2025-08-27 3 1 0 House of Reps 0 1

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 09:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

 

STATEMENTS ON SIGNIFICANT MATTERS 1 STATEMENTS ON SIGNIFICANT MATTERS National Skills Week 1 09:01 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I rise today to mark National Skills Week, an important occasion to celebrate vocational education and training in our country and, with it, the incredible diversity of pathways that it offers to enable Australians to explore all options, as is this year's theme, and to support them to gain the qualifications they want as they skill or reskill to secure good, well-paid, long-term jobs and great careers, to set them up for the future and to help improve our productivity and grow our economy. As the skills and training minister, I have the great honour to meet VET students and apprentices every week, including at TAFEs, right around the country. The Albanese government is working hard to put TAFE at the centre of the VET system. At TAFE, what we see is this: students that represent as wide a snapshot of Australia as you will find anywhere and, in that diversity, some great connections and sharing of experience; staff that are the biggest advocates going for the opportunity that TAFE provides and who have industry experience and are brimming with excitement for the opportunities that their students will have with the qualifications that they will gain; and facilities that are getting better all the time to meet the aspirations of learners and the evolving needs of our industries. At TAFE campuses you see such a breadth of learning occurring side by side—community services next to IT, next to auto mechanics, next to agriculture. That's part of what makes our TAFEs so special. It's through free TAFE that I met Caitlin, a nursing student studying in Canberra. Caitlin's a Navy veteran, a single mum and, above all, a brilliant role model for fellow students and others who might be considering taking up a VET pathway. Caitlin's one of the 650,000 enrolments in free TAFE courses since the program started in 2023. By year's end, she will be joining the 170,000 course completions. Stories like Caitlin's underscore how life-changing free TAFE is for thousands of Australians, and Caitlin is one of the very best advocates for free TAFE. She loves talking about it. Her message to others is this: there's never been a better time to take the first step on a path to a new qualification and new career. Now is the moment. The response to free TAFE really has been remarkable. Australians are backing it in. That's why our government legislated to make free TAFE permanent, with 100,000 places every year from 2027. Sadly, we see some in this place continue to try to undermine free TAFE and to dismiss it. It's unfortunate. This National Skills Week I encourage everyone in this place to visit their local TAFE and chat with the students and hear firsthand about how free TAFE is changing lives. We know our job is not done. It's estimated that nine out of 10 new jobs in the next decade will require tertiary education, with around half of these requiring a vocational qualification. We need more Australians working in critical industries, like construction, nursing, aged care, manufacturing and early childhood education and care, helping us to turn around the skills challenges our country faces. We know Australians want to be part of this. They want to pursue a career in these industries. The Albanese government is backing Australians to do that. We're backing apprentices, too, supporting them to get into the industries they want to join and supporting them to see through their apprenticeship to the end. Our government continues to be focused on turning apprentice numbers around as we work to address the legacy of a decade where apprentice numbers continued to slip. Now there are 50,000 more apprentices in training than prior to the pandemic. Construction industry apprentice numbers are also up, around 28 per cent higher—a pathway to building the homes Australians need. Pleasingly, 32 per cent more women have now started trade apprenticeships. All of these numbers are heading in the right direction, and in the Albanese government we are determined to keep driving these improvements. That's why we're delivering a range of measures targeted at getting more apprentices into the industries we need. This includes the critical areas of housing construction and new energy, where apprentices can now benefit from our Key Apprenticeship Program. The new energy stream has already seen strong interest: more than 12,000 sign-ups, introducing more apprentices heading towards the great opportunities that exist in the clean energy industry. They are helping to drive our vital transition towards net zero, a matter of keen interest to members opposite. The housing construction steam started on 1 July this year, and the early data is showing some really promising signs. Over the month of July, 1,291 apprentices were approved under this scheme—450 carpenters and joiners, 370 electrical trades workers and 300 plumbers. These are, of course, all occupations absolutely essential to helping us build more homes for Australians. I think about someone like Calvin, who I met recently at Victoria University's Sunshine campus. He is absolutely loving his pre-apprenticeship course in building construction carpentry. Calvin likes to work with his hands, learns something new every week and is becoming more and more confident that carpentry is where he wants to spend his career. This Key Apprenticeship Program is another way in which we can support him and people like him to fulfil their ambitions and to make their contribution towards meeting our national goals. In addition to the Key Apprenticeship Program, the Albanese government has lifted the living-away-from-home allowance for the first time in more than 20 years. If there's another indication of the neglect to which the former government subjected our skills and training system, it is the fact that some of these key payments were unchanged. The living-away-from-home allowance was last updated in 2003. Let's think about what that means for would-be apprentices in regional communities—the barrier that is presented. Even more shockingly, the payment that is available for employers taking on apprentices with a disability, which we updated this year, was last reviewed in 1998. That is neglect. We've now more than doubled that payment so that more Australians with a disability have the opportunity to gain skills through the earn-and-learn model that is apprenticeship. Today I also want to highlight the landmark National Skills Agreement, a $30 billion investment with states and territories to strengthen and transform our VET system, ensuring access to high-quality, responsive and accessible education and training. After too long a period without a skills agreement, our government worked to deliver this five-year plan, providing certainty across the sector and embedding critical partnerships. The NSA represents a step change in terms of how we, the Commonwealth, work together with states and territories to deliver initiatives that will enable us to meet the skills needs of today and prepare for tomorrow. This includes establishing TAFE centres of excellence to bring together the best facilities and the best trainers and skillsets to grow Australia's expertise in things like modern housing-construction methods, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. The opportunity to learn new skills is one that anyone at any stage can, should and must be supported in. Our government recognises the vital role that foundation skills play in building Australians' literacy, numeracy and digital skills but also in building the confidence of Australians to enter or, indeed, to re-enter the workforce. We're living in a time of great technological change, so digital skills, including how to best harness AI, are becoming more and more important. As part of the National Skills Agreement, the Albanese government is delivering $77 million in funding to states and territories to deliver adult and community education. Through our Skills for Education and Employment Program, we're also seeing the expanded delivery of free English language, literacy and numeracy and digital skills training, destigmatising approaches, with a 'no wrong door' policy so that more Australians, in every part of the country, can access these skills for good jobs and good lives. One story, demonstrating just how important the building of foundation skills is, is the experience I had when I met Kalamkas, in Adelaide, just a couple of months ago. She's originally from Kazakhstan. In her own words, she says about the course that she took in adult and community education: The course gave me not only useful knowledge but also confidence. I can now write letters to government departments by myself. It's a big step forward for me. This is a powerful story but just one of thousands, which illustrates how transformative this learning and these skills can be. They build experience, boost confidence and strengthen connections to community, enabling good careers and good lives. Importantly, our government is also investing in SEE First Nations, focusing on whole-of-community training delivery for First Nations people, by First Nations community controlled organisations working alongside training partners. SEE First Nations is helping work towards Closing the Gap targets by removing barriers to accessing culturally safe education and training and creating deeper partnerships with First Nations organisations and communities. This week, I've outlined three key priorities that will be my focus for this term as the skills and training minister in the Albanese government: equally valuing VET, supporting lifelong learning, and strengthening the partnerships that we have already established. All of these are essential in continuing to build a skills system that's responsive to the needs of Australians and our economy, one that puts vocational education and training on an equal footing with university. Simply put, we need graduates from both sectors to meet the challenges of the coming years. We also need to better recognise that learning isn't only for the young. Free TAFE is showing us that Australians of all ages are interested in skilling, whether it's for personal growth or in pursuit of a new career. Our government is determined to foster this approach, both through formal training but also through informal training in the workplace and in the community. I also want to bring closer together the partnerships that our government has developed over the past three years, bringing the Commonwealth closer to our state and territory counterparts in our shared ambitions, bringing us closer to industry, to employers and to unions, to all of the stakeholders who can play a part in skilling Australia's people and in skilling Australia's future, to open the doors to opportunity and to enable every Australian to have every chance to explore all the options. The SPEAKER 53517 I invite the shadow minister to speak in response to the minister's statement. 09:12 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright I thank the minister for his contribution. It was an absolute pleasure to join him this morning at the National Skills Week breakfast. The room was at capacity and shows the depth of support that the sector has. There are so many similarities that government and opposition have in their appetite for developing our country through vocational skills and training. We will be the first to support government when it is doing well, but it is incumbent upon us as opposition to work constructively with government and highlight areas we believe need further reflection. Here is a small insight into my own family. Minister, in your contribution you mentioned a number of people you had run across in your portfolio brief. When I sit down at my kitchen table, Christine and I have five children. It's a blended family. Our eldest daughter has followed a tertiary education, completing her post graduate work., Last week, Elizabeth completed her capstone for female apprenticeship and works on the Gold Coast. It was a very proud moment for her and for us. We've got two trade qualified children and two qualified through the tertiary system. We have conversations, at our table, about what HECS debts look like. I think the government knows that from the opposition's perspective we are very supportive of the vocational and training sector. When we speak about building a stronger economy and a more resilient nation and creating real opportunities for Australians, it all comes back to one thing. It comes back to the Australian people and how we communicate with our kids. Our people are our greatest resource, and ensuring Australians have the right skills, the right training and the right opportunities is absolutely vital to our shared prosperity and national productivity. National Skills Week is not simply about celebrating vocational education and training. It's looking to identify future requirements, future needs, particularly in my state of Queensland, where the pipeline of construction as we enter into a sense of readiness for the Olympic Games is even more paramount. We need to be training the people today to build those future projects. It's about highlighting the real value of apprenticeships, traineeships and skills development and bringing them to individual businesses and communities right across the country, because, when we invest in skills, we invest in Australians. We create real jobs, careers and futures. Importantly, we give businesses, from small family operations through to major multinationals, the workforce they need to keep moving, innovating and competing in the global market. As shadow minister for skills and training I've had the privilege of travelling across this great country and hearing directly from businesses, industry groups and training providers. No matter where I go, the message is very similar. They're crying out for skilled workers. That's across every sector. It's the finance sector, the resources sector, the agricultural sector, the transport sector, the civil sector and the tourism sector. They are all looking for skilled workers. On a recent visit to Bundaberg with my colleague the member for Hinkler—wasn't that a good trip?—I saw firsthand the challenges that local businesses in regional Australia are facing. These are businesses that are the lifeblood of their communities. They're at the front line of the skills shortage and unable to find the apprentices and trained workers they need. It is in regional Australia where the skills crisis is most acute. But, most of all, it's hurting us. It's here that you can see so clearly the importance of getting the policy right, because, when businesses in Bundaberg, Western Sydney or outer Melbourne cannot put on an apprentice, the impact is not just economic; it becomes social. It means fewer people in the workforce, fewer opportunities for families and slower growth for Australians. This is why National Skills Week matters, and I'm proud to be associated with it. It reminds us that skills are not just abstract policy issues. They're about real people, real jobs and real futures. They're about giving young Australians trades that set them up for life. They're about reskilling workers who want to adapt and succeed. They're about ensuring that industries have the confidence to grow because they know the workforce is there to back them. However, the truth is that we're not where we'd like to be as a country. Australian businesses are struggling, Australian industries are falling behind and too many Australians are missing out on opportunities that should be there. That brings me to the reality of where we are today. The skills crisis didn't happen overnight, but it's worsened in recent years. More than one in three occupations, 36 per cent, are assessed as being in national shortage. Since the coalition left office, there have been100,000 fewer apprenticeships in training. That means fewer Australians on the pathway to skilled, secure employment and fewer businesses able to find the workers that they need. Now, the government has put forward fee-free TAFE as an answer. On the surface it sounds attractive, but the reality is that it's more complicated. Too often the courses are short, low level or not aligned with the skills our economy desperately needs in construction, energy and care. They are training for training's sake and not for jobs' sake. We all want integrity in training; we all want that. But taxpayers deserve to know that the billions of dollars being spent are delivering outcomes: real apprentices, real completions and real jobs. Unfortunately, we're seeing billions invested without tackling the apprenticeships crisis head-on. MEGT, the country's largest apprenticeship provider network, revealed earlier this month: As a share of the working age population, commencements are at their lowest point on record. That clearly tells us the current approach is not working. We're keen to work with the government to find solutions. Instead of targeting solutions to boost productivity and meet industry demand, too much focus is being placed on headline numbers and political spin. Instead of them supporting quality providers and cutting red tape, we will see uncertainty and dodgy operators undermine confidence in the system. Free TAFE has become a bandaid. I spoke with a guy at the table at that breakfast this morning, and he said, 'If you go back and have a look at the budget papers and the completion rates at TAFE, it's just over $60,000 of completion per student.' I'm happy to have the conversation offline with the minister about how we can get greater value for money. It's a costly, poorly targeted, bandaid approach, which is ultimately failing to solve the shortages that matter most to Australians. The National Centre for Vocational Education Research, the pre-eminent body that does the research, released data just yesterday that said there are 32,000 fewer students studying in government funded schools in 2024 than there were in 2023. Labor's $1.5 billion fee-free TAFE project has delivered a completion rate, to date, of just 26 per cent. While government talks about partnerships, too often the partnerships put the interests of unions ahead of those of small businesses, employees and apprentices, who are actually on the ground, making it happen. The result is a system that looks good in press releases but doesn't deliver the pipeline of skilled workers that we desperately need for our nation. Australians are paying the price of the ongoing skills shortage, with slower productivity and a higher cost of living, and industries struggle to keep up. That's why the coalition will continue to stand for real apprentices, real jobs and real training. Participation rates in Australian government funded training are down across the board since we were in office, but especially in the 15- to 24-year-old bracket. We will focus on those young people; we will focus on policies that deliver lasting results. We will focus on giving Australians the skills to succeed and giving businesses the confidence to grow, because, if we're serious about building the homes that Australia needs, powering the nation into the future and caring for our ageing population, then we must be serious about the skills. That means focusing not on slogans or spin but on the hard, practical work and on training a workforce that is fit for purpose. National Skills Week reminds us of what our task is. It reminds us to have an interest in people and it's about investing in Australia's future. It reminds us that the task before us is urgent—to ensure that there is no business held back for want of a skilled workforce and that no Australian misses out on chances to build a strong, secure career. 09:22 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I move: That further statements on National Skills Week be permitted in the Federation Chamber. Question agreed to. COMMITTEES 4 COMMITTEES Selection Committee 4 Report 4 09:22 The SPEAKER 53517 I present report No. 2 of the Selection Committee, relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday 1 September 2025. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today, and the committee's determinations will appear on tomorrow's Notice Paper. Copies of the report have been placed on the table. The report read as follows— Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members' business 1. The Committee met in private session on Tuesday, 26 August 2025. 2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified, private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper and notices lodged on Tuesday, 26 August 2025, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 1 September 2025, as follows: Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon) PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Notices 1 MR PIKE: To present a Bill for an Act to declare Australia Day, on 26 January, to be the national day, and for related purposes. (Australia Day Bill 2025) (Notice given 25 August 2025.) Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142. 2 DR SCAMPS: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, and for related purposes. (Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill 2025) (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142. Orders of the day 1 REPEAL NET ZERO BILL 2025 (Mr Joyce): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from 25 August 2025). Time allotted — 20 minutes. Speech time limits — All Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Notices — continued 3 MS BYRNES: To move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the final report of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Review; (2) notes the report found the Government's workplace changes are already delivering for Australian workers, and that: (a) coverage of collective bargaining 'has increased markedly'; (b) real wages and workers' economic circumstances are improving; and (c) the Secure Jobs Better Pay Act represents a significant development aimed at improving outcomes for working women, including a reduction in the gender pay gap; (3) further notes recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that showed: (a) a record number of Australians work; (b) since May 2022, employment had risen by 8.6 per cent, a higher rate of employment growth than all major advanced economies; (c) the gender pay gap is at the lowest ever level since records began; and (d) annual real wages have now grown for seven consecutive quarters under this Government; and (4) acknowledges the Government's commitment for Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn. (Notice given 25 August 2025.) Time allotted — 20 minutes. Speech time limits — Ms Byrnes —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue at a later hour. Orders of the day — continued 2 NDIS SERVICE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS: Resumption of debate (from 25 August 2025) on the motion of Mr Thompson—That this House: (1) notes: (a) National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers and participants will be significantly impacted and hold grave concern regarding changes to the transport allowance arrangements that have been announced in the recent annual price review, at very short notice without consultation by the Government; and (b) the feasibility for NDIS providers and participants to make the necessary adjustments to service delivery arrangements in such a short time period is not achievable and will be at the detriment of the participant; (2) condemns the Government for failing to consult with the NDIS sector and failing to understand the needs of participants and providers; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) defer these changes for at least three months to allow for consultation and planning around the changes to service delivery that may result from these changes; and (b) explain how it expects community-based service providers in particular to adapt to these new pricing arrangements. Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 12 noon. Speech time limits — All Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm) PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Notices 1 MS COFFEY: To move: That this House: (1) affirms the importance of Women's Health Week, held annually in the first week in September, as a national campaign led by Jean Hailes for Women's Health, promoting health awareness, education, and empowerment for women, girls, and gender-diverse people across Australia; (2) celebrates the 2025 theme, 'Say yes to you' which encourages women to prioritise their health, speak up, and access the care they need, values that align with the Government's commitment to equity, dignity, and universal healthcare; (3) acknowledges the systemic challenges women face in accessing timely, affordable, and appropriate healthcare, including underdiagnosed conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic pain, cardiovascular disease, and menopause-related symptoms; (4) commends the Government for its historic investment of $793 million to strengthen Medicare and improve women's health outcomes, including: (a) new Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listings for oral contraceptives and menopause hormone therapies; (b) expanded bulk billing and Medicare rebates for long-acting reversible contraceptives and menopause health assessments; (c) the establishment of 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, increasing the national total to 33 clinics; and (d) national trials enabling pharmacists to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections, improving access for over 250,000 concession cardholders; and (5) reaffirms this House's ongoing commitment to a fairer, stronger healthcare system that meets the needs of all Australians, especially women, through evidence-based policy, investment, and compassion. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — 30 minutes. Speech time limits — Ms Coffey —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. 2 MS SHARKIE: To move: That this House: (1) recognises that: (a) on 31 March 2025, 89,597 older Australians were waiting for a Home Care Package at their approved level, 70,223 without receiving lower-level Home Care Package services; (b) many older Australians are waiting up to a year to receive a Home Care Package at their approved level; and (c) although many people are approved to receive Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) services while waiting for Home Care at their approved level, those in regional and rural areas have great difficulty accessing CHSP services due to providers' lack of capacity and poor coverage of some Aged Care Planning Regions (ACPRs); (2) acknowledges that: (a) during 2023-24, 3,383 people passed away and 7,380 people entered residential aged care while waiting for a Home Care Package at their approved level; (b) the Government's deferral of an additional 80,000 Support at Home places from the commencement of the new Aged Care Act 2024 from 1 July 2025 to the revised start date of 1 November 2025 is having a profound, adverse impact on older Australians; and (c) CHSP providers are funded under grant agreements to deliver services in ACPRs, but it is a provider's business decision whether to deliver services to specific areas within the ACPR, meaning some would-be recipients miss out; and (3) calls on the Government to urgently: (a) address systemic issues in the CHSP which see people in many regional and rural areas unable to even get on a provider's waiting list for services; and (b) commence delivery of 80,000 additional packages promised in December 2024 so that older Australians are not left waiting up to a year or more for much-needed care. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — 15 minutes. Speech time limits — Ms Sharkie —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 3 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. 3 MR REPACHOLI: To move: That this House: (1) notes that September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and that prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australian men, with a profound impact on men, their partners, families and communities; (2) recognises the vital role of general practitioners, nurses, specialists and allied health workers in early detection, treatment, recovery and survivorship, and acknowledges the important work of community organisations including the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and local support groups; (3) acknowledges that men in regional and rural communities, First Nations men, and men with a family history of prostate cancer face higher risks and often greater barriers to timely screening, diagnosis and care; (4) encourages men, particularly those aged 50 to 69, and younger men with additional risk factors, to talk with their general practitioner about prostate-specific antigen testing and individual risk, and to act early on symptoms or concerns; (5) commends the work underway, including by the Government, to improve access to high quality diagnosis and treatment, with initiatives such as specialist nurses, mental health supports and better follow-up care; and (6) affirms that talking about men's health saves lives and that early action gives men the best chance to live long and well. (Notice given 25 August 2025.) Time allotted — 30 minutes. Speech time limits — Mr Repacholi —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. 4 MR THOMPSON: To move: That this House: (1) notes the: (a) abhorrent behaviour of protestors burning the Australian national flag at rallies throughout our country which is deplorable, disrespectful and goes against our values as a nation; (b) Australian flag is the flag members of our Australian Defence Forces wear on their shoulders and the flag that sits on the coffin of our fallen men and women; and (c) Flags Act 1953 fails to criminalise the destruction of the Australian national flag; (2) condemns the: (a) Government's failure to enact legislative power to punish those who burn the Australian national flag; and (b) Government for allowing protestors to carry and display declared terrorist flags throughout our community; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) criminalise the desecration and/or burning of the Australian national flag; and (b) punish those supporting declared terrorists' groups. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — 35 minutes. Speech time limits — Mr Thompson —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Orders of the day SECURE JOBS, BETTER PAY REVIEW: Resumption of debate on the motion of Ms Byrnes—That this house: (1) acknowledges the final report of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Review; (2) notes the report found the Government's workplace changes are already delivering for Australian workers, and that: (a) coverage of collective bargaining 'has increased markedly'; (b) real wages and workers' economic circumstances are improving; and (c) the Secure Jobs Better Pay Act represents a significant development aimed at improving outcomes for working women, including a reduction in the gender pay gap; (3) further notes recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that showed: (a) a record number of Australians work; (b) since May 2022, employment had risen by 8.6 per cent, a higher rate of employment growth than all major advanced economies; (c) the gender pay gap is at the lowest ever level since records began; and (d) annual real wages have now grown for seven consecutive quarters under this Government; and (4) acknowledges the Government's commitment for Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn. (Notice given 25 August 2025.) Time allotted — 20 minutes. Speech time limits — All Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Notices — continued 5 MR LEESER: To move: That this House: (1) recognises the 80th anniversary of B'nai B'rith in Australia, an organisation whose work has strengthened not only the Australian Jewish community but the entire Australian population; (2) commends B'nai B'rithh for its leadership in promoting education, interfaith understanding, cultural expression, and the fight against antisemitism; (3) notes its range of initiatives to support the community including the Courage to Care program, youth leadership development, and its charitable trust, which have left a lasting mark on the community; and (4) acknowledges the volunteers and members of B'nai B'rith past and present, whose 80 years of service reflect our nation's values of compassion, justice, and responsibility. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 1.30 pm. Speech time limits — Mr Leeser —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm) PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Notices — continued 6 DR WEBSTER: To move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) regional Australians are subject to ongoing and significant challenges with access to reliable telecommunications coverage, despite many years of government investment and the fast pace of technological advance; (b) regional connectivity is essential to modern life, for business and work, farm productivity, education, healthcare and social connection; (c) many areas of poor mobile phone coverage remain across our regions, and regional Australians face ongoing impediments to their internet and landline voice service access, quality and reliability; (d) the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC) provides three-yearly investigations into the state and needs of telecommunications in regional, rural and remote Australia, as mandated by Part 9B of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999; (e) the first legislated review with a focus on the regions was in 2000; (f) section 158Q(6) of the Act states that: 'if a report sets out one or more recommendations to the Commonwealth Government: (a) as soon as practicable after receiving the report, the Minister must cause to be prepared a statement setting out the Commonwealth Government's response to the recommendations; and (b) within 6 months after receiving the report, the Minister must cause copies of the statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament'; and (g) the Government is yet to meet the legislated requirements of the Act in respect of the 2024 RTIRC report which was tabled in December 2024; and (2) calls upon the Minister to respond to and table said response to the recommendations of the 2024 RTIRC report forthwith, in accordance with the requirements of the Act. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — 30 minutes. Speech time limits — Dr Webster —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Orders of the day — continued 1 MENTAL HEALTH: Resumption of debate (from 25 August 2025) on the motion of Ms Coffey—That this House notes that: (1) to meet growing need, the Government is putting mental health at the heart of Medicare and services at the centre of communities; (2) the Government is rolling out a national network of 91 Medicare Mental Health Centres, which offer free walk-in mental health support and care from clinical and non-clinical staff, without the need for an appointment, referral, or mental health treatment plan; and (3) the Government is delivering services, closer to home, across the whole of the lifespan by opening new Perinatal Mental Health Centres, Medicare Mental Health Kids Hubs, headspace centres, and Medicare Mental Health Centres. Time allotted — 20 minutes. Speech time limits — All Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. Notices — continued 7 MR L O'BRIEN: To move: That this House: (1) notes that Police Week commences on 13 September 2025 with the 16th Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance, and concludes on National Police Remembrance Day, which will be commemorated on 29 September 2025; (2) acknowledges the role and service of police officers in communities across Australia, their work in protecting people, communities and property, and the risk and sacrifice that is associated with their service; (3) honours the lives of those police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their duty, as well as those police officers who have suffered injuries in the course of their work; (4) conveys its respects and condolences to the families, loved ones and colleagues of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty; (5) commends the work of Police Legacy, which provides care and comfort to the loved ones of fallen police officers; and (6) reaffirms its support for police and thanks police officers for their courage and dedicated service to keeping Australian communities safe. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — 40 minutes. Speech time limits — Mr L O'Brien —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. 8 MS MASCARENHAS: To move: That this House: (1) commends the Government for its $500 million Battery Breakthrough Initiative that will give Australian businesses access to capital grants and production incentives through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA); (2) recognises: (a) that this latest piece of the Future Made in Australia represents a commitment to the growth of our national battery manufacturing industry which is essential to our future energy independence, affordability and our sovereign capabilities; (b) that batteries are essential to all aspects of modem life both in Australia and abroad, and that securing jobs in this growing sector is a race with global competition; and (c) the urgent need to progress Australian industry up the manufacturing value chain to lock in our place in the global energy economy and make the most of our comparative advantages in resources and renewables; (3) further commends: (a) the Government for its commitment to consultation in designing this scheme alongside ARENA, with stakeholders in industry for maximum impact; and (b) Australian industry and researchers for driving the move towards a clean energy future even before they had a partner in Canberra; and (4) calls on the Opposition to: (a) support the Government's commitment to local manufacturing and securing the Australian jobs of the future; and (b) cease its attempts to distract from and derail the global push to reduce emissions as it is out of step with the national interest and decreases certainty for businesses. (Notice given 25 August 2025.) Time allotted — 30 minutes. Speech time limits — Ms Mascarenhas —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. 9 MR GEORGANAS: To move: That this House: (1) notes that 24 August 2025 marks three and a half years since Russia's illegal, immoral and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine; (2) reaffirms Australia's continued support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity; (3) condemns Russia's: (a) attacks on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity since Ukraine gained independence in 1991; (b) backing of separatist militias in the Donbas; (c) illegal attempted annexation of Crimea; and (d) full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as its interference in Ukraine's domestic politics; (4) supports: (a) the Government's: (i) efforts since the full-scale invasion to provide military, humanitarian, energy, reconstruction and recovery assistance to Ukraine; and (ii) measures that impose costs on Russia for its violations of international law, including trade sanctions and targeted financial sanctions; and (b) Australia's continued calls on Russia to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law and end its illegal invasion of Ukraine; and (5) endorses the Government's commitment to continue to support a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. (Notice given 31 July 2025.) Time allotted — 30 minutes. Speech time limits — Mr Georganas —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. 10 MS SPENDER: To move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) one in four women and one in 14 men have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15 as of 2024; (b) 37 women were killed by a current or former intimate partner in 2024 according to the Status for Women Report Card; (c) the Report of the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches, Unlocking the Prevention Potential: accelerating action to end family, domestic and sexual violence provided the Government with 21 recommendations which have not yet all been responded to; and (d) the Government has made some meaningful commitments including a $4.7 billion investment into a range of preventative measures and support services; and (2) calls on the Government to: (a) urgently respond to all recommendations put forward by the Rapid Review; and (b) expand the eligibility requirements of the Family Violence Crisis Payment to allow for victim-survivors to receive the support they need. (Notice given 26 August 2025.) Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 7.30 pm. Speech time limits — Ms Spender —5 minutes. Other Members —5 minutes each. [Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 3 x 5 mins] The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day. THE HON D. M. DICK MP Speaker of the House of Representatives 27 August 2025 BILLS 11 BILLS Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 11

Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

First Reading 11 Second Reading 11 09:23 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I move: That this bill be now read a second time. A dynamic and uncertain geopolitical outlook requires that Australia update its electronic surveillance and law enforcement frameworks to meet new challenges. Our government's commitment to create a nation where everyone can be safe and feel safe must include cyber and telecommunications systems. The changes in the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 are technical, but provide essential clarifications to ensure that the agencies that keep our nation safe, can continue do so in an era of rapid technological development. Schedule 1 to the bill contains amendments to the Surveillance Devices Act 2004 and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. These changes will ensure that the Commonwealth is able to comply with its duty of disclosure owed to the courts in relation to network activity warrant information. The disclosure of network activity warrants information will remain rightly very limited and subject to strict safeguards; however, clarity is required so that the Commonwealth can provide information as necessary to ensure the defensible prosecution of serious criminal activity. Schedule 2 to the bill also amends the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to transfer the regulatory role of the Communications Access Coordinator from the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department to the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. This is in line with machinery-of-government changes related to both departments. Schedule 3 to the bill contains technical amendments to the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to ensure that the framework for testing and developing technologies and interception capabilities can operate in the manner that parliament intended. The amendments will enable the Attorney-General to authorise access to stored communications under developing and testing authorisations, in circumstances where the authorisation would have authorised the interception of the same communication if it were still passing over a telecommunications system. These amendments are necessary as technological advancements have resulted in a situation where stored communications may pass over the telecommunications system alongside and become indistinguishable from live communications. Agencies therefore need to be able to access both stored communications and live communications for development and testing purposes, to ensure that they can continue to keep pace with technological advancements. Strict controls will continue to apply to the collection, use and destruction of all information obtained under testing authorisations. In particular, agencies will only be permitted to use the information for testing and development and will not be able to use it for investigative purposes. Schedule 4 to the bill contains amendments to the international production order framework in the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to give effect to the original intent of that framework. The amendments will provide certainty that interception orders issued to Australian law enforcement and national security agencies may be used to obtain prospective content data from communications providers in a country with which Australia has a designated international agreement, regardless of the technical method by which that prospective data is sent to the agency. Schedule 5 to the bill contains amendments to the Crimes Act 1914to clarify and strengthen safeguards in the controlled operations provisions framework. Crimes committed or facilitated online are becoming more prevalent, organised and extreme. The anonymous nature of the internet means there may be a lack of information available to law enforcement to assess potential risks when deciding whether to authorise or vary a controlled operation. Currently, the legislation does not clearly express the extent to which an authorising officer is expected to foresee potential risks and not authorise or vary a controlled operation on the basis of these risks. The amendments will clarify that authorising officers must consider the direct and reasonably foreseeable consequences of controlled conduct when authorising or varying a controlled operation. The amendments also provide clearer legal protections for officers involved in undercover operations targeted at taking down sexual abuse syndicates. The framework will retain appropriate carve-outs for liability protections where officers engage in illegal behaviour not pursuant to an approved controlled operation, where their conduct would be likely to cause the death or serious injury of a person or where their conduct would involve the commission of a sexual offence against a person. In the 2023-24 financial year alone, reports of online child exploitation to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation increased by 45 per cent from the previous year. The amendments will better enable law enforcement to investigate and take down abhorrent criminal offenders who operate with sophisticated levels of anonymity online and target the most vulnerable in our community. The Australian government will always ensure that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the capabilities they need to keep us safe. This bill will ensure that our agencies can adapt to the rapid evolution of technology used to conduct criminal activity. In dealing with this legislation, I have been referring to some extraordinary work that is performed by people who work for our security agencies. I want to take this opportunity to honour the work that they do, acknowledge how horrifically complex and challenging some of what they face in the course of that work is and, from the parliament, send our deepest appreciation and respect to those workers. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Board of Management Functions) Bill 2025 12

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Board of Management Functions) Bill 2025

First Reading 12 Second Reading 13 09:32 Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 Fremantle I move: That this bill be now read a second time. First Nations people have been looking after country for tens of thousands of years. They have an enduring connection to the land, sea and sky. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for country and been a significant part of shaping the environment and supporting the remarkable, unique biodiversity we experience in Australia today. Their knowledge, connection to place and cultural practices have contributed to the positive environmental outcomes that benefit all Australians. Our jointly managed Commonwealth reserves—Kakadu National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Booderee National Park—are located on Aboriginal land. The traditional owners of that land are actively involved in the protection of the environment through participation in the management of their land—spaces which both sustain and share the experience of Australia's biodiversity and cultural landscapes. These reserves are managed by the Director of National Parks under a lease with Indigenous people and through a board of management with majority traditional owner representation. Each of the boards of management is currently chaired by a traditional owner. These boards are responsible for making decisions about the management of Commonwealth reserves. However, their ability to make decisions stops when a management plan expires. If that occurs, the role of traditional owners in the decision-making processes is removed, reducing that critical involvement in the management of their land. This bill will address and overcome this limitation through a minor technical amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The bill will allow the board to continue making decisions after a management plan expires, provided those decisions are consistent with the expired management plan, just as they would have been consistent with the management plan while it was afoot. This is a sensible change that will maintain the board's decision-making ability until a new management plan comes into effect. This bill is being introduced to parliament ahead of the broader reforms to the EPBC Act to ensure the critical functioning of the board and the voices of traditional owners in the management of their land is maintained while we're working to deliver the broader reforms that are required to ensure we have a fit-for-purpose national environmental protection framework. This is a step towards delivering the government's commitment for more traditional owner control over the management of country, and it is consistent with the recommendations of the independent review of the EPBC Act that were provided to but never acted upon by the coalition government. Debate adjourned. COMMITTEES 13 COMMITTEES National Anti-Corruption Commission Joint Committee 13 Appointment 13 09:35 The DEPUTY SPEAKER F2S The Speaker has received a message from the Senate informing the House that the Senate concurs with a resolution of the House relating to the variation of appointment of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water Committee, Parliamentary Library Joint Committee, Health, Aged Care and Disability 13 Membership 13 The DEPUTY SPEAKER F2S The Speaker has received advice from Ms Boele and Dr Scamps nominating to be members of certain committees. 09:35 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat by leave—I move: That: (1) Ms Boele be appointed a member of the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water and the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library; and (2) Dr Scamps be appointed a member of the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability. Question agreed to. BILLS 14 BILLS National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 14

