966 with this same group of people in Busselton. It is a fabulous longitudinal study. They have research facilities in Busselton and Perth, and they collaborate with medical researchers both around Australia and globally. This is just an extraordinary, extraordinary resource for Busselton and the broader region. As I said, the amount of material that they actually have in this database—that biobase for medical research—is just extraordinary. The wealth of information that sits there could possibly be used for so many other purposes, with the illnesses and conditions we are seeing today but also with those ahead. I encourage every organisation that I come across in this field to get in touch with those at the Busselton Health Study to draw on that wonderful wealth of information that they've gathered. In closing, I want to thank the people of Busselton who have been part of this since 1966, with regular health checks and going in and making sure that their information is recorded for health purposes and for others to use. What an extraordinary effort and contribution not only from those who run the Busselton Health Study but also from the people who have made sure that the continuity has been there and who have fronted up over and over to have their checks and make sure that this data is recorded. I've supported them where I can, and I will keep doing so, because I think this is both a global and national resource that is yet to be tapped into. I'd like to see our health department tap into that here in Canberra as well. Albanese Government 1440 19:18 Ms LAWRENCE 299150 Hasluck The Albanese Labor government has come to power at a time of significant challenges: rising inflation and the associated interest rate increases plus long-term structural deficits in the budget. Demands on the budget continue, not least of those demands being the repayment of the $1 trillion of Liberal debt we inherited. These are significant challenges. They are the types of challenges likely to chip your political paint on your way through. But I tell you what, Deputy Speaker, as an Australian, I am very glad that it is us, the Albanese Labor government, who are tasked with navigating these challenges. A team of creative and collaborative ministers and MPs are engaged with the community and with industry, and are committed to innovative solutions for the challenges we face now and for those challenges coming from just over the horizon. The alternative—a repeat of the lost decade we've just been through—frankly fills me with some dread. The achievements of this government so far across all portfolios are substantial and impressive, and we're just getting started. We've seen innovation in child care, in housing, in aged care and on wages, helping families and people young and old. We have seen a government willing to make the hard decisions to make Australia a serious player again on the world stage in foreign affairs and trade, with climate change commitments a necessary precondition. The program I'd particularly like to focus on is the National Reconstruction Fund. When a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic completely disrupts the status quo of civilisation, it is imperative that political leaders learn the tough lessons thrust upon them. In particular, there were the supply chain disruptions combined with the dearth of domestic manufacturing capability. It is fitting that the minister with carriage of this is also the member for Chifley, for Prime Minister Chifley, too, was a nation builder. As the minister outlined in his second reading speech, the National Reconstruction Fund will be one of the largest investments in Australia's history. As the Prime Minister said earlier today, 'investment' is the key word. While individual investments through the fund will be at arm's length from government, which is not a terribly difficult concept to grasp, the legislation will nonetheless direct funding towards value-adding in seven priority areas: the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors; resources; enabling capabilities across engineering, data science and software development; transport; medical science; renewables and low emissions technologies; and defence capability. The fund dovetails well with the government's net zero ambitions and with our aim to become a renewable energy superpower. The National Reconstruction Fund has been met with general acclaim. For example, the Smart Energy Council said: The Smart Energy Council supports the Australian Government's establishment of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) to support, diversify and transform Australia's industry and economy to help create secure, well-paid jobs, secure future prosperity, and drive sustainable economic growth. The Australian Industry Group has said: We welcome the Government's commitment to the transformation and diversification of Australian industry through the NRF … The Government's commitment of $15 billion to the NRF is a sizeable down-payment. Recognising the scale of the challenge and opportunity, it elevates industrial transformation to the top of the economic policy agenda. The Business Council of Australia stated: We support the establishment of the National Reconstruction Fund. The establishment of the $15 billion fund will be an important step towards diversifying and transforming Australia's industries and economy. Many businesses within Hasluck and across Western Australia and, of course, wider Australia are interested in applying to access funds to innovate in their areas of expertise. I had very positive feedback from many of the attendees at my green energy round table last year— Mr Rick Wilson 198084 It's free money. Who would have thought that those chambers would put their hands out? Ms LAWRENCE 