National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025

Second Reading 14 09:37 Ms COMER 316551 Petrie Take Rose, a Redcliffe pensioner who wrote to my office. She fills six scripts a month for arthritis and other health issues. Because of the freeze, she won't see her costs creep up year after year. She can plan her budget, pay her bills and still afford the medicines that keep her healthy and independent. This is the kind of practical, compassionate reform that shows Labor's values in action: looking after those who built this country and making sure they can age with dignity, security and health. This is the difference a Labor government makes. We don't just talk about fairness; we deliver it. We don't just promise relief; we put it straight back into people's pockets. Whether it's cheaper medicines, stronger Medicare or better wages for workers, Labor is on your side. We're the party that built Medicare, we're the party that's protecting Medicare and we're the party that's making sure that it's stronger than ever for the next generation. This isn't just about dollars. It's about fairness, dignity and peace of mind. It's about standing by the principle that health care should never be an extra burden for those who can least afford it. That's why I'll continue working hard for Petrie and for all Australians, to keep health care accessible. 09:38 Mr LIM 300130 Tangney I rise to make my contribution on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. I can only speak highly of this bill and the real cost-of-living relief that cheaper medicines will provide. I naturally think of Tangney when I think about why this bill is important and who this bill will benefit. Cheaper medicines benefit so many people, but here is one of them. I first met this gentleman in Willagee when I was a candidate running in the 2022 election. When I knocked on his door, he told me about some of his health issues, including his diabetes and the affordability of medicines. Early this year, I was very happy to go back to him and see him doing well. We talked about how the Albanese government's commitment to strengthen Medicare has benefited him, including the actions we have already taken to make medicine cheaper. He continues to deal with his health conditions daily, and he told me how the changes we have made have helped him. He gave me a big hug, and he told me he was glad to see me. 'This government,' he said, 'has helped me a lot.' A few months ago, I told him about our election commitment to make medicine cheaper, and I'll be excited to go back to see him again in January, when the general patient co-payment drops to a maximum of $25. As of 31 July, people in Tangney have already saved more than $11 million with cheaper medications. Now, with this bill, they will save even more. This bill delivers on the Albanese government's 2025 election commitment. This bill reduces the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme—PBS—general patient co-payment by $6.60, from the $31.60 that it is currently to $25 from 1 January next year. The last time these PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was in 2004, more than 20 years ago. When I talk to my constituents about this, it is easy for us to reflect on what the world was like back in 2004, what we were doing and how we looked. My children were very young. My youngest was still in high school. But truthfully, when I first heard about this information, it touched me because 2004 was only two years before my oldest daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Even though my daughter's diagnosis was two decades ago now, I can still remember it like yesterday. At that time, my daughter was at uni, preparing for exams, and suddenly the oncologist called our family for a meeting. Then, before I could blink, my daughter was having aggressive treatment to fight the cancer. I had just joined the WA Police Force, so I was driving 100 kilometres a day for the police academy training and then rushing back at night to be with my daughter. That was the hardest year for me. The life-saving care was all thanks to Medicare and the PBS. During these difficult years, my family relied on the Medicare system and the PBS. Without our health system, my daughter's treatment would have been very unaffordable. The life-saving medication would have meant many more sacrifices. Although my daughter was unwell for many years, her story is a happy one: she made a full recovery. I really praise Medicare, and I will always advocate to protect and strengthen it. Just as Medicare and the PBS were there for my family during our times of need, cheaper medicines will benefit people in their times of need. My family didn't know when we were going to need it. We didn't know when our children would fall sick or we would fall sick. This is one of the reasons why this legislation is so important. The Albanese Labor government is ensuring that cheaper medicines are there when you need them. With this bill, all medicines that pharmacies can discount today can continue to be discounted once the co-payment is cut to $25. The legislation includes specific provisions to protect the ability of discounting. Cheaper medicines are another key cost-of-living measure delivered by our Labor government. This is another important step being taken to help with rising everyday costs for individuals and families across Australia. This government has taken measures to cut the costs of medicines. In 2023, the government made the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS. Now, our government is going even further and slashing the cost of medicines again. This is more than a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines. This will save Australians over $200 million each year. Four out of five PBS medicines will continue to become cheaper because of our government's $689 million investment. When I think about the impact of cheaper medicines, I think of the many Tangney constituents who will benefit. Over the years, I have had a few people stop me at the door and tell me to wait. They come back holding their medication and tell me about why they need this medication. They tell me that these medications are life saving for them. First, they would show me the front of the package. One time I saw a cost of more than $30,000 and I thought to myself, 'Wow, this prescription is so expensive', and then they proudly showed me the back and the cost that they actually paid, thanks to the PBS. I saw it wasn't a big number—like a skyrocketing number—but a two-digit number. This was thanks to the PBS. I had a long discussion with this constituent about their story, about why the PBS has been so meaningful to them and about the importance of affordable medicines. This was not the constituent's only medication, and making medicines even cheaper will make a difference. This person's story stays with me because it is through the PBS that he is able to manage his conditions. I had a great conversation with three friends and neighbours who I like to call the 'three amigos' because they always stay together. When I first met them, they invited me to a local brewery for a beer. I don't drink beer, but they offered me a beer. We had a great conversation. One of our topics was about Medicare. One of the constituents said to me in plain language, 'Without Medicare, I would be broke. There are a lot of things I can't pay for.' His words stay with me because we don't want people to have to choose between their care and other essentials. We are making a stronger Medicare, and cheaper medicines are a part of it. More recently, I have heard from some constituents who manage multiple chronic conditions and need multiple medications. Multiple co-payments add up, and so reducing the maximum co-payment will be especially helpful. When I was young, I didn't think about the need for multiple medications. But now, as I'm getting older and as my friends and family are also ageing, I see how many medications we all need every day. Sometimes it is overwhelming. When I talk to some of my older constituents, seniors like me, we speak to each other about the medications we need to take. A prescription isn't just a one-off. It is every day. Reducing the co-payment will make a difference for all these people—not a one-time difference but an ongoing difference. Cheaper medicines help to take pressure off family budgets. Lowering the cost of co-payments helps to reduce this burden. I think that anything we can do to help families with the cost of living is so important. When medicines are cheaper, more people are likely to get the treatment they need and when they need it. This is good for everyone—for individuals, families, our communities and also our health system. At the end of the day, everyone should have access to the medicines they need. Access shouldn't depend on your income. This legislation builds on action our government has already taken to deliver cost-of-living relief and to make medicines on the PBS more affordable. This action includes changes to the PBS safety net. In July 2022 we implemented a 25 per cent reduction in the number of prescriptions a concessional patient needed to fill before the PBS safety net kicked in. This means concession card holders can get more free and cheaper medicines sooner. In January 2023 the Albanese Labor government made the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general prescription falling from $42.50 to only $30. The Albanese Labor government began introducing 60-day prescriptions from September 2023, and doctors now have the option to provide a 60-day supply of medication, rather than just a 30-day supply, to patients with an ongoing condition. These changes have helped people save time and money, reducing the number of times they need to see their GP or attend a pharmacy. It again speaks to the tangible cost-of-living measures taken by our government. In January 2025 the Albanese government froze the cost of PBS medicines for all Australians, with co-payments not rising with inflation for the first time in 25 years. Pensioners and concession card holders had their co-payments frozen at $7.70 for five years. They will continue to benefit, and the cost of their PBS medicines will stay frozen at this level until 2030. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket and good for your health. Now, through this bill, the Albanese government is delivering cheaper medicines and a stronger Medicare. 09:52 Ms COFFEY 312323 Griffith I ask you to cast your mind back to 2004. Australia's Mary Donaldson married Frederik, the Crown Prince of Denmark. The game World of Warcraft was released on PC, Britney Spears sang 'Toxic' while Shannon Noll asked, 'What about me?' Facebook had just been founded, Shrek 2 was the biggest film, a Big Mac cost $4.05, you could get two litres of milk for well under $3, and prescriptions on the PBS were less than $25. Today, whenever I speak to people in Griffith, I hear how much time, effort and resources families are putting in to look after themselves and one another. During my campaign in Griffith I knocked on close to 15,000 doors. Since then, time and time again at my mobile offices across the electorate, Griffith locals have raised with me the rising cost of medicines as a key issue for them and their families. Whether it's getting their kids better from an illness or purchasing medicines to help manage a chronic disease, the rising cost of medicines is regularly raised as a significant cost-of-living burden. It saddens me to know that, for many in my community, filling a prescription is not always as simple as it should be. Sometimes it feels like just one more barrier to getting the care they need. That's why I'm proud to stand here today and speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This bill is about fairness, dignity and health equity. It's about making sure no-one in our country has to choose between their health and their household budget. This bill is practical relief for the household budget, and it is about better health outcomes for our community. Back in 2004, more than 20 years ago, when Australians were paying no more than $25 for their PBS medicines, families could go to the chemist knowing that the medicines they needed were within reach relative to the wage that they were earning. But, in the years since, the cost of prescriptions has steadily risen, and, for many people, it has become harder to keep up. It's worth pausing for a moment here to look at the coalition's track record when it comes to health. They froze Medicare rebates for six long years, pushing up GP costs and forcing more people into emergency departments. They knocked back proposals for cheaper medicines when they were in office, keeping prices higher for patients. They cut hospital funding and picked fights with the states instead of fixing the system. The difference between those opposite and the Albanese Labor government couldn't be any clearer. Labor strengthens Medicare and makes medicines cheaper. The Liberals weaken Medicare and let prices soar. Now, this government is turning that around, lowering the price so that Australians can once again afford the medicines they rely on to stay well. From 1 January next year, the general patient copayment of PBS medication will fall from $31.60 to $25, delivering on our election commitment. Deputy Speaker Scrymgour, I will leave it to you to decide whether you'd enjoy a reprise of Shannon Noll and his 2004 musical proclamation that 'it isn't fair', but what I can tell you is a reprise that delivers fairness and one that is welcomed by our community is lowering the cost of PBS medicines to 2004 prices. These are significant changes that people right across the country and in my electorate of Griffith will feel every time they fill their PBS scripts. I want to be very clear: our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, our PBS, saves lives. When I was a teenager growing up in Brisbane's Hawthorne in the 1990s, I went to school with a good friend Rhelma Donaldson, and I swam at the Morningside Flyers Swim Club with my friend Amy Franklin. Both of these friends were teenagers with cystic fibrosis. Both passed away within six months of one another. Rhelma was just 16 years old, and Amy had just turned 18. Back then we had no effective treatments for CF, an inherited, chronic and life-threatening disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. Today we have effective treatments available for this condition, but they are prohibitively expensive. One life-saving and transformational treatment, Trikafta, can cost families over $250,000 per year. Following its introduction to the PBS in 2022, from 1 July this year, our government has expanded this medication's listing to include CF patients two years and older who have at least one CFTR gene and who are responsive to treatment. This means more than 90 per cent of the 3,800 Australians living with CF now have access—and now, with these changes, this medication will cost families just $25 per script. More than likely, if we had had this medication available and affordable then, Rhelma and Amy would still be here today. I am thankful to say that my best friend, who also has cystic fibrosis, is most certainly here because of this medication and because of its inclusion in our PBS. Not too long ago I had the opportunity to discuss the latest price drop of PBS medications with Paris, a young local pharmacist who lives in Murarrie in my electorate. Paris knows how these changes are going to make a big difference. She told me: For many people in our community, even small reductions in the cost of medicine can make a huge difference. Families are already struggling with day-to-day living expenses, so knowing their essential prescriptions will cost no more than $25 provides real relief and peace of mind. Paris also shared a heartbreaking story. She told me about a patient who was cutting her antidepressant tablets in half just to make them last longer. This woman was juggling medicines for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health, and she just simply couldn't afford them all. But that, unfortunately, was not the only sad story I heard. A pharmacist in Coorparoo told me of a young mum who came to the counter, faced with a terrible choice: should she buy the medicine she needed for herself or put food on the table for her kids? No parent should ever have to face that decision, and these reforms mean they won't have to. No Australian should ever have to ration their treatment and make sacrifices to their health because of the rising cost of scripts, and that's why this bill matters. In 2023, we made the single biggest cut to the cost of PBS medicines in history. But we know there is more work to do, and that's why this bill responds to these needs by delivering a range of measures, including more than a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, saving Australians over $200 million every year. Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of this government's $689 million investment. Pensioners and concession card holders will keep paying no more than $7.70, with that cost frozen until 2030. Importantly, all medicines that pharmacies can discount today will continue to be discounted once the copayment is cut, with provisions included to protect that availability. This bill strengthens the Albanese government's strong commitment to affordable medicines and builds on actions already taken to deliver cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines. I want to take this opportunity to outline what our government has already delivered. We're providing more free or cheaper medicines sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a concessional patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in. We're delivering the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS. The maximum cost of a general script fell in January 2023 to $30 from $42.50. We introduced 60-day prescriptions in three phases from September 2023, saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition. We also froze the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments for all Australians not rising with inflation for first time in 25 years. So far in my electorate of Griffith, my community has saved nearly $11 million because of our cheaper medicine initiatives. Let me be clear. When we reduce the cost of common medicines such as cholesterol tablets, antibiotics, blood pressure medication and anti-depressants, we're delivering real relief where people actually need it. We're also delivering on women's health. For the first time in more than 30 years, oral contraceptives like Yaz and Yasmin are listed on the PBS. Women who used to pay nearly $400 a year now pay $126. From next year, that will fall even further to just $25 per script and to $7.70 for concession card holders. The difference between $80 and $7.70 for essential medicines is the difference between exclusion and access—between anxiety and peace of mind. Another Griffith local Gina shared with me her heartbreaking story of untreated infertility and endometriosis. Making more oral contraceptives available will be life changing for her, as she transitions through perimenopause. This is a view that was recently also shared with me when I met with the CEO of Pelvic Pain Australia, Renee Rankin. Renee and I discussed how expanding the range of affordable treatment options not only gives women more choice but reduces the burden of their symptoms on families, communities and the economy. This didn't happen by accident. It's a product of strong advocacy from pharmacists, the National Women's Health Advisory Council, clinicians and, most importantly, patients who raised their voices. As our Prime Minister said, the size of your bank balance shouldn't determine the quality of your health care. When I think about what these measures will mean, I think about the young mum in Coorparoo who was weighing up whether to provide food for her kids or fill her script. I also think about that young woman cutting her medication in half to make it last longer. I also think about all of the families with young children who have cystic fibrosis and what these changes will mean for them. This bill reassures all of them that they don't have to choose between their health and their hip pocket—that their health and wellbeing matters. This is what fairness in health care looks like. It is cheaper medicines, a stronger Medicare and real relief for families. That is why I am proud to commend this bill to the House. 10:03 Ms BYRNES 299145 Cunningham I am pleased to rise today to speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. People in my community, like so many around Australia, are struggling with the cost of living. Medicines and health care are the No. 1 issue for so many people and making sure our country doesn't go the way of others, where it is only those who can afford health care who receive it. I am truly proud to be part of a government that is doing everything it can to ensure that people in my community get access to cheaper medicines and more affordable and equitable health care. This bill is not our first to reduce the cost of medicines. Since our government was elected in 2022, we have been working hard to help local people save on their medicines. We promised we would, and we have delivered on that promise time and time again. In July 2022, we lowered the PBS safety net threshold by the equivalent of 12 fully priced scripts for concession card holders, saving them up to $81.60 per year. This also saved general patients up to $85 a year—the equivalent of two fully priced scripts. In January 2023, we delivered the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS. We reduced the maximum cost of a general script from $42.50 to $30—a massive saving, particularly for people who are taking multiple medications every day. This bill takes that one step further, but we'll get there in a minute. Another one of our great cost-saving measures that has been saving money for patients in the Cunningham community since September 2023 is 60-day dispensing, which helps local people with chronic ongoing health issues to get two months worth of medicines for the price of one. Not only does it save money but it also saves time, reducing trips to the pharmacy and, importantly, reducing trips to the GP. Everyone knows it's been getting harder and harder to see a GP. This measure saves you time and saves you money, and it frees up GPs to see even more patients who really need their care. I know what a difference it makes to the people of the Illawarra. But, wait, there's more. In January of this year, we froze the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation for the first time in 25 years. For concession card holders, the co-payment for PBS medicines has been frozen at $7.70 until 2030. It means a sigh of relief and certainty for so many people. In my electorate of Cunningham alone, local people have saved $10.7 million on more than 2.2 million cheaper scripts, all thanks to these policies making medicine cheaper for all Australians. That is just incredible. These policies are making a real and tangible difference in the lives of local people, saving them money and making their health care more accessible, because no-one should be worried about how they are going to afford their medicine. That's just a little, short wrap-up of what we have already done to reduce the cost of medicines. Now there is this bill, which takes that a step further, again. Under this bill, the general patient co-payment for medicines listed on the PBS will be reduced from $31.60 to $25 per script. Remember, when we came to office, that figure was $42.50. We reduced it to $30 in 2023; now, it will be $25. This delivers on our election commitment and our ongoing commitment to the Australian people to make medicines cheaper and support them to help with the cost of living. Medicines have not been this cheap since 2004—21 years ago. This is a more than 20 per cent reduction in the maximum cost of PBS medicines and will save Australians over $200 million every year. As I said, no-one should be choosing between medicine and food, electricity or rent. Health care absolutely must be accessible and affordable to everyone. Our government has taken so many steps to reduce the cost of health care. We've been working hard to add new medicines to the PBS to help people with a range of conditions. Since 1 August, Australians with Parkinson's disease, neuroblastoma, endometrial cancer, cystic fibrosis and melanoma have been able to access new and expanded medicines under the PBS. Without being listed on the PBS, these medicines can cost people living with these conditions hundreds of thousands of dollars. Families of children suffering from neuroblastoma have enough to be worried about. They should be able to afford medicine that can help prevent this awful cancer from returning. This life-saving medicine will soon cost $25 instead of $417,000, and that's just one example. Last year, we made medicines cheaper for over 100,000 Australians living with type 2 diabetes and with high risk of heart disease by expanding medicines available under the PBS. The expanded medicine listings mean that these treatments are available to patients earlier from their GP or specialist without having to wait for their blood sugar to increase to seven per cent. Since we were elected, we have added hundreds of new medicines to the PBS, which has made medicines more affordable and more accessible for all Australians, and we are always looking at ways to help reduce this burden further. Another area of health care that I am so proud that our government has prioritised is women's health. In February of this year, we added the first PBS listings for new oral contraceptive pills in more than 30 years and the first PBS listings for new menopausal hormone therapies in over 20 years. The tens of thousands of women who use these drugs will be able to save more than $250 a year, thanks to this change. This is part of a $573 million package that is delivering more choice, lower costs and better health care for women. I recently met with a really interesting local academic, Theresa Larkin from the University of Wollongong, who came to talk to me about hysterectomies. We all know what a tonsillectomy, appendectomy or lumpectomy is. We all know what they are: a surgical removal of the named body part. It's clear from the name what is being removed and the surgical procedure has a title based in logic and reason. That is until you reach the uterus. Then, all of a sudden, its medicinal removal becomes instead about the so-called hysteria of women, an historical condition only for women from the 5th century that we have since shown does not exist. So why is the removal of the uterus still tied to hysteria rather than following the template of every other surgical removal? What about a 'uterectomy'? It's one of the many lingering biases in women's health care. That bias extends further than the name and has impacted women's access to contraception and to treatment for menopause, perimenopause and conditions like endometriosis and led to a struggle for so many women to get the help that they need to deal with pelvic pain. Too often, their pain and suffering has been dismissed, diminished or ignored—that 'hysteria' bias creeping in again. Associate Professor Larkin has a keen interest in this field of study. Together with Associate Professor Laurencia Villalba, these two incredible women undertook a study which demonstrated a treatment for cardiovascular patients could also provide life-changing relief for women suffering pelvic pain. The study looked at 113 women aged between 17 and 88, some of whom had been suffering pelvic pain for 25 years. It showed that a minimally invasive procedure which blocked pelvic veins in a similar way to the treatment for blocked arteries provided significant and sustained pain relief for close to 100 per cent of the patients. That is absolutely incredible. It is one of the so many examples of the amazing research abilities of the University of Wollongong. The women who participated in the study gave an average pelvic pain score of seven out of 10, with 10 being the most pain possible. That is what women are experiencing. It is real, it is debilitating and it needs serious attention. After this treatment, most of the patients had full resolution of their pain—fully gone—with the rest having a score of less than three out of 10. Pelvic pain can be reduced or even cured. It is not in your head. Treatment can change lives. I really want to thank Associate Professor Larkin and Associate Professor Villalba for their truly remarkable and valuable work in this field. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible work of the former assistant minister for health and aged care, Ged Kearney, among several others. Minister Kearney has been a fierce advocate for women's health and she has worked incredibly hard to make some big improvements, like the $570 million women's health package I mentioned earlier. Not only has this added new oral contraceptive pills; it has also provided choice and access to a range of women's health care. As part of this package, we have provided better access and lowered the cost of long-term contraceptives, with larger Medicare payments and more bulk-billing for IUDs and birth control implants. This will save around 300,000 women a year up to $400 in out-of-pocket costs. We've provided better support for women experiencing menopause, with a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments, funding to train health professionals and the first ever clinical guidelines. It will see more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics open around the country. This package will transform menopause care. It will help women who are suffering get the help that they need sooner without having to constantly justify their pain to doctors who don't believe them. It will help women access the contraception that works for them and help those suffering UTIs to get treatment more quickly. Fundamentally, this is about saying to women that we are serious about improving access and fairness in our health system. Having a period isn't optional. Going through menopause and perimenopause isn't optional. Every woman should be believed when she says she is suffering from pelvic pain, and she should get the treatment and help quickly. Two out of three women reported healthcare related bias and discrimination as part of the first Australian #EndGenderBias survey. This is shocking and completely unacceptable. Bias against women in our health system means worse outcomes for women and, ultimately, a bigger burden on our healthcare system and economy. We are committed to addressing gender bias in our health system. It has gone straight back into household budgets, easing the pressure on local families, supporting pensioners and supporting those living with chronic health conditions. By capping PBS medicines at $25, we are helping Australians save a further $200 million every year. Only Labor can deliver cheaper medicines, only Labor will build a stronger Medicare and I am delighted to support this bill. I commend the bill to the House. 10:15 Mr REBELLO 316547 McPherson I rise to speak on this National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 because it's a bill about access to health care and the medicines that people need to go about their lives. During the recent campaign, I had an opportunity to doorknock and speak to a number of people across my electorate of McPherson, which is the southern Gold Coast. During that time, I had some quite difficult and challenging conversations with a number of individuals who found themselves, despite being on medications listed on the PBS, in situations where they had to choose whether or not they would purchase those medications. They had to do that for a very concerning reason: Australia's cost-of-living crisis. We've had a number of people unsure about whether they can actually afford access to medications and they've had to prioritise their electricity bills, groceries and other things to keep them going. It's no surprise that the coalition will support the government on this bill because it's one that will reduce the cost of medicines to Australians, including those in my electorate of McPherson. However, I might speak to what the bill is doing. We've had a situation where medicine in Australia—I've always believed that it's fundamentally about providing that equality of opportunity. In many instances, people are disadvantaged because of their circumstances, because of their genetics, because of matters that are no fault of their own. This is about bringing them up to scratch with everybody else and giving them that access to medication. The coalition took this policy to the last election as well. We are very proud of our strong track record on the PBS. When we were in government, we made around 2,900 new or amended listings to the PBS. That provided Australians with more affordable access and came to an overall investment of around $16.5 billion. So our commitment to making sure that Australians have access to the medicines they need remains rock solid. The coalition has, for a long time, held the view that all medicines on the PBS that have been recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee should be listed. That's in stark contrast to Labor, who stopped listing new medicines on the PBS the last time they were in government because they ran out of money. The point I make here is that we're only able to do these things and reduce the cost for people who need these medicines when we have strong economic management. As a country, if we don't consider how we're going to manage our economy, the long-term ability for not only this government but also future governments to provide for Australians, whether it be in health care or not, will seriously be jeopardised. And we've seen this in the past, in 2011, when the Gillard Labor government stopped listing new medicines on the PBS because, by their own admission, they'd run out of money. I understand as well that late last year almost 50 medicines were deferred from consideration for listing on the PBS, under the watch of this Albanese Labor government. What has that done? The consequences of that for people in my electorate and across Australia are that it has delayed their ability to access their medications, and sometimes the consequences of that are beyond comprehension. The reason that that occurred is because the relevant funding was not provided to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee through the PBS. So, whenever we talk about health care and about providing assistance to Australians by increasing their ability to access medications, first and foremost we need to talk about the economic capability of the government to do that. A previous speaker spoke about the Labor government's record on women's health. We have seen some concerning delays in the listing of new medicines on the PBS under this current government, and that includes in the space of women's health. I understand that, before the election, the government announced the listing of an important medicine for endometriosis, and I've spoken to so many women—in particular, some young women in my electorate—who are really struggling with endometriosis. The relevant medication, Ryeqo, was listed on the PBS by the government, and that's great news. It's great news for women who suffer from this chronic condition in Australia and in my electorate of McPherson as well. But that medication had been recommended for listing on the PBS for more than a year before the announcement was actually made, and that level of delay is problematic for the people who depend on this to ameliorate their quality of life. So, when those opposite speak about their credentials on women's health, I am somewhat concerned that we are also seeing these delays from this government that claims to be well-credentialled in that space. That's just not good enough, because we all know that Australian women must have affordable access to the medications and treatments that they need—especially now, as they face quite high healthcare costs. On the health technology assessment review, which was commissioned by the former coalition government, we haven't really seen any movement either. The release of the review was delayed, and it's one of so many different reviews—in fact, 70 reviews, highlighted in the department of health's incoming brief—that were conducted in Labor's first term. I think that people on the ground in my seat and around the country are somewhat over reviews. We need to see action now, and that's important if we are going to provide that equality of opportunity as to health care that I spoke about earlier. We, as the coalition opposition, support this bill, but we do so while highlighting the problems and the delays that this government has caused to listing medicines on the PBS—in particular for women, but also for everybody else. I go back to the point that it is absolutely critical that we, here in this place, understand that our ability to continue to act for the benefit of Australians, in listing more medicines on the PBS, rests upon our ability to manage our economy well and to make sure that we are spending in an appropriate fashion. In closing, I'll say that the commitment of the coalition in this space remains strong. I believe that, in a country such as Australia, we are blessed with incredible opportunities and we are very lucky in terms of not only our geography but also the country that we have created. Health care is something that we as members of parliament should always strive for at the highest standards. We in the coalition will always do that. We will continue in our strong track record in support of the PBS and, in doing so, support the men, women and children across Australia who rely on medications in order to go about their lives and live lives as Australians that are happy and able to contribute to Australia. 10:25 Ms BERRY 23497 Whitlam To begin with, I do need to address some of the comments made by the member for Macpherson. I challenge the idea that consistent performance on the part of the coalition has been there in relation to the defence of the PBS and the defence of public health. Only the Labor Party has consistently defended public health and consistently defended the PBS. In fact, we introduced the PBS. I think it's important that we recognise that the Australian public likewise understands and believes in the Australian Labor Party's commitment to public health. That's why we were backed in at the last election. I support the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 because it reinforces the Albanese government's record of making cheaper medicines even cheaper. It delivers on a commitment we made before the 2025 election. Specifically, this bill reduces the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25 from 1 January next year. The last time PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was more than two decades ago, in 2004, and a lot has happened in those 21 years. It's sobering to realise that 2004 was the year that a young Harvard university student Mark Zuckerberg first launched an idea he called 'the Facebook' from his dormitory. The launch of the iPhone was still three years away. 2004 was the year that the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was signed, Jetstar took its first flight, Ian Thorpe led Australia's record gold medal tally at the Athens Olympics and Tasmania's Mary Donaldson married Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark. Remarkably, it was also the year my colleague in the upper house, Senator Charlotte Walker, was born. Surely that can't be true, and it makes us all feel very old! By making cheaper medicines even cheaper, Labor is further easing the cost-of-living challenges facing so many Australians. This cut of more than 20 per cent to the maximum cost of PBS medicines will save Australians over $200 million each year. Importantly, it builds on other action we have taken over the past three years to deliver cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines. This includes the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script falling from $42.50 to $30, a change that has already saved patients over $770 million; a 25 per cent reduction in the scripts a concessional patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in, delivering 73 million additional free scripts and saving pensioners over half a billion dollars; 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians with ongoing health conditions; and freezing the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments, for the first time in 25 years, not rising with inflation. Overall, since winning government in 2022, Labor's cheaper medicines initiatives have saved people in Whitlam a substantial $12.6 million. It is important to point out that pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at the current level of $7.7 until 2030. Also, all medicines that pharmacies are able to discount today can continue to be discounted even when the co-payment is cut to $25. Like the battle to establish Medicare, which was introduced as Medibank by the Whitlam government in 1975 and was eroded and then dissolved entirely by the 1981 Fraser government before being reinstated as the Medicare we know today by the Hawke government in 1984, the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme involves Labor governments fighting for equitable access for ordinary Australians. Eighty-one years ago, towards the end of World War II, John Curtin's government introduced legislation for a pharmaceutical benefits scheme. The main driver was for all Australians—not just the few who could afford them—to have access to the growing number of wonderful antibiotic drugs. The proposed legislation provided that any Australian resident would be entitled to be given medicine at no charge if they presented to a pharmacist a prescription written by a registered medical practitioner on an official government form. The pharmacist would be reimbursed by the government. An expert committee would determine a list of approved medications to ensure quality and effectiveness. It sounds like an excellent idea, right? However, doctors strongly opposed the scheme, and so did Labor's conservative political opponents. The doctors feared the legislation was part of a broader government agenda to interfere with their work and curb their pricing power. Interestingly, the organisation that represented Australian doctors at the time was called the British Medical Association. The body did not become the Australian Medical Association until 1962. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Act 1944 was passed by parliament, and the list of approved medications was printed. But, in 1945, the Victorian branch of the British Medical Association challenged the legislation in the High Court of Australia. The doctors argued that the Commonwealth did not have the power to spend money on the provision of medicines, and the High Court agreed. This High Court decision prompted a referendum in 1946 to amend the Constitution to allow for Commonwealth provision of pharmaceutical benefits, among other things. The referendum was passed, making it one of only eight successful referendums of the 45 that have been put to Australians since Federation. John Curtin died at the Lodge while in office in July 1945, and Ben Chifley led Labor to re-election in 1946. So it was Chifley's government that, following the 1946 referendum, introduced an amended Pharmaceutical Benefits Act in 1947. But the British Medical Association continued its campaign against it. They did offer to allow a limited range of drugs to be prescribed under the PBS, but the government rejected that offer. Furthermore, the government decided to impose fines on doctors who didn't use official prescription forms. The doctors challenged this in the High Court, and they were successful once again. The British Medical Association estimated that, in 1949, five years after the Curtin government's first attempt to introduce a pharmaceutical benefits scheme, only 157 out of 7,000 practising Australian doctors ever cooperated with it. Australian doctors, unfortunately, had successfully torpedoed Labor's efforts to introduce a PBS. Labor lost the 1949 election, and the new Menzies government settled for a reduced, safety-net PBS, which recognised a limited number of life-saving and disease-preventing drugs. However, the development of an increasing number of new drugs introduced in the 1950s meant that this was clearly inadequate. In 1960, 16 years after Curtin introduced the concept, the PBS finally became a comprehensive scheme. It included a patient contribution, or co-payment, of five shillings, or 50c in today's decimal language. I believe that John Curtin, the original proponent of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, would be proud of the Albanese Labor government's achievements in ensuring Australians have equitable access to medicines. And this is only one element of this government's focus on the health of all Australians, particularly through strengthening Medicare. The achievements of the Albanese government's first term include tripling the bulk-billing incentive so that people who need to see their GP most often can—pensioners, concession card holders and families with children; restoring bulk-billing for 11 million Australians, creating an additional six million bulk-billed GP visits; opening 87 bulk-billed Medicare urgent care clinics, making it easier for Australians to get the urgent treatment they need free of charge while taking pressure off our hospitals; establishing a network of 61 free Medicare mental health centres; establishing 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics to help Australian women with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome get the care they need; and boosting hospital funding by $1.7 billion, delivering more money for public hospitals in every state and territory. Following these achievements in health during its first term, the re-elected Albanese government has committed to further benefitting the health of Australians by delivering an additional 18 million bulk-billed GP visits every year so that Australians can see a bulk-billing GP. This is the single largest investment in Medicare's history. We're opening 50 more Medicare urgent care clinics—including a clinic in Shellharbour, in my electorate of Whitlam—in addition to the 87 opened in our first term, meaning that four out of five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive from a Medicare urgent care clinic. We're growing the health workforce to deliver more doctors and nurses than ever before, with the largest GP training program in Australia's history and hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills and qualifications. We're investing more than $790 million in women's health, including making contraceptives cheaper and funding more treatments for menopause. We're opening an additional 11 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, bringing the total to 33, and extending their focus to also provide specialist support for menopause and perimenopause. We're investing in free mental health support for Australian parents through another eight perinatal mental health centres around the country. We're backing men's health, including investing $20.7 million for grassroots initiatives in community settings and taking pressure off hospitals with the launch of 1800MEDICARE, a free nationwide 24/7 health service line that provides after-hours advice and an after-hours GP telehealth service. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is a key component of the Commonwealth's investment in Australia's health system. The Albanese Labor government has shown its commitment to this system by investing $23.5 billion to strengthen Medicare since its 2022-23 budget. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill delivers on a commitment we made prior to the 2025 election. It builds on our earlier actions to deliver cheaper medicines and help ease cost-of-living challenges, and it contributes to further strengthening Medicare. That benefits all Australians. Making medicines cheaper is a tangible way we are helping with the cost of living. In my work with community organisations and in my electorate, I see the impact that health expenses can have on individuals and families. When I was the CEO of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre, in particular, I met many women, particularly older women, who were struggling with the cost of medicines. When speaking with people within my electorate of Whitlam, I know how much of a difference reducing the costs of medicines can make. Australians are understandably proud of the PBS, and we're prepared to defend it. It is a very practical way that Labor is delivering on reducing the cost of living, particularly for those who need it the most. Under these changes, four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of our government's $689 million investment. To recap, this bill builds on action we've already taken to deliver cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines, including more free and cheaper medicines sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a concessional patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in; the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script falling to $30 from $42.50; 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition; and freezing the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments for all Australians not rising with inflation for the first time in 25 years. Importantly, all medicines that pharmacies can discount today can continue to be discounted once the co-payment is cut to $25. The legislation includes specific provisions to protect the availability of discounting. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket of Australians and good for their health. Through this bill, the Albanese government is delivering cheaper medicines and a stronger Medicare, and I commend this bill to the House. 10:39 Mr ABDO 316915 Calwell I want to thank the member for Whitlam for her contribution, and I'm proud to stand alongside her in support of this bill, which does precisely what it says. It delivers cheaper medicines—a simple, principled objective to be delivered by the Albanese Labor government. It's a simple, effective proposition: Australians will no longer have to pay more than $25 for any medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Let's unpack that. For the first time in over two decades, essential medicines will be capped at $25 a script. Last time this was the case was in the early 2000s, back when we were all glued to our soapbox, watching Kath and Kim, and Anthony Albanese was busy campaigning for the return of his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs to the NRL. Times have changed, but the inherent value of affordable medicines has most certainly not. This is cost-of-living relief that matters to every Australian household—relief that shows once again that, when Labor are in government, we put the health and dignity of Australians first. I want to touch on the scale of our reforms. This bill, the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill, reduces the PBS general patient co-payment from $31.60—an already reduced cost, again thanks to the Albanese Labor government—down to $25 from 1 January next year. This is a cut of more than 20 per cent to the maximum cost of PBS medicines. It will save Australians over $200 million every single year. As of 31 July, people in my electorate of Calwell had saved over $8.9 million, thanks to our already legislated cheaper medicines policy. And there is still more to do. Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of this government's $689 million investment. This will have a direct and significant impact on the quality of life of millions of Australians who rely on medications to maintain their health. We should never underestimate the impact of providing cheaper, accessible medication to those in our community that need it. It's not just the individuals who rely on these medications that are beneficiaries; it is their families and communities who also benefit when those in need of medication can access it when they need it. When we look around the world and we see the sorts of challenges other countries face in meeting the medical needs of their people, we are acutely aware that Australia has built something special with its approach to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. But it didn't just happen; it had to be fought for. And it was successive generations of Labor governments that made it happen. The story of the PBS stretches right back to the wartime government of John Curtin. In 1944, Australians were beginning to see the extraordinary power of the new antibiotics, penicillins. Curtin believed these medicines should not be reserved for the wealthy few. He believed they should be available to everyone. It was his successor, Prime Minister Ben Chifley, and his health minister, Arthur Calwell—the man after whom my electorate is named—who took that vision forward. In 1944, Arthur Calwell brought legislation into this parliament to establish a national pharmaceutical benefits scheme, but it was met with fierce resistance. The conservatives of the day cried 'socialised medicine'. The medical profession challenged it in the High Court. The legislation was struck down, but Labor did not give up. In 1946, Australians were asked at a referendum whether the Commonwealth should have the power to legislate for pharmaceutical benefits and other social services. The answer was yes. Australians voted for fairness. They voted for universal healthcare. Even then the road was hard. There were more legal challenges and more delay, and it was not until 1960 that the PBS was finally rolled out in the form we know today. That is our history—hard fought, hard won and deeply cherished. From Curtin to Chifley and Arthur Calwell to Whitlam, Hawke and Keating, Labor governments have built and defended the PBS, and today the Albanese Labor government is proud to carry that legacy forward. In 2023, Labor delivered the biggest cut in PBS history, lowering the co-payment from $42.50 to $30. In 2025 we froze the co-payment, protecting Australians from inflation, for the first time in 25 years. For pensioners and concession card holders, the cost of PBS medicine is now frozen at $7.70, all the way through to 2030. This is real relief for families, pensioners and workers in my community of Calwell and right across Australia, and it delivers certainty, alongside the certainty that we will always fight to protect it. Our reforms have a real, tangible, local impact. What matters most is what this means for people in our communities. In my community, local pharmacist Rayan engages every day with people who live on low incomes, many juggling multiple health conditions. She told my office: For many in this community, it would be very difficult to afford their healthcare without subsidised medicines. Some are on five or more medications at once. Without the PBS, they wouldn't be able to afford their scripts. That means they wouldn't take their medicines. That means they would end up in hospital. That's the reality. When medicines are affordable, people simply stay healthy. They don't miss doses. They don't skip scripts. They don't turn up at emergency wards with preventable complications. This is dignity in practice. This is the PBS at work. And Rayan is right: making medicines cheaper doesn't just save families money; it saves our entire health system money, because prevention is always cheaper than responding to crisis. It is important to be clear: we are talking about the prescriptions people rely on every day for chronic illnesses and life-threatening conditions. Over 1.7 million scripts each year are written for asthma medicines. There are more than 860,000 scripts for Eliquis, which helps prevent strokes. There are those used by thousands for type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. There are over one million scripts written annually for the menopause drug Estradiol. This means real practical relief. And there are stories behind every one of these numbers. Take Taya Purves, who spoke to the ABC. She has cystic fibrosis, a condition that requires multiple prescription medicines to manage, including breakthrough drugs. She said she currently spends more than $240 a month just on scripts. From next year, she will pay only $25 for her life-changing medicine. She described it as a 'welcome relief'. In her words: It's so refreshing to hear about the cost of something you need to function dropping. That's what this bill is about: tangible, everyday relief; life-changing, life-extending relief. Our PBS is a cherished Australian institution. This bill matters because of the accessibility of medicines and the dollars saved but also because of what it says about us as a nation. It is no exaggeration to say that the PBS is a practical expression of the Australian value of egalitarianism. The health of our society can be measured by how we value the health of our people. A basic commitment that every Australian should have access to cheaper medicine that is vital to their wellbeing is a foundation stone of our national character. No matter your wealth, no matter where you live, you deserve access to medicine that keeps you healthy, keeps you working and keeps you with your family. This is who we are. This is what makes us proud. We have to defend our healthcare system from those opposite and from those abroad, and it is precisely because the PBS is so effective that it is under attack from outside our borders. We now face threats of tariffs on Australian pharmaceuticals, punishing our nation for running a fair and affordable medicine system. The Prime Minister said it plainly: 'The PBS is not for sale.' The health minister has been just as clear: 'We will not negotiate away cheaper medicines.' That's because the PBS is not just a line in a budget; it reflects who we are as Australians. It is an Australian solution built on Australian values, protecting Australian families, and we will defend it. Beyond the scheme's priorities and central purpose of the health of Australians, there are economic and productivity benefits. Cheaper medicines are not just good for the hip pocket; they are good for our economy. In 2024, the Productivity Commission released research showing that advances in new medicines were directly linked to measurable productivity growth in Australia's healthcare system. We've recently seen productivity grow by about three per cent per year in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, blood and metabolic disorders and kidney and urinary disease. These are areas that together account to one-third of all healthcare expenditure. The lesson is simple: when Australians get access to the medicines they need, they live healthier, longer and more productive lives. They can work. They can care for their families. They can participate fully in society. That is why cheaper medicines are not just a social good; they are an economic imperative. This bill is part of a bigger picture of Labor's broader health and cost-of-living agenda. The Albanese Labor government is committed to tackling the cost-of-living crisis head-on. We are making medicine cheaper. We are strengthening Medicare. We are investing in the health workforce through free TAFE and paid practical placements for nursing and midwifery students. We are freezing PBS prices for pensioners through to the end of this decade, and we are ensuring that the foundations of our healthcare system remain strong not just for today's Australians but for generations to come. The PBS is not perfect. It will continue to evolve as new medicines and new treatments emerge. But it is, without question, one of the most important pillars of our healthcare system. It is a cornerstone of fairness, a cornerstone of dignity and a cornerstone of what it means to live in a healthy, civil society. This bill reaffirms Labor's commitment to that cornerstone. We are cutting the cost of medicines to $25 a script. We are delivering over $200 million in annual savings. We are defending the PBS from external threats, and we are ensuring that every Australian, no matter their means, has the chance to live a healthy, productive life. This is Labor's vision for a fairer Australia. It is a vision where your health is not determined by your bank balance, where families in my community and in every suburb and town in this nation can afford the medicines they need and where future generations can look back and say: 'We did not let the PBS be weakened or sold off. We defended it, we strengthened it and we passed it on.' At its heart, the PBS is about the dignity of every Australian, and Labor will always defend that dignity. 10:52 Ms KARA COOK 316537 Bonner I rise to speak on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, a vital step in our government's mission to ease cost-of-living pressures and strengthen Medicare for all Australians. This bill is not just about legislation; it's about lives. It's about making sure no-one is left behind when it comes to accessing the medicines they need to stay well, live with dignity and look after the people they love. It's about real people and real families in Bonner and across this country who are being squeezed by the cost of living and are relying on us to make practical, compassionate decisions as a government Cheaper medicines are a cornerstone of Labor's commitment to strengthening Medicare, right alongside more bulk-billing, more doctors and nurses, more urgent care clinics and more support for the people doing it tough, because we know this: when medicines are affordable, Australians don't delay treatment. They take their medication as prescribed. They stay healthier, they stay out of hospital and they stay in the workforce. It's better for our health system, and it's better for our economy. I saw this firsthand while doorknocking in Lota during the election campaign. I met a mother of three who told me something I haven't forgotten. Her kids had all come down with illness that week. She did the right thing and took them to the doctor, but the clinic no longer bulk-billed. With the out-of-pocket costs from the GP visit and the price of the medications, she found herself facing a decision no parent should ever have to make: 'Do I fill the prescriptions, or do I buy food for the next week?' That's not an isolated story. That's the reality for too many Australians. It is simply not acceptable in a country as prosperous as ours. This bill is part of our response. Under this legislation, families like hers will save money every time they fill a script. The PBS general co-payment will drop from $31.60 to just $25. That's direct, immediate cost-of-living relief where it's needed most. This is the fifth wave of medicine affordability reform under this government, and it builds on real results. In July 2022, we cut the PBS safety net for concession card holders, delivering 73 million additional free scripts and saving pensioners more than half a billion dollars. In January 2023, we made the largest price cut in PBS history, slashing general script costs from $42.50 to $30, saving Australians $770 million. In September, we introduced 60-day prescriptions for hundreds of common medications, saving patients $250 million and eliminating 35 million unnecessary pharmacy trips. Earlier this year, we froze PBS prices for the first time in 25 years, protecting Australians from the rising cost of inflation. Together, these reforms have already saved Australians $1.5 billion. This bill will add to that, with more than $200 million in additional savings each year. In Bonner, the difference is already being felt. Locals have saved over $10.5 million across 1.6 million scripts—a clear sign that our policies are working. With this bill, we're going even further, rolling PBS prices back to 2004 levels. This will benefit more than 5.1 million Australians. I know it will mean the world to that mum in Lota and to thousands of other families across my community, from Mount Gravatt to Manly and from Wishart to Wynnum. For her, this isn't politics. It's peace of mind. The Albanese Labor government is also delivering for women and girls across Australia with bold, long-overdue reforms in women's health. Our $790 million women's health package is about bringing more choice, lower costs and delivering better care. We've listed new contraceptive pills on the PBS for the first time in over 30 years; boosted access to long-acting contraceptives, like IUDs and implants; introduced a new Medicare rebate, starting 1 July next year, for women experiencing menopause and perimenopause; listed three new menopausal hormone therapies after more than 20 years without any additions; invested $127 million in endometriosis and pelvic pain support, with 22 new clinics already operating right across our country; and launched national pharmacy trials to improve access to contraceptives and treatments for uncomplicated UTIs, backed in by $100 million in funding. These reforms are designed by listening and acting on what women have been asking for for decades. This week, I had the privilege of meeting with Renee, Kate and Jess, long-time women's health advocates from Queensland, representing the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia, QENDO and the Australian Coalition for Endometriosis. We discussed the findings of the endometriosis roundtable report and the ongoing barriers facing women with endo and pelvic pain, conditions that affect one in seven Australian women. They're fierce advocates, and I want to thank them publicly for their work. Their voices are shaping policy that truly matters. Their advocacy has helped bring new PBS listings like Slinda, a contraceptive pill now listed for the very first time in our country. Over 100,000 women are expected to benefit from the reduction in contraceptive costs each year—women who, otherwise, could be paying over $250 annually for their contraception. Closer to home, I want to mention a major local health commitment we made during the election campaign: the brand-new Medicare urgent care clinic in Carindale that Labor is delivering. The tender process is now open, and, when the clinic opens, it will offer bulk-billed, extended-hours care for people who need help urgently, but don't need to spend hours waiting in a hospital emergency department. For families in Bonner, this clinic will mean faster care, lower costs and less stress. Already more than 360,000 Queenslanders have visited a Medicare urgent care clinic. Every week, more than 5,600 Queenslanders are receiving care from one of the 16 clinics across the state, and I can't wait to open our very first Medicare urgent care clinic in Bonner. This is what strengthening Medicare looks like on the ground and in people's lives. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is one of our proudest national achievements. It's how we ensure every Australian can access the medicines they need without being priced out of care. The cheaper medicines bill strengthens the PBS, reducing the cost of medications to just $25, making our system fairer, more sustainable and better equipped to meet today's challenges, including the cost of living. But, above all, it makes life a little easier for millions of Australians—for the pensioner in Tingalpa, the single parent in Mount Gravatt East and the working family in Lota. It delivers for the people I represent, and I'm so proud to stand here as the federal member for Bonner and support it. This is how we strengthen Medicare, this is how we deliver real cost-of-living relief and this is how we build a fairer, healthier Australia, one reform at a time. I commend this bill to the House. 11:01 Mr MONCRIEFF 316540 Hughes Looking after each other is a key part of what it means to be Australian. It's why Australians are so proud of Medicare, it's why Australians are so proud of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and it's why I am so proud to support the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. Being able to afford medicines that keep us healthy and well is not something that only the wealthy should be able to afford. When I'm out in my community talking to the hardworking families of southern Sydney, the cost-of-living pressures associated with health care are raised with me all the time. That's why the Albanese Labor government is delivering this key cost-of-living measure. It will mean that a lot of parents won't have to skip filling their own scripts so that they can afford medicine for their kids. Many older Australians won't have to stretch out doses to make their prescription last longer. There will be fewer Australians with chronic conditions waiting weeks before filling a script because they simply cannot afford it. These are choices that no Australian should have to be making in a modern economy like ours, and under this measure they won't have to. We have one of the best health systems in the world, but it will only remain strong if we take the required steps to protect it. Strengthening our healthcare system is exactly what the Albanese Labor government was elected to do. This bill cuts the maximum cost of a PBS script for general patients from $31.60 to $25. Those are real savings on the pharmacy bill every month for five million Australians. The last time a script cost $25 was in 2004. If you'd handed me $25 in 2004 I would have taken it straight to the Bosco primary tuckshop and bought 25 Paddle Pops—not all of them chocolate; maybe even a banana one. No-one today would believe that Paddle Pops cost only a dollar each. It was, indeed, a dark day in Australian history when Paddle Pops went up to $1.10. Paddle Pops aren't the only things that have gone up in price over the last two decades. Medicines have risen significantly too. Before the election, I doorknocked a lot of houses in Wattle Grove and told them what the Albanese Labor government had done to make medicines cheaper and its plans to make those cheaper medicines even cheaper. Now we are delivering on those plans and building on what this government achieved in the last term. This government delivered the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script falling to $30 from $42.50. It also provided more free and cheaper medicines sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a concessional patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in. This government introduced 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians with ongoing health conditions and in January 2025 this government froze the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation for all Australians for the first time in 25 years. Our cheaper medicines policy has already saved Australians $1.5 billion. In my electorate of Hughes, the savings from cheaper medicines have reached nearly $7.4 million as of July 2025. That's money back in the pockets of residents like those in Wattle Grove and money they're not seeing added to the weekly bill just to fill prescriptions. Now we're going further. We're reducing the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25 from 1 January next year, delivering on the Albanese government's election commitment. That's a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of our government's $689 million investment. Pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at its current level of $7.70 until 2030. This bill means hundreds of dollars saved each year for households with multiple prescriptions. That is money that goes back to food, bills, school shoes and electricity. That is money making a meaningful difference. In making medicines cheaper in a tangible way, we're helping with cost of living, but it's not just good for the wallets of residents in my community; it's good for their health too. Someone with asthma who needs a preventer, a person managing high blood pressure or a family with diabetes—their scripts are not optional; they are essential. By cutting the costs, we help them stick to their treatment, stay healthier and avoid bigger health problems down the track. The cost of untreated illness is far greater. It shows up in emergency wards, in longer hospital stays, in lost work and in families under stress. The work that pharmacies do is much more than just as a retailer for medicines. Pharmacists like Ahmad, who runs the local pharmacy in Macquarie Fields, do so much work behind the scenes to keep our community healthy, connected and functioning. I went to see firsthand the work that Ahmad is doing in my community with the member for Dobell, the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health. It was so apparent how much our cheaper medicines policies are helping our pharmacists keep our community healthy. When medicines are cheaper, people fill their scripts on time. They take appropriate doses as they are prescribed. The medicines work as they are designed to. They reduce rates of serious illness. That keeps pressure off our GPs and off our hospitals. On this side of the House, we believe in strengthening our health system. This bill cuts the price of medicines and increases their availability to vulnerable Australians. It eases the squeeze on households and reflects the Australian value that your income should not be the primary determinant of the health treatment that you receive. This government is one that cares about all Australians—about their health and about their financial wellbeing—and that is reflected in this bill. I thank the House. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 265979 I thank the member for Hughes. I will remind him that, when I was at primary school, Paddle Pops were sixpence! 11:07 Ms URQUHART 231199 Braddon I rise to speak on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. As we know, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is a pillar of Australian health care. It's life-changing and life-saving for Australians. Each of us benefits from this universal and inclusive scheme. It was the Curtin Labor government that first produced the Pharmaceutical Benefits Act in 1944 to provide free medicines to all Australians. It was the Chifley Labor government that implemented the first PBS, in 1948, providing free medicines for pensioners and a select list of life-saving drugs for the general public. Since then, it has been Labor governments that have built the PBS as a critical part of accessible healthcare for all Australians. We know the task of implementing big nation-building reforms always falls to Labor. It's Labor that is focused on improving social and economic outcomes for workers, families and vulnerable Australians. We're the party of reform, prioritising equity, inclusion and affordability. With this legislation, the Albanese Labor government will make cheaper medicines even cheaper, with a script to cost Australians no more than $25 under the PBS. This bill implements the government's 2025 election commitments to reduce the PBS general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25. The last time that PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was, as we have heard many times, in 2004. Labor's health policies are very important to Tasmanians. Tasmania still ranks poorly compared with other Australian states and territories on many health issues. Tasmania has the nation's highest prevalence rates for most chronic conditions, including arthritis, back problems, cancer, osteoporosis, and heart, stroke and vascular disease. Tasmanians deserve better. They deserve better health policies and access to health services. It's crucial that the newly-elected state government take every opportunity to focus on improving health outcomes for our communities. The federal government is focused on that task and playing its part. In 2025-26, the Australian government will deliver $750 million in funding to Tasmanian state-run public hospitals. That's an additional $93 million, or a 14 per cent increase in federal funding. A further $120 million in federal funding will go towards the Northern Heart Centre at the Launceston General Hospital. We've also funded additional aged-care beds, birthing services and hospice care, and, for every Tasmanian, we are strengthening Medicare and expanding bulk-billing. This is so important because bulk-billing rates in Tasmania have been lower than in the rest of Australia. But we are turning that around; we are seeing that percentage increase. We are also putting in place programs that deliver more doctors, more nurses and more endorsed midwives into our health system. Of course we have delivered, in Tasmania, five very successful Medicare urgent care clinics, and there are more to come. In Devonport, in my electorate of Braddon, the Medicare urgent care centre has delivered over 25,000 bulk-billed consultations, and over 100,000 bulk-billed Medicare urgent care clinic consultations have been delivered right across the state. That is astounding. Tenders have now opened for three new Tasmanian Medicare urgent care clinics, including one in Burnie, which is also in my electorate, and I really look forward to that tender being awarded and that urgent care clinic becoming operational to provide that service at the other end of the coast from where that Devonport one is. Now, having already slashed the cost of medicines during our first term of government, we are going even further. We've already delivered more free and cheaper medicines sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts that a patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in; the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a script falling to $30 from $42.50; 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition—and that has been a real game changer for many people in my community; a freeze on the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation, for all Australians for the first time in 25 years, and a five-year freeze on the cost of PBS medicines for pensioners and other Commonwealth concession card holders, so that, if you have a concession card, the most you will pay is $7.70. Making medicines cheaper is not just good for your health; it's a tangible way that we are helping with the cost of living, and this will help many thousands of people that I represent in my home state of Tasmania. The federal government's cheaper medicines policies have already delivered over $40 million in savings for Tasmanians and over $8 million to the residents of my electorate of Braddon. With the bill before us today, these savings will grow. Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper from 1 July 2026, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. That is a real, tangible help to the budgets of all Australians. This bill makes it clear: Labor will always stand up for the PBS and for affordable, accessible, universal Australian health care. 11:14 Ms TRISH COOK 312871 Bullwinkel I rise to speak on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. On 22 July, I walked into Parliament House for the official opening of the 48th Parliament. It was a very proud moment to be the 10th nurse and the fourth midwife in parliament and the very first federal member for Bullwinkel. It's a seat named after nurse Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel, World War II hero and the sole survivor of the terrible 1942 Bangka Island massacre. A few days later, I experienced yet another proud moment, voting yes to make medicines cheaper. From 1 January next year, no Australian will pay more than $25 for a prescription on the PBS. Think about that for a moment. The last time medicines were this affordable was more than 20 years ago, in 2004. That is not just numbers on the page; it's a real, tangible cost-of-living measure that will make a difference in people's lives. We already delivered the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS in 2023 and now we are going even further. For the average household, this is a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, saving Australians more than $200 million a year. I know from my own life just how important this is. I became a nurse when I was just 18 years old, following in my mother's footsteps. Being a nurse, you very quickly learn that access to affordable medicine can mean the difference between someone getting better and somebody ending up in hospital. I've seen what happens when people skip doses because the cost is too high. Remember that, for many people requiring medicines, especially for chronic diseases, they are often on more than one medication at the same time—many medications in some cases. That's why cheaper medicines aren't just good for the hip pocket; they're good for health. When I'm out doorknocking and speaking with people in my community in the Bullwinkel electorate, this is one of the issues that comes up again and again. People have told me that they are grateful when medicines become affordable and that this will make a big difference to their bottom line. For pensioners and concession card holders we also know that money can be tight, and that's why we have frozen the cost of PBS medicines at $7.70 until the year 2030—no rises, no surprises, just certainty. This builds on action we have already taken to ease pressure. In July 2022, we reduced by 25 per cent the number of scripts a concessional patient needs before the PBS safety net kicks in. In January 2023, we cut down the maximum cost of a general script from $42.50 to $30, the biggest cut in PBS history. In September last year, we rolled out 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for people with ongoing health conditions. From January 2025, for the first time in 25 years, PBS co-payments won't rise with inflation. Importantly, all medicines that pharmacies can discount today will still be able to be discounted when the new $25 co-payment comes into effect. This was a clear and consistent commitment from our government when we said we would make medicines cheaper and health more accessible and affordable, and that's exactly what we are doing. The Prime Minister, Mr Albanese, said it best: 'The size of your bank balance shouldn't determine the quality of your health care.' That's what this is all about—making sure every Australian, no matter who they are or what they earn, can afford medicines that they need. I am proud to stand here as the Bullwinkel representative but also someone who's worked in health care since they were a teenager. I know the difference that this will make to people's lives. The Albanese government is delivering real cost-of-living relief, not just words, and, as I've indicated, commitment and action. With this legislation, we are making medicines cheaper than they have been for two decades. We are building a fairer, healthy Australia together. This is also in addition to our Medicare urgent care clinics. In the Albanese government's first term, one of their commitments was to build 50 Medicare urgent care clinics where people can just walk in without a referral or a credit card and get quality, accessible health care. We said we would deliver 50 in that first term, and we overdelivered by providing 87 clinics across Australia. Two of those clinics service the people of Bullwinkel. There's one in Gosnells and one in North Midland, both on the border of the electorate. Thanks to the Labor government, one of the new commitments, when we build another 50 around the country, will be in the Bullwinkel electorate—my commitment to a Medicare urgent care clinic in Kalamunda. We are working consistently to provide better, more accessible and more affordable health care for people. 11:20 Mrs ELLIOT DZW Richmond I, too, rise to speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. The bill amends the National Health Act 1953 to cut the maximum cost of PBS medicines by 20 per cent from $31.60 to $25. It was a Labor government that created the PBS so that every Australian could afford the medicine that they needed. Now, the Albanese Labor government is continuing that legacy, strengthening and protecting the PBS for future generations. Without the PBS, many medicines would cost hundreds, even thousands, per prescription, which would make access to vital medications difficult, if not impossible, for so many Australians. We know that, for so many people, the cost of medicines is a major contributor to cost-of-living pressures, but delaying or foregoing medication due to cost can lead to worsening health conditions, more complex treatment and higher long-term healthcare costs. This bill is the latest in a series of cost-of-living measures delivered by our government to make medicines even more affordable. It fulfils our 2025 election commitment to reduce the PBS general patient co-payment. From 1 January 2026, all Australians with a Medicare card will pay no more than $25 for PBS medicines. This change will benefit around 5.1 million Australians, delivering immediate relief at the pharmacy counter. Our government's committed to cheaper medicines, a stronger Medicare, more bulk-billing, more doctors and nurses, and more urgent care clinics. In 2022, we reduced the PBS safety net threshold, cutting the number of scripts concessional patients need before qualifying for free or discounted medicines by 25 per cent. This reform has saved patients over $535 million, with 73 million additional free scripts issued. In 2023, we made the largest cut to medicine costs in PBS history, reducing the general patient co-payment from $42.50 to $30, a 30 per cent reduction that saved patients over $755 million. We also introduced 60-day prescriptions for chronic conditions, which allowed patients to receive double the medication per script, saving time and money and easing the pressure on doctors and pharmacists. This reform saved Australians more than $245 million. Earlier this year, we froze the cost of PBS medicines for pension and concession card holders so that medicine prices would stay at a maximum $7.70. For my electorate, and the older Australians there, this has made a huge difference in terms of addressing their health needs. For non-concession-card-holders, the cost was frozen at a maximum price of $31.60 until the end of 2025. Already, this reform has led to an estimated $11 million in savings for concessional patients and $15 million for non-concessional patients. Together, these reforms have saved Australians $1.5 billion in medicine costs—a huge amount. In my electorate, patients have saved more than $9.7 million. Now, we're going even further. Cheaper medicines mean immediate cost-of-living relief for everybody. They're good for your health, good for household budgets and good for our health system overall. The measures in this bill are expected to save Australians over $200 million each year. From 1 January 2026, PBS medicines will become even cheaper. The last time that PBS medicines cost just $25 was more than 20 years ago. Of course, the PBS is a cornerstone of Medicare, ensuring timely and affordable access to high-quality, cost-effective medicines. When people get the medicines they need when they need them, we see much better health outcomes and reduced pressures on our hospitals and other health services. Affordable medicines are so important, too, for supporting school attendance, workforce participation, family care responsibilities and boosting productivity. They're a win-win for everyone. There are over 900 medicines listed on the PBS, including more than 5,000 different brands. Without the PBS, Australians would be paying the full retail cost to access the medicines they need, and this cost would then be determined by drug makers and pharmacies. From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, over 226 million subsidised prescriptions were dispensed under the PBS. The average cost per patient for prescriptions would be more than $85 without this important government subsidy. Indeed, one of the world's most expensive drugs, Zolgensma, treats spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disorder that involves loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and causes progressive muscle weakness. Prior to PBS listing, this drug could be purchased for $3 million; it can now be accessed for the standard co-payment amount. Another drug, encorafenib, used to treat melanomas and other cancers, has a retail price of $7,035.45 without the government subsidy. It's a huge difference. Another drug, nivolumab, is an immunotherapy treatment for various forms of cancer. Without the government subsidy, it would cost more than $9,560. It is astounding the difference it will make. Another drug, Doxorubicin hydrochloride, a common and highly effective chemotherapy drug, would have a price of $750.37 without the subsidy. Another one, infliximab, is a commonly accessed drug that treats autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis. Without the government subsidy, this would cost between $578.68 and $760.24, depending upon the mode of injection. So, without the PBS, access to many life-saving and life-changing drugs would simply not be possible for the vast majority of Australians. The PBS is such a significant component of the government's investment in our healthcare system. We're committed to ensuring that new medicines can be added and listed on the PBS so that Australians can continue to benefit from access to the highest-quality medicines and so that the pharmaceutical market stays sustainable and competitive. We're also committed to continued investment in other essential healthcare services, including bulk-billing. Access to health care and cheaper medicines is vitally important to every single Australian, and this bill builds on the work of the Albanese Labor government and what we are already doing to improve access to health care in my community on the far north coast of New South Wales. Prior to the recent election, I made a commitment that, if the Albanese Labor government were re-elected, we'd deliver a Medicare urgent care clinic in the Tweed region where all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. At the new urgent care clinic, locals will be able to access free urgent care when they need fully bulk-billed treatments without waiting for hours in a busy hospital emergency department. This urgent care clinic will make a huge difference to the people of the far north coast. Recent data has shown us that over 22 per cent of presentations to urgent care clinics in New South Wales have occurred outside normal business hours. That's when people do require that treatment. Over one in four visits take place on the weekend and one in four visits involve treating a young person under the age of 15. This is a very clear indication that the Medicare urgent care clinics are vitally and crucially filling a gap in providing services outside of standard hours and over the weekend. These clinics are giving families in New South Wales—and, indeed, right across the country—timely access to bulk-billed health care and to peace of mind, knowing that help is always there and available. And, of course, it will take pressure off our hospitals as well. We're also delivering access to a free walk-in mental health care clinic for locals with the Medicare mental health centre in Tweed. This is, again, another election commitment of this government that I'm proud to be a part of that I'm proud to be delivering on. The Medicare mental health centre will be open for extended hours, with no appointment or referral needed. Just walk in—no appointment, no referral—to get the mental health care that you need. You can walk in and get that from this centre. I know other centres around the country are providing vital support for people. That mental health centre will be staffed by qualified mental health professionals, including social workers, nurses and peer support workers. The centre will provide immediate relief for people in distress, as well as ongoing care for those with more complex mental health needs. Earlier this year, we expanded access to mental health support for young people in my region by opening a new headspace in Ballina. Headspaces are incredibly important for young people to feel comfortable about accessing the health care they need. We have one in Tweed, and I know they do a remarkable job of providing support. That one in Ballina was indeed very much needed, and I was very proud to open that earlier this year. We're also making MRI scans more affordable and delivering health services to support those experiencing homelessness on the north coast. Another very important measure that we the Albanese Labor government took was to reclassify the town of Murwillumbah from 'metropolitan' to 'regional' for healthcare services. We reversed the Liberals and Nationals' absurd decision to classify Murwillumbah as a city. I don't know if you've been to Murwillumbah, but it's not a city; it's a regional town. That, of course, had a huge impact upon their capacity to bulk-bill; it was less. Their capacity to attract doctors was unheard of. They couldn't do that because they were classified as a city. I really want to congratulate everyone, particularly in Murwillumbah. This is a community victory. They made their voices heard. We heard them. Labor listen and Labor act, and we changed that classification. It's making a real difference for locals. There are GPs, like the ones at Wollumbin Medical Centre in Murwillumbah, that are now universally bulk-billing patients. I know that many other practices have started a lot more bulk-billing as well, particularly of pensioners and concession card holders who just could not get to the doctor because of the way the Liberals and Nationals had classified Murwillumbah. They can now, and that's great. I hear from many of the GP practices as well that they've had a lot of interest from doctors who want to move there now that they can access more incentives. Recently, I was really pleased to visit the Wollumbin Medical Centre to celebrate this good news about them universally bulk-billing everyone. They've told me they can do that now because the Albanese Labor government reclassified Murwillumbah as regional and also because of our increases to bulk-billing incentives that come in from 1 November 2025. It is a perfect example of a government listening and acting, and how our really strong policies in terms of accessing health care are making a difference to regional Australians who quite often have had difficulty accessing health care. But we're making sure that, across the country, people have more services when they need them. As I say, our government is committed to strengthening Medicare by making PBS medicines even cheaper, increasing bulk-billing incentives, opening up Medicare urgent care clinics—like the one we'll have in Tweed Heads—and growing our health workforce to deliver more doctors and nurses, which we very much need on the ground. We're also investing in women's and men's health initiatives. We're opening more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. We're investing in a lot more free mental health support. We're also establishing 1800MEDICARE, a free 24/7 health advice line that people can access. Of course, if we look at all of those actions by our government, the Albanese Labor government, the contrast with the Liberals' and Nationals' record on Medicare and the PBS is crystal clear. They cut $50 billion from our hospitals, which, quite frankly, was catastrophic in terms of the capacity to deliver health services. It had a huge impact. Disgracefully, they froze the Medicare rebate—and they made it more expensive to see a doctor by freezing that rebate. They planned to increase the cost of PBS medicines as well. They voted against making PBS medicines cheaper. They've described our urgent care clinics as 'wasteful spending'. This is absolutely absurd. Our initiatives are game changers. People know that Labor is committed to delivering and strengthening Medicare. They know that when it comes to the Liberals and Nationals—when the former opposition leader was health minister, there were all the cuts he made, and he said that not everything can be free. The impact that his cuts had right across the board is absurd. They were very severe across the country but more so, again, in our regional and rural areas, where there often are impediments to getting health care. People in my region suffered for many years—the nine years the Liberals and Nationals were in government—from the consistent cuts, at every turn, to health care. It is a big job, and our government has been working extremely hard. I want to acknowledge the incredible work of our health minister in his commitment to strengthening Medicare, and we are seeing the result on the ground now. We know there's a lot to do, but with all those changes we have made a massive difference to people across the country and particularly in my region. Locals in my community on the far north coast know you can only count on Labor to strengthen Medicare and improve the PBS. I commend the bill to the House. 11:35 Mr KHALIL 101351 Wills I also rise in support of Labor's National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, which will freeze the price of PBS medicines at just $25. It's a remarkable thing, because it's so important. Why is this so important for the community? Apart from the fact that there are so many cost-of-living pressures that people are facing, this type of support, through medicines, is critical to people's lives and their health care. It's fundamental. We on this side are proud to be the party and the government that stand by working Australians. Under the Labor government, no-one will have to choose between putting food on the table and paying for the medicine that they need to stay healthy. It's fundamental. The bill delivers on our election commitment to make cheaper medicines even cheaper by reducing the price of PBS medicines from $31.60 to just $25. That's a whopping 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. To put this in perspective, the last time PBS medicines were this price was over 20 years ago. That's 2004. Back in 2004—I don't know where you were, Deputy Speaker Young—I remember I had a full head of hair, and I was rocking out to Pearl Jam. I think that was the band of the time. Member for Lyons, do you remember where you were in 2004? Ms White 224102 You don't want to know! Mr KHALIL 101351 I don't want to know! The member for Wannon was probably wandering around, listening to rock music or something like that. It was a long time ago, 2004. I can tell you times have changed a lot. We don't want to, necessarily, roll back the clock. I don't think the member for Lyons, the member for Wannon or I want to roll back the clock; we enjoyed the experiences we had in the last 20 years. But guess what we do want to roll back the clock on? PBS medicines. That's what we want to roll the clock back on. We could be in a time machine here in this parliament. We could go back in time to the cost of PBS medicines back in 2004. Isn't that amazing? Jules Verne would be very proud of us here at the Australian parliament. So we're setting the price of PBS medicines to a figure of $25. We remember, but some people might not have even been born in 2004. In all seriousness, since we formed government, Labor have provided Australians with the largest cut to PBS medicine prices in the history of the PBS. Thanks to our $689 million investment into the PBS, we have brought down the cost of medicines from $42.50 in January 2023 to just $25 by the beginning of next year. That's remarkable. Making cheaper medicines even cheaper is our way of providing real solutions—real outcomes—to easing the cost-of-living pressures felt by all Australians. Unlike those who sit across from us, we are delivering on our promise to bring down the cost of medicines. It doesn't matter whether you live in metropolitan cities or the most rural areas of our vast country; you too will be able to afford the medicines you need most when you need them. I've been doorknocking around my electorate of Wills a fair bit, even after the election as well, just saying g'day to constituents. I've heard firsthand how cost-of-living pressures are affecting my constituents. On the doors, I met with a woman, a mum of four, by the name of Lucinda. Lucinda described to me how her son had recently been diagnosed with epilepsy and that she had had to decrease her hours at work to care for her son. She made the choice to look after her child, which meant less work. Now that the joint income of her family has decreased, the family is feeling the pressure of the cost of living even more. Luckily for Lucinda's family, her son's epilepsy medication is one that is listed on the PBS, meaning that they will have to pay only $25 from the beginning of next year, down from $42.50. The time machine is working. To put it into perspective, the same medication in the US without health insurance would be—I don't know if anyone wants hazard a guess here? Ms Kara Cook 316537 A hundred! Mr KHALIL 101351 I heard a hundred. It's actually $968. If ever we needed proof about the brilliance and importance of the PBS as something that's critical to our healthcare system in Australia, there it is. Thanks to the Albanese Labor government's massive investment into the PBS, families like Lucinda's will have certainty around the cost of medication moving forward. I also met on another occasion a retiree by the name of Alex. In Alex's older years, he's developed high blood pressure. High blood pressure actually affects about 42 per cent of Australians over the age of 75. If Alex was living in the US and his blood pressure went up, and it would go up because of the politics there, his high blood pressure medication would cost—I'm going to try asking again. Does anyone know how much this would cost him in the US? Ms Byrnes 299145 One thousand! Mr KHALIL 101351 It's $631. You were close, and that's without health insurance. In Australia, this medication on the PBS will only cost Alex $25. You know where this is going. For pensioners like Alex, it costs even less. Guess what. It's not actually $25 for Alex. We got it wrong! Alex, because he is a pensioner, he will have his medication frozen at only $7.70 until 2030. That's much better than $631, isn't it? Lucky for Alex, he doesn't need to afford health insurance to pay for his medicines, because in this country, in Australia, Medicare is for all. It is for all Australians. This is why the Australian people are so passionately committed to Medicare. It is something that is iconic. Those on the opposition benches just love criticising the PM when he pulls out his Medicare card and so on. But guess what. The Australian people know the importance of that card. When they see that card, they understand what it means for them, their families and their health care. This is why it's so important and we're so committed to it. We will continue to make sure affordable medicines are available for those who need them most. This is why the Labor Party is the party for all Australians. There is real, tangible relief for every Australian who is deciding what scripts they can refill this week. This relief comes through these reductions. We will continue to ensure that no-one has to decide between their health or putting food on the table. Frankly, that should not be a choice that Lucinda, Alex or any Australian should have to make. While the opposition talk a lot, on this side of the House, we, the government, deliver. This is what this second term is about: delivering on our election commitments to the Australian people on the things that matter to them and will give them a better life. This is one of those commitments that we are meeting. We are making medicines more affordable for every Australian. We haven't just cut the cost of PBS scripts to $25; that's just one great thing. This amendment is just another piece in the bigger part of our commitment to delivering cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines. As a government, we have already provided a 25 per cent cut to the number of scripts a concession patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in. We've already established 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians, and, for the first time in 25 years, we've frozen the cost of PBS medicines, ensuring co-payments will not rise with inflation. Thanks to the Albanese Labor government, the cheaper medicines policy in my own electorate of Wills—and I'm sure this is probably replicated in the electorate of Lyons and all of the other electorates represented in the chamber—has already saved over $9 million for the people in my community. That's what Labor does. That's what we do. That's what we're here for. It's to deliver on our promises to make sure health care is a right for all and not just a privilege for some. We're always going to fight for a fairer, healthier Australia. This bill is a practical, compassionate and economically responsible bill. I commend it to the House. 11:44 Ms AMBIHAIPAHAR 315618 Barton I rise today to speak in strong support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This is not just a piece of legislation. It is, absolutely, a lifeline for millions of Australians. It goes to the heart of what we stand for as a Labor government: fairness, dignity and health equity. When I stood up in parliament for the first time, I used some of my speech to reflect on the history of the seat of Barton and its namesake. Barton is home to working families juggling bills, pensioners who've contributed a lifetime to this country, and migrants and multicultural communities who often face higher health burdens. One thing I hear from them constantly is that the cost of medicines matters to them. During my time at St Vincent de Paul Society New South Wales I was looking after a broad area of New South Wales, with an amazing team of staff and volunteers, running Vinnies support centres and vans and also talking directly with my community. Many people make impossible choices, between paying for medication or paying their electricity bill, between putting food on the table and buying asthma medication for children. I think of a young mother from Hurstville who skips her own medication so she can afford antibiotics when her child gets sick or the pensioner from Beverly Hills who told me she would space out her medication, by taking it every second day instead of daily, just to manage her expenses. We cannot ignore the pressures Australian households are under. The cost of living is front and centre in every conversation around the kitchen table, and healthcare costs—in particular, the cost of medicines—are one of the sharpest pain points for my community in Barton. No Australian should have to gamble with their health because of the cost of medicine. This bill is about ending those impossible choices and restoring dignity to Australians. We have changed for the better as a nation and the St George area is a proud reflection of the vibrant and multicultural society we call home. But there are some things that have remained the same, and we should be very proud of them too. Labor's commitment to affordable, equitable health care is one of these things. Medicare is truly Australian. The little green card represents the right that everyone has to see a doctor and access medicine when we need it. Health care should never be about your bank account balance, your postcode, your gender or your ethnicity. You have a right to it because you're Australian, and that right is something our Labor government will always fight to protect. In the last term, the Albanese Labor government took up that fight after years of coalition neglect. We introduced brand new policies that have saved Barton residents a total of $10,957,676. I'm going to say that again—$10,957,676. Those savings were delivered in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, too. The government was able to balance the budget, deliver real relief and begin rebuilding affordable health care. They did this through introducing new and innovative policies. One example in Barton is the Carlton Urgent Care Clinic. For those watching online, don't forget that the urgent care clinic is at 354 Railway Parade, Carlton. It's open seven days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm, and all you need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. Another example is 60-day prescriptions, and another is slashing co-payments. Let me tell you—doorknocking on those policies couldn't have been easier. Locals knew about them, were benefitting from them and were keen to talk about them. Remember the young mother and the pensioner? They're real people. I met one of them on their doorstep and the other one while I was working at St Vincent de Paul. This change will flow through the rest of their lives, not only benefitting their health but freeing up their budgets. Others had taken their kids to the UCC after a bad fall at soccer, or their local pharmacist had given them a 60-day script for blood pressure tablets or diabetes tablets. Another thing I'm proud of is the advances we've made in treating endometriosis. We added new PBS listings for endometriosis and related reproductive health needs. Again, this slashes the everyday cost for women living with such a common but overlooked illness. We also expanded Medicare supports so that consultations are cheaper and established the first endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. These clinics create a dedicated space for women to receive a diagnosis, talk to a trusted health professional and receive local support. I would love to see such a clinic in south-west Sydney, should this project expand. Regardless, all of these changes are real and are already helping women across Barton. When I met them during the campaign, these families trusted that Labor would continue to prioritise their health—and that is exactly what we're doing. The cheaper medicines bill implements the Albanese government's 2025 election commitment to reduce the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general patient co-payment, again, from $31.60 to $25. The last time medicines were this cheap was in 2004! That was my last year of high school at Danebank. I was living in Hurstville and didn't have a licence. Me and my mates were trying to go and watch the film Mean Girls at Hurstville Westfield. Do you remember that? Ms Kara Cook 316537 I do! Ms AMBIHAIPAHAR 315618 Trent Barrett was the Dragons captain, and on 29 August the team pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in the club's history to beat Manly 36-34 at Kogarah. And we'll beat them again this weekend! Just like in 2004, medicines are going to cost 25 bucks. I live in Beverley Park. I have a car licence and I'm, pretty much, bingeing on Netflix on the couch rather than going to the cinema. Regardless of what happens at Kogarah this weekend, one thing remains the same: Labor are still committed to health care. We're still committed to the St George area and we're delivering on $25 for PBS medicines. I'm glad the coalition matched this commitment. This is a national issue that we should always agree on. Affordable, accessible health care is uniquely Australian and so it makes sense that both major parties want to see these changes pass. I only hope that the next time we present changes like this we'll see the same support. Let me be clear. This is not just a health policy, it is a social justice policy. Cheaper medicines mean more than just relief at the counter. They mean people actually taking their medicines as prescribed. That means fewer preventable hospitalisations. It means fewer emergency presentations. It means a healthier population, which is good for patients and good for our health system. It also is good for our economy. Every dollar we put into making medicines cheaper pays itself back many times over, because it prevents bigger, costlier interventions down the track. It is the most vulnerable Australians who benefit most—pensioners in Earlwood, families in Rockdale, young people in Kogarah—who work two jobs to keep food on the table. For them, $10 or $20 in savings at the pharmacy isn't trivial; it's the difference between financial stress and financial survival. That's what this bill is about. It's about giving people dignity. This bill is not just about dollars and cents, it's about lives. Labor will always fight for the right to good health care and will always champion Medicare, and we'll always stand for cheaper medicines. I urge every member of this House to support this bill because, in a country as wealthy as Australia, no-one should ever have to choose between their health and their grocery bills. 11:54 Mr THISTLETHWAITE 182468 Kingsford Smith The laser-like focus of the Albanese government over the past three years has been on providing cost-of-living relief for all Australians, and this National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 delivers on a commitment that we made, in the lead-up to the last election, to make medicines even cheaper for all Australians. We know that, for many, the cost of health care can be a big impost on their household budget, and this bill is designed to ensure that, in particular, pensioners, seniors and people with chronic health conditions get the support that they deserve from the government with the cost of their medication. We already slashed the cost of medicines with, in 2023, the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS. We're now going even further with this bill. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 will mean prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, or the PBS, will cost Australians no more than $25 from 1 January next year. This is a more than 20 per cent cut to the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. The last time that PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was back in 2004—21 years ago. It means that pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at a level of $7.70 until 2030. That's another key cost-of-living measure delivered by the Albanese government. I mentioned earlier that our focus has been on the cost of living, but it's also been to support all Australians—not some Australians but all Australians. If you're a worker, you benefited from a tax cut and the energy bill rebate. If you're a student, you benefited from the cuts to HECS, the introduction of a prac payment, fee-free TAFE and other supports. If you're a pensioner or a senior in our community, you're benefitting from this as well as the energy bill relief that was provided by the rebate. Making medicines cheaper is a tangible way to really help people with their cost of living, particularly those who have some chronic health conditions that require medications on a weekly basis. These changes will make a big difference to household budgets, and, importantly, they won't add to inflation. That was the brief that we gave to the Department of the Treasury when we were formulating our cost-of-living relief: it can't add to inflation. The success is in the fact that inflation has fallen back down to the RBA's target band of two to three per cent both in headline and in real figures. This builds on the action that we're taking to deliver cost-of-living relief in health care more generally. In 2022, we delivered a greater range of free and cheaper medicines with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a concessional patient can fill before the PBS safety net kicks in. In January 2023, there was the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, down to $30 from $42.50. In September 2023, 60-day prescriptions were introduced, saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition. In January this year, we froze the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation for all Australians for the first time in 20 years. Our reforms have made a big difference in the community that I represent, with $11 million saved on medicines for people in Kingsford Smith. This bill includes further specific provisions to protect the availability of discounting. All medicines that pharmacies can discount today can continue to be discounted once the co-payment is cut to $25. It also builds on the reforms that we're making to Medicare more broadly. The increase in the rebate, particularly for pensioners and children, has ensured that there's more access to bulk-billing, and now we're extending that bulk-billing incentive to the rest of the population, so there'll be more incentive for GPs to bulk-bill their patients and more incentive for practices to ensure that all their GPs bulk-bill. That's why we continue to add new and expanded PBS listings to help support Australians who are facing severe health conditions. These new medicines on the expanded PBS bring real relief to Australians who are facing severe health conditions, including those with Parkinson's disease, neuroblastoma, endometrial cancer, cystic fibrosis and melanoma. So we are delivering on our commitment to make medicines cheaper so that all Australians benefit. Couple that with the decreases that we've already made to medicines and the fact that we're expanding Medicare—it's a good deal for more Australians, to help them with their cost of living. Much as I know you'd love to hear me continue to speak about the benefits of cheaper medicines, Deputy Speaker, I note that the Minister for Housing is in the chamber and it's now time for her parliamentary statement. Debate adjourned. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS 35 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Housing 35 12:00 Ms O'NEIL 140590 Hotham I ask leave of the House to make a ministerial statement relating to five per cent deposits for all first home buyers. Leave granted. Ms O'NEIL 140590 I begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people as the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I pay my respects to Ngunnawal elders past, present and emerging. And, as always in this housing conversation of ours, I acknowledge that, for all the challenges that we face as a country, our First Nations brothers and sisters face particular issues with housing, and that's something that our government is fiercely committed to tackling. Australia is in the middle of a housing crisis that's been 40 years in the making. For 40 years, our country has not been building enough homes and we've not been backing in first home buyers right across the nation. And so today, housing is a life-defining challenge for millions of people who live in our country. We hear it from young people, who feel they will never have the chance to own their own home. We hear it from parents, who feel such guilt that they are not going to be able to give their children the stability that they received in their childhood. We hear it from renters, whose rents are going up too high and too often. And, Deputy Speaker Young, we see it in that rising population of homeless Australians who I see in my suburb and you would see in yours. But housing is about even more than the individuals who are affected by this problem. Housing is the foundation on which every Australian experiences life in our country. It defines the expectations that young people have about their future, and it lays bare the injustice between generations. Housing is about how invested our citizens feel in their democracy, and whether they feel stability, and confidence, as they move through their lives. Housing is about what it means to be Australian and who gets to live a good life in our country. And it's about what we, in this chamber, are willing to do to make sure that they get it. Now, like any great national challenge, changing it is going to fall on our party. Housing is the Labor project of our generation. For a long time, the Commonwealth government had tapped out of our national housing challenge, leaving the hard work of this problem up to the states. And indeed, for most of the nine years that the coalition were in power in our country, they didn't even have a housing minister. Deputy Speaker, you're not going to believe this, but, during those nine years, those opposite built 373 social and affordable homes. That is a national disgrace. Now, under this Prime Minister and under our Labor government, we've made a big switch. We're tackling the housing crisis from every angle. Our government is the boldest and most ambitious Australian government on housing since the post-war period. We've got a $43 billion agenda, and it's focused on three things: (1) building more homes; (2) making renters get a better deal; and (3) getting more Australians into homeownership. Since we were elected, our policies have made a real difference to many people around our country: more than 180,000 people have gotten into their first home with the backing of our government; a million households have received the nearly 50 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance; half a million homes have been built since we came to office, new housing approvals are up 30 per cent, and construction costs have stabilised; and, we've got 28,000 social and affordable homes that are in planning or construction. Now, we know that the long-term solution to our nation's housing problems is to build, build, build. And that's exactly why the majority of that $43 billion that we are spending on housing is targeted at improving supply, whether it's delivering our 55,000 social and affordable homes, whether it's building those 100,000 homes that we will reserve just for first home buyers or whether it's training more tradies. But we know that Australians need help to get into the housing market now, and so many young people around our country in particular feel that this is slipping out of reach. Right now, young people are saving for years. They are often stuck in a rent trap, paying off someone else's mortgage. Then, when they are ready to buy a house after those long years of savings, they get whacked with huge upfront costs like lenders mortgage insurance. Let me paint a picture of what this looks like for a young person living in Brisbane. We might have a young person, a 25-year-old, who has just finished their studies and renting as they begin their life working. This young person might share a dream that's common to millions of people around our country and that is to get into a home of her own. The problem is that, unlike some of her uni mates, this young person doesn't have the bank of mum and dad to give her a leg up on the housing ladder. In Brisbane today, the average house price is about a million dollars, which means that, to buy an average house with a 20 per cent deposit, she would have to save up $200,000. For the average first home buyer it would take more than 13 years to save up that much money. We're talking about a young person who is going to be saving and renting until she's 38 years old. If she decides to buy without a 20 per cent deposit, she's going to get whacked with mortgage insurance—paying up to $43,000 just for mortgage insurance for that first home. If she does haven't that money, and she can't get her parents to chip in, then she's probably one of the many young people around our country who feel that homeownership is a million miles out of reach. It gets even tougher for young families who are dealing with kids. Families who have got kids—they've worked hard and they've saved for years. They might have put away $180,000 for a home deposit. That's enough for a 20 per cent deposit on a $900, 000 home. They might dream to buy a house big enough for a growing family, close to work and near their communities, so they go house hunting and to auction after auction. We hear it from our constituents—the heartbreak of going weekend after weekend to auctions, just to see houses blow way past their budget as investors outbid them by hundreds of thousands of dollars. We know that in Sydney today the average house price is $1.5 million. With $180,000 these young people still can't compete. So what can they do without support? Their options just don't look good. These are the Australians that our Labor government was elected to this parliament to serve. That is why we made such an important announcement this week, which is going to help the people who I've referred to. This week the Prime Minister and I announced that our government is bringing the dream of homeownership back within reach for tens of thousands of Australians every single year. From 1 October this year, the days of 20 per cent deposits for first home buyers will be over. The Albanese government is delivering on its commitment to give all first home buyers the opportunity to buy a home with just a five per cent deposit, and it's not just that. We're doing it three months ahead of schedule. We're doing it three months ahead of schedule because we can provide that help more quickly and, if we can, we should. Our government is unequivocally and unashamedly on the side of people looking to get into their first home, and we're backing them all the way with our five per cent deposit scheme. There are going to be three changes that come in for this scheme on 1 October. The first is that, for the first time, there will be no caps on this scheme. That means that there is no limit to the number of first home buyers who can now buy a home with Commonwealth government support. It means that for our regional Australians and for our single parents, who previously had limited places under this scheme, they now have unlimited access to this program. Second, we are removing income caps. That means that hardworking first home buyers and families who were previously locked out of this scheme, for the first time, will be eligible to get support. Third, we're increasing property price caps so they're in line with average house prices. It means that this is not just about small apartments, units or homes in hard-to-reach locations but about the average home in our capital cities and our regions. These changes are important. They aim to change what homeownership looks like for an entire generation of young Australians. The median house price in Australia today is $844,000. Five per cent of that is about $42,000. The last time that $42,000 covered a 20 per cent deposit for a median home was in 2002—more than 20 years ago. This shows you the scale of the change we are making here. We are not only helping first home buyers get into a home earlier; we're helping them save billions of dollars. In the first year alone, first home buyers using this scheme are expected to avoid $1.5 billion in potential mortgage insurance costs. This is a game changer. Our government's five per cent deposit program is already changing lives for hundreds of thousands of first home buyers around the country. And the proof's in the pudding. We're really proud, because in our first term there were 6,000 more first-home-buyer loans each year compared to the coalition's previous period in office. We've already lifted support and we're already seeing those first-homeowner numbers lift. Since coming to office, our government has helped over 180,000 first home buyers buy with a lower deposit. On Monday, the Prime Minister, the member for Canberra and I were lucky to visit two of these buyers, who are right here in Canberra—Lachie and Abbey. With the government's support, Lachie, Abbey and Chilli the dog have been able to buy a townhouse in Lawson with just a five per cent deposit. Meeting Lachie and Abbey was just amazing, because we sat down with this fantastic young couple and we heard straight from them how they would never have been able to buy their home without the support of our government. And they talked about the simple pleasures that they are getting to enjoy as homeowners, that feeling of knowing that they can't be moved on, of having their friends around for movie nights, of thinking about starting a family down the track. It's worked so well for them that a friend has now used the scheme to buy a house across the road, and other friends are looking to use the program as well. Well, the expansion of the five per cent deposit scheme will mean that even more Australians can get a place of their own—just like Lachie and Abbey—from 1 October. It's thanks to every single member on this side of the House that our government can make this a reality. Take the members for Solomon and Braddon, who represent first home buyers at the northern and southern ends of our country. In both Devonport and Darwin, a first home buyer can now buy a $500,000 home with a deposit of $25,000. They'll save up to $15,000 in mortgage insurance and up to $80,000 that they would have paid in potential rents while they were saving for their first home. Take the member for Bendigo, who has been an absolutely outstanding advocate for the young people in her community who want better housing opportunities. Our government has already helped 1,100 first home buyers to buy a home in Bendigo with a lower deposit. A first home buyer in Bendigo can now buy an average $620,000 home with a deposit of $31,000. This takes six years off the time it takes for them to save a deposit, and they'll save $26,000 in mortgage insurance. I talk to young people who have used this program. Six years—it changes their life. This reshapes the experience of their 20s and 30s and gives them the opportunity to set down the roots and get them those better opportunities we want them to see. Deputy Speaker Young, you might think that the opposition would get behind a policy like this, because it helps give young Australians a fighting chance in the housing market. But they didn't. In fact, you're not going to believe this: the shadow housing minister called this announcement 'bizarre and ridiculous'. There is nothing 'bizarre and ridiculous' about helping first home buyers around this country get into their own home. Now the coalition has a really clear choice here. They can be a part of the solution this term or they can keep doing nothing. We've got a new Leader of the Liberal Party in Canberra. We've got a new opportunity for those opposite to work with the government on housing. And I've said time and time again, in the last parliament, and I'll continue to say it in this one: our door is open to work with the coalition on housing, as it is to all our parliamentary colleagues. While those opposite might continue to block and delay progress on housing, we're getting on with the job. This term we're going to: make it better to rent—we'll help thousands more rental homes be built through our Build to Rent scheme and we'll continue to lift rental standards through our work with the states and territories; and make it easier to buy—we'll implement Help to Buy, our first-ever national shared equity scheme, in addition to the expansion of our five per cent deposit program. And, of course, we know the main issue here is we've got to build, build, build, and that's exactly the work our government's doing. Our government's getting on with the job. We're building more homes. We're making it better to rent. And, yes, we're making it easier to buy. I present the Housing Australia Investment Mandate Amendment (Delivering on Our 2025 Election Commitment) Direction 2025 and a copy of my ministerial statement. 12:14 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein Homeownership goes to the core of what this nation is all about. It goes not just to bricks and mortar, which is central to economic security and the ambition that Australians have for what they want for themselves to be able to support their families throughout the stages of their working life and their retirement. It goes to the romantic ideals of who we are as a people and the idea about what we want to be as a country. It goes, centrally, to whether we want to be a nation with democratic ownership of our country, of the land that sits beneath our feet and the assets that we seek to build upon it. That is why the coalition is the party of homeownership. We want to be a nation of owners. We do not want a nation of renters. We want to see young Australians cock their heads higher and look further to the distance, because we want young Australians not just to look at the challenges they face today but to look to the ambitions of what they can live tomorrow. But that isn't what we see from this government. Amongst the spin, the policy and the claims that they have put forward today—and that they continue to seek to put through in their claimed legislation—in practice, what they are doing is seeking to borrow from tomorrow to prop up their government today. They're gaslighting younger Australians as part of the process, every single day. What they're actually doing so often, tragically, is setting young Australians up for failure. We see this in the government's decision to actively encourage young Australians to take on more debt when they're not in a position, necessarily, to finance it. Independent economists are now warning that the consequences of uncapping the scheme are an increase in the cost of insurance and a rise in house prices for the next generation of Australians—all so the Labor Party can come into this House and boast about their success. Labor's distortion of the Home Guarantee Scheme will not achieve the objectives that they claim it will. What it will do is dump a $60 billion liability onto taxpayers and push house prices up by as much as 10 per cent. The next time a young Australian goes to bid for a house, and they see a price, they'll already think, 'Well, if the market pushes a little bit further, they'll have to add a GST equivalent on top of it just for the cost of Labor's legacy of their political spin.' The government are stealing the futures of young Australians, as some of my colleagues behind me are correctly observing, because they don't have a plan or vision for the future or a solution about how to get house prices to go down. This was a highly targeted scheme, originally. It was for low-income earners, to put them in a position, where they may not otherwise have been, to achieve their best ambition and their best dreams. By turbocharging it, as they have done, they are turbocharging the consequences of increasing house prices for every Australian, for no benefit. What they see is a political gain, not a gain for the Australian people. Former RBA economist, Martin Eftimoski, has warned the expansion will jack up prices. He also said: The timing of the announcement and the movement of the announcement in particular I think will have a very stimulatory effect on the market. …   …   … Launching this policy now is like pouring gasoline on a fire. How proud the Labor party must be, because the Labor Party always finds a way to take more of working Australians' income to shove into a superannuation fund so that people can have a larger 67th birthday cake, but their only answer these days is to shovel more government control into people's homes. This is the problem with the priorities of the Labor party. It's always about control. The Labor Party are about controlling your life. They are not about agency, empowerment or determination for you. Homeownership is about more than bricks and mortar. It's about the type of country that we want to be, and this debate has gone on for decades. It might sound like it was all in the past, but this debate has been raging since after the Second World War. We needed to build houses so returned soldiers had somewhere to live. Then, Labor wanted homes to be rented off the government. Today, they want you to rent off a super fund. Then, Liberals wanted homes to be owned by you. Today, Liberals still want homes to be owned by you. Nothing has changed. The debate remains the same. Labor wants to control you. When you rent, you have a law—and that is what they want. When you are on welfare, you are dependent—and that is what they want. When you are an employee, you have a boss—and that is what they want. When you invest with industry super, they control your savings and retirement—and that is what they want. Labor wants to control you, because when they control you they can work between big business, big government and big unions to dictate the terms—and empower themselves. Liberals want to empower you. When you own your own home, you have agency and security. When you work, you have choices in your life. When you run a small business, you are your own boss. When you run a self-managed super fund, you control your retirement. Liberals want you to control your own destiny, and that is the fundamental divide that exists between both sides of this chamber. They are in power to control you. We are in office to empower you. Of course, there is hope. There is a reason for a brighter future. You can get a good education without crippling debt and without the government having to, then, come and forgive it because they created it. You can have a family. You can work hard and save. You can own a home. Do not believe Labor when they talk down your ambition. You are not destined to rent, as Labor would wish. You may not always start where you want to end, but homeownership is a dream that is lived by Australians every day. The promise of this nation lives and you are going to be part of it, and the Liberal Party is going to be there to cheer you on, to back you in, every step of the way. That is core to the difference between us and the Labor Party, our policies and the Labor Party's. It is the difference between our ambition for what we want to see, because the policies the Labor Party is putting forward now are to try to address the problems that they have created. They have no empathy, understanding or concern for the present challenges or for the challenges of future generations. They are spending more taxpayer money today than they have ever spent before, and they are building fewer homes than ever before. The $10 billion fund they legislated in the last parliament has currently built 17 new houses. They've wasted $43 billion of taxpayer money to make Australia's housing crisis even worse. In just three years, the government has presided over the biggest boom in Australia's population growth since the 1950s, while watching, witnessing and observing a historic housing construction collapse. This is not a proud record for any government, let alone this government; whereas we got on with the job of building new homes. In the last period of the coalition government, we built close to 200,000 new homes a year. Under Labor it has dropped to barely 170,000 a year. Labor promised to build 1.2 million homes by 2029 in their National Housing Accord. Not only are they not going to get there but also they are now borrowing from the future—and mortgaging your future—so they have half a pathway to get there. We all know that. There is a point where mature adults need to stand up and point out that this government has no answers to the challenges and the problems that our nation faces. One of the reasons they've made housing such a central tenet of this week in parliament is that they have been shamed and embarrassed after their tax hike summit from last week—where their only concrete substantive outcome was to finally adopt a coalition policy, from the last election, that they ridiculed. Before the last election, the coalition put forward a simple proposition: to pause the National Construction Code so that builders could get on with building more housing, to address the national housing crisis that Australia faces right now. At the time, the housing minister ridiculed the proposition. She dismissed it and said it had no solution to being part of addressing our housing crisis in this country. She had no answers herself, except to borrow more from the future and mortgage Australians' futures to try and solve a problem to get her through an election. Well, they got through that election. There is no dispute about that. They then went to their tax hike summit only last week, and there was only one concrete policy that came out of it. It was to pause the National Construction Code, the coalition's policy that they ridiculed only months ago, because industry pointed out to them—and they were forced to listen in a humiliating backdown—that they were the source of the problems that Australia's construction industry face right now. So, yes, the government is doing a massive amount of work to bandaid the problems they have caused. The government is making as much spin as they can to hide from the fact that they caused this crisis, they're part of this crisis, they're living this crisis and Australians are living the consequences of this crisis. It's time they owned up. It's time they lived with the consequences of it. It's time they fixed the consequences of it, and it isn't by mortgaging the future so that they can solve their political crisis. It's by empowering Australians to build out the next best wave of opportunity and excitement for future generations. That is what the coalition is here to do. The Liberal Party has always believed in the power and importance of homeownership. It goes to the core of the ethos of who we are because we know that, when people get a good education, they save. They get ahead. They work hard. They form a family. They buy their own home. They become masters of their own destiny. They create an opportunity for themselves and their families to get ahead. They then are in a position to go off, start a small business, truly become independent economic actors and go from little platoons to little capitalists and full economic participants in the Australian way of life. They are then able to invest in their future and be a part of the full economic success of our country. That is what we want—a nation that is not governed from Canberra down by big unions, big corporates, big capital, big superfunds and big government. We want a nation governed up from citizens, families, communities and homes. That is the Liberal vision for this country, and it is one that we are proud to stand by. 12:27 Ms KEARNEY LTU Cooper I move: That the House take note of the Housing Australia Investment Mandate Amendment (Delivering on Our 2025 Election Commitment) Direction 2025. Debate adjourned. BUSINESS 39 BUSINESS Rearrangement 39 12:28 Ms KEARNEY LTU Cooper I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would remove the time limit for the whole debate on the motion to take note of the Housing Australia Investment Mandate Amendment (Delivering on Our 2025 Election Commitment) Direction 2025. Question agreed to. BILLS 40 BILLS National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 40

National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025

Second Reading 40 12:28 Mr SOON 298618 Banks I rise today to support the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This government has introduced and passed legislation to deliver on many of its election commitments already. The legislation to deliver our promised 20 per cent cut to student debt has passed this parliament, and our legislation to protect penalty rates for thousands of low-income earners is well on the way. The legislation before the House today delivers on another of our election commitments—that we would make cheaper medicines even cheaper for Australians. My community values their health and that of their families, and that was abundantly clear during the election campaign. My constituents want a healthcare system that is there when they need it and that doesn't break the bank. It is why the government's agenda of cheaper medicines, expanded access to bulk-billing and more fully bulk-billed urgent care clinics was one I was proud to present to the voters in Banks. I gave my commitment to the people of Banks that I would deliver cheaper medicines, and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this important legislation that delivers just that. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is one of many great Labor initiatives. While fiercely debated at the time of its introduction, it has become a foundational part of our healthcare system. It is our responsibility to ensure that the PBS remains a strong, reliable and accessible program for all Australians. This bill before the House will reduce the PBS general co-payment from $31.60 to just $25 from 1 January next year—delivering on the promise of accessible medications at the heart of the PBS. In 2004, I had just finished high school and was an 18-year-old student studying at university. It feels like a long time ago now, but it was also the last time PBS medications were this cheap. Importantly, this legislation maintains the co-payment freeze for pensioners and concession card holders at $7.70. This is an incredibly important element of the PBS for the most vulnerable Australians, including seniors, and is something that I'm so pleased to see continuing into the future. It is so important that, when we look to programs like Medicare and the PBS, we ensure that those who have the greatest need for the life-changing, life-saving programs get access to the care they need—and this freeze does just that. Additionally, this legislation includes specific provisions to protect the availability of discounting by individual pharmacies. To be clear, all medications that can be discounted today will continue to be able to be discounted after the passage of this bill and when the co-payment is reduced to just $25. Indeed, this is not the first time that the Labor government has invested in the PBS to deliver affordable medications for Australian patients. This legislation builds on the previous cut in prices delivered in 2023, where this Labor government delivered the largest reduction in the cost of prescriptions in the 80-year history of the scheme, and now goes even further to deliver even cheaper medicines for our communities. These massive cuts in the cost of the PBS medications are a tangible cost-of-living relief for some of the most in need in our Australian community. When combining the provisions of this legislation with the previous reduction in prescription prices, it amounts to a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS scripts in the four years since Labor came into government in 2022. In fact, this government's $689 million investment in the PBS will result in 80 per cent of medications available under the scheme being cheaper than they were four years ago and save Australian consumers more than $200 million a year. This is the sort of change that Labor governments deliver. During the debate on this legislation, we've heard stories from many colleagues about constituents reporting to them that they are skipping scripts and halving doses to try and make their medications go further. This isn't how it should have to be, and we owe it to our community to do all that we can to strengthen the healthcare system through legislation like this to make that a thing of the past. Already, the Labor government's cheaper medicines program has saved patients in my electorate of Banks $7.9 million. That is $7.9 million that my constituents have back in their pocket while still accessing the quality healthcare that they need. I think, while considering this legislation, it is also important for the House to reflect on the impact that the PBS has on Australians. Siponimod is a medication for the treatment and management of relapsing multiple sclerosis. With the PBS, the cost of this medication is $31.50. Without it, it is $2,220. Everolimus, a medication used to prevent organ transplant rejection, costs $31.50 with the PBS. Without it, the cost is $1,469. Molnupiravir, a medication for the treatment of COVID, among other diseases, costs $31.50 with the PBS. Without it, it is $1,103. Aflibercept, a medication for the treatment of macular degeneration and other eye conditions, again costs $31.50 with the PBS. Without it, it is $934. Lastly, selpercatinib is a medication for the treatment of certain types of lung cancer. With a PBS script, it's $31.50. Without it, the total cost is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. During this debate, the House has heard stories from members, including the members for Dickson and Moore, about how important the PBS and Medicare system have been in their own lives. The PBS truly is the lifeblood, almost literally, for so many Australians across our communities. I mentioned earlier that my community made it clear during the election campaign that they wanted to see government that's delivering a stronger healthcare system and one that is delivering it on an ongoing basis. This government has reduced the number of scripts a concession card holder or pensioner must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in by 25 per cent. We've rolled out 60-day prescriptions and dispensing, which is saving millions of patients across Australia both time and money, and we took decisive action to freeze the co-payment rate for the first time in 25 years. Investment in the PBS and reducing the cost of medications is a big part of this government's agenda for protecting and strengthening Australia's healthcare system. But it is broader than that as well. On 1 July this year, the Labor government made a $1.8 billion investment in hospitals across the country in partnership with state governments, including $407 million for hospitals in my state of New South Wales, to cut waiting lists and reduce emergency department waiting times so Australian patients can get care on the days they need it most. While this government is boosting hospital funding, we're also making sure there are more ways for Australians to interact with the healthcare system. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone in this place that, at the election in 2022, Labor promised to open a network of 50 fully bulk-billed urgent care clinics and delivered 87. Banks, my community, is served by the clinics in Bankstown and Carlton, and they have been a tremendous success, keeping more than 10,000 patients out of our local emergency departments at Bankstown-Lidcombe and St George hospitals or, even worse, from not being able to access care at all. As the government further expands the network of urgent care clinics to more than 130 nationwide, more and more Australians will be able to access these fantastic services. The government is also investing in women's health to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women across Australia and demonstrate that women's healthcare needs are being taken seriously, including the first PBS listing for new oral contraceptives in more than 30 years, expanding the network of endometriosis clinics to 33, expanding their scope to include menopause care and adding more endometriosis medications to the PBS. The government is investing in the mental health services available to all Australians, backed by Medicare, including the commitment to 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health centres that offer free walk-in medical health care to anyone who needs it, and to boost the mental health workforce, with 20 new specialist care centres as well as 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services for young people aged between 12 and 25, including one that serves my community in the suburb of Hurstville. The government understands the noble work of looking after others. This is why we are investing in our healthcare workforce so that those who care for our sick, our injured and our vulnerable are supported and recognised, not just in rhetoric but in their pay packet. We have also introduced programs such as fee-free TAFE and the paid prac payment that supports aspiring nurses and healthcare professionals to get skilled, to get qualified and to get into our healthcare workforce without being financially worse off. While those opposite don't like to admit it, when we came to government bulk-billing rates were falling, as were the number of GPs able to bulk-bill all their patients as a result of nine years of cuts and neglect. This government did the hard work, made record investments in Medicare in the last term of parliament to restore bulk-billing rates for those in our communities who need it most, and got results. Bulk-billing rates began to climb in every state and territory as a result of millions of additional trips to the GP that wouldn't have been bulk-billed without our tripling of the incentive. When I spoke to the constituents in my electorate about bulk-billing, they appreciated what the government had achieved in this space, but they also wanted to know what else the government could do to make it easier for them to see a doctor. I was so pleased to be able to present the government's commitment to the largest investment in the history of Medicare to ensure that nine out of 10 visits to the doctor would be bulk-billed by the end of the decade. In conclusion, I'd like to reiterate my support for this legislation. It delivers on cost-of-living relief and greater access to health care in one package. This legislation is good for our nation's health and good for our country's hip pocket. I commend the legislation and thank this government for supporting the community of Banks by making sure that it isn't a trade-off between health care and the balance in their bank accounts. 12:42 Ms WITTY 316660 Melbourne I rise today to speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This bill delivers one of the Albanese Labor government's election commitments, reducing the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25. From 1 January next year, Australians will pay no more than $25 for their PBS medicines. This is a saving of more than 20 per cent, and it is the first time in over two decades, since 2004, that the cost of PBS medicines will be this low. This matters. This matters to me, and it matters to the people of Melbourne. It matters because it will put more than $200 million back in the hands of Australians every single year. It matters because cheaper medicines help people manage their health, and staying well keeps people working, caring for their families, contributing to their communities and simply living their lives. We all know that families are feeling cost-of-living pressures. Household budgets are pushed higher by housing costs, power bills and groceries. Medicines are not an optional extra; they are essential. By cutting the PBS co-payment to $25, this government is taking another practical step to relieve that pressure. We are making medicines even cheaper. In 2023, the government delivered the largest reduction in PBS history when it dropped the general co-payment from $42.50 to $30—and this wasn't a one-off. This bill is the fifth wave of reform to deliver cheaper medicines. Over the last three years, Labor has reduced the PBS safety net threshold for concession card holders, giving them free and cheaper medicines sooner. That has saved pensioners half a billion dollars. In the last three years we have also cut the maximum cost of a general script from $42.50 to $30, saving patients $770 million. We froze PBS co-payments for all Australians for the first time in 25 years, stopping them from rising with inflation, and introduced 60-day prescriptions for common medicines, saving patients time and money and cutting out 35 million unnecessary trips to the chemist. I just want to reflect on that for a moment. This measure has been transformational for so many, especially for women's health. By cutting out unnecessary GP visits for routine and ongoing conditions, women in particular now have more control over their health care—less time lost to appointments and more money left in their pockets. We know that women are more likely to manage chronic health conditions, more likely to be primary carers for children or elderly parents and more likely to have less flexibility at work. That means every extra doctor's appointment and every trip to the chemist falls harder on them. By cutting out unnecessary GP visits for routine and ongoing conditions, we have helped free up women's time, reduced pressure on family budgets and removed a barrier that too often leads to missed appointments or delayed treatments. This measure is not just about cheaper medicines; it's about fairness. It recognises that women carry a greater share of the health burden and it helps to close the gap. Together, all these measures have already saved Australians $1.5 billion in the cost of their medicines. I want to bring this down to what it means for the people I represent. According to the most recent data, as of 31 July 2025 the people of Melbourne have already saved $18,845,129. This is simply fantastic. That is almost $19 million that has stayed in the pockets of families, pensioners, students and workers in my community—money that would otherwise have gone on medicine costs. That is a tangible, direct benefit of Labor policy. For women in their 40s and 50s, it means better access to perimenopause and menopause treatments, helping them manage what can be life-altering symptoms with less financial stress. For students and young workers in my electorate, too, this reform makes a real difference. Many are living on tight budgets, trying to balance study and part-time work. Cheaper medicines mean they are far less likely to skip their prescriptions because of cost. When people in Melbourne tell me about the cost of living, this is what they mean: choosing between filling a prescription and paying for food or delaying treatments because the medicine feels too expensive. Every dollar counts and every cheaper script helps. Cheaper medicines aren't just good for the hip pocket; they're good for people's health. When medicines are affordable, people fill their scripts. They take the medicine as prescribed, and they manage their conditions properly. That means fewer hospital admissions, more avoidable GP visits and better health outcomes for the whole community. It means a person with asthma no longer stretches their inhaler to last an extra month. It means a parent with diabetes is not skipping doses to make the prescription last longer. It means a pensioner with heart disease can stick to their treatment without anxiety about the bill at the pharmacy counter. As someone who lived with asthma from childhood through to my early 20s, I know how terrifying it can be when you cannot access the medicine you need. I remember moments of real fear when I didn't have my puffer—my tightened chest, my burning lungs, the desperate gasps for air. It is an experience that strips away everything else in those minutes. School, work, even friendships don't matter. The only thing that matters is finding a way to breathe again. That's what the medicine gives you: not just relief but life itself. That is why the reforms in the bill are so important. Cutting the PBS co-payment to $25 means fewer pensioners skipping the medicine they need. It means fewer anxious nights wondering whether the pills in the packet will last until payday. It means dignity, security and health for those who built this country and now deserve to be looked after. It is not just the pensioners themselves who carry that burden; it's also their adult children, who worry every day about whether Mum is taking her heart tablets or whether Dad is stretching out his insulin. I have spoken with families who tell me they check their parents' pill organisers and are frightened to see doses missed because the medicine was too expensive to fill or because their parents have been rationing to make it last longer. When medicine is unaffordable, the stress does not stop with the patient. It ripples through entire families. It weighs on adult children trying to balance their own mortgage or rent, trying to raise kids and at the same time fearing that a parent's health could collapse because the medicine was just too expensive. No family should live with that fear. This bill lifts that weight. By making medicines cheaper, we give older Australians peace of mind and we give their children and grandchildren relief from the constant stress of worrying whether their loved ones are quietly sacrificing their health. Cheaper medicines mean healthier parents, stronger families and communities that can focus on living rather than on the cost of staying alive. I note that the opposition is expected to support this bill. That is welcome because Australians want certainty when it comes to their health care. They don't want political pointscoring. They want the cost of their medicines brought down. This is a chance for the parliament to speak with one voice on an issue that touches every household. This bill also protects the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme itself. The PBS is one of the cornerstones of Medicare, providing over $18 billion worth of subsidised medicines in 2023 and 2024. By asking patients for a fair contribution and having the government meet the rest, the PBS remains sustainable while ensuring that no Australian is denied access to the medicines they need. Importantly, the bill also preserves pharmacy discounting. Pharmacies will still be able to offer medicines below the co-payment level, giving patients the full benefit of competition and choice. From 2027, indexation of the co-payment will begin from the new, lower $25 base, ensuring savings continue to flow well into the future. Cheaper medicines sit alongside bulk-billing, more doctors and nurses and more urgent-care clinics as pillars of a stronger Medicare. Each of these reforms is designed to make health care more affordable, more accessible and more sustainable. It is this government that is firmly committed to upholding Medicare's founding principle that health care should never depend on wealth. That's why we have invested billions to reinforce bulk-billing, ensuring we can all see a doctor with our Medicare card, not out-of-pocket costs. This government has also rolled out Medicare urgent care clinics, bulk-billed walk-in clinics with extended operating hours, open seven days a week and able to treat urgent but not life-threatening conditions. You do not need an appointment, you do not pay a cent and you will not wait hours in the emergency department. For my constituents in Melbourne, the Inner Melbourne Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opens its doors at 221 Drummond Street, Carlton. It offers fully bulk-billed urgent care with extended hours, alleviating pressure on the nearby Royal Melbourne Hospital and delivering immediate access to care for local families. I cannot overstate how transformative urgent care clinics have been for families. During the election campaign I spoke with a family whose son, a sports-mad but accident-prone boy, had taken them to the emergency department far more often than they would have wished. With the introduction of urgent care clinics, their experience changed. Instead of being stuck in emergency for hours, they could get the care they needed quickly, be back home earlier and avoid the stress of trying to juggle three restless kids in a waiting room. By keeping people out of emergency—especially on weekends, when sport injuries surge—urgent care clinics are easing pressure on our hospitals. They are delivering real relief for families and making an enormous difference for our dedicated health workers. The truth is that, when Labor is in government, Medicare is stronger. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 proves that once again. This bill delivers immediate relief on medicine costs for more than 5.1 million Australians from 1 January next year, over $200 million in savings every year for patients—more than $8.8 million in savings already for the people of Melbourne—and a stronger, fairer PBS that will keep medicines affordable for decades to come. It delivers on the promise we made to the Australian people in the 2025 election. It shows a government doing what it said it would do, and it demonstrates the values of fairness, health and opportunity that Labor stands for. Cheaper medicines are good for households, good for the economy and good for the health of the nation. It is this government that is firmly committed to upholding Medicare's founding principle that health care should never depend on wealth. That's why we have invested billions to reinforce bulk-billing, ensuring we can see a doctor with only our Medicare card and no out-of-pocket costs. I commend the bill to the House. 12:56 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I'm very proud to speak to this legislation that goes to the heart of one of the defining distinctions in Australian politics—that we, on this side of the House, understand that Medicare and the provision of health services should be on the basis of need, not on the basis of how wealthy you are. It also goes to one of the big distinctions, which is that, post the pressures that were on Australian families arising from COVID and then from global inflation, we, on this side of the House, continued to prioritise cost-of-living help for Australians—all of the measures opposed by those opposite. In our first term, of course, we decreased the cost of medicines on the PBS by $12. In addition to that, we introduced a tripling of the Medicare bulk-billing incentive for people who were concession card holders, and, in addition to that, we introduced 60-day prescriptions, rather than just every month, saving people visits to the doctor and saving Australians money. All of these measures were opposed by those opposite. And the Australian people gave their verdict on 3 May. On 3 May they said: 'Yes, we do want a government that cares about cost of living. Yes, we do want a government that prioritises health care. Yes, we do want to see an expansion of the urgent care clinics that have been so successful, with more than 1½ million Australians benefiting from getting the care they need, when they need it, close to where they live, and all they have needed is their Medicare card.' And we know that, of those, about one-third have been under the age of 15, so that, when little Steve or Mary falls off their bike or has an accident while playing sport on the weekend, they can go and get that immediate care. They're not clogging up the emergency departments of hospitals, not waiting hours while more life-threatening conditions jump the queue—quite rightly, because they're the priority in an emergency department. But they're getting the treatment they need, when they need it, and doing it with just their Medicare card. This legislation builds on our legacy in providing cheaper medicines, not just from the level that we reduced them to first, but by reducing them to just $25. We know that there's an old saying that my mum used to say and others have too: 'Nothing goes down in price.' Guess what. Under this government the price of medicines goes down not once but twice and by big amounts. They will be the same price as they were in 2004, more than 20 years ago. In addition to that, we have frozen the cost of medicines at $7.70 until the end of the decade. For all Australians, January marked the first time for more than 25 years that the price of medicines didn't rise with inflation. As each phase of medicines becomes eligible, millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition are getting a bit more help with their cost of living. One of them is Cara, who I had the privilege of meeting a few weeks ago. Cara has endometriosis, and she's had it since she was 11. When Cara moved out of home, she had to stop her treatments because she couldn't afford them, and her health got worse—an all-too-common story. Thanks to Labor's cheaper medicines policy, Cara can now get the medication she needs. In her words: 'I wouldn't have been able to afford this medicine last year, but now I can, making an enormous difference.' Of course, that goes on top of not just the urgent care clinics that we're opening—an additional 50 more. The health minister and I were in Victoria just a couple of weeks ago, announcing the opening of the first three on top of the 87. Now we're up to 90 and rising when it comes to urgent care clinics right across Australia. The women's health package that we've put in place—which the assistant minister at the table was so central to delivering—together with the member for Dobell and the minister, they have had a comprehensive plan for healthcare, whether it's cheaper medicines, urgent care clinics providing that mid-point between emergency departments and the local GP, providing for more bulk-billing by having the largest-ever increase in Medicare funding since Medicare was created, proudly, by the Hawke government. We did all of this in consultation with the sector. Earlier this year, I was the first Prime Minister—which I found remarkable—to ever address the national conference of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. It was in Queensland that we made this announcement that was so important. So, from 1 January, under this legislation, every Australian with a Medicare card who isn't on a concession card will pay a maximum of $25 for a PBS prescription. This is a cut of more than 20 per cent. That will save Australians more than $200 million each and every year. PBS scripts will be the cheapest they've been since 2004. It adds to the more than $1.3 billion that Australians have already saved from cheaper medicines. It was a clear commitment that we made at the election. I've made it clear that our priority is a year of delivery on the commitments that we were elected on, on 3 May. We've made a commitment to Australia and with this legislation we are delivering. 13:04 Ms TEESDALE 314526 Bass I rise today to speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This is a bill that delivers practical, meaningful cost-of-living relief to Australians, including thousands of families across my electorate of Bass. This bill goes to the heart of what good government is about. It's about fairness. It's about making sure that every Australian, regardless of the size of their bank balance or where they live, can access the medicines they need to stay healthy and care for their families. I want to share a story about a family from northern Tasmania. This story took place a few years ago. It's about two children, both neurodiverse, both with multiple diagnoses, who thrived on consistency, who needed the stability of daily medication to feel comfortable in their own skin, complete daily tasks and find success and enjoyment at school. But their parents faced impossible choices, with rising rents and grocery bills, climbing electricity bills piling up and then the cost of prescriptions on top of that. There were months when they had to choose between buying ADHD medication and putting food on the table. When these children missed that medication, they felt sick, restless and unable to focus. They became frustrated and upset when they couldn't keep up in class. Their parents struggled deeply, weighing up these choices when times were particularly tough. I remember speaking to a pharmacist in Kings Meadows and another in Ravenswood, right in the heart of Bass, who told me similar stories of parents standing at the counter and weighing up which prescription they could afford to take home and which one they would have to leave behind. No parent in Australia should ever have to make that choice and, with this bill, fewer families will. Why does this matter? From 1 January next year, the maximum cost of a PBS prescription for general patients will fall to just $25. That is the lowest price in more than 20 years. The last time medicines were this affordable was 2004—again, under a Labor government. This reform builds on Labor's record of delivering cheaper medicines, and what an impressive record that is. In January 2023, the Labor government made the largest cut in the history of the PBS, dropping the maximum cost for scripts from $42.50 to $31.60. We introduced 60-day prescriptions and we made filling scripts much easier. This bill is the next step—a more than 20 per cent cut to the maximum cost of PBS medicines, saving Australians over $200 million each year. That is immediate, practical and fair cost-of-living relief delivered by a Labor government. I represent Bass in northern Tasmania. We are a region of proud and hardworking people. But, like in many parts of Australia, many families in Bass are doing it tough. But, since being elected to government in 2022, the Labor government has ensured that the people of Bass have already saved more than $9.2 million at the pharmacy counter. That is $9.2 million that families have been able to keep in their pockets, $9.2 million that has meant older Tasmanians can keep taking their medicines without having to skip doses and $9.2 million that has meant parents can afford both asthma medication and groceries. Across Tasmania as a whole, our state savings since 2022 total more than $32 million. That is what cost-of-living relief looks like on the ground—real savings for real people on every corner of our island. As I mentioned, pharmacists in Launceston and right across Bass have told me the same thing again and again. They've seen too many people walking away from the counter without their medications, too many saying, 'I will come back next week when I get paid.' This isn't just an anecdote. National data confirms it. Last year 1.2 million Australians delayed or went without filling a prescription because of the cost. We know what happens when people can't afford their medicines. Their physical and their emotional health suffers. When their health suffers, our health system bears the cost—more hospitalisations, more acute episodes and more pressure on GPs and emergency departments. This bill is not just about cheaper scripts. It's about better health outcomes, stronger families and healthier, happier communities. There's also a powerful case economically for cheaper medicines. Every time someone is able to take the medicine that's been prescribed to them, we reduce the risk of a costly hospital admission and we keep people well enough to keep working, studying and caring for their loved ones. Affordable medicines mean fewer people forced into hospital beds because they can't afford to manage their own condition at home or within their community. It means less time off work, less absenteeism and greater productivity. And, over time, it means a reduced burden on our health system—savings not only for households but for the taxpayer. This bill is not just good for health; it is good for the economy. It is smart, responsible policy that invests in people and saves money in the long run. Cheaper medicines are only part of the story. Labor is also making sure that new and life-saving medicines are being added to the PBS. For example, from August this year, a new treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease was listed, cutting the cost from $131,000 a year to, currently, just $31.60 a script. A new combination therapy for stage 3 melanoma was also added, turning a life-saving $31,000 treatment into an affordable PBS medicine. They're not just numbers. These are life-changing reforms for Australians facing some of the toughest health battles imaginable. And then there is neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a rare but aggressive cancer that strikes our very youngest children. Before PBS listing, families faced bills of more than $417,000, nearly half a million dollars, for the medicine Ifinwil. I was very close to a family whose beautiful baby girl was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the first few months of her life. The physical and emotional toll this takes on a family and those who support them is unspeakable. At those times, every ounce of energy goes into caring, loving and hoping. The very last thing that any parent should have to worry about is whether they can actually afford life-saving treatment for their child. I'm so happy to say that this particular girl beat the odds, thanks to the great work of our healthcare system and the absolute, unbreakable tenacity of her incredible family. She's a fit and healthy teenager whose main concerns are similar to the everyday challenges for her peers. That is why the PBS matters, that is why cheaper medicines matter and that is why our robust healthcare system matters. It's not just economics; it's dignity, it's relief and it's hope. Our government's commitment to health goes beyond that pharmacy counter. In Launceston we have a busy Medicare mental health clinic, which is a safe and welcoming environment where people can get support free of charge in in a quiet, beautiful place. It has become almost a second home to some. We also have the Launceston Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which has seen over 38,000 visits in just two years. It's one of the busiest in the nation. This has saved an estimated and self-reported around 19,000 trips to the emergency room at our LGH. That is thousands of families who are able to see a GP, get treatment and avoid waiting hours in a cramped and very uncomfortable emergency department. In Bass we're also lucky enough to have an endometriosis and pelvic pain clinic, which is run exquisitely well by Family Planning Tasmania. For women and those with a uterus who have lived in pain and dismissal for too long, this service has been life changing. I've spoken with women who in the past were made to doubt themselves and made to feel weak by doctors who had not had the opportunity to learn more about endometriosis. We are now working towards a future, through these clinics and through greater public awareness, where nobody will ever feel dismissed again. These investments show Labor's vision in action: health care that is affordable, accessible and close to home. Let's be clear. Labor is the party of Medicare. Labor is the party of cheaper medicines. The last time PBS medicines cost $25 or less was in 2004—again, under a Labor government. For nearly a decade, those opposite had the chance to act. They had a chance to ease that burden at the pharmacy counter, but they didn't do it. It is Labor—it is the Albanese government—who is once again stepping up to fix this. And we're not just planning for today. This is very important in that traditional three-year cycle of government. We're actually looking ahead to 2030. The freeze for concession medicines will remain in place until then, locking in affordability for pensioners and concession card holders for the rest of the decade. Our approach is clear: health care is a right; it is not a privilege. Every reform we deliver builds towards a healthier and fairer future for all Australians. In just three years the maximum cost of each script on the PBS will have dropped from $42.50 to just $25. I think back to that family that I mentioned earlier. I imagine the relief in their home when they can afford their children's medication, week after week, without sacrificing the groceries. Imagine the difference for children in classrooms across the country—comfortable, focused and thriving. That is what this bill delivers: fairness, dignity and opportunity. The size of your bank balance should never determine whether you or your children can get the medicine or the care that you need. This bill ensures that in Bass, and across Australia, families can care for their health without having to choose between food and medicine. That is what good government looks like and that is what Labor delivers. I am proud to commend this bill to the House. 13:16 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby Australia has a world-class health system. Despite its challenges, if you're sick or injured, you wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Underpinning this is a commitment to health equity. Thanks to Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Australia is a country where the health care that you receive isn't related to your income or your status. Medicare is a cornerstone of our national identity and one of the great social reforms of our time. It ensures that health care is available according to your need, not your ability to pay. Consequently, our health at a population level is among the best in the world. This bill, the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, goes to the heart of what good government should be about: making life fairer, healthier and more affordable for Australians. It reflects the values that brought me to this parliament—the belief that no-one should have to decide whether they can afford essential medicines or which one is the most important; the belief that access to affordable health care is not a privilege for the wealthy but a right for every Australian. My career in health and in the not-for-profits has always been about health equity, because, if we are really going to maintain our health as a community, we need everyone to be able to benefit—statistically, to move the mean and the tail of health outcomes. Access to affordable primary care and affordable pharmaceuticals is vital to maintaining our health as individuals. In a former life, my title in SA Health was General Manager Population Health Equity. I was honoured to represent the Minister for Health and Ageing at the Adelaide Primary Health Network's Health Equity Awards on the weekend. If I can deviate slightly, I would like to congratulate late NEAMI, Youturn, STARRS—Survivors of Torture and Trauma—LELAN and Relationships Australia on their awards, and I thank them for their work addressing health equity in specific populations in Adelaide. Returning to this bill, an important part of health equity is being able to afford the treatments that you need. Medication is important in treatment but also in prevention: primary prevention, preventing you becoming ill; secondary prevention, preventing a disease progressing; and tertiary prevention, minimising the impacts of the disease or illness. But there is absolutely no point in getting a prescription if you can't afford to have it filled. So much of the health management that comes from medication occurs in the community setting: people filling prescriptions at their local pharmacy and managing their health on a day-to-day basis at home. The story of cheaper medicines in Australia is a story about fairness. It is about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, one of the great Labor reforms of the 20th century. It is about successive governments recognising that health care is not simply a line in the budget but the foundation of a decent and inclusive society. It is about the choices we face in this chamber: do we build a system that relieves pressure on families or do we allow cost to become a barrier to care? The bill before us makes the right choice. Managing the cost of prescription medicines is one of the most frequent concerns raised with me by older Australians, by families managing chronic conditions and by younger people struggling with unexpected illness. A survey by the Consumers Health Forum recently found that one in eight Australians have delayed or gone without filling a prescription because of cost. Think about that—more than two million Australians making the awful choice to risk their health because they simply cannot afford the medication. This is not an abstract problem. It's a problem that shortens lives. When people skip their heart medication, they risk a heart attack. When they delay filling their asthma inhaler, they risk hospitalisation or worse. When they forgo their diabetes medication, they risk losing their eyesight or their limbs. The downstream costs to the health system are enormous, but, more importantly, the human costs are devastating. That's why this bill matters. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 builds on the reforms introduced by the Albanese government in the last term, and it's worth doing a little history on those changes. The urgent care clinics—we have one at Marion, which has had probably around 20,000 visits since it opened in November 2023—are so important to enable people to get quick care and stay out of the hospital emergency department. There are the endometriosis clinics. We have one in Glenelg, which services metropolitan Adelaide. Again, women who have suffered with pelvic pain for their entire lives are having life-changing treatments. We had the largest increase in Medicare ever and an increase in bulk-billing, in my area, of over four per cent. At the recent election, there was a $150 million commitment to Flinders University, which they're matching, which will enable 1,300 new nurses and allied health workers to be trained and graduated every year, and 10,000 appointments to be free or low cost to patients in the community. In 2023, we introduced the largest cut to the cost of PBS medicines in the history of the PBS. In 2022, we enabled Australians to access more free and cheaper medicines sooner through a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a concessional patient must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in. Beginning in September 2023, 60-day prescriptions were introduced in three phases, meaning you can get two months of medication for the price of one for many regular medications. The prices of PBS medications were frozen in January 2025, with co-payments not rising with inflation for the first time in 25 years. Residents in Boothby have already saved over $13 million on pharmaceuticals as a result of the Albanese government's cheaper medicines agenda. This bill takes the next step by further lowering the maximum PBS co-payment from $31.60 to $25 from January 2026. The last time medicines cost no more than $25 was 2004, a long time ago. My children were about to start school in 2004. They're now well and truly adults. This is a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum price of PBS medicines and will save Australians collectively over $200 million every year. Four out of five PBS medicines will be cheaper as a result of this bill. For pensioners and concession card holders, the co-payment will continue to be frozen at $7.70 until 2030. Together, these measures represent one of the most significant expansions in affordable access to medicines since the PBS itself was created, and it's not an exaggeration to say that this bill will save lives. This bill also builds on a prior Labor legacy. It's worth remembering how we got here. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme was introduced by the Chifley Labor government in 1948 against strong opposition. In fact, it took a referendum to secure the right of the Commonwealth to run it. That courage—Labor courage—means that, today, Australians pay a fraction of what people in other countries pay for essential medicines. Let us not forget that, in the United States, without universal coverage, medication that would cost $25 here can cost hundreds of dollars there. When we reflect on our world-class health system here in Australia, it is worth looking at the comparison with the United States. The US has the most expensive health system in the world and worse health outcomes at a population level than almost every other high-income country. Australians know, if you get sick or injured, you wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world than right here in Australia with our Medicare system and our PBS. That's why, on this side of the House, we are constantly talking about Medicare and the PBS, because it really matters. The Albanese government is proudly continuing that Labor tradition. Labor are the party of Medicare and the PBS, and we are once again making the system fairer and stronger. The health economics of this bill stack up. Every dollar we invest in affordable medicines saves many more down the track. When I studied public health, the quoted metric was that $1 of primary health prevention was the equivalent of $9 of savings at the tertiary level—that's your hospital system. It's probably only gone up. That's not to mention the cost of the burden of disease in the community in terms of lost productivity, lost personal income, the cost to social and familial connections, absenteeism, the cost to quality of life and live expectancy. Preventing one hospitalisation more than pays for the cost of lowering co-payments. Avoiding one medical emergency spares not only the patient suffering but also the strain on our hospitals and emergency departments. The long-term savings for our health system will outweigh the upfront costs. This is preventive health at its best: evidence based, targeted, and fiscally responsible. Much as I love the data of health economics, this bill is about equity. We know that health inequality tracks closely with income inequality. Australians on lower incomes live shorter lives, experience higher rates of chronic illness and face greater barriers to care. Cheaper medicines are one of the most direct ways to reduce that gap. Older Australians are more likely to be heavy users of the health system and medications. Cheaper medicines help them to be able to remain healthy in the community, avoid hospitalisations and stay at home and out of aged care as long as possible, enjoying better quality of life and longer lives. When we lower the cost of medicines, we are not just helping individuals; we are helping the whole community. We are ensuring that people can stay in the workforce, care for their families and participate fully in society. We are sending the message that every Australian, no matter what their income, has the right to good health. We are moving the mean and the tail of health status in our society. The cheaper-medicines bill is part of a broader health reform agenda. This government is strengthening Medicare, expanding bulk-billing, investing in urgent care clinics and increasing support for mental health. We're tackling the social determinants of health through housing policy, through education and through support for secure, well-paid jobs, because we know that health is not just about what happens in the doctor's office; it is about the conditions in which people live, work and age. This bill complements those efforts. It's a practical, targeted and highly effective way to reduce inequality and improve health outcomes. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 is not just another piece of legislation. It is a statement of values. It says that in Australia your health should not depend on your wealth. It says that we are a nation that looks after each other, that believes in fairness and that puts people before profit. This bill will save lives. It will reduce pressure on families. It will reduce pressure on the hospital system. It will strengthen our health system. It will reaffirm the principle that health care is a right, not a privilege. For all these reasons, I commend the bill to the House. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 48 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Fairfax Electorate: Nambour 48 13:29 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax Lying at the foot of the Blackall Range on the Sunshine Coast is the beautiful town of Nambour. I can tell you that Nambour has it all. It has the most extraordinarily beautiful local environment and transportation connectivity which is second to none—road, rail, right next to the Bruce Highway. It has schools and hospitals that are likewise absolutely excellent. It has a community which is close-knit; they give each other support and they're building that local economy. But Nambour has been struggling of late, and that is evidenced by a petition which has garnered around 1,500 signatures, which says: 'Make our parks and public spaces safe again.' This reflects an influx of people, where there is no accommodation for them in the town. Homelessness is something that I care deeply about and it's why I have secured around $4 million to address local homelessness over recent years. But the influx of people is impacting not just homelessness; it is leading to a lot of antisocial behaviour, to people feeling unsafe, to businesses being worried about their staff and households being worried about their youngsters. I want to assure the people of Nambour that the three levels of government are working together to find an integrated solution. Bright days will indeed be again ahead. Housing 49 13:30 Ms TRISH COOK 312871 Bullwinkel Many Australians are working hard, doing the best things for their families and putting money aside each week for a housing deposit. But, too often, the dream of homeownership feels like it's slipping further away. When I'm out doorknocking in Bullwinkel, I hear the same questions again and again: 'How I will ever afford to buy a home? I can afford rent but how will I be able to buy a home? How will my kids afford one of their own?' Right now, buying a home has become a dream for the lucky few and those who are fortunate to have the bank of mum and dad to go to. But that's why Labor is acting. From 1 October 2025, every first home buyer will be able to purchase a home with just a five per cent deposit and they won't pay a cent in lenders mortgage insurance. For the average person, this will shave years off saving for a home deposit. This is a change that brings hope to the younger generation, and it's a relief for parents close to retirement—parents who may have felt obligated to dip into their savings or pull out money from their own super just to help their adult children get a foot on the home ladder. We're also continuing the largest housing build in Australian history, because more housing means more affordable homes, and we're investing $10 billion to build up to 100,000 homes— (Time expired) Richardson, Lt Col. Eric Alexander, OAM (Retired) 49 13:32 Ms PENFOLD 248895 Lyne I rise to recognise the late Lieutenant Colonel Eric Richardson, OAM, a man of family, community and country. Eric was born in Wingham on 15 December 1932, a sixth-generation Wingham local. At 14, Eric left school to work in the family butcher business, and soon, after turning 17, joined the Citizen Military Forces. In 1957, Eric married Hope. They raised two children. Following 12 years of dedicated service as a member of the CMF, Eric entered the Army in 1963, with the rank of captain, and served in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment for Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. In 1969, he joined the Wingham RSL Sub-branch. His service would eventually see him made a life member in 1996 and recognised with the prestigious medal for meritorious service in 2014. In 1982, Eric retired from the Army, allowing him to devote himself to the community. Eric's contributions are significant and include: deputy mayor and greater Taree city councillor, founder and president of the Manning Valley beef week committee, member and chair of the Tocal agricultural college board, and founder and chair of the Wingham Scottish festival. For this he was awarded an OAM in 1997. I, along with many distinguished community members, attended his funeral at the Wingham town hall on 8 August. I extend my sincere condolences to Mave and the family. May he rest— (Time expired) Housing 49 13:34 Ms COMER 316551 Petrie Millennials like me have been told for years that, if we stopped buying smashed avo on toast and oat iced lattes, we could all afford a house. Well, I've done the maths: it doesn't add up, when considering the dramatic increases in house prices in my community. Even if I skipped breakfast every day, I'd still fall short tens of thousands in the deposit for a home. What will make a difference isn't skipping breakfast and coffees; it's policies like the five per cent deposit scheme, so that people in Petrie, young and old, can finally get their fair go at owning at a house. That's why the five per cent deposit scheme, starting on 1 October, means so much to me personally. It means that people like me—people who rent, people who are saving while juggling everyday costs—finally have a real chance to step into the market. For the first time, owning a home feels within reach, not like some distant dream. I speak about this not just as a representative but also as someone who understands what it's like to rent. Like so many people in Petrie, I've paid rent week after week, knowing that every dollar going out the door could have gone towards my own home. I know I'm not alone. Thousands of renters across Petrie are in the same position: working hard, doing their best, just wanting the security of a place to truly call their own. This policy is about giving us that shot. Disability Services 49 13:35 Dr RYAN 297660 Kooyong Across Australia, supported independent living providers are withdrawing from specialist disability accommodation settings. They're leaving families scrambling to secure care for their loved ones. This issue is particularly acute in Victoria, where an oversupply of SDA dwellings, workforce shortages and regulatory uncertainty are making it really hard for providers to stay in the market. One of my constituents, Jeremy Lipshut, has profound autism and is non-verbal. He requires full-time support. He's lived in the same group home in Camberwell since 2008. It's been his only adult home. In July, his family was told that Scope, his SIL provider, was withdrawing from the system. They were given three options: to move Jeremy to another group home, to find a new home with a different provider or to stay put and try to source a new SIL provider themselves. Jeremy's family has received no direct guidance from the NDIA, despite asking for help on multiple occasions. That help has not been forthcoming. They have no clear pathway to ensure his continuity of care. The system is failing them. This is not just around Jeremy. This reflects a system that leaves families to navigate really complex transitions alone, so I'm calling for the NDIA to do its job and provide quality care for all people with a disability. Beggs, Mrs Pamela Anne 50 13:37 Mr FRENCH 316550 Moore I rise to recognise Pam Beggs, local legend, Labor stalwart and a woman whose service shaped Perth's north. Pam served in the WA parliament from 1983 to 1993 as the member for Whitford. Among the first women in the WA Labor ministry, she held key portfolios, including Tourism, Housing and Transport. As housing minister, she worked with Homeswest to expand affordable homes for young families across the north. Today, Labor builds on that legacy with our new policy helping first homebuyers secure a property with a five per cent deposit. Later, as transport minister, she championed the northern rail and, in 1992, rode the first train to Joondalup, a milestone that has set up the growth in our electorate. Her commitment did not stop at the chamber door. As the president of the Whitford Senior Citizens' Club and through many other groups, Pam keeps showing up. Earlier this month, the City of Joondalup recognised her as an honorary freeman, acknowledgement of her decades of service. Pam's tireless energy has powered Labor campaigns federally and in WA. Pam was there for my campaign in Moore and on state campaigns in Hillarys, at prepoll, on the phones, rallying volunteers and offering the steady counsel only a former MP can provide. Pam, on behalf of a grateful community: thank you. Fowler Electorate: Community Events 50 13:38 Ms LE 295676 Fowler It is a privilege to be in this House and to shine a light on the young people in my community of Fowler. In July, I attended a look-and-learn barbering workshop at St Johns Park High School, where students explored a rewarding career path with MJ, whose barbering journey began long before he arrived here in Australia as a refugee in 2011. I thank Principal Steven Mosidis and Nicholas Chambour, head teacher for careers and educational pathways, of the Cowpasture Network, for creating this important opportunity. July also marked the reformation of my Fowler Youth Advisory Committee, which I established when I was first elected to engage with young people in my community. This term's 23 young leaders will meet bimonthly to share the issues facing our youth and give me valuable feedback on legislation debated here. I also want to acknowledge the work of the National Leadership Forum, who'll be gathering here this week from tomorrow—a program that inspires and encourages young people to engage in politics and their communities. Since my first term, I have proudly nominated and financially supported young people from Fowler to participate in the forum, including some of our local businesses, such as the Cabra golf club, who have committed to support these young people. It is vital that our young people are not left behind when it comes to accessing opportunities that will develop their leadership skills and enable them to give back to our wonderful community and nation. Housing 50 13:40 Ms WITTY 316660 Melbourne For too long the dream of homeownership has felt like 'a cruel summer' for young people in Melbourne—working hard, saving what they can, but never quite getting there. That's why Labor's five per cent deposit policy matters. It gives first home buyers 'a place in this world', a real chance to step out of their endless renting into stability. Too many feel they don't belong in the market, but they do. They can find a home and say 'you belong with me'. For young couples and families, this is a 'love story' of security and possibility. From October, 'everything has changed'. It will take years less to save for a deposit and no-one will pay a single dollar in mortgage insurance. When you finally hold the keys, that's the moment to say 'long live' the hope of owning your own home. This policy is about building communities, not just houses, because 'new romantics' are moving in, bringing fresh energy and ideas into our city. Let's be clear. Renters shouldn't feel like 'all you had to do was stay' when all they want is a fair go at buying, nor should Melbourne miss out because in the past others said 'this is why we can't have nice things'. Labor is changing that. We're making it easier to buy your first home and giving more people the security of a place to love to call their own. (Time expired) Drought 50 13:41 Mr PASIN 240756 Barker I rise to inform the House that much of the agricultural districts of South Australia remain in the grip of a desperate drought—not that those opposite care much about that. I just received a phone call from one of the mayors who himself is dealing with drought on his property but is advocating on behalf of his constituents. He can't get a meeting with anyone in any position of relevancy among those opposite. He's used to it because there's almost no support coming from the South Australian Labor government. So who is delivering support? I want to give a shout-out to one group—the Rapid Relief Team. This is a group of businesspeople getting together and saying: 'You know what? We're not going to wait for a government who should meet their obligations to assist their fellow Australians in a desperate situation.' They're out there. They're collecting donated hay. They're delivering it. I give a shout-out to them. I'll be with them this Friday at Browns Well, where they'll be giving out high-quality hay. They'll be sharing a cuppa and feed with these farmers and providing them with the support that should be coming from those opposite and Premier Malinauskas and his team. They haven't just done it at Browns Well. They've been at Streaky Bay, with 200 farmers. There's been 84 farmers at other locations. Congratulations to them. It's a pity that those opposite— (Time expired) Housing 51 13:43 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan I am proud to be part of a government that is building, not blocking. We are backing renters; we're not flipping or flopping. We believe that renters shouldn't have to rent forever. That's why we're bringing housing deposits down to five per cent for the first time for first home buyers. Because I am into maths, as some of you may know—and, yes, my gender is female!—the median house price is $844,000. Five per cent of that is $42,000. The last time that you could buy a house with a $42,000 deposit was 2002. I believe that's when the member for Perth and I were at Curtin University. That goes back a very long time! If you were born in 2002, you could be at uni right now. Not only are we doing that; we are also taking your HECS debt down. Down, down, everything's going down because—I'm going to say it—everyone is down with the Labor government. We are working hard to make a positive difference for the lives of people in Australia, whether they're young people wanting to buy their first house or they're uni students. That's because we care, and that was shown at the federal election. (Time expired) Bowman Electorate: Public Transport 51 13:45 Mr PIKE 300120 Bowman Half of those employed in my Redlands community leave the city to commute to their workplace. For many, it means burning long hours every day sitting in traffic, crawling into Brisbane, into Logan or further afield on a train or a bus. That's why I've been pushing hard to get the Brisbane Metro extended to Capalaba. The metro isn't just another bus service; it's a complete mode shift, with fast, electric, high-capacity vehicles running on dedicated busways. There are no red lights and no traffic jams, just turn-up-and-go services that actually stick to their timetable. Right now, a bus from Capalaba to the Brisbane CBD will take you at least 45 minutes. The metro would halve that time. That's not just a boost to productivity; that's giving families back that precious time at home. The metro could be locked in as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic legacy. A line to Capalaba links directly with the Olympic venues at Chandler and Birkdale. I want to congratulate Premier Crisafulli and Lord Mayor Schrinner for driving the metro expansions forward. Their partnership has put us on the right track—or, should I say, in the right lane. It was good to see bipartisan commitments for federal funding to deliver a business case for Capalaba and other extensions, but that's just the boarding pass. The real journey lies ahead. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to change the route of our city's future. I'm asking all levels of government to work together so we don't miss the bus. Housing 51 13:46 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite Owning a home—a place to raise a family, put down roots and be part of the community—has always been at the heart of the Australian dream. This is despite Australians enduring a decade of coalition governments that advised all young people to rely on their parents to buy a home. This approach failed a generation of Australians who simply wanted a fair go—a place to call home. Australians deserve better. They now have a Labor government that listens, that understands the real challenges families are facing and that is taking action to help make the dream of homeownership achievable once again. From 1 October, first home buyers will be able to buy a home with just a five per cent deposit and without having to pay lenders mortgage insurance. This one change alone will save families thousands upon thousands of dollars and give them security, stability and hope for the future. Already, so many people across my region have been able to buy their first home through the Home Guarantee Scheme, and, from October, even more Australians will share in that opportunity. Opportunity is at the heart of our $43 billion Homes for Australia plan, the most significant investment in housing in decades. We are building more social and affordable homes, supporting build to rent and unlocking supply right across the country. Put simply, it's what Australians deserve—security, stability, hope for the future and a place to call home. Renewable Energy: Human Trafficking 52 13:48 Mr SMALL 291406 Forrest I rise today to call out growing concerns about the presence of forced labour in the supply chains of solar panel manufacturing, particularly in relation to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Recent reports, including those from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Pulitzer Center, the BBC, the New York Post and Australia's own Walk Free foundation, have highlighted widespread use of coerced labour in the production of polysilicon, an important component in solar panels. Sky News's Paul Murray recently stated that he didn't think anyone in this building would call it out. Well, Paul, to you and to the Forrest constituents who got in touch with me about this: let me confirm that I wrote to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy on 6 August to do exactly that. The United States has already taken steps to restrict the imports of solar materials linked to forced labour, and I understand that the United Kingdom has very recently legislated similar measures with respect to the state owned energy entity GB Energy. I haven't yet received a response from the minister, which indicates to me that simple questions like, 'Is the Australian government currently monitoring the origin of solar panel imports and assessing the risk of forced labour in their supply chains?' are attracting surprisingly difficult answers. If Minister Bowen's green dreams are, in fact, tainted with the blood, sweat and tears of persecuted slaves, the stain upon our country will be an eternal shame. Youth Leadership 52 13:49 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon Policies such as the five per cent housing deposit are about assisting Australians into homeownership. It's just one example of everything that we're doing, along with fee-free TAFE and HECS debt relief, to assist young Australians to get ahead. Young people in the Northern Territory who I'm proud to represent are showing great initiative, and a local example is Youth Yarn, which is led and driven by the young people themselves. On Saturday evening just past, Youth Yarn, in collaboration with Malak markets and Pathfinders NT, hosted the first-ever youth takeover at Malak markets. Youth-led business stalls and fantastic live performances were a platform for young people to showcase their skills, connect with the community and build their confidence. This week here in Canberra I'll co-chair the National Leadership Forum, Australia's leading event for developing young leaders, including young Territorians who have come down from Darwin and Alice Springs and young people from every state in the Commonwealth, as well as Pacific leaders, to explore and expand their leadership through the lens of values, compassion and connection. In Darwin we have federal funding for a youth engagement hub. Unfortunately, the CLP NT government has not progressed the building of this hub. We need these places for mentorship, leadership and support of our young people so that they can flourish. Veterans 52 13:51 Mr REBELLO 316547 McPherson I recently had the privilege of joining veterans, their families and our community at the Currumbin RSL to mark Victory in the Pacific Day. It was a moving ceremony, a moment to reflect on the end of the Second World War in the Pacific and on the courage of the Australians who stood in defence of our freedom. As always, I was struck by the quiet dignity of our veterans and reminded of the gratitude we owe them for the prosperity we enjoy today. That is why what occurred in Mudgeeraba over the following weekend was so deeply disappointing. The war mural which depicts the Battle of Beersheba, one of Australia's defining victories in the First World War, was defaced with political graffiti. To vandalise a memorial of this kind is to dishonour the men of the Light Horse and all those who have worn our nation's uniform. We live in a great democracy where every Australian has the freedom to voice their opinion, to peacefully protest and to be heard. But that right must never come at the expense of respect for those who have secured that very freedom. Disfiguring a war memorial is not political expression. It disrespects our history and dishonours our veterans. Our veterans deserve better. They deserve to be honoured, not desecrated. We must reaffirm the respect, gratitude and reverence that every Australian owes to those who fought for our freedom. Housing 52 13:52 Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Hunter Labor's new housing policy is a real game changer. From 1 October, first home buyers can get into the market with just a five per cent deposit and no mortgage insurance. This is real help, cutting years off the time it takes to save for a home. Take Taylor and Travis, a newly engaged young couple from my electorate. Like so many others, they've been working hard, feeling like they're 'out of the woods' but never quite there. Before this policy, buying a house felt like 'a cruel summer': sweat, struggle and no relief. But now, with Labor's plan, they're finally 'fearless'. Instead of paying thousands in mortgage insurance, they'll walk into the bank and say, '"Look what you made me do." Hand us the keys.' They'll be standing in the lounge room thinking, 'This is a state of grace.' No more 'teardrops on my guitar'—just new carpet and a barbecue out the back. Meanwhile, the 'anti-hero' opposite wants young people to raid their super. That's not love; that's 'treacherous'. It's telling people 'you need to calm down' about retirement, when really you're being left behind. It's 'a nightmare dressed like a daydream'. With Labor, young couples like Taylor and Travis get security and stability, because when it comes to housing we don't want people to just 'shake it off'; we want them to know, with their first set of house keys in hand, 'you belong with me'! Trade with the United States of America 53 13:54 Mrs McINTOSH 281513 Lindsay The tariff dispute our nation finds itself in with the United States keeps getting worse. Yesterday Australia Post announced it would immediately stop some postal services to the United States and Puerto Rico. This decision will have major economic impacts on so many small businesses right across Australia. Australia Post is our national postage service, and the Albanese Labor government must get answers on when this will be resolved. As we all know, there are more tariff issues going on in the communications space. The Prime Minister gave an iron-clad guarantee that we would have an answer on this as soon as possible and that it was not up for negotiation when it came to the news bargaining incentive. We're still waiting. We're in the dark on the consultation paper, and this was promised early this year. This policy is meant to protect Australian content and ensure local media companies and journalists are paid for their work that big tech host online. This is another failure by the government. It has been 294 days since the United States President was elected. We now have a postal service that is disrupted, halted policies and businesses on edge. It begs the question: why hasn't the Prime Minister put Australians first and met with the President to discuss the tariff dispute which continues to impact our economy? Housing 53 13:55 Ms DOYLE 299962 Aston One of the greatest challenges for young people in Aston is that, despite their hard work and saving efforts, many still struggle to buy their first home. For these young people in my community, a 20 per cent deposit is daunting, and, if they can't get to 20 per cent, they have to pay for mortgage insurance as well. Across the course of the election campaign, I heard these concerns loud and clear. Since being re-elected, this government has been working hard to address this challenge. From 1 October this year, we are expanding our first home buyer scheme, a scheme that's already been assisting hundreds of people in my electorate to buy their first home. These expansions mean that from 1 October, every first home buyer in Aston will only need a five per cent deposit to enter the housing market and buy their first home. Additionally, we're going to remove income caps, and we're lifting the property caps from $800,000 to $950,000 in the city of Melbourne. This means a $1 million home in my electorate will only require a $50,000 deposit instead of a $200,000 deposit. However, this is not the only thing this government has done to assist people into housing. Since being re-elected, we have paused the National Construction Code and are fast-tracking 26,000 homes stuck in the approval process. We are building more social and affordable housing, and we've invested over $43 billion in the Homes for Australia plan. These reforms are giving Australians a chance to step into their first home, build security for their families and invest in their futures. Electorate of Wannon: Infrastructure 53 13:57 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon The Prime Minister's going to be going to the Bush Summit in Ballarat on Friday. Just so I can help him with his talking points, I say to his advisors, 'Listen up, these are the issues that the people in my electorate will want to discuss with the Prime Minister.' They're actually going to go to Ballarat and deliver the message because the Prime Minister won't go down the highway to see them. They'll want to talk drought and what is this government doing to help them at this time of drought. Are they going to deliver the $30 million for the East Grampians Rural Pipeline? We need that money. The state government, who are broke, have committed to it. When is the federal government going to stump up? He could drive down the Western Highway and see the importance of road funding and how we need much more road funding. We've got the infrastructure minister here. When he gets past Buangor, he'll be able to see that the duplication stops for no good reason. When are you going to finish it? We could talk about social licence for transmission lines and renewable energy targets. When are you going to do something around social licence? Then, of course, there is the Victorian state government's fire services tax. Will the Prime Minister say to the Premier, 'Scrap the tax.' The worst thing you can do to volunteers in the community is to tax them for keeping the communities safe. At the same time, he could talk about unrealised capital gains and what's that going to go to farmers, and I could go on and on and on because there is— The SPEAKER 53517 I give the call to the member for Macnamara. Housing 54 13:58 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara The member for Wannon is still going. Take a seat man; have an aspirin. It was the good old days when the Liberal Party used to support first home buyers. In 2019, the previous member for Deakin said that it can take up to 10 years to save for a full 20 per cent deposit. There was also another person who said: …anything that encourages young people to save for their first home—or, in fact, save at all—has got to be a good thing. That was, in fact, Sussan Ley, the Leader of the Opposition, back in 2008. She also said: 'First home buyers are finding it harder to borrow money in 2023.' But you can't listen to the Leader of the Opposition to work out what their policies are. You've got to go to Liberal Party conferences around the country, or you've got to go and listen to what the shadow ministers are saying because they're the ones who are really dictating the policies of those sitting opposite. There's one person who's been very busy, and he's been commenting on our five per cent home deposit scheme. This person called it 'absolute insanity'; that's fighting words from them. They even called it 'a crazy idea that the nation can't afford'. Who was that? It wasn't the Leader of the Opposition. It was the Liberal spokesperson for housing. Australians are voting in their droves, because on Monday thousands of Australians visited the Housing Australia website to try and get some information about our five per cent home deposit scheme. They know this side of the House backs first home buyers. This side of the House wants people to get into the housing market, and those opposite are only interested in undermining the Leader of the Opposition. The SPEAKER 53517 In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 54 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE International Relations: Australia and Iran 54 14:00 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer My question is to the Prime Minister. The coalition welcomes the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and stands ready to pass laws today to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. We called on the government to expel the ambassador last year and demanded the IRGC be listed as a terrorist organisation more than two years ago. Since then, the Iranian regime has sponsored attacks on Australian soil. Prime Minister, why didn't you act sooner when the warnings were so clear and the risks so grave? 14:01 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler The bipartisanship shown yesterday in the statements, 'We offer unequivocal bipartisan support to what is the response of the government,' and, 'I want to make it abundantly clear on behalf of the coalition that, while we sit opposite from the government in this chamber, we are entirely united behind the measures announced,' hasn't lasted that long. The member for Canning did an interview this morning where he was asked, 'Why didn't the coalition list it during its time in government?' The member for Canning responded: That's a good question. I was the chair of the intelligence committee. I was always keen to list it. That's for whoever was in government then to explain. To be very clear, he's talking about the then attorney-general, the then leadership and the various ministers that were then in office. That interview was today. He did another interview yesterday. Yesterday he said, 'I think we should have listed the IRGC sooner, but I understand that our intelligence agencies had to stack it all up and do so in a forensic manner.' We take these issues very seriously. We listen to intelligence agencies. We don't try to second guess them, as occurred with the caravan incident. We wait for the proper advice. We get proper briefings and then we act on them. We act by taking the advice of ASIO as well as the Australian Federal Police. We got the advice on Monday morning and acted as soon as possible, given the need to get Australian personnel out of Tehran safely. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! We're just going to stop the continual interjections, particularly on this matter. The Prime Minister is giving information to the House that I think all members wish to hear. Mr ALBANESE R36 The idea that there was any delay between Monday morning and Tuesday, when we acted for the first time in the postwar era to expel an ambassador—something that those opposite or previous Labor governments had not done in the entire postwar period—is very serious, and it deserves a serious response. It doesn't deserve looking for political distinction. It doesn't deserve the sort of approach that we saw with the interviews that took place between yesterday at two o'clock and this morning. They couldn't resist playing politics. You should be better than that. (Time expired) Housing 55 14:04 Ms WITTY 316660 Melbourne My question is to the Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Cities. How is the Albanese Labor government helping Australians into homeownership and delivering new housing supply? Are there other proposals the government is being asked to consider? 14:05 Ms O'NEIL 140590 Hotham What a great question from our fantastic new member for Melbourne. We had to worry a bit about the old member for Melbourne, but there is no question that we have a pro-housing member in place in an electorate where, without question, the biggest challenge facing her constituents is our nation's housing crisis. I know that she's very proud that, thanks to our build-to-rent changes alone, more than 11,000 secure rentals are in progress in her electorate, with more on the way. Australia's housing crisis has been 40 years in the making. For all of the complexities involved here, there is one simple truth in the heart of it. For that 40-year period, our country has not been building enough homes. Today the housing shortage has become one of the biggest pressures on the lives of Australians. That is why, under this Prime Minister, we are tackling the housing crisis from every possible angle. We're delivering and we're seeing real results for Australians right around the country. Since we've been elected, 180,000 Australians have bought their first home under our five per cent deposit program—and, in case you haven't heard, we're expanding this program to all new homebuyers from 1 October. The days of the 20 per cent deposit are over. It is not just that. A million households around our country have got an almost 50 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance. Half a million homes have been built around our country since we've been in office. New housing approvals are up 30 per cent. We've got 28,000 social and affordable homes in planning or construction. Our build-to-rent scheme is unlocking 80,000 new secure rentals across the city. I'm asked about alternative approaches. I have to say, coming into this new parliament, I was filled with a sense of optimism about the kind of housing conversation that we were going to be able to have. I thought, 'Those opposite have been sent a really clear message at the election, and I hope they're going to listen to it.' I thought we'd have a bit of fresh air in the parliament and a few new faces, and maybe we'd have an opposition that would come into this parliament and work with us constructively to try to address one of the biggest problems in people's lives. Imagine my disappointment when I saw the activities of those opposite over the last few weeks on housing. It wasn't enough that they spent a decade on these benches doing absolutely nothing about a crisis that was building before their very eyes. It wasn't enough that over the last three years those opposite have been consistently housing hypocrites. What we've seen those opposite do is complain daily in the media about what's going wrong, and then, every time they've had the opportunity to do something about it, they've come in, blocked it and delayed action on housing. Don't forget they voted against the Housing Australia Future Fund; they're at it again today in the Senate. We've got a clear plan: build more homes, get renters a better deal and get more Australians into homeownership. National Security 55 14:08 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra My question is to the Prime Minister. For over two years the government has ignored warnings from the Persian community, the Jewish community and the coalition about Iran. Firebombings and terror were the result. For two months the government has had the report of its own antisemitism envoy with actions to protect not just the Jewish community but all Australians but has done nothing. Why is it, when it comes to taking these threats seriously, this government is always playing catch-up? 14:08 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler The member who asked the question has a record of standing up on racial issues across the board, including through his support for Indigenous Australians. What we're seeing here, though, is a political response which is entirely inappropriate and entirely different from the leadership of the Jewish community that he mentions. Indeed— Mr Hawke HWO On a point of order, the Prime Minister couldn't avoid making a reflection on the member for Berowra. It is not a political attack that the member is making; it's a genuine point and it is something that the member for Berowra has a longstanding track record of feeling passionately about. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 The Manager of Opposition Business will pause. The member for Isaacs is warned. I want to hear the point of order, and I'm going to ask you to state the point of order straightaway. Mr Hawke HWO The point of order is the imputation against the member for Berowra that he's doing something for a motivation that is political. He is not. He has a longstanding track record on these issues, and he raised a question. It's completely unnecessary for the Prime Minister to accuse him of being political on a national security issue. The SPEAKER 53517 The Prime Minister was asked a question by the member. He's responding to it. I'll make sure he's being directly relevant and following standing orders. Mr ALBANESE R36 The member for Canning, this morning, went through the process for when he was the chair of the intelligence committee, when the former government was in office. He said this: We put it through the right channels, but nonetheless, here we are now … He said: I had a number of ministers who had a direct interest in the work of the committee, from home affairs, foreign affairs, defence, and so on. Anyone who sat on the national security committee of cabinet had an interest in what we did on the committee. It wasn't listed, but here we are … I thank the member for Canning for his ongoing response when it comes to national security issues, and I acknowledge his service in our uniform. The fact is that the Iranian regime did not come into office after this regime here, in 2022. The Iranian regime have been there for a long period of time and have engaged in activity that has been inappropriate. They have a different world view to everyone in this chamber. That should be a bipartisan position. But the withdrawal of an ambassador is a very serious step, indeed, to take. That is the step that we have taken. When it comes to the revolutionary guard, of course, because it is an arm of the state, the advice that we received is that it will need special legislation, unlike other terror groups which have been listed which are not part of a state operation. That had been the case under the former government, and it's still the case today, which is why we will take the time to get the legislation right and to make sure it is channelled. I hope I get another question, or perhaps I can get an extension. I'm happy to go through what the government have done when it comes to antisemitism across the board, because we have had a comprehensive response. He raises the envoy on antisemitism; we created it. They never did it. Envoys on antisemitism have existed in the United States and in other countries right around the world. (Extension of time granted) I spoke about the establishment and appointment of Jillian Segal as Australia's first Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. One of the first things— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member for Fairfax, the person next to you just asked for an extension so the Prime Minister could list all these things. You asked for this. So everyone is going to be silent now, because you've requested that the Prime Minister list the items, and he's going to do so. Mr ALBANESE R36 One of the first things that Ms Segal did was attend the world envoys on antisemitism conference in South America—because other countries have had envoys for a long period of time. It never happened until this government. We, of course, established Special Operation Avalite with the AFP and the intelligence agencies to combat acts of antisemitism. What they have done is make rather extraordinary findings after hard work about the caravan incident in Sydney and then about the incidents in Melbourne with the Adass synagogue and the restaurant in Bondi—important work going through the chain of command, tracing it to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran and working backwards with those people who were paid both offshore and onshore to commit what are criminal acts driven overseas by antisemitism but driven by some of the perpetrators as simply being petty and, in some cases, not-so-petty criminals in order to be paid to do that. We have imposed new counterterrorism sanctions on terror grounds. We have had a landmark ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols—never happened before—with penalties of one-year imprisonment or a fine of up to $16½ thousand. We've criminalised doxxing, something that was raised by the Jewish community in particular. The legislation was opposed by the coalition when we did it last year. We have worked with states and territories on a national hate crimes and incident database. We've appointed Australia's first national student ombudsman. Just this week on Monday, I met once again, as I have every year for a couple of decades, with the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, talking to them directly about what they had gone through in recent times and talking to them as well about something that is not new. I had the president of National Action, James Saleam, who ended up in jail for murder, who ran for president of Sydney Uni SRC way back in 1983 when I was a student there. Antisemitism is not new. It has been around for a long period of time, as have Neo-Nazis as well. ASIO have warned about the rise of hard-right extremism. Of course, we see it tragically in recent times. We'll have more to say when the police are able to confirm issues, and we await those announcements before we raise them in the House. In the weeks following the 7 October terrorist attack, we committed $25 million for improved safety and security of Jewish sites across the country, including schools. We added to that, within 24 hours of being requested, $32.5 million for security measures for schools and synagogues. We passed legislation to criminalise hate speech. We provided $250,000 towards the replacement and restoration of Torah scrolls in that Adass Israel synagogue, $1.2 million for security upgrades to current buildings and $30 million to restore the synagogue and community centre. I was the first prime minister to visit the school there at Adass Israel. We provided $8½ million to upgrade the Sydney Jewish Museum, where I went with the member for Wentworth, with funding to also go towards the Centre of Jewish Life and Tolerance. We announced $100 million for countering violent extremism. We provided an additional $4 million to expand the social cohesion work of Together for Humanity in schools. We've provided $4.4 million to establish the National Holocaust Education Centre here in Canberra. This will be accessible to the more than 160,000 school students who visit Canberra each year. I myself was able to welcome Enfield Public School here about an hour ago. They might be in the gallery somewhere during question time. It is important that when people visit the centre here, just like they visit the National Gallery, the National Museum or the Australian War Memorial, part of that itinerary for young Australians is raising the issue of antisemitism and education, which we will do. We committed $18 million to the Jewish Arts Quarter in Melbourne. I'm asked also in the original question about the response of the Jewish community. Jeremy Leibler, from the Zionist Federation of Australia, said: the Government's actions today send a powerful and principled message that terrorism, foreign interference, and hate have no place in Australia. AIJAC, the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, said: The government has acted promptly and appropriately in response to ASIO's confirmation of this Iranian aggression against Australia. The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies said: The Government has taken the right and appropriate steps in proscribing the IRGC and expelling Iranian diplomats based in Australia. The Iranian community has responded as well. AUSIRAN said, 'We welcome the Australian government's decision to expel the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran following ASIO's confirmation of the regime's direct involvement in attacks on Australian soil.' The Australian Iranian Community Organisation said: 'We commend Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government for their clear and resolute actions. By taking this courageous stand, Australia is not only safeguarding its own national security but also upholding justice, diversity and the protection of all its citizens regardless of faith or heritage.' We on this side of the House and, I would hope, people across the parliament understand that there are times when the nation should just come together. I would have thought that yesterday was one of those times, and it was. It's a pity it hasn't lasted till today. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 57 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Vietnamese Community in Australia, Youth Steering Committee, Northern Councils Alliance, Spellar, Rt Hon. The Lord, PC 57 14:20 The SPEAKER 53517 Before I call the member for Reid, I'd like to do some acknowledgements for the House. I'm very pleased to inform the House that present in the Special Visitors Gallery today, in the front row of the gallery, are members of the Vietnamese Community in Australia, led by Dr Peter Thang Ha, the president of the Vietnamese Community in Australia New South Wales chapter, and my friends from Queensland Ms Mai Nguyen, the president of the Australian Vietnamese Women's Association, and Mr Bac Lam, representing the Queensland chapter of the Vietnamese Community in Australia. They are all here for a very special event tonight, in recognition of 50 years of Vietnamese settlement in Australia. Welcome to you all. I'm also pleased to inform the House that today we're joined by members of the Youth Steering Committee, a group of young people between 12 and 25, selected from every state and territory to give advice on government policies and programs, and also a delegation from the Northern Councils Alliance, representing the northern suburbs of Melbourne. We have mayors Councillor Elizabeth Nealy, Councillor John Dumaresq, Councillor Kristine Olaris, Councillor Helen Davidson, Councillor Jarrod Bell, Councillor John Dougall and Councillor Martin Taylor, along with staff and CEOs. Finally, we have the Rt Hon. The Lord Spellar, who currently serves as a member of the United Kingdom's House of Lords and is a great friend of Australia. Welcome to you all. Housing 58 14:22 Ms SITOU 298121 Reid My question is to the Treasurer. What do today's monthly inflation numbers say about the housing market? Why is the government's housing plan so important, and how does it contrast with other proposals? 14:22 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Can I salute the influential role that the member for Reid plays in in the delivery of our cost-of-living assistance and also our housing policy. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today showed that headline and underlying inflation ticked up in July, but they were still well within the Reserve Bank's target band. This makes it the eighth month in a row that headline inflation and underlying inflation have come in either within or below the Reserve Bank's target range. Even though these numbers came in a little higher than market economists expected, they are a reminder that inflation has more than halved since we came to government. When we came to office, those opposite left us monthly inflation at 6.1 per cent and absolutely galloping. It's come down substantially under this government, and interest rates have come down three times as a consequence of that. As I've said before—I think I said it during question time this week—and as the Reserve Bank governor said, we know that the monthly inflation figures can jump around a bit. They're less reliable than the quarterly figures. They don't compare the same basket of goods and services from month to month. In this case, the volatile and one-off factors include the timing of the energy rebates. But underneath the headline figures today there were some very encouraging signs on housing. Rental growth was lower because of our boost to Commonwealth rent assistance. Rents rose 3.9 per cent in the year to July. That's still too high, but it would have been 5.1 per cent were it not for the changes that we are delivering to rent assistance. Construction costs grew 0.4 per cent in annual terms. They were growing 19.4 per cent when we came to office. Through our $43 billion Homes for Australia plan, we're investing more in this challenge than any government in the nation's history. We're blitzing the approvals backlog, building more homes, pausing and streamlining the code, fast-tracking assessment of more than 26,000 homes and bringing forward our five per cent deposits for first home buyers. We now know, though, that, in the Senate, those opposite are going to try to disallow our build-to-rent reforms that the industry think will deliver 80,000 new homes. This beggars belief, but it's true to form. If they have their way in the Senate tonight, there'll be 80,000 fewer homes in a country that desperately needs them. They wasted a decade, and we're trying to make up for lost time. We put to the people at the election more homes and smaller deposits. Those opposite put fewer homes and higher prices. Their madness in the Senate shows that they have not learned a thing. They have not changed a bit. All they have is the same nasty negativity that Australians rejected in May, and that will cost our country tens of thousands of homes. Workplace Relations 58 14:25 Ms WATSON-BROWN 300127 Ryan My question is to the Prime Minister. The Australian Council of Trade Unions recently called on the government to implement a four-day working week. Studies have shown that this improves the health and happiness of workers and significantly boosts businesses' productivity. When will the government commit to a national plan for a four-day working week with no loss of pay? Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! There was far too much noise when that member was asking a question. She's entitled to ask a question like anyone else. We do not need the commentary or laughing or guffawing. 14:26 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston I thank the member for her question. Of course, making sure that Australians have decent wages and conditions has been at the heart of what our government have done in our first term and continues to be what we focus on today. In fact, we have in the Senate our penalty rates bill to protect penalty rates. It is disappointing that those opposite have been playing with delaying tactics in the Senate to stop allowing those workers to get the protections they deserve. When it comes to flexibility at work, our government put through laws in the last term that allow workers to request flexibility at work, whether that's the location of where they work or, indeed, how they might have a span of hours, such as compacted work weeks. We believe that we need a strong safety net in this country. There is flexibility for workers and unions as well as employers to get together to organise what works for them. We will continue to make sure protections are in place within the laws but, importantly, encourage enterprise bargaining, where many of these conditions are put into place. One of the key things that our government wants to achieve is to ensure that there is more enterprise bargaining in this country. It fell to a record low under those opposite. I am very, very pleased to report to the House that, as of today, there are more workers covered by enterprise bargaining than ever before in history since enterprise bargaining was first introduced. That is because we have been absolutely focused on getting workers and their unions back to the bargaining table with employers to deliver better wages and better conditions. Housing 59 14:28 Ms COMER 316551 Petrie My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to help Australians in cities and regions into secure housing, and are there any risks? 