299150 Good gracious, really! The attendees at the green energy round table that I hosted last year and the industry players that are putting significant funds on the table need the confidence that the government actually has clarity around the targets and goals that have to be backed in to de-risk some of these ventures, which—it might be a little hard for you to comprehend—are new ventures. We can either be on the back step or be on the front step, get on the global stage and be the world economic global leader that we can be. Ms LAWRENCE 299150 Thank God we don't have another decade of your lot holding us back; it was enough and it's over. This $15 billion is a down payment. Suddenly, those on the opposite side are concerned about government supporting industry. They didn't have any concern with providing support for oil, gas and coal all these years. They had no problems supporting those sectors, but they're a little bit anxious about providing support to renewable energies that will create the jobs of the future. It's absolutely extraordinary! Do you have a problem with the Inflation Reduction Act as well? It's extraordinary that you'd want to leave us behind. Stay back in your dinosaur age. God forbid we should ever have you guys elected in this parliament again. It's disgraceful. But I'm happy to say: you are absolutely in the minority, as evidenced by the members of this parliament. You are absolutely in the minority. Western Australia sent you a very clear message. I suggest you take heed of it if you want to be relevant to the Australian population ever again. Back to my constituents, who actually matter: Midland Brick. I had a fabulous visit with them. Their parent company is BGC. They've been a staple in the WA manufacturing sector for over 75 years. They were absolutely thrilled that the government has finally got clear targets and clear guidance as to where the investment dollars need to flow. It's an absolute commitment from them. They are in one of the highest carbon-emitting industries, and they are prepared to set a target. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 290544 The member for O'Connor, you are cautioned. Ms LAWRENCE 299150 BGC is an example of a company in a high-emitting sector, with concrete and with bricks. They are not setting a target to reduce to net zero by 2050. Guess when they want to set it by? The year 2040. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. This is a company that operates in a high-emissions area. They are preparing to set it to 2040. They've embraced the necessity of innovation. They are planning to reach their climate goal through a variety of changes across their business. They are looking—brace yourself for it—to potentially even set up in Collie with green energy to manage their kilns. Can you imagine that? Will you support that? Will you actually get in behind that and the jobs that it will create, or are you going to be a naysayer to that prospect as well? Will you reject the future for jobs and reject the opportunity to actually reduce carbon emissions? It is unbelievable that you would turn down industries that are putting their money on the table to move this forward. It's an example of what can be achieved and it's a great example— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 290544 Member for O'Connor, stop interjecting, please. Ms LAWRENCE 299150 It's a great example of a company willing to look ahead and to plot a productive and a profitable path into the future. It reminds us just how important it is to get ahead of the curve in this area, whether you're a company or in government. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that with you—after 10 years of climate change denial and avoiding the necessary investments to address it. My word, how things have changed! Compare that with the actions of this government, in a period of higher inflation, to start to invest in the future of this economy in a way that actually assists people sitting around their kitchen table trying to make ends meet. In the budget in October, Treasurer Chalmers stated that the significantly higher receipts from higher than expected resource prices will be applied to paying down that Liberal debt. It's a prudent move. It's a great idea. From time to time it is necessary for a government to take on debt, and this is done, hopefully, for a good reason. If we cast our minds back to 2008 and the global financial crisis, the Labor government then knew that a significant government stimulus was a useful way to ensure that Australian businesses and the economy generally stayed well. Our actions at the time drew applause from across the world, and it was a useful and targeted fiscal action taken in a timely manner and in a way that had lasting effects. The present government inherited that trillion dollars of Liberal debt—an amount triple that which followed the GFC. Some of that was necessary, thanks to the pandemic, but, in the main, we have to ask ourselves just exactly how that money was disbursed. We're all now having to wear and bear the ongoing consequences as the cost of living changes. So, when faced with the National Reconstruction Fund being proposed by the government, we have to look at exactly who voted yes and who voted no. It's an investment in the future of this country. At a time when we faced the imperative of transforming our economy from the ground up in the face of climate change, where were those opposite? They were nowhere to be seen. Where was the Albanese Labor government? We were here, we were present, we said yes, and Australia, thankfully, will benefit from our leadership. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 290544 There being no further grievances, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:29