14:29 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Petrie for her question and congratulate her on her election and her first speech. She welcomed me to North Lakes, where we had good discussions with locals around the shopping centre there over a period of time. They certainly were very keen on our housing policy, because that is a growing area of Queensland. It's a beautiful area of Queensland. It's now serviced by a train line, first promised in 1895 but delivered as a result of our former government's response. Today in parliament, Minister O'Neil formally fast-tracked our five per cent deposit plan for first home buyers to start from 1 October this year. We're bringing it forward so that every Australian who wants to buy a home of their own, whether they live in the city or the bush, can have the opportunity to do so. That includes Wagga Wagga, where I gave a lift to the member for Riverina this morning for the bush summit. Now the average first home buyer in Wagga can save a five per cent deposit in a couple of years, not the usual nine years it would take to save 20 per cent. The same first home buyer will save $27,000 in mortgage insurance, which will make an enormous difference. Think of the difference it will make to young people in the regions as well as in our suburbs. Now, unfortunately, the news hasn't been welcomed by everyone. The coalition's housing spokesperson has had a lot to say about five per cent deposits. He continues to say that it's about helping billionaires. The idea that billionaires are worried about whether it's a five per cent or a 20 per cent deposit for a $700,000 property is just bizarre. Sometimes they get all contorted just trying to find ways to say no. That's what's going on here. But it's worse than that, of course, because now they're coming after renters. Senator Bragg has said that the build-to-rent scheme is 'a massive conspiracy between Mr Chalmers, the unions and the big super funds to become perpetual landlords'. Drum the spooky music background here. But he was beaten by Senator Roberts in the debate over there, who thinks that build to rent is part of the World Economic Forum's agenda—conspiracy theory. I kid you not. These are the bedfellows of those opposite in trying to just oppose everything. It's like they're allergic to helping Australians into housing. They're allergic to trying to help renters. They haven't learnt. They haven't changed. Their negativity is just getting stranger. (Time expired) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 59 14:31 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer My question is to the Prime Minister. In 2023, the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee recommended that the Australian government list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Prime Minister, why did your government take a deliberate decision to reject that recommendation two years ago? 14:32 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler On these issues we take advice from the intelligence agencies. We go through our appropriate processes, including our National Security Committee. We look at the legislation, which, at the moment, would not enable us to list—the legislation that we inherited, as well, from the former government. The member for Canning has made it very clear that he has had that view for a period of time, going back prior to him being a minister—indeed, as chair of the committee—and spoke about the fact that members, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Home Affairs, the former leader of the opposition, the former member for Dickson as well, all sat on those committees. This was a time when the chair of the intelligence committee, according to themselves, was recommending this. What we have done is take advice from the intelligence agencies. That came through on Monday. We had appropriate meetings and acted, like adults, in the national interest. That is what we will continue to do. Regional Australia: Housing 59 14:33 Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Hunter My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. How is the Albanese Labor government improving access to housing for people in regional communities, and what are the contrasts between Labor's plan and other approaches? 14:33 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro I want to thank the member for Hunter for his question. He has an incredible track record of advocating for his community, particularly for affordable housing. So thank you for your work. People in regional Australia know that the Albanese Labor government has their back, and that's why people like the member for Hunter keep getting voted in. It's why we have the members for Bullwinkel, Ballarat and Bendigo. We've got regional members over here replacing many former regional members from that side. I'm really proud to stand up for regional Australia and I'm proud that our government has housing on the national agenda. The importance of homeownership for people in regional Australia has never been greater, and we are a government that is dedicated to building regional Australia's future. We're not going to pick favourites through colour coded spreadsheets. Our government is focused on delivering right across the country, and this includes being able to buy a home for a five per cent deposit. It will be a game changer across regional Australia. It will take years off the time it takes to save a deposit, helping more young people into that dream of homeownership. Whether you're in Branxton or in Bega, you'll be able to get into your own home faster. On this side of the chamber, we have helped more than 38,000 people into homeownership through our regional home guarantee. That is 38,000 more people who are now able to afford to live in the towns that they've grown up in, the towns they work in and the towns they love. Since taking office, the Albanese government has invested nearly 20 times more in crisis and transitional accommodation than the previous coalition did in 10 years. We're delivering practical solutions for people who need crisis accommodation. There are 42 projects underway across the country, supporting housing in regional communities in the Blue Mountains and in Queanbeyan. We are committed to delivering infrastructure across regional Australia, too, which includes partnering with other levels of government to deliver the enabling infrastructure that regional communities need to deliver more homes. Our Housing Support Program is providing millions to regional communities—$27 million to Marulan for their wastewater treatment plant to unlock 400 new homes; $45 million to deliver sewer and water infrastructure in Kempsey, including water treatment plants, to unlock 430 homes; and $10 million for enabling infrastructure at Lake Wyangan, to deliver 500 homes—because, on this side of the House, we want to see more Aussies into homes in the regions that they want to live in. Regional communities know that they can vote Labor and they can get results in their community. Taxation 60 14:36 Mr CONAGHAN 279991 Cowper My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. Will the Assistant Treasurer rule out changes to the fuel tax credit scheme? 14:37 Dr MULINO 132880 Fraser I'm asked about the government's tax policies. What I can say is that the government went to the last election with a very clear set of tax policies. Those tax policies included reducing taxes on every single taxpayer. What I might say is that that reflects successive years in which we have reduced taxes on every single taxpayer. I might say, just by way of contrast—I know this question wasn't about the opposition, but I think it's worth adding in one sentence—there is a direct contrast to those opposite, who went to the last election with an explicit policy of coming into this place after the election and raising taxes on every single taxpayer. Mr Tehan 210911 I have a point of order on relevance. This is a really important question, especially to rural and regional Australia, on the fuel tax credits scheme, and we'd like an answer. The SPEAKER 53517 I thank the member for Wannon. The Assistant Treasurer was not asked about alternative policies. He was not asked about any other things than the specific topic he was asked about. He'll need to make his answer directly relevant, otherwise I'll sit him down. Dr MULINO 132880 What I will say is that those opposite have reduced themselves, when it comes to tax, to this rule-in-rule-out game. What I would say is that our tax policies have not changed. They are to reduce taxes on taxpayers, and that's what I stick by. Veterans 60 14:39 Ms TEESDALE 314526 Bass My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel. What support is the Albanese Labor government providing to our veterans when it comes to housing, and did anyone seek to delay this support for our veterans? 14:39 Mr KEOGH 249147 Burt I thank the member for Bass for her very important question. I know she is concerned to ensure, as I think we all are, that our veterans receive the very best care when they need it and as they deserve. We know that people do better when they have a roof over their head, but we also know that we are in a position to be able to help our veterans get back onto their feet more quickly and get them the support services that they need as well. When people have put on our nation's uniform on our behalf, we have an obligation to make sure that they get that support. Every year, about 6,000 veterans find themselves at risk of homelessness. It's why, in the lead-up to the 2022 election, as part of our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, we specifically committed $30 million of funding to support housing for veterans as well as those wraparound support services. We are doing that to support veterans all over the country with better wellbeing support through our veterans and families hubs and, of course, through our Veterans' Acute Housing Program, which is going to support up to 78 dwellings to provide crisis and transitional accommodation for our veterans and families. It'll mean we'll see housing rolled out across the Far North Queensland, in southern New South Wales, in the southern suburbs of Perth, in Central Queensland, in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, in Victoria and all across the country. Service provision is expected to roll out, commencing from the beginning of 2026, and we'll see more bricks-and-mortar facilities coming through and being delivered all the way through to 2028. You might say, as we hear often from those opposite: 'Why is it taking so long? That was an election commitment in 2022.' And they would be right to ask that question, especially when you consider that it is the voices of those opposite that cause such delay. I think it's worth drawing to the parliament's attention that we're rolling out veteran housing and support in the electorate of the Leader of the Opposition, in the electorate of Flynn and in the electorate of Cowper. Yet, it's those members who were holding up the legislation that would enable us to deliver those support services, just like they're holding up the build-to-rent scheme in the Senate right now. The opposition here has form when it comes to not delivering housing. We are going about delivering housing to support our veterans. We've got the funding going out the door, finally, after delay caused by you, Leader of the Opposition. You caused delay for veteran support in your electorate. If you want to raise it—you were to blame for the delay in that housing being provided. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! I'm going to remind ministers, and particularly Minister Keogh—and it is becoming a little apparent to everyone—that the term 'you' is not the correct term to use when answering and addressing through the chair. Energy 61 14:42 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax My question goes to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer explain to the House why electricity prices have jumped an extraordinary 13 per cent over the past 12 months? 14:43 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin I want to be really clear and say that the very last person on earth that I will be lectured by about energy prices is the member for Fairfax. The last people who took the member for Fairfax seriously on energy prices used to sit over there, and now they watch question time from home. That was the madness of the nuclear meltdown that the member for Fairfax was responsible for, and the pure madness of it was that he wanted to waste hundreds of billions of dollars building nuclear reactors that would push energy prices up, not down. We saved the Australian people from his madness. The SPEAKER 53517 Member for Wannon, I've got this—trust me; I'm sure. The Treasurer wasn't asked about alternative energy sources, but he was asked about prices. He will make sure that he's relating his answer to the question, which was about prices. He can talk about the integers, but not the opposition's policy. Dr CHALMERS 37998 The worst thing for energy prices would be if we went down the path proposed by those opposite, which would have pushed energy prices up, not down. An opposition member interjecting— Dr CHALMERS 37998 You've already had your go, champ. An opposition member interjecting— Dr CHALMERS 37998 You have; you've already had a go. The SPEAKER 53517 We're just going to take a big breath and exhale. The Treasurer will pause for a moment. Member for Wannon— Mr 210911 Mr Speaker, I'm worried the Treasurer is defying your ruling—that's what I'm worried about. The SPEAKER 53517 No, you don't get the chance to just jump up and say what you feel like. I don't know how many times—resume your seat. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Everyone's just going to take the temperature down a little bit. To assist the House, I understand where the member for Wannon's coming from. We will make sure the Treasurer is being directly relevant and gets back to topic. Dr CHALMERS 37998 Thank you, Mr Speaker. The numbers that we saw today, which I ran through a moment ago, were monthly figures which are often impacted by volatile and one-off factors, and they were in this instance. The biggest influence on the number that the shadow Treasurer mentioned is the timing of the energy bill rebates that we are providing on this side of the House and that those opposite don't want us to provide. That does go to a very important difference: this side of the House providing help with electricity bills; that side of the House trying to prevent it. If they had their way, energy prices would be higher. Let me give you some numbers in response to the question the shadow Treasurer asked me. Electricity prices in July would have been 7.9 per cent higher without the energy rebates that we are rolling out with our state and territory colleagues. The second point is that— The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Cook is now warned. Dr CHALMERS 37998 the timing of rebates in WA, Queensland and Tasmania was the biggest contributor to this volatility. And this is the most important point: if you look at the official quarterly figures, electricity fell 6.2 per cent through the year to the June quarter, but they would have risen 1.7 per cent without our rebates, which was the course that those opposite wanted. The SPEAKER 53517 The deputy leader will cease interjecting or will remove himself. This is not on. Come on. The Treasurer will now conclude. Dr CHALMERS 37998 The member for Fairfax can have as many nuclear meltdowns as he likes. The truth is we're helping people with electricity bills; you would prefer that we didn't—and that's the difference. Tertiary Education 62 14:47 Mr DAVID SMITH 276714 Bean My question is to the Minister for Education. How is the Albanese Labor government helping Australians with a HECS debt into homeownership? What has been the response? 14:47 Mr CLARE HWL Blaxland Can I thank my good mate the member for Bean for his question. As I said earlier this week, HECS shouldn't be a handbrake on buying your first home. We want more young Australians to be able to buy a home and that means building more homes and it means making it easier to buy them. That's what the five per cent deposit policy is all about, and that starts in just over a month, on 1 October. We're getting rid of that 20 per cent deposit that you used to have to save up for. We've also got rid of 20 per cent of student debt, cutting student debt by 20 per cent. That will help too. That'll take a massive weight off the shoulders of about three million Australians. The average HECS debt today is about 27 grand, so that 20 per cent cut will cut that debt by about 5½ thousand bucks, and that's a big help. As one uni student, a young bloke called Adam, told me back in November last year, 'It's going to make me able to buy a house sooner and to do all the things that I want to do.' But we haven't just cut student debt by 20 per cent. We've also cut the amount that you have to repay on your student debt every year. If you earn about 70 grand a year at the moment, we've cut the amount that you have to repay every year by about $1,300. That helps too. That's real cost-of-living relief. It means more money in your pocket rather than the government's and it means more money that you can put towards that five per cent deposit. We're also working with the banks on this, to make sure that your HECS debt doesn't make it harder to get a home loan. One of the recommendations in the universities accord—recommendation 16e—is that we should review bank practices to make sure that they recognise that HECS is different to other loans. The truth is HECS debts are different to other debts like credit card debts or personal loans, because you can't default on a HECS debt, so they should be treated differently by the banks. That's why the Treasurer asked APRA to look at this. That's why APRA issued new guidance to the banks about this, and I'm glad to see that a number of banks have already acted. The National Australia Bank, for example, announced last month that student debts of $20,000 or less wouldn't affect how much someone could borrow. So that is good news. We're cutting student debt and we're making it easier for young Australians just out of uni or just out of home to buy their first home. We promised it before the last election, and now we're delivering Mining and Energy Industry 62 14:50 Mr KATTER HX4 Kennedy My question is to the Prime Minister. Glencore's announced closure of Mount Isa's copper smelter and the Townsville refinery takes down 30 supply mines and Australia's giant fertiliser plant. Townsville Enterprise estimates 15,000 jobs will vanish. Glencore's incompetence and unpleasantness notwithstanding, gas prices are $16 whilst in Russia and America they're $6. Surely a gas reserve resource policy is imperative. Further, can financial assistance be given on a conditional 50 per cent government ownership basis only to Glencore? Prime Minister, won't rescuing Mount Isa enrich the aquifers of your soul, enhancing your Christianity and patriotism? 14:51 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Kennedy for his usual eloquence when it comes to asking a question—and, indeed, my spirits have been uplifted whenever I have been with him in Mount Isa, including by being the first prime minister I think since Hawkie to go to the Mount Isa rodeo, as well as when visiting the facilities at Glencore, which I have done on at least four occasions over the years both the member for Kennedy and myself have been in this chamber. I understand and am very sympathetic with the member's position. The minister for industry and science—and I'll ask his rep here to supplement this answer—has been working with the Queensland premier Crisafulli. I have had direct discussions with the Premier as well. The closure of the Glencore copper mine has had a direct impact on its copper smelter and other facilities in the region. But we know how important these facilities are to the Mount Isa community. I make this point as well. Part of the Future Made in Australia agenda is our understanding that areas like critical minerals are important for us, that they are impacted by policies, whether it be domestic policies of some countries, such as the United States—the changes that they have made to tariffs—or the actions of countries such as China and the way that they've responded on international markets. We'll continue to work constructively. I know how important this is for the member for Kennedy. I was there this year, as I have been just about every year. I'd ask Minister Conroy to supplement the answer. 14:53 Mr CONROY 249127 Shortland I also applaud the member for Kennedy's long leadership on this issue. He's fighting very hard for his community, as is the Keep Our Copper delegation. As the Prime Minister said, Minister Ayres is engaging with the state government and Glencore about this issue. As the PM has said—let's be clear—Glencore is a highly profitable company that has done very well out of Australia, and it's time for Glencore to be good to Australia. It's also important that Australian gas has to be available and affordable for all Australians, and that's why we've launched a review into the mechanisms involved there. This follows our work on capping coal and gas prices, which those opposite opposed. We'll focus on making gas more affordable for manufacturers so that Mount Isa has a strong future into the next few decades. National Disability Insurance Scheme 63 14:54 Mr SOON 298618 Banks My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. How is the Albanese Labor government securing the future of the NDIS? 14:54 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh I thank the member for Banks—the new member for Banks—who is already making a terrific contribution in this place. Twelve years on from its launch, the NDIS has profoundly changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people with disability. The level of progress since the big disability institutions that I used to visit more than 30 years ago is simply beyond profound. But it's also true that the scheme has grown too big too fast. When we came to government three years ago or more, the scheme was growing by 22 per cent per year. In part, that's because the NDIS simply doesn't have the integrity and disciplined systems to ensure that every dollar is being spent effectively and efficiently. We need more discipline around pricing, for example, drawing on the experience of independent pricing in aged care and hospitals. We need better regulation of the providers who are delivering services and making substantial money. Australians, frankly, are just sick and tired of the drumbeat of stories about shonks and fraudsters not only ripping off taxpayers but, more importantly, ripping off people with disability. It is gobsmacking to me that 15 out of every 16 NDIS providers are unregistered. We have no idea who they are, what their qualifications are or what their character is, and that has to change. Everyone deserves a more robust evidence base for the services that are being provided under the scheme. We deserve to know that they are actually going to make a difference to the lives of people with disability. As well, though, that growth I talked about highlights in part the need to return to the scheme's original purpose, and that is to provide support to people with significant and permanent disability. One in six grade 2 boys should not be on a scheme designed for permanent and significant disability. That is a figure that, alarmingly, rises to one in four in some parts of our country. That is why last week I announced that this government, in partnership with states, will roll out the Thriving Kids program to support families whose children have needs that are more mild-to-moderate with broad based, mainstream supports. We are on track to get that growth down from 22 per cent to eight per cent by next year, and that will be a substantial achievement. But I also made the point last week that, going forward, eight per cent is not a sustainable growth rate for such a large social program. Seven in 10 Australians think that the NDIS has grown too big and is riddled with inefficiencies and dodgy providers. Six in 10 Australians think the NDIS is actually broken. They all expect us to get the scheme back on track to secure the NDIS for the future and to lock in that transformation of lives for people— (Time expired) Taxation 64 14:58 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. Can the Assistant Treasurer rule out any changes to the tax treatment of the family home? 14:58 Dr MULINO 132880 Fraser I thank the honourable member for the question. It reminds me of that old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. I've just received four questions asking me to rule things out. I'll say very briefly: our tax policies are very clear. We took them to the election. They're the policies that I'm implementing. We've already delivered a HECS cut. We've already delivered a freeze on the beer excise. As Assistant Treasurer, I keep working on those policies every day. Gender Equality 64 14:58 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Women. What progress has the Albanese Labor government made in closing the gender pay gap, and what keeps standing in the way of fairer pay for Australian women? 14:59 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat Can I thank the member for Lalor for the question, for her continued advocacy for women in her community and across the country and, in particular, for her mentoring of and friendship to so many women across here—particularly her support of the fabulous new women that have come into this parliament. The Albanese government know just how important women are to the future of this country, and with over half of our caucus being women we're committed to delivering for women and representing women. We are very proud to be taking real action in closing the gender pay gap, something those opposite talked about for nearly a decade but absolutely failed to deliver on. I am very proud to inform the House that, under the Albanese Labor government, the gender pay gap has now fallen to its lowest level on record—11.5 per cent. That means that Australian women working full time are now earning, on average, $255 more a week since those opposite left office. We've also reached a new record high for women's workforce participation. That's not just a statistic. This is women across Australia earning more, building for their financial security and being recognised for the important jobs that they do in our economy. This is because we have put in place tangible policies, and they are working. From 1 July 2025, the national minimum wage and award wages increased by an additional 3.5 per cent, following on from a 3.75 per cent increase on 1 July 2024. Those reliant on these changes were largely in female dominated professions. And $17.7 billion has now been provided to support wage award increases for aged-care workers and nurses, who are largely women. We've also committed $3.6 billion in funding to support a 15 per cent wage increase for the early childhood workforce, which is more than 90 per cent female. We know what makes a difference, and that's why we are getting on with delivering. Let me be clear: gender equality in Australia will not be achieved by accident. It takes leadership and purposeful policy decisions that our cabinet is making. It takes that dedication and it takes action. It's what this government is doing, and, frankly, those opposite still continue to stand in the way. They voted against accelerating the closing of the gender pay gap by lifting the bar for bigger employers, a recommendation they previously supported; they voted against better pay and secure jobs; they called wage increases in care industries 'a sugar hit'; and they voted against stronger protections. It's only this side of the parliament that actually supports gender equality for women. (Time expired) Universities 64 15:02 Ms BOELE 26417 Bradfield My question is for the Minister for Education. Universities are facing chronic underfunding, resulting in drastic cuts to staff and degrees. I've heard from distraught students whose degrees are being discontinued midway through them. Charging for services not delivered in any other context would be called a scam. What is the minister doing to protect students and guarantee that the units those students have completed and paid for will be credited towards the completion of a similar degree? 15:02 Mr CLARE HWL Blaxland Can I thank the member for Bradfield for her question and congratulate her on her election to this place. The first point I'd make is that we're investing an extra $6.7 billion into our universities over the next decade. It's all part of the first stage of our implementation of the universities accord. It's about helping to make sure that more young people get a crack at going to university, particularly a lot of young people from our outer suburbs, from the bush and from disadvantaged backgrounds. The second point I'd make is that where a young person finds themselves in the situation that you've just pointed out, universities have legal obligations. They've got to provide that student with a teach-out plan. It basically means that they've got to enable that student to complete their degree—to complete the study of that course—or find a mutually acceptable alternative at no disadvantage to that student. That is the law; that is the legal requirement under the TEQSA Act. I also make the point that where universities are making decisions that significantly affect staff or students, then talk to them, listen to them, work with them and consult with them properly. Can I make the general point, here, that I want to see our universities grow. I want more young people to get a crack at going to university. There are more young people starting a uni degree this year than ever before. When you take out the two years of COVID, which is a bit of an anomaly, there are more young people starting a degree this year than ever before, and universities are telling me they expect more students next year than this year. In the next 10 years, we expect an extra 200,000 young Australians to take on a university degree. So universities need to get ready for that. That's what the universities accord is all about, and that includes the work we're doing to fund more bridging courses for young people that aren't ready to start a university degree—to do one of the free courses that builds a bridge from school to university. It includes the work we're doing on paid pracs, providing financial support for teaching, midwifery and social work students while they do the practical part of their degree. It includes a demand driven system for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds; if they get the marks, they get a Commonwealth supported place. I'll introduce legislation next year to make that a reality, too, because I want us to be a country where you can't tell where someone grew up based on whether they got a university degree or not. Can I briefly say this. If you don't think that we've a problem with the governance of universities at the moment, then you've probably been living under a rock. That's why I've introduced a national student ombudsman. That's why there's a Senate inquiry about this now and an expert panel that will give me and other education ministers advice on this in the next couple of weeks. That's why I announced, last week, plans to increase the powers available to TEQSA, the university regulator, to make sure they've got the powers they need. (Time expired) Workplace Relations 65 15:06 Mr BURNELL 300129 Spence My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. What action is the Albanese Labor government taking to help low-paid workers earn more and keep more of what they earn, and what obstacles are in the way? 15:06 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston I'd like to thank the member for Spence for that question and for his fierce advocacy for low-paid workers in his electorate and right across the country. Of course, in our first term, the Albanese Labor government delivered landmark reforms in workplace relations, with a very clear goal—that is, to get wages moving. This week marks a major milestone: one year since many of our reforms came into effect. These important reforms were always motivated by a strong belief that a race to the bottom on wages and conditions does not help anybody. At the election, Australians voted for higher wages, and that's exactly what we are delivering. Recent ABS data confirmed the strongest annual real wages growth in five years. There are more people in work, unemployment is low and real wages are up. Of course we know that there is more work to be done, and that is why we are delivering on our commitment to protect penalty and overtime rates. If you rely on the modern award and work weekends, public holidays, early mornings or late nights, you deserve to have your wages protected. Our legislation to protect penalty rates is backed by workers like Ruth, who said: 'Working unsociable hours already impacts time with my grandkids. Without penalty rates, I'd still have to give up Sundays with them, but there would be no reward.' The Albanese Labor government refuses to allow Australian workers to go backwards. I'm asked if there are any obstacles in the way. I'm afraid I do have to report to the House that there is an obstacle, and it's those opposite that are standing in the way. We are seeing the Liberal and National parties delay debate in the Senate, playing their silly little delaying tactics to stand in the way of these protections for workers. You might ask: 'Why this delay?' In their heart of hearts, they have never believed in backing working Australians. The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The member for Goldstein. Ms RISHWORTH HWA It should come as a shock to no-one that the coalition has a terrible track record on backing Aussie workers. We all remember the deliberate design feature to suppress wages in this country under them. The coalition needs to get out of the way. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Goldstein is now warned. Ms RISHWORTH HWA Let us get on with the job of delivering on our election commitment to protect Australian workers—to protect penalty rates and overtime. The coalition need to get out of the way and let us get on with the job. Biosecurity 66 15:09 Ms LANDRY 249764 Capricornia My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. During Labor's first term, we saw the debacle of the government's attempts to impose a biosecurity protection levy which would have forced Australian farmers to pay for the biosecurity risks of their foreign competitors. Will the minister rule out taxing farmers more in order to fund our nation's biosecurity system? The SPEAKER 53517 The first part of the question was a little out of order because he wasn't the minister responsible at that time. But the end part of the question—yes. The minister's not directly responsible, as I understand it, for that. But I'm going to allow the question. 15:10 Dr MULINO 132880 Fraser I thank the honourable member for the question. What I can rule in is the government's tax policies. What I can rule in is tax cuts for all Australian taxpayers. What I can not just rule in but say has been passed is the HECS reduction. I can rule in the fact that we've frozen beer excises and I can rule in the fact that I'll continue working for lower taxes for Australians every day. Energy 66 15:10 Ms CLUTTERHAM 316101 Sturt My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How are Australians acting to save on energy costs and reduce emissions? What policy proposals would block action? 15:11 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon The current member for Sturt is the best member Sturt's had in 50 years. I'm very glad to get a question from her and I'm very glad to tell the member for Sturt and the House that there is a milestone today, because, as of today, 40,004 Australian households have installed a cheaper home battery. And I'm happy to tell the House that South Australia has led the way. Mr Ted O'Brien 138932 Electricity prices have gone up 13 per cent! Mr BOWEN DZS The member for Fairfax interjects. I'm not going to have a bad word said about the member for Fairfax. He's a role model for those behind him. If you come up with a toxically unpopular policy and fail to sell it to the Australian people, you too could be deputy leader of your party! I digress. Yesterday I told the House the member for Mayo leads the leaderboard in South Australia and Australia, and that remains the case. But the people of Sturt have the second-biggest take-up of cheaper home batteries in South Australia and Australia as well, and the member for Boothby's electorate comes third in South Australia. It's not just households. It's small businesses as well, like the Salopian Inn in the Mclaren Vale, which I visited a couple of weeks ago—a great South Australian institution, a wonderful restaurant. They've installed a cheaper battery, and they're saving on their bills and their emissions and they are make sure that they are reducing their emissions as well. That is what the Salopian Inn in the Mclaren Vale is doing, and that's what small businesses and community groups around the country are doing. They're embracing the Albanese government's policy. Now, the member asked me about alternatives, and this is particularly relevant in South Australia because South Australians are taking up this policy. They have record renewable energy and they're taking up this policy with great gusto. It's also where the South Australian Liberal Party—it's one of the Liberal parties which have carried a motion to rescind net zero. They're providing pressure on the Leader of the Opposition. The South Australian conference did that a couple of weeks ago. We've seen similar scenes in Western Australia, where the state leader ruled it out. This motion calling on the federal parliamentary Liberal Party to abolish net zero was moved by the Barker FEC. That was motion No. 4. Motion No. 5 was calling on the federal parliamentary Liberal Party to publicly recognise excess deaths from late 2021 to 2024 being, the motion said, 'widely accepted to be due to experimental mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations.' This is the modern Liberal Party. A big dose of climate denial, a big dose of antivaxxing and they're ready to take on the challenges of modern Australia. The common theme is that the modern Liberal Party don't like science. They don't like evidence. They don't like facts. They can't deal with the challenges of the modern world, which include climate change. It shows they are just not up for governing a modern Australia. Diabetes 66 15:14 Dr SCAMPS 299623 Mackellar My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. I like science and I like facts! It's been over a year since the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport made 23 recommendations following its inquiry into the state of diabetes mellitus in Australia. With obesity costing our health system around $12 billion a year every year and the rate of diabetes in Australia reaching crisis point, when will the government release its response to this inquiry and get on with the job of improving the health of Australians? 15:14 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh I thank the member for Mackellar for the question and for the work she has been doing on that important committee. As I understand, it will continue in this term, chaired by the member for the Macarthur and deputy chaired by the member for Kooyong. That was a really impressive, ambitious report that I asked the committee to undertake. As the member probably more than anyone else in this place understands, this is one of the pressing public health challenges we have, driven in large part by poor diet and by rising levels of overweight and obesity. We are giving it very serious consideration. We will provide a formal response in due course. We are responding to a number of those recommendations. In broad terms, a number of them go to food policy. That is now being led by the terrific new Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, who has responsibility for that area, particularly in relation to food labelling. Also one of the recommendations of the report, as I recall, goes to the dietary guidelines we have in Australia that are being reviewed now by the NHMRC as well as issues around marketing and advertising of unhealthy or junk food to children. We have commissioned some work from, I think, the University of Wollongong to review that. They are scheduled to deliver that work later this year. The report also contains a number of recommendations around access to and affordability of cutting-edge technology and medicines. As everyone here knows, we have now provided subsidised access to constant glucose monitoring, or CGM, for all 130,000 Australians living with type 1 diabetes. That has been an extraordinary advance for that group. There are probably at least ten times as many Australians who have type 2 diabetes. The recommendation of great debate through that inquiry was whether some of those Australians at least might have access to CGM. As the member probably knows, there are a couple of applications now before the Medical Services Advisory Committee to consider if and on what conditions . access to CGM might be subsidised through the MBS for type 2 diabetes patients. I'm really looking forward to that advice. That, I think, is the appropriate next step in that phase. Also, the inquiry dealt with the potentially revolutionary impact of GLP-1s, often better known by their brand names of Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and others. I have asked the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to provide us with some specific advice about the ways in which those medicines might be rolled out in a manner that ensures social equity. They are available on private scripts now but at quite a significant price. It may be $4,000 or $5,000 a year, which is well beyond the means of many communities of Australia. I'm looking forward to that advice from PBAC. Cost of Living 67 15:17 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa My question is to the Prime Minister. What measures have the government introduced to assist with the cost of living, and what obstacles has the government overcome to implement its agenda? 15:18 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I thank the member for Werriwa for her question and for her fantastic work in south-west Sydney. I was very proud to launch the member for Werriwa's re-election campaign, and a very successful campaign it was, based upon the cost-of-living assistance that we provided in our first term but also committing to cost-of-living assistance in our second term. From 1 July, we have delivered a 3.5 per cent pay rise for all minimum wage workers and award wage workers, taking the total increase under Labor to over $9,000. Those opposite never ever put in a submission saying that people who are minimum wage workers should be looked after. The super guarantee rose to 12 per cent on 1 July. More energy bill relief kicked in. A $10,000 bonus for housing apprentices on top of their wages kicked in as well. The 30 per cent off home batteries we know from the minister today has delivered for 40,000 households a permanent reduction in their power bills as well as all Australians benefiting from pressure taken off the grid. There's been a boost to Medicare with the additional $1.8 billion in extra hospital funding kicking in. There's more choice, lower costs and high-quality care for Australian women through the largest health package directed towards women that has ever been introduced in this parliament. And there's been the extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off for another year. All of that kicked in on 1 July, but further actions are rolling out through 2025. The legislation that we have now passed to reduce student debt by 20 per cent will benefit three million Australians by an average of $5½ thousand. We're already opening up the additional Medicare urgent care clinics that we committed to. Bulk-billing is being expanded from November. As of 1 August, we will have frozen indexation of draft beer excise for two years—a very popular policy. Who can't drink to that? Aged-care nurses will receive the next instalment of their pay rise in October following the first instalment in March. Of course, our tax cuts will kick in next year and the year after. When we said we wanted to give a tax cut to all 14 million Australians, it was described by those opposite as a betrayal, treachery, trickery, shameful class warfare and a war on aspiration. They said it would obliterate opportunity and crash confidence. No. What it's doing is providing tax cuts for all 14 million Australians. That's a good thing. On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE HOLDERS 68 PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE HOLDERS Speaker's Panel 68 15:21 The SPEAKER 53517 Pursuant to standing order 17(a), I lay on the table my warrant nominating the honourable members for Forrest, Groom, Holt and Monash to be members of the Speaker's panel to assist the chair when requested to do so by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker and congratulate them on their appointment. DOCUMENTS 68 DOCUMENTS Presentation 68 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. MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 68 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Antisemitism 68 15:21 The SPEAKER 53517 I have received a letter from the honourable member for Berowra proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Government's continued failure to deal with antisemitism and keep Australians safe. 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 LEESER 109556 Berowra I rise today to speak on this matter of public importance as an Australian who watched his country's safety be degraded by a government that never, ever gets it right. They never, ever get it right. They always need to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing the right thing. For more than two years, the government ignored warnings from the Persian community, from the Jewish community and from the coalition about the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and about Iran more generally. Firebombings and terror were the result. In the last 28 hours, the government has finally admitted what Jewish Australians, Persian Australians and the opposition have warned of for years: the Iranian regime is a criminal, wildly antisemitic regime that is targeting Australians in Australia. I wish I could give the Prime Minister the praise he is looking for for his work on antisemitism. I really do. But I can't. I wish the government had demonstrated the leadership of the Labor premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, who but for his slowness to act on the Sydney Opera House protest has since that time always been on the front foot in dealing with antisemitism and community safety. He is an example of a Labor leader who gets it right. I am sad that, every time I raise questions that reflect the views of my electorate, where I represent the fourth-largest Persian community in the country, or the Jewish community, of which I'm a proud member, I get accused of playing politics with this issue. It is our duty as the opposition to hold the government to account. It is my duty as a member of this parliament to represent the views of my electorate. It is my duty as a Jewish Australian to stand up for the Jewish community and for the safety of all Australians. I wish the government would get on the front foot when it comes to these issues, but again and again and again they've had to be dragged kicking and screaming to get things right. Their failure to take action on the IRGC and on the Iranian embassy has led, sadly, to firebombings, to arson and to widespread fear in our community. It is the first duty of government to protect its citizens. That means acting to keep threats at bay before they become a problem. That means looking at what some of our like-minded partners around the world are doing—places like Canada and the United States—and challenging our own thinking. That means listening to your agencies but being prepared to exercise independent judgement and being prepared to change the law when the law needs to be changed. When we look at the IRGC and we look at Iran, we see everything changed in 2022 with the murder of Mahsa Amini. The murder of Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement brought protests to our streets in Australia, with Iranian Australians and Australians of other backgrounds demanding reform, justice and human rights following the violations that occurred in Iran. Those protests led to an inquiry by the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, led by my extraordinary colleague Claire Chandler, who did a fantastic job standing up for the Persian community in this country, standing up for law-abiding Australians and drawing the attention of the country to these issues. It's worth having a look at what that committee report said about the Iranian embassy: The committee received evidence that Iranian embassies around the world have been used to facilitate a range of illegal behaviour including terrorism activity. The inquiry also received a number of submissions outlining the credible fears that Iranian embassies are used to facilitate the monitoring, surveillance and intimidation of critics of the … regime. The Australian Government should have no hesitation in expelling any members of the Iranian embassy deemed to be involved in or facilitating such behaviour. For more than a year we have called for the Iranian ambassador to go, because of his extraordinary antisemitic comments and the fact that he has been part of the degradation of social unity in this country. While we've been doing that, Labor luminaries like former foreign minister Bob Carr have been lining up for happy snaps and photo ops with the Iranian ambassador. On the IRGC, the committee said this: The committee acknowledges the body of evidence on the IRGC's support and facilitation of terrorism. It also acknowledges that there is significant fear of the IRGC in the Iranian-Australian community—a fear which is founded in the clear evidence that the IRGC operates well beyond Iran's borders with the express purpose of threatening, intimidating and committing acts of violence against individuals it believes threatens its ideology. The IRGC is a terrorist organisation and should be recognised as such. Doing so would not just send the right message— This is the important bit— it would better empower agencies in Australia to place a greater focus on the IRGC's activities and operations … So we should have been listing the IRGC two years ago. In February 2023, when I was last shadow Attorney-General, I stood at this dispatch box and offered the opposition's support to make any changes to the criminal law of Australia to facilitate the listing of the IRGC. That was 2½ years ago. My colleagues wrote to the government offering our support in written form, and the government rejected those offers. Yesterday we heard the extraordinary news that the Iranian regime has attempted to commit criminal terrorist acts on our own soil, targeting Australians, firebombing a synagogue and blowing up and burning down the Lewis delicatessen in Bondi. Australians could have been killed. There were Australians praying in the Adass Israel synagogue at the very time the firebombing went on. This is extraordinary. We know from the director-general of ASIO that this is just the beginning. There are more actions that Iran has been involved in. The point here is that the government took 2½ years to act. It took ASIO to drag the government, kicking and screaming, to act. We offered support 2½ years ago to make the changes to the law that were necessary in order to make sure that the IRGC was listed, and we called repeatedly for the Iranian ambassador to go. The sadness of what has happened under this government's watch is that this is part of a pattern that we've seen again and again from this government. It has had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do things to protect law-abiding Australians—in particular, the Jewish community. And I'm fed up with it. I'm fed up, as a Jewish Australian, with being served the crumbs from the table of this government. Again and again, this government has let law-abiding Australians down. The Prime Minister boasted about the appointment of Jillian Segal as the special envoy. We'd never had an envoy before, but we'd never had to have an envoy before the extraordinary increases in antisemitism—increases of over 700 per cent that occurred under this government. It's just extraordinary. It's one thing to appoint the envoy, but again and again and again this government has ignored the recommendations of the envoy. It ignored the recommendations of the envoy to have a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campus. What happens on campus today, as I've said many times in this place, is so important. It's not just important for Jewish Australians; it is important for all Australians, because universities are the place where the next generation of leaders go to be formed. If we say to the next generation of leaders that antisemitism is acceptable and it can go about unanswered, then we are setting our country up for a very bleak future. Just this week, this government voted again against measures to deal with antisemitism on campus. The special envoy presented her report two months ago. It wasn't a report full of government actions; it was a work plan for the special envoy. And the government has not committed to adopting this report. The government has not committed to supporting every single one of those recommendations, despite having it for two months. Surely, the events of yesterday, in hearing the way in which the Jewish community has yet again been targeted in antisemitic attacks led by the Iranian regime, its thugs and criminal proxies in this country, should wake this government up to do something about the antisemitism in this country. This isn't the only example. The Prime Minister boasted about the Nazi symbols and salutes bill. We in the opposition put forward the Nazi symbols and salutes bill before the government, and they voted against our bill and they put their bill up. This government at the beginning of the year had to be dragged, again, kicking and screaming to adopt mandatory minimum sentences for hate crimes in this country. It's just extraordinary that this government would have to be dragged kicking and screaming for mandatory minimum sentences. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to hold a National Cabinet on antisemitism, again, despite it being a recommendation from the special envoy. What did the National Cabinet do? It found that they merely should set up a database—a database that the Jewish community had been keeping for years. On every occasion when this government has been tested, on every occasion, this government has been found wanting. They have had to be dragged kicking and screaming, again and again, and the Australian people are fed up with it. We want our streets back. We want our country back. We want the rule of law to be maintained, and we want law-abiding Australians, whatever their background, to enjoy the full benefits of the law. (Time expired) 15:32 Dr ALY 13050 Cowan I do just want to take a moment to thank the member for bringing this MPI and for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. With respect, though, this, of course, is not the first time, and, sadly, I imagine it's not the last time that we will be speaking about antisemitism as well as other forms of racism in this place. In fact, I am reminded of one of my very first debates when I was first elected to this House in 2016. For the new members on both this side and opposite, I thought I might remind people that that was the debate on the removal of section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act. I'll remind those opposite, who were in government at the time, that they argued that people have a right to be bigots. I'll remind those opposite that they argued that offence was taken, not given. Some of the members who argued that back in 2016 are still in this House today—whether or not they continue to hold those views, I don't know. It was this side of the House, the Labor members, including many who sit here with me today, who stood against their attempts to water down the very mechanism that today affords Australians protection against the serious harms and effects of racism, bigotry and antisemitism. It was us who stood up against the removal of section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act. We did that, and we stopped them from watering down those laws. I'm also reminded that not long after that debate, something happened, and it's seared in my memory because not long after that both sides came together to condemn the hate speech of a particular senator. I know the member for Berowra and shadow Attorney-General remembers that. We stood together to condemn the hate speech of a particular senator, which I won't repeat, and I won't repeat his name because he's not deserving of that. That was deeply offensive, not just to Jewish Australians but to anybody who has in their lives been a target of hate. That moment is seared in my memory because, as a new member of parliament at that time, as a person of colour and as a Muslim, it showed that we are stronger when we take a bipartisan stance against antisemitism and hatred—when we stand together. It showed me, as a new person in this place, that there are things that are above politics, and it confirmed to me that racism and hatred should never, ever be weaponised for political ends and that we can rise above that in this place. We saw a glimpse of that yesterday afternoon again, when the Leader of the Opposition associated her comments with the Prime Minister's remarks, particularly with regard to our moves to list the IRCG as a terrorist organisation and the swift actions that we took when those revelations were made yesterday. We saw a glimpse of it yesterday; sadly, it didn't last. The Prime Minister today in question time outlined the actions that this government has taken with regard to combating and addressing rising antisemitism. But it's worth repeating them, particularly now, and it's worth in particular repeating the Prime Minister's mention of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. I want to take a moment to thank Jillian Segal for the collaborative way in which she has worked, not just with me but with other relevant ministers in her role as the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. Some of the other things that were mentioned by the Prime Minister and are worth repeating include that we are working with state attorneys-general to establish a national database to track antisemitic crime and other antisemitic incidences and behaviours. We need to know what we're dealing with here. I will say also that, whilst there has been a surge in antisemitism, antisemitism, as Jillian Segal often repeats to me, is an ancient hatred. Unfortunately, in this country we have seen sporadic increases in antisemitism and other forms of hatred throughout history. What is important is that we deal with them. What is important is not just that we set up the structures to respond to acts of antisemitism but that we set up strong foundations and structures to ensure it doesn't happen again. That requires us to really tackle the fragility of our social cohesion in this country. I've long lamented the fact that there is a kind of gritted-teeth tolerance of difference in our nation, whether that is cultural and linguistic difference, whether it's a difference of race or whether, indeed, it's a difference of faith. We live in a pluralistic nation. Religious pluralism is inherent in our Constitution as well. And yet those of us who have been the recipients of hatred because of our faith or because of the colour of our skin or because of our background know too well that it is a very, very fragile tolerance that we have to live with. I hear the passion in the member for Berowra and shadow Attorney-General's voice, and I feel that passion too. We should not have to bear the burden of consistently having to stand up and educate people of the impacts of racism on our lives. The Prime Minister also mentioned today our landmark legislation to ban the Nazi salute and the public display of Nazi symbols and, indeed, symbols of any terrorist organisation in Australia. That came into effect in January 2024. We've also criminalised doxxing. In terms of other measures that we have taken, we have provided more than $57 million to improve safety and security at Jewish community sites, including schools and synagogues. It's with great sadness that I say that we had to do this. People in this country should be able to freely worship and freely congregate in their faith communities and in their places of worship without having to worry about their security. But, sadly, we are in a position now where we have to harden schools, synagogues, temples, mosques and community centres against people who would be perpetrators of hatred and violence. We provided $25 million to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry for improved safety and security at Jewish sites across the country, including, as I mentioned, schools, preschools, synagogues and faith based community centres. We provided $32½ million to ECAJ for security measures in response to increased violence towards Australia's Jewish community; a grant of $250,000 towards the replacement and restoration of Torah scrolls housed in the Adass Israel synagogue; and $8½ million to upgrade the Sydney Jewish Museum, and that funding will go towards the Centre of Jewish Life and Tolerance. It's with a heavy heart that I stand here and speak about this. There was a time when I thought that I would not have to do so again in this place and when I thought that we had come together in our condemnation of hatred, bigotry and racism in all its forms. That burden of having to consistently stand up against racism and hatred continues to fall on our shoulders. But I will end on this: the responsibility for strengthening our social cohesion in this country and for ensuring that generations of Australians in the future do not have to deal with a fragile social cohesion that is so subject to periodic ruptures, whether it be because of things that are happening overseas or things that are happening domestically, lies on all our shoulders. It lies on the shoulders of every single member in this place by way of how we model behaviour to those people who are watching. But it also falls on the shoulders of every single Australian. Hatred, racism and antisemitism are not things that we can handle alone. They have to be things that every Australian commits to combating. We commit to this for a better future for our children, for a better future for our nation and for an Australia that truly is the most successful multicultural nation in the world. 15:42 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning When we look at the Australian national flag and we see the Southern Cross, it's a reminder of how unique our geography is and the distance we have enjoyed over the years from many of the ancient hatreds in the Middle East and even Europe. But yesterday was a dark day in Australian history because we realised that those hatreds had come right to our front door. Iran has sponsored terrorist acts on our soil against Jewish Australians. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted operational activities to firebomb a place of worship in Melbourne and to firebomb a business in Sydney. To focus on that would be to miss the larger frame of the last two years which has occurred under this Labor government, and that is that we have seen a crisis of antisemitism erupt in this country. We've had a series of appalling incidents of vandalism and public displays of support for terrorists. It's left many Australians very shocked and troubled by this but particularly Australians of Jewish heritage and faith, who feel under siege, who feel like their country is disappearing before them and who have always considered themselves Australians but are now being targeted by the government of Iran. But it's not just public displays of antisemitism. We have seen crime and hate spread across many parts of our community. Our universities have been transformed into nurseries of hatred, where students chant, 'From the river to the sea'. The phrase 'from the river to the sea' is, I'm guessing, not something they understand all too well. It's drawn directly from the Hamas charter documents as recently as 2017. It means that Hamas wants to see the Jewish people extinguished from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. It's effectively a call to violent action. We've seen a shocking campaign of terror across our country as cars and homes have been vandalised. We've even seen a childcare centre set alight and graffitied with antisemitic messages. Just last week, we saw a Hamas flag flown at a protest in Brisbane. It is shameful. People are tired of it, and, under this government, we've seen inaction. We've seen a lack of political leadership. We've seen a lack of moral clarity. We've seen taxpayer funds go on to extremist community organisations that undermine social cohesion. Labor gave more than $1.5 million in funding to a group whose employee called October 7th 'a day of courage' and vowed that Islam would dominate. We've seen Labor funnel taxpayer funds to prop up its vote. Eighty per cent of organisations that shared in Labor's $30 million package to support Palestinian Muslim communities were groups in Labor held seats. This is not the sort of thing that this government should be doing. They should be fostering social cohesion. On this question of listing the IRGC, for the last 2 ½ years the coalition has called on the Albanese government to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. My good friend the member for Berowra made these calls in the House of Representatives as early as February 2023, stating that the opposition was ready and willing to work with the government on any legislative changes to amend the Criminal Code to see the listing occur. We called on the government 10 times in the last two years to make the listing. Senator Claire Chandler's Senate inquiry gathered compelling evidence from the Jewish community and the Persian community that the IRGC was operating as a terrorist organisation. I want to emphasise to the House what a fine line there is between bombing a synagogue and actually murdering people. We could have had a foreign government, through its military arm, murdering Australian citizens, effectively conducting assassinations against the Australian people. That's how significant this was. It's taken ASIO 10 months of painstaking work to get the government to a point where they can finally see the necessity of listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, and we'll do that as fast as humanly possible because we think it needs to be done. Today, we're calling on the Labor government to start showing moral clarity. It shouldn't take an envoy with a report and its neglected recommendations to bring them to action. Australians out in the streets can see very clearly that we have a serious problem with antisemitism and that Australians of Jewish faith and heritage feel under siege. Their places of worship are being bombed. Their businesses are being firebombed. There's vandalism. There are calls on the street for them to be extinguished as a people. This government needs to— (Time expired) 15:47 Mr HILL 86256 Bruce I'm saddened by the terms of this debate, by the motion and the framing. This is not a partisan issue. Antisemitism is an ancient scourge. It's an ancient hatred that's existed for centuries or, indeed, millennia—thousands of years. It's spiked and receded over time and places, but the awful reality is that, since Hamas's murderous terrorist attack nearly two years ago, we've seen a spike in antisemitism here in Australia. It's as real as it is debilitating. We see this in the Scanlon report on social cohesion that tracks these things over time, the world's longest longitudinal study in any country. We see it in the data on reported incidents from states and territories reflected in the special envoy's recent report, and we hear it in the lived experience of our Jewish friends and community members. Antisemitism, like other forms of discrimination, is a stain on our society. It has no place in Australia, whether its antisemitism or hatred and violence of any form. Every Australian deserves to feel safe and respected, be it in their community, their workplace, their school or their place of worship, no matter their race or their faith. An Australian, to me, is anyone who's committed to our country, its democratic institutions and that basic principle of mutual respect for their fellow Australians, who may be very different and believe very different things, be it about God or world politics. We need to disagree agreeably about some things. As a personal comment, I grew up in Melbourne. I couldn't imagine my home city without Jewish Australians, without Jewish life, without Jewish culture and without their contribution to every domain of our national life for a century. I was the mayor of a council that covered half of the bagel belt in Carlisle Street and synagogues around east St Kilda and nearby. I attended a Shabbat dinner last Friday, just a few days ago, with my daughter. We spent hours with senior members of the Jewish community talking, eating, laughing, sharing, emoting and listening to each other. I'll say very clearly: Jewish Australians are not responsible for the actions of the Netanyahu government, whether they agree with them or not. With respect to Iran, what's happened is abhorrent. We've had a foreign regime effect potentially murderous and deadly attacks, criminal attacks, on our soil. It's not just an attack on the Jewish community or a place of worship or a business; it's an attack on Australians and Australia. When one of us is attacked because of our identity all of us are diminished. The government has rightly taken action that we haven't seen in this country since the Second World War to expel the Iranian ambassador and diplomats and suspend the operations of the embassy. That will impact thousands of Australians—Iranian Australians, dual citizens and others in Iran right now. As we've heard, ASIO has done the painstaking work of uncovering the links with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. There are ongoing investigations. I'll make one point in response to the hyperbole that we've sadly seen from those opposite. Their members who have spoken so far have been or are members of the intelligence and security committee. The member opposite was the deputy chair when I was a member of that committee. They well know that the government takes the advice of security agencies. They don't take the advice of the opposition or interest groups. We listen to it, but we act on the advice of our security agencies, as has long been the tradition in these matters, as was their action as the former government. I'll say clearly that Iranian Australians are not responsible for the actions of the ayatollah regime. Most of them vehemently disagree with that regime. There are a couple of fringe-dwelling idiots who might carry a flag or a picture at a rally, but that doesn't represent the majority of the community and they shouldn't be tarred by it. I'll finish on this point. The goal of these antisemitic attacks is to spread fear in the Jewish community and to divide Australians. I say to those opposite who want to bring this motion and frame the debate in these terms and weaponise this scourge of antisemitism, for whatever partisan reasons, however genuinely it is felt by all of us, this kind of debate is exactly what our adversaries want. Don't fall into their trap with this kind of motion and debate. It should be a moment for our nation to come together; it lasted 24 hours. The Leader of the Opposition's position yesterday was decent, but all the shadow leaders of the opposition—O'Brien, Cash and Hastie—have been out on TV talking out of both sides of their mouths, and they should know better. 15:52 Mr WALLACE 265967 Fisher As has been remarked in this place on innumerable occasions, a government's first responsibility is to protect and defend its people. In the comments of my good friend the member for Bruce, he talked about not wanting to weaponise this issue, but that is this government's go-to whenever something is raised that the government do not want to talk about. It is absolutely clear, as clear as the nose on the member for Bruce's face, that this government has been asleep at the wheel on the issue of antisemitism. It has walked a very dangerous fine line since 7 October 2023. With your indulgence, Madam Deputy Speaker Claydon, I want to tell the chamber about a very unfortunate circumstance that happened to me. I proudly wear the Australian and Israeli flags on my lapel. I'm not Jewish, but I am the chair of the Australia-Israel Allies Caucus. I was at the LNP conference on the weekend. I was minding my own business. I was actually in the foyer, and a staff member of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre approached me and proceeded to berate me for what he perceived to be the offences of the IDF. This was a staff member of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. I was initially stunned; I was quite taken aback. The staff member walked off, and I thought to myself: 'Expletive this! I'm not going to put up with this rubbish.' So I took off after him. I said, 'Mate, that conduct is absolutely not on,' or words to that effect. One of his supervisors came up to me because he could see that I was somewhat animated. Antisemitism in this country flourishes when good people do nothing. It concerns me greatly when members opposite try to dampen down the debate by saying that we are seeking to weaponise this. I am absolutely saying that this government continues, in a surreptitious way, to promote antisemitism by its silence. It is absolutely true. This government continues to fail to call out what we have seen at universities. It has failed in every respect to call out antisemitism. It's one thing to make mealy mouthed expressions and comments. We had a group of Jewish Australian students in this building this week, and the reality is that they have faced the most appalling antisemitism over the last two years by academics, students and visitors alike. Despite repeated requests, this government has failed to institute a royal commission into the actions of those on university campuses. That is just one example of what we have seen over the last— (Time expired) 15:58 Dr FREELANDER 265979 Macarthur Antisemitism has no place in Australia. I know this, the Albanese Labor government knows this and Australians know this as well. I do have some respect for the member for Berowra, and I appreciate his work in this House. He worked with me as the deputy chair of the health committee in the last parliament for a time. However, as a Jewish Australian of the ninth generation and a proud member of the Australian Labor Party, I am actually ashamed that the member for Berowra has brought this accusation forward to this House. I must remind him that our government has and is keeping Jewish Australians safe, and I draw his attention to the Prime Minister's remarks following the Adass Israel synagogue attack in 2024 and his comments that antisemitism is evil and there is no place for it here. It is true that due to the sad and pathetic acts of certain individuals there has been an increase in unease and concern among Jewish Australians, and that's never okay. I must stress also that no government can entirely prevent what sad, crazed individuals will do. However, governments must react effectively and empathetically to these episodes, and I am proud to say that the Albanese Labor government has done just that. We have tackled antisemitism with decisive, not divisive, action, whether it's through enhancing legislation and security to protect Jewish Australians, through improving education and awareness regarding what antisemitism is or through many other supports for the Jewish community, including millions of dollars in enhancing security in Jewish synagogues and schools. We've also banned hate symbols, as well as referring antisemitic incidents—in which there has been an increase—on university campuses to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. We've done many things. It's vital to try and prevent antisemitism. However, we will never stop it altogether. Our government continues to support the Jewish community, but we are never going to stop antisemitism, racism and other hateful crimes in Australia. They are crimes and must be treated as such. But they have existed since the Jewish community came to Australia—including my ancestors—as convicts in this country. They have created successful and flourishing lives and families through many generations, and I'm very proud of that. Attacks on our social cohesion are dreadful and must be prevented. What's been presented to the House today as a matter of public importance is damaging our social cohesion, and those opposite must know that. We take this very seriously. I have many friends across many different communities in my electorate, from the Persian community to the Lebanese community to the subcontinental community, and we strongly believe and support social cohesion across all those communities, and they supported me in the most recent election and continue to support me now. What is happening with this weaponisation of antisemitism is shameful, and I believe those opposite should be ashamed of their actions. However, I'm not going to lecture them about that. I hope that we can help preserve our social cohesion. Antisemitism has occurred throughout generations in Australia. There are crazy people doing crazy things; we know that. They're in the minority. We must act against them, but they have occurred for generations. I remember well the firebombing of the Bankstown synagogue in 1991, when it was destroyed. The antisemitism that occurred after the Second World War had supporters on both sides of parliament, but they were in the minority. The Australian parliament in general has acted in a bipartisan way to make sure our parliament reacts against antisemitism and racism in all its forms. We will continue to need to be vigilant in this space. But, as has been suggested, the Persian community in Australia does not support the Iranian regime, and many in the Jewish community do not support the actions of the Israeli government. (Time expired) 16:03 Ms ALDRED 11788 Monash I rise to speak in support of the shadow Attorney-General's motion about the Albanese government's continued failure to deal with antisemitism and to keep Australians safe. As I said in my maiden speech, antisemitism is an offence against Australian values. We have seen our Jewish community attacked, discriminated against and terrorised. This is a stain on our good national character. Every time there is an attack on our Jewish community, political leaders have a choice: to confront this head-on or to choose to look away and hope it goes away. Tragically, on this issue we have not seen the strength and moral courage befitting a prime minister. Now, I wholeheartedly support the government's actions in expelling the ambassador of Iran. As Greg Sheridan said in the Australian today, 'These are serious, even historic, actions, taken for the right reasons.' But yesterday's turn of events, sadly, follows a litany of failures to properly address the oldest hatred of all time—left unchallenged by this government that for too long has shown it will not listen and it will not act. In today's question time, the Prime Minister defended his actions on this issue by pointing to the fact that he appointed a special envoy on antisemitism. But the obvious question to this is: why haven't you listened to her? Why didn't you act on the special envoy's report? The safety of Australians should not be an afterthought to government. It should be treated with proactive urgency, not a reactive mop up. This has been a massive failure of duty. It has been an abrogation of diligence. It is indicative of how this government chooses to govern. The Prime Minister was fond of the slogan 'a better Australia' when he came to government. Where has he taken us to today? Not a better Australia. We are more divided, less united and at greater risk. For 2½ years, the coalition has been calling for the Albanese government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. But the government wouldn't listen, and they didn't act. Synagogues have been firebombed. This government has acted too late on the motivation for these attacks and the aftermath. ASIO and the Australian Federal Police provided evidence that the Iranian government has been responsible for not one but at least two serious antisemitic attacks in Australia. There could well be more. These are despicable actions. They are unprecedented in their nature in Australia. They are illegal. They have put lives at risk. They have terrorised our community. This is a foreign government not just seeking to cause violence. It is seeking to sow hate, disunity and civil disruption. These are major national security risks. Jewish Australians are living in fear right now, particularly in my home state of Victoria. They are scared. We have some shocking, appalling examples of schoolkids being publicly abused because they are Jewish. You have to ask what sort of time we are living in, where anyone would feel comfortable racially abusing schoolchildren—kids!—in public, because they feel like they can, because that's the time that we're living in right now. We've seen businesses owned by Jewish Australians having their staff attacked, their premises firebombed and frequent and persistent calls for their businesses to be boycotted. In no other situation would this be tolerated, and for no other group in society would this be allowed to stand. I am proud to represent an electorate named after Australia's greatest ever citizen, General Sir John Monash, a Jewish man. Despite his heroic war efforts, Monash had to contend with antisemitism in his day. He would be heartsick, I am sure, to see his beloved city of Melbourne and home state in the grips of an epidemic of antisemitism right now. Last year, I visited a synagogue in St Kilda that John Monash was once the president of. I met a Holocaust survivor, Judy, who would be 95 this year. We talked about antisemitism in Melbourne. She said Australia was a safe haven from the greatest horrors on Earth. To Judy I say: I stand with you, the coalition stands with you and good Australians stand with you. (Time expired) 16:08 Mr GEORGANAS DZY Adelaide I too would like to start off by saying there is absolutely no place in our nation, in this country, in Australia, for the kind of antisemitism, hatred and violence that we've seen recently, and there's also no place for racism in this nation. We're a multicultural nation that has been built—our foundation is—on multiculturalism. We've lived harmoniously and continue to live harmoniously in this country. Every single Australian deserves to feel safe in their communities, no matter what their race or religion is. I'll start off by saying issues like this should be dealt with in a bipartisan way, not politicised and not with megaphone politics. Therefore, I am disappointed that the member for Berowra, who I regard and respect as a good member of parliament, has raised this issue in a way that politicises it. I say so because the member for Berowra was here in 2016. For our newer members that are here, I have a bit of a history lesson. In August 2016, there was a bill that was brought to this place to change the antidiscrimination law. It was to change section 18C. This is what those on that side wanted to do— I'll read section 18C out for you. Section 18C makes it unlawful to commit a public act that is 'reasonably likely' to 'offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or group of people' based on their race. This is what they wanted to take out of the antidiscrimination act of 1975 that was brought in by a Labor government. Can you imagine, had that been taken out or watered down, what the ramifications would have been today? It would have been their own doing. It would have made it much worse. These are issues that should be approached with level heads on a non-political basis, where things are discussed to better them, rather than with the megaphone politics being used at this point. I represent a seat like many of us on this side and many around me here—I have over 85 different ethnicities and nearly 200 religions within my electorate. Every weekend I am attending a different community, and I see the harmony. We're a harmonious country. We are a country that respects people's diversity and we are a country that has done so for many, many years. We're a shining light, a model, for the rest of the world. Of course there are people in our communities that have hatred, that have issues for whatever reason, but they're only a minority. They're a very small minority. Many of them have a loud voice and are heard over the majority. But they are a minority. So to raise issues like this—and I know that it's been dreadful for the Jewish community in the last couple of years. I have a Jewish museum and synagogues in my electorate, and certainly we've seen the government put things in place like more security. I know that the Jewish museum in Adelaid—and those all around Australia as well—has received funding for better security. But we must ensure that racism is taken out of our community, that we discuss it in a reasonable manner when it does occur and that we do everything we can on both sides to be able to nip it in the bud and get rid of it, and not use it as a political football as we've seen. As I said earlier, had section 18C been taken out, where would we be today with the issues that we hear about and see? Certainly, the attack on the Jewish community has been dreadful and horrendous. Not only was it an attack on the Jewish community; it was an attack on the whole of Australia. That's why the government has acted. We saw the Prime Minister yesterday ensure that the Iranian government was directed out of Australia, in terms of their ambassador. Certainly ASIO has determined that the Iranian government directed at least two attacks that we're aware of on two Jewish interests in Australia since late 2024, and many more are being investigated. But we need to have the facts. You need to get the facts. We have received the facts. The Prime Minister has received the reports from our intelligence agencies and has acted on them, unlike the other side, who screamed for us to jump and do things without us having had the facts in front of us. (Time expired) 16:13 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein This motion is of paramount importance, and I congratulate the member for Berowra for bringing it to the parliament's attention. There is a simple reality. In the two years since the October 7 attacks, we have seen an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in this country. It is an absolute tragedy that, of course, stains the history of our nation. But the reality is in the lived experiences of Jewish Australians, many of whom live within the federal electorate of Goldstein, the neighbouring federal electorate of Macnamara and, of course, throughout our great country. They have seen firsthand—and lived firsthand—the consequences of a failure of leadership that we have had, which started in this federal parliament and the Prime Minister's chair and so often through our state governments as well. We heard these stories directly from members of the Jewish community recently at the launch of the book Ruptured at Glen Eira Town Hall. I was privileged to be at the launch and to have been given a copy of the book by the Union of Jewish Students during their recent leadership retreat in Canberra. In doing so, it goes through the stories and trauma of many of the local women in Goldstein and throughout Australia talking about their experiences since 7 October and how that trauma is not over. The tragic reality of antisemitism that started immediately after 7 October has not stopped. From the steps of Sydney Opera House, where we had this absurd debate about whether people who were supporting Hamas were saying 'Gas the Jews' or 'Where are the Jews?' The solution from this parliament, this government, this Prime Minister wasn't simply to condemn antisemitism, which is an absolute disgrace and a stain on our nation. It has led to a prolific outburst and outbreak of antisemitism that Australians are still living with today. It then escalated and continued. We saw violent protests out the front of Central Shule Caulfield South, in the Goldstein electorate. We have seen graffiti, firebombing and, of course, the most explicit example of that at the Adass synagogue. We have seen it in east Melbourne as well as, of course, Miznon, in the city of Melbourne, where there have been attacks on restaurants, as there have been in the federal electorate of Wentworth as well. At every point, the Jewish community has been screaming out about the rise of antisemitism, and their expectations have been that they want their government on their side. That is not an unreasonable expectation of any Australian. Yes, they want moral support and they want people to stand by them. Where there is an issue with the law, yes, of course there is a reasonable expectation to make sure that there is a change in law. But, more than anything else, they wanted the government to call out and show leadership, to know that the standard the Australian government, our Prime Minister and the rest of the government of the Commonwealth of Australia was prepared to walk past was a standard we were prepared to accept. We know the standard they were prepared to accept, and it's the reality that people are living with today. The consequence is now clear. As the member for Berowra, shadow Attorney-General and my dear friend has outlined, it has led to a situation where, two years after the coalition called for the IRGC to be listed as a terrorist organisation, finally, on the advice of ASIO, the government has been dragged kicking and screaming to listing them as a terrorist organisation. But it's important to understand—while this is an important step two years too late, don't think it ends here. So many people are still living with the consequences of antisemitism—and will. I was speaking about this only recently, the other day at St Kilda shule. In particular, we often see that, in the outbreak of extremism that validates or gives a permissive environment for antisemitism, we see other types of degradation of other sections of the community. The expression so often used by the Jewish community is that they are the canary in the coalmine. We have seen extremism tolerated against the Jewish community. We have increasingly seen, particularly in Melbourne, a rise in homophobia as well. Unfortunately, we've seen come into the Goldstein office the twins of antisemitism and homophobia, but we are now seeing attacks of other sections of the community too. This is the lived reality of what happens when we tolerate extremism and see a failure of leadership. It spreads. This is why good people need to stand up. We've continued to see it, from what happened in Juniper Salon in Bentleigh, in the electorate of Goldstein, sadly, where people simply seeking to get a haircut experienced antisemitism. We have a choice. We can be a country of harmony, respect, dignity and stability or continue to pay a price as a nation. 16:18 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara For the last few years, I have lived the change and the targeting of my community. I have lived and woken up to pictures on my phone of my own office being set alight. There isn't a day that goes by that doesn't have images of either me, my colleagues or my community online with the worst connotations and the worst sort of bigotry and blood libels attached to our community. This is a complicated and wicked problem that for too many people has risen to the surface of our society due to tensions that are going on on the other side of the world. It is difficult to manage; there is no doubt. What is required is diligence and a focus on the issues to try to work through ways in which we can combat them in the best way forward. That is a difficult task, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. It does nothing, though, to bring motions into this place to try to sow doubt in the minds of the people that we are seeking to protect and have taken unprecedented steps this week to protect in the interests of not just the Jewish community but all Australians. To then somehow say that this government isn't taking seriously the scourge of antisemitism, what does that achieve in this place right now? When we take the unprecedented step, for the first time since World War II, of expelling the Iranian diplomatic representation in Australia and we announce our intention to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, that is not the end of the matter. There are Iranian Australians who are thinking about their families in Iran right now. There are people from the Iranian community who I was on the phone to when Israel and Iran were at war who were so frightened for their families seeking to leave that country, and I had to tell those people, 'We are trying, but it is very hard because we just don't have enough resources on the ground.' Imagine what we are telling that community and those people right now, today—that we have pulled Australian representation out of that country. The things that we are doing are not just for the political benefit of the House of Representatives to go and put it on a media release or on a social media platform. These are real and hard decisions that we have to weigh up—all the different things that affect so many different communities and Australians that we seek to protect. I would say to those opposite: imagine if, today, you came into this place and said, 'Actually, we are here to support the government; we're not going to try and pretend that a Senate committee recommending to list an entire military operation connected to the ayatollahs of Iran which has 125,000 members is somehow an adequate piece of advice for the Australian government to list the IRGC.' No. It takes security advice compiled by ASIO and other security agencies for the Australian government to reach that threshold, as is appropriate. It is not appropriate that we would take the advice from a Senate committee that's not set up by or invested in government security agencies. It is appropriate that we do it with the full cooperation of people who have information that is not privy to every single member of this House. I would also say to those opposite that in somehow diminishing that and making this about the Prime Minister—for goodness sake!—how transparent are your intentions? What did that achieve at the last election? For two years, while October 7th happened and the consequences that were felt by the Jewish community were real and were devastating, instead of trying to sow doubt, you could have been constructive. Be constructive. Come to us with ideas that you think will work, and, if they aren't feasible, then we will give that feedback as well. But don't pretend that just because you say something it means that that has to happen, and don't pretend that there aren't serious considerations that mean you would do exactly the same thing. In nine years, those opposite didn't list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. They did not do that. The final thing I would say in this debate—and the member for Berowra knows this—is that you only have to walk down the streets of Glen Eira Road and Hotham Street to see the Adass community walking. It is an amazing amalgamation of tradition and modernity walking on the streets. The way that that community has behaved with dignity, class and resilience is exactly the sort of example that I seek to have followed, not making this a cheap political contest, which it should never, ever be. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 282335 The time for this discussion has now concluded. COMMITTEES 77 COMMITTEES Human Rights Joint Committee 77 Report 77 16:24 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human rights scrutiny report: report 4 of 2025. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). Ms 298800 by leave—I am pleased to table the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights' fourth scrutiny report of 2025 and the first of the new 48th Parliament. Before speaking to the substance of this report, I'd like to highlight the important role of this committee and welcome new and continuing committee members, including the deputy chair, the member for McPherson. The committee has been operating for 13 years and it is one of three scrutiny committees that exist in the federal parliament. It has a unique statutory mandate to examine all bills and legislative instruments that come before either house of the parliament for compatibility with Australia's core international human rights obligations and inquire into any human rights matters referred to it by the Attorney-General. Additionally, in 2023 the committee was given the statutory function to review compulsory income management for its compatibility with human rights. The committee's legislative scrutiny function is to inform both houses of parliament as to the compatibility of proposed and existing Australian legislation with international human rights laws. The committee does not consider the broad policy merits of legislation when performing its scrutiny function. The committee generally pursues its scrutiny function through dialogue with the executive. Where legislation raises a human rights concern that is not adequately explained in accompanying statements of compatibility, the committee may seek further information from the minister, including on whether a proposed limitation on a human right is justifiable. The dialogue model is evidenced in the committee's fourth scrutiny report. In this report the committee has considered 64 bills, some of which have been reintroduced or restored to the Notice Paper, and 469 legislative instruments. Of these, the committee is seeking further information in relation to seven bills and one instrument. In this report, the committee is seeking further information in relation to the two ASIO bills. These bills seek to extend and make permanent the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's compulsory questioning powers framework and expand the matters that are considered to be 'adult questioning matters'. The committee has previously raised human rights concerns in relation to the compulsory questioning powers framework, noting that it engages and limits multiple human rights, including rights of privacy, liberty, freedom of movement, fair trial and freedom of expression as well as rights of persons with disability and children's rights. As such, the committee is seeking further information from the Minister for Home Affairs about the compatibility of these measures with multiple human rights. Additionally, the committee is seeking further information in relation to the Biosecurity (Entry Requirements) Determination 2025. The instrument sets requirements for individuals entering Australia who have been in yellow fever risk regions and for individuals who may be, or may have been, infected with a listed human disease. To the extent the measures assist in preventing the spread of human disease in Australian territory, the committee considers this will promote the right to health. However, the committee notes that, by requiring individuals to provide personal information to officials to be screened by equipment, these measures may engage and limit the right to privacy. The committee also notes that the measures may engage and limit other human rights to the extent that they trigger powers relating to human biosecurity controls under the Biosecurity Act. To the extent that the measures can apply to children and people with disability, the rights of these groups would also be engaged and limited. The committee is seeking further information from the Minister for Health and Ageing to assess the compatibility of these measures with human rights. In this report, the committee also considers the Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Bill 2025. The committee commented on this bill in previous parliaments in relation to the right to privacy and recommended that the statement of compatibility be updated to include a more fulsome assessment of this right. Statements of compatibility serve as an important starting point for the committee's assessment of the human rights compatibility of legislation. The committee welcomes the additional information provided in the statement of compatibility accompanying this bill but also notes that it retains underlying human rights concerns with the bills. I look forward to working as chair with all the members of this committee and the hardworking and talented secretariat and Professor Mowbray. With these comments, I commend the committee's scrutiny report 4 of 2025 to the House. Corporations and Financial Services Joint Committee 78 Report 78 16:30 Mr MONCRIEFF 316540 Hughes by leave—I present a corrigendum to the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services of the 47th Parliament, entitled Wholesale investor and wholesale client tests. BILLS 78 BILLS National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 78

National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025

Second Reading 78 16:30 Mr GORMAN 74519 Perth On 3 May 2025, Australians voted for cheaper medicines, and they voted for a government that will always protect Medicare. One of the reasons they did that was that they'd seen what had happened over the three years prior. They had seen those opposite vote against cheaper medicines not once, not twice, not three times but six times. We saw the Australian people have their say. They supported our cheaper medicines programs and they rejected the view that those opposite put, which was the view that our medical urgent care clinics were, to quote those in the opposition, 'wasteful spending'. The Australian people had a very different view. They saw the investments that we had made in Medicare urgent care clinics as essential for the primary health of our nation. I put it very clearly to my electorate in Perth. I said, 'Vote to save the Perth urgent care clinic,' and, indeed, they did. What we've seen when it comes to cheaper medicines is that these policies are broadly supported by the Australian public, so much so that even those opposite who absolutely hate the idea of cheaper medicines eventually brought themselves to having to adopt some of Labor's policies during the 2025 election. What we've seen as well is that there's really strong support for the outcomes of these investments. I had the joy of going down to the Bunbury Medicare urgent care clinic with then Labor candidate, my good friend Tabitha Dowding, to hear about the impact of what's happening as a result of these investments. What they told me as I was standing in their excellent Medicare urgent care clinic there in Eaton was that they estimate there have been some 10,000 diversions from their local emergency department. That's 10,000 people who didn't have to go through the public hospital system and 10,000 people who were able to get the urgent care they needed, and for those 10,000 people the only thing they needed was their Medicare card. One of the other things we saw at the most recent election was that my great state of Western Australia sent another health professional here, to this place. I'm talking about the member for Bullwinkel, who becomes the 10th nurse to enter the Australian parliament. One of the first bills that the 10th nurse in the Australian parliament will vote for is our bill to make medicines cheaper. As the Prime Minister said in this chamber just a few hours ago, it's so often remarked that you never hear of prices going down; they only ever seem to go up. Isn't it amazing that in this bill we are actually seeing not just real cost-of-living relief but also real healthcare assistance and prices going down? And it's a significant reduction, a more than 20 per cent reduction, in the cost of medicines—medicines that people are prescribed by a doctor, that they need to keep themselves healthy, that they need to stay outside of the other parts of our health system. Most of us need medications from time to time, and we are so fortunate in this country to have the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. I know that the PBS was there for my family. I was a kid with really chronic asthma and we purchased more than enough Becotide, Ventolin and other asthma medications and steroids to treat that asthma. Again, this was all supported by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Again, I think of the kids and the parents who are dealing with asthma today. It will be cheaper for those things that they're going to be buying for years and years, as a result of these changes combined with our 60-day script changes, which have made a huge difference. It did take those opposite six votes against cheaper medicines to see the error of their ways. There were six votes where they said that they wanted Australians to pay more for their medicines, but, while they were voting against it in the last term, it didn't discourage the Albanese government from doing more when it comes to cheaper medicines. I want to say that one of the people who have given us excellent advice on the importance of making sure that we make medicines cheaper for Australians is the member for Dobell, who's the only pharmacist in this parliament. She gives us excellent advice on making sure that we have the medicines that people need. It's an honour to sit with the member for Dobell, who is just slightly on the wrong side of the chamber these days. The PBS has been a very long policy battle. Just as we had to fight through the last parliament, against vote after vote where those opposite chose to vote against cheaper medicines, Labor has been putting this case for a very long time. It was in 1944 that John Curtin realised, in the depths of World War II, that Australia needed to be able to get medicines to the entire Australian population, not just to those who could afford them. There was a desperate need for a range of antibiotic drugs to be given to the Australian people—things like penicillin—which would take pressure off other parts of the Australian economy and other parts of the Australian health system by people getting the medical assistance they needed. Unsurprisingly, when Curtin put this forward in wartime, in 1944, before he went to sleep that night, the opposition had opposed it. There were two High Court challenges to Labor's first attempts to have a broad based pharmaceutical scheme that supported the Australian people. We had to go to two referendums and have one constitutional amendment, but the system that we have today is thanks to those who fought that fight, and I'm proud to be here as part of the Albanese Labor government, fighting the fight not just for Medicare but for cheaper medicines. The reality is that the inability to afford the health care you need doesn't just result in worse health outcomes; it has a huge impact on people's social and economic outcomes. One of the things that we know about Medicare is that it completely changed the nature of bankruptcy in Australia for this reason. Prior to 1984, the leading cause of bankruptcy in Australia wasn't people overextending themselves, and it wasn't people having their businesses reach financial challenges. The leading cause of bankruptcy in Australia, up until 1984, was people who could not pay their medical bills. Medicare ended that overnight. It made sure that people could get the health care they needed, no matter what walk of life they came from, because we believe, on this side of the House, in universal health care. In the extensive information that's given to us by the excellent Minister for Health and Ageing in putting this forward, there's a document that doesn't get enough attention in this building, which is the impact analysis statement. It was done by excellent officials, in this case, from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, in collaboration with some great officials from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, in the Office of Impact Analysis—a shout out to them! That impact analysis tells us something about the policy benefits that come from this beyond just the cost-of-living relief. It says that this option that we are pursuing will initially reduce cost barriers for general patients to access PBS medicines. But it goes further, to say that there are other benefits over time. Those other benefits over time are: it will reduce the proportion of patients who are delaying or not filling their PBS scripts due to cost; it will reduce unavoidable hospitalisations from unmanaged conditions; it will reduce pressures on our aged care, disability and social welfare services; that it will slow the growth in chronic disease; and it will increase workforce participation because more people will be more healthy and able to attend work. It does, as many have remarked, take us back to prices in 2004. That's a long time ago. It's back when Facebook was launching as 'The Facebook'; the Morley Blockbuster was doing a roaring trade, hiring out Freaky Friday amongst other movies; the minister who's here would probably have been on his Motorola flip phone, because he's a high-tech guy and would have had the latest tech; and Franz Ferdinand won the Triple J Hottest 100 with 'Take Me Out'. But it wasn't all good news back in 2004. There was, of course, the last episode of Cheez TV, which was very disappointing for some. But it was also a time when medicines cost just $25, and that's what we seek to do with this bill—to make sure that Australians can get the health care that they need at a reasonable price, giving real cost-of-living relief to millions of Australians. We know that the measures we have taken so far have already saved Australians some $770 million. To save people money on something that is essential and to save them money on something that they often have no choice but to purchase is, I think, really smart policy. We saw that it benefited the Australian people over the last few years. We've got through the roadblocks put in our way by those in the opposition, and we want to go further with this bill. I'll conclude my remarks by thanking all of the patient and social advocacy groups who've continued to help us advocate for these changes. They do make a real difference. I want to thank the Australian people, who voted to protect Medicare on 3 May. I want to thank the Australian people, who voted for cheaper medicines. I'm really proud that we repay that trust by coming in here and—one of the first things we do in the first months of this 48th Parliament—delivering on that promise for cheaper medicines for every Australian. 16:41 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie While this legislation to lower the cost of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines is being debated, it has been great to hear what people in this chamber were doing in their lives 21 years ago. For me, in 2004, which was when medicines last cost $25, I was probably midway between my two stints in our wonderful parliament. My first stint was down the road in Old Parliament House in the 1980s. I had no idea that I would be doing a second stint in this new Parliament House—as those of us who worked in Old Parliament House still call this place—as the member for Macquarie 15 or 20 years later and standing here to talk about that time. That's not the sort of thing that you really imagine is going to happen. But I think back to that time when you did pay $25 a script, at the most, at the chemist. I was in the throws of chauffeuring around two children—a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old—to after-school activities like soccer, ballet and music. At the same time, I was juggling my small business. I did that juggling thanks not to Motorola but to Blackberry. I remember it as a really hectic time, and it was a time when I know I would not have loved having the whole family sick at the same time, because it was, even then, and as families know now, a challenge when you all ended up at the doctor's. I think that, as Special Envoy for the Arts, I should just point out a few other things about that period. I think it's incumbent on me to do that. During those trips in the car with the kids, we would have been listening to Missy Higgins's 'Scar' and The Jets' 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'. Of course, the Left Right Out band reprises that Jets song whenever we get the chance. Shrek 2 was around, and I know we would have been singing along to Smash Mouth's cover of the Monkees' 'I’m a Believer' from the soundtrack. Out of the car and on to what we might have been seeing at home, at the Oscars ceremony in 2004, Australian Adam Elliot won in the Best Animated Short Film category with HarvieKrumpet, which I know we enjoyed very much. In the publishing world, Shirley Hazzard won the Miles Franklin Award for her novel The Great Fire. The Archibald Prize was awarded to Craig Ruddy for his portrait of actor David Gulpilil. That portrait won both the Archibald Prize and the People's Choice Award, which was only the second time that exhibition visitors agreed with the judges' decision since the publicly voted award was introduced in 1988 and just the second time that an Aboriginal sitter was the subject of the Archibald-winning work. Now, this sort of paints the picture of who we were in Australia then. At the ARIAs, Jet won album of the year for Get Born, Kasey Chambers won best female artist, John Butler won best male artist, Guy Sebastian had the highest selling single with 'Angels Brought Me Here' and Delta Goodrem had the highest selling album with Innocent Eyes. Rove McManus announced the Little River Band was being inducted into the Hall of Fame. We were living in a very different time, and how amazing is it that this bill takes the price of medicines back to that era? The bill reduces general patient co-payments from $31.60 to $25 from 1 January next year, which was our 2025 election commitment. Let's remember that this builds on the work that we did in January 2023, which saw the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script falling from $42.50 to $31.60. We've all got a bit nostalgic about 2004, and we have good reason to be proud that we are bringing prices down to what they were then. Relatively speaking, that means cheaper medicines for families, even compared to what it was like for our families back then. As I say, I know when patients and families have multiple prescriptions to fill at the pharmacy, particularly in winter, when stuff goes around, it's measures like these that make a real difference. I am aware that patients who are on multiple medicines have to make choices about which script to fill when times are really tough for them. These are all steps that the Albanese Labor government's taking to ease these cost-of-living pressures. It's worth noting that pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines. That cost is frozen at its current level of $7.70 until 2030. One of the other measures we've taken that sits alongside this cost cut is to introduce 60-day prescriptions for certain stable health conditions. What that means is that things like diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, breast cancer and menopause—stable conditions—may, on doctors' advice, allow the person to get a 60-day prescription, which means you can get twice as much medication on a single prescription for a single prescription price. Eligibility for the 60-day prescription has been introduced gradually in three tranches over the last 12 months or so, with around 300 medications now included. We started it back in September 2023, the second stage was March 2024, and the third stage was September 2024. What that tells you is that this is not a piece of legislation that's sitting in isolation. Importantly, we've also invested in new programs and payments for pharmacies, who are the ones issuing these scripts. That includes reinvestments like expanding the National Immunisation Program to pharmacies and ensuring that a pharmacist gets the same fee as a doctor gets to administer a vaccine and increasing support for rural and regional pharmacies through new and increased payments, which will deliver around $300,000 or $400,000 in additional funds to eligible pharmacies across four years. Earlier today, I had the opportunity to step into a model pharmacy consult room, set up here in Parliament House, to see an example of the types of services that have been increasing in our pharmacies. It was particularly focused on women's health, and I'll have a bit to say about that a little later on. Seeing that best-practice model pharmacy treatment room builds on my firsthand experience of going into my local pharmacies for a flu shot, a top-up COVID shot and my very recent whooping cough vaccination. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank pharmacists, particularly my local pharmacists across the Emu Plains, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury area, because they are being asked for—and, from what I can see, being very pleased to offer—additional services and giving people additional reasons to come into their pharmacies. I'm certainly clear that they are part of how we improve health delivery across our communities. The changes that we're debating today really do sit within a context not just of making medicines cheaper but of making healthcare more accessible and affordable. There's a whole range of ways in which we're doing that. One of the measures that I know is really helping locals in my community is the Penrith urgent care clinic, which is open extended hours and weekends. That is a bulk-billed service that allows people to access urgent but not life-threatening medical care. I'm very pleased that work has started by the Nepean Blue Mountains local health area and Wentworth Healthcare to identify the providers and location for the Hawkesbury urgent care clinic, which we committed to earlier this year. I'm really looking forward to seeing the level of interest there is in providing a service that is so badly needed in the Hawkesbury region. We promised 50 urgent care clinics in our last term of government. We delivered. Now there have been 90 that have opened their doors—although new ones are opening nearly every week, so I hope my figures are the latest. What we're seeing in Penrith at the urgent care clinic are treatments for minor fractures, sprains and other kind of sport injuries; neck and back pain; respiratory illnesses; urinary tract infections; minor cuts; burns; and insect bites and stings—all those things for which you know you need to get to a doctor fast but are not necessarily things that warrant being in the emergency ward. It really fills a gap in the system and complements the work that we're doing here to reduce the cost of medicines. The other area where we've worked hard is to make it more affordable just to see your local GP, with the two largest increases to Medicare rebates in 30 years. We increased Medicare rebates more in just two years than the former government did in nine long years, and the data tells us that this record investment is turning around bulk-billing, which has started rising in every state, delivering an extra six million free visits to GPs in just over 12 months. We know there's much more to do in this area, and certainly in Macquarie it can still be tricky to find a GP offering bulk-billing and to have a reasonable waiting time, but these early results show our commitment to strengthening Medicare is delivering. I'll continue working on the local challenges that we have, because I know how much bulk-billing matters to our community. Earlier, I mentioned women's health, and this legislation will also have particular benefits to women accessing prescriptions. One of the things that we've done is focus very heavily on women's health. One of my commitments at the last election was to open a new endometriosis, pelvic pain and menopause clinic for the Blue Mountains-Nepean region. That is also underway. But, of course, once you've been to experts and you've got advice—that's the expertise in these endometriosis and menopause clinics that are the sort of thing that women tell me they desperately need. Adding menopause to the endometriosis clinics expands the clientele by several decades, I suspect, in terms of who will benefit from these clinics. Of course, you then need to access the medications that may be helpful to you. We've focused a lot on supporting women. We've done the first PBS listing for new oral contraceptive pills in more than 30 years, with the listing of Yaz and Yasmin. That's saving about 50,000 women hundreds of dollars a year. In fact, when we're talking about prices at 2004 levels, there had been nothing listed since the 1990s, in terms of new contraceptives for women, until we did it. So there's more choice, lower costs and better access to long-term contraceptives, whether it's oral contraceptives, IUDs or birth control implants—because there are larger Medicare payments for that. There are also new menopausal hormone therapies, the first in over 20 years, with around 150,000 women saving hundreds of dollars a year from the listing of Prometrium, Estrogel and Estrogel Pro. This legislation to bring in cheaper medicines is part of a whole suite of things that we are doing to recognise that it's been tough for people and that the most important thing is accessing the health care you need in a timely way when you need it, not when you can afford it. This is all about fulfilling the vision that in Australia it's your Medicare care that gets you health care and it is the PBS that provides you with the prescriptions that you need. I'm very pleased to be supporting this legislation. I have had so many people say to me, 'If you haven't got your health, it's hard to tackle all the other challenges.' If you can get good health care to support your health, there's so much potential that people have and so much that they can do. 16:57 Ms JORDAN-BAIRD 316021 Gorton I rise to speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 brought forward by the Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing, and I commend him for doing so. This bill is a cost-of-living measure, and it's part of the Albanese Labor government's efforts to improve health outcomes for all Australians. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is a national government funded scheme that subsidises the cost of a wide range of medicines. The PBS was first introduced to Australia by the Chifley Labor government in 1948. Back then, it provided a very limited list of free medicines, but it was revolutionary in principle: no Australian should go without necessary treatment because of cost. Over the decades successive Labor governments have expanded and strengthened the PBS, ensuring it evolves to meet new health challenges. Like Medicare, the PBS was introduced by Labor and, like Medicare, Labor will continue to protect the PBS. The PBS is a key program supporting the delivery of the National Medicines Policy, and we want to make sure that Australians have the PBS that enables Australians to have timely, safe and reliable access to effective, high-quality medicines. Today, the PBS subsidises nearly 930 medicines across more than 5,200 brands, ranging from common treatments for chronic conditions to advanced cancer therapies and life-saving vaccines. It's not just a policy; it's a lifeline. Right now, the maximum cost for a PBS medicine is $31.60 for general patients. With this legislation, from 1 January next year, this will be reduced to just $25. This is more than a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. It's tangible cost-of-living relief. My electorate of Gorton, in Melbourne's west, is one of the fastest growing electorates in the country. There are more than 50,000 families across the electorate, and new ones are being created every day, with close to 58 babies born every week in the city of Melton alone. In fact, the city of Melton is the fastest growing municipality in Australia, with a growth rate of 6.6 per cent in 2023-24. My electorate also contains the area with the second-highest growth rate in the country, in Fraser Rise and Plumpton. My electorate is not only young and growing fast; it is also culturally and linguistically diverse, with many of our constituents proficient in two or more languages and carrying rich histories of migration. In fact, more than 30,000 of my constituents speak a language other than English at home and more than 33 per cent of my constituents were born overseas. This carries its own set of challenges in accessing health care. My electorate, as I say, is also young, with a median age of just 35. And, as Melbourne's west continues to grow, prioritising affordable and quality medical care isn't just about meeting the needs of Australians now but also about getting ahead of the health outcomes in the future. In so many ways, my electorate represents Australia as a whole, with its vitality, its rich cultural and linguistic make-up and its aspirations for the future. An electorate like mine—young, diverse and aspirational—has many needs that have yet to be met. One area that has struggled to keep up is access to health services. Gorton residents experience significant disadvantage in accessing health services. Even within Melbourne's north-west, the burden of disease disproportionately impacts my constituents. In the city of Brimbank, a staggering 28 per cent of residents 18 and older have been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases, conditions that need to be managed throughout their lives. For seniors living on fixed incomes, this is relief that provides dignity and security. For families with children who require medication, whether for asthma, allergies or developmental conditions, these savings will make a real and immediate difference. For young adults—who are often balancing work, study and housing costs—reduced medicine prices will mean they are not forced to choose between managing their health and meeting their other financial obligations. Our cheaper medicines legislation is one piece of the puzzle of improving access to health care for Australians, including those in Melbourne's west. Three months ago, I was campaigning in the electorate of Gorton when the Albanese Labor government committed to making medicines even cheaper. Now, as I stand here in the chamber of the House of Representatives as the member for Gorton, it's time to deliver on that promise. I want to see better health outcomes for my electorate of Gorton, for Melbourne's west and for all Australians. That's why I couldn't be prouder to be part of an Albanese Labor government that is making medicines even cheaper, capping the cost of a prescription on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to no more than $25—$25: the cost of lunch, an Uber trip or two or three beers—because medicines should be affordable. Healthcare should be affordable. This is more than a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. In my electorate of Gorton, that's a total saving of more than $9.1 million. The last time PBS medicines cost no more than $25, it was 2004, when I was in primary school; it was also the year that Facebook was launched, and Regina George from Mean Girls was on our cinema screens. This legislation comes after doubling the number of medicines now available for a 60-day prescription. This means that patients with chronic, stable medical conditions can be prescribed and dispensed a 60-day supply of medicine, rather than a 30-day supply, for eligible PBS items. This is saving Australians without a concession card up to $189 per medicine per year and pensioners and concession card holders up to $46.20 per medicine per year. I'd like to talk about the experience of Jeanette, from Melbourne. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2019. Since 2023, one of Jeanette's medicines, sulfasalazine, has become eligible for 60-day prescriptions. This means that she can get two months worth on a single prescription, cutting the cost of the medicine in half and reducing the number of visits to the doctor that she needs. Jeanette says: 'It seems like a small thing, but, when you are managing a chronic condition or you're feeling unwell, it has a big impact on your quality of life.' This is helping so many people in our community who are dealing with chronic pain or managing other health challenges, giving them peace of mind and more certainty for their health journey. Our cheaper medicines legislation builds on what we started with 60-day prescriptions, ensuring that accessing medicine is affordable for all Australians. In line with the Albanese government's election commitments, our cheaper medicines legislation will come into effect on 1 January 2026. It will reduce the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25. I recently visited the Taylors Hill Retirement Village, a cheerful and welcoming community of seniors in the beating heart of my electorate. I dropped in to help residents apply for savings through the Energy Bill Relief Fund, but I also had several conversations with them about the difference that cutting the cost of medicines will make to their household budgets. For the residents of the retirement village, some who are self-funded and others who rely on their age pensions, this cut to the cost of medicines will take the pressure off the household budget. Residents Ian and Lorraine told me that this policy would give them much-needed room to breathe among other cost-of-living pressures. It's not just about cheaper medicines. This is part of Labor's broader strategy to improve the health outcomes of Australians and give tangible cost-of-living relief for my community. Currently, Sunshine Hospital is the closest hospital for those in my electorate. It services the LGAs in Melbourne's west from Brimbank all the way to Wyndham. It's a 25-minute drive on a good day, but demand for emergency care means that, during busy periods, you can be waiting more than two hours to see a doctor. That's why we've been putting in the work to improve access to health care by expanding the availability of free Medicare urgent care across the country. I was lucky enough to open the 90th urgent care clinic in Melbourne's west with the Prime Minister and my friend the member for Fraser this month. But we're not stopping there. Labor have opened 90 urgent care clinics right across the country, and we've committed to opening another 50. We're growing Australia's health workforce, with the largest GP training program in Australia's history. We're investing landmark commitments in women's health. For too long, women's health issues have not been adequately addressed. We're working to reverse decades of neglect of women's health, with a $573.3 million investment to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women. We're introducing the first new contraceptive pills added to the PBS in 30 years: Yaz, Yasmin and Slinda. We're introducing the first new menopause treatments on the PBS in 20 years: Estrogel, Estrogel Pro and Prometrium. We're ensuring that there's better access to IUDs and birth control implants. This comes alongside the opening of 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, with another 11 to open soon. Thanks to these initiatives, Australian women and their families will save thousands of dollars on health related costs across their lifetimes. This is what happens when we elect women. Women's issues come to the forefront of the government's agenda. I couldn't be prouder to be part of a Labor government made up of 56 per cent women, because, when we elect women, we legislate on women's issues. I also couldn't be prouder to be one of the youngest members in the House of Representatives, representing an electorate made up of young people. The median age of Gorton is 35 years old. Our younger generations face unique pressures, with cost-of-living pressures that are not what the generation before us experienced. Many young Australians are dealing with an increased rate of mental health issues. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, almost 40 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 have experienced a mental health disorder in the past year. This bill is a step towards increasing access to health care for young people. More affordable medicines mean young Australians will be able to access essential prescriptions, whether they are antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication or treatment for ADHD, without the burden of financial stress. This builds on the Albanese government's existing work to roll out free mental health care, including establishing 61 Medicare mental health centres that offer free, walk-in mental health care. We are upgrading their clinical capability to ensure every centre provides free access to a psychiatrist or psychologist, either onsite or on call. Our $1 billion investment to roll out even more places Australians can go for free public mental health care backed by Medicare also includes $225 million for 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health centres, $500 million for 20 youth specialist care centres for young people with complex needs, and $90 million for more than 1,200 training places for mental health professionals and peer workers. Mental health is not separate from the cost-of-living debate. It is deeply intertwined. Financial stress is one of the leading contributors to anxiety and depression. When people worry about whether they can afford their medicine, their health outcomes suffer twice over, once because their condition may go untreated and again because of the toll financial stress takes on their mental wellbeing. By cutting PBS co-payments, we are directly addressing this cycle. We are ensuring that young people, parents and seniors alike can access treatment when they need it, before conditions worsen, before hospital admissions are required and before lives are derailed. On this side of the House, women's health matters. On this side of the House, young people matter. On this side of the House, we invest in Medicare and in the PBS, and we have the track record to prove that. Under the Abbott government, those opposite tried to increase Australians' out-of-pocket expenses when visiting specialists and undergoing X-rays and pathology. The Turnbull government spent $5 million on a 20-person Medicare privatisation taskforce to look at how the coalition government could sell off Australians' private health data. But their legacy doesn't stop there. Not even a pandemic could stop the opposition's anti-Medicare mission. While Australians were supporting each other through lockdowns, the Morrison government secretly announced that there'd be almost 1,000 changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule. This meant that people were going into surgery without knowing how much they would be paying on the other side. More recently, in opposition, those opposite voted against cheaper medicines six times. On this side of the House, we're committed to tangible cost-of-living relief and outcomes for all Australians. With that I commend this bill to the House. 17:12 Mr NG 316052 Menzies Australians know that they can trust the Labor Party and Labor governments with health care. After all, it was John Curtin and Ben Chifley who in 1944 introduced and fought for legislation to create the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which has now become a fundamental pillar of our healthcare system. And, of course, it was the Whitlam and Hawke governments that created Medicare. More than 40 years later, it remains the backbone of our health system. Both Medicare and the PBS are a source of national pride and envy around the world. It means that, when Australians fall sick, they can get help based on their Medicare card, not their credit card. This principle was the reason why Curtin and Chifley and Whitlam and Hawke pushed for accessible and universal health care. It is why the Albanese Labor government has made the biggest investment in Medicare in its 40-year history and why we're capping the cost of PBS listed medications at just $25 per script. Let me be clear: health care is not a luxury. It is not something reserved for the fortunate few. Accessible and affordable universal health care is the foundation of a decent society. Access to medicines is an essential part of this. They help us get better quicker, keep workers on the job, get kids back to school, provide dignity and alleviate suffering. We know from international experience what happens when governments do not invest in health. In some countries, millions go without care because they cannot afford health insurance. Families choose food and basic necessities over health. They go into debt or bankruptcy because of a cancer diagnosis or a single serious accident. When health care is unaffordable, people delay treatment. They put off filling prescriptions, they live with pain or they let a manageable condition worsen. When that happens, costs to the system rise, productivity falls and lives are lost. It is both immoral and uneconomic. It is not the Labor way and it is not the Australian way. That is why we have said we will not negotiate on the PBS. That is why we are acting through this legislation, the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. We have introduced legislation to make cheaper medicines even cheaper. From 1 January next year, the maximum cost of a prescription on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will be no more than $25. To put that in perspective, the last time PBS medicines cost this little was in 2004. It was a different Australia back then. Nokia flip phones and early camera phones were all the rage and Delta Goodrem, the John Butler Trio and Shannon Noll were topping the charts. Ian Thorpe was winning gold for Australia and Facebook did not even exist. I was living in a share house, working at a cafe, driving to university in my Ford Telstar, listening to Beck and Queens of the Stone Age and avoiding university politics. They were simpler times. Since then, the cost of everything increased, particularly since the pandemic. Before we came to government, inflation had a six in front of it; now it has a two in front of it. While we've brought inflation under control, we know Australians are still doing it tough, and that's why we're continuing to take measures like this to ease cost-of-living pressures. This reform ensures that Australians will not have to sacrifice their health. This reform represents a 20 per cent cut to the maximum price of PBS medicines. It will save Australians more than $200 million every single year. This is not an abstract number. This is a tangible, practical measure that puts money back into the pockets of working families. For a household managing multiple prescriptions every month, it means real relief. It means dignity. It means security. Our reforms do not end here. For pensioners and concession card holders, PBS medicines will remain capped at just $7.70 until 2030, which means long-term security for those who need it most—older Australians, people on fixed incomes and families already doing it tough. It means certainty when planning their budgets, knowing that the cost of vital prescriptions will not be out of reach. It means peace of mind for those managing chronic conditions who cannot afford to miss a dose. For too long, older Australians have been treated as the forgotten child of our healthcare system. They are the ones who carry the heaviest burden of chronic disease, are prescribed multiple medications and feel the rising costs most sharply with each dollar having to stretch further. They built this nation. Yet, under the former government, they were too often left behind, forced to watch the healthcare system be neglected. With this reform, we are saying to older Australians, 'Your health matters, your dignity matters and you will not be forgotten.' Importantly, pharmacies will continue to be able to discount PBS medicines, ensuring patients benefit from both government reform and competitive pricing. This means more Australians, no matter where they live, can walk into their local pharmacy and know they are getting a fair price for the medicines they need. I want to illustrate what this means in the real world. Imagine a single parent with two children. One of those children has asthma and requires regular medication to be able to breathe freely, get through the school week, participate in sport and play with their friends. The parent themselves might also rely on ongoing prescriptions—perhaps for blood pressure, diabetes or pain management. Between the child's asthma treatment and the parent's own medication, that household could easily be filling four or five prescriptions each and every month. Under this reform, the PBS co-payment will be reduced from $31.60 to $25 per script. That family will save between $315 and $400 every year. This is not spare change. That is money that be put towards keeping the lights on, paying for groceries or covering rent. Take an older Australian living on a fixed income—perhaps a pensioner managing blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis and diabetes. They might be filling half a dozen prescriptions every month. For them, every dollar saved at the pharmacy is a dollar that can go towards heating in the winter, fresh food on the table or a bus fare to see the grandkids. That is what Labor governments do. They deliver practical solutions that make daily life just that little bit easier for everyday Australians. I'd like to tell you about an experience I had in the electorate I represent, Menzies, which really brought home to me how much the PBS can mean to people. It was during the election campaign, and I was out doorknocking in Surrey Hills. A woman answered the door, and we began chatting. As you know, not everyone gives political candidates the time of day, but she was kind enough to. She shared with me that her husband was suffering from cancer. She also shared that were it not for her husband's cancer drugs being listed on the PBS, they would be tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket. She called her husband to the door, and I could see the effects of the disease on him. I could also see the care and love between them and the gratitude they had for being able to access affordable medicines. They did not have to worry about the cost of medication at one of the most difficult times in their lives. That is what the PBS means. It means care and dignity. The PBS means that people who work hard their whole lives do not need to fear losing their house or having their savings obliterated because of circumstances outside their control. It means that we, as a society, recognise that we should support those who fall on hard times. For residents of Menzies, this PBS cut will save more than $11 million, putting real money back into the pockets of families and easing cost-of-living pressures. These reforms are not a once-off. They build on the great work the Minister for Health and Ageing has delivered since the last term, from cheaper medicines and bulk-billing incentives to strengthening Medicare and expanding access to vital treatments. In July 2022, concessional patients saw a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts required before reaching the PBS safety net. That meant people reached their safety net threshold later and saved more. In January 2023 we delivered the largest cut to medicine prices in the history of the PBS, lowering the maximum cost of a general script from $42.50 to $30. In September 2023 we introduced 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians with ongoing health conditions. That meant fewer trips to the pharmacy, fewer GP visits just for repeat scripts and more money left in household pockets. From January next year, PBS co-payments will be frozen so that they do not rise with inflation. That is the Albanese Labor government's record. Step by step, reform by reform, we are delivering practical change that Australians can see, feel and rely upon to ease today's pressures and secure a better tomorrow. Contrast this with nine years of neglect from those opposite, where costs were left unaddressed, where Medicare was undermined and where no vision was offered for strengthening the PBS. Instead of investing in the health system, they froze Medicare rebates, forcing up out-of-pocket costs for families and pushing more people to delay or skip care. This left patients without affordable access even when safe and effective treatments were available. Despite the coalition's promises, thousands of Australians still skipped filling prescriptions because of cost pressures, especially concession card holders and those in rural areas. The coalition failed to invest in Medicare. They failed to invest in the PBS. They treated it as a burden to be managed rather than a system to be strengthened and modernised. We are committed to the PBS, and, as a progressive government, we know it can always be strengthened. Australians know this and they feel it every day. They feel it when the cost of filling their scripts stretches their budgets, when life-saving medicines take years to be listed and when essential treatments are caught up in delays and red tape. That is the effect of coalition policies. For too many families, nine years of neglect meant waiting in pain and uncertainty, hoping the medicines they needed would finally become affordable and available through the PBS under the coalition. Let us be clear. The government is delivering. The Albanese Labor government is committed to cost-of-living relief. We are committed to fairness, and we are committed to strengthening Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, pillars of Australian life that those opposite neglected for nine long years and would undermine again if given the chance. We said we would make medicines cheaper, and that is exactly what we are doing. We will not stop there. We will keep building a healthcare system that is universal, affordable and fair. We will keep investing in doctors, nurses, pharmacists and health workers, who are the backbone of our system. We have made the largest investment in Medicare in its 40-year history. We have tripled the GP co-payment, and we know that this will work because we have already tripled the co-payment for seniors and for children. We know expanding this out to the wider population will continue to increase bulk-billing rates. We will keep delivering for pensioners, families, workers and every Australian who relies on Medicare and the PBS. We have said that we will always stand by the PBS, that it is not up for compromise and that it is a national institution that we can be proud of. This is what we mean when we say progressive patriotism: we are proud to be a government in a country that is always seeking to make sure that, while we become more wealthy and build the prosperity of Australia, we are not leaving anyone behind. Like Curtin, Chifley, Whitlam and Hawke understood, a healthy nation is a fair nation. Without our health, we cannot be effective workers. We cannot be effective parents. We cannot be effective family members. We cannot be effective carers. We cannot fully participate in our community and in our great nation. It is the Labor way to make sure that the fundamental needs of people are taken care of and that we have a social safety net. A part of that is having a universal healthcare system where health care is accessible and affordable and where medicines are always there to make sure that people can get the life-saving treatments they need. That is the Labor way. That is our promise for the future. 17:27 Ms McBRIDE 248353 Dobell Today, as we debate in this place the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, I think it's important to remember how what we now know as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, or the PBS, came to be. It didn't fall from the sky. It was the vision of the Curtin Labor government to provide free prescription medicines to all Australians following the postwar availability of new antibiotic drugs. But it faced significant hurdles, including from those opposite, from a High Court challenge to the opposition of conservative political parties and doctors of the day who viewed the PBS as what they called 'the first step towards nationalising medicine'. The PBS was originally struck down by the High Court, with a constitutional amendment in 1946 paving the way for the scheme's introduction. Nowadays, every Australian can rely on the PBS to get the medication they need affordably and when they need it. As a pharmacist, a local MP and an assistant health minister, I am incredibly proud of our government for helping to make medicines more affordable for millions of Australians. From my first speech in this place, I have advocated for cheaper medicines. Back in 2016, I said: As a pharmacist, too often I saw patients … forced to make decisions that no-one should have to make about skipping medications … because they simply could not afford to pay. I worked at a TerryWhite pharmacy in Tuggerah. Parents would come in with a shopping load full of groceries and antibiotic prescriptions. I remember parents saying to me, 'Can I get one antibiotic mixture made up to share between my two children?' They were different antibiotics, and that wasn't appropriate, but that was what was happening because of the underinvestment of the previous government in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Patients were forced to skip, delay or avoid filling prescriptions. Young people, families and older people must be able to continue to access the best health care—rather than simply what they can afford to pay—through universal health care in the form of Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Since coming to office, it's been our Albanese Labor government that has been working to deliver cheaper medicines, because that's what Labor governments do, and that's what Australians deserve. This bill will reduce the PBS general co-payment from $31.60 to $25 from 1 January next year. As a pharmacist working in community pharmacy, I remember the indexation linked to CPI that would happen every year. This now won't happen. This is delivering on the Albanese Labor government's 2025 election commitment. A lot of the former speakers have reflected on the fact that they were in primary school in 2004 when the PBS scripts last cost $25. For me, the last time PBS medicines cost no more than $25, I was working in community pharmacy. I was working as a locum between two community pharmacies on the Central Coast—at Noraville pharmacy and also at the Blooms pharmacy in Wyong. This was more than 20 years ago and it is the last time that general PBS medicines cost $25. As Minister Butler often says, this is good not just for your health but for your hip pocket. This is a tangible difference that the Albanese Labor government is making. It will provide cost-of-living relief. Having already slashed the cost of medicines in 2023 with the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, we're now going even further, providing even more cost-of-living relief for millions of Australians. This is a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. This is a saving of $200 million each year for Australians accessing vital medicines. Importantly, pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, which has been frozen at $7.70 until 2030—as the Prime Minister said earlier today, until the end of the decade. This will keep older people who rely on multiple medications well within our communities and give them peace of mind about the cost of medications. This builds on action we've already taken to deliver cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines, including more free and cheaper medicines sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts concession patients must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in. When I was working in community pharmacy, people still had the PBS cards that they would stick their PBS stickers onto, and I remember the relief when you would say to somebody, 'You've now reached the safety net,' and issue them their safety net card, which meant that, for a concession card holder, they would then receive their medications for free until the end of that year—until Christmas. That made such a big difference, particularly to pensioners. Knowing that they are now reaching the safety net sooner is making a really big difference to people and families. As I mentioned earlier, it will be the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script being cut by $12.50 from 1 January next year. It was estimated that, by this time, if our government hadn't slashed the cost of medicines and now had this next cut, the cost of medicines would probably be around $50 for a PBS prescription. It'll now be $25 from 1 January next year. We've also frozen the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation for all Australians for the first time in 25 years. That could often be an uncomfortable conversation for pharmacists to have with patients or families at the beginning of each year when medications that they relied on increased in cost. This gives so many patients peace of mind. Just last week I was with Ryan, one of the new owners, in partnership with Jess, at Direct Chemist Outlet in the Central Highlands in Emerald—and Jess, the partner in that business, is actually in the building, in parliament, today—and I met their final-year students, Emma, Meg and Gemma. Ryan, as a relatively new pharmacist/owner, asked me: 'How can I help spread the word? I know just the difference this will make to people and families in my community, and I want to help you spread the word so people know about this sooner.' Last month, I was at Cincotta Discount Chemist in Macquarie Fields with the new member for Hughes, my colleague and friend David Moncrieff, and we were talking to the pharmacist/owner Sam. They were undergoing a big refit of their pharmacy, but he was really generous with his time. He let us know the difference that the cut to the cost of PBS prescriptions had made already and the difference that it would make in the future. We met with the nurse who worked within his pharmacy, and she spoke to us about the difference that, over 20 years, her work has made within that pharmacy. But Sam was also saying to us that, because of the greater investment that our government has made in the PBS, he's not charging patients for the packing of dose administration aids—which people often know as Webster-paks—because that additional cost can sometimes put them out of reach of people. So he proudly displays a sign at the dispensary in his pharmacy that says 'Free Webster-paks'. He offers those Webster-paks to people living in their own homes, because older people are often taking multiple medications, which we often call polypharmacy. So being able to have their medications packed for them, so they know that they are taking the right medicine at the right time, can go a long way towards people being able to stay safely in their own homes and manage their medications better. Sam is thrilled that he'll be able to support more patients when the next cut in the cost of prescriptions comes into effect on 1 January. I know the member for Hughes has said that he will be going back there and hearing from Sam to see just the difference that it's making in his community. I did have the opportunity to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to my electorate of Dobell, on the New South Wales Central Coast, recently. We went to Kuoch Chemist at The Entrance, and pharmacist/owner Raymond was telling me the different that the cut in the cost of PBS prescriptions had already made to so many people in our community and how he was able to make sure that people were able to access the medicines they needed when they needed them, and fewer people were having to delay or avoid filling prescriptions because of cost. I am just so delighted, as a pharmacist and the only pharmacist in this place, and as a member of a Labor government, to know that we founded the PBS—that it was the vision of the Curtin Labor government to make sure, when antibiotics became available, that everybody could have access to them, so that, after the war, people returning and widows and their children would be able to access medication. And—despite those opposite, and a High Court challenge, and Menzies slashing the number of prescriptions on the PBS—the PBS has survived and is now thriving. It is one of the pillars of universal healthcare in Australia, along with Medicare. Before I conclude, I just want to mention some of the work that we're doing in mental health. I was talking to the member opposite about our shared interest in mental health and suicide prevention. Providing medicines more affordably means that people can access the health care that they need. Also we're rolling out services in communities, to make sure that more people have access to support closer to home when they need it. I know that that is a shared interest of everybody in this House—making sure that all Australians can get the support and care that they need. Today is really a very significant day. It is us now, as a government, enacting our election commitment—the promise that we made to all Australians, wherever they live, that they'll be able to have cheaper medicines. I know the difference that has already made since we cut the cost of prescriptions back in 2023 by $12.50—then the biggest cut to the cost of PBS prescriptions to occur. Now patients, people and families right across the country will know that, from 1 January next year, we will see the biggest reduction in the cost of PBS general prescriptions, with the co-payment going down to $25 per prescription. That is on top, as I've already mentioned, of the fact that we've already had the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, that we've frozen the cost of PBS medicines for pensioners and concession card holders, and that we've introduced 60-day prescribing—saving time and money for millions of Australians with ongoing health conditions. This is the fifth tranche, building on the four other significant changes and improvements that we've made to the cost of medicines and to the PBS. I will be heading to the Pharmacy Connect conference next weekend. I was at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia conference in Sydney only two weeks ago, hearing the relief and optimism pharmacists right around the country feel for their people—particularly their patients and their customers—in knowing that medicines are now more affordable and will continue to become more affordable. It is already making a big difference, and it will make an even bigger difference from 1 January next year. I am very proud to speak on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, building on the significant work that we've already done. I look forward to 1 January 2026, when we will see the biggest cut to the cost of PBS prescriptions in the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. I want to thank those within the pharmacy sector for their advocacy and for acting in the interests of families right across the country, including the Pharmacy Guild, who are in the building today; the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia; AdPha; and others. 17:42 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa I rise to make my contribution on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. Well, we've done it again. The Albanese Labor government is making cheaper medicines even cheaper. This bill reduces the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25 on 1 January next year. This is delivering on the Albanese Labor government's 2025 election commitment. Twenty-five dollars is the lowest Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines have cost in over 20 years, and this is another key cost-of-living measure delivered by our government. We've already delivered some major reductions to the cost of medicines. That was in 2023, when we made the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS. Now our government is going even further. This is more than a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines; this will save Australians over $200 million a year. In fact, Werriwa residents have already saved almost $8 million since the first changes in cost occurred. Making medicines cheaper in a tangible way is how we are helping families with cost-of-living relief. Four out of five Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines will become cheaper because of the $689 million investment by the Albanese government. Pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines. What we need to remember is that if you need a diabetic medication, an asthma puffer and blood pressure medication, at the moment it can cost over $100 a month. This change—a reduction of $7 a script—will mean $20 more in your pocket each month. For some people who take multiple medicines, this will be even more. The assistant minister just spoke about what it is like to be in a community pharmacy and to deal with mums and dads who need multiple prescriptions filled. There was a time when I was that mum. I had three children who had asthma. This time of year is the worst for them, because they get a cold or they get a secondary bacterial infection and you end up at the pharmacy with three prescriptions each to be filled. They're a little older now, but back then that could have been the best part of $150 or $200. That is a huge amount out of anybody's housekeeping that they're not expecting. Putting money back in people's pockets is just what this legislation will do. The cost will be frozen for pensioners as well, to $7.70, until 2030. And for the first time in 25 years, co-payments are not rising with inflation. This builds on action we've already taken to deliver cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines. This includes a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts that a concessional patient must fill before the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme safety net kicks in. We've introduced 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians who have ongoing health conditions. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme began in 1948, and, surprising to no-one, it was under a Labor government, led by Ben Chifley. I fear that most modern history forgets Mr Chifley's achievements and the monumental work he did following World War II. I think it's quite fitting that when you type 'Ben Chifley' into a search engine he's stated as being a train driver and former prime minister of Australia. Mr Chifley, in the great Labor Tradition, put in the work to make systems fairer for those who needed it most. And the Albanese government made it clear to everyone that, for us, health is a priority, plain and simple. It's also a right—that everyone in this country should have good health care—and every effort needs to be made to remove any barriers to accessing medical help. For everyone, health is an important issue. Even if you have good health you may care for loved ones, family, friends or others in the community who will be affected by these changes, so this is something we really should do. I've spoken to a number of local pharmacists and constituents who've told me time and time again that people have had trouble paying for medicines or that the pharmacists have to give advice about which medicine is the most important. The $12.50 reduction in the co-payment in 2023 and this reduction from 1 January mean that community pharmacists will not be as distressed when they have to give this advice, because the advice won't be as necessary. These changes will make so much of a difference to those who need medicines every week. We've made the massive $6.1 billion investment in Medicare as well. We're rolling out $1.4 billion of investment in Medicare urgent care clinics so that four in five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a Medicare urgent care clinic. And we have announced that as of this week the tenders have been sent out for the Medicare urgent care clinic in Green Valley in my electorate, which was also an election commitment for my community from the Albanese government. I'm so excited that the tenders are out, and we are really hoping to see that clinic open in the very near future. Also in my electorate and all around the country we're rolling out Medicare mental health centres. These will provide support for people who need walk-in help with their mental health at any time. We've invested $174 million to increase the Medicare rebate for common pathology tests for the first time in 24 years as well as adding PCR tests for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses to Medicare. Medicare is one of Labor's greatest achievements. That's why we continue to strengthen it, and it's why Australians nationwide put their trust in us at the last election. They saw what we've done and what we've promised to do, and we have runs on the board to make sure people's health is forefront in what we provide. They agreed to join us on this journey, ensuring that we uphold the values that make this country the envy of the world. Australians have entrusted us with protecting Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and with strengthening Medicare and that scheme. Today we take another step on that journey and today we make the system fairer for everyday Australians. Today we provide much-needed relief for our most vulnerable. I commend the bill to the House. 17:50 Dr FREELANDER 265979 Macarthur This bill, the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, reflects really a key belief of mine, which is the importance of making health care more affordable and accessible to our society as a whole, and I thank the minister for his work on bringing this before the House. It's very important to see this as being part of the DNA of a Labor government. This goes back many generations, even to the time of the first Labor prime minister, Andrew Watson, who believed that a healthy society was a successful society. Further, it can be seen in some of the very strong Labour governments in other countries, such as the government in which health minister Nye Bevan in Great Britain developed the first British comprehensive public health system now known as the National Health Service. He was instrumental in imparting the view that a healthy society was a successful society both socially and economically. The Curtin and then Chifley governments continued this in Australia, with the development of our public health system, our public hospital system and, of course, what became the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme—which was a reflection of the cost of medicines and its effect on everyday families—as a way of making sure that working-class families could access the health care and the medicines that they needed. Health care has changed a lot since that time. It was said in the days of the Labor governments of the Chifley-Curtin era that it was all about the bug, the drug and the mug. People had an acute illness, usually infective; they sought the medication that could help them; and then it was about the person's individual health. 'The bug, the drug and the mug' was an aspect of our health care for many decades. Even in my own time as a doctor, infectious disease was a very important part of health care, and it was very important to make sure people could access the medications they needed. Labor, throughout the generations, has protected the PBS up until the present day. But we now live in a different time. We live in a time of chronic illness. About 60 per cent of Australians, or a bit more, have a chronic illness. Of that 60-odd per cent of the Australian population that have a chronic illness, about 85 per cent require daily medication on a long-term basis. That's a very important figure when we look at the larger numbers of Australians, our ageing population and the new developments in medicine. I myself take a long-term medication. It's actually one of the most commonly prescribed medications in Australia and in the developed world: a statin to reduce cholesterol, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, which used to be seen in my family as the family disease. We now know there are very effective ways of managing it and preventing cardiovascular events like stroke or heart attack by the use of things like statins and the treatment of blood pressure, and the treatment of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including diabetes. So we are in the age of chronic illness, and medication costs increasingly have an effect on the family budget that can be extremely significant. We're also in an age when many of the chronic genetically based illnesses that were previously untreatable are now treatable. For example, as a paediatrician, we now have treatments for things like cystic fibrosis that are genetically targeted and are incredibly effective. The life span of someone with the common form of cystic fibrosis, due to what's called the delta F508 mutation, has almost doubled from early 20s to now over 50. We look forward to it being much, much higher as the effects of the new medications come into effect. These medications can be very expensive, ranging in cost from $200,000 to $300,000 a year per patient every year that they're alive. These are very expensive medications. They now can be accessed, thanks to a Labor government, at a cost that will be, from 1 November, $25, or $7.80 for a pensioner. These are incredible advances in health care that are supported by government action that reduces the cost of these medications to the families. When we first came into government in 2022, we began, of course, by introducing the largest cut to the cost medicines in the PBS's history when we dropped the cap on PBS medicines from $42 to $30. Now, with this bill, we're going to further reduce the PBS general patient co-payment down to $25, and this will make a huge difference to the many families who have children and adults on long-term medication. With this bill, this is now the biggest cut to the cost of medicine in PBS history. It will save patients over $200 million every year, with four out of five PBS medicines to become cheaper because of the almost $700 million investment by this government. Pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at its current level of $7.70 until 2030. This is a huge saving for families. I'd also like to add that this will go one step further and help save lives, as we know that patients that forgo their medication only ever do so if they can't afford it. This makes this bill even more important to me and my electorate. I decided to run for parliament in 2016 because I was sick and tired of my patients in the community being sick and tired—exactly that. I was sick of patients—or their mothers, usually, and their fathers—coming to me and asking me which part of the number of prescription medicines they should get first, because they couldn't afford to get them all. If, for example, you have a child with something like asthma, it is maybe two or three medications that they need, including the regular preventer medication. These changes are what good government does. It's important to know that our healthcare needs are changing, and this is a Labor government that's prepared to do what is important for families, No. 1, to keep them healthy and, No. 2, to make sure they can afford the cost of their medication. The Australian Labor Party is consistent in our beliefs and our ability to implement strong healthcare policies to improve the outcomes for all Australians. We govern for all Australians. It's a matter of equity, it's Labor's way and it's something I'm very proud to be part of. I thank the minister and I thank the assistant ministers for all their efforts in bringing this bill to the parliament. It is very important. It's something that we feel helps not just our health care but our whole economy. In fact, I did message the Treasurer about the importance to our productivity of making sure regular and equitable access to health care is part of the productivity gains we can look for with better health care. We can trace Labor's history in improved healthcare, as I said, back to the beginnings of Labor government with the first Labor prime minister. It's Labor's way. We really support the PBS, which is thanks to the efforts of John Curtin and Ben Chifley, the Prime Minister and Treasurer in that time during the end of the Second World War and just afterwards. The PBS provides for medicines, materials and appliances to be available to all Australians at an affordable cost. Labor government, we must also remember, introduced the Hospital Benefits Act 1945 at the end of the war, providing for the Commonwealth to subsidise our public hospitals. The present health minister is looking at how we can improve our hospital system as we look to get agreement on the public hospitals act with the state governments at the present time. I laud the incredible efforts of the Whitlam government and later the Hawke government, through Medibank and later Medicare, to help lead us to a health system which is for all Australians and has helped pave the way for the legislation we're speaking on today—and there will be further measures to come. It's a great legacy of Labor governments. These towering Labor prime ministers—Curtin, Chifley, Hawke and Whitlam—have made Australia a prosperous economy, healthier and more productive. I'm proud that the Albanese Labor government is following in Labor footsteps during these difficult times and also looking forward to how we can design our health system to be even better in the future. There are a thousand and one factors that affect the cost of living, many of which are outside the realm and scope of government action. However, it is in legislation like this, through supports to the healthcare system, that we can produce meaningful benefits for all Australians. We have to be ever vigilant, and we need to look for ways that we can improve access—and equitable access—to health care. My thoughts are that there are many more things that we can look to do, such as improving access to dental care through our healthcare system and making it more equitable for us to be able to afford visits to specialists. I know the health minister is looking at that. We had almost 10 years of, essentially, inaction by the Liberal-National government, up until the advent of our Labor government in the last term. We have done so much more in that short period of time than the coalition did in almost 10 years. We have more free and cheaper medicines, sooner, and there has been a reduction in the cost of prescriptions for everyone, including those on concessional payments. One big advance that we've had, in spite of the fact that the coalition fought tooth and nail against it, is the introduction of 60-day prescriptions. That's made a huge difference to people, in terms of both the time they needed to get their medicines and the cost of their medications. I look forward to further increases in the availability of medications over a longer period of time in the future. We've frozen the cost of PBS medicines. Co-payments have not risen with inflation and will not do so, for the first time in 25 years. We have invested a significant amount of money—over half a billion dollars—into our women's health programs to improve access and awareness on health related matters affecting Australian women. There is much more to be done in this space as well, and I look forward to further action. We shouldn't forget the work we've done to increase Medicare incentives and GP bulk-billing rates, which will come into force through even stronger mechanisms with bulk-billing incentives on 1 November. Our government is encouraging more medical students to enter the rewarding field of general practice, and that's something where we're working on other measures as well. These are real changes that are producing better outcomes for all Australians. More money in our constituents' pockets mean better financial flexibility, which is a major concern for all Australians. People in my electorate of Macarthur, for example, have saved over $11 million since our cheaper medicines policy came into effect. Yes, there are still issues that we need to address, and it is important that we continue to look at how we can improve the system. Nobody should be pushed into impossible choices between medicine and meals or into skipping treatments, including some really life-changing medications, because they can't afford them. Labor is continuing to look at ways to improve the health care of all Australians. We are working very hard to address cost-of-living concerns, and medication and health costs are part of that. We've improved healthcare access and affordability, but we know we need to continue to work on it. I'm very proud to be part of this government, and I'm very proud to work for the health minister, Mark Butler, in his efforts to make sure that there's more equitable access to health care and that health care is available to all Australians, no matter where they live across the country, to improve their health and that of their kids. Australia's healthcare system is there to protect Australians, but it's also there to make sure we have a more productive economy. That is very important, and that is part, as I've said, of the DNA of a Labor government. We have a tremendous health team working towards this, and we won't stop our efforts to improve our healthcare system, which I might say is the envy of the world. I've been to many different countries, from the USA to Europe to our Pacific neighbours, and that demonstrates so well that our healthcare system is the best in the world. I'm very proud of it, and I'm proud of the healthcare workers that work to continue a satisfactory and better system. (Time expired) 18:05 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro Lowering the cost of medicines across Australia not only helps people with the cost of living but also ensures that we keep people healthy, and it actually helps people with their treatment. People's health shouldn't be something they wonder if they can afford. That's why I'm incredibly proud to rise today to speak about how this Labor government is making medicines cheaper for all Australians. This legislation delivers on Labor's election commitment to make medicines more affordable, saving patients over $200 million annually and assisting with the cost of living. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 will help to reduce the general co-payment for PBS medicines from $31.60 to $25, effective from 1 January 2026. Having already slashed the cost of medicines with the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS in 2023, we're following that up now and going even further. Keeping the cost of medicines low is also a practical way we can help people make that doctor's appointment, get into the pharmacy and get medications they need to live a healthy life. We are committed to keeping the cost of medicines low. Having already slashed the cost of medicines, as I said, we're going even further. The last time that PBS medicines were this affordable was in 2004, over 20 years ago. Back in 2004, I was still at university and working in a pharmacy. In 2004, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was the Oscar winner for Best Picture. Myspace was the coolest social media site, and ugg boots were a fashion statement. I think that they still are, so maybe that is something that goes back to 2004. I'm not currently wearing them, but you'll catch me at Woolworths Tura Beach in them. The reduction to $25, turning back that clock to 2004, will help Aussies be able to buy medicines that improve their quality of life. Patients with a concession card will also get that price of their PBS medicines, $7.70, frozen until 2030, which is another fantastic investment made by this government and another way in which we're assisting with those cost-of-living pressures, particularly for people on fixed incomes. This policy is incredibly important because it delivers on our big commitment to our communities which was all around health care—in particular, regional communities, where this matters so much. It also builds on our policy for 60-day prescriptions, which is designed to support millions of Australians going through an ongoing health issue. Our Labor government is committed to looking after our most vulnerable people, ensuring that they don't have to make choices between medicines and the other essentials they need. I know that my colleague the assistant minister for health, Emma McBride, often talks about seeing people, as a pharmacist, who were making choices between different scripts. In my electorate of Eden-Monaro alone, the legislation is expected to save our community over $10.2 million. That's a significant amount of money that can be spent supporting our local businesses, getting the kids new school shoes, going out for dinner at a local restaurant or buying a raffle ticket at your sporting club. Eden-Monaro residents have already saved $7.6 million because of the Albanese government's cheaper medicines policy, a policy that, unfortunately, those opposite voted against. Living in a regional community, I know it can be tough to access healthcare services, so I'm really proud that the Albanese government is delivering on its promise to strengthen Medicare and invest in local health care. We've tripled the bulk-billing incentive, and, thanks to these landmark investments, we have added 2.2 million bulk-billed visits in regional and rural Australia alone. We're also rolling out Medicare mental health centres across Australia. Medicare mental health centres are government funded centres offering free, immediate, short- to medium-term mental health support and navigation for anyone over 18 with no referral needed. This means free mental health treatment for people in communities across the country. Again, this is all about ensuring that cost is no barrier for Aussies with ongoing care needs. Across the country, there are already 13 centres operating in New South Wales; five operating in Western Australia; four operating in South Australia; and one operating in each of Victoria, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT. There's one just up the road from me in Moruya, in the electorate of Gilmore, which officially opened earlier this year. Having accessible and safe places to address mental health needs is essential to having a strong and healthy community. You can access mental health hubs in Bega, Queanbeyan and Goulburn as well. You can access these Medicare mental health centres by calling the Head to Health line on 1800595212 and asking for support or by visiting a centre—whichever you are most comfortable with. Urgent care clinics are another important service that we're rolling out. We've opened 90 Medicare urgent care clinics, from Queanbeyan to Broome to Mount Gambier, to free up our emergency rooms and get people seen sooner. These 90 Medicare urgent care clinics have already seen more than 1.8 million presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023, including over 355,000 presentations to the 22 existing New South Wales urgent care clinics as at 4 August this year. The urgent care clinic we delivered in Queanbeyan has already supported over 7,000 fully bulk-billed presentations and we've just announced that tenders are open for three new urgent care clinics in Nowra, Shellharbour and the Bega valley. These will take pressure off local hospitals including Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Shellharbour Hospital and South East Regional Hospital, and will fill an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend. I'm proud to be part of a Labor team delivering on this election commitment to provide better local health care across the Bega valley because people should have access to free health care when and where they need it. As all parents know, having access to a service, especially on the weekend or after hours is incredibly important. Weekend sport can be a crazy time in our regions with kids spraining ankles and wrists, and getting cuts, bruises or breaks. I well and truly know this with an entirely sports mad family. From swimming to netball, basketball, AFL and athletics—we play it all. My middle child is also asthmatic and we know kids can deteriorate quite quickly. I've now had half-a-dozen hospital presentations, with numerous hospital stays with him. If we'd had access to an urgent care clinic when he was little, I wouldn't have had to clog up our emergency department when it wasn't needed. An urgent care clinic is a great way to get something that is minor seen earlier. It could be a cut that needs stitches or a sprain before it turns into something more serious. It's reduced waiting times in our emergency departments. There are no out-of-pocket costs and there are extended hours. Communities are telling us that it's exactly what they wanted. Of course, our general practitioners are invaluable across regional communities which is why we are supporting more GPs to bulk-bill. From 1 November 2025, the government will support thousands of GPs to bulk-bill every patient with the launch of the new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. We are supporting more GPs to come to rural and regional Australia with a popular new rural GP specialty reaching a milestone earlier this year. In 2025, we have seen the largest cohort of doctors starting GP training in Australian history. More than 1,750 doctors have started government funded training to become a GP in 2025. One-third of these future GPs are training in the new general practice specialty of rural generalism, which has now reached a critical milestone in its recognition as an official medical specialty. Rural generalists are rural GPs and they provide much more than just vital primary and emergency care to rural and regional communities. They often have additional training in obstetrics, mental health and anaesthetics. This is another very welcome sign of confidence returning to general practice and it reflects the Albanese government's financial support to encourage greater growth. It also adds to our commitment to invest an additional $573 million in women's health, including more support for menopause and contraceptives, saving women and their families thousands of dollars. The Australian government's women's health package has already started to improve access and affordability, with the first PBS listing in more than 30 years for new oral contraceptive pills and the first PBS listing in over 20 years for new menopausal hormone therapies earlier this year. There are now more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics open. We are expanding from 22 to 33 the number of clinics across the country. On 1 November, there will be larger Medicare payments and more bulk billing for IUDs and birth control implants, saving around 300,000 women a year up to $400 in out-of-pocket costs. Women deserve a health care system that provides more choice, lower costs and high-quality care. As a government, we are committed to supporting women's health care, and I'm proud the Albanese government is delivering on that promise. Turning back to cheaper medicines, it's so important that we keep doing what we can to make access to health care more affordable. We don't want to end up like other countries where the cost of medicines is prohibitive—where people don't get the help they need when they need it, and they end up much worse. Preventive health care is vital to keeping communities strong, local economies going and ensuring that people have a quality of life. It's about dignity and ensuring that we look after one another. Imagine the alternative when people can't afford the medicines they need. The first risk is the impact on health itself. When medicines are too expensive, people delay filling prescriptions, cut doses in half to make them last longer or skip them altogether. That means conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma are left untreated or poorly managed. What begins as a manageable health issue can quickly spiral into a medical emergency. A hospital stay costs far more than a prescription, and it puts pressure on our healthcare system that can be avoided. The second risk is financial stress for people on fixed incomes—pensioners, single parents, students or those who are in casual jobs. The rise in the price of medicines creates impossible choices. Do you pay the rent or do you fill a prescription? Do you buy groceries or your child's asthma inhaler? No Australian should have to make that choice. The third risk is in inequality in our healthcare system. Australia prides itself on the principle of universal access—that health care should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy. When the cost of medicine becomes a barrier, that principle starts to crumble. Wealthy Australians can afford the treatments they need, while those with fewer resources are left behind. The result is a widening health gap between the rich and the poor, the city and the country, the young and old. There's also a long-term national risk. As more people miss out on vital medicines, chronic conditions worsen, leading to greater demand on hospitals, emergency services and aged care. This drives up the cost of health care for everyone—for taxpayers, governments and the health system itself. So I am here today incredibly proud to support this legislation. We need to keep pushing for strong policies that protect Australians from the burden of high medicine costs. That means continuing to expand subsidies under the PBS, encouraging greater competition in the pharmaceutical market and ensuring that rural and remote Australians aren't paying more simply because of where they live. We need to treat affordable access to medicines as a basic right, not a privilege. Medicines are not luxury goods. I would like to sincerely thank the health minister, Mark Butler, and his health team for bringing forward this bill. It delivers on a significant commitment made prior to the election. It builds on earlier actions undertaken by the Albanese Labor government to deliver cheaper medicines. It helps strengthen Medicare and improve access to health care for all Australians. This bill is important now. It was important in 2023 when we reduced the cost of medicines for the first time, and it will remain important for this parliament to come together to ensure that access to affordable health care, whether that is medicines or treatment, remains a continuing priority not just of a Labor government but of a parliament as a whole. We have to ensure that health care remains accessible, particularly when we see other countries attempting to attack our PBS. We need to remain strong—that the PBS is a core right for Australians and that they can rely on their government, of whatever political persuasion, to stand up for cheaper medicines and affordable health care and ensure we continue to back affordable health care in this country. Again, I commend the bill to the House. I think it's incredibly important. I want to again thank our health team for the work they've done in bringing this bill forward. 18:20 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor Australia is famous for many things, and one thing the world knows about us is our universal health system and our affordable medicines. When people look around the world at where they want to live, our great health system is one of the things that attracts them to our country. It speaks to our sense of egalitarianism. It speaks to our sense of social justice and our commitment to looking after one another and building a fair society. Our universal health scheme is a hallmark of that great society, and I am really proud that Labor had a role to play in the creation of that egalitarian health system, if I can call it that. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 is another piece in that great social enterprise that is our country Australia and one of the reasons people from around the world want to come and live here with us. In my electorate of Lalor we have a young, diverse, fast-growing community of young families from around the globe, who all love our health system. If you stop on any street corner and start a conversation, it will go to health. Two planks—health and education. That's why people come to my community: 'Affordable housing, and I want a great education for my kids and I want to know that we can access the health care that we need.' This government is committed to making sure that everybody in Werribee, Tarneit, Wyndham Vale, Hoppers Crossing and Manor Lakes has access to affordable medicines. This legislation is part of that good news story. As of 31 July this year, my community saved $9.2 million because of this government's commitment to cheaper medicines. If you think about the young families that I represent, about the number of times they go to the doctor, about all of the medicines that a family requires, about our model where we front-load preventive health by creating access to GPs, access to emergency care and access to urgent care clinics and providing medicines that families need at affordable prices—if you think of what that means for the long-term health of a community like mine, this is gold. It's more than gold. It's a spend we're not going to make at the other end of this cycle, because healthy children create healthy teenagers create health adults. A Tarneit family filling two general scripts a month will save hundreds of dollars under the change that I just mentioned. This bill provides certainty for concession holders. A Werribee pensioner will pay no more than $7.70 a script, frozen until 2030, with no surprises and no strings attached. I think about my mum, who lived to be 94, and I think about what our affordable medicines meant for her life. They meant a quality existence. They meant a pain-free existence. They meant that she could continue to contribute, to hold her great-grandchildren, to see the birth of 28 great-grandchildren. That was down to our great health system—seriously, 94 years of age—because she lived in Australia. She had nine children, with eight surviving. She was hard on her body. Her body met those demands. Those medicines kept her well. She was an asthmatic. As a child, she was an asthmatic. Her mother was told when she was born she'd have to be left in the pram because the asthma was so severe. That's not a treatment we would suggest day, under any circumstances, but it's a long time ago. That asthma came back. She grew out of that extreme asthma by the time she became a teenager, but, with menopause, it came roaring back into her life. She was hospitalised in her 60s, seriously fearing for her life. Her asthma medications were a permanent part of her life, from age 60 through to when she left us. How many scripts is that? What would it mean for her to know at 60 that her medications were going to be $7.70 per script on the PBS? Cheaper, longer duration scripts have also improved medication adherence, preventing avoidable visits to the GP and hospital admissions. These things are happening now under this Labor government, and I am so proud of the work we've done here. I'm proud that we stared down those opposite on extending scripts. We stared them down and delivered. I'm proud of it because I live with someone who has scripts all the time for a condition that won't change, and I know, across the last 15 years, the number of times a script went unfilled, the number of times I was in a conversation that went, 'Your colour's not looking great. Are you taking your meds?' only to be told, 'I'm going to go to the chemist today.' The 60 day scripts will prevent heart failure intensifying for thousands of people in our community. This is good news for everybody I represent. It's good news across Australia. Cheaper medicines help households in Lalor budget. I often talk about this. As a teacher, I have seen what cost-of-living pressure can do to families. I've seen it, and I've lived it with families, with kids walking into the school gate who've come from a home where the bills are stacking up on the fridge and chaos is looming. Parents lose control of their lives, and that chaos impacts on young people as they walk into the school gate. Anything a government can do to create a positive budgetary frame for families to reduce the pressure of cost of living is a good thing. This legislation is not just about great medicine. It's not just about quality of life. It's not just about living longer. It's actually at that grassroots level of giving people control of their household budgets. It's a cost-saving measure. It's a cost-of-living measure as well as being a health measure. The Albanese Labor government is providing practical, immediate cost-of-living relief with long-term benefits for every community. Think about it. We come to government, and there's a cost-of-living crisis. Interest rates are spiralling. What do we look to? We look to the things that families need right now, like control of the family budget. We look to controlling the energy costs inside their homes. We look to the cost of medicines. What an insightful decision from our minister for health, to look at recommendations that may have come to previous governments and been shoved aside as not important or not a priority. In this scenario, this government comes into office and embraces the 60-day script, an idea rejected by the previous government, because of what it means in a cost-of-living crisis. It means that you don't have to go to the doctor as often, and it means that we can protect that universal health system that we're so proud of. As the member for Lalor, I have fought to have the DPA status reinstated for my community. That status was ripped away from us by the previous government, and that saw a 30 per cent drop in GPs in my community. The way the DPA works is that doctors trained overseas—many live in my community—get a DPA-status placement where they work longer hours or after hours so that a clinic stays open until 10 o'clock, staffed by an overseas doctor working to have their accreditation acknowledged in Australia. That is the bread and butter of GP clinics in my electorate, where we train overseas doctors in Australian practice. People get their credentials then buy a house and dig in. They start a practice and the cycle continues. We've reinstated that DPA status in my electorate, and it is making a world of difference to community members because lots of the clinics opened by overseas doctors, who have come to share their lives with us, are bulk-billing every patient who walks through the door. Now they're able to give them scripts that people can afford, and our pensioners and anybody who is eligible for PBS scripts is benefitting from all of that. This bill will reduce the PBS general co-payment from $31.60 to just $25 from 1 January next year. It doubles down on what we've already done to make those scripts cheaper by bringing them down to $31.60. Now they're going to come down by another 20 per cent. It will slash the maximum cost of PBS medicines. This is going to make another real difference in communities like mine and in communities across the country. It was a commitment we took to the election because we knew that universal health care was a part of Australia's identity. It's about accessibility, which provides the foundation for every cost-of-living measure this government introduces. We're using medicine, health and every measure we can to assist families in electorates like mine to get control of that family budget, to literally get control of their lives and to maintain a level of calm in their homes when they come home from work. Only a Labor government builds and defends this universal health care—from Whitlam's Medibank to Hawke's Medicare to this bill around cheaper medicines today. Labor made Medicare possible, and we are still the only party that strengthens it when families need relief most. Those opposite may wince, but Medicare stands because Labor built it and Australians back it. Labor doesn't just talk about universal health care; we created it and we continue to modernise it so Australians are not left to decide whether they can afford to refill their scripts or to put dinner on the table. They are not left to make hard decisions that people in other countries make every day. Under those opposite, what we saw was an Americanisation of our universal healthcare system, a system that we're incredibly proud of and that Australians are proud of. It's a foundation of our society. It's a foundation of our egalitarian ethos. Labor founded the affordable medicines scheme under the Chifley government in 1948 with the aim of subsidising life-saving and disease-preventing medicines for the community. Today this life-changing scheme has been expanded and provides timely, reliable and affordable access to necessary medicines for all Australians. In 2023, Labor delivered the largest PBS price cut in history, and now we're taking it down to $25. This is Labor doing what matters because it is the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do—it's the right fiscal thing to do. It's not just cost-of-living relief. It's not just good health. It's also part of that preventive cycle that saves governments money at the back end. The healthier our population is, the less demand there is on our health system and on our hospital system. When the Liberals were in government, we saw the neglect of our healthcare system. We saw the introduction of co-payments. We saw the freezing of the indexation for Medicare rebates. We saw them strip Lalor, Wyndham and the outer suburbs around the country of DPA status. This was a decision felt deeply by many in my community. I fought to have it reinstated. I support the health minister on the measures that he is introducing in this piece of legislation. I support the health minister in reinventing universal health care through the tripling of the Medicare incentive. I support the wise decisions being made by this government to keep not just my community but all Australians healthy, supporting them when they need support and making sure that every family across the country can access the medicines that parents and their children and the children's grandparents and everybody in the community needs. This is Labor government 101. Those opposite should take note. They should back universal health care. They should back cheaper medicines. They should support every measure this government is bringing forward not just to reduce people's costs but to keep our community healthy. Debate adjourned. Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 96

Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025

Second Reading 96 18:34 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra I rise to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This is the second piece of legislation to come before this parliament in the wake of the horrific attack on a Services Australia employee who was just doing her job. A public servant going about her day—doing her job like public servants in every part of this country—was punched in the face and stabbed in the back, leaving her with life-changing injuries. This is appalling. No Australian should be attacked at work. So, when former Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton made recommendations, following a review of security arrangements at Services Australia and indeed in all Commonwealth workplaces, we took them very seriously. One of those recommendations led to the Criminal Code Amendment (Protecting Commonwealth Frontline Workers) Bill 2024. This was a bill to expand the criminal offences for assaulting a frontline worker employed by the Commonwealth. The coalition supported the bill and it passed the parliament on a bipartisan basis. Another one of those recommendations in the Ashton review has led to this bill that we're considering today. As the member for Watson said when reintroducing this bill—and we acknowledge his comments on the need for this and the constructive approach that all sides of politics have taken to this legislation—there have been more than 1,700 serious incidents at Services Australia between July 2023 and July last year. But all of us in this place know that Services Australia employees are not the only ones to face these threats. It's also the employees in our embassies, the contractors and subcontractors on our defence bases, private security guards routinely found on Commonwealth premises, officers of the Australian Federal Police and, indeed, the staff in our electorate offices. As recently as May 2025, two Australian Border Force contractors were assaulted and stabbed whilst at work. This legislation came before parliament last term, and we indicated at the time that we would support the bill after a quick committee inquiry. That committee inquiry was handed down on a bipartisan basis, with a recommendation for minor changes but otherwise supporting the legislation. So the coalition is pleased to reiterate its support for this bill today. In essence, what the bill does is to create a scheme for Commonwealth workplace protection orders. These orders are similar to apprehended and personal violence order schemes that are commonplace in the states and territories. These orders will apply in Commonwealth workplaces or to protect Commonwealth workers. This means the orders can apply to an entire workplace, such as an electorate office or Services Australia centre. It also means that the orders can specifically protect individual Commonwealth workers who have been targeted—whether in the car park, on the way home or outside working hours. As I mentioned previously, the potential risks faced by Commonwealth workers are not just limited to Services Australia employees but are very broad. So the very broad definition of the term 'Commonwealth worker' is appropriate. The broad definition means that the orders will be able to protect Services Australia employees, Australian Federal Police, contractors, security guards, volunteers and electorate office staff. This approach is sensible and warrants the support of the chamber. In terms of the substance of the protection orders, the bill would also allow a court to direct a person not to attend a particular Commonwealth workplace, not to go near an affected worker and to comply with other appropriate conditions. Only a court can make such an order, and it must be cancelled if the grounds for the order cease to exist. To make this type of order, a court must be satisfied that a person has engaged in personal violence or made threats of personal violence and there is a real risk that the person will engage in further violence if the order is not made. Like other schemes, a person does not commit an offence simply because an order is made against them. However, contravening an order is punishable by up to two years jail, or 120 penalty units—currently just under $40,000—or both. These penalties are in line with the penalties for similar schemes. The scheme does not require a worker to apply for an order themselves; applications can also be made by the relevant agency through an authorised person. This means that a worker who has been targeted does not necessarily need to be the one attending a court and applying for a protection order in their own name. We understand that the burden on the state and territory court system is expected to be minimal. As I mentioned, this bill has been subjected to the usual scrutiny processes through the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, and was endorsed by the committee. It has also been examined by the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee, and clarifying information from the former responsible minister was provided through that scrutiny process. That being the case, the coalition is pleased to support this bill, and I commend it to the House. 18:39 Ms CLUTTERHAM 316101 Sturt The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 has at its heart a desire to provide legal protections for workers and workplaces in the Commonwealth space, to deter acts of violence and to deter other harmful behaviours by members of the public. It is a direct result of the unfortunate increasing risk of harm being faced by Commonwealth workers on a daily basis. This particularly applies to those working in frontline service delivery roles. This legislation is an important step forward in recognising the dignity and safety of workers who dedicate their lives and careers to serving the public. Across my home state of South Australia, thousands of people work in roles that bring them into direct contact with members of the community every day, often in challenging, highly emotional and sensitive circumstances. These are the workers who staff Centrelink and Medicare counters, support jobseekers and older Australians, deliver the mail, manage immigration and border services, and answer calls in service hubs that Australians rely on. These people perform critical functions, but, too often, they face abuse, intimidation or threats, simply for doing their job. Data tells us that in the year between July 2023 and June 2024, there were just under 1,700 serious incidents across the face-to-face services that Services Australia provides to the Australian public. Data provided in the submission made by Services Australia in connection with this legislation revealed that, in 2023 and 2024, Services Australia had 27.1 million Medicare customers, 8.5 million Centrelink customers and 1.1 million child support customers and that, as at 31 December 2024, there were just over 35,000 people working in Services Australia roles. The data also indicated that, during 2023 and 2024, frontline workers in service centres acted to support Australians through approximately 10 million customer contacts—an extraordinary achievement. That is dedication and commitment to the Australian people. But regular instances of customer aggression meant that, during that period, service centre staff reported just over 12,000 customer aggression incidents, including the just under 1,700 that are recorded as serious incidents. Services Australia has reported that incidents of customer aggression included experiences of physical assault, including with a weapon. This is in addition to spitting; arson; objects being thrown at frontline workers; repeated exposure to obscene and offensive material; verbal abuse, including serious threats of harm; and property damage. This is not acceptable. The mental health toll that these acts of customer aggression take on staff and their families is not acceptable. The loss of confidence that these acts of customer aggression cause to staff is not acceptable. The economic cost of absence from the workplace and the economic cost of other productivity losses by virtue of these acts of customer aggression is not acceptable. Equally, the physical cost must also not be forgotten. It is a terrible thing that, as recently as May 2025, two Australian Border Force contractors were seriously assaulted with a bladed weapon whilst at work. This is not acceptable. This government values the work that frontline Commonwealth workers do every day to support their fellow Australians. This government takes the view that any violence against Commonwealth workers is unacceptable, and this legislation is designed to deter this kind of repugnant conduct. The purpose of the legislation is simple. It is to ensure that those who serve the public can do so safely. It allows for the granting of swift and effective protection orders when workers face harassment, stalking, threats or violence in connection with their work. At its heart, this legislation makes it clear that, if you step up to serve the public, you deserve to be safe while providing that service. Select courts will, therefore, upon application by an authorised person and after taking into consideration relevant circumstances, be able to issue a workplace protection order on behalf of a Commonwealth worker or workplace. Workplace protection orders can be issued in circumstances where personal violence against a worker or a workplace has arisen out of or is in direct connection with the official functions or duties of the relevant worker or relevant workplace and when there is a real risk it will occur again if an order is not made. 'Personal violence' is defined to include acts of violence, harassment, intimidation, threats of harm and other harmful non-physical violence such as verbal abuse over the phone or via email. I also want to recognise the balance that has tried to be struck and which strikes at the heart of this reform. Government services must remain open, accessible and welcoming to everyone, especially those who are under pressure and may be at their most vulnerable when they walk through the door, when they are feeling helpless, when they are feeling let down, where they have nowhere else to turn. The goal of the workplace protection orders act is to ensure that every member of the community can seek help in an environment that is safe, respectful and constructive. Important to this is the understanding that the imposition of a workplace protection order will not eliminate or limit any person from accessing necessary Commonwealth services as required. This strikes the careful balance between protecting the health and wellbeing of workers and the need for all Australians to be supported through life's many challenges. The legislation does this by contemplating alternative procedures or arrangements for how the person over whom a workplace protection order has been issued may still access the support services that they need. If someone is subject to a workplace protection order, they are not barred from receiving help, because services, support and assistance can still be provided through alternative means such as scheduled appointments, phone or online channels or with staff in supervised and managed environments, facilitating the right to payments and services by ensuring that they can be accessed in a safe way, thus allowing for both staff wellbeing and the delivery for Australians at difficult and challenging times of need. That is the balance that has been sought and that is the balance that will be struck by this legislation. We know that a reduction or elimination of services or support for a person who is on the edge may have even more adverse consequences for that person, for their family and possibly for the community, and that is the motivation for the balance that this legislation seeks to achieve. Under this legislation, affected workers are also granted privacy protections as well as workplace health and safety protections, so they do not need to bring an application forward in their own name. This privacy regime protects them from any adverse consequences that may arise from having to bring the action in their own name. This important scheme will be available to most Commonwealth workplaces, extending to anywhere a Commonwealth worker is conducting official Commonwealth work. This matters deeply in South Australia, where service delivery roles are a backbone of our communities. In Sturt, and across the country, staff at Services Australia sites and other frontline agencies provide support for families, support for people with disability and support for those experiencing unemployment or hardship. They are often the face of government, explaining complex systems, helping people in crisis and doing their best to resolve issues and achieve an outcome. Some of these people work at the Services Australia branch located in Norwood, in the very heart of my electorate of Sturt, where staff provide services to residents of Sturt in connection with Centrelink, Medicare and My Aged Care and where residents also access information in relation to child support and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Yet, because these workers are the point of contact, they are also the ones most exposed when frustration spills over into aggression. Protecting these workers is about valuing the people who make government services accessible and human. It is also personal for me. In Sturt I have recently set up the Sturt electorate office, with a team of young staff with diverse backgrounds from the private sector and from the public sector, who joined me because they want to help their community. They see themselves as a front door for people needing access to government, whether it is for a pension issue, support to understand the visa and immigration system, assistance with Centrelink or with tax or with housing, the provision of a pocket constitution or the provision of the Australian flag. These young people bring energy, compassion and commitment to their work every day, and I want to know that, when they do that, they are safe. I want to know that when someone walks into the Sturt electorate office, or makes contact with the electorate office online, through the telephone, at a shopping centre visit or at a street-corner meeting, the excellent team in the Sturt electorate office can help our community and do their jobs without fear of intimidation or harm. This legislation gives me that assurance. It gives me the assurance that workers in Services Australia offices—all 35,000 of them across this great country—will be safe when they provide support services to Australians during life's challenging times. Ultimately, this legislation is about respect. It is respect for people who show up each and every day to help their fellow Australians navigate essential services. It is respect for their role in keeping our systems running. Protecting them is not just good workplace policy; it is the right thing to do. 18:53 Ms DOYLE 299962 Aston I rise today in strong support of the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This bill introduces new legislation and with it a new national scheme designed to provide Commonwealth workers with the safety, dignity and protection they deserve in the course of their duties. This is a bill about safety. This is a bill about fairness. And, most importantly, this is a bill about respect—respect for the thousands of Australians who dedicate themselves to delivering critical services on behalf of the Commonwealth. Let me begin with why we are here. This bill is borne out of both necessity and tragedy. In 2023 the Albanese Labor government commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review, led by Graham Ashton AM APM, a respected law enforcement and public safety leader. That review, commonly referred to as the Ashton review, was triggered by what happened to a 55-year-old Services Australia team leader, Joeanne Cassar, one day in May of 2023 at a branch in Melbourne. Earlier that morning, a man whom Services Australia had already deemed a risk to workers, but whom they had no legal authority to ban from the branch, had turned up again. As team leader, Joeanne asked him to leave, and he did so immediately, but then he came back later with a knife. Joeanne had stepped in to cover for a security guard taking a lunch break. When the man returned with the knife, he lunged at Joeanne, chasing her back into the office. He punched her in the face and stabbed her once in the lower back, just missing her spine and kidneys but leaving her with life-changing injuries and enduring pain. This should never have been allowed to happen. Joeanne said only last month: 'We should all be safe at work. We all have family we want to get back to. It took me seven days to get home. And I'm one of the lucky ones.' No-one should ever go to work fearing that they may not come home safely or, worse, not come home at all. The Ashton review looked into the risks faced by Commonwealth frontline workers, especially those in public-facing roles. It made 44 recommendations to strengthen safety, security and protections. The government agreed to all 44 recommendations. One of those recommendations, recommendation 17, was that the current ACT workplace protection order provisions should be adapted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide, and that is precisely what this bill does. Some may ask: Is there really such a need? Are Commonwealth workers really at such risk? The answer is absolutely yes. The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZY Member for Aston, just resume your seat for a moment. Could I just ask the members down here—they are in a direct line between the Speaker's chair and the person speaking. So, if you need to have a conversation, you can just go outside into the lounge room. Ms DOYLE 299962 Between July 2023 and June 2024 alone, there were 1,694 serious incidents across Services Australia's face-to-face service channel. These were not minor complaints. These were serious incidents: threats, assaults, intimidation, harassment and acts of violence. As recently as May this year, two Australian Border Force contractors were assaulted with a bladed weapon while simply doing their job. These are not isolated events. They are part of a disturbing trend of aggression towards the people who serve our communities on behalf of the Commonwealth. I say this clearly. Any violence towards a Commonwealth worker is unacceptable. It is unacceptable morally, it is unacceptable legally and it is unacceptable in the kind of nation we aspire to be. This bill aims to deter such abhorrent conduct, to protect Commonwealth workers and to make it crystal clear that violence, intimidation and threats against those who serve the public will not be tolerated. Why is new Commonwealth legislation necessary? At present, most states and territories do have protection order schemes: family violence orders, personal safety orders and workplace protection orders. But these schemes have a gap. Under those laws, it is usually the affected individual, the victim themselves, who must bring forward an application in their name. That means a Commonwealth worker who is harassed, threatened or assaulted while on duty would have to put their name forward personally in making the application and, in some cases, would have to face their aggressor in court. That is unfair. It places an additional burden on people who are already vulnerable and who have already been subjected to violence or threats. The bill closes that legislative gap. Under the Commonwealth workplace protection order scheme, an authorised person from a Commonwealth entity will be able to apply for a workplace protection order on behalf of the worker or the workplace. This not only enhances privacy for Commonwealth workers but also strengthens their workplace health and safety protections. It allows them to keep serving the public without having to personally bear the legal and emotional weight of confronting their aggressor. Let me now turn to the key features of this important legislation. This scheme will apply to most Commonwealth workplaces, but it recognises that Commonwealth work is not limited to traditional offices or service centres. It will extend to mobile service pop-up shops in shopping centres. It will cover Commonwealth vehicles. It will even extend to a worker's own residence if they are working from home in the course of their official duties. In short, wherever a Commonwealth worker is carrying out Commonwealth work, this bill provides protection. The bill empowers an authorised person from a Commonwealth entity to apply to select courts for a workplace protection order on behalf of a worker or workplace. These applications can be made where personal violence has arisen out of, or in direct connection with, official Commonwealth duties and where there is a real risk it will occur again. The definition of 'personal violence' in this bill is intentionally broad and modern. It includes acts of physical violence, harassment and intimidation; threats of harm and harmful non-physical violence, such as verbal abuse over the phone or via email—because violence is not just physical; it can be psychological, verbal or digital, and our laws need to reflect that reality. On application, a Commonwealth, state or territory court will be able to make an interim consent or final order. In urgent circumstances interim orders can even be sought by phone or electronic means. When making a workplace protection order, the court will be able to impose conditions necessary or desirable to protect the worker or workplace. However—this is crucial—the bill makes it clear that a protection order cannot prevent a person from accessing necessary Commonwealth services or from exercising their democratic right to political communication. If conditions might limit access to services or communication, applicants must provide the court with information about alternative arrangements. This strikes the right balance between protecting workers and safeguarding the rights of the public. Either party, the Commonwealth or the respondent, can apply to vary or revoke an order. Appeals can also be made to the court, ensuring procedural fairness. Breaching a workplace protection order will carry serious consequences—up to 120 penalty units or two years imprisonment, or both. That sends a clear and strong message: protection orders are not optional; they are orders of the court and they will be enforced. Finally, the bill provides for a statutory review of the scheme three years after commencement. That will ensure the scheme is operating as intended and allow improvements where necessary. Behind all the details there are three principles at the heart of this bill. First is safety. Every worker has a right to be safe at work. That includes the teachers in our schools, the nurses in our hospitals and, yes, the Commonwealth workers in our service centres, airports and offices. Second is dignity. No one should be demeaned, intimidated or abused simply for doing their job. This bill recognises the humanity of our workers and gives them the legal backing they need to stand tall. Third is respect—respect for those who serve. Whether they are frontline service officers, Border Force contractors or policy staff working from home, they deserve respect, not aggression. This bill is also an important statement. It sends a strong message that the Albanese government values the workers who provide critical government services. It sends a strong message that violence and aggression towards those workers is unacceptable. It sends a strong message that the Commonwealth will stand by its people, not leave them to fend for themselves. When we talk about these protections, we are not talking about abstract legal concepts; we are talking about real people—the Services Australia officer who faces daily verbal abuse at the counter, the Border Force contractor assaulted with a knife while trying to keep our community safe and the Centrelink worker who receives threats over the phone simply for enforcing the law. These are people with families, with children, with loved ones waiting for them at home, and the least we can do as a parliament is make sure they get home safe. The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 is not just another piece of legislation. It is a concrete step towards safer Commonwealth workplaces. It is a practical response to the recommendations of the Ashton review. It is a demonstration that this government will not tolerate violence against its workers. I commend this bill to the House and I urge all members to support it not just for the sake of the law but for the sake of the people who serve our nation every single day. 19:04 Ms CAMPBELL 312823 Moreton You will see the signs when you take the car through the drive-through to pick up take-out on the way home. You will see the signs when you sit in the doctor's office waiting to go in to see the GP when you're sick. You will see the signs as you go through the check-out to buy your groceries on a weekly basis. It is now commonplace to see these signs that adorn walls, shopfronts and the counters of so many different places in our communities. Those signs state that aggressive behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated. Behaviour such as physical assault, abusive language, threats and verbal harassment will not be tolerated. I am sure that we can all agree that all workers, no matter where they work, should not have to put up with abuse and that they deserve to feel safe in their workplace. If you work in hospitality waiting tables, you should not have to put up with that. If you work in retail at the check-out, you should not have to put up with that. And, if you work for the Commonwealth, you should not have to put up with that. Unfortunately, it is far too often not the case. The staff of Services Australia and other Commonwealth workplaces who are our front-line workers for government payments and services are, sadly, accustomed to being on the receiving end of abuse as they do their jobs. These are the people who process our Centrelink payments, who answer our taxation queries, who deal with passport inquiries and who run elections to make sure that our democracy runs. They are the face, they are the front line, and they deserve to be treated with respect. It is simply not good enough to have it any other way. The effects of violence in the workplace can have long-lasting negative impacts on workers and their families, workplace culture and other members of the public. This bill, the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025, will establish a new act, the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Act, which will in turn provide a Commonwealth workplace protection orders scheme. The key objectives of this bill are to, firstly, provide legal protections for Commonwealth workplaces and workers and, secondly, to deter members of the public from violent and aggressive behaviour towards them—because we will not cop threats to working people, we will not cop abuse directed at working people and we will not cop violence when working people are its target. Labor takes protecting workers incredibly seriously. This bill complements the Criminal Code Amendment (Protecting Commonwealth Frontline Workers) Act 2024. This was driven by the Albanese government and implements increased penalties for harming a Commonwealth front-line worker. The Labor government has an incredibly proud history not only of protecting workers but of supporting workers. We only have to look at the eight-hour day, the fantastic and incredibly important workplace health and safety legislation introduced not only in this place but also in states and territories across the breadth and depth of our country, superannuation, and the repeal of Work Choices and AWAs to know that Labor has always at its heart ensured that working people were protected and have the support that they fundamentally need day in, day out in the workplace. Services Australia has 318 service centres across Australia. As at 30 June 2023, its face-to-face service division employed nearly 6½ thousand staff. The number of serious incidents across these service centres directly affecting these staff between July 2023 and June 2024 is extremely concerning. There were 1,694 incidents. That's over four per day. This frequency highlights the need for action and the need for action to happen right now, and that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing here tonight. The former member for Maribyrnong commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review in 2023 after a government employee was seriously assaulted with a bladed weapon while at work. The review was led by Mr Graham Ashton, and it's worth taking a closer look at some of its 44 recommendations. Amongst other things, Mr Ashton was tasked with assessing the adequacy of the physical security measures at service centres and reviewing state criminal laws to ensure the maximum protection for both staff and customers. The findings of the report acknowledge that a key part of the role of Services Australia employees is to support Australians during challenging times in their lives. These are some of Australia's most vulnerable people when they may be at their most vulnerable. As the report stated, this highlights the need to prioritise the security and safety of staff, particularly when working in isolated locations and service centres in regions and rural communities. As I said, the review resulted in 44 recommendations. Some concern culture and management, such as an ethos of staff feedback and leadership. Others are focused on physical security, expressing the need for upgraded security systems, security features of lobby designs and the employment of security guards. The Albanese Labor government has accepted every single one of those 44 recommendations. This bill implements recommendation 17—that the current ACT workplace protection order provisions should be adopted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide, because it doesn't matter where you work—it doesn't matter if you're working in Queensland or working in the Territory, it doesn't matter if you're working in a city, it doesn't matter if you're working in the regions, it doesn't matter if you are working in rural or remote Queensland, it doesn't matter if you are working in any other state—you deserve protection in your workplace regardless of your postcode, regardless of your job, regardless of what you do day in and day out. The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Order scheme will be available in most Commonwealth workplaces and, indeed, anywhere where a Commonwealth worker is undertaking official Commonwealth work. That includes pop-ups in shopping centres or a worker's house when they are working from home. The bill will let certain people from Commonwealth organisations apply to specific courts for a workplace protection order to help keep a worker or workplace safe. This bill resolves a legislative gap in some state and territory protection order schemes, because, under this legislation, the worker who has been targeted does not need to apply for a workplace protection order in their own name. This measure boosts the privacy of Commonwealth workers and gives additional protections because we want a strong Public Service. Labor has always fought to have a strong Public Service. We have fought to make sure that we have the best and brightest working for the Commonwealth in critical services that people in this country rely on every day. To attract those people, to have a strong workforce, people need to understand and know and have the guarantee that this will not happen in their workplace and that they will be protected. Commonwealth, state or territory courts will be able to assess applications. The bill allows for urgent applications to be applied for over the phone or via electronic means. The courts will consider a range of conditions to impose on a respondent to ensure the protection and safety of Commonwealth workers and subsequently decide on the type of order. These can be interim, which give temporary protection before a final decision. The second category is consent orders, which are made with agreement from all parties. Lastly, final orders are a long-term protection, typically lasting up to two years. Contravening a workplace protection order may carry a penalty of 120 penalty units or two years of imprisonment or, in some cases, both. Conditions within the orders include no contact with a Commonwealth worker or no attendance at a Commonwealth workplace. This covers people working at Services Australia, the Australian Taxation Office, the Veterans Affairs' offices, Australia Post and ministerial and electorate offices—the people on our front line. It covers those subcontractors who also help these places run smoothly, the security guards and the cleaners. It is important to note that, if a person is given a workplace protection order, it does not prevent them from accessing critical Commonwealth services as they require, or exercising their right to engage in political communication. If an applicant is seeking conditions that would limit the respondent's access to Commonwealth services or right to political communication, they must outline how alternative arrangements will work. In 2021-22, Services Australia had 26.4 million Medicare customers, 11.4 million Centrelink customers and 1.2 million child support customers, customers who are people—everyday Australian citizens who rely on Commonwealth services for their health care; everyday Australian citizens who rely on Centrelink to support them and their families; everyday Australian citizens who rely on child support. These customers would have experienced what the Ashton review describes as 'a very strong service ethos'. The vast majority of these interactions would have been positive. I would like to express my thanks to the hardworking people of Services Australia for their dedication to their roles, often in incredibly challenging circumstances. The people who work in Commonwealth services and for Services Australia must be applauded, celebrated and given the respect that they deserve for doing jobs that help people every day—doing jobs that are critical to the fabric of a society that cares for its people. As Mr Ashton stated, Australians need the agency and its staff during times in their lives when they may be most vulnerable or in crisis. Accordingly, many customers also present with complex vulnerabilities that can impact their engagement with agency staff. Violence towards any worker is unacceptable, and this bill sends a very strong message that Labor both values the workers who serve the public and is determined that they will be safe in their jobs. As I said at the beginning, it is critical that, no matter whether you work in the private sector, in the public sector, in retail, in hospitality or for any of the agencies that support the most vulnerable Australians in our community, every single day, you deserve respect. And Labor has always worked to ensure that that respect is given. This bill is critical to taking the next step to stop people from being abused in their own workplaces. And we know that a workplace is a place where you should feel safe. We know that a workplace is a place where you go every day and you should understand and have the confidence and know that, when you get there, you will be safe. We know that a workplace is somewhere where you often spend more time with your colleagues at that workplace than with your family. And, when you go to that workplace, safety is paramount. No-one should ever feel compromised when it comes to safety in their day-to-day work. This legislation aims to decrease the number of violent acts happening at face-to-face centres and to ensure the safety of people in their workplace every single day. Ensuring that workers are taken care of, ensuring that workers have confidence, ensuring that workers have agency, ensuring that workers feel safe, ensuring that workers feel supported is what Labor has always stood for. This bill is critical to continuing that legacy for people who work for the Commonwealth and for people who support Australians every day. 19:19 Mr NG 316052 Menzies I am proud to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 as a former public servant. It is too little acknowledged that, without public servants, governments of any persuasion would grind to a halt. Public servants make up the majority of the executive arm of government, one of the three pillars of our democratic system. We rely on them to provide frank and fearless advice, deliver services and engage with the public. One of the most important roles of government is to act as a social safety net. As a result, public servants are dealing on a daily basis with some of the most vulnerable in our society—people in difficult and desperate circumstances. This in turn can lead to complex behaviours, aggression and even violence. Having worked for various government departments, I understand the risks that frontline workers can face. That is why it is so important to have strong protective mechanisms in place for those workers. As people who provide vital supports, they are essential. Every day public servants serve the nation, deliver critical services and uphold the standards of the Commonwealth. They deserve to be able to do their jobs in safety, free from abuse and threats to their person. That is why the government has introduced legislation to protect the people who serve our nation. The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill will establish a new scheme to safeguard the men and women who deliver essential services to the Australian public. At its core, this is a bill to protect Commonwealth employees against violence, aggression or threats. Such behaviour is not only unacceptable; it is utterly appalling. That is why the Albanese Labor government is acting to ensure that the people who dedicate their working lives to serving the public can do so free from fear or harm. When Australians walk into a Services Australia office, when they pass through a Border Force checkpoint, when they interact face to face with government staff, they are dealing with everyday people doing their jobs. People delivering essential frontline services, like all of us here, deserve to be safe at work. Yet too often that safety is compromised. Between July 2023 and June 2024 alone, there were 1,694 serious incidents across Services Australia's face-to-face service channels. That is more than four every single day. The incidents included threats, intimidation and assaults. This is not limited to Services Australia. As recently as May this year, two Australian Border Force contractors were assaulted with a bladed weapon while on the job. Let us be clear. Violence is not acceptable in any workplace, but violence against Commonwealth workers is not just an attack on individuals; it is an attack on our institutions and on the representatives of the government who deal with the public on a daily basis. It undermines the government's ability to deliver services and support, and it cannot be tolerated. That is why, in 2023, the government commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review, better known as the Ashton review, to examine how to better protect frontline staff. This bill was born from recommendation 17 of the Ashton review. That recommendation stated: The current ACT Workplace Protection Order provisions should be adopted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide. This stems from a shocking incident—a serious assault on a Services Australia staff member with a bladed weapon in 2023. No worker should ever face that kind of danger while serving the public. It was a wake-up call, a reminder that we must do more to care for our workers. The government responded by agreeing to all 44 recommendations of the Ashton review. This bill gives effect to protections for our Commonwealth workers, ensuring that never again will they be left without the protections they deserve. This bill makes that happen. It turns recommendations into action. It ensures that Commonwealth employees can do their jobs safely and with the confidence that their government stands firmly behind them. Where those opposite ignored the warnings and failed to act, Labor is delivering the protections that our public servants deserve. This bill is long overdue, and it addresses a clear legislative gap in most state and territory protection order schemes. Right now, in many jurisdictions, if a Commonwealth worker is assaulted, threatened or harassed, they are left to bring an application for a protection order in their own name. That places an unfair burden on the victim, forcing them to front up the legal proceedings as individuals for what is effectively a workplace incident. Under this legislation, affected workers will no longer have to take that step. The Commonwealth itself will be able to bring an application on their behalf. This change does three important things: it protects the privacy of our workers and ensures that they are no longer publicly named in proceedings and exposed to further risks; it reduces the burden and trauma of victims being forced into the legal system to seek protection and closure; and it strengthens and safeguards our Commonwealth workers, making it clear that it is our responsibility to protect our employees as any good employer should. The Labor Party is the party of workers, and we are the party and government that respects the Public Service. It is important that we show it and that we deliver for the people who serve our nation. That is exactly what we're doing with these workplace protections—backing our workers with actions and not just words. In the last election campaign, we saw those opposite show their disdain for the Public Service by setting an arbitrary figure of 41,000 job cuts. This wasn't based on an assessment of what it would take to implement policy or meet public need. It was based on an ideological aversion to government jobs. It is this same ideology that, over the nine years of coalition government, led to wasteful spending on labour hire companies, outsourcing to big consultancy firms and the hollowing out of the Public Service. During the last election campaign, those opposite showed their disdain not only for the Public Service but for many working people by saying that they would end working from home for all APS employees. The coalition knew that, had they been successful at the last election and ended up implementing this policy, it would have sent a signal to the private sector that this workplace flexibility would be wound back. It revealed their belief that workers cannot be trusted unless they are under the constant gaze of management. More than that, it revealed how out of touch they are with modern workplaces and modern employees, particularly those with families and caring responsibilities. The Australian people rejected this divisive attack on public servants, knowing that it was an attack on workers who deliver Centrelink, immigration, NDIS, veterans' affairs and so many other critical supports for the community. In practice, this bill will make it safer, fairer and more secure to work for the Commonwealth. Take a Services Australia officer who was threatened by a client after delivering difficult news about a payment. Today, that officer may have to pursue their own legal remedy, recounting the horrific details, reliving the incident and facing their aggressor in court. Under this bill, the Commonwealth would step in, protect that officer and pursue the order, sending a clear message of deterrence. When I was a public servant, I would hear horror stories from colleagues who were genuinely afraid to deliver news that a client would not accept, because of the repercussions that could follow when someone did not get the outcome they had hoped for. This was heightened by the fact that the matters they dealt with often involved the most desperate of circumstances. The stakes could not be higher, and the burden was too often carried by individual staff with little protection. I can say to my former colleagues with confidence that this bill will make a difference. This will give you the protection, reassurance and pride to do your jobs without fear. It sends a clear message that the government values you and that your safety will never be compromised simply for doing your duty. No public servant should ever fear violence or intimidation for doing their job serving the Australian people. Debate adjourned. ADJOURNMENT 104 ADJOURNMENT New South Wales: Floods 104 19:30 Ms PENFOLD 248895 Lyne Again I must stand in this place, to stand up for my communities affected by the devastating, record-breaking floods in the New South Wales Mid North Coast and Hunter regions—to stand up for people let down by government and bureaucracy. I spoke earlier in the week about the 700-plus farmers still waiting, some more than 100 days, for cat. D payments, treatment they simply not deserve. Tonight I want to focus on the silence from government about cat. D payments to small businesses. I understand that the Hunter and Mid North Coast recovery coordinator made a recommendation weeks ago to governments for cat. D funding for small businesses impacted by the floods. Who is blocking it, and why? I visited small businesses in the Taree CBD. I cannot overstate the devastating effect this event has had on the town—a town that, before these floods, had already well and truly been dealt its fair share of hardship. The effect of this event and the lack of government assistance will haunt Taree and other communities for a long time. Right now, things have never been tougher. Following the Black Summer bushfires and the preceding ruinous floods of March 2021, the MidCoast's gross regional product declined by nearly two per cent and regional productivity dropped 2.6 per cent. Since these events, growth has lagged behind regional New South Wales, New South Wales overall and the nation. This disaster has only compounded these poor economic markers. Too many have had to liquidate stock and close their doors. These closures impact jobs, services and entire communities. Shed Luxe has been forced to keep its doors open whilst undergoing shop repairs, in order to maintain some form of income. I've been there; I've seen it. Officeworks, a significant employer, remains closed with no reopening date in sight. Taree Motorcycles, another business I visited just after the floodwaters receded, lost over $300,000 worth of stock. Towers Smash Repairs estimates that it will cost approximately $200,000 to repair the business. Workwise Clothing has lost over $300,000 worth of stock, as well as their home. Some small businesses, like fodder and seeding businesses that are ancillary to agriculture, have even been blocked from the $25,000 small business assistance grant that is available. This is nothing but bureaucracy gone mad. This isn't about special treatment; it's about fair support. Small businesses deserve equal recognition and resources. The support my communities need doesn't end there. Another significant issue is that many of the households and businesses lacked adequate flood insurance. This is not because of complacency on the part of business and homeowners but rather because they were either outright refused flood insurance or because of skyrocketing insurance premiums that were so exorbitant following the 2021 floods. They were simply unaffordable. Where does this leave businesses, and the many premises they are located in? No-one wants to buy them. Business owners are stuck in a hopeless situation where they must either decide to rebuild, with the threat of another flood event destroying everything again forever looming over them, or cut their losses and close their doors permanently. This country desperately needs insurance reform. I understand that insurance companies have had to deal with record events, record claim numbers and building inflation, yet, while many are reaping strong profits, almost all local businesses and many households have had their insurance—where they could afford it—refused. We need policies that reduce premiums and reform of insurance assessment processes. If this event is a result of climate change, then where is the investment in adaptation in flood mitigation? This is needed to bring down premiums. It is unacceptable that too many small businesses are still waiting for help. We need essential infrastructure funding, too, for bridges and to repair many other roads and community assets. In the MidCoast Council area alone, 2,985 new road defects have been identified and 450 bridges affected. This is hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to repair—even more for homes to be raised, even more for flood mitigation and even more for a Taree CBD revitalisation package. There are shops in Pulteney Street that will never host a business again, but the space they occupy could give life to the CBD. We could create green space, a place for night markets and other community events, while also dealing with the stormwater and flood issue. There is opportunity in this recovery, but we need governments— (Time expired) National Disability Insurance Scheme 105 19:35 Ms FRANCE 270198 Dickson The NDIS is dignity, opportunity and independence. It is a promise to take care of people with significant and permanent disability. However, we all know the NDIS needs structural change. Change is frightening, particularly to those who rely on the NDIS to have a shower, to eat a healthy meal and to get out in the community. We read about rorting on social media and we see the sceptics creeping in. People with a disability and their families are distressed by the criminals and rorters that have tainted our NDIS lifeline. The NDIS has transformed lives for the better, but we must ensure the NDIS and broader disability support services are safe and leave no-one behind. We have done the work. As soon as we came to government in 2022, we ordered a review of the NDIS, exposing the need for change. There were no basic fraud or compliance controls during the nine long years the coalition were running the NDIS. We are fixing that. The vast majority of providers are unregistered and unregulated. We are going to fix that. The coalition allowed the states and territories to step away, to stop being the provider of last resort, to stop delivering support when no other provider was willing to set up in a country town or remote community. The exit by the states has left a deep hole in our mainstream systems of support. We are throwing the sink at that. I spoke with the mum of a participant a couple of years ago, who was absolutely thrilled her adult son was able to move into purpose-built independent living, designed for his needs. It was the first time, as a man in his 30s, that he'd lived away from his parents. But, when he moved in, he was unable to get nursing support, despite having the funding for 24/7 care. He lived a two-hour drive from Brisbane in a large regional town, where there are many participants but zero providers with nursing care. He tried desperately to get the state back involved in his care, because the alternative was to go back to his parents or a nursing home. I've spoken to families in my electorate of Dickson who live around Dayboro, probably an hour and 15 minutes drive, on a good day, from the centre of Brisbane. They struggle to get any providers or any non-NDIS community supports to their village. We all know that children with autism wait too long for diagnosis and early intervention, and many kids from regional and remote backgrounds and areas and those from disadvantaged backgrounds get next to nothing. That is why foundational supports and Thriving Kids are so very important. We need change because we must have support for all kids, no matter where you live or your socioeconomic status. We need early intervention in early learning settings, in schools and in the community. Support from health agencies, schools and community providers were allowed to dwindle by those opposite. The exodus is so complete that, in most areas, non-NDIS supports have disappeared for many families whose needs don't fully align with the scheme's original scope. Those outside the scheme have been falling through the cracks—cracks that began to appear a decade ago and are now deep chasms of inequity. We must fix this. The state-run health services, including allied health professionals, speech therapists and other specialists, provide services across my state of Queensland, servicing Medicare and aged-care patients, but they won't touch NDIS participants. We are now doing everything we can to renegotiate with the states to get them back in, to ensure everyone gets the support they need to begin with foundational supports. I say to people with a disability and their families: we have your back. We will walk on this journey of change together. We will listen. We will not let the NDIS fall into total disrepair. I also say to the states: you are failing kids and people with a disability on a grand scale. You know this. You see it. You hear it. Don't turn away from us. Albanese Government 105 19:40 Mr LLEW O'BRIEN 265991 Wide Bay When it comes to incompetence, the Albanese Labor government is certainly reaching new heights of incompetence right across the policy spectrum. An honourable member interjecting— Mr LLEW O'BRIEN 265991 It certainly is. It's destroying our economy. We're seeing stagnant growth or growth so sluggish our economy's coming to a grinding halt. Productivity's plummeting. They're engaged in an energy transition that is seeing Aussies pay some of the highest electricity prices in the world. It's seeing industries and businesses going offshore because they can't afford to operate in Australia. And that's just on the economic side of things. On the social side of things we're seeing the country more divided than I think it's ever been. Their failed Voice referendum has divided our nation and damaged it. I see it in my area, where people are still getting over that referendum. Then there is their unbelievable announcement that they are going to recognise Palestine in the middle of a war—it just defies belief. But this is what's driving the division in our community, and this government is fully responsible for it. It's hard to pick the biggest failure when it comes to this government, but certainly migration would have to be up there with the contenders. You see, before the 2022 election, the Labor Party didn't mention anything about increasing migration and a 'Big Australia' policy. But shortly after the election, when they won, they had their first roundtable, the Jobs and Skills Summit, and one of the recommendations from that was to set migration at record levels and see what happens. Well, we've seen what's happened. We have a homelessness crisis. We have a housing and rental affordability crisis. Australians are suffering at the hands of Labor's political and social experiment. It is a deadset disgrace. In 2022-23, the Albanese government allowed migration to blow out, with over half a million people coming into the country—half a million people. It wasn't much better the following year, at 430,000, and it's pretty much stayed high ever since, to the point where we have now seen 1.5 million people come into this country since the Albanese government was elected. And the question's got to be asked: where's the infrastructure—the houses, the hospitals, the roads, the dams—to support these people? It just isn't there. And who's paying the price? Aussies. Australians. Everyday Australians are paying the price of this incompetent Labor government. We're seeing families struggling not only to pay the bills but to put a roof over their head. And, if you haven't got a roof over your head, do you know what you also miss out on? You miss out on the dignity of getting a job, because you need a home if you're working; you need stability in your life. This is so entrenched and so serious that we could see a generation of people who don't know what it's like to own a home, or don't have that hope and that security of owning a home, because of the costs that face them in getting into the housing market. This—100 per cent—lays at the feet of Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister, and the way he has mismanaged our migration system. It's just shocking. Critics have said that this is intentional, that there's a political advantage for the government, and it's hard to argue with them when you have a closer look. Our country was built on a very proud migration system, but it was a sustainable migration system. Migrants coming to this country made it great, but, under this government and the way this government is trashing our migration system, like so many other areas of government and society, people are now starting to reject migration as a concept, which is just shocking and bad. Once again, this lies at the feet of the failed, incompetent Albanese government. (Time expired) Housing Affordability 106 19:45 Ms COMER 316551 Petrie As a renter, I can tell you there's nothing quite like that feeling when your lease renewal arrives in your in box. You cross your fingers and you hope the rent hasn't gone up again. That one email means the difference between affording groceries and going without. It means the difference between staying in your home or going through the ordeal of trying to find a cheaper place to live. In Petrie, housing pressures are real. At the last census, 35 per cent of households were renting, and most of those were through real estate agents. In fact, almost three-quarters of local renters are in the private market, often at the mercy of rising rents and limited supply. Meanwhile, only about a quarter of households own their home outright. Stability is hard to find, and my community is feeling that uncertainty. I speak about this not just as a representative but also as someone who understands what it's like to rent. Like so many people in Petrie, I pay rent week after week knowing that every dollar going out the door could be going towards my own home. I feel the frustration of wanting to build something permanent but seeing goalposts move further away as house prices rise. I know I'm not alone. Thousands of renters across Petrie are in the same position: hardworking, doing their best and just wanting the security of a place they can truly call their own. That's why the five per cent deposit scheme, starting on 1 October, means so much to me and my community. It means people like me—people who rent, people who are saving while juggling everyday costs—finally have a real chance to step into the market. This policy is giving hardworking families in places like Petrie a fairer shot at homeownership because the reality is that saving a deposit has become harder and harder, especially when house prices across my community have risen by more than 40 per cent since 2019. In suburbs like North Lakes, the median house price has and has jumped from $485,000 in 2019 to $920,000 today. In Scarborough, homes that sold for around $570,000 are now over $1.2 million. In Newport, the changes are even more staggering: from $709,000 to $1.42 million in just six years. For a young couple in their 20s or 30s, trying to keep up with those costs while paying rent and saving for a deposit is near impossible. That's why the five per cent deposit scheme matters. This government isn't just helping people buy their first home; we're also building more homes. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund, we're investing $10 billion to build 30,000 new social and affordable homes nationwide. That includes homes in my community so that renters, older Australians and families doing it tough also get the security they deserve. But these changes aren't just numbers on a page; they're making a real difference for the people in Petrie. Already, more than 800 locals have been supported into buying their first home thanks to Labor's expanded home guarantee scheme. We're also backing the workforce that makes housing possible. Almost 300 construction trades workers here in our community are now in training, supported by increased incentive payments to upskill the next generation of tradies. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund, we have already begun delivering almost 250 new social and affordable homes in Carseldine, Margate and Deception Bay. On top of that, more than 80 new homes are being built in Redcliffe through housing bond programs, giving more families a safe and affordable place to call home. It doesn't stop there. Through the Housing Support Program, we're opening up more land for new homes across the Moreton Bay council area, investing in the pipes, pavement and powerlines that make housing development possible. These are practical steps that are already making a difference. They're about giving locals more choice, more security and more opportunity to build their lives right here in Petrie. At the end of the day, housing is about community. It's about whether teachers, nurses, tradies and hospitality workers can afford to live near where they work. It's about making sure that Petrie doesn't lose its character, where generations live side by side and where locals can put down roots without the fear of being priced out. This government is committed to tackling the housing challenge head-on. We're making sure that the dream of owning a home or simply having a secure, affordable place to live is something real for the people of Petrie. Aged Care 107 19:50 Mr PASIN 240756 Barker Yesterday, in this place, a question was put to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors by the member for Mayo. It was a straightforward question, and it's a question that tens of thousands of older Australians and their families want answered. That question was: 'What justification does the government have for delaying home-care packages from July to November this year?' Instead of providing an answer, the minister took the opportunity to congratulate himself and his government on the new Aged Care Act and the forthcoming Support at Home program. He gave us a sales pitch, not a solution. Our elderly community doesn't need the spin. They don't need another press release. They need care, they need dignity and they need action now. In my electorate of Barker, I hear from families every week who are caught up in the endless maze of My Aged Care. I see what this failure looks like on the ground. They tell me of assessments delayed for months on end. They tell me of approvals granted but services unavailable. Last year, I wrote to the previous Minister for Aged Care, raising concerns that members of the Barossa Valley community were unable to receive care that they'd been deemed eligible for. That's still a problem today. These families also tell me of loved ones who simply can't wait any longer and who are forced into residential care earlier than necessary or are left struggling alone at home because the system that was meant to help them is failing them. I receive emails from people like Antonia. She stated that she's been on the waiting list since March this year, waiting for funds to be made available. She has severe health issues that prevent her from walking properly. All she needs is a wheelchair so she can get from one side of the house to the other without collapsing. Another wrote to me, saying that, after waiting seven months, he and his wife finally got approval for care, only to be put on another 12-month waiting list to wait for the care to be available. Lastly, a daughter wrote to me recently about her mother and stepfather. They were assessed as requiring level 3 and level 4 care packages respectively. Tragically, they both died before that help arrived. These aren't isolated cases. It's evidence of systemic failure. That systemic failure across Australia sees 87,000 older Australians in the same situation. They're not just numbers. They're people who've worked hard, paid their taxes, raised their families and built communities. They deserve better than bureaucratic delays and ministerial boasting. When the minister refuses to answer as to why this is happening, he's refusing to be accountable to those very Australians. Announcing future programs and legislative reforms doesn't excuse the government's failure to deliver support today. It doesn't excuse My Aged Care's inability to connect people with the timely support they require. Let me be clear: there are parts of the government's aged-care agenda worth supporting. Reforming the Aged Care Act to strengthen rights is positive. Streamlining services through support at home could, if done properly, make a difference, but these reforms mean nothing if you don't address the immediate backlog: 87,000 Australians waiting in pain and frustration. They're confused. Here's what the minister should do. I hope he's listening. I hope he's not at the Midwinter Ball, because his portfolio needs him to be working every hour God made. He should prioritise clearing the home-care waiting list within the next six months and report progress publicly every month, inject emergency funding to ensure providers have the workforce and the resources to deliver packages immediately, and simplify My Aged Care so families aren't stuck navigating the bureaucratic labyrinth when they should be focusing on caring for their elderly. Be transparent, Minister. Stop the spin. Start giving honest answers in this place, and admit where the system is failing. The Australian people are patient, but their patience is running thin. Older Australians have earned the right to age with dignity. They've built this nation, and we owe them more than hollow promises and political advertising campaigns. Minister, you can't keep running away from this. You can't keep ignoring the human cost of inaction. Every day you delay more Australians suffer needlessly. Do your job and fix the system. Deliver what seniors require. Until that happens, Minister, we'll hold you to account, not for political gain but because the people we represent can't wait any longer. Blair Electorate: Economy 108 19:55 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair Earlier this month, I was delighted to host a Blair economic reform roundtable at Jets Leagues Club in Ipswich to workshop ideas on how to boost productivity and economic resilience in the region. The event brought together around 30 local business, union, community and government representatives as well as experts to discuss shared economic challenges and opportunities in Ipswich, the Somerset region and surrounds. It canvassed a wide range of issues: the value of volunteering, cutting red tape for local charities, cracking down on tax evasion and sham contracting, the importance affordable insurance and disaster resilience, and the economic sustainability of our local area. We had a terrific video from the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, who set out the Albanese government's broader growth and productivity agenda, and renowned seniors advocate, philanthropist and author Everald Compton entertained us with an engaging talk about the value of intergenerational partnerships and tapping into the human capital of older Australians. After the well-received forum, I wrote to the Treasurer with the key outcomes to feed into the national economic reform roundtable held here in Canberra last week. We've seen that this has already delivered a number of initiatives that participants at my roundtable were calling for, and that's very pleasing. Part of the motivation for holding a local roundtable was that we had seen strong local economic and jobs growth in recent years powered by a number of major developments, such as the new Suntory drink manufacturing plant at Swanbank and the Rheinmetall military vehicle facility at Redbank, and by big employers like JBS meat processing at Dinmore and Kilcoy Global Foods at Kilcoy. This is all very welcome, but we want to keep good, secure, well-paid jobs for locals now and into the future. This means continuing to back local industry, to attract new investment and to build the skills that people need to succeed. Ipswich is growing very rapidly. At the same time our region is experiencing growth pains. We need to invest more in housing, infrastructure and skills to meet the needs of a booming population. We have had to contend with a number of challenges in recent years. These have included increased congestion on the roads, housing affordability, floods, workforce shortages and an ageing population. You may have heard the Treasurer talking a bit about the Abundance agenda lately. It's based on a recent book, and it's really informed the government's thinking about productivity. In a nutshell, it means that a rich society like ours should be able to meet people's basic needs in terms of land, housing, education, infrastructure et cetera, but in recent years some institutional barriers have arisen which makes it challenging. So we need institutional reform to address this and improve productivity. In my electorate, an example of that are the federal environmental laws under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the EPBC Act, which was well intentioned but neither protects the environment—for example, threatened species like koala—nor facilitates good housing development, and it exacerbates road congestion. At the forum, we heard that some housing developments in the greater Springfield and Ripley areas were held up for years by the so-called green tape of EPBC Act approvals, and the National Construction Code has also been increasing the costs. So it's wonderful to see the Minister for the Environment and Water and the Minister for Housing announce this week that the government's taking decisive action to cut through red tape and delays in approvals that are holding up construction of more homes and other projects. The government will work with the states and territories for further improvements, such as pausing the changes to the National Construction Code. While this is underway, we're going to streamline that code in consultation with stakeholders, and we're also going to make changes to fast track assessments for more than 26,000 homes currently under the EPBC Act consideration and speed up those new applications in terms of assessment. Ultimately, we want to see the local economy work for local people, and we want people to be able to raise a family, enjoy a good quality of life and live where they need to live. That's what the economic roundtable in Blair showed. It was a very productive exercise, if you excuse the pun, but it was good to see local voices being heard loud and clear and feeding into that national conversation on economic growth and living standards. I want to thank everyone who attended and contributed with good will and amity. It was fantastic to see businesses and unions working together. At its core, productivity is about people, fairness and intergenerational equity. It's about delivering better, secure, well-paid jobs, affordable housing and better infrastructure and making sure no-one's left behind. House adjourned at 20:00 NOTICES 109 NOTICES Presentation 109

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Lawrence ) took the chair at 09:30.

 

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS 110 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Hielscher, Sir Leo, AC 110 09:30 Mr KATTER HX4 Kennedy I rise to ask the House to take note of the death of Sir Leo Hielscher and the Queensland economic miracle. Queensland was a Cinderella state. It had virtually no coalmining, very little mineral mining, very few cattle. It had nothing. And then Joh Bjelke-Petersen was elected premier, with Leo Hielscher put in charge of Queensland, and they took Australia from being a coal-importing country to Queensland becoming the biggest coal-exporting state on Earth. They took huge risks, putting thousands of millions of dollars into building railway lines and coal ports and opening up mines and towns. This man had the courage to do that, along with the then premier of Queensland, Bjelke-Petersen. I don't think anyone that was here at the time would deny that you could not separate the pair of them as to who was more or less responsible. Each has said it was the other bloke, so I don't know! Queensland went from being a coal-importing state in a coal-importing nation to being the biggest coal-exporting state on Earth. One of the biggest copper-producing states on Earth. One of the biggest aluminium-producing states on Earth. Its agricultural production quadrupled. These were people who believed every day of their lives that they had to strain nerve, muscle and sinew to provide work and happiness and a wonderful life for people. That's how they were driven, not to save the planet or for some other ideological pursuit—which future generations will laugh at on a grand scale. No; these people were serious people. And Sir Leo Hielscher, quite rightly, has two of the six biggest bridges in Australia named for him. Public servants, normally, are bad. They do terrible things, they stop anything from happening and they make our lives miserable. There are very rare exceptions; Leo Hielscher was one of them. Here's just one little story before I close. They went in and said, 'We want to export bauxite from Queensland.' And Leo nearly died laughing. Exporting bauxite? 'We export aluminium, not bauxite!' And they said, 'Oh yes—cheap electricity.' We are building the biggest power station in the world and we're taking the coal for free. I mean, we're desperate for a reserve resource policy on gas. We took the coal for free! The biggest power station in the world, Gladstone, was fuelled on free coal. We had the cheapest electricity in the world, and hence we got one of the biggest aluminium industries in the world. These were great men. These were truly great men. And they believed in freedom. If you went in there with some restrictions and petty little rules and regulations, you would have been laughed out of their offices. (Time expired) Meredith, Mr Bill, Trandos, Mr Nicholas, OAM 110 09:33 Ms ROBERTS 157125 Pearce It is with profound sadness that I rise today to honour two extraordinary men whose passing has left an indelible void in our community, Mr Nick Trandos and Mr Bill Meredith. Nick Trandos was not only a dear friend and a mentor to me personally, but also highly regarded and respected within our community. For over 20 years, I was privileged to know Nick and his wonderful family. Our conversations were often filled with sound advice and a sense of humour that helped shape who I am today. His leadership as Mayor of the City of Wanneroo and President of the WA Market Gardeners Association left a lasting impact on the Wanneroo and Joondalup regions. He masterfully combined professional expertise with heartfelt community service, spearheading projects that nurtured social cohesion and regional development. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Nick was a cherished son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. I have fond memories of many hours around the Trandos family dining room table, where we regularly put the world to rights. His wife, Sophie, his soulmate and constant support, and their children, Jim, Tanya, Dixie and Arthur, embody the strong family values that Nick treasured. His hearty laughs, warm hugs and wise counsel will be sorely missed but forever remembered. The community has truly lost a treasure in Nick Trandos. Likewise, we mourn the passing of Bill Meredith, a quiet achiever with a big heart whose presence was felt far and wide. Bill was a founding member and president of the Wanneroo Business Association. He held his connections within the business community with great pride and care. Known for his honesty, hard work and sensible advice, Bill earned the trust and respect of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Over two decades I enjoyed a close relationship with Bill and his family, sharing moments of joy and times of grief and hardship, always strengthened by his unwavering support and wisdom. Bill's dedication to grassroots communities and volunteering was unmatched. He delighted in watching his family grow and was always available with sound advice, a comforting word or a simple hug. Only recently, I remember waving to Bill as he sat peacefully in his garden, enjoying the warmth of a Western Australian afternoon, a moment I now realise was our last farewell. His genuine kindness and care made him a beloved friend and part of our extended family. Today, as we reflect on the lives of Nick Trandos and Bill Meredith, we celebrate two remarkable gentlemen who embodied leadership, integrity and community spirit. Their legacies live on in the hearts of their families and all those they touched. May Nick and Bill rest in peace knowing that their memories remain a guiding light for us all. I apologise for my voice. Porepunkah: Attack 111 09:36 Dr HAINES 282335 Indi I rise today in solidarity and sadness with my community in Indi, particularly in Porepunkah and with emergency services personnel from across the Alpine Shire and Wangaratta. We are shocked and devastated by the tragic killing of two serving police officers in the line of duty and the serious injury of a third officer. To the families, friends and colleagues of the two police officers who lost their lives, my heart breaks for your immeasurable grief. I join with all our community in standing by you in this, the most terrible of times. To the third officer, seriously injured also in the line of duty, I join in the prayers for your recovery. Everyone deserves to make it home at the end of their shift. It is utterly heartbreaking that two members serving our community will not do so. This appalling event has shaken not only Porepunkah but communities right across the north-east of Victoria and indeed across our nation. We may be geographically spread, but we are close-knit, and, in moments like this, we feel the loss together. The ripple effects through the entire community will continue to be felt for a long time to come. And, of course, this is not over. I want to acknowledge and thank the police and emergency services, who are continuing to respond to this ongoing incident, and they are doing so in very, very difficult terrain. We can only imagine how it must feel to know the danger and to continue to put yourself in harm's way in order to keep others safe. My mind is also constantly with the community in Porepunkah and surrounding towns. I know you must be scared. I know you must be anxious as you follow the information and advice from the Victoria Police. You've already done so much. I want to particularly acknowledge the principal, Jill Gillies, and her staff at Porepunkah Primary School, who kept students safe and calm during yesterday's lockdown for many, many hours. I know you will all continue to do what is needed until this terrible matter is resolved. You will have my support. You will have my support now and ongoing for as long as it's needed. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 299150 We all stand with the community of Indi. Swan Electorate: Parliamentary Representation 111 09:39 Ms 298800 Swan MASCARENHAS () (): To the member for Indi: thank you so much for your comments today, and, from the people of Swan, our hearts and thoughts are with you. It highlights to me how important this place is and how important our words are and that we need to continue to protect Australian civil society, so thank you. My first constituency statement is about democracy, and it is about the last federal election. I think it's only right to talk about the important work that was done in Swan, which is now held on a 14 per cent margin. We had a 16.6 per cent swing over two terms. The way I think of all the people that contributed to the campaign is about how we contributed to democracy and how we continued to say that we love Australia. During the campaign, we knocked on 31,000 doors, and that cannot be done alone. That was done with a team of amazing volunteers, and these people include Anne Sippe, Rupali, Chris Miller, Warwick, Stanly, Abdi, Artan, Foysal Al Mahmoud, Sabir Hussein, Maisara, Claudia, Sophie, Jayden, Sania, Adrian, Craig, Rahel, Henry, Lisa Ma, Mathew, Lachlan, Charita, Robert, Leif, Dylan, Chee, Carolyn, Linda, George, Victor, Alen, Peter, Sabir, Bapi, Kamal Hussein, Heba, Tommaso and Janet. It was a phenomenal effort, and there were more people that doorknocked on top of those people listed. Also there was my amazing field A-team, or the Z-team as we like to call it, which was led by Avery and Dan Roden, as well as Zen Kassim, Jay Williams, Maddy Too-lay-lie, Liam Hurley, Ruckshan, Simon Stokes and Adam Gilbride. We had some amazing women that were also on the phones, such as Anne and Felicity, the oldest team member in my office who is 73 years old. You all worked so hard and listened so graciously to the amazing people of Swan, and I think politics is about connecting with people. Also there was my EO team: Melissa, Kailee, Sam, Leandro, Catherine, Abia and Zoe. There was also the campaign director, Darcy Gunning, and the Secretary of the AMWU. There were so many yard signs, including signs from Simon and Roni Forrest, who are amazing First Nation elders. There was also Wendy Fatin, who was Western Australia's first woman elected to the federal parliament House of Representatives. To booth captains, including Andy Skinner and Bec, who won the prettiest booth: it was an amazing effort. Gippsland Electorate: Roads 112 09:42 Mr CHESTER IPZ Gippsland I take this opportunity to update the House on efforts to build a better and safer Princes Highway through the electorate of Gippsland. These are efforts which, sadly, for much of the journey have been resisted by the state Labor government, which has dragged its heels on every major project we've sought to undertake on the highway. Sadly, there's also been no new funding for the highway from the Albanese government in 3½ years. But, on the positive side, we have seen the full duplication between Traralgon and Sale completed over the last 12 months, which means the next major project on the highway through my electorate is the bypass of Traralgon. We now have 15 intersections with roundabouts or traffic lights in Traralgon, and it takes somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes to get through the town on a good day. During long weekends or peak holiday periods, it's much worse than that. Providing a bypass would reduce congestion for locals, improve the safety and productivity of the road, increase the liveability for the local community and also help to boost the visitor economy by bringing the rest of Gippsland closer to the south-east Melbourne growth markets by reducing travel times. These are well-recognised social, economic and environmental benefits that could be achieved in building this bypass. We've so far seen a state government refusing to engage with the community, the local council and the transport sector to progress this project. At the last election, to try and get this project moving, the coalition announced that it would provide $5 million to accelerate the planning for this project. Obviously we didn't win the election, so that promise awaits some sort of matching contribution hopefully from the Labor Party here in Canberra or perhaps the state government itself. We need to accelerate the design and costing work because we know it's going to take at least five or six years to build the thing once we actually get the project moving. We want to see some money on the table to get this project accelerated in the interest of improving safety, obviously, for locals but also for the travelling public. Now, what we need to understand is, in the past, 80 per cent of the funding for the highway works in Gippsland has come from the federal government. But this government, the Albanese government, has slashed that to 50 per cent. So instead of providing 80-20 funding for regional road projects the Albanese government, because it couldn't care less about regional road projects, has slashed that to 50-50, which means that the state government has no incentive whatsoever to try and accelerate regional projects. We've written repeatedly to the Andrews and Allan Labor governments and tried to get them on board with this project, which has been talked about for the best part of 30 years. Now that the duplication work is done, the next major road transport project east of Melbourne is clearly the Traralgon bypass. Now, I've written to the state minister and received a response that they can't progress this project until they know what the final rehabilitated form of the Loy Yang mine looks like. That is complete bulldust. The mine will be stable. We need to get on with the job of doing the design and consultation work to build the bypass as soon as possible in the interests of safety and productivity in my community. Eden-Monaro Electorate: Community Events 112 09:45 Ms McBAIN 281988 Eden-Monaro I rise today to speak about some of the amazing contributions individuals make across the mighty Eden-Monaro. Today I'm thrilled to acknowledge the truly exceptional work of Chenoa, a proud member of the Embrace Disability Group in Jerrabomberra and a champion in every sense of the word. At the recent para table tennis championships in Traralgon, Chenoa brought home two silver medals, two bronze medals and the title of 'best player, class 11 women'. These achievements reflect not only her talent and determination but also the incredible support and inclusion fostered by the Embrace Disability Group. Chenoa's journey is one of perseverance, leadership and heart. She's shown us that barriers can be broken and that community and sport go hand in hand. Her success is a win for us all and a powerful reminder of what's possible when we embrace diversity and champion inclusion. Chenoa, we're really proud of you. Congratulations. I rise today to acknowledge the historic return of Goulburn's Lilac City Brass to the NSW State Band Championships. In a landmark moment for regional music, Lilac City Brass represented Goulburn at the NSW State Band Championships in Penrith last weekend. It marks the first time since World War II that a Goulburn based band has competed at the prestigious state-level event. Their return to the competition stage is not only a significant milestone for Lilac City Brass but a proud moment for the Goulburn community. Each piece was assessed by a blind adjudicator positioned out of sight in a sealed area of the auditorium to ensure objective judging. Well done to everyone involved. It was a great opportunity to be there. I want to give a massive shout-out to Robbie Sanderson from Bungendore, an incredible young athlete and a true mighty Eden-Monaro legend. Robbie is 11 years old and has just returned from the UAE with two world titles to his name after an outstanding performance on the international stage. He won gold in the boys grappling under-14 45-kilogram division on 1 August 2025, and he also claimed a world MMA title, making him a dual world champion in both grappling and mixed martial arts. This extraordinary achievement is a testament to Robbie's hard work, discipline and talent. We are incredibly proud of him and excited to follow his journey as he represents our region and our country with pride. I also rise to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable achievement of Sophie Ashton from Goulburn, who is currently representing Australia at the 2025 World Bridge Teams Championships in Denmark. She is the first woman to compete in the Australian open team in almost 20 years. Her selection follows an outstanding performance after the 2025 open play-off, where Sophie and her team came out on top. Her strategic brilliance and calm under pressure were evident throughout the tournament, and her presence in the open team has been impactful, breaking barriers and inspiring a new generation of players. Sophie also runs a medical practice in Goulburn, so she supports our local community as well. Well done to Sophie. Lismore Business Awards, Richmond Valley Business Awards 113 09:48 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page I'd like to congratulate all the winners of this year's Lismore Business Awards. Congratulations firstly to Natasha and Brendon from PJs Fruit & Veg, who were named Business of the Year. Rainbow Roos won Excellence in Health, Care & Wellness Industries; Joel and Britt from Joel Jensen Constructions, and Terania Consulting were joint winners of the Employer of Choice—20 Employees and Under; Social Futures won Employer of Choice—21 Employees and Over; and the Bell family of Mountain Blue won Excellence in Agriculture & Primary Industries. The 187 Cantina won Outstanding Visitor Experience; Boost My Business 247 won Excellence in Innovation; Joel Jensen Constructions, again, won Excellence in Trade, Construction & Manufacturing; and Indigo Rose Disability Support Services won Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion. Evolve Healthcare and Halray Brake Reconditioning were joint winners of Excellence in Micro Business; Beyond Barriers Support won Outstanding New Business; Joel Jensen Constructions, PJs Fruit & Veg and Terania Consulting were joint winners of Excellence in Small Business; and Tracy and the team at the South Lismore Post Office won Excellence in Business & Professional Services. Silt Studio and the Levee Lounge and Bar were joint winners of Excellence in Creative Industries; PJs Fruit & Veg, again, won Excellence in Retail and Personal Services; Summerland Bank won Excellence in Sustainability; Our House won Outstanding Community Organisation; and Newton Denny Chapelle won Excellence in Large Business. I would also like to acknowledge the individuals who won awards that night. Corbyn Michael Johnston won Outstanding Young Business Leader; Cameron Webster won Outstanding Employee; Daniel Winkler-Maloney won Outstanding Trainee/Apprentice of the Year; and Tracy Anne Ward and Damian Chapelle were recognised as outstanding business leaders. Again, congratulations to all the winners that night. I'd also like to congratulate the winners of this year's Richmond Valley Business Awards. Congratulations to Richmond Valley Aquatics, who won Business of the Year as well as Excellence in Health, Care & Wellness Industries, Excellence in Large Business and Outstanding Visitor Experience. APRACS won Excellence in Trade, Construction & Manufacturing; the Casino Artisan Gift Shop won Excellence in Creative Industries; Casino Beef Week won Outstanding Visitor Experience; Casino Neighbourhood Centre won Outstanding Community Organisation; Connect Business Solutions won both Employer of Choice and Excellence in Business & Professional Services; Fetch Pet Resort won Excellence in Retail and Personal Services; Kookaburra Early Learning won Excellence in Sustainability; Summerland Support Services won Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion; the McAuliffe School of Dance won Excellence in Micro Business; Richmond Mushrooms won Excellence in Agriculture & Primary Industries; Star Fit won Outstanding New Business; the RodnReel Hotel & Brewery won both Excellence in Small Business and Excellence in Innovation; and Summerland Bank won Excellence in Sustainability. Jack Torrance won Outstanding Employee and Kya Gaiter, Daniel Simpson, Kylie O'Reilly and Lynn Snyman also won awards. Congratulations to them all. Dobell Electorate: Grants 113 09:52 Ms McBRIDE 248353 Dobell I am proud to have supported local community groups and their volunteers through grants for improved infrastructure, new equipment and boosted funding. In total, more than $1.2 million has been provided to local community organisations in my community of Dobell through the Stronger Communities Program and more than $500,000 has been provided through the Volunteer Grants program. This year alone I was proud to secure almost $129,000 for 12 different community groups through the Stronger Communities grants and almost $65,000 for 17 local organisations through the Volunteer Grants. These grants support the vital work of volunteers like the Wamberal Rural Fire Brigade. I had the pleasure of sharing the news with Tracy McDermott that they had been successful in receiving a grant of over $220,000 for new radio equipment. Tracy told me that this funding will mean every firefighter will have a radio when attending a job, which is vital to information sharing and community safety. Tracy said to me: This now means every fire fighter has a fire ground radio when they're on shift. ALL volunteers on shift are now hearing ALL safety alerts, changes in weather and fire ground alerts. The remaining funding is to go toward purchasing additional batteries for the radios. Now we can change the batteries during the shift so there is continued safety on the job. I also spoke to Julie from Marine Rescue Norah Head and shared with her that they had been successful in receiving a grant of $480,000 for the latest technology, including radios. Julie said to me: This funding is vital to ensure our volunteers remain up to date with both technology and training. It is essential that we keep up to date with the latest positioning instruments used in emergencies, as well as the constantly evolving software that supports our operations. Ongoing training is critical to ensure volunteers can use this new technology effectively. Our volunteers dedicate significant time and effort to this work, and we operate every day, managing Norah Head, Tuggerah Lakes and Terrigal throughout the week. I am also proud to support We Care Connect with a $15,000 grant to install fans and cooling equipment in their hub, which is staffed by hundreds of local volunteers who generously have supported over 30,000 children and families on the coast and across the Hunter with essential items. That's as well as supporting a brilliant team at Toukley 50 Plus, whose motto is you can teach an old dog new tricks. It's a local not-for-profit who received a $4,750 grant for a new sound system. I was glad to visit them a few weeks back, where I spoke with Pamela and their volunteer board. I'd also like to extend my thanks to the local selection panel, made up of Scott Goold, a regional director of Business in NSW; local councillor Margot Castles; and Wyong High School students Layla and Emma, for their contribution. Labor Government 114 09:55 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright It was once said by a prime minister in this chamber that if it's free it just means that somebody else is paying for it. Too many times we see this government failing Australians by giving away sugar hits—the sugar hits to disguise the failures of their policy settings. Australians can see right through them. Since coming to office, this government has proven one thing: they can manage neither the truth nor the economy. When it comes to sugar hits, those on the other side lead the charge with quick fixes to cover up their failures. We were told that there'd be a $275 reduction in electricity prices but, instead, we've seen a 32 per cent increase. We get a sugar hit. We get a rebate or something that comes down from the government. In fact, we've had two of them. We give sugar hits to the billionaires who go out and invest them in failed hydrogen projects right around the country. It's a sugar hit, but who's paying for it? Where is the money coming from when there's a sugar hit to the bureaucracy of an extra 77,000 bureaucrats? We gave sugar hits out to the HECS students. My daughters were great recipients there. If you're receiving the sugar, it's pretty good. It was a good policy for them, but it's not a good policy for those who have to pay it back. There's an extra $32,000 of extra debt that has to be paid back dumped onto every household. That's an extra $2,000 in interest since these guys walked through the door. It's a bitter pill to swallow. I'd also encourage those on the other side, particularly the new Labor members: don't trust the speaking points that Labor give you. Don't trust them. Can I suggest that to you, as new members, particularly in the skills and training sector. The pre-eminent research body that captures the data for skills and apprenticeships is the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. When we left office, there were over 412,000 skilled apprentices in the workforce. Today, there are 100,000 fewer. These guys are failing the system. The same research centre, yesterday, produced additional data to say that in the twelve-month period between 2023 and 2024, under these guys' watch—and they'll continue to say it's our fault—there are 32,000 fewer apprentices. They are failing the country. They are failing the skills sector. Baker, Mr John, AM, ESM 114 09:58 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby I rise to honour the life of the late John Baker AM ESM. Known to all as JB, he joined the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club in 1977 as a nipper, and I'm sure he wouldn't have minded me saying he took to it like a duck to water. There started an almost 50-year life of service to surf lifesaving and, through that, service to the broader community. At Brighton, he became the under-14 club champion, and, as part of the famous Brighton Beach team, won six state and Australian titles in the following six years, culminating in the club trophy for best Australian title competitors in 1988. He became a patrol captain in the late 1980s and eventually accumulated the highest number of patrolling hours in Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club's history. After marrying Jo and starting a family, he, like so many committed surf lifesaving club members, shared his love with his children, Harry, Kate and Annabel, who joined him on active patrols. His service to Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club didn't finish on the beaches. In the 1990s, he joined the club's management committee and eventually became state president of Surf Life Saving South Australia, then national president of Surf Life Saving Australia and eventually also vice-president of the International Life Saving Federation based in Belgium. In 1994, he joined the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter, initially as a crewman on patrols and eventually as a director. His over 31 years of service to helicopter patrols will be long remembered, not least by the many in the broader surf lifesaving community who fondly remember his voice over the radio. While his service was driven by passion for the craft of surf lifesaving and not for the accolades, nonetheless he was awarded a well-deserved Emergency Services Medal in 2017 and a Member of the Order of Australia in 2024. His community service to surf lifesaving was extensive, but he was generous with his time to other organisations as well. He also served on the boards of the Australian Red Cross, the Smith Family and the Virtual War Memorial. As with so many people who give so generously of their time, he was also very successful in his work career. He turned a BA at Flinders University and TAFE training in marketing into an award-winning advertising career. At the time of his death, he was managing director of campaign consultancy and executive director of renowned marketing communications agency KWP and Partners, as well as chair of the V-Star Powered Lift Aviation. I last saw JB and Jo at the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club awards a couple of weeks ago, and he was, as always, in fine form. His sudden death has devastated the Brighton surf lifesaving community and the broader surf lifesaving community. My condolences go to his wife, Jo, and to his children Harry, Kate and Annabel. He will be missed. His was a life well-lived and a life cut short too soon. May he rest in peace. Parliament in Schools Program 115 10:01 Ms LANDRY 249764 Capricornia Earlier this month, the students of Sarina State School had an experience that they'll never forget—an opportunity to connect with our democracy in a way that was both tangible and inspiring, without ever leaving their home town. The APH Flag Roadshow, together with the Parliament in Schools program, travelled to Sarina, a small but proud community just 30 minutes south of Mackay. Sarina is well known for its industries, including sugar milling and cattle, and the coal port that helps export Queensland's high-value resources to the world. But, on this day, the focus was not on industry but on education. On a picture-perfect winter morning, around 50 students gathered on the school oval to take part in something truly remarkable. They didn't just hear about the Australian flag that flies proudly above Parliament House; they saw it, touched it and stood in awe of its scale. The experience was enriched further by the Parliament in Schools program. The year 5 and 6 students stepped into the shoes of parliamentarians—debating legislation, learning about the responsibilities of government and practising how decisions are made in our democracy. They even tackled one of the great issues of modern life: whether pineapple belongs on pizza. I can report to the House that the result was decisive—pineapple was overwhelmingly voted out. But, behind the laughter and fun lies something profoundly important, experiences like these bring civics to life. They show students that our democracy is not distant or abstract; it is theirs. It belongs to every Australian, no matter whether they live in Canberra, Sydney or a small regional town like Sarina. It's no secret that, when young people understand how our system works, they are far more likely to engage in it, question it and participate in it. A strong democracy requires informed citizens, and that learning begins in our classrooms. I want to take a moment to pay particular tribute to the principal of Sarina State School, Emelie Adams. Her leadership and dedication to her students are extraordinary. She has created an environment where curiosity is encouraged and respect is expected and every student is given the opportunity to thrive. Lastly, I thank the Speaker of the House for creating this invaluable opportunity. Your passion for civics education and hands-on engagement with students was truly inspiring, and it shows what we can achieve when we work together to equip the next generation with an understanding of our democracy. Our democracy is strongest when young people understand it and feel part of it. Civics education is not just about facts and dates; it's about nurturing active citizens who are ready to shape Australia's future. McEwen Electorate: Stronger Communities Program, McEwen Electorate: Fishing for Mental Health 115 10:04 Mr ROB MITCHELL M3E McEwen It'd be interesting to know which way the member for Capricornia went on that pineapple stuff! Over the last few weeks, it's been a pleasure to go to some of the recipients of the Stronger Communities Program grants in McEwen. I'm proud to say that, under the Albanese Labor government, we're supporting groups that are making a real difference in our communities. First of all, at the Diamond Creek Football Netball Club, $18,000 has been put towards NAIDOC jumpers and netball dresses. The jumpers will be worn at the Sir Doug Nicholls Round each year. Apart from looking great, they serve the very important purposes of strengthening the club's connection to the local Indigenous community and growing an understanding of the Indigenous connection to the great game of AFL. I want to extend my appreciation to Maria Jory and Shaun Fitzpatrick for their hard work and dedication in pushing this along to make sure that the jumper is a true reflection of Diamond Creek, by getting a local artist to do the design that includes Diamond Creek—the hills, the trees and everything about the local area. I think it's important that these sorts of things happen for our communities, because it's people like Shaun and Maria and the rest of the crew down there who really sustain the heart and soul of the clubs in local communities, which are so important for all of us. I can't wait to see the Creekers come out in the special occasion colours. I know the boys were rapt seeing the jumpers last week; it was great fun. Also, I want to celebrate an important local initiative that is taking place in our region next week. On 6 September, another Fishing for Mental Health Day will take place at Kyneton, at Lauriston Reservoir. It's now an annual event for locals to get together, have a great day outdoors and promote mental health. There are even prizes for the biggest catch and smallest catch of the day, as well as for the best joke—which I can sadly say I never win. Apparently, my dad jokes are not funny to anyone bar me, but that's okay. I won't take it to heart! I'm proud to be able to contribute towards this sort of special occasion by sponsoring all the bait purchases. Local Jack Bamford is a man who we should really sit down and listen to, for his journey from where he's been to where he's got to, to able to put this together for everyone to enjoy, is a remarkable one. His commitment to this event is second to none. I was down there with my good friend Mary-Anne Thomas, the member for Macedon and Victorian health minister, as we chatted with Jack about what's going on and acknowledge the VFA, the Victorian Fisheries Authority, for their support in getting this done by stocking Lauriston Reservoir last year to make sure there was trout there to catch. All it takes, sometimes, for these things to really happen is someone with a bit of passion, a bit of fire in their belly and a great desire to get things done. It's great work by Jack to be able to do this. It's an exciting time for us to be at home—to be spending time in local communities, travelling around to different groups and seeing all these little cogs that make our community tick. It's such a pleasure to be able to catch up with local people, to see these things in action firsthand and to see the great work they're doing for our community. Tobacco Regulation 116 10:07 Mr CONAGHAN 279991 Cowper Congratulations on your appointment, Deputy Speaker Lawrence. Last week, I went and visited a small corner-store business in one of my small towns in the electorate of Cowper. The business owner reminded me how bad government policy can kill small business. I won't name the business, because he is genuinely fearful of reprisals for what I'm about to talk about—and that is the increasing infestation of illicit tobacco and vape stores across Australia. This business isn't the first one to reach out to me; I get calls every week, particularly from small corner-store businesses that are being hammered. Their cash flow is being cut because of these illicit traders. Surely, Deputy Speaker Lawrence, you're hearing about this and your Labor colleagues and the crossbench are all hearing about this. We've heard the saying, 'Just because you say something doesn't make it true.' Simply saying that Australia has banned illicit tobacco and vaping products doesn't make them miraculously disappear. In fact, it's not just propagated the whole industry but sent it to the black market. How can we possibly go from a retail landscape with a rapidly diminishing tobacco store footprint leading into 2020 to seeing a new shop popping up on every street, in every town? It just says to us the policy isn't working. Conversely, with all these new stores, how can we see tax revenue from tobacco decreasing? Logically, if more shops were legally selling regulated products, the government coffers would be growing alongside them. Yet, tobacco excise collections have collapsed to their lowest level in 14 years. Now, I am the first to say I hate smoking, I hate vaping and I would love to see them go. But the fact is the policies that we have right now are not working. We're seeing firebombings in Sydney and Melbourne, and police do not have the resources to tackle this, nor do the state health authorities. And I'm very happy that the Assistant Treasurer is in the Federation Chamber today, because we've done the costings on legalising vaping, which would bring in about $7 billion to $9 billion a year. Regulate it, control it, and take it out of the hands of the crooks. I again say I hate smoking and vaping, but this policy is not working. Gut Feelings Community Art Project, Loftus Public School 116 10:10 Mr MONCRIEFF 316540 Hughes Science plays such an important role in our modern world, but it's not an area everyone feels confident to speak about or to explore their curiosity for. That's why I was so proud to open the Gut Feelings exhibition during Science Week at Sutherland Shire's Hazelhurst Arts Centre. Gut Feelings is a community art project supported by the Australian government through Inspiring Australia. It has brought together science and art to explore the connection between the gut, the brain and the trillions of microbes within us that make up our gut microbiome. It does this through a unique medium: knitting and fibre arts. Knitting and fibre arts offer a familiar, accessible way for people to engage with science and feel part of something larger. Hand-stitched donated items were combined to create soft sculptural installations, transforming complex internal systems into approachable, playful and evocative artworks. All of this is to raise awareness of the importance of gut health to mental health and wellbeing and to promote community connection. I want to acknowledge the contributions of Professor Georgina Hols and the Microbiome Research Centre for bringing the most cutting-edge understanding of the research that has gone into the microbiome to the project, which is now helping those of us outside of the field to better understand it. I also want to thank Rita Pearce, Pat Pillai and my dear friend Mary Hayman for the countless hours of hard work and passion that they put into ensuring that this project was a success and to congratulate them on the incredible work that these efforts have produced. Well done. As someone from a family of teachers, I know how much amazing work our public schoolteachers do to help our young people reach their full potential. That's why I was so excited to attend Loftus Public School's Public Education Week open day. I was absolutely in awe of the presentations of the students. This year's theme was 'Ignite your potential'. It was a terrific opportunity to see the children across the school come together and highlight their achievements. The assembly showcase demonstrated the talent and the confidence of the students. The students danced to 'Who Let the Frogs Out', which I have not yet been able to get out of my head. They performed with the school bands, and they participated in resilience activities, where the students shared what they were grateful for, which included everything from their family and their friends to McDonald's. It was beautiful to see so many of the children able to ignite their potential with the support of dedicated teachers and families. The day allowed visitors to learn more about the incredible opportunities offered to students by the school, both directly and through the digital QR trail. I want to acknowledge and thank principal Ms Newell-Courtney, the staff and the parents and families for all their efforts in putting together such a strong and impressive program. Thank you so much to all our public schoolteachers. Jamestrong Packaging, Energy 117 10:12 Ms PENFOLD 248895 Lyne There are many manufacturing business success stories in regional Australia. Blessed with stable, reliable and committed workforces, land for expansion and a resilient can-do community attitude, many of our small-to-medium-sized manufacturers thrive in our regional towns and cities, especially when government policy settings are supportive, rather than restrictive. One such is the Jamestrong precision packaging facility in Taree, in the heart of the Lyne electorate, which I've visited on two occasions. For over 30 years, Jamestrong has been producing and supplying food and aerosol cans in Australia. The plant at Taree employs 81 people, Taree's second-largest private sector employer, and produces over 100 million cans per year. It has recently invested more than $8 million in an advanced production line to restore in-house capacity to manufacture aluminium slugs and then convert them into canned products. This allows the company to secure a domestic supply chain, reduces reliance on imports and allows recycled aluminium to be incorporated into the process. This initiative has used the expertise of the University of New South Wales's Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, a collaboration utilising world-class R&D to improve sustainability of operations, repeatedly recycle metal and provide additional ongoing employment. It's a win-win-win situation. However, this all happens when policy settings are consistent, supportive and realistic, not inconsistent, restrictive and idealistic, which is the case with the Albanese government's headlong rush into intermittent renewables as baseload power and its ideological use of net zero for its socialist agenda. Regional manufacturers, like their city cousins and all Australian households, are under pressure. In just five years, Jamestrong's energy bills have increased by 65 per cent, insurance by 76 per cent, and rates and taxes by 75 per cent. These ever-increasing cost imposts are unsustainable and place the business at a competitive disadvantage to its offshore competitors. They undermine Australia's sovereign manufacturing goals for 'made in Australia'. In addition, the government's energy policies are threatening the long-term viability of Tomago, the main source of local aluminium and the mainstay of Jamestrong's casting line. In addition, the push for green aluminium—that is, material made using renewable energy—has the perverse effect of pushing aluminium supply offshore, despite local aluminium being just 120 kilometres away and without the frequent flyer air miles. We need to restore balance to the production of baseload power for industry, with nuclear power and by making better use of existing coal and gas technology. Fraser Electorate: Medicare, Fraser Electorate: Stronger Communities Program 117 10:15 Dr MULINO 132880 Fraser It was terrific to be joined in Sunshine recently by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health and Ageing for the opening of Australia's 90th Medicare urgent care clinic. The Albanese government has delivered the Medicare urgent care clinic in Sunshine to provide better access to high-quality, free, bulk-billed healthcare services. There's no more important part of our society's safety net than health care. During the election, constituents repeatedly raised with me just how important bulk-billing is. This is one of the key underpinnings of our Medicare system. To have an additional urgent care clinic in Fraser, following the establishment of one in Maribyrnong last year, is a critical service for my community. It's taking pressure off our local emergency department at Sunshine and other hospitals by reducing the number of people attending hospital emergency departments for urgent but not life-threatening conditions such as sprains, infections, rashes and cuts. Long wait times at hospitals are not only an inconvenience but an ineffective use of hospital resources, which urgent care clinics seek to address. Our government has committed to strengthening Medicare. These urgent care clinics are proof of that, with over 1.7 million visits since the first sites opened two years ago. More than 50 per cent of presentations to urgent care clinics in Victoria have been outside of business hours, which means that these clinics are filling an important gap in services. I'm sure this will help vulnerable people across my electorate. I'd also like to acknowledge the Stronger Communities Program grant recipients in my electorate. I was pleased that, under this year's program, 20 organisations in Fraser received a grant for an infrastructure project that delivers social benefits for our local community. Every organisation that applied is driven by service to and making differences in the community. At the heart of strong communities are volunteers. The grant recipients this year highlight the rich diversity of community organisations that define my electorate of Fraser and modern Australia. Australian Vietnamese Arts & Culture received a grant. They will use the funding to purchase equipment to produce a documentary for the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese settlement in Australia. The documentary will feature interviews with people who arrived 50 years ago and will help senior members of the Vietnamese community to feel valued and connected. It will also create a valuable resource for younger generations to learn about their incredible stories and the journey that they went on. Another recipient is the Western Eagles soccer club, which is receiving a grant to help fund the construction of women's change room facilities. Upgrading these change rooms will create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all players, improve local participation and support the growth of women's football at the Western Eagles Football Club. Congratulations to all of the 20 organisations that received funding, and thank you for all that you do to build stronger communities. Cook Electorate: C Care, Cook Electorate: Vietnam Veterans' Day 118 10:18 Mr KENNEDY 267506 Cook ():  Recently I met three locals who've had enough of watching our coastline waste away. Paul, Ben and Freddie call themselves C Care. They're not lobbyists. They're not activists for hire. They're not political. They're just three community members who've lived and worked by and surfed in Bate Bay for decades. They've seen the sand stripped away from Cronulla Beach and the rest of Bate Bay and dumped into the Port Hacking estuary, where channels are choking, the Deeban Spit is swelling and the once tidal waterways are now almost sealed shut. Paul's been surfing there for nearly 50 years, and now he says that most days he can't surf. But this isn't just about catching a wave; it's about protecting the Bate Bay, safeguarding our foreshore, preserving a way of life for the next generation, and keeping alive that strip of sand that brings money to our local economy. Freddie spoke about wanting his grandchildren to enjoy the beach he knew, and that's a sentiment every parent and grandparent in this community should understand. C Care isn't asking for lip service. What they want is science-backed solutions that sustainably bring back sand to the Bate Bay and Cronulla beach and keep it that way. They want all stakeholders—local, state and federal—to work together and to act. Their call is simple. Support their cause. Let's stop chasing bandaid solutions where we move sand from one end of the beach to the other, and let's make Bate Bay and Cronulla beach healthy for good. I stand with them. Our coastline is a central part of our area. It's a central part of the culture and our way of life. It's a central part of our economy. So we need to act now, before our coastline disappears. This is the heritage we owe to our future generations. On behalf of my community I urge parliament to get behind this initiative, C Care. I also want to pay tribute to those who attended and took part in the Vietnam Veterans' service day hosted at the Cronulla RSL Sub-Branch on 18 August. Marking this remarkable milestone, it was also the 100th anniversary of the Cronulla RSL. Vietnam Veterans' Day recognises the service and sacrifice of nearly 60,000 Australians who served in the Vietnam War. More than 3,000 were wounded, and 523 never returned home. At the Cronulla RSL we gathered not only to honour those men and women but also to reflect on the unique role that Cronulla RSL has played in supporting our diggers for more than a century. Established in 1925, Cronulla RSL has stood for 100 years as a place of remembrance, service and community. It has been a place where veterans and their families have found support, found community and found where their service is celebrated and recognised. On behalf of this parliament I thank Cronulla RSL for 100 years of dedication, and I thank every Vietnam vet for their service. Menzies Electorate: Community Groups 119 10:22 Mr NG 316052 Menzies Recently I was out doorknocking in Warrandyte, a beautiful, bushy part of the electorate that I'm fortunate to represent. It's a community that understands the importance of preserving our environment and addressing climate change. I knocked on door after door where people said they were looking forward to accessing the government's solar home battery scheme, to save money on their power bills and to play their part in reducing Australia's emissions. The 30 per cent discount provided is enough of an incentive for them to take up the step of investing in a home battery. It's this kind of demand that means that almost 40,000 households nationally have taken up the solar home battery scheme. We already have the highest rates of rooftop solar in the world. This scheme will better allow us to make the most of our abundant renewable energy and will take pressure off the grid. I also popped into Warrandyte Football Club, who were successful in the recent volunteer community grants program, and saw the Bloods play their semifinal match amongst the beautiful gumtrees at Warrandyte Reserve. I'd like to congratulate the seniors, reserves and under-19s for making it into the grand finals. Go Bloods! Finally, recently I was also lucky enough to visit the Manningham Chinese Senior Citizens Association, another successful recipient of the volunteer community grants, who received a grant of around $2,000. This is one of the largest social clubs in Menzies, with more than 1,000 members, and is also one of the most active. They conduct activities five days a week, ranging from Chinese opera and mahjong to tai chi and traditional and contemporary dancing. They also put on an affordable and delicious lunch. It was clear to me how much joy and community the attendees get out of these activities. I was fortunate to narrowly avoid being dragged into singing karaoke by some of the very spirited participants! Thank you to Selene, Stella and other volunteer community members for bringing so much happiness to the older Australians in my community. I'd also like to congratulate Manningham SES and their wonderful volunteer community committee on raising $70,000 at their recent Thunderball event. These funds will go towards equipment to support the amazing SES volunteers, who are always one of the first on the scene during floods, fires, fallen tree branches and other emergencies that happen in the area. It was an unforgettable night. People hit the dance floor early, and we were treated to a James Bond themed video presentation, giving the Manningham SES the opportunity to showcase their acting skills. Congratulations to Manningham SES. I also rise to talk about one of the most pressing generational challenges facing the people of Menzies, which is housing. We are bringing forward a five per cent deposit guarantee scheme to ensure that young people across Menzies will be able to get into their first home sooner. Canning Electorate: Canning Shakespeare Competition 119 10:25 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning Last Saturday we hosted the 10th annual Canning Shakespeare Competition, which is a competition I run every year. For 10 years now we have had more than 120 kids step up onto the stage and bring Shakespeare's words to life. When I started this competition a decade ago the goal was simple: to give young people in our community an opportunity that they may not otherwise have. I'm always grateful to Mr Ben Elton AM, the co-writer of Blackadder, Mr Bean and Upstart Crow who was there to launch our first competition. The reason I do this is that kids in outer metro and regional areas often don't get the same opportunities in the arts as those in the capital cities. I believe in a fair go, which is why we put this competition on. Talent isn't limited to geography, and opportunity should not be limited by it, either. We've had a number of kids come through, engage with the arts, gain performance experience and wrestle with one of the toughest playwrights you can perform. I'm proud to say that we've had one of our winners be accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, launched from our competition, which is great. Shakespeare isn't just about theatre. He is part of the Western canon, a body of work that has shaped our civilisation and the way that we speak. If you say phrases like 'to break the ice', you're quoting The Taming of the Shrew,if you say you 'wear your heart on your sleeve', you're quoting Othello, and if you say you are 'in a pickle'—which is what a lot of us say around here—you are quoting The Tempest. Shakespeare continues to shape our language. It also stretches our imagination, sharpens our mind and helps young people to understand the full breadth of the human condition, from our strengths, our flaws to our ambition and, of course, our many failings. I have seen what happens when young people rise to the challenge. There was a young girl of about 15 who on the weekend was completely scared before she went out onto the stage, but when she went out onto the stage she transformed into someone of great confidence and did a wonderful performance. That's why we do it. This year Henry Hayes from Mandurah Baptist College won the competition with a commanding performance as King Richard from Richard III, and his portrayal of Richard III—complete with hunchback—took us into another word, which is what the judges were looking for. Our runner-up, Shekinah Doherty, from Foundation Christian College, gave a moving performance as Lady Anne, also from Richard III, that was full of poise and emotional depth for someone her age. These performances are a credit not just to Henry and Shekinah but also to their schools, teachers and families who support them. I acknowledge Steve Capener, the drama teacher from Foundation Christian College, who backs us in every year and prepares his students. I also thank our panel of judges: Shelby Kazakoff, a local drama teacher; Dr Melissa Merchant from Murdoch University; and Dr Tom Heath from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Thank you for backing us in. Veterans Hubs 120 10:28 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair On 12 August I was delighted to announce a location for the new Ipswich veterans and families hub in my electorate together with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence personnel. Operated by RSL Queensland, the new hub will be co-located with Mates4Mates at 260 Brisbane Street, West Ipswich. This follows Labor's commitment in the 2022 federal election to deliver a much-needed veterans and families hub in Ipswich. It has taken RSL Queensland a long time to decide upon and acquire a site, but they got there in the end. It's important because we have one of the biggest bases in the country—in fact, RAAF Base Amberley is the biggest air force base in the country. We've got more than 10,000 veterans and families living in Ipswich and the surrounding areas, and more than 5,000 ADF personnel posted to RAAF Base Amberley, including army units. I'm very proud that the Albanese Labor government is delivering upon my commitment to establish this veterans hub—even more so because the federal Liberal and National Parties previously promised a veterans hub for Ipswich in the 2026 federal election, only to renege upon the commitment after having won the election. They went on to drop the commitment from their 2019 and 2022 election platforms. Then the Morrison government announced funding for a veterans wellbeing centre in South-East Queensland but still failed to deliver one in Ipswich. So it took Labor's commitment at the 2022 election to finally secure this funding and this facility for my community. It's wonderful to see the significant progress made with this project, with the permanent location now locked in and co-located at the Mates4Mates Ipswich Centre, in West Ipswich, and there's the expectation that GO2 Health will operate from this facility as well. RSL Queensland and Mates4Mates have a proven track record when it comes to supporting the veterans community in South-East Queensland, so I am pleased that RSL Queensland was the successful applicant for the funding. They've got the runs on the board to make this happen. They've operated other centres around Brisbane, with Mates4Mates running several successful hubs across the country. This is why the Albanese Labor government awarded them a $5.4 million grant to lead the development of the hub in the first place, and it's why I'm confident they'll deliver an outstanding facility where veterans and defence personnel and their families will have access to a wide range of health and wellbeing services close to home when and where they need it. Importantly, the Ipswich hub will provide tailored mental health services and wellbeing services, in keeping with our government's strong commitment in responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, something that Labor, from opposition, called upon the government to do. That's why having this hub close to where people live is so important. It's another sign that the Albanese Labor government is backing our veterans community in the Ipswich and Somerset regions. I'm looking forward to working with RSL Queensland and seeing this facility opened officially. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 299150 In accordance with standing order 193, the time for constituency statements has concluded. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH 120 GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH Address-in-Reply 120 10:31 Ms PRICE 249308 Durack It is a great honour to return to this place for a fifth term as the duly elected member of Durack. The responsibility of representing the largest electorate in the country is not lost on me. Covering over 1.4 million square kilometres, over half of Western Australia, Durack brings with it such a diversity of people, communities and issues that need addressing. Before diving into some of these issues, I would like to give thanks to everybody who helped to get me here. Being elected five times doesn't just happen, and it's in large part because of my electorate office team I have behind me, some of whom have been with me from the very start. So I give enormous thanks to you, De-Arne, Carolyn, Jackie, Leanne, Clare, Gen and Don, for all your support and your commitment to serving our fabulous Durack community. I'd also like to thank my volunteers. I'm sure colleagues across all sides of the chamber would agree that having a friendly face at the booth makes a real difference to our constituents. There are a few in particular I would like to give a special shout-out to: Rob Dines; Kat Jackson; Randall Starling; Sally and George Gifford, who I call my Gingin heroes; Greg Kneale—he's my guy in the Pilbara—and Celia and Helen, who are definitely my Broome angels. And, of course, a very special mention goes to my Brad for all his care and support during and after each of the five campaigns. I simply could not do my job without you, and Durack constituents effectively get a two-for-one with Brad by my side. I want to also acknowledge the other Durack candidates who put their hand up at this election. I met many of you during the campaign and commend you and your volunteers for being part of the democratic process. Whilst we may disagree on the means to achieve a better Australia, we all want to see a brighter future, especially for regional Western Australians. As we are all aware, the Liberal Party did suffer a very heavy national defeat on election night. However, these results were not echoed in regional Western Australia. In my own seat of Durack, Labor went backwards by 5.5 per cent, and, in the member for O'Connor's seat, Labor went backwards by 6.6 per cent. It's clear to me one of the reasons for this diversion from the national trend was the local response to the Albanese Labor government's destructive decision to end the WA live sheep trade. There are communities across regional Western Australia whose very existence is threatened by Labor's ban, and they were not going to let this happen without a fight. I heard from a lot of people that they had always been Labor voters, but they simply could not vote for them again because of this issue. Regional communities have a very good habit of standing together when an outsider comes to tell them what can and cannot happen. In acknowledging the role live export had in Durack, I would also like to acknowledge the people behind Keep the Sheep. This was an organisation formed simply out of desperation to save an industry and the livelihoods of at least 3,000 Western Australians. In just a short amount of time, they managed to secure the signatures of over 100,000 fellow Australians who also wanted to tell the government that this decision was deeply unfair. With the ban set to take effect on 1 May 2028, I will continue to advocate on behalf of those affected communities across Durack. This term I will also continue to talk about the importance of restoring the Australian dream of homeownership. We have seen young Australians practically give up on this dream in recent years, and this is a national crisis that requires immediate action. Supply is obviously part of the problem, but we have to be serious in acknowledging that demand plays its part as well. Ten years ago my home state of Western Australia had a population of less than 2½ million people. Today, it has grown to over three million. This growth has been primarily driven by overseas migration. Let me be clear: Australia has a long and proud history of migration. But it is absolutely essential that policymakers wake up and realise that such high levels of growth are simply unsustainable. The current migration program is putting a heavy burden on housing, infrastructure and the hospital system. I was staggered by a recent report identified by the WA Liberal Party which showed that, since the WA Labor government took office in 2017, the number of daily active beds in metropolitan hospitals has increased by just 118. In that same time, the population has grown by 400,000. Is it any wonder that our WA health system is not working as it ought to? The Albanese Labor government sought to neutralise this issue before the last election by promising to curb international student numbers and insisting that net migration would come down. Just three short months later, however, the government announced that it would increase the international student cap by 25,000 per year. This follows net migration numbers being consistently higher than Labor's budget projections. Let's be clear about this. Labor's broken promises on migration are just pouring more fuel on the fire. Sadly, there are members opposite who—despite what they said at the time of the election—refuse even to admit that this high level of net migration is a problem, and instead resort to name-calling those who do. I would like to state very clearly here that it is not bigoted or racist to say that Australia's migration system must work for those who are already here—those who've already chosen to call Australia home. Nor is it bigoted or racist to say that, right now, that isn't the case. I'm very proud of the incredibly diverse, multicultural community that makes up the electorate of Durack. The coalition came to government in 2013 largely because of out-of-control illegal migration. I believe the coalition could return to government by promising to combat Labor's out-of-control legal migration. Energy will, of course, be similarly important for us to establish a pathway back to government. Australians are figuring out on their own that Labor's farcical renewables-only strategy is not working. Australians can figure that out all by themselves. They see it in their power bills, which have not gone down by the $275 promised by the Prime Minister. The coalition has announced a policy development process relating to the energy and emissions reduction policies we will take to the next election. But two fundamental principles will underpin this work: (1) having a stable, reliable energy grid which provides affordable power for households and business; and (2) reducing emissions in a responsible, transparent way that ensures that Australia does its fair share. What is clear, though, is that intermittent power cannot sustain a successful and robust economy. I refer to the release this week of the Quarterly update of Australia's national greenhouse gas inventory: March 2025 report. The report says that emissions have decreased by 1.4 per cent compared with the previous year. Well, that sounds like good news, doesn't it? It sounds like the government has got this all under control. But, if you investigate why the numbers have gone down, you might think again. Emissions linked to industrial processes and product-use emissions decreased by 4.7 per cent over the year to March 2025. Guess what the primary driver of this decrease was. It was with respect to a decrease in steel production. Similarly, emissions from agriculture are down because of a reduction in livestock numbers. I previously said that there is no way Labor will meet its emissions targets, but that's not entirely true. There is a way for them to do so. And, sadly, it is by decimating our heavy industry and sending those opportunities offshore. You can do that—you can send industry offshore and reduce your emissions—but is that good for our country? I don't think so. Domestic industries that no longer exist don't produce any emissions, so there you go—you've solved the problem. Close down industry and you get a reduction in emissions. So much for the Future Made in Australia! As the member for Durack, I also proudly represent the second-largest Indigenous population of any MP. Improving outcomes for Indigenous Australians and the communities they live in has always been a priority of mine, and I was deeply troubled to see the news recently that just four of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track. While the Prime Minister was at Garma announcing a bunch of money previously slated and talking about an economic plan he'd referred to the year before, I was honoured to join the Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, and the shadow minister for Indigenous Australians in the Kimberley. There, we had the great pleasure of meeting with community leaders, local businesspeople and health professionals who are committed to making a real difference. We understand that prioritising symbolism over practical action, as this government has done repeatedly, won't improve the outcomes for Indigenous Australians nor the communities that they live in. As the Leader of the Opposition has said, we will continue to fall short until we address the following: the early years, and making sure our kids go to and stay in school; the mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, as plenty of money is spent but too much keeps going to the same things over and over; and the need for proper training and real jobs. These are all important issues that we as an opposition will need to respond to through effective policy development, and I note the measured approach outlined by the Leader of the Opposition. As Sussan Ley has said, we will be constructive where we can but critical where we must, and, while our policies are under review, our values are not. To be clear, the Liberal Party stands for individual freedom, reward for effort, limited government involvement, and a prouder and stronger Australia. On top of being returned as the member for Durack, it is an honour to have been appointed as the shadow minister for cybersecurity and as the shadow minister for science. Shortly after I was announced as the coalition shadow minister for cybersecurity, Qantas was subject to one of the biggest cyber breaches in Australia's history. With 5.7 million accounts impacted, this was a nationally significant incident, and many in this parliament were affected as well. While no credit cards, financial information, passport details or pass codes were accessed, Australians still needed to take care of the data extracted to make sure that others couldn't take advantage of that information. Australians who have trusted a business with their personal information should have faith that their information is safe. The Qantas breach and the TPG iiNet breach in recent days demonstrates that this data is vulnerable. And I think that Australians deserve better. I've outlined to the Minister for Cyber Security that we are prepared to work with the government to better protect Australians' data, just as we did in the last parliament. Australians are also right to be concerned about malicious cyberactivity threatening our national security. As the government's own latest Annual cyber threat report outlines, Australia is confronting its worst and most complex strategic environment since World War II, and this includes growing threats in cyberspace. State sponsored cyberoperations are ongoing and are an escalating concern, particularly as strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific. These actors are engaged in intelligence gathering, interference, coercion and attempts to gain a foothold within critical networks. Should the strategic environment deteriorate significantly, Australia could face major and disruptive cyberattacks. The director-general of ASIO recently announced that the cost of espionage adds up to $12.5 billion a year, much of which is conducted in cyberspace. He outlined that the nations trying to steal our secrets include China, Russia and Iran. We should not be afraid to acknowledge the threat such nations pose, and we must improve our capacity to respond, particularly as the strategic competition increases. We should take reports that China is winning the cyberwar very seriously and respond with immediate action. We must work with our partners, especially the United States, to create a strong and united bloc that can withstand and respond to attacks. Advancing cyber capabilities is, of course, an important aspect of AUKUS Pillar 2. To be clear, cybersecurity is national security. The coalition has called on Labor to commit to increasing defence spending to at least three per cent of GDP. This is incredibly important if we are to deliver AUKUS and to project collective strength. I believe Labor should also consider greater investment in cyberdefences, as has been committed to by the NATO alliance in the face of Russian aggression. NATO's recent commitment was to lift core defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and spend a further 1.5 per cent of GDP on broader defence and security related investments, including cyber. I'm also very pleased to be returning to the Science portfolio. I had the great honour of being the Minister for Science and Technology during the Morrison government, and it has been so good to reconnect with stakeholders from that time and to connect with new ones as well. I am particularly excited to be back involved with the Australian civil space industry. When we were in government we established the Australian Space Agency and invested a record amount aimed at growing this very important industry. I moved a private member's motion on Monday in this place, outlining that, unfortunately, a lot of this investment was wound back in Labor's first term—very disappointing for the Australian space industry. I know Madam Deputy Speaker Sharkie, being a South Australian, will understand that only too well. This included Labor's decision to abolish the $1.2 billion National Space Mission for Earth Observation and to strip funding from the Technology into Orbit program, the Moon to Mars program, and the Spaceports program. I was pleased to join the Parliamentary Friends of Space industry event last night and speak to members of the Space Industry Association of Australia. Despite Labor's cuts, there are still plenty of opportunities for Australia to benefit from the space revolution, but it is important the government start to send the right signals, right now, that will drive further investment. The upcoming International Astronautical Congress in Sydney provides the government with a great opportunity to begin to undo the damage of their first term. In addition to space, I have, in recent months, been connecting with our universities and leading scientists. Increasing engagement in STEM—being science, technology, engineering and maths—has never been more important than right now. These are the skills Australia needs, and making sure more young Australians, and women in particular, move into STEM is a priority for me in this portfolio. I wrote to the Minister for Science, Senator Tim Ayres, in July requesting a briefing on the government's plan for the Science portfolio; I'm yet to hear back from Minister Ayres, but I've said before we will work constructively with the government where we can. I look forward to receiving a response from Minister Ayres. I'll conclude by again thanking my electorate of Durack for giving me the great honour of once again serving as their federal representative. I will work every day to ensure their voices are heard and will try my best to represent both those who voted for me and those who did not. To me, as a member of the opposition, it is clear we have a big job ahead of us, but I can guarantee to the people of Durack that we are up to it. Those opposite currently hold 94 seats, an almost unimaginable result before election day. It is clear that the Prime Minister and the members behind him are still riding high and feeling pretty good about themselves, and anyone watching question time has already seen the hubris from those opposite coming across the chamber. But I'd like to remind those opposite that politics should not be about personal victories. Politics must deliver tangible results for Australians—for all Australians. It is my hope that this 48th Parliament delivers far more than the 47th. 10:50 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara I would also congratulate the member for Durack on her re-election. It is a very challenging electorate, being so big, but I congratulate her on that. She's right that politics shouldn't be about hubris. It shouldn't be about congratulating oneself. It should be about policy outcomes for the Australian people. After listening to the member for Durack, I would also put forward the fact that what wasn't in her speech was the fact that the coalition came to an election with a policy to invest hundreds of billions of dollars into nuclear energy while refusing to visit the sites where they were proposing to build those nuclear power plants; they had an industrial relations policy, which they scrapped about a month before the election, that was going to force people to stop working from home; they had a defence spending announcement, similar to the one that the member for Durack called for, to lift our defence spending, but they announced it 2½ weeks before the election and couldn't tell us where exactly they proposed to spend the increased defence spending; they wanted to increase taxes on Australians by not supporting our income tax policies; and they did not support the reduction in HECS debt or the range of policies that were going to build housing, including build to rent—they're still trying to oppose those. Also, at the time when the MAGA movement was proposing tariffs on Australian products and putting those tariffs on, the coalition were walking around this country wearing hats that said, 'Make Australia great again.' There is absolutely a need for us to remain focused on the Australian people, but it is also incredible that the coalition seem to have not learned any of the lessons from the last election and they spend their weekends at conferences talking about what policy they can put forward to undermine their leader. While that happens, though, we have a job to do, and that is to deliver on the election commitments that we put forward at the last election. Let me say here, in this debate on the address-in-reply, that the most important message I have as part of this contribution is to say thank you to the incredible people of Macnamara. Our little nook of Melbourne is an iconic tourist hotspot that welcomes people in with culture, restaurants and food right across St Kilda, Port Melbourne and Southbank—all of the amazing parts of my electorate that help make Melbourne so iconic and such a wonderful place to visit. But it is also home to local communities and community organisations, including sporting clubs, faith based organisations, civil society organisations and LGBTIQ groups. It is a hub of life, and it represents the very best of Melbourne and the very best of our country. To be re-elected as the member for Macnamara for a third time is the greatest privilege of my working life, and it will be the greatest privilege of my working life. No matter what role I hold in this place, being the member for Macnamara is always the first and most important part of my responsibilities as a member of parliament. I owe a great deal to the incredible people of Macnamara, and I say thank you. The team that we had in our campaign understand the privilege that it is to be involved in politics and how important it is to have these positions representing our community, and they all worked so hard in fighting for that privilege yet again. I would say to my campaign team, my staff and everyone who contributed in our campaign in Macnamara that I watched people take autonomy and ownership over a campaign. They worked based not on hours but on an internal desire to be a part of something, to do something for our community and to support me. I couldn't be more proud and appreciative of the efforts of so many people. I'm not going to mention every single person, because I'll forget them, but I cannot give this contribution without mentioning Josh, Alissa, Kitty, Raph, Debra, Adele, Dakota, Sara and Daniel and, of course, the broader campaign committee team of Jane, Jack, John, Mikaela, Libby, David, Robyn, Peter, Madeline, Roman, Barney, Bridget, Jack, Julia and Graham and all of the Labor branches who were street stalling and doorknocking and phone banking. We set up our campaign office in Port Melbourne on Bay Street, and it was such a hub of activity and of campaigning and of events, and it was a place where people were just dropping in and people in Port Melbourne were walking by. It was just such a great place to be based, and I loved it. I want to say thank you to all the people who contributed to our campaign in Macnamara. I also want to pay tribute to my political opponents, two people who worked extremely hard, as did their teams. The volunteers for Benson Saulo, who was the Liberal Party candidate, and Sonya Semmens, who was the Greens candidate, were incredible. They turned up and worked really hard for their candidates, and it was a great example of democracy in action. People were passionate but respectful, and we all gave it our best shot. I want to congratulate Benson and Sonya for leading their teams. They were both thoughtful and respectful, and it was a really good example of what elections in democracy can be. I only wish them both the best for the future. To understand Macnamara is to understand, as I said, some of the most diverse but also vibrant parts of our country. We have incredible arts. We are the home, I think, of arts and cultural institutions in this country, in Southbank, South Melbourne and Port Melbourne. We have incredible national institutions, such as the National Gallery of Victoria, and we are investing in the redevelopment of the NGV Contemporary. We also have a large Jewish community and a vibrant LGBTIQ community. We are full of young professionals and people from every corner of the globe. Macnamara is extremely multicultural, with a growing Indian diaspora and a growing Chinese diaspora. We are proud of each and every nook of our wonderful part of Melbourne. But one thing did bind and unite a lot of them when I was speaking to literally thousands of people in my community in the lead up to the election. In the lines and on the doors, the question I would often ask my amazing constituents was: 'What do you care about? What matters to you? What is going on in your world?' The answers that came back were a wonderful reflection and a wonderful mirror on the sorts of people that I'm privileged to represent. There were often concerns about their kids, their community, their family, the direction of their country and the sort of things that they want to see for our local community. It was rarely a situation about their own personal needs or anything like that. It was: 'What does our family need? What does our community need? What do the people I care about need? How do we help get through, frankly, pretty difficult economic times?' When you speak to parents, they are concerned about whether their kids can buy a home or that their kid are at university and have huge debts or even about being able to go and see a doctor. These were the sorts of things that kept coming back to me over and over again. I think that, regarding this election, there are lot of things that are said and done about what happened here, why it was so successful and why it wasn't successful. Ultimately, I don't think there is a silver bullet. It's just about people. And what I heard from the people of Macnamara was that people cared about health care, they cared about jobs and they cared about having financial security. They want to be able to buy a home. They want to be able to do things for themselves and their families and the community that they love. They want to be safe. They want Australia to stand up for the values that they feel are representative of our community. I don't think it's more complicated than that. I don't think it's about tricks in campaigns and all of these sorts of other things. Ultimately, people think about their own lives. They think about what matters to them, and they think about what matters to their families. For every single person I spoke to in Macnamara, it was clear that the people that live in our community are thoughtful. They do watch politics in as so far as they think about what it means for them, their family and our community. That was ultimately what I think we got an endorsement, from not only the community of Macnamara but the broader Australian public, to deliver on. We got a mandate to deliver on policies that hopefully will make a tangible difference to the lives of Australians. We've already started to roll them out and to deliver them in this place. The first bill we all voted on was to reduce university debts by 20 per cent. That is a fantastic acknowledgement of the genuine difficulties that young people and people with HECS debts are facing and of the importance of what this place can do, the meaningful difference it can have. If it means that someone leaving university is going to have $5,000 or $10,000 less of their HECS loan to pay off over the life of the loan then I think that's an important contribution. It's one that I was so proud to support and one that we've got done already. And even this week we announced that we are bringing forward the five per cent home deposit scheme, which is going to help first-home buyers. That is something that kept coming up over and over again: 'What matters to you?' 'Well, we'd like to be able to buy our own home.' In Macnamara I met hundreds and hundreds of people, couples and families saying to me that that's something they want to do, but it's just not possible, and it's not possible because of the deposit. The conversation that often came back to me was that it is really hard, and while they're not saying it needs to be easy, it just needs to be possible. Without being able to get into the housing market, it's just not possible. For too many people, the deposit is the biggest barrier, while they're paying rent, and rents are expensive in my community. It has been just impossible for people to be able to get into the market. That policy is really important. It's going to mean that thousands of people across my electorate are going to become homeowners. They're going to move out of the rental system and into the homeowner market. I think that's something that is really important and something that we as a government and as a Labor Party need to be doing more of—supporting ambition, supporting people to accumulate assets and find financial security in this country. But it is not just the national policies that were so important at this election but also the local ones. That is one of the powers you can have in being a member of a government and being a local member and a Labor member of government. Part of my pitch and my request to the people of Macnamara is to say: 'If you vote for me as a member of a team, I will be in there supporting and fighting for the community inside government. But we can also get things done for the community from government.' Obviously I am privileged to represent such an amazing part of Melbourne, but some of the projects we have funded and committed to as part of the election are so exciting and will transform the way our community gets to experience so many different things. I'm going to run through a few of them that I'm exceptionally proud of. The first is funding for the Australian National Academy of Music. This is an institution that was founded by Paul Keating. It trains Australian classical musicians. The academy has been here in this building many, many times, Deputy Speaker. If you haven't been to an ANAM concert, make sure you go down to the Speaker's Gallery or the Marble Foyer when they're next in the building. They are extraordinary Australian musicians from electorates right across the country who are training to be world-class musicians. Previously ANAM operated in South Melbourne. There was a structural issue with the roof; it fell through—a pretty bad structural issue. But we are repairing that and restoring the old South Melbourne Town Hall so it will become the home of the Australian National Academy of Music. It's going to be there as a hub of music and community life, right there in South Melbourne. It's going to be so exciting. I went through there only recently with the minister to look at the work that's being done there. That is going to be such a wonderful feature for ANAM and for South Melbourne. We also committed to $1.5 million for community safety for a range of supports for councils and the Victorian government around CCTV. That was something that came up a lot during the election. While we obviously don't control the Victoria police—that is a matter for the state government—we did ask ourselves, What can we do to help? And it was about having more CCTV and more lighting in some of those amazing high streets and thoroughfares, where there are a lot of businesses and a lot of people trying to make a living running amazing small businesses. We funded that, and we will deliver it across the City of Port Phillip. The See Yup Temple in South Melbourne is a beautiful, incredible part of the history of our local community. This Chinese temple is I think the oldest continuous operating Chinese temple of its kind in Australia. Unfortunately a fire came through the temple, which destroyed a lot of the temple. Amazingly, the fire burnt around a lot of the most spiritual and elevated parts of the temple. It's almost a bit mysterious—but I don't want to get too woo-ey on Hansard! To see the See Yup Temple being restored, and us funding some of the restoration efforts, is something that I was really proud of. It is such a beautiful community there, and I look forward to seeing the See Yup Temple restored to its former glory and beyond. JOY Media is another example of one of these community institutions in Macnamara that make our community so vibrant and strong. I believe it's the only LGBTIQA+ media organisation, or radio organisation, in the country that does it to this scale. They have community-led programs, but in such a professional way, that give voice and amplification to the issues, opinions, characters and people inside the LGBTIQA+ community. I couldn't be prouder that we are going to support them to ensure that their operations are full and vibrant and that they are able to do everything they need to reach more people and broadcast into more areas so that more people can see themselves, hear themselves, and be a part of LGBTIQA+ media programming. We have committed $4.3 million to save the Windsor Community Children's Centre. This is a partnership that we are going to do with Stonnington. This is one of the great local, community-run early education centres. The land is currently owned by Swinburne University. We are working through those details, and we will work through them in good faith with Swinburne. This is such an important community asset; it is a magical little place, one of the best and highest-rating early education services in my electorate. We will fund it and help ensure that it can continue. We are funding the Jewish Arts Quarter, which is going to be an amalgamation of a whole range of Jewish institutions in Elsternwick that will come together to build a hub, or quarter, in the same way we imagine Lygon Street in Melbourne being a hub of Italian life and Chinatown being a hub of Chinese food and culture. This is what the Jewish Arts Quarter is going to be for music, food, performances, the Jewish Museum, and some of the other cultural institutions. It is going to be a really exciting project, and we were so pleased to announce our federal support for that. We're going to be investing in the Port Phillip Eco Centre. It will be a small, modest contribution but one that's going to invest in citizen science products and equipment so that the community can get involved in citizen science and environmental protection and work to be involved in this amazing organisation. The centre doesn't just work in Port Phillip but works right across Melbourne. Our small contribution is going to make a big difference and provide equipment and facilities for our local community to get involved. We're going to restore St Dimitrios Hall in Windsor, which is a Greek community hall. My community in Macnamara is home to one of the most proud and vibrant Greek communities in Australia. Melbourne is one of the great Greek cities of the world, but Albert Park in South Melbourne has been home to the Greek community for generations. We love all of our Greek institutions. This hall in Windsor is a massive hall that, with a little bit of a touch-up, will make a big difference and create a vibrant place for the Greek community and the senior Greek community to come together. They are some of the things that we're doing in Macnamara. They're vast and varied and reflect the fact that our community in Macnamara is vast and varied, and we were proud to commit to all of them. That's as well as rolling out the projects we have already committed to, including improving Albert Park sports facilities and building the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve, which was a commitment we made in 2022. The reserve is an incredible environmental wetland in the heart of inner-city Melbourne, on the border of Ellwood. There are so many things that we're doing around the electorate, and they're things that I'm really proud of and that I hope can make a real difference for our community. I would say that this election was pretty brutal. It was pretty hard. It culminated in a couple of years of very difficult politics, and it seems that difficult politics like to drive through my electorate of Macnamara from time to time, as the last couple of weeks have also demonstrated. But one thing I know about the community that I am privileged to represent is that the people are kind, they're generous, they care about our community, they care about their families and they care about our country. It is the absolute privilege of my life to be the member for Macnamara. I'm extremely grateful for the extraordinary result that we achieved in Macnamara. I'm very grateful for the team that worked so hard to achieve this—this is our victory—but, most of all, I am grateful to the amazing people of Macnamara, who've given me this privilege to be their member for Macnamara for the third time. I will continue to work as hard as I possibly can to deliver for them, their families and our wonderful community. 11:10 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning Today I rise to speak on behalf of the people of Canning—my constituents, the families, the workers and the small business owners who embody the very best of our nation. The people living in my patch are hardworking, self-reliant and deeply community minded. They don't ask much from government—just a fair go, respect and the freedom to get on with their lives. Our community is resilient, ambitious and proud. We stand together in tough times and we celebrate each other's success. That's the spirit of Canning, which is the Peel region, for those of you who don't live in WA. I'm very proud to represent them in this place. This year I was honoured to be re-elected as the member for Canning after a redistribution that reduced our margin to just 1.2 per cent. I was grateful that my constituents once again placed their trust in me. We achieved a strong result with a 5.4 per cent swing and a margin of over 13,000 votes. I'm deeply grateful for the support shown by our community and the way they've sent me back to Canberra to be their voice here in this chamber. Our result was a testament to the strength and unity of our local community and to the grassroots campaign we ran, focused on issues that affect real people. We didn't campaign in the abstract; we campaigned very much in concrete terms. While national security concerns dominated headlines, my campaign was firmly local. Every day, I met with residents, listened to their concerns and committed to fighting for the things that matter most to them. Today, I bring their voices into this chamber. My team and I campaigned on the issues that mattered to them: cost of living, local infrastructure and community safety. We campaigned on health and, for nearly a decade, the Western Australian government has promised a $152 million upgrade to the Peel Health Campus. When they put that figure to the public in 2021—$152 million—that was before we saw inflation over the last four years. That figure is now about $180 million, and they haven't increased the funding in real terms, so we've actually taken a $30 million cut to the upgrade. That promise has been repeated in press releases, budget papers and media statements, but the reality on the ground has not changed. One year after the hospital was handed back into public hands, with great fanfare from Labor, there has still been no redevelopment, no new facilities and no relief for the families, children and seniors in my community. Ambulance ramping is at record highs, doctors and nurses are exhausted, and clinicians warn the system is in a death spiral. This is not just incompetence; this is actually really dangerous. People are left waiting in emergency. People are even sent away. I have countless stories from seniors, particularly, who are really struggling. For seniors who need to see a geriatrician, they have to wait up to 18 months. Some, by the time they get to see a geriatrician, have experienced further decline—whether physical or cognitive—and some have even passed on. So we have a very acute health crisis in my electorate. Labor's own member for Mandurah has admitted the funding isn't enough, yet the Premier continues to sit on a multibillion-dollar surplus while our hospital bursts at the seams. We all know the WA budget is doing better than most other jurisdictions, and, yet, we're not seeing the investment in our health system that we need. Locals are angry. They've shared their shocking experiences at Peel Health Campus. They're angry and they have every right to be. I'm calling it as I see it: this is a betrayal of my community. I'll keep fighting until the Peel Health Campus is fixed. No more spin. No more empty promises. Just action—because our community deserves better. And it's not just in health. Right across the Peel region, we are being let down on the infrastructure that underpins our daily lives. We need infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, including roads, public transport and community facilities. People travelling to and from Perth everyday on the Kwinana Freeway experience a massive opportunity cost—a journey that used to take about 70 minutes can now take up to two hours at a time. That opportunity cost is time with family, time exercising, time doing admin and time doing other important things that happen in our daily lives. Labor for a decade have promised a train station at Karnup, and for a decade now they've failed to deliver it. Another train station would help a lot of my constituents and would provide another alternative form of transport to and from the city every day, but we've got no funding, no timeline and no commitment. The land on which the train station will be built sits vacant while our growing suburbs of Karnup, Singleton, Golden Bay and Secret Harbour, suburbs recently added to my electorate as part of the redistribution, are ignored. They're taken for granted by Labor. There was not even a mention in the latest state budget. It's pretty shameful, and a lot of people agree. These are vibrant, fast-growing areas, and they deserve the same level of infrastructure investment as the rest of the region. I'll also note that these suburbs are part of the AUKUS catchment, so we have a growing presence of Royal Australian Navy families, defence families and people involved in the future AUKUS industrial base. I should also add that we're going to see Americans moving into my electorate over the next couple of years as well. Admiral Caudle, who's a senior US naval officer, said there would be from 3,000 to 9,000 Americans moving in over the next five years or so. Those are a lot of people to integrate into our community. They're very welcome to come. I'm sure they'll bring a lot of opportunity as well. There are a lot of spouses in the US military who are teachers and nurses, and we have shortages in both fields. I hope this government is working on ensuring that they can be employed in our communities when they arrive. I also want to note as well that my electorate will take about 25 per cent of the new Defence housing which have been slated to support AUKUS. So we need more investment from the federal government and the state government as well, but instead we're being left behind. The Karnup train station is a key data point for that. Labor's failure to act is not just a broken promise; it's a clear message that these communities aren't a priority. I've raised this time and time again, and I've launched a petition to hold the Cook Labor government to account. A station at Karnup isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. People don't expect us to make fanfare when we deliver these things; they just expect government to do them. They pay taxes, and they expect government to do these projects and do them on time. A train station would ease pressure on nearby stations, reduce congestion and give families the access they deserve. Labor wants us to forget about it, but I won't. That's why I'm speaking about it, and I'm more than happy to raise state issues as well because most constituents just want a better future for their families and a fair go. Whether it's at the local, state or federal level, I'll keep fighting for my people. I first heard about the need for a local train station while I was doorknocking back in 2016. Locals were frustrated, ignored by their Labor MPs and fed up with broken promises. Despite fierce resistance from WA Labor, we stood firm and we delivered the Lakelands train station. Let's not forget that Labor ministers publicly dismissed the project. Rita Saffioti called it embarrassing. Paul Papalia said it was a station no one needed, and David Templeman sat at the cabinet table for years without delivering a cent for the Lakelands train station. Yet, when the station finally opened in June 2023, closing a 23-kilometre gap in the Mandurah rail line, they were very fast to show up for photo opportunities. That station wasn't delivered by Labor; it was delivered by the people of Lakelands who refused to give up. I'm proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with them, and together we got it done. I'll do the same for those people living in and around Karnup. That same determination for a fair go on infrastructure is driving our campaign to reinstate the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation. This is another critical infrastructure project that WA Labor abandoned, despite its clear benefits to safety, heritage and quality of life. Hundreds of trucks thunder through the heart of Pinjarra. Pinjarra is a beautiful, old historic town right in the centre of the Peel region. It was settled around the 1830s, and every day we have these big trucks carrying huge loads, including jarrah logs, critical minerals that have been mined and massive mining equipment which often needs an escort at the front and rear. These trucks pass through our little town, and people are getting tired of it. We've invested money to make that a tourist town, and these big trucks make it very difficult for locals. A deviation would divert heavy vehicles away from the town centre. It would protect local families, businesses and the character of our community, which is sitting there on the Murray River—a very beautiful part of the world. Labor's decision to cut money for the deviation is short sighted and reckless. We're not backing down. Just like we did with the Lakelands train station, we'll keep fighting until Pinjarra gets the infrastructure it needs. This isn't the only way that Labor is letting down regional and outer metropolitan communities. Labor's cost-of-living crisis has hit outer metro areas and regional Australia hardest. Fuel costs are up. Many people drive. There's limited public transport, so everyone has petrol or diesel costs in their family budget. Health premiums are up. There's a real lack of confidence in the public health sector run by Labor. People are paying health premiums, but they're creeping up. Mortgage and rental costs are up. We have a housing demand crisis. I've seen people at my local beach get out of their car in the morning after sleeping in the car, take a shower at the beach showers and then go off to work. This is Australia in 2025. We have an abundance of geography here, but somehow we have this housing shortage. It's a housing demand crisis, and I think this is because Labor's uncontrolled immigration has caused a lot of pressure on the housing sector. From the year 2000 to 2019, the average net overseas migration figure was 190,000 people. In the last two years, Labor has brought in about half a million people, and we wonder why we're struggling for housing. We shouldn't have people living in their cars. We shouldn't have kids living in caravan parks. We shouldn't have kids living in tents in the backyards of friends. It's shameful, and it's always in the outer metropolitan and regional areas where people do it tough, are hurt the worst. Now Labor has introduced a new tax on the vehicles Australians rely on most. The diesel Prados, Rangers, LandCruisers, MU-Xs and D-MAXs are the workhorses of outer metropolitan areas and regional Australia. If you come down to the school where my kids go every morning, you'll see mums and dads dropping their kids off in four-wheel drives and utes, because their partner is a tradie or they work on the mines or they just like to go four-wheel driving. That's why they're living in the regions. Labor's so-called fuel efficiency standard is nothing more than a car and ute tax. It's driving up the cost of popular vehicles like the Ford Ranger, the Toyota HiLux and the Mitsubishi Outlander—vehicles that are essential for people living in my community. I mentioned the metaphor of the workhorse of our local economy. It's true. My community, more than a hundred years ago, relied on horses for the local economy. We provided a good number of light horsemen that fought in the First World War. These vehicles do the same job today. These are the vehicles that tow the boats, the floats and their caravans. Tradies, farmers and families shouldn't be punished for driving the vehicles they need. Labor's fuel efficiency standard is driving up costs and limiting choice, hurting the very people who keep our economy moving. We have very, very few electric vehicle charging stations, but we've got a lot of people paying a fuel excise. It's not just bad policy; it's an attack on our way of life. While they're taxing our utes, Labor are also pushing ahead with a massive offshore windfarm off my southern coast—all the way down the coast to Dunsborough, a beautiful stretch of the WA coastline. They're doing this without proper consultation and against the wishes of my community. The proposed zone spans thousands of square kilometres of ocean just 26 kilometres from our coastline and not far south of the proposed AUKUS submarine base. This project threatens our local environment, threatens tourism and threatens our recreational activities. It risks damaging marine life, ocean floors and bird habitats. We're very proud of our whales in WA. We're proud of our dolphins. These are the sorts of creatures that live in our oceans which will be affected by these wind farms. It will impose enormous costs on Australian families and business, because, let's be frank, wind power only works when the wind is blowing. There is incredibly expensive transmission infrastructure which needs to be built to connect these solar and wind farms that Labor are putting all over our country. I think one thing that is overlooked is that these wind turbines and a lot of these solar panels, if not all, are manufactured overseas, often in China, using our fossil fuels, whether it be coal or gas, that we export. It's a reality that this country exports 25 per cent of the world's coal and 20 per cent of the world's liquefied natural gas. It's a huge source of revenue. It underwrites the NDIS, it underwrites health and it underwrites our welfare system. So, whilst Australians are being forced to pay more for their energy needs, countries who we export to are getting their energy much cheaper, which makes them more competitive in the long term. Under this government, we're seeing local communities and their wishes overridden and we're seeing inefficient, expensive and environmentally-damaging solar and wind farms pushed on local communities. We're outsourcing emissions. This is a government that does a lot of carbon leakage. They claim they're green, but they do a lot of carbon leakage. They're increasing our dependence on foreign supply chains. We're not building these wind turbines. We're not making the solar panels. We're importing them from China. So, effectively, we're dismantling our comparative advantage in energy, which comes from our coal and our gas. We could have nuclear power because we've got a lot of uranium. We're dismantling that comparative advantage and we're making ourselves dependent on the importation of power made overseas. I think it's unfair and unsustainable. Another issue is the unbearable odour affecting residents in the northern suburbs of my electorate. For those here it might sound like a minor inconvenience, trivial even. But for those living with it, this smell emanating from waste and compost facilities is making homes unlivable and outdoor spaces unusable, particularly in summer when temperatures hit 35-plus and you get a roaring easterly out to the coast. These smells are dumped on a lot of our coastal community living in the north of the electorate. Kids can't play outside, and people can't open their windows in the middle of summer. In fact, when I was doorknocking in Singleton, an elderly couple came to the door. Everyone else in the street was talking about the stink, and they said, 'We can't even turn our air conditioning on, because it smells like blood and bone in our living room if we do.' This is a serious disruption to their lives, their health and their homes. I've held community meetings, I've called for action from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and I've invited the Minister for the Environment to see the impact firsthand. This is just one of the many challenges facing our community. But, despite this, my constituents remain hopeful. They're proud of their community and they are determined to build a better future. I want to acknowledge the people who came up to me on the street to have a chat. They might have given me a word of encouragement. Some of my favourite moments are, in fact, shopping at Coles in Halls Head, doing constituent work in the aisles. I remember the seniors I spoke to recently, who were trying to work out if they could afford eggs for the week. It's a great community, but rarely do I hear people whinge. They've always got constructive feedback or encouragement, and I thank them for that. I'm proud to be a leader in my community and I don't take that responsibility lightly. Leadership is about service. That's what I learnt over the lake there at the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College, Duntroon. The motto for ADFA is To Lead, To Excel, and at Duntroon it's Learning Promotes Strength. Leadership in those institutions was always about service, and it's a privilege to continue doing that in public office in this parliament. It's about listening, learning and standing firm in the face of adversity. It's about representing the values of the people who sent us here: hard work, honesty and a deep commitment to our country. Our schools are filled with bright, curious and capable young Australians. They're ready to take on the world, but they need a future that they can believe in and one that they want to step into—a future built not on debt and decline but on opportunity, stability, cohesion as a country and national pride. That future begins with a commitment to the people we serve, not just in election years but every single day. It's not easy. We're all imperfect people. There is not a single perfect person on this earth, and, particularly in politics, our imperfections can sometimes be magnified. That's just what comes with public office. But nonetheless, we need to fight for our constituents, for fairness, for prosperity and for the dignity of every single Australian. That's what leadership demands. It's about standing firm when it counts, speaking up when others stay silent and never forgetting who you represent. Before I conclude I want to thank my campaign team, who worked tirelessly through the rain and on hot days because they believe in our community and our cause. I want to thank our volunteers who gave their time, energy and heart to our campaign. It's always encouraging when you meet new people who are willing to put on a T-shirt and stand with you—you'd know this, Deputy Speaker Sharkie—because they believe in what you stand for. So I want to thank all those people. I also want to thank my family—my wife, Ruth, and our children—for their support and sacrifice. Next month, I'll have been 10 years in the parliament. My wife has spent the last 10 years having kids and raising kids, often without me present, and she does it because she believes in what I do in this place. So I want to acknowledge my wife, Ruth, for her love and her support. I also acknowledge my kids. My three-year-old said to me on Friday, 'Why don't you live with us anymore, Dad?' which was hard to hear. But my 10-year-old boy and my eight-year-old daughter explained that I go to parliament and I do it for a good reason, and I hope that one day she will understand why I've taken this job on. I'll leave it there. Thank you very much. 11:30 Ms DOYLE 299962 Aston I acknowledge that we meet on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples of this region, and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging. The community of Aston, which I represent, exists on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin nation, the outer eastern suburbs of Naarm/Melbourne—a place I have called home for the past 37 years. I acknowledge and pay my respects to their peoples past, present and emerging. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land. I came to live in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne because three of my older sisters had done the same, so naturally, when it was my time to move out of home from my home town of Echuca, this is where I gravitated to, because connection to family is so important. I'm a proud mum to my 24-year-old son, Clancy, and my 21-year-old daughter, Lily, and a proud great-aunty to 19-year-old Jamilah, who came into my care five years ago at the age of 14, when her beautiful mum, my niece Melanie, tragically died from a brain aneurysm at the age of 42. This sudden devastation occurred in Tasmania not long after the start of the COVID lockdowns in 2020. Having Jamilah join Clancy, Lily and me in our home was something I never questioned, as she needed connection to her mother's family. Being re-elected as the member for Aston was an enormous honour—one that was so humbling. It was also akin to being welcomed back to a family of sorts—in fact, a couple of families. There is the family of the electorate of Aston, such a vibrant, multicultural community—one where I have gained all kinds of siblings and maybe a few different mums, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Then there's my family of colleagues in Canberra—the MPs and senators I have come to know and respect, and their staff members too. It's good to be back in the big house, and that's an enormous honour as well. Having run three elections in three years has been a lot of fun—well, some of the time. In 2022, when I ran against the former member for Aston, Alan Tudge, it was a steep learning curve for me as a first-time Labor candidate. At that time, in 2022, Aston had been Liberal since 1990, and my fledgling campaign for Aston was extremely grassroots. I shared a campaign office with two other first-time Labor candidates: the now current member for Deakin, Matt Gregg, as well as the Labor candidate for Menzies at that time. I funded a lot of that campaign myself, with financial help from the wonderful ASU, my union; local ALP branch members; my friends; and many true believers. I had zero delusions of grandeur, let alone any delusions of winning Aston in 2022, but I was amazed, as were many of my friends and colleagues, by a swing of 7.3 per cent to Labor in Aston in 2022—incredible. Having Labor win the whole federal election in 2022 was brilliant, and that was the best win overall. But I wondered about the victor in Aston that year and if he'd hang around for a full term. I wondered, in fact, why he'd ever run at all in Aston in that election, quite frankly. The former member for Aston's resignation from office followed nine months later, thus necessitating a by-election in April of 2023. I then had to gear up for an election campaign again, not even a year after the last one. This time was vastly different, as the nation's media was focused solely on this one federal electorate, once the safest Liberal seat in the whole country. How would it all turn out? 'Could you win, Mary? No pressure!' And, against all odds, that is what happened, the first time a sitting government had won an opposition seat in a by-election in 103 years—such an historic political event. It was a bruiser of a campaign; I'm not going to lie. There were sniping comments and barbs from my opponent's volunteers. Some of them were yelling right in my face as I was speaking to voters at prepoll, but they were nothing I couldn't handle. My volunteers and supporters were fantastic. They were always there for me at all of the street stalls and early morning train station visits, just as they were in 2022. They were handing out flyers for me on prepoll and by-election day too. I will never forget that rousing reception I walked into at Boronia Bowls Club on the night of the by-election. It was electric and so overwhelming. It is safe to say my face said it all that night. I had not expected to win at all, and I was so overwhelmed and excited as I made my victory speech in front of all the nation's media and the crowd at the Boronia Bowls Club. To go through another federal election campaign as the incumbent this time was a totally different experience again—another campaign, another Liberal opponent. This one was an entirely different beast—I'm talking about the campaign, not my opponent, of course. The opposition had chosen their candidate well ahead of time, and he'd been out and about very early. He and his people were flagrantly telling story after ludicrous story about me personally, about our government and about his own past, including exactly where he was from—that is, born and raised—and the location of the school where he was a 'local teacher'. He even changed his first name to try and hide certain facts about himself as the failed Liberal candidate for Bruce in 2013 and the failed Liberal candidate for Holt in 2007. On day 1 of prepoll 2025, when we were at a booth, my two volunteers and I noticed a stark difference in both the by-election and 2022 election prepoll kick-offs. The number of Liberal Party volunteers not only outnumbered us; they far exceeded what's considered normal by the standards of past elections. This new guard weren't familiar with the etiquette of ordinary how-to-vote vollies of all persuasions; they were mean and they were coordinated in their meanness and their moves. I would move to a different area and then be shadowed by one or more of them or my volunteers would be. They would also loudly sing strange chants at the largely befuddled voters lined up and jiggle their candidate's corflutes at people walking in. The candidate himself would try to pick a fight with me or another of the candidates and then film what he hoped would be some kind of altercation with one of his young male volunteers. He accused one woman, an independent candidate from another electorate, of yelling when she clearly was not yelling at all. It was all very weird, and I honestly couldn't understand how he thought this behaviour would win him votes. In the lead-up too, all over the electorate I had my corflute signs pulled down again and again and again. I'd put them back up, and they'd get pulled down again, while his corflutes—and he had so many of them—stayed put. Then the nasty, blatantly sexist and factually wrong corflutes and large banners about me went up all around the electorate. The Liberal Party denied having anything to do with them; however, I witnessed their volunteers pack down these corflutes at the conclusion of voting on prepoll. A huge amount of money was spent in Aston by my opponent and those that backed him, but, once again, my volunteers and I stayed strong. For months we had been focused on the people of Aston through doorknocks, phone calls and regular visits to shopping centres, coffee shops and the like, and the response we received was incredibly positive towards me as their federal member and towards the Prime Minister and our federal Labor government about what we had achieved already in the three years in office and what I had delivered as their new member for Aston for the past two years. The Bayswater urgent care clinic, in particular, was a huge winner for our community of Aston. People in Aston loved it, and, if they hadn't heard about it, they loved learning about it. Cheaper medicines; 60-day scripts; the tripling of the Medicare incentives for GPs, making it easier to access bulk-billing; and the automatic $300 energy bill relief for 2024-25, which was extended for another $150 to the end of 2025—these were the things that truly helped people and truly mattered to people. During the 2025 federal election campaign, I was supported by an incredible team of wonderful and loyal volunteers, staff members and friends who once again rallied for me to be the member for Aston. They helped me by knocking on 20,000 doors, making 14,000 phone calls and letterboxing tens of thousands of dwellings within Aston. I would especially like to thank the following: Isabel Machuca, Cael McFarlane, Katie and Leiah, Pat and Ken Rivett, Lance Cadman, James Gan, Jacqui Cherry, Sally Larwood, Pat Kelly, Alison Fitch, Paul Sparks, Darcy Truin, Jesse Williams and Ashley Jakowitz. And to my staff—Russell, Hannah, Mannie, Divya, Shauna, Sunny, Chunying, Jacob, and Mary French—and former staffer Richard: thank you all too. Thank you so much to my state Labor colleagues: the member for Bayswater, Jackson Taylor MP, and the member for Monbulk, Daniela De Martino MP, as well as Michael Galea MLC and all of their wonderful staff. To one of my dearest friends of many, many years and now senator for Victoria the Hon. Lisa Darmanin: thank you for your continued support and friendship over the years and also during the times I ran as the Labor candidate in Aston. You've been at all three of my campaign launches and have championed me all the way. I cannot thank you enough, Lisa. Thank you also to the senator's amazing staff for assisting me and my team throughout the last year. It's been incredible getting to know you all. To Senator Jess Walsh: thank you for all your assistance with doorknocking and for your support and friendship during my election campaign as well. Thanks also must go to those ministers, assistant ministers and senators who came to visit my electorate of Aston during the last term, some of whom came to visit during my re-election campaign too: Senator Penny Wong; Senator Katy Gallagher; the member for Chifley, Ed Husic; the member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus; Minister Clare O'Neil; Assistant Minister Ged Kearney; Minister Catherine King; Minister Kristy McBain; Minister Matt Keogh; Minister Tony Burke; Minister Anika Wells; Minister Amanda Rishworth; Minister Anne Aly; Minister Andrew Giles and, of course, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Having you all visit Aston was most welcomed by me and our community of Aston. Thank you to all the wonderful people of Aston who came out to support me and to re-elect me. As your MP in federal parliament, I am here to listen to you, learn from you and advocate for you to the best of my ability. Thank you for putting your trust in me. I'd also like to thank my wonderful family. Clancy, who's here today for me, thank you for being here. Thank you to my wonderful partner, Anthony, and to Lily, my daughter and Jamilah, my great-niece. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 298800 Thank you to the member for Aston. Clancy, it's great to have you here today. 11:43 Mr RAE 300122 Hawke I'm absolutely honoured to rise here as the re-elected member for Hawke and as the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. I'd like to start by thanking the people of Hawke—from Sunbury and Diggers Rest to Melton, Hillside, Ballan and Bacchus Marsh and from across parts of Hume, Melton, Moorabool, Brimbank and Wyndham—for putting your trust in me to fight for our community. I will continue working hard every day to serve you. This election was a historic win for the Labor Party and for our Labor movement. I want to pay tribute to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese; the Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles; ALP National Secretary Paul Erickson and ALP National Assistant Secretary Jen Light for their extraordinary leadership. I also want to thank the Victorian Labor team, led by Steve Staikos and Jett Fogarty, who delivered an incredible result in Victoria and showed once again the strength of our Victorian movement. Can I welcome and congratulate the new members of the Labor caucus from Victoria—so many friends amongst them: Alice Jordan-Baird in Gorton; Basem Abdo in Calwell; Matt Gregg in Deakin; Gabriel Ng in Menzies; Sarah Witty in Melbourne; Jo Briskey—this legend here—in Maribyrnong; as well as the former member for Higgins, and now senator, Michelle Ananda-Rajah. Each and every single one of these people is working extremely hard every day for their community—here in the federal parliament and at home. I am proud and honoured to work alongside you. Australians went to the polls on 3 May asking for real cost-of-living relief. They were given a choice between a government delivering lower taxes, lower inflation and higher wages, and an opposition obsessed with waste, who promised to legislate higher taxes for every Australian taxpayer. The scale of the Albanese Labor government's victory and our mandate shouldn't be surprising. We listened to Australians, we made a promise to deliver on the things that matter to them and we haven't wasted a single moment getting on with the job. From 1 October this year, first homebuyers will be able to purchase with a five per cent deposit without paying lenders mortgage insurance. This was brought forward so that more Australian families can get the keys to their first place sooner. That's practical help for millions of families across Australia, including in my electorate of Hawke. We passed legislation to cut student debt by 20 per cent, wiping billions from the balances of around three million Australians, and lifting the minimum repayment threshold—fairness for the graduates and apprentices who keep our economy moving. From 1 July we extended energy bill relief with an extra $150 off household power bills in the second half of this year, helping families while inflation continues to moderate. We've backed this with investment in skills. Fee-free TAFE is becoming a permanent feature of our training system, building a pipeline of workers in priority areas like construction, clean energy and care. That's critically important to me in my role as Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. We've made medicines cheaper with 60-day prescriptions, and now we're capping scripts so that Australians will pay no more than $25 under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Labor's free TAFE program—just another thing the opposition threatened to gut—delivers training for our next generation of workers, allowing young people to access the qualifications they need at no cost. My home, Hawke, is one of the fastest-growing parts of the country, and it's where I'm proud to be raising my family. People move west for affordability, for community and for opportunity. Our responsibility to them is to make sure that services keep pace with their ambition. I was proud to make commitments throughout that campaign that I know will make a difference to families in my community. This included $1 billion to upgrade the Western Freeway, and we backed in the electrification of the Melton line—both of which my community has campaigned hard for. Upgrades to Sunshine station are also essential for airport rail to become a reality and to deliver faster travel for commuters from the west. We'll build the diamond interchange at Calder Park Drive to finally fix one of the region's most dangerous and congested pinch points. We promise to deliver the Bacchus Marsh indoor pool, which I know many families—including my own—are excited about. These are real investments that cut travel time, improve safety and connect people to their jobs. As the newly appointed Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, my priority is to deliver the historic reforms to our aged-care sector that will give older Australians the safe, dignified and high-quality care that they have always deserved but which a system neglected for a decade was failing to provide. We're hard at work preparing for the transition to the new Aged Care Act on 1 November, which will put the rights of older people first and make our aged-care system more sustainable for generations to come. The Support at Home program will also kick in to replace the old home-care packages program, giving people higher levels of care so that they can stay in the comfort of their own homes and communities for longer. We've already delivered historic pay rises for aged-care workers, because valuing care means valuing our dedicated, hardworking, highly qualified and passionate carers and nurses who work around the clock to care for our loved ones. Locally, aged care matters. In a community where parents are caring for their own parents while raising kids and paying mortgages, reliable home support, properly staffed residential services and fair worker pay are not abstract policies; they help local families every single day. We're strengthening Medicare and investing in bulk-billing, primary care and the urgent care network so that people can get help earlier and stay out of hospital. I'm proud to say that the Medicare urgent care clinics are now operating in Melton and Sunbury, providing free, extended-hours, walk-in care for urgent but non-life-threatening needs, taking pressure off emergency departments and saving families time and money. Doorknocking across Hawke through the election, I met dozens of families who have used these services, whether it's for sick kids or injuries on the footy field. In fact, my own family has seen the inside of the urgent care centre pretty regularly, and we're very grateful for the care and support that the nurses and doctors there continue to provide. Labor governments will always protect and strengthen Medicare, and I'm proud to see firsthand the differences that these policies make to families in my community. People in Hawke are often young first home buyers looking to settle down close to essential services. Homes for Australia is the centrepiece of the Albanese Labor government's plan to cut costs and give Australians a leg up. Already Labor's expanded Home Guarantee Scheme is helping first home buyers into a home of their own, with a five per cent deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance. We've delivered a 45 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance, the biggest back-to-back increases in more than 30 years. We've started the biggest housing build in Australia's history, with an ambitious plan to build 1.2 million homes over the next five years, and we're delivering 55,000 social and affordable rental homes for the Australians that need them most. Our promise and our plan is simple: more supply, the right infrastructure and practical help to get first home buyers into the market. The election result in Hawke was a massive team effort. We knocked on thousands of doors and made thousands of phone calls to the community. To our Hawke Labor branches and branch members: you are the foundation of everything that we do. To Daryl Baker, Derrick Simpson, Chris Wells and the whole team at the Bacchus Marsh branch: thank you for putting in the work and turning up every day against incredibly difficult opponents. To Geoff Dawson, Ravinder Kaur, Nathan Miles, Nat Davies, Bob and Jean Rau, Jasmeen Kaur, Rhonda Edmonds, Barry Agg, Jarrod Bell, Ross van Brink, Anthony Rhodes, Andrew Jeynes, and Kylie Spencer: thank you for your hard work on the ground. To the Ballarat East branch and all the legends in Ballan: I'm incredibly grateful for your hard work. To Jesse, Amy, Shammi, Josh and everyone from Josh Bull's office: thank you for your support. Thanks also to Michaela Settle and Steve McGhie for your support and friendship throughout the campaign. To our legendary field team: Nordin Hammouche, Gabi Saffer, Erin Kelly, Oscar Dobson, Ryan Drage, Dennis Southon, Bella Conroy, Tal Pelach and the crew at ACT Young Labor: thank you for your doorknocks, your phone calls, your hours spent on prepoll and the respect that you afforded to my people across our community. Thank you to Millie Page and Henry Fox, who led the campaign efforts with humour and determination—two extraordinary young people who will continue to make such a profound impact on our community and our country moving forward. To my office manager, Di McAuliffe, and our electorate office staff: thank you for keeping everything steady, organised and running smoothly behind the scenes. To Avtar, Gurdashan and the community at Khalsa Shaouni: thank you for your friendship, your faith and your overwhelming support. To my friend Sam Lynch and the mighty Transport Workers Union—my union—thank you for being there every step of the way. And to the RTBU, the AMWU, the HSU and HACSU: thank you for standing up for working people and for standing with us through this campaign. To the Victorian Trades Hall: thanks for backing us and for fuelling this campaign with your strength and your solidarity. To my mum, Penny, and to my partner, Zoe, and our kids Hunny, Banjo and Mac: thank you for keeping me grounded. I couldn't do any of this without your extraordinary love and your support, and I love you all so very much. Serving the people of Hawke over the past three years has truly been the greatest privilege of my professional life. Earning your support and your trust to represent our community for another three years continues to be the honour of my professional life. My job in this place is to make sure that prosperity and the opportunity of our nation reaches every street across Hawke. That means safer and quicker commutes, more local training for the jobs that are hiring, a stronger Medicare and cheaper medicines, and care that treats every Australian with dignity. There's a big job ahead of us but, as your local member, that is exactly what I'll be fighting to deliver. 11:55 Mr ROB MITCHELL M3E McEwen On 3 May this year I was given the great honour of being returned to this place by the people of McEwen. And as I've said before, in every one of these addresses, I pledge to work day and night to fulfil my commitments to them. I pledge to do all that's within my power and the power of this government to make our lives better. I will always bring their interests to this place and give our communities a seat at the table. It's a great privilege and honour to have this job. In Canberra we each speak with the voice of more than 100,000 people, and we act in their interests. We have spent the past three years in government listening hard and laying the foundations for our nation for the next three years. We see those foundations everywhere in McEwen. In May 2022 Australia voted for change, after nine years of stagnation, rorts, rip-offs and scandals under those opposite. I'm proud to report that this change has been seen across our towns and our communities in McEwen. Over the past three years we saw essential programs expand their reach in the communities, be that in health, education, cost-of-living support or, importantly, roads and infrastructure. I point that out because one of biggest challenges we face is the road infrastructure in our communities. Under the coalition, our state, which is 25 per cent of Australia's population, received only seven per cent of infrastructure spending. I'm glad to report that Victoria is now receiving the funding it deserves to maintain and develop our state road network, and our communities see these benefits happening. In the past three years there has been a lot of change and growth in McEwen. We have seen a series of major grants. We secured $1 million to expand the Diamond Creek Mens Shed. We'll deliver the space to expand their operations, supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of men in our community. It's a success measured in mateship, in conversations that would have gone unheard. It's also a chance to talk about their health and wellbeing and a great opportunity for them to have those conversations comfortably and talk about things that we don't normally like to talk about. But it's important that we do that, and it removes the isolation for many people in our towns. In 2022 we secured disaster relief funding after the Darraweit Guim floods. The government supported locals through this time as they dealt with change and with damage to their homes and to their lives. We invested $7.1 million for the Johnson Road estate in Mernda through our housing support fund to help the city of Whittlesea to meet the growing residential demand. We are delivering on our major commitments, which is something that has been dear to me from day one: to always make sure I deliver what I promise. We secured $900 million for Camerons Lane Interchange and the Beveridge Intermodal Precinct, and I'm pleased to see that the planning is well underway with the state government delivering this project. We are commencing stage 2 of the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct, in cooperation with Macedon Ranges Shire. And works are well underway with the $1.5 million investment in the Diamond Creek Pool upgrade. I just spoke to the mayor upstairs, and we're getting reading for a fantastic summer. There's also the Hilltop splash park in Mernda, which is something we've promised: somewhere that's free where families can take kids on hot days and have a great bit of fun. When we announced this we partnered with the state government and Whittlesea Council to develop the $3 million park, with new swings and nature rides and other great things for families to do, close to home—and importantly, as I said, at a time when dollars are tight, it's free. This is something I think will be sensational when it's delivered around October. We are also sealing Old Sydney Road in Beveridge. Beveridge is an area that has struggled, with one entrance in and one entrance out. When you've got primary schools on both sides of the freeway, sometimes it can take 45 minutes to travel those three kays from one school to the other. This gives a second exit out, which will be great for growing communities but also in times of need. We are duplicating Donnybrook Road at Kalkallo, from around Cloverton onto the freeway; adding a new bridge; removing the roundabout; and putting traffic lights in. Again, having governments working together is so important, and we're partnered with the state government in that to make the lives of so many people so much better. Then there are the upgrades at Greenhill Reserve in Wallan and the works at Wellington Street and Darraweit Road—that's just only naming a few of the many different road projects that we've been doing across our communities. There's funding of $90 million for Watson Street ramps to the Hume Highway at Wallan, with works kicking off later this year. This is a long-awaited project, a project that was neglected under the previous government. But as soon as we got into government we started the move to get funding in place for planning, and now we see it happening. I know there are going to be many people giving a sigh of relief when the works start. Yan Yean Road stage 2 is now well progressed towards commencement. These are things that need to be done in growing communities to help people get around and to make it easier and a lot safer to get to and from work. We can see that from the recently completed Bridge Inn Road upgrades. Projects like these are game changers; they make our lives safer and easier while delivering important economic outcomes for communities. In May 2022, the Australian people voted for change. In May 2025, the Australian people voted for positivity and growth. They voted for Australian values: fairness, aspiration, opportunity for all—the values that drive our Labor government. However, nothing good comes easy, and any reflection on my journey back to this place would be incomplete without the story of the last election. We know that every election is tough. When you're in one of the seats most targeted by the opposition, you know it gets even tougher. But we prevailed. We prevailed in a situation where we had these blow-in candidates come in with deep, deep pockets, spending a lot of money and making promises they could never keep. McEwen, for some reason, seems to be a magnet for cashed-up, parachuted candidates. It's a tradition with the Liberal Party. For better or worse, though, our local communities have not forgotten the nine years of squibbed promises and failure to deliver by those opposite. At this election, it was hard to forget them. One thing that did stand out for me at this election was the abundance of volunteers in blue T-shirts, especially at pre-poll and on election day. But these blue T-shirts weren't being worn by diehard, true believers of the Liberal Party. No, sadly for democracy, those people are almost extinct. They were being worn by members of a third party group trying to use their resources to change the outcome of a democratic election—and I'm not talking about locals here. These were people that were bussed in to do their work for the party they hoped would deliver a quid pro quo. The question has to be asked, 'What did the Liberal Party promise these people to make them come out in such an aggressive, bullying manner?' As in many other places across the nation, the Exclusive Brethren descended on the towns of Gisborne and Wandong for pre-poll. Surprisingly enough, they didn't do the Liberal candidate any favours. With at least 20 of these so-called volunteers there on any given day, they turned the task of people choosing to exercise their democratic right at a pre-poll into a gauntlet to be run, with in-your-face, pushy behaviour and by deliberately blocking people trying to get in. The feedback we received from locals was they did not appreciate being accosted as they made their way into the polling place just to have their say. The presence of the Brethren didn't end at the pre-poll. On election day it was worse, with many of our volunteers subjected to the aggressive methods of these thugs as they harassed people while handing out for the Liberal Party. It's bad enough with Liberals not being honest, but these parasites were openly and deliberately lying to people. One thing that really struck me was at the pre-poll we had a young female, a first-time voter still in her school uniform. By the time she got to the front of the election queue, she was crying because she had all these people just surrounding her and badgering her all the way through. Luckily, we had Senator Jana Stewart with us. Senator Stewart was very forthright with the Liberal Party in explaining that that was not on. We can't have people who are coming to vote for the first time being forced to tears as they try to exercise their right. It's just not on. As a member of parliament, I find it concerning that the use of groups such as the Brethren can have a direct impact on the integrity of our democratic process. These groups, with their insular and highly controlled nature, can be used to manipulate the political process in ways that are not transparent or representative of the broader electorate. I would absolutely recommend that this matter be looked into by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and any other authority which has jurisdiction on election interference by these so-called third parties. Predictably, and thankfully, the people of McEwen saw straight through them. I've always been proud to be a local living and working in the electorate that I get to represent. It's something that I think is important. You make sure that you're down at the shops like everyone else, you drive the same roads, your kids go to the same school—all these things are just so important to what we do. What the Liberals had to offer was a deceitful candidate who was prepared to spend tens of thousands of dollars on advertising but, predictably, failed to listen to the needs of our communities or understand them, because he wasn't one of us. We were proud to fend off the multi-failed blow-in, and we had the confidence of the people in our prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Our communities delivered a swing to the ALP in this election, which is so important. It showed the faith and the trust they have in us to deliver what we said we will do. I think that was borne out right across the electorate. That was part of my journey to get back here, and now there is a lot of work to do. I look at the future of our nation, and it looks bright. It's a privilege to be in the largest ALP caucus since Federation. I just joked about the fact that, at the first caucus meeting, it was so unusual to find that there weren't enough chairs. Luckily, there was a room down the other end that we could borrow some from because that was fairly empty. In this term, our government is committed to doing a range of things. We're continuing to provide cost-of-living assistance with energy bill relief for households and small businesses, tax cuts for every taxpayer and cheaper medicines. We're committed to a stronger Medicare, in which nine out of 10 GP visits will be bulk-billed by the end of the decade, and an expanded network of urgent care clinics, including the one in Diamond Creek, to take pressure off our hospital emergency departments. We know that Northern Hospital Epping has the busiest emergency department in Australia. The more that we can do to keep people from clogging up that system, the better. We're slashing the prices of PBS listed medicines and boosting funding for women's health, which is so important. I want to thank Assistant Minister Ged Kearney, who came out and held a women's health forum with me. It was really enlightening to sit there and listen to a great bunch of locals who came and talked about women's health issues and the problems they face. I was pleased that they allowed me to stay in the room to listen to it. It really showed what has been neglected for a long time. It's important to have a direct focus on women's health, like we do with men's health through our special envoy for men's health, the member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi. These things are important to make sure that the focus is strong and consistent and that we deliver results. One of the other things that we're proud of in one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation—we're always battling up there in the top couple—is getting more people into homes through the five per cent deposit scheme for first home buyers. We're committed to building 100,000 homes exclusively for first home buyers, expanding the Help to Buy scheme and providing incentives of $10,000 for building apprentices to boost the workforce and tackle the critical workforce shortage we have. We're ensuring education is available and affordable by making a further 20 per cent cut to student debt, raising the income threshold and capping the indexation rate. That ensures that HELP debts cannot grow faster than wages. It's so important for young people wanting to buy their first home. In addition, we're making fee-free TAFE a key feature of our national vocational education and training system. This will come by funding 100,000 fee-free TAFE places a year from 2027 and fully funding public schools to make sure no child gets left behind. We are helping families with children in early education get ahead by scrapping the childcare activity test and replacing it with a three-day guarantee for subsidised care each week, as well as building 160 new childcare centres over four years. We are delivering cleaner, cheaper renewable energy, and it's so important for the future of our nation that we do this and get to net zero. And you've got to ask a question: if you just got the biggest thumping in your life against a side that is supporting net zero, why the hell would you go and scrap it? It makes no sense, but that's okay; we're not going to give them any tips. I think the Liberal and National parties can deal with their own shrinking base themselves. But we are delivering this cheaper, cleaner energy because it's so important. We're delivering a 30 per cent discount on home batteries to make better use of solar panels and permanently cut power bills. This, the vision of Labor, is clear. We are the party of growth, and growth is a big factor at home too. We sit in Melbourne's northern growth corridor, smack bang in the middle, and we need to be ahead of the curve. We know every day the effects of what the Liberal government neglected over nine years. Like other periurban regions across the nation, our communities have a shifting set of needs. What we need from government today is different from what we needed 20 years ago, and I guarantee it's different to what we'll need in 20 years time. But now we're not just catching up; we're building for the future. Our record investment is more than just bitumen and bridges; it's about delivering opportunities safely and responsibly to our communities. We are delivering the change the communities in McEwen need. Communities have waited for far too long for government to see them and understand their needs. Just in closing, as is traditional and to make sure I get home safely and get that support, I want to talk about the supporters and the help that we got from all those people who contributed to the win in McEwen. I may get the chocolates of being here and delivering this speech, but I know that, without the many, many thousands of people who get in behind us, it doesn't happen, and it's so important that we acknowledge some of those. I know I'm going to miss people, and I apologise for that. But I want to thank my team that I have in my office. We are a great collective of people that work with one goal, and that's to service our community. Thank you to Adam, Cath, Ged, Gareth, Jeni, Sasha, Ella, Gaweshi, Kate—who came out from UK Labour to help and be part of it, and an absolute legend she was—Spiro, Dylan and Carmel—who is just a great sounding board for advice. Thank you to Paul Erickson, Jen Light, Jett Fogarty and Gabriella Dawson. What a team they are! I thank the unions: the TWU, of which I've been proud to be a member for 25 years, and the RTBU, who offered great support and help in sounding out with our multicultural communities. Thank you to Ged for doing all the coordinating—the 215 volunteers, the 282 shifts at prepolls and the 70 scrutineers that it takes to do these things. I want to also give special thanks to a man who I openly call my brother, Avtar, and to Diego, Casey, Jan Mapleston, Margo Clarke, John Benson, John Frearson and Terry Larkins, who's been the chair of our FEA for a long, long time and is the Yoda of our communities. He is an amazing person. I thank my mate Simon Furey, Kobe Hay, Hailey Emmins, Jarrod Lappin, Kerry Pastras, the HACSU volunteers and all the branch members and supporters in our community that just deliver these things. They make you want to get up in the morning and do your best. They're just great people. I thank local supporters including Graeme Newman from the Diamond Creek Men's Shed; Michelle Kneale from Northern Pride Netball Association, an amazing lady; Michelle at Romsey Neighbourhood House, who does a fantastic, champion job; and a man who I would say, in all honesty, is one of the greatest human beings I've ever met in my life, and that's Jeremy Scrivens from Love in Action. He is an amazing human. He's going through a rough time, but we're backing him. I thank Neal Langborne from the Wallan Football Netball Club, a great mate and someone who's always there to tell you, right or wrong, what you're doing and do it in a forthright way. I really appreciate that. To the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government—I think Catherine King has almost got her own place out there, she's been out so often—the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Minister for Sport and the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care: thank you for your support and being part of this special time we had. And a special shout-out goes to Senator Jana Stewart, who was an absolute rock during the prepolling. To former minister Stephen Conroy—a great mate, a great sounding board—for the frank and fearless bits of advice you get from him. To Tess Baster and, of course, to my family: Lisa and the two greatest hander-outerers on prepoll day, my grandkids, Ava and Lacey. They did a wonderful job, keeping tally of who took the pamphlets and who didn't. It was great to have both of them out there. It really warms your heart to see, and it was just great to have those two kids there. And, of course, thank you to Hawker Britton, who just never let us down. With that, as I said, I'm very thankful for this opportunity again to be here, and I won't waste a day. 12:15 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite I'd like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging, and to the First Nations people of my region, the Wadawurrung. It is my great honour to stand here as the elected representative for Corangamite for the third time. I thank the people of my region for placing their faith in me. That trust I carry with me every single day. It drives me to work hard on behalf of my communities—communities that are diverse, thriving and resilient. From the Surf Coast to the Bellarine, from Geelong to Armstrong Creek, my region is growing rapidly. We are one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation and, while we have seen much change, our character remains—the character shaped in the swell of Bells Beach; forged in the old factories of Grovedale, Marshall, and Moolap; and nurtured by the farms and schools stretching from Torquay through to Queenscliff. This is who we are. We are resilient, caring, compassionate and creative. We love our unique natural environment: the sharp red cliffs of Jan Juc, the sweeping grasslands of the Bellarine, and the rolling hinterland yellow gums that stretch from Armstrong Creek to Point Addis. Together we share a commitment to protecting our unique natural environment and our ocean. We look out for one another and, like all Australians, we value fairness. Together, we are determined to make a positive difference. On 3 May my communities made their priorities heard for the future. They voted for a government that will continue to tackle cost-of-living pressures, act decisively on climate change, deliver world-class services in health and in education, and ensure that we are a nation where everyone gets a fair go. In Corangamite these issues were at the heart of every conversation I had. These issues are grounded in lived realities. Families told me how the cheaper childcare subsidies have changed their lives. Pensioners shared their enthusiasm for our cheaper medicines policy. Young people spoke to me on the prepoll line about how our cuts to student debt will mean they get ahead. Women spoke of Labor's focus on gender equity and our strong women's health policy that reduces costs for essential medications. Local businesses in Waurn Ponds and Drysdale talked about how free TAFE is opening the doors of opportunity for workers to pursue new career paths and about our investment in the local infrastructure their communities need and deserve. Labor's first term of government and our recent election campaign offered practical, compassionate, forward-thinking policies that deliver for Australians—from strengthening Medicare and making free TAFE permanent, to cutting student debt and investing in housing, emissions reduction and energy bill relief. We put forward a plan that resonated with voters because it responded to Australians' concerns and aspirations. Of course, there are people in my electorate of Corangamite who did not vote for me. My commitment is clear: I will always be there for you, because that is what matters most to your representative. It is the foundation on which I will fight every day in this place. But, as every member in this place knows, taking on that fight is not possible in isolation. Behind every public moment there's a private foundation—our families. To my husband, Hugh; my daughters, Issy and Lily; my siblings, Marty, Stephen and Janet; and my mum Fran: thank you. You've been with me throughout my journey as a quirky, inquisitive kid who became a teacher, a journalist, a business owner, a councillor, a Surf Coast mayor, a candidate for state parliament and as your member for Corangamite. Through wins and losses, through long days and even longer nights, you've kept me grounded. You have believed in me and backed me in with sound advice and strong principles of compassion, inclusion and respect for others. I could not stand here without you. I also want to take a moment to sincerely thank every person who participated in the election. Whether you voted, cooked snags at a local fundraiser, handed out how-to-vote cards or worked tirelessly for the Australian Electoral Commission, your efforts make our democratic process possible. Our democracy rests on those quiet acts of service, those hours volunteered and those ballots carefully counted late into the night. But I cannot stand here today without addressing the conduct of the election campaign, particularly in my electorate. While elections should be a celebration of our democracy, too often this one felt like a contest of intimidation. At prepoll voting centres in Torquay and Drysdale, groups of up to 10 to 12 volunteers linked to the Exclusive Brethren and supporting the Liberal Party encircled me—literally. They stood in a diamond formation, blocking me from speaking to voters. Every step I took was mirrored by them. At times, it was an ugly, coordinated performance. This experience wasn't mine alone. Candidates from the Greens, Legalise Cannabis and an Independent all came forward with similar stories shared publicly on ABC 774. I want to thank the ABC for enabling the discussion and bringing attention to this unacceptable behaviour. We need frank and fearless media to provide unbiased and robust reporting. I must say: why was the Liberal Party backed by the Exclusive Brethren in such numbers? What was offered in return? Australians have the right to know, and they have the right to vote without being harassed. My communities also endured a signage war. The signage war that played out at Corangamite was relentless. Signs were removed and vandalised. Illegal signs were erected and deliberately replaced within hours. These were dirty tricks. They were attacks on democracy and on integrity. Beyond integrity, there was an environmental question too. Thousands of plastic corflutes and wraparound bunting are now destined for landfill. It is wasteful, it is costly, and it undermines the credibility of politics when communities see our streets turned into advertising battlegrounds. It's time to modernise the way we conduct elections. We must address the overuse of plastic corflutes and bunting and seriously consider these environmental and democratic costs. I also believe we need to look at the number of volunteers who stand for a party or a representative. This needs to be considered. We do not need 12 people or 20 people to be handing out for one candidate. I wholeheartedly encourage the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to include these issues in its inquiry into the 2025 election. Our democracy is robust, but it's not unbreakable. It must be protected. That's why I've invested time and energy into strengthening civic education across my electorate. For the past three years, I've led a democracy-in-schools program, visiting schools and working with students to better understand how our system works. As a former teacher, I love going into schools, and my work is inspired by our Speaker, whom I congratulate on his reappointment. His leadership and promotion of civic engagement and the initiative of the National Youth Parliament is exceptional. He knows as I do that rebuilding trust in our democratic institutions starts with education. Too many Australians feel disconnected from the mechanisms that govern their lives. When young people feel politics is a separate entity to them, irrelevant from their daily lives, when misinformation spreads faster than facts and when cynicism replaces trust and respect, that is when democracy falters. I have seen firsthand the difference that civics education can make. When a student at Armstrong Creek explains the meaning of preferential voting to their peers, when a group of year 12s in Drysdale debate whether the voting age should be lowered, or when students grasp that numbers in the chamber matter, that their vote matters—these lightbulb moments show that democracy is not static; it is dynamic, it is alive, it is contested, and it must be strengthened. Teachers have told me that students come away from these sessions with a changed perspective and a sense that politics is not something that happens 'up there', here in Canberra, but is something they can influence. They do have power. This is how trust can be rebuilt. Trust must also be restored in one of our most important social programs, the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The NDIS changes lives. It is a Labor reform. And it has given people with disability choice, control and dignity. But in recent years that trust has been shaken. Our government is absolutely committed to restoring that trust and to ensuring that the scheme delivers on its promise to Australians with disability and their families. This is a monumental task, but it is one that, together with the disability community, our government is committed to tackling. That's why I'm deeply honoured to have been reappointed chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS. I take this responsibility seriously. Along with my friend and colleague Senator Jenny McAllister, the Minister for the NDIS, and Minister Mark Butler, I'm committed to working alongside my committee to help rebuild the confidence of participants and their families in the scheme. Like Medicare and superannuation, the NDIS is a symbol of what we can achieve when we prioritise fairness, dignity and opportunity for all. It represents the very best of who we are as Australians. If there is one thing that comes up again and again across my electorate it is the opportunity to get a good job and to learn new skills. That's why free TAFE has been an absolute game changer. I have met students who never thought tertiary education was for them, young people who left school early, parents retraining after time at home with kids, and workers who've lost jobs in old industries. Free TAFE opens doors. It is a pathway into areas we desperately need workers in, like nursing, aged care, disability support, early childhood education, clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the Minister for Skills and Training, who is driving reform in this space. In my region the clean energy transition is not an abstract debate. It represents jobs being created in wind and solar, in building new transmission and in advanced manufacturing that underpins it all. Local apprentices and workers are wiring solar panels, laying transmission lines, installing subsidised batteries in homes and businesses, and welding the infrastructure that will power our future. When people in Corangamite look ahead they can see a future of secure, well-paid jobs. That is what the Albanese Labor government is determined to deliver. And this term of government is about delivery. We have already cut student debt by 20 per cent for university and TAFE graduates; increased the HECS repayment threshold from $56,000 to $67,000, allowing people to earn more before repaying; reduced the cost of medicines on the PBS to $25 from January next year; made free TAFE permanent and nationally accessible; and expanded marine protected areas to more than 50 per cent. And we're not stopping there. We are undertaking the biggest investment in Medicare since its inception, rolling out more bulk-billing and giving Australians better access to primary care without out-of-pocket costs. We've expanded paid parental leave to 26 weeks by mid next year. And we're including superannuation, because having a child shouldn't come at the expense of a woman's retirement. Labor is also delivering infrastructure that shapes our communities and sets us up for the future. In my electorate, that means funding Stage Two of the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, a new Medicare urgent care clinic in Torquay, a Medicare mental health prevention hub also in Torquay, and significant sporting infrastructure in Leopold, Drysdale, Grovedale, Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. These projects are not just about roads, buildings, football and netball facilities; they're about connection, opportunity and care. They're about creating spaces where young people can thrive, where families can access urgent care and where local communities can come together. Of course, at the heart of building stronger communities for the future is housing. Young families in Armstrong Creek want the chance to buy their first home close to work and schools. That is why Labor's investment in housing is so critical, and it's why our announcement this week to fast-track the five per cent home deposit scheme is such a game changer for people across my electorate. This is not only an economic reform; it is a social reform that underpins security and dignity for every Australian, and it's part of a broader agenda to build 1.2 million homes in the next five years. As we build at home, we must also continue to stand up for Australian values on the world stage. I want to acknowledge the work of our foreign minister and the Prime Minister for their measured leadership on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The scenes from Gaza are horrific: children starving, families displaced and hospitals overwhelmed. Our government continues to call for a ceasefire, as well as the release of hostages and the genuine advancement of a two-state solution. Let me be clear: Israel has the right to exist, and Palestinians have a right to statehood. I am proud that Australia has joined our international partners in calling for this to occur. Recognition must come, not as a gesture but as a genuine step towards peace. It is the right thing to do and the fair thing to do, and fairness is at the heart of what we stand for as Australians. None of the work that we do in this place would be possible without the people who put in the long hours behind the scenes. To our grassroots volunteers, thank you. I would not be here but for your passion and your commitment to Labor values. You know who you are. Your friendships matter so much to me—thank you. I'd like to thank Maddie, Atticus, Lottie and Alfonso for their tireless work. I'd also like to thank Paul Erikson. To the Australian union movement, particularly the Australian Services Union and the United Workers Union—you are the engine room of Labor values. Your fight for fairness inspires us all. I'm deeply grateful to my parliamentary colleagues, who stood with me on the pre-poll line and in the community. To my friend and electoral neighbour, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, thank you for your wisdom, your wise counsel and your support. Together, we share the immense privilege of representing the broader Geelong region. Your support throughout the campaign was invaluable. To Senator Jess Walsh, Senator Lisa Darmanin, Ged Kearney, Andrew Giles, Catherine King, Senator Wong, Brendan O'Connor, Lisa Neville and my state colleagues Alison Marchant, Gayle Tierney and Christine Couzens—thank you. And of course the Prime Minister, who, during a frenetic election campaign, took time to stand with me and my communities—you are an amazing, visionary leader. To my staff—Brenda, Moshi, Ellie, Grace, Nathan, Julian and my Chief of Staff Kylie Rawson—your commitment, compassion, friendship and resilience are unmatched. Whether helping with visa applications, Centrelink issues or local government advocacy, you go above and beyond every day to help constituents in my electorate. It's so important we do that. Finally, a special acknowledgement to Lee Hubbard, my former Chief of Staff, on his retirement from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. Lee's lifelong dedication to the Labor movement is a legacy we all admire. In closing, Australians faced a clear choice on 3 May—unity or division; optimism or grievance; progress or the politics of the past. They chose unity. They chose courage. They chose a government that will stand with them to build a stronger, fairer and more inclusive future. It's my privilege to help shape that future alongside my communities, one rooted in the values of fairness, decency and hope. Australians have placed their trust in us, and it is our duty, it is my duty, to honour that trust every single day. 12:35 Ms PLIBERSEK 83M Sydney I'm delighted to be able to deliver this address-in-reply to the Governor-General's speech on the opening of the 48th Parliament. It's not my first rodeo; I've been to a few of these. But I have to say this election is a particularly special one because Labor now holds 94 seats out of the 150 in the House of Representatives and 29 out of the 76 Senate spots. So we have 123 representatives across both chambers. Our caucus is now 57 per cent female, cabinet is 52 per cent women and we are a modern, diverse government with more representation of our diverse Australian community than any previous government. That's important because, because of that, we make better decisions. We represent all Australians. We had a terrific result in the electorate of Sydney thanks to the hard work and commitment of volunteers and supporters. Supporters in their hundreds stood at bus and ferry stops, train stations, light-rail stops and outside markets and shops to let people know about our first-term achievements and to tell them of our plans for our second term. I'm very pleased to say that the federal electorate of Sydney achieved 55.15 per cent of first-preference votes for Labor. That is the highest first-preference vote for Labor in the entire country. And, of course, our two-party preferred vote was also outstanding, at 70.95 per cent of two-party preferred votes. It doesn't happen without an incredible amount of hard work from party members, and I'd particularly like to mention: Alberto Castillo, Connah, Ann Daly, Vicki Clay, John Dixon, Halcyon Done, Brian Frankham, Jonathan Gilliland, James Godschalk, Michael Hatrick, Shane Healy, David Hetherington, Marco Ho, Susan Kable, Clara Klemski, Nicholas Lin, Tom Loveluck, Zann Maxwell, Wayne Moody, Vanessa Bourke, Michelle Perry, Luke Pratt, Judy Quirk, Linda Scott, Tamira Stevenson and Kate Sullivan. Of course, they are not the only ones who worked very hard during this campaign, but I do need to mention them for their really outstanding effort. I also want to thank Campaign Director Christine Hawkins—an incredible effort from Christine—and Kerry, Will, Nell, Luke and Toni in the office. I want to take this opportunity as well to mention a few of the ministerial staff from my previous portfolio who have moved on: Dan Doran, David McElrea and Rachel Durrant. They're not the only staff who moved on, but each of those had been with me for over a decade. It's hard to say goodbye to people, but they've all gone on to bigger and better things. During the campaign, I was very pleased to announce several important commitments in my electorate, including $10.2 million to deliver a new harbour pool at World Heritage listed Cockatoo Island/Wareamah, on beautiful Sydney Harbour, west of the harbour bridge. That'll be a great day out for people, who will be able to go there for the cost of a ferry ride and spend the day and swim in our beautiful harbour. There is also a commitment of $27,000 in funding to support eight events to be hosted by the Newtown Synagogue in 2025 to promote community cohesion. That is so important in light of yesterday's revelations about the Iranian government involvement in antisemitic attacks in Sydney. Of course, Newtown Synagogue was one of the places that were attacked during that spate of horrible antisemitic attacks. With Penny Wong, we also made a commitment of $2.6 million to the Museum of Chinese in Australia, located in Haymarket. And, with the Prime Minister, we made an $8.5 million commitment to funding for the Jewish Museum, which, of course, has now moved into the Wentworth electorate. We're also rebuilding the Griffin Theatre in Darlinghurst. This is a much-needed investment of $5 million, an announcement made with Catherine King. I can't wait to see further progress on these very important local commitments. Voters in Sydney and across the country voted Labor because of the difference that we made in the lives of ordinary Australians: cost-of-living relief for millions and tax cuts for all Australians. In fact, there are 147,000 taxpayers in Sydney, and 123,462 of them received a tax cut. We provided two years of energy bill relief for every household and small business. In the Sydney electorate, 101,373 households received energy rebates, and 75,015 small businesses received rebates as well. My electorate has benefited from our historic increases in Commonwealth rent assistance. We've helped 6,330 households in the Sydney electorate in 2025 with increases to Commonwealth rent assistance, which is particularly important in an electorate like mine, where rents are so expensive. We funded a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators and aged-care workers, while making sure that childcare centres cap their fees to support affordability and fairness. We are making sure that early childhood education is more affordable for families. Out-of-pocket costs were cut by an average of $7,000 for a family earning $168,000. We introduced 60-day prescriptions and tripled bulk-billing incentives, saving electors in the electorate of Sydney around $9 million so far. We've wiped $3 billion from student debt for more than three million Australians. In Sydney, more than one in five voters will benefit from that. We are cutting the average student debt by $6,820 and delivering $183.9 million in direct financial relief to 26,972 individuals in my electorate. Our fee-free TAFE funding has been wildly successful, and it's benefited over 3½ thousand students in the Sydney electorate. We now see across the country same job, same pay, which is now law. The gender pay gap is the lowest it's ever been, with women $1,900 a year better off because of that. We're building 1.2 million new homes in Australia, and we're also making the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in many years. I was just delighted recently to visit a new project in Waterloo which City West Housing is building with the assistance of the state government and the federal government and some assistance from local government as well. How great to see those new homes going into my electorate. We passed landmark legislation to lift federal government funding for public schools, which had been capped at 20 per cent by Malcolm Turnbull when he was prime minister. So much has been done across the board. I'm always very proud of what we manage to achieve in the environment portfolio as we move towards net zero. In just three years, I approved 83 renewable energy projects, enough to power 10 million homes. That's every home in Australia. Renewables are powering well over 40 per cent of the national grid now, and we're on track to achieve that 82 per cent target by 2030. In recent weeks, about 40,000 households have taken up our support for much cheaper home batteries as well. We invested $550 million to protect threatened species, including Lord Howe Island's phasmid and little mountain palm. Lord Howe Island is a beautiful part of my electorate. We increased recycling by more than 1.3 million tonnes a year, stopping paper, soft plastics and difficult-to-recycle plastics going into landfill. I was the first environment minister to block a coalmine. We protected almost 100 million hectares of land and sea, an area bigger than Italy, Germany and Norway combined. We massively expanded the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve and the Macquarie Island Marine Park, amongst others. We began the World Heritage listing process for Murujuga and Cape York. We set up new Indigenous protected areas, expanded the Indigenous Rangers Program and stopped Jabiluka from being mined for uranium. We undertook a range of fantastic projects around Australia, including supporting a bid to include the original 1978 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade route on the National Heritage List and include the Melbourne and Broken Hill trades halls on World Heritage listing for workers' architecture around the world. Since that time, of course, Minister Watt has been doing a wonderful job in this important portfolio, and I wish him all the very best. I'm delighted to take on the portfolio of Social Services, and I'm very grateful to Minister Rishworth for her extraordinary work and skilled stewardship of the portfolio in our first term. The Social Services portfolio is where you see Labor's DNA. Neal Blewett, Brian Howe, Carmen Lawrence and my very dear friend Jenny Macklin have held this vast and vital portfolio since the 1980s and have led some of the most important reforms that Labor governments look back on with pride. To give a sense of the scale, the payment system supports around 5½ million people, family payments support around a million families, and the Child Support Scheme supports around 1.1 million children. Overall, the system supports more than six million Australians, and in 2025-26 that'll be at a cost of $152 billion—almost 20 per cent of all government expenditure. It shows why it's so important to steward this scheme correctly and to make sure that we've got the settings right. Since the election of the Albanese government, we've made considerable strides in improving JobSeeker, Commonwealth rent assistance and paid parental leave payments and arrangements. That really makes a difference in people's lives. A single age pensioner in receipt of a full pension now receives $1,178.70 a fortnight—about $5,000 more each year than when we came to government—and an additional $1,800 per year if they're renting. We value a system where resources are directed according to need and we're always looking for ways of making sure our system is fit for purpose. We've been very lucky over the years to receive expert advice: the Henderson poverty line, the McClure report on the adequacy of social security payments and Jeff Harmer's report on pensions and other payments. Those processes have changed the thinking of communities, and they've helped drive really durable change. The equivalent today is the advice of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, known to most people as EIAC. The Albanese government has the great good fortune to draw on Jenny Macklin's skills and enthusiasm as the Chair of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. Some of EIAC's 2025 report considerations reflect its interest in making sure that we integrate services and invest early in prevention rather than focusing once disadvantage has already taken hold. I'm very grateful to EIAC for their work and I'll continue to work with them to make sure that our system is fair. Australia is an enormously prosperous country, and we've got one of the best-performing economies in the world, but the benefits of economic growth haven't reached everyone equally. There are 235 communities in Australia that, together, account for the top 10 per cent of disadvantage in the country. Of these communities, 65 are home to more than half of Australia's most disadvantaged people. These communities face complex and persistent social and economic challenges that can't be solved by one-size-fits-all universal programs. This is where place based work comes in. Local leaders who are embedded within their communities know the solutions that are needed in their communities. But aligning the services of government departments with the community sector and philanthropy is challenging. This term will see me focus more on place based approaches which require local and joint decision-making with investment guided by locally developed, data driven plans. We now have an opportunity to bring together the many place based approaches which are working in different parts of Australia to share effective practices and to extend these benefits to more communities. Our $230 million Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package has laid the groundwork for place based work in Australia, and we'll continue to do that work with the community and the not-for-profit sector. Community sector organisations help to advance many of our social goals. These organisations run parenting programs, playgroups, counselling services, crisis response teams and so much more. They foster community resilience, cohesion and wellbeing. Currently, many organisations have to apply for numerous small grants over long periods of time and piece together the funding they need to work holistically with individuals and families. With every grant program comes a range of duplicative and unnecessary administrative burdens. The key takeaway from our partners in the community and the not-for-profit sector is that we need to move towards funding models that are simpler, longer term, more relational and which reward success. Reporting should be focused on outcomes and provide meaningful insights back to the sector about what is and isn't working so that we can continue to improve outcomes for people who need a hand. We've seen amazing employment growth numbers since coming to government—1.1 million new jobs created—and the minimum wage is up by $9,000 a year since we came to office, but too many people are still locked out of the labour market. We need to make sure that our social security settings support and incentivise people wishing to take up work or increase their hours and that we stimulate demand to employ people from groups who have a greater distance from the workforce, especially Australians living with disability. Work is about a lot more than just a pay cheque. It shapes our identity, builds confidence and self-esteem and connects us with our communities. My focus is on supporting more Australians into the benefits of work. It is disconcerting that in 2022 just 60½ per cent of people with disability aged 15 to 64 years were in the labour force, compared to 85 per cent of people without a disability. We have to do much more than just provide payments to these people. We need to make sure that we are unlocking opportunities for people to join the labour market. As a government, we need to work to reduce complexity within the social security system and improve communication to encourage people to take up work and to ensure the system supports people to move easily from income support into work. As a government, we are also committed to closing the gap. In my own portfolio, Closing the Gap target 12, reducing the number of children in out-of-home care, and target 13, reducing family, domestic and sexual violence, are top of my list of responsibilities. First Nations children have survived and prospered in this country for millennia, but today we find we are going backwards, with too many children entering out-of-home care. We know that the earliest years of a child's life lay the foundations for who they become and what they might achieve. It is not okay that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 12 times more likely to be in out-of-home care or connected to the child protection system. We have to do much better than that. I recently appointed Sue-Anne Hunter as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commissioner to elevate the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. I'll work with the commissioner and all my colleagues to try to reduce the placement of First Nations kids into care. On family, domestic and sexual violence, Closing the Gap target 13, the figures here too are stark. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 33 times more likely than other Australian women to be hospitalised due to family violence and up to seven times more likely to be homicide victims. No-one thinks this is acceptable. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been calling for targeted programs to prevent violence, and they've been calling for a standalone Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family safety national plan. We've heard those calls, and we're in the final stages of developing that plan and establishing a peak body to oversee the delivery and implementation of that plan. More broadly on family, domestic and sexual violence, across our nation, rates of family, domestic and sexual violence continue to be tragically and unacceptably high. On average, each week a woman is killed by a man's use of violence, and in almost every instance it's a man that she knows. Whether it be young women whose lives were only beginning or older women who had so much more to look forward to, each life taken has a profound impact on the loved ones left behind. Kids face a future without their mum; a daughter, a sister or a best friend is no longer there. And so many more women's lives are forever changed through physical injury and psychological harm by men who choose to use violence. It's why we have invested more than any government before—and I have to pay tribute to the member for Richmond for the work that she did in the last term; it really was transformative—$4 billion across government, focusing on specialist services for women and tailored support for children and young people to heal and recover and on men's behaviour change. We've invested $700 million in new matched funding with state and territory governments for frontline services so women and children can live more safely. We're investing almost a billion dollars in making the leaving violence payment permanent to make sure that women have the support they need to leave a violent relationship. We're investing around a billion dollars in emergency and transitional housing. We've committed $27 million over five years to work in partnership with all states and territories to explore innovative approaches to address perpetrator behaviour. If we want to see change, we need to make sure there's accountability. During the election campaign, we announced another $8.6 million to add to that work, including approaches like electronic monitoring or ankle bracelets, intensive behaviour change and specialist early intervention for young people who are at risk of using violence. We've reformed the family law system. We've invested in the eSafety Commissioner. We've had targeted education campaigns for young people to understand consent and sexual violence. We're working in the higher education sector and doing so much more. It is, indeed, a big term coming, and I'm hopeful that my time in this portfolio will be marked by a sense of urgency, purpose and engagement, making sure we do what works to make people's lives better. 12:55 Mrs ELLIOT DZW Richmond Can I say what an honour it is to be here and to have been elected to this parliament, the 48th Parliament. I really want to thank the people of Richmond for putting their trust in me for the eighth time. It is, as I say, an incredible honour and, indeed, a massive privilege to be elected to the federal parliament, and I take that on very seriously. To have been elected for the eighth time—again, I want to thank the people of Richmond for putting their trust in me. Of course, nationally, Labor won the election and won with a very large majority. We won 94 seats, more seats that any political party in Australia's history. Right across the country we saw that people voted for Australian values of fairness, aspiration and opportunity, and these are the values that drive our government, the Albanese Labor government. Our caucus is much bigger and so much more diverse, with 56 per cent women and our new members being incredibly diverse and bringing a whole range of different skills and histories to our caucus and to the parliament. It's wonderful to see—I think we'd all agree—from the first speeches, the incredible array of people that have been elected to the 48th Parliament. Since we've been back here, our government has been extremely busy delivering on, particularly, many of our election commitments, like reducing HECS debt by 20 per cent. This was a huge issue in my electorate, as I heard out and about talking to locals who had those huge HECS debts. Having that decreased by 20 per cent will make such a big difference to them. Since we've been back, we've been ensuring that medicines are cheaper—again, vitally important in areas like mine, the far north coast of New South Wales. We have a large proportion of elderly people, so ensuring their medicines are cheaper and ensuring it's cheaper for families is all vitally important. Also since we've been back, we've been working to protect penalty rates. That was one of our many election commitments, because we know how important it is to have penalty rates in place. Australians know that they can only rely on Labor to deliver for them when it comes to their working conditions and, particularly, protecting their penalty rates. In terms of my seat of Richmond, I really want to thank all those that worked so hard for Labor to retain the seat, and I really want to thank those that assisted on polling day and with prepoll, doorknocking and the phone calls. I say a big thanks to all my wonderful staff, all of our local Labor members and those other Labor members that came and assisted us. Thank you to the wonderful union movement, our New South Wales head office and the national secretariat for their great work and to all those volunteers and supporters that provided help to us. Together, we made more than 50,000 phone calls and doorknocks in this campaign. We were out and about every day, talking to locals about the issues that are important to them. I want to thank everyone who assisted. Of course, I say a special thanks to all of my family—my husband, Craig, and our children—and to our extended family as well. Thanks to all of you for your continued support over the last eight terms and throughout this campaign as well. It means the world to me. In Richmond, we ran a very positive and optimistic campaign the whole time, and we were focused on delivering real cost-of-living relief for locals, including the tax cuts for every taxpayer—incredibly important in my area; strengthening Medicare—an issue that comes up all the time; fixing our housing crisis, which has made it so difficult in terms of people being able to access a house and rentals; and also investing in renewables and boosting wages. Free TAFE has been a real game changer across the country, and, in my seat of Richmond, more than 5,000 people have been able to access our free TAFE plan. What a difference it makes, not just for them getting increased education but also for their capacity to find work, and it strengthens our economy as well. As I referred to earlier, we're cutting HECS by 20 per cent. We've got more than 19,000 people in my electorate who will benefit from that. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program, as we know, is being taken up at a huge rate across the country—indeed, Richmond is one of the electorates with the highest take-up rates on that, which is great to see. Other policies like energy bill relief for every household, cheaper child care and medicines, and more rent assistance are, again, making a big difference. We've also always had a very strong focus on strengthening our economy, creating more than a million jobs in that last term of government, keeping our economy strong so we can keep delivering on all the vital services that we do. The campaign was like all tough campaigns—on one hand we had the Liberal and National parties who were in disarray and talking most of the time about their nuclear policy. After speaking to all those people in my community, I know they totally rejected that—the cost of it, the danger of it. They honestly thought it was quite absurd, and clearly that's what Australians thought right across the board. Also in my electorate, the Greens were rejected as well, because of the extreme nature, particularly blocking so many good initiatives like housing. Everywhere I would go, people would say to me they were done with the Greens in terms of the fact they were blocking really good initiatives that we have. I think both the Greens political party and the Liberal and National parties did pay the price for constantly blocking our initiatives. I think the Australian people have said very loudly and clearly to both those political parties that Australians don't want to see constant blocking—they want to see improvements. They wanted to see in place the improvements that we had, particularly when it comes to housing. Throughout the campaign, full credit goes to our wonderful prime minister. He was out there every day, focused on building Australia's future and talking about Labor's positive policies. I made it very clear to my community during the campaign that they could always count on me to keep delivering for our region as part of an Albanese Labor government. At the election, there was a very clear choice between building Australia's future with us or taking Australia backwards with the Liberals and Nationals—which we know would have left us all worse off. We pointed out—and I point out every day in my region—that our cost-of-living relief was all at risk under the Liberals and Nationals, because they opposed every single one of Labor's cost-of-living measures, even voting against tax cuts. People found that absolutely appalling. I pointed out many times that Peter Dutton, when the former opposition leader was health minister, wanted to scrap bulk-billing and introduce a tax on every single visit to the GP, started a six-year freeze on Medicare rebates, and cut $50 billion from our hospitals. Locals know that when the Liberals and Nationals say that they'll cut public services, that affects Medicare, bulk-billing, our cheaper medicines, veterans' claims, and the age pension as well. Indeed, Peter Dutton had said there were too many free Medicare services. Locals completely rejected any of the measures from the Liberals and Nationals when it comes to health care, because they don't trust them. Since the election, unfortunately, we have seen no reflection or change of policies from those opposite, or from the Greens political party. No lessons have been learnt. They haven't listened to the community right throughout the country in terms of why they've been rejected, and I think they all need to be doing that and reflecting upon the policies and their actions as well. The fact is, Labor is strengthening Medicare, and we're very proud of that, with more bulk-billing and training more doctors, as well as increasing the Medicare rebate—it's so important. In my region, I made a number of election commitments, like the free bulk-billed Medicare urgent care clinic, the Medicare mental health centre, the crime action plan, and funding for the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital—again, initiatives that I'll detail in a minute that will have positive improvements for the New South Wales North Coast. Throughout the campaign, I talked about my record of delivery, of working very closely with the community and what we have delivered. Indeed, I've delivered more than $3 billion for our area, including all of my previous election commitments from the 2022 election. I'll run through those in a bit more detail in a minute—we've got the new animal pound, the new veterans' hub, the social enterprise laundry and the Lennox Head village upgrade. People know that when I make a promise I will always deliver on it, and we've seen all of those election commitments delivered. Now to the 2025 election. Earlier this year, I announced that a re-elected Albanese Labor government would deliver a Medicare urgent care clinic for the Tweed region. We're now delivering on that, with the tender process started and under way from 22 August. That will identify a provider to operate that Tweed urgent care clinic. This clinic will give more locals access to the high-quality, free, walk-in urgent healthcare that they need. I've said to many people in our community: as your local Labor MP, you can count on me to deliver that urgent care clinic in the Tweed region, so you can get the free, fully bulk-billed urgent care you need—all you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. The new Tweed Valley Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be open over extended hours, seven days a week, with no appointment needed, and all patients will be fully bulk-billed. And what a difference it will make. The clinic, of course, is also intended to take pressure off the Tweed Valley Hospital and will fill an important gap in services across extended hours and over weekends. A tender process, led by the North Coast Primary Health Network, has commenced, as I said, to identify the provider to operate the new clinic. It'll be open to general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal community-controlled health services. This really does extend on the Albanese Labor government's commitment to strengthen Medicare. And, of course, we've made the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation more than 40 years ago, and we are very, very proud of our continued investment in Medicare. I also announced earlier this year that a re-elected Albanese Labor government would establish a Medicare mental health centre in Tweed Heads. When we have that, it will mean that locals will have access to free, walk-in mental healthcare when that centre is open. Again, it'll be open for extended hours, with no appointment or referral needed to access those services—just walk in, and they are free. It'll be staffed by qualified mental health professionals to provide the support people need. Again, there will be a tender process through the North Coast Primary Health Network, who will commission the Tweed Medicare mental health centre. This is really important because, as we've discussed here—and as we discuss a lot at home too—the mental health needs of my community, indeed throughout the country, are quite extensive, particularly in our region after the devastating 2022 floods. There are still many people who require support as a result of that disaster. Having this service in place will be vitally important, particularly because people can just walk in and it is free. Again, it builds on all of the things that our government does to provide health services. Late last year I was very pleased to announce—actually in Lennox Head, with the Prime Minister there for the announcement—that, if re-elected, we would deliver $3 million for a North Coast crime prevention infrastructure action plan. I want to note and thank the whole community. Again, this is a real community victory. Labor always listens and acts, and our community had called for this. I thank the Prime Minister for coming to Lennox Head to make that announcement late last year. This $3 million commitment will fund infrastructure measures for crime prevention and community safety in our North Coast communities. It includes a million dollars for each of the three local government areas, Tweed, Byron and Ballina. As a former frontline police officer, I know firsthand how important it is that we have more resources, including CCTV, to combat crime on the North Coast. Of course, it's up to each of the councils to decide how that money is used in terms of community safety, but it could be used for CCTV, lighting, bollards, fencing or landscaping to improve community safety, reduce crime risks and enhance the vibrancy and usability of shared community spaces. Again, this is a community victory, and I thank everyone who advocated for it. Another very exciting election commitment was $2 million for the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital. They are fantastic. They opened in 2020 and operate seven days a week. They've treated more than 9,000 native animals, including hundreds of threatened species. The Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital operates inside a custom-built semitrailer, making it Australia's only mobile wildlife hospital. It can also be deployed during natural disasters to treat impacted wildlife. They do an amazing job, and I want to acknowledge the whole team at the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital for their important veterinary work rehabilitating native animals, for leading the way in wildlife protection across our region and for their strong community advocacy as well. Thank you. Again, it is another community victory that I was able to announce that election commitment, and I very much look forward to delivering on it. As I said, locals can always count on me. I've delivered all of my 2022 election commitments, and it's great to see them all in place: the $1.5 million towards the completion of the Lennox Head village upgrade—a wonderful village, one of our most beautiful coastal villages. We have many in my region, and this investment makes a huge difference to local infrastructure. Last year, the Prime Minister and I officially opened the Beacon Laundry in Bangalow. It's a jobs-focused, not-for-profit social enterprise run by White Box Enterprises, who run similar projects across the country. Our election commitment was $750,000 to help fit out that laundry. That laundry is now up and running and employing more than 100 locals. It provides vital job opportunities for long-term unemployed locals, who get to gain work experience and receive ongoing training in a fully supported environment. But it's also of huge benefit to our local tourism industry, as we didn't have a large-scale commercial laundry on the North Coast. But now we do. Beacon Laundry provides that laundry option for businesses in tourism, and they are very, very busy and constantly employing more people. Also, there was my election commitment of $5 million for the veterans hub. The temporary hub is now open, and it's fantastic. It's in Tweed Heads. I really want to acknowledge RSL Lifecare Veteran Services and RSL NSW, who we worked closely with to get that open. It's located on Wharf Street, Tweed Heads. The temporary hub is there, and the permanent hub is opening in the same spot. They've got tailored supports and services for veterans, and that's so important for improving the health and wellbeing of local veterans and for providing whatever services they may need. It's important to provide that for those who have bravely served our nation and for their families as well. I know that these veterans hubs have been a great success across the nation, so I'm very proud to have one in our region. The last of my 2022 commitments I wanted to speak about is the Tweed Shire Council pound—the new pound we're going to be opening up very soon. It's a new pound and rehoming centre in South Murwillumbah. I want to acknowledge the Tweed Shire Council, who advocated strongly for this and who are currently finishing it off. My election commitment in 2022 was for $1 million for the pound, building upon the $1.76 million in federal funding we had already secured. That's a massive federal funding initiative for the pound. The design and build of the facility is in line with the latest in animal welfare guidelines; features new dog kennels, catteries and facilities; and replaces the old pound at Stotts Creek. I especially want to acknowledge the remarkable people at Friends of the Pound, who do such a great job in looking after our animals. I've told the House this before, but, when we made the announcement about our election commitment in late 2021, Friends of the Pound brought along some wonderful animals, including some rescue dogs, and I met and fell in love with Teddy—a half chihuahua—and we adopted him. Six months later we adopted his sister Cindy-Lou. I know that locals would want to know that they're very doing well, and we keep in constant contact with Friends of the Pound. I acknowledge the remarkable work they continue to do, and having this new facility will add to that great work. In the time I have left, I'd like to speak about all our initiatives around housing. Indeed, this is one of the biggest issues we face in our region and right across the country. I was pleased to hear the announcement the other day that in fact we are as a government helping more Australians realise their dream of homeownership sooner by launching the five per cent home deposit scheme for first home buyers on 1 October this year, instead of next year. What a response there has been to that! It is so important that so many people, including younger Australians, can buy their home sooner, and it builds on all of the initiatives that we've had in place in terms of providing housing support and access to it. We need to have more houses built. We need to have all these initiatives in place, and we are absolutely committed to doing that. Earlier this year I announced a very important initiative for my region, which is that the Albanese Labor government is delivering 15 new affordable units in Brunswick Heads through the first round of the Housing Australia Future Fund. We're committed to approving more social and affordable housing. These particular homes are for renters, first home buyers, women and children fleeing domestic violence and those at risk of homelessness. That's why having these units will make such a big difference. We know the needs for social and affordable housing are quite extensive, so I was very proud to have that announcement in place. We'd previously announced 26 safe places for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Tweed Heads as well, but as a government we are totally focused on improving the housing situation across the country, whether that be through home deposits or Housing Australia or one of our many other initiatives. It is a strong focus, I know, for the Prime Minister and the entire government. Lastly, I want to mention yet another great initiative from our government that helps so much in terms of health care. There was a reclassification of Murwillumbah from a city to a regional area, which was a game changer for local GPs and patients. It meant they could bulk-bill more and they could also attract more doctors. I really want to thank the Minister for Health and Ageing for visiting Murwillumbah and seeing that it's not a city but a regional area and that this needed to be changed. We corrected a mistake by the previous Liberal-National government, which had made it previously impossible to get bulk-billing in Murwillumbah. The Albanese Labor government listened, and we changed it. There are now so many more doctors that are bulk-billing. In fact, we have a practice that now is universally bulk-billing everyone, ahead of our 1 November changes. It shows that we are a government that really does listen to communities, acts on their concerns and improves things. The fact that now so many people in Murwillumbah and surrounding areas can get a bulk-billing doctor is so important, because they couldn't do that under the previous government. We are a government with a big agenda, and, as I said, it's an absolute honour and privilege to have been re-elected, for the eighth time, and one that I take very seriously. I certainly want to thank all the people from Richmond for re-electing me. 13:15 Ms KEARNEY LTU Cooper I rise to speak in reply to the Governor-General's address, and I thank her most warmly for her wonderful service. Well, the 2025 election was won by an Albanese Labor government, and it was won on the basis of a belief in moving towards a more equal and caring Australia, with greater opportunity for all. The Australian people chose a future based on positivity, on hope and on trust over negativity and division. Reflecting upon it all has been such a positive experience. Our pitch to the Australian people was more cost-of-living support, free TAFE, lower HECS, safer penalty rates, action on climate change and cheaper energy, more bulk-billing, cheaper medicines, the valuing of workers, and cheaper contraceptives and women's health care—just to name a few things. The women's health package was particularly popular in my electorate of Cooper, as were the wonderful Medicare urgent care clinics. During the campaign, while traipsing the streets of Preston, I met a lovely woman, about 50 years of age. Let's call her Sue. Sue is a public servant and manages her life by working from home. Her house seemed beautifully chaotic and full of life. The sound of her dog barking and her teenage daughter yelling in the background made me reminiscent of when my three girls and my son used to all live at home with me. Sue told me that her life is difficult but fun and full of love. When I told her how the government is slashing the cost of Estrogel, she was actually ecstatic. Then, when I told her about how we are cutting the cost of contraceptives and endometriosis care, her face lit up again. Sue was so happy to hear that a government is not just taking women's health seriously but prioritising it. The hundreds of dollars Sue would save through cheaper medicine for herself and her daughters would be life changing. It gave Sue more room to breathe and more room to enjoy her beautiful and chaotic life. Her experience is emblematic of so many women I met on the doors during this campaign. It struck me that what women want is really simple: to be heard, to be seen, to live with respect and to feel equal. It isn't luxury; it is safety and it is time—time to be with family, time to be their own person. What they want is to live, not just to survive with their heads bobbing above the water. It's what I always wanted, too, because hearts starve just as bodies do. Sue's story was echoed right across my electorate of Cooper, from the cafe belts of Northcote to the sporting clubs of Reservoir. It didn't matter what class or background women came from; that desire for dignity, for fairness and for joy, not just the daily grind, is what I heard again and again. I know this not just from my own conversations but from all the conversations my incredible volunteers had. I'd like to take a moment to thank all those who committed so many hours during the campaign, rain, hail or shine. In Cooper we ran a people powered campaign. We relied on volunteers having real conversations with community members, whether it was knocking on thousands of doors across the electorate, phone banking night after night, or spending early mornings at train stations or long hours at prepoll. It was the principled and driven members of Cooper Labor that made the campaign so successful. Thank you to the incredible people who sacrificed time out of their weekends and lives to help deliver a historic victory in Cooper. This win is your win. To Daryl, Stefan, Astin, Tharun, Thomas, Shelley, Kristine, Vasilios, Matt, Emily, Tracey, Phil, Geraldine, Peter, Kate, Georgie, Cheryl, John, Jordan, Kiz and Div, David, Ramy, Koda, Riley, Jane, Marko, Andy, Mirsada, Aljalil, Brendan, Jane, Charlotte, James, Chris and so many others: thank you so much. And of course all of the Northcote and Preston Labor branches, uni Melbourne Labor, La Trobe Labor, my staff, and my wonderful family: thank you. Your energy, your care and your belief in something better were the heartbeat of the Cooper campaign. During the election, we spoke to thousands of women and men across Cooper about their concerns, and we had some very frank conversations. They were good conversations, and we made some very big promises. Cooper is a place of radicals and pragmatists, workers, business owners, professionals and academics and people from every background and walk of life, and people in Cooper are incredibly politically engaged. They keep me on my toes, and they know my every movement. They hold me accountable. So often I would knock on the door and the person who answered it would recognise me, lean on the side of the door and say, 'Ged Kearney, I have got something to say to you.' Sometimes I would worry, but most times it was because they cared deeply about the many things that I care about, like the environment and climate change, in particular. In fact, during the campaign, there was one man in his 40s who I met in Reservoir who managed to list almost every single climate initiative from the Future Made in Australia Bill to our solar initiatives and subsidies for home batteries. As a young father to young daughters, he expressed a terrible sense of dread about their future, yet, when he was met with a choice between voting for me or the Greens candidate, he chose me. He chose to vote for me because he knew that only a Labor government would deliver practical change and he knew that I would fight for that delivery. I do not take his vote lightly. My fight is quite easy with a minister for climate change and energy like Minister Bowen, who made some genuinely progressive and impressive commitments during the election. During that time, I was also proud to announce $3 million to support the local environment in my electorate, including much-needed funding for Edwardes Lake, Merri Creek, Edgars Creek, Darebin Creek and our local grey-headed flying-fox colony. I also got to announce upgrades for the Darebin Falcons, upgrades for Reservoir and Northcote senior citizens' centres, funding for Preston Lions, supports for Northcote Baptist Church, the Melkite community hall, Kouchkovski social club and the Darusalam Community Centre, and, importantly, $3 million to the Aborigines Advancement League, to see our women and girls' sport and wellness centre built in the next year. All of these go into my theory of change and are why I think Cooper gave me the honour of representing them. I believe change should be grounded in the simple belief that every person and every community matters. I believe in the politics of empathy—where we build community, where we don't drive competition, where governments don't step back but step up to support people to live with dignity and opportunity. We need a government that cares, that acts and that leads, like a government that fights for gender equality, for example, so all women can thrive, that backs strong unions, that lifts all workers and that takes bold climate action which leaves no-one behind. I also believe that change happens and matters at every single level, from sweeping national reform to local community driven work. Everything that we do in this building, no matter how big or small, has the power to shape someone's life. That's why we must always ask: who is this policy helping? At the end of the day, policy is not abstract; it's very personal. One of the promises closest to my heart and one that truly defines who I am as a former nurse, a unionist and a feminist is our commitment to women's health. This includes listing medications for endometriosis and menopause and new contraceptive medications on the PBS for the first time in decades, of which all have now been capped at just $25. I'm so proud of this policy because, when we announce policies targeted towards women, we're saying: 'We see you. Your pain is real, your needs matter and your health matters.' We're also saying: 'You deserve to do more than just survive; you deserve to live.' This is just one part of the broader feminist agenda. On top of this, the Albanese Labor government is also changing the way we value care. We've expanded paid parental leave to six months, with dedicated time for both parents, and, from this year, we'll pay superannuation on that leave for the first time ever. We're also making child care cheaper. This was a very popular promise with both women and men during the election, because by pushing costs down we are pushing opportunity up. What was also popular was our support for a real pay rise in feminised industries, because for too long too many industries and unscrupulous employers have relied on a historical sexist presumption about women's work and the care economy. On top of this, we've introduced employer level gender pay gap reporting and achieved our lowest gender pay gap on record. We are also working to end all forms of family, domestic and sexual violence. Already we've made a record investment of over $4 billion in new prevention and support services to combat family, domestic and sexual violence, and we're investing in incredible programs that are working to address sexual violence, including Consent Can't Wait, Teach Us Consent, Stop it at the Start and Our Watch. We've almost completed the development of the First Nations national safety plan, Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices. Today I have the privilege of working alongside the new Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, who is committed to transformational change for women. The Attorney-General is also doing some transformative work, building on reforms initiated by the former attorney-general to strengthen justice responses to family, domestic and sexual violence, including through harmonising consent and sexual assault laws across jurisdictions and increasing supports for those navigating the judicial system. The Minister for Housing has done some incredible work in making housing more accessible, including by investing over $1 billion for housing for women and children fleeing family and domestic violence. And Minister Wells in the Communications portfolio is delivering much-needed safety measures. There are reforms that she has introduced in banking and financial abuse, protecting women. Of course, last term we also delivered 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, something I am particularly proud of because I had been fighting for this for over a decade, including when I was President of the ACTU. I fought alongside the mighty ASU and so many other unions for paid family and domestic violence leave, because no woman should choose between fleeing to safety and putting food on the table. This initiative also supports women to continue their careers, because they shouldn't have to choose between surviving and thriving at work. As the Assistant Minister for Social Services, working with Minister Plibersek on the prevention of family violence, I'm as fired up as ever to keep fighting. I'm fired up for people like Hope in my electorate. Her story tells the insidious nature of family and domestic violence, because it's not just the moment of an attack that's painful. Abuse seeps into every aspect of life. Hope and her mother experienced terrible abuse in the home, with one attack leaving Hope's mother deaf in one ear. People would ask Hope and her mum, 'Why don't you just leave?' Hope told me of the shame she felt whenever that question was asked—a shame that should never have been felt and a question that should never have been asked, because the reality for Hope was that, when she and her mum did flee, they were met with increased threats, financial abuse, intimidation, stalking and an attempt to set their home on fire. After they received a protection order and many other supports that got them to safety, the mental recovery began, which took years. Hope is now doing very well. Actually, she's not just doing well; she's thriving. She's thriving because she had access to social security, free mental health support and good legal support. But what she wants people to know is that violence isn't just physical and fleeing isn't so simple. We must stop violence before it starts, and we must address it in all forms, including coercive control, sexual violence, financial violence and verbal abuse. If we want to stop violence, we need to make a concerted effort across all government departments and all parts of society. That's why all of us in the Albanese Labor government are deeply committed to stopping family, domestic and sexual violence in a generation. I want to quickly acknowledge the incredible prior work in this portfolio by my dear colleagues Minister Rishworth and the member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, who have enacted incredible change, making the Albanese Labor government the largest investor in women's safety in history. Now it's time to grow and build on that, and grow rapidly. To get there, we must fight for cultural and social change, and that means working with men and boys. That means building healthy relationships and attitudes towards women from a young age. That means talking about consent, respect, digital literacy and healthy masculinity, but it also means fighting those factors that we now know lead some men and some boys down a path of violence, including social isolation, mental ill health and addiction. It means prioritising and protecting children, fostering their recovery and stopping the cycle of violence for them. None of these circumstances excuse the use of violence, but they do explain how it can happen, and we must do everything possible to stop that violence before it starts. This is part of our feminist agenda, and it's a feminist agenda focused not just on survival; it's an agenda focused on truly living. To Sue and Hope, and all the Sues and Hopes out there, this is one of the main reasons I came to this place: for you, for your safety, for your life—to look at the heart and not just the body. We want women not just to survive but to thrive and to have choices, opportunity, love and family, and we want the same for our men and boys. I'm deeply proud to do this in a Labor government. I'm deeply, deeply proud that the people of the electorate of Cooper elected me to represent them. I know that they care about the things that I care about. I know that they want me to stand here and speak up for them over and over again and to fight for policies that actually change their lives. The women of Cooper have spoken. They have told me that the policies we enacted in the last term of government have changed their lives. They have told me that they can now absolutely afford the medications that they need. So many of the women in Cooper have sent me pictures from their phones of how much their bill is—the actual dockets from when they go to the chemist, pick up their medication and see that no longer are they paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars every year for their medication; they're now getting it for so much less. So many women have cried. I've heard wonderful stories about our endometriosis clinics; they have changed people's lives. Women have said to me that for the first time ever, when they walk into these clinics, they are heard, they are believed and they are given treatment that absolutely validates years and years of their pain and suffering—years of being gaslit and being told, 'There's nothing wrong with you,' 'It's all in your head,' or 'It's just a woman's lot to put up with it.' And that is not the case. We can do something about that. And then there are the wonderful organisations in my electorate who work every single day and volunteer to make sure that their communities are kept safe, are not isolated and have somewhere to go. Amazing organisations like the Kouchkovski Social Club, the Elderly Citizens Club and our football clubs do so much for our communities, making sure people are fit and mentally well and that they can have a life that feels fulfilled. Isolation is a terrible scourge in our community, and supporting our very important social clubs is an incredibly important part of making sure we have a cohesive and strong society. Working with our First Nations communities is also incredibly important to me. I have a vibrant and amazing First Nations community in my electorate, which, I'm very proud to say, is also home to so many of the peak bodies that do great work in Victoria and beyond. The Aboriginal Advancement League is an amazing organisation that promotes wellbeing and a healthy future for our Aboriginal community. It was with great pleasure that we announced $3 million to support their women's wellness and sports centre. I know that this sports centre will make a huge difference to that community. It's been in planning for a long, long time. Finally showing that the federal government is willing to support that meant that the state government was also willing to come on board and deliver much-needed funding. Not only will the community gain a beautiful new centre for their women and girls to partake in sport, to stay well, to stay connected and to be proud of their culture, but we will also have brand-new turf for the much-beloved Fitzroy Stars Football Club. I'm very proud to be part of that. I'm very proud that we have been able to deliver for the people of Cooper. Sitting suspended from 13:35 to 16:00 16:00 Ms 299145 Cunningham BYRNES () (): My second speech to the last parliament was about a wonderful local girl, Harper Rollinson, who gave her first speech in Parliament House three days after I gave my first speech to the parliament. Harper spoke about her cochlear ear implants. When I first met Harper she told me she wanted more love hearts and butterflies in the parliament, and I think about that often as I go about my day-to-day duties here in the parliament and in the electorate. I have tried to focus on a positive and proactive approach to my duties, and acting out of kindness and empathy, particularly for the most vulnerable in our community. I thought about this again during the Governor-General's speech at the opening of the parliament, where she said: We are also the product of generations of migrants who, coming here in search of a better life, have found a place of courage, kindness, and the fair go. I am really pleased to have this opportunity today to talk about some of the amazing things that I have been fighting for in my community over the past three years to improve the lives of people in the Illawarra. During the last term of government, as a first-term MP, I was absolutely devoted to working as hard as I could to deliver real results for my community. My focus has been on seizing the opportunities of the future, preparing for the transition that we must have in our energy sector, and supporting local people with the rising cost of living. I have been so incredibly proud to be part of a government that has achieved so much positive change over three short years, both locally and nationally. During my first term I have delivered nearly $1 billion of investment and cost-of-living relief to the electorate of Cunningham. We've delivered: a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer so that people can keep more of what they earn; energy bill relief for every household; cheaper childcare for local families; cheaper medicines; pay rises for some of our lowest-paid workers; and so much more. We have proudly delivered Medicare urgent care centres at Corrimal and at Dapto so that local people can get free urgent care when they need it the most—vital services taking pressure off Wollongong Hospital. Aged care is another huge issue in my electorate, with bed block and access to high-needs aged-care beds a real issue. I worked hard with the minister for aged care during the last term to secure $17.4 million for new local aged-care beds and upgrades in Cunningham. I have also delivered $6.2 million for 35 new transition aged-care places for the Illawarra Shoalhaven local health district to help get vulnerable people out of our overburdened hospital. I would like to acknowledge the work of New South Wales Minister for Health and member for Keira, Ryan Park, for his dedication and support on this issue at a state government level. There is still a lot of work to do on aged care in the Illawarra. I have already reached out to the new Minister for Aged Care and Seniors to invite him to beautiful Wollongong to meet with our local aged-care taskforce and hear firsthand the challenges facing our aged-care sector. I very much look forward to this engagement in the near future. It is well known that nationally we are suffering a housing and homelessness crisis, and the Illawarra is by no means exempt from the impact of this. Nationally we have developed the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund to build more social and affordable homes. I was delighted to see the Housing Trust receive support under round 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund facility for three projects in the Wollongong LGA, with a combined value of $34 million. This will provide 45 dedicated long-term social and affordable rental homes. We have provided SAHSSI with $4.6 million to purchase, remodel and expand six dwellings in the Wollongong LGA for women and children who are experiencing family and domestic violence as well as older women who are at risk of homelessness. Our government also supported SAHSSI with 32 safe places, assisting up to 256 women and children experiencing family and domestic violence through the Safe Places program. We know there's much more to do, and we are absolutely committed to eliminating family and domestic violence in one generation. We have also delivered the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme, benefiting 680 local people, as well as increases to rent assistance. This is making a big difference in the lives of local people right now. I can see so much opportunity for the Illawarra. With thriving industry a stone's throw from the Sydney CBD and a world-leading university calling our region home, we are ideally positioned to play a critical and important role in our energy transition. Over many years, I have received a real in-depth understanding of the thriving local industrial innovation that is happening in my home town. Just recently, I attended the groundbreaking of a new world-class advanced materials production centre in Coniston. Gravitas Technologies has been backed by $1.5 million under the Albanese government's Industry Growth Program to build new state-of-the-art high-technology warehouses to sit alongside its existing facility. As CEO Sam Moricca said, 'This is more than just a building; it marks the arrival of another high-tech industry in Wollongong.' We're helping them innovate faster, bring their product to market faster and create new jobs for the future—a future made in Wollongong. And this is only one example. Our government has also invested in our local renewable hydrogen industry, with $15 million to Hysata, through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and nearly $30 million in grants from ARENA since Hysata's days as a startup out of the University of Wollongong, getting this technology off the ground. All up during my first term, I worked incredibly hard to see over $180 million invested in local industry and innovation, including supporting the Port Kembla steelworks. We've provided $1 million for community batteries in Warrawong and Dapto and $5.4 million for the Electrify 2515 home-electrification pilot. Our government has also invested in the incredible work of the University of Wollongong, with more than $56 million in Australian Research Council grants, $10 million for the Energy Future Skills Centre to train our workforce of the future and over $1 million through ARENA for a harmonic study which will progress renewable energy grids. We've also invested over $42 million for additional Commonwealth supported places at the university to train more teachers, nurses, engineers and mathematicians. That's on top of fee-free TAFE and over $3 million for upgrades to 15 local schools. Our Labor government believes in regional communities. We believe in investing in the infrastructure that regions need for our future, like $312 million for the Mount Ousley Road interchange, a long-overdue project that will revolutionise the gateway to Wollongong. This is merely a snapshot of the incredible support that the Albanese Labor government has given to the Illawarra during my short three years as member for Cunningham. It has been my absolute honour to represent this community through that time and to be part of some incredible future innovations that set us up on the world stage. But our work is only just beginning. We have huge plans for this term, starting with the very first piece of legislation of this parliament: cutting student debt by 20 per cent—a change that will benefit more than 22,800 people in Cunningham. With our local world-class university training the workforce of the future, this is simply huge. From 1 July we have also supported our next generation of local teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers with paid prac during their training. Helping to address the shortages in these industries and removing the cost burden of getting this vital experience will make a huge difference. That's just the start when it comes to continued cost-of-living support in the second term of the Albanese government. Already the House has voted in support of our Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 to protect penalty and overtime rates for millions of Australians. This important bill will enshrine penalty and overtime entitlements for around 2.6 million modern-award-reliant workers. Under Labor, inflation is falling, unemployment remains low, and real wages are rising again. We have created 1.1 million jobs and we're seeing interest rates coming down. This is because of the good economic management of our government. We've also gone a step further on cheaper medicines, with new legislation introduced to cap the cost of prescriptions under the PBS to no more than $25 from 1 July next year. This is great news for all Australians. Our early learning sector should be a safe place for our kids. Australians have been utterly devastated by the recent revelations showing a system in urgent need of reform. Our government has moved quickly to pass legislation, giving the Commonwealth stronger powers to protect children in early learning settings. Under the reforms the government will be able to suspend or remove funding from providers that fail to meet national safety standards, conduct unannounced inspections and prevent non-compliant services from expanding. We have also committed to decisive action to deliver a national approach to, and address systematic gaps in, working-with-children checks to improve the safety of children across Australia. This is vital work, and there's more to be done, but I am pleased to see that the government is wasting no time in addressing these shocking revelations. There is certainly a lot more work to do to address some of the biggest challenges facing our community right now. I will keep working hard to deliver on my promises, like $10 million for the Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library, in Warrawong; $5 million for the regional multicultural community centre; and $13.6 million for the St George Illawarra Dragons' Community and High Performance Centre. I will keep working to deliver improvements to local housing and homelessness services, aged care and health services. I will continue my push to have a clean energy future made right here in the Illawarra. There are just a few more proud moments, and some butterflies, from my first term that I'd like to quickly touch on. During my first term I joined my good friend Lachlan Stevens, who's the vice-president of the Wollongong RSL sub-Branch and founder of Walk With Us Kokoda, and I walked the Kokoda Track. On day 2 of the track, you cross the same river 22 times, but we were also surrounded by beautiful blue butterflies that often perched on our shoulder, and again I thought of little Harper. You have a lot of time to think on the track, as you are climbing the mountains that never ever seem to end, and I thought a lot about all the things that still needed to be done. In fact, Lachlan, Marija Murray and I compiled a 'stuff we need to fix' list as we walked, which included things like veteran claims to be processed, the NDIS and aged care. These are the things that keep me up at night—all issues that need to be approached with kindness, fairness and empathy. Another achievement of the Albanese Labor government during our first term was bringing home the remaining five men who had been incarcerated in Indonesia since 2005. I have worked with the Stephens family for over 20 years, mostly in my capacity as a staffer to my predecessor, the Hon. Sharon Bird MP. They are a beautiful and tight-knit family who have endured so much since their son, Martin, was arrested. I spent so many hours with Martin's mum and dad, the amazing Bill and Michele Stephens, and helped them through their great pain throughout the 20 years that Martin was incarcerated. I was so very proud of our prime minister and foreign minister when, during our first term, they secured the release of these men due to the strong relationships that they had built with our friends in Indonesia—the closure of my longest ever constituent case and I think perhaps the longest in the parliament. Martin is working. He's doing charity work, he has a car, he's keeping fit, he's looking after his family and he's trying so very hard to be a good and constructive member of our community. I am so proud of what he has achieved since his release. I was also delighted to finally meet Scott and his new partner and catch up again with his mum and dad, the strong and courageous Chris and Lee Rush. They are another family I have worked closely with for many years. I was very touched to receive a card and a beautiful letter of thanks from Scott and his partner. Again, butterflies made their way into my parliamentary term; this is the envelope for the card, adorned with butterflies. Like Martin, Scott is working hard on his future, and I can't wait to see what he achieves. I'm so very proud of him too. I would like to take a moment to thank President Prabowo Subianto for his kindness and compassion, which has led to the men returning home. I would also like to thank the team that I worked many hours with to help bring the men home: Marshall Irwin, Sarah Bradley, Stephen Keim, Julian McMahon, Peter Strain and Erskine Rodan. I would also like to thank the hundreds of public servants who worked on ensuring the health and safety of the boys while incarcerated and who also helped to bring them home. I would also like to extend my sincere condolences to the families of the men who did not make it home. My latest butterfly interaction was recently with Gloria Holloway from the Country Women's Association in Stanwell Park. What a dynamo she is! When I met Gloria, she was a little bit miffed at being overtaken as the oldest member of the CWA—she's 91—by a new member who's 92. She had on the most beautiful butterfly necklace. She is a passionate advocate for the women involved in the CWA and the Stanwell Park local community. And let's not forget the love hearts—another reminder of Harper following me around—like this beautiful piece of pottery made by Daniella Lagazio, proudly displayed at the Greenacres Outsider art exhibition recently. This will now be displayed on my wall of local art in my Parliament House office. There have been love hearts and butterflies everywhere. There are so many people doing amazing work, far too many to mention here. I am so very privileged to be able to work with, and visit, so many people and organisations doing amazing things in my local community. So to Harper: I have been so privileged to have encountered so many butterflies and love hearts during my first term. Thank you for putting them out to the universe for me to find—small pieces of joy in my day and special reminders of why we are here. I am so grateful to the people of the Cunningham electorate, who have once again put their faith in me to represent them in this place. I take that responsibility and privilege very seriously, and I am looking forward to three more years of hard work delivering for my community. 16:15 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I know that you do not hold a seat when you are sitting in that chair, but I particularly want to acknowledge the events happening in your electorate as we speak. It's somewhere I've visited regularly. My nephew has just bought a house in Porepunkah and had his wedding there last year. I know what a beautiful community it is. I'm devastated for the community and for the members of the police force who've lost their lives. I know that you will play a very important leadership role in helping the community post all of these events. I want to acknowledge that. It is an enormous privilege to stand here before you today as the re-elected member for Ballarat. I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands of my electorate, the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples, and pay my respects to elders past and present. The past few years in particular have taught me even more about the resilience of our First Nations people, and how we, as non-Indigenous people, have so much to learn from them. I thank the local traditional owners for their ongoing generosity in sharing their culture and the grace and wisdom with which they conduct themselves and support community each and every single day. My electorate, like all of the 150 in this place, is a very special place—one of history, diversity and opportunity. I never take for granted the incredible honour it is to represent my community here in our nation's capital. I'll continue to work every day to get the best outcomes for the people of Ballarat and for every Australian. While I have other responsibilities across the whole of the nation, it never escapes me that the only reason I have the opportunity to be a minister—a cabinet minister in this government—is because of the people of Ballarat. While I have other titles, the one I am most deeply proud of is being the member for Ballarat. I'd like to say a special thank you to every person who helped and supported me during the campaign—my family, my fabulous staff, my friends and my volunteers. I'm extremely grateful to all of you for your contribution; I could not have done this without you. I'm not going to name everybody. I have done so in the past, but today I have only a limited amount of time. I particularly want to acknowledge my electorate office staff and my personal staff, who worked incredibly hard, as well as people such as Craig Fletcher and the local union movement, who also assisted so diligently. Throughout the 2025 campaign, I had the privilege of standing on prepoll for two weeks, pretty much continuously in the same spot—I didn't move—speaking with many different people from our community. I met young mums and dads worried about the rising cost of child care and how they can balance work and family life. I spoke with students anxious about their growing HECS debt and how it might impact their future opportunities. I met young people eager to build a career by learning a trade but worried about the cost and availability of apprenticeships. I met doctors and nurses working tirelessly in our hospital system, telling me how much they need more funding for health services. I spoke with older Australians concerned about the cost of living and the quality of aged-care services. These are the people who make up our Australia, and they are exactly who I am working to deliver for, as part of the Albanese Labor government. Our policies ease the pressure on families, support education for the next generation, strengthen our health system, back regional communities and ensure dignity and security for older Australians, because we believe in building a fairer, stronger future for everyone. We've done this by delivering on our promised tax cuts for every taxpayer, helping you keep more of what you earn. We've opened 87 bulk-billing Medicare urgent care clinics, including one in Sturt Street in Ballarat, and I thank them for their excellent, excellent service. Many in our community, including my family, have needed to call on their services. We're investing an extra $1.7 billion to actually fund our public hospitals properly. We've started the largest housing build in Australia's history to get more people into a home of their own, including in my own electorate. We're wiping $3 billion of student HECS debt, saving the average person in my home town over $5,755. We've delivered free TAFE and I, like many people, have met young people and older people changing careers who have taken advantage of free TAFE. It is changing the economic opportunities for a generation, and it is unbelievably terrific to see. We've provided $300 in energy bill relief for every household. We've delivered cheaper child care as well as pay rises for childcare and aged-care workers, and we've expanded paid parental leave. We've doubled the Roads to Recovery funding to $1 billion, meaning every single council in this country, including in and around my community, is now receiving double the amount of money from the federal government to fix our local roads. That is making a real difference across the community. We've increased the amount of money for black spots and for projects such as bridge renewals and heavy vehicle productivity. We're investing over $4 billion in women's safety initiatives, boosting and securing frontline services, delivering financial and housing support for women escaping violence, and delivering much-needed law reform. Just this week in parliament, we've protected the penalty and overtime rates of millions of Australian workers. Each of these policies has delivered and will continue to deliver real and lasting change for those in my electorate, but we know there is still more to do to build a better future for all Australians. Throughout the election campaign, I worked with a number of local groups and organisations to commit to projects that will make a real and tangible difference for our community. These projects build on the commitments that we made in 2022 that are now well and truly coming to fruition. I've spoken before in this place about Ballarat's history of institutional abuse and the way that it continues to echo through generations. For some time now, local survivors and supporters have been working together on the design of a memorial for our community—a place of healing, recognition and quiet reflection and a place in the heart of our city that acknowledges and honours all survivors of sexual abuse and assault. I was incredibly proud to commit $500,000 for the Continuous Voices Memorial in Victoria Park. This commitment from the Albanese government, together with previously announced support from the Victorian Labor government and the City of Ballarat, ensures that this worthy project will actually be built. This commitment assures survivors that we see you, we believe you and we support you. If the royal commission and recent events in my home town in Victoria, as well as in Queensland, have taught us anything, it's that we have to be eternally vigilant when it comes to child sexual abuse. Ours is a proud and welcoming community and one where people support each other. The Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council operates out of an old high school building called the Ballarat Welcome Centre. It's a beautiful site. The building itself is pretty old, as a lot of buildings in Ballarat are. We're lucky that way, but it does mean that it is often hard to find facilities. We've pledged $500,000 to revitalise facilities for the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council to continue to do the amazing work that they do—welcoming migrants as well as showcasing our different cultures. Our Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society—our Ballarat Show—has played an iconic role in Ballarat for over 170 years. The annual show is something many families look forward to, and it's always a brilliant day out. Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society doesn't just deliver the show, though. The organisation is run by a terrific group of volunteers, who play an integral role in supporting primary producers and showcasing agriculture through the region. They've big plans for the future of their new site and what the organisation can achieve, and we're pleased to back them with $1.5 million towards their new event and exhibition centre. It will be able to host the Ballarat Wine Show, agricultural workshops and private events, and, in essence, it'll ensure the sustainability of the showgrounds for years to come, having a stream of revenue to support the producers in our community. We also committed just over $1.2 million for community soccer upgrades in Creswick and Daylesford. Maybe it started with the Matildas, or maybe it's because these two clubs are so welcoming and so inclusive, but both are seeing a huge influx of women and girls wanting to play soccer. Girls getting changed for soccer in cars or behind trees isn't okay, particularly if you're in Daylesford or Creswick now and you know how cold that can be—although if you're watching The Block, which is filming in Daylesford as we speak, it looks like it's sunshine every day. But that, unfortunately, is not always the case! Capping the number of girls who can play—which is what's actually been happening, because the facilities simply can't handle it—really isn't good enough. I know that there is lots of demand across communities, but our commitment has been to get these fantastic local clubs the facilities that they deserve, which will keep local kids active and connected. About an hour south of Daylesford is the beautiful community of Teesdale, where we're also ensuring that everyone has the facilities that they need with the Don Wallace Rec Reserve, with a $1.5 million commitment to help deliver much-needed female-friendly change rooms, a new septic system, a new accessible toilet with baby-change facilities, power upgrades, and paths and landscaping to secure the site. Finally, we've invested $3 million to establish a fit-for-purpose veterans, families and community hub in Wendouree. I'm really delighted that the City of Ballarat has made a premise available. It's one of the old council chambers from amalgamation that's really been sitting vacant for a long period of time. It is an ideal place for a veterans hub in our community, which has, sadly, been needed for a long time. It will be a place of connection and practical support for the service men and women to whom we owe so much and for their families and supporters. Thousands of veterans live in the Central Highlands region, and the benefits of this project will extend far beyond the boundaries of Ballarat. I've been speaking with the team behind the Ballarat Veterans Assistance Centre for many years now about this project. They are passionate and committed, and I believe in them and what they can achieve. I'm very proud to support this meaningful project, which will be delivered by the City of Ballarat and supported by the expertise of local government. Many thanks to Evan King—no relation to me, but the CEO of the City of Ballarat—and his council officers, who do such terrific work, often behind the scenes, to really work with communities in a way that delivers great outcomes for groups like the veterans community. I'm really excited to get to work and see the benefits that these projects will bring. As I said at the start, alongside being the member for Ballarat, I'm very proud to have been reappointed by the Prime Minister as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government for a second term. It is an enormous responsibility and one that I'm very passionate about, and I thank the Prime Minister for trusting me to continue to fulfil that role. Through my portfolio, we'll continue to deliver for all Australians, with a significant agenda before us. We're delivering historic reforms, including legislating an aviation consumer protection scheme for the first time and ensuring that Australians living with disability can access essential transport services with the dignity that they deserve. I recently went to one of the co-design workshops, where the aviation sector and my department are working closely with those with a disability to actually design the new aviation disability standards so that we can actually get a better outcome with the treatment of people who have a disability and who want to travel by air to go and do all of the things that we love and enjoy. We're also driving productivity through the freight and supply chain, and we'll continue to do that work. We continue to deliver a record investment in infrastructure across the nation. That investment stretches right the way across the country, throughout our regions, our cities, our towns and our suburbs. I've been very focused in our first term to ensure that this pipeline of projects is focused on enhancing the productivity of our industries, improving safety of our local road users, connecting us with our loved ones and saving us time when we're travelling to and from work, and that those projects are across the nation. We have increased funding, in fact, for infrastructure. Whilst we had to do a review of the pipeline to ensure its deliverability, I can assure the House that, despite some of the rhetoric from those opposite that still seems to continue, not a single dollar has been cut from the infrastructure pipeline. In fact, it has actually increased under the Albanese Labor government. It's important to understand that, whilst projects may have not been proceeded with, no money has been cut. In fact, there have been increases to funding for infrastructure everywhere across the nation. In Queensland, we're delivering our record $7.2 billion investment in the Bruce Highway. The Rockhampton Ring Road is proceeding well. For the Olympics infrastructure in Queensland, which will leave a lasting legacy, we've signed the new intergovernmental agreement with the deputy premier there just recently. In New South Wales, the Western Sydney airport is pretty much complete. It's looking fantastic, and the aviation agreements are getting in place. I'm looking forward to that opening. In addition to that, we're delivering that critical road and rail infrastructure, the roads being Fifteenth Avenue, Mamre Road and Elizabeth Drive. The rail line is well underway, and I visited the station box just recently out at the airport. In Victoria, we're funding and working very closely with the Victorian government on the Melbourne Airport rail link and unlocking the Sunshine Station precinct, which is really important for not just enabling airport rail but also untangling the network to enable future electrification of the Melton line. We're also delivering significant investments that are continuing with North East Link, Suburban Rail Loop and the Western Freeway. There is, of course, more to be done. In Tasmania, we've delivered and opened the Bridgewater Bridge. We're investing in the Mornington Roundabout—that's finally getting done—and the Lyell Highway. In WA, we're delivering METRONET, a new ferry expansion and the Brooking Channel Bridge, and I'm looking forward to going and opening alongside Minister Saffioti the Byford line extension shortly. In South Australia, we are delivering one of the biggest road projects—I think North East Link might be the biggest one, but the Torrens to Darlington project is huge. We're also delivering the Mount Barker to Verdun interchange upgrades and funding investments in heavy vehicle productivity. In the Territory, we're improving the Tanami, and in the ACT we're expanding the Canberra light rail. Again, these investments come at a time when it is really important to keep that pipeline of work going but also when we know there are significant capacity constraints that continue with our workforce and with supply chain, and we're continuing to do the work in that space as well. Finally, I want to thank very much the people of Ballarat for putting their faith in me to represent them once more and to look forward to another term of delivery for them but also for the opportunity that they have given me to deliver not just for them but also for the entire nation. 16:33 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright In 2010, the electorate of Wright was first formed as a byproduct of a redistribution. I am the inaugural member for the seat of Wright, and it is a privilege. I feel immensely proud to be able to represent the good people of Wright. This is the fifth time I have been returned to this amazing building to be their voice, to carry their concerns, to come and lobby for the infrastructure that's required and to speak with our ministers and departments down here about the reduction of red tape for businesses so that mums and dads and families can end up with more money in their pockets and so that businesses can become more profitable. This year, it is more likely that we will have another redistribution. The average electorate size is around 100,000 to 120,000. I am at over 140,000 people, and my next-door neighbour of Blair is very similar. I see the member for Forde in the room. Are you over as well? Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 135,000, for the benefit of Hansard. So it is very likely that our boundaries will not look the same in a future redistribution, but we will work actively with the Australian Electoral Commission to secure what hopefully is the best for our local communities. Our regions are growing. In terms of numbers, they are expanding, and with that come growing pains. The communities of Yarrabilba, Plainland and other communities right across my electorate are experiencing urban sprawl, as we're located just on the outskirts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. As the entry points into the housing market are becoming more and more difficult, people are choosing to come and live in the regions and commute a little further because it makes sense from a price point perspective. There's another cohort as well. Those who have lived in the cities all their lives are taking the opportunity to downsize, cash out of high-value properties, come and buy a property, which is often superior with regard to its age, in my region and seek to retire. It is an absolutely picturesque region, from the Gold Coast hinterland and Tambourine Mountain to the Scenic Rim, which Lonely Planet says is one of the top 10 destinations in the world to visit. We have some of the most exquisite restaurants. We have an eat local campaign that goes for an entire month, where restaurants in Brisbane and the Gold Coast that buy local produce from our community—pork, cheese or honey—bring their clients out and set up pop-up restaurants on the farm where the honey, cheese or pork is grown. There are long table lunches in the spring. They converse with the locals and the community. They bring out their chefs and their waitstaff, and they sell tickets. It's such a popular event. You have to be very quick to get into the pop-ups that you want; otherwise they disappear very quickly. Agriculture is still the largest contributor to GDP in my electorate. This year, over in Withcott, a company that is probably not known to many people in Australia, Southern Cross Windmills, is celebrating its 150 years of manufacturing here in Australia, in my electorate. It's worth noting, given the current debate in the other house, that every single one of my original farms, the original blocks, would at some stage have had a windmill on them. When the windmills broke down, we went to solar pumps. That makes my growers and farmers the early adopters of renewable energy. They didn't do it because they were looking to save the planet; they did it because it was the most efficient and cheapest way to pump water for stock and domestic usage. We're very proud to have Southern Cross Windmills celebrating their 150th anniversary in our electorate. To be returned to this place is a great privilege, and it's not something that you can do on your own. I am very humbled by the 400-plus volunteers that helped me get re-elected. I'm also very blessed that nearly all 400 of them will give their advice freely to you with their recommendations on what's best for the great region of Wright. Encompassed in my electorate, which is just under 8,000 square kilometres, are a number of state seats, and I want to acknowledge the state members who worked so hard alongside our campaign: Jon Krause, who was the deputy speaker in the Queensland parliament; Jim McDonald, who heads up most of the committees in Brisbane on infrastructure, policing and state development; Ros Bates, who is the Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training; and Linus Power, from Logan, who predominately sits within the electorate of Wright as well. Encompassed in that geographical footprint are four shires. I have the Lockyer Valley shire, who boast to have the seventh most fertile valley in the world. When you come to Lockyer Valley, you can smell the soil and you can drive along and see the tapestry of different vegetable varieties when we're in full production of cauliflower, broccolini, carrot and lucerne. It is such an evocative view, and, because of the odour, you can nearly pick the vegetable as you drive past at 100 kilometres per hour. Often I just pull over and get out of my car to go and feel the quality of the soil and its moisture content. It really connects you to the amazing work that our local farmers and growers do to feed our country. Unfortunately, in the Lockyer Valley at the moment, there are a lot of farmers that are choosing to back out of the high-value crops and grow lucerne because it's just too hard to do business with our large retailers. The cost of production is spiralling. It's becoming increasingly difficult to procure labour for family farms, and often mums and dads are encouraging the next generation to pursue a career that's not farming. The way we entice the next generation back to farming is to make it profitable, and then they'll return overnight. Tanya Milligan, who is the Lockyer valley local mayor, does an amazing job. She has served in the council for over 20 years, and she is a well-known identity. There's nothing in that community that she is not across, with her entire council. Tom Sharp is the newly elected member for the shire of Beaudesert or Scenic Rim. It's aptly named because it is truly a scenic rim, as the rim part of the descriptor is the Great Dividing Range. The cracks around the Lamington National Park and Tamborine Mountain are truly spectacular events. We host a number of gliders who come down and take advantage of the thermal springs that are present because of the topography of the region. Tom is a tireless workhorse for the region. He's getting his feet under the desk and getting some real wins on the ground. Over on the Gold Coast, Tom Tate is a well-known political identity on the landscape down there and an enormously big thinker when it comes to infrastructure. In the city of Logan, Jon Raven is filled with energy, and you walk away from every engagement with Jon enthused and energised. His commitment to the city of Logan is absolutely commendable. I want to acknowledge in my area the amazing work that our sporting organisations do and just how important it is for our children to be involved in sports. It's too easy for a child to be armed with wi-fi and a phone or a PlayStation. I just think a child who competes in a team sport on a regular basis and attends training develops qualities and skills that advance their communication techniques, their confidence and their social skills to interact. So, to all of our sporting organisations, who potentially run on volunteer hours, I thank you for the work that you do. I've got 86 different schools across my electorate, between high schools, private schools and state schools. Our teachers do an amazing job. Some schools can have up to five deputy principals, like Beaudesert State High School, which is an extremely large school, and I've got other small schools that might have 18 kids. When I make consideration for the Speaker of the House when he travels to schools to spread the good word, it is a difficult deliberation to try and work out which are the best schools for him to visit because I'm so blessed with the skill sets and the development of these kids. We have an enormous number of service groups. I know they have these in the city as well, but our service groups and our volunteer base—you can tell the quality of your community by the quality of your community service persons and your volunteers, from your rural fire brigades to the people who'll go up and help clean the pool even though it's the council's. There are our churches. My mum, who is 83 this year, is part of mahjong. She's part of the church group, she's part of a walking group and a couple of day of the week she goes and does craft, and then somebody else roped her into going and doing something for another organisation that does women's packs for the Pacific islands and sends them off. I said, 'Mum, you're never home,' and she said, 'Well, I'm too busy.' I just love my mum. Occasionally, she might iron a few shirts for me. I love you very much, Mum! I thank all of our business owners that put their houses up as collateral to go and borrow capital to employ the kids leaving school in our community. I thank them for what they do—for the risks that they take, can I say. All strength to your arms. Coming from a small-business background myself, I know the challenges but I also know the rewards the small-business sector can bring. I want to acknowledge and say thank you to our agricultural shows. From Mudgeeraba to the smallest show we have, the Ma Ma Creek Exhibition, every one of the 10 that I have in my electorate has a different appeal. It's like trying to pick your favourite child. Every agricultural show has its strengths. Unfortunately, I'm not able to attend all of them every year, just by the nature of scheduling and the parliamentary commitments. It's not my intention to bore the House with the amount of infrastructure that I have delivered in the last term, because I think that is our job. It is our job, as federal members, to do that. What I want to do with the time that's left is share my vision for the electorate. There is still work to be done—on the Mount Lindesay Highway, for example. As I said in my opening comment, my communities are growing, and with that come growing pains. People are choosing to come out, which means I've got more commuters on the road. They're potentially still working in Brisbane and choosing to live in the electorate of Wright. So, I'm committed to partnering with the state government and making sure that we're making the right funding decisions today and into the future to deal with those infrastructure problems—to address those pinch points which can make what should be a pleasant drive to work often frustrating, because of the time delays. There are a couple of spots on the Warrego Highway between Brisbane and Toowoomba that, when we have considerable rain in the Lockyer Valley, are no stranger to substantial flooding. There are a couple of places where the highway is blocked, and we need to upgrade one of the intersections so that Brisbane and our far west still have connectivity to markets and to the greater Brisbane area. We will be pursuing and doing early costings on what that project looks like with our state colleagues. In Tamborine Mountain, as I mentioned before, there's a sporting association that has an incredible vision for their community, and sport is at the heart of it. They want to get a business plan done, so we'll work with them to try and find some money to assist them. We will continue to pursue the roll out of telecommunication towers to try and fix the inefficiencies. We have come a long way. People will buy blocks for many thousands of dollars cheaper, and they'll think they've got a good deal. Then they'll come and say to me, 'The block doesn't have any power.' Well, that's why you bought it cheap, my friend. It may not have power and it may not have mobile phone reception. We will continue to negotiate with our telecommunications operators and telcos to address those inefficiencies as we grow as a community. In Beaudesert, there's a motivated group within our community, particularly through the Beaudesert Chamber of Commerce, who are adamant that we work towards building our own police citizens youth club so that it can work with our children to prevent crime. We'll continue to work on Mount Lindesay. There's an intersection near the Amberley Interchange for which we had $75 million on the table some years ago. Unfortunately, we were looking for a funding partner in the then Queensland Labor government, and they wouldn't have a bar of it, so our community missed out on the money that we had on the table, and that money was repurposed. So we will continue to try to find a solution for the great people who use that intersection—most likely the people who work onsite at Amberley. Of course, there is the Bromelton precinct just outside Beaudesert. They're greenfield sites, and we have an enormous capacity. I will make a prediction today, without putting a timeframe on it, that there will be up to 10,000 permanent jobs in that precinct in the long term on hard-to-place industries. Our council is motivated to facilitate it. Our community is ready to harness it. We have the housing growth, the schools and the businesses motivated to see that precinct expand. I'm sure there are those who will be offended by the fact that I have omitted them from my speech. That has only happened as a result of the restrictions on time, because, hopefully, all and sundry can get a sense of how passionate I am and how proud I am to be the federal member for Wright. The position that I hold in this place as the shadow minister for skills and training is a great privilege, and I cannot do that unless I am re-elected at each election by our wonderful people. In closing in the last couple of seconds, I will say that our families pay an enormous sacrifice for the time that we spend away, both in the community and down here. I just want to thank my family and, on the public record, let them know that I am immensely proud of all them and I love them dearly. Thank you for the time. 16:52 Dr LEIGH BU8 Fenner It's a real pleasure to rise to speak in the address-in-reply debate following a remarkable election victory for the Albanese government. The Prime Minister spoke during the election campaign about the importance of kindness and about looking after the most vulnerable. That message resonated with the Australian community, and the number of seats that Labor now holds in the House of Representatives is higher than at any time in Australian history. The share of the seats is higher than at any time since 1943. I was really honoured in my own electorate of Fenner to receive a 6.4 per cent swing, with 53.8 per cent of the primary vote and 72.1 per cent of the two-party preferred vote. I want to acknowledge the other candidates who ran in that election—Bola Olatunbosun, Dani Hunterford and Elizabeth Kikkert—and to thank each of the 97,000 voters who participated. You might think that I'm approximating when I say '97,000 voters'. No, I'm being exact. There were precisely 97,000 voters in the last election in the electorate of Fenner. I want to thank my staff who worked on the campaign—my campaign manager, Kal Slater; my chief of staff, Nick Terrell; Blair Arnold; Bronwyn Asquith; Chris Davis, Cohen Elliott, Cullen Savle, Felicity Wilkins, Frances Kitt, Maria Neill and Meg Thomas—and my volunteers, including Christine Debu, Gerry Lloyd, Jo Corrigan, Naomi Nicholson and 93-year-old Trevor Smith. As the previous speaker did, I acknowledge the immense support that I receive from my family: my parents, Barbara and Michael Leigh; my wife, Gweneth Leigh; and my three wonderful boys, Sebastian, Theodore and Zachary. Since being elected, the government has turned its focus to the issue of productivity. Productivity is a significant challenge in Australia, and the decade up to 2020 was the worst decade of productivity growth in the postwar era. The quarter in which our government came to office in 2022 saw a huge fall in productivity. Our government wants to boost productivity, because we recognise that this is the way we raise living standards and the way Australia can be more generous to those who are vulnerable here and overseas. The Treasurer's economic reform roundtable was preceded by a range of productivity roundtables across the country—more than 40 in all—and I was pleased to participate in a number of those. On 13 August, the ACT Labor federal representatives—Katy Gallagher, David Smith, Alicia Payne and myself—held a roundtable focusing on how we boost productivity, resilience and budget sustainability. I would like to thank the attendees: Blake Conor Proberts, Devin Bowles, Abid Khan, Michael Thomson, Hala Batainah, Margot McNeill, David Marshall, Mandy Hill, George Kadmos, Adam Fennessy, Matthew Kadelaars, Markus Doherty, Janet Salisbury, Maddy Northam, Corinne Dobson, Anna-Maria Arabia, Andrew Meares, Greg Harford, Michael Matthews, Alison Percival, Frank Porreca, Garry Watson, Kathy Ehrmann, Michael Hamill, Keith Cantlie and Emma Sparks, as well as Bill Shorten, the vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra. The discussion was free-flowing and thoughtful, engaged in topics such as how the ACT can help to serve as the nation's social laboratory and how we can use our willingness to be at the cutting edge of reform to provide productivity lessons that benefit the nation as a whole. On 7 August I drew together a range of economists from universities and think tanks to focus on the drivers of productivity growth. We met in Melbourne and held sessions on technology and human capital, investment and allocative efficiency. I want to thank the many attendees, including Bob Breunig, Kristen Sobeck, Jenny Gordon, Timothy Moore, Beth Webster, David Byrne, Miranda Stewart, Simon Loertscher, Cassandra Winzar, Flavio Menezes, Janeen Baxter, John Quiggin, Michael Brennan, Silvia Griselda, Brendan Coates, Aruna Sathanapally, Deborah Cobb-Clark, Richard Holden, John Piggott, Alison Preston, Janine Dixon, Leonora Risse, Peter Tulip, Guy Debelle, Alberto Posso, Ingrid Burford, John Asker—who joined us from UCLA—John Fingleton, Dan Andrews, Henry Sherrell and Saul Eslake. That conversation was the most wonkish productivity discussion I've participated in. Among the ideas discussed were the importance of ensuring we get the very most out of assets, how we might use the electricity grid in a way that ensures we don't have to build too much excess capacity for those few hours a year when the grid is peaking out and how we make the very most of our transport network to ensure we don't need to build roads that are only at their maximum capacity for an hour a day. Also emphasised was the notion of investment and how we make smart investments and evaluate those investments using rigorous processes such as randomised trials, as we've sought to do through the establishment of the Australian Centre for Evaluation. I thank all of those economists from academia and 'think tank land' for the thoughtful way in which they engaged in that discussion. As a professor-turned-politician I very much see one of my roles in this place as being to act as a conduit from the world of ideas to the world of power and welcome those who have raised their ideas and will continue to be part of that conversation. On 5 August, the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, and I held a productivity roundtable with charities and not-for-profits. The focus of that roundtable was to ensure how the not-for-profit sector can deliver more impact—not by compromising values or chasing metrics but through better systems, smarter incentives and greater capability. That roundtable explored how governments can support the sector with a focus on long-lasting, positive intergenerational change, including for First Nations people, people with disability and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. There was a discussion around evaluation and how we ensure that government programs are better evaluated, and a discussion around IT capability and the recognition that we need to do more in order to ensure that charities and not-for-profits are protected against cyber threats and are able to make the very most of the artificial intelligence revolution. I want to thank Tim Liu, Cassandra Goldie, Sarah Davies, Maiy Azize, Barry Sandison, Harry Greenwell, Eleanor Williams, Travers McLeod, Armine Nalbandian, Heidi Peterson, David Crosbie, Stephanie Harvey, Robyn Clough, Mary Ann Geronimo, Ian Hamm, Julian Elliott, David Spriggs, Graeme O'Connor, Jason Tabarias, Jo Barraket, John Hartman, Marion Bennett, Kristy Muir, Krystian Seibert, Andrew Colvin, Nick Tebbey, Mel Parks, James Toomey, Saffron Zomer, Toby O'Connor, Tanya von Ahlefeldt, Rob Sturrock, Kristen Stevenson, Angus McFarland, Karen Douglas, Julia Keady, Robyn Mildon, Adrian Appo, Paul Conroy, Geraldine Menere, Tabatha Feher and Michael Carmody for their participation in that charities and not-for-profits productivity roundtable. On 12 August, I was pleased to participate in a roundtable about productivity in Western Australia, organised by Tania Lawrence, alongside WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti. That discussion focused on the unique role of the resources sector within Western Australia but also on the importance of ensuring a diverse industrial base for Western Australia. Attendees contributed a wide range of ideas about technological uptake, boosting investment and how to ensure that Western Australians are ready for the jobs of the future. I was particularly impressed by the way in which Tania Lawrence had engaged so extensively with the attendees, spending at least half an hour with each of them beforehand and adeptly drawing together their contributions in order to make the most out of that roundtable. All of these roundtable discussions fed into the Economic Reform Roundtable conducted here at Parliament House from 19 to 21 August. That roundtable was convened by the Treasurer, and the Assistant Treasurer and I were pleased to be in the room for the three days of the conversation. Twenty-nine hours sitting in a windowless room may not seem like everyone's idea of fun, but when you're talking about economic reform there is nowhere I would rather have been. I admire the way in which so many of the attendees took off their sectional interest hats and put on a national interest hat, engaging constructively on how we boost productivity and engaging in particular with those ministers who came into the room for particular parts of the discussion. We had Minister Tim Ayres; we had Minister Murray Watt; and, of course, we had Minister Clare O'Neil, who came in to discuss the significant challenges that she is grappling with in the housing sector and the vital work that she doing across local, state and territory governments in order to ensure that we build the houses we need. Many members will be familiar with Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book Abundance, which emphasises the way in which a series of well-meaning regulations can together overlap to create a thicket of regulation which prevents us building the homes and the clean energy infrastructure and doing the research that advanced countries need. That philosophy is very much in accord with a government led by a prime minister who is the former infrastructure minister and who has a passionate commitment to seeing more homes built. While in the last parliament we fought the housing supply denialists to our left and right, we are getting on with the job of building—not only with the Commonwealth balance sheet but also in engaging with state, territory and local governments in order to ensure that the regulations don't stand in the way of construction. I'm sure Minister O'Neil will speak much more articulately than me in her contribution next. The roundtable identified 10 areas of consensus: progressing work towards a single market to improve the federation; simplifying trade and tariffs; better regulation to cut the clutter; speeding up approvals in national priority areas; building more homes more quickly; making AI a national priority; attracting capital and deploying investment; building a skilled and adaptable workforce; creating a better tax system; and modernising government services. We understand the importance of ensuring that government is more productive as well. The work we're doing through Minister Gallagher is vital, as is the better evaluation of government programs. In some sense, the challenge that we face with productivity is akin to the challenge we face on the sporting field. Sport doesn't face a trade-off between fairness and excellence, and neither should the economy. Our objective as a government is to ensure that we lift everyone up and that we don't simply look at average measured productivity and worry it might go down if we move somebody from long-term joblessness into work. We recognise that it is the productivity of everyone that counts and that we need to have measures of productivity that better capture the vital work that is done in the care economy. In closing, can I just acknowledge an important milestone that passed this year. The ANU Indonesia Project has turned 60. The ANU Indonesia Project is run out of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU and been a jewel in the crown for the ANU. I want to acknowledge Professor Budy Resosudarmo, the head of the ANU Indonesia Project, and the faculty who work within that project. Hal Hill has played a critical role in the ANU Indonesia Project throughout his career. He is somebody who has been a real mentor to me and to so many others within that project. Terima kasih banyak, Hal. The project's 60th anniversary saw speeches given by Stephen Kennedy, Dennis Richardson, Lisa Cameron, Mari Pangestu, Chatib Basri, Bambang Brodjonegoro, Ross Garnaut and Penny Wong. It reflects the strong standing in which the ANU Indonesia Project is held and the vital work that ANU does in strengthening the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. 17:07 Ms O'NEIL 140590 Hotham This year Australians made a choice. They chose a future shaped by fairness, ambition and care. They chose Labor, and they rejected division and negativity. What an incredible victory we had on 3 May. Ninety-four Labor members now sit in this place, each of them bringing with eloquence the hopes and dreams of their communities, the strength of their convictions, and the promise and vision of a better Australia. I'm honoured to stand amongst them. One of the very best experiences I know we've shared since the election has been hearing the first speeches of the 24 new Labor members in this place. I was so moved by every single one of these individual journeys of 24 people who have come to our chamber through very different pathways, through a variety of life experiences and from a plethora of backgrounds. They come together to sit with us in a Labor caucus that, really, for the first time, represents modern Australia. That's something that I am incredibly proud to be a part of. I joined the Labor Party when I was 16 years old because I believed, as I now know, that Labor governments—particularly back-to-back Labor governments—change the lives of the people that we care about and reshape our country. This will be the 12th federal Labor government that Australia has had since the Second World War, and in that time our party—the one I am so proud to be a part of—has laid the foundations of our beautiful, great, modern country. Medicare, paid parental leave, superannuation, land rights, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the accord, the National Disability Insurance Scheme—these achievements were not accidents. They did not happen by inevitability. They happened because brilliant Labor people got themselves elected to parliament, stood up for what they believed in and reshaped our nation. We now have the opportunity over the coming three years to do it again. We have an amazing opportunity to build on that legacy. We're going to govern with purpose, and we are going to deliver for the people who placed their trust in us. I sometimes think that people outside of politics may not realise the complexity, the difficulty and the amazing feat of running a campaign in your local community. Our campaign in Hotham was built on the shoulders of volunteers who gave us their weekends, their evenings and their hearts. The Hotham branch members, in particular, were the beating heart of this operation. We could not have done it without you, comrades. We are so grateful for your efforts. Deputy Speaker Mascarenhas, I know you would have seen the same thing in your community of Swan. The commitment, the grit and the grace that my community showed me—the work they did with me—got us to a point where Hotham is now the safest Labor seat in Victoria. I can tell you, we have lots of ups and downs in politics, but that endorsement from my community means everything—that the people I represent in this chamber voted in such numbers to return our government to its position to be able to continue the good work that is improving their lives. I want to come back to our Hotham branch members, because I'm thinking back to January, when it all really began in earnest. We knew it was an election year, we gathered together at the Oakleigh RSL and we asked our community to get involved, mainly branch members but not all of them. We asked people to step up and to be part of something bigger than themselves and make that big contribution to their local neighbourhood. We did train stations throughout January and then all the way up to that epic election day on 3 May. It was four months of hard work and probably a year of preparation before that. We had hundreds of volunteers helping us out—giving out flyers, phone banking, doorknocking and letterboxing. I can't thank everyone individually, but I want to give a few special mentions. To Andrew Williamson, Mark Giles and Mark Harding, three marvellous south-east Melbourne men: thank you for your leadership, your expertise, your tireless support. To our phenomenal yard sign team—and Deputy Speaker you know, as I do, the work that goes into identifying the sites all over the community where you're going to have your yard signs and making those yard signs, putting them out and then taking them down again after the election—Alan Ide, Peter Wenborn, Gregory Neal and Dolphin Sharma: thank you so much for your efforts across Hotham. We had a lot of phone banking going on, but I want to mention by name Phillip Graves, Amuna Ebenezer, Sue Rocco and Olivia Carroll. Thank you so much for the work you did connecting us into our community and talking to my constituents about the work that was being done. As always in Hotham, we have incredible support from our proud multicultural communities. I am very lucky in Hotham to live and work in a community where most of my constituents either were born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. I want to thank our fantastic Vietnamese community—Dr Kimson Vu and SEMVAC—for running phone banks nearly every day, as well as the AUMSAI Sansthan Temple for providing lunch to all our booth captains, as well as our wonderful local councillors, including Nicky Lou and Richard Lim, and the Cambodian Association and their president, my dear friend Youhorn Chea. Thank you so much for your support and leadership. To Jane Rollason, Glenda Garde, Pat Dillion, Anne Barker, Joy Graves, Paul Klisaris, Hadi Saab, Lana Formosa, and Luca Ragni: thank you for going above and beyond; I will never forget your efforts. Behind every great campaign is an amazing office, and I want to acknowledge my electorate office staff in this last term. To Natalie Durkin, Lachlan Newman, Jane Foley, Natalia Genovese, Sophie Federico, Elijah Oakford, Dylan Kumar and Emma McGrath-Cohen: what an amazing team we were. I love you guys so much. Thank you so much for your kindness, determination and public service. Election day was absolutely epic. We had hundreds of volunteers staffing booths, we had some experienced branchies who were showing that leadership role and we had first campaigners alongside them, and I hope everyone who came along for this ride with us will be back there again in a few years time. With this amazing momentum, I'm really excited about what we can achieve next election. Being the member for Hotham is the absolute privilege of my life, and none of us come to this chamber without the support of our families. I want to thank Fee for her help and for the care that she shows to our whole family. We would not survive without you, Fee. I want to thank my mum, Anne O'Donovan, who taught me everything I know about life, really, and she's always at the end of the phone when Brendan and I are desperate for a date night—thanks, Mum. To my beautiful kids, Elvis, Louis and Greta: the joy these three bring me is just incredible. They're the best. And to my partner, Brendan, who is my best friend and the finest person I know: a life being married to a cabinet minister can be pretty thankless and unpleasant at times, but he believes in what I do, I believe in and support what he does, and I love him from the bottom of my heart. I want to mention some specific groups around Hotham who deserve a little bit of recognition in this parliament. Hotham is a place of extraordinary diversity. It is just amazing. If you have not come and visited us in Melbourne's beautiful great south-east, you need to get down there. We have something from every part of the world, the best of every part of the world, represented in our community. Around dinner tables in Hotham, you'll hear Tamil, Khmer, Mandarin, Dari, Greek, Hindi, Vietnamese and pretty much every other language there is in the world, and they're spoken with pride. My community is home to temples, churches, mosques, market gardens and manufacturing floors. It is a place where Australia's fantastic story of opportunity is being written every single day. In Hotham, difference is not just tolerated; it's celebrated, and it's the very best thing about living in our beautiful area. We have a large and very important Indian community that's growing in my electorate of Hotham, and I want to say namaste to my beautiful constituents—in particular those from the Sri Venkata Krishna Brundavana temple in Murrumbeena, who recently hosted me for the most amazing visit. It was beautiful, and I wish I had the capacity to go back there every single week with my family. The temple leaders, Ashwin Bindu, Ranesh Rao and Raj Saini, are incredible leaders in our community. This is a community that really got going around 2015, when the priest house was first established. We have seen devotion in this particular community grow massively across Melbourne, and when I visited recently I got to experience this teeming joy and energy of celebration around spirituality. I just wish I could paint the picture for you: a suburban street and a community of hundreds of people gathering together to celebrate, to support each other and to build and support a great life in our country. It just made me so damn proud to be Australian, and I absolutely loved it. So I want to acknowledge that community and thank them for welcoming me so beautifully. I can't wait to come back and visit you again very shortly. Hotham is a place of service, and I want to acknowledge some outstanding individuals from my electorate who were appropriately recognised in this year's Australia Day awards. Jim Magee OAM, my old friend from Bentleigh East, was a very long-serving councillor and a fierce advocate for all-abilities access and for protecting services for the vulnerable. I think we've got a Jim Magee in lots of parts of Australia, and we're lucky to have them. Jim is one of those amazing people who is, in every walk of his life, making a contribution and trying to help people step up and get involved, whether it's in sport or education or aged care or any of the other things that he's passionate about. He's championed so much good that's happened in our local area, and he remains a staunch supporter of access to sports and recreation for people of different abilities, and also of growth and prosperity in Hotham. Jim, mate, I'm so pleased for you. Congratulations. It is very well deserved. We also honour Senior Sergeant James Egan APM of Bentleigh East, who passed away in November 2024. He has an amazing story. He was a proud Bangerang and Gunditjmara man. James was—would you believe it?—the longest-serving Aboriginal employee in Victoria Police. He stayed in that organisation. He was a mentor. He was a trainer. He was a change-maker who helped shape the next generation of officers and improve cultural safety right across the force. It was an appropriate and really important moment for our community to celebrate the work of this remarkable individual, who received an award on Australia Day We remember Adam McKay OAM of Oakleigh, who was, of course, the founder of Helping Hoops. This is a charity that revolutionised access to basketball for children and young people. Adam's legacy lives on in the thousands of lives that he touched through sport and inclusion. I pay tribute to his work today, and I'm so pleased that the Australia Day Council was able to give that appropriate recognition to him on Australia Day. In this new term of the Albanese government, we're delivering real investment for the people of Hotham. One of those big investments that we were able to announce during the election campaign was almost $4 million to create equitable, inclusive and accessible playing fields and parks across the electorate—and this includes a few local projects that I'm very excited to champion: We've got Bailey Reserve in East Bentleigh, which will receive new facilities for women and girls, supporting clubs like the Glen Eira Moorabbin Softball Association, or GEMSA. I have to tell you about GEMSA. What an amazing group of women. I had so much fun with Minister Wells going out and announcing the grant for their organisation. I don't think I've ever felt the warmth of inclusion at the level I felt at this sporting club before. I spoke to so many women who are involved in the club who, frankly, have had some troubles in other parts of their lives. This club was that place where they felt at home, where they felt loved and accepted for whoever they were. GEMSA, I think you're amazing, and I'm so pleased to be able to support you, so let's get that grant out the door and your beautiful new club rooms built. We're also going to see investments at Ross Reserve in Noble Park that will see female inclusive change rooms and upgrades to athletic tracks. We've got Jack Edwards Reserve, which is coming online pretty soon. We've got Princess Highway Reserve in East Oakleigh and Namatjira Park in Clayton South, which will also receive funding, and we're pretty excited to see what that's going to mean for accessibility, safety and inclusion in parks right across my electorate. I want to mention one piece of Hotham that I haven't talked about yet. I am so lucky to represent the heart and soul of Melbourne's Greek community. In fact, I get to not only represent Oakleigh in the federal parliament but live in Oakleigh myself. I really can't put into words the warmth and the love with which this community embraces not just me but my family—my kids, my husband and my mum. It's amazing to live amongst Greek Australians. This is a culture that celebrates food, art, philosophy, politics, caffeine, drinking and dancing. So, I'm just like, 'Tick, tick, tick; this is fantastic; I love it!' This community is absolutely brilliant. It was wonderful during the election campaign to be able to work with this community on a really big contribution that our government will be making to what is really the centre of this community—the Greek Orthodox Church of Oakleigh Sts Anargiri and Oakleigh Grammar, which is the school that sits next door. These are two absolute institutions of Greek Melbourne. They perform incredibly important roles for our Greek community. It was fantastic, during the election, to be able to announce $4.5 million to back culture and inclusion through the construction of a Greek cultural club in Oakleigh. I want to thank Chris Damatopoulos and Mark Robertson for their absolutely impeccable advocacy around this project. This is going to mean a transformative difference to our ability to pass on that incredible Greek culture to the next generation. We have a vision together of a community centre where we have older people doing computer classes, young people learning Greek dancing, young people learning the Greek language and people who are that bit older finalising and putting those finishing touches on their grasp of an ancient language. This is a really exciting development for the community. I want to thank those two leaders, and I also want to mention our school captains, Alexander Korlos and Natasha Kaniadakis. The students at this school are just incredible. I loved visiting the school during the campaign. I'm there really frequently, and they're just a bunch of legends, so thanks so much, guys. Another important area of contribution that our government has is to support our local Ukrainian community. Our government has led the country in the strongest possible condemnation of the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We continue to work at a diplomatic level to do whatever we can to support the Ukrainian government. But I want to acknowledge the extraordinary Ukrainian community that we have here in Australia. I'm very lucky to have a Ukrainian community centre in my electorate, in Noble Park, and it was fantastic to be able to announce an investment of $225,000 during the election. That money will restore and enhance the Ukrainian community centre in Noble Park. They are a fantastic community. They were fantastic even before the invasion, but now this community is welcoming, supporting and providing that beautiful love and support to Ukrainians who have fled the war. So it's fantastic to be able to provide that practical support to this community, and I thank the community for welcoming me to their art show a couple of months ago. Thank you so much for the time of the parliament to talk about some of these critical issues in my electorate. I can't wait to contribute more as we work together in this term ahead. 17:25 Mr GORMAN 74519 Perth Before I begin my remarks, can I say how wonderful it is to see you, Deputy Speaker Mascarenhas, in that chair, chairing the Federation Chamber and making an incredible contribution not just to the parliament but also to the running of the parliament. You and I share an electorate border, the beautiful Swan River, and we've shared a friendship of some 20 years. It's great to see you there. I begin by thanking the Governor-General for her remarks at the opening of this 48th Parliament. Her Excellency highlighted: Our democracy is the golden thread that unites Australians across geography and generations. I could not agree more. In my electorate of Perth, I see that golden thread in action in every community group, in every person who turns up to vote and in everyone who finds their unique way to have their voice heard. Democracy doesn't just happen in parliament; it happens in the values of the people of Australia and the people of Perth. Her Excellency said: The government is ready to return to the task—of building Australia's future. That's what we were elected to do. That's the promise that we made to the Australian people when they chose to support us on 3 May. That spreads across a wide agenda, including helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, strengthening Medicare, making medicines cheaper, making education and training more affordable by protecting the investments we've got by fully funding our public schools and making sure that free TAFE isn't just something that happens for a period of time but is there permanently for the future. We made commitments in Perth, where you, Deputy Speaker Mascarenhas, and I attended Labor's launch. There was a launch in the electorate of Swan in 2022. They went one better in 2025 and launched in the electorate of Perth, where the Prime Minister stood up and made a commitment that we would make it easier for people to buy their first home—with just a five per cent deposit. We deliver on that in October this year. I don't know whether the Dockers will win the grand final on 27 September. That is for the players to determine in their excellent work. But what I do know is that, on 1 October, every first home buyer will be able to buy their own home with just a five per cent deposit. I'm really excited to be part of that agenda, just as I am to be a part of the work that we're doing in making sure that we protect the penalty rates of some 2.9 million Australians. That's something that's currently being slightly held up by the opposition, but we are determined to get that done, because we know that working Australians work hard, deserve those penalty rates and deserve to have that money in their pocket. Similarly, we continue to do the work that we committed to around making sure that Medicare is more accessible. It is a universal health system, but it's not always easy for people to get to the doctor or nurse that they need to talk to. That's why we committed to create 1800MEDICARE. You can simply pick up the phone and call 1800MEDICARE and get access to the health care that you need within minutes of realising that you might need some medical assistance. Not just that but 1800MEDICARE will be free, like so much of the Medicare system. You will not have to pay a cent. The first question you'll be asked when you call 1800MEDICARE will not be, 'What's your credit card number?' It will be, 'What is your Medicare card number?' if you've got time, or they'll get straight on to referring you to the appropriate services. We said that we also wanted to build on the success of the excellent Medicare urgent care clinics, including the one on Rudloc Road in my electorate, by having Medicare mental health centres. I went down with the Labor candidate for Forrest, Tabitha Dowding, to announce that we would have that in Bunbury, a growing region with such huge potential when it comes to renewable energy and when it comes to the future of manufacturing in Western Australia and indeed the rest of Australia. Just on that, when you come and have the privilege of giving an address-in-reply, you reflect on the fact that you are fortunate to get here, but not everyone you might campaign alongside does. So I want to pay a little tribute just to those from my party who stood in Western Australia for seats and may sometimes, through no fault of their own—I don't want to live in a country where everyone votes the same way, but some of them worked incredibly hard and gave up weeks and weeks of their time. But I just want to pay tribute to the Labor candidates who stood in WA. Tabitha Dowding ran an excellent campaign in Forrest, and I don't think it's the last we'll see of Tabitha. Jarrad Goold in Canning did an outstanding job. Jarrad had an interesting challenge in that he was running against a Liberal who didn't want to use any Liberal branding and was trying to pretend they were an Independent, but Jared did a great job, despite those odd circumstances. Darren Moir stood in O'Connor. He's a great farmer and did an excellent job there. My friend Karen Wheatland stood in the seat of Durack. City of Perth councillor Viktor Ko stood in the seat of Curtin, and Deep Singh stood for the Senate. It really is a contribution to democracy that people stand even if they know they may not succeed in getting into parliament. They stand because they want to make sure that, wherever people are in this country, people can choose to vote for a Labor candidate. One of the reasons so many people did was that this is a government that, after a decade of inaction, took housing seriously. We stood there saying that the idea that you want to own your first home should not be out of reach for any Australian. We put a huge focus on first home buyers, and we saw that through our Help to Buy scheme, which is going to help some 40,000 people over the next four years. We saw that in the agenda we took of building 1.2 million homes in the next five years. Those opposite said: 'That sounds hard. Why try?' We say, 'It's worth trying to do the hard things to make sure you deliver for the people who sent us here.' And we do this all against the backdrop of huge global uncertainty. We don't know where some world events will go. We know that we've had huge inflation challenges coming in from overseas. We know that there's more we can do when it comes to building economic resilience and supporting Australians' prosperity here at home, recognising that part of that is about how we engage constructively in the affairs of our region. It's also about recognising how we show to people here in Australia that our engagement with the world helps us at home. The Prime Minister, when he was in Western Australia a number of times, brought out the fact that one in four jobs in Australia rely upon trade. We did excellent work, and I want to commend all ministers involved, especially the trade minister, in removing some of those impediments to trade, especially the work that was done to support some of the industries like barley, crayfish and wine in Western Australia. We'll continue to do that work to expand Western Australia's and Australia's trade relationships, making sure that we have an economy that does provide those additional opportunities that come from our engagement with the world. Deputy Speaker Payne, I want to talk about something that I know is close to your heart, which is the importance of our public service workforce. You are an excellent advocate for standing up for public servants and the important work they do, whether it be clearing backlogs, preparing us for natural disasters or providing support for people at times where they may have lost everything and the only thing they want is for a public servant to pick up the phone and give them some financial assistance so they can get back on their feet. We've got an outstanding public service in this country, much of it—but not all of it—here in the nation's great capital. I was really proud to stand with you and Labor colleagues across the country, including the Minister for the Public Service, in advocating for the important work the Public Service does. It was deeply disappointing to see—and I hope we don't see it in another election campaign any time soon—the mean, nasty, inappropriate attacks on the Public Service that came from the Liberal Party as they sought to campaign their way into office. The Australian people rejected their attacks on work from home. They rejected their attacks on the Public Service. They rejected the idea that the Liberal Party and the National Party have put out there that somehow it's acceptable that veterans were waiting months, if not years, for their packages. That was the proposition that was put by those on the opposite side. I was proud to stand against the plan put forward by the now leader of the opposition and others to cut 41,000 jobs from the Public Service. If we were standing here now and that plan had gone through, it would have resulted in chaos. It would have resulted in huge blowouts in wait times and terrible-quality policy advice. It would have been deeply destructive across the country, and not just here in Canberra. Thousands of Commonwealth public servants come into my electorate every day, working at home affairs, the tax office and Services Australia, doing excellent work supporting their fellow Australians across the country. It would have been a wrecking ball across the country for the services Australians rely upon. One of the other highlights of the recent election campaign was the number of times we were able to welcome the Prime Minister to the great state of Western Australia. We welcomed him for the campaign launch in my seat of Perth and, over the course of the last term of government, Western Australia welcomed the Prime Minister 35 times. I got to stand with him during the campaign to announce a massive investment in the Perth ferry network, which is currently just from Perth to South Perth and back—lovely trip, great if you want to go to the zoo—but we know that we can do more. Let's start doing the work to bring it up to Claisebrook, bring it up to Maylands, get it over to the Optus Stadium and give Perth the ferry network that the Swan River rightly deserves. I mentioned the candidates that didn't quite make it to this place despite their excellent campaigning efforts. I do want to say, there are three great new Western Australians in this parliament. First is my friend Trish Cook, who had a very long wait for the results on the seat of Bullwinkel. At the time, when she was being asked, 'How do you feel, waiting for this?' she replied: 'I'm a midwife; I'm used to long waits. I don't mind at all.' As a result, we now have our tenth nurse in the parliament. It's great to have the member for Bullwinkel here. Equally, we have Tom French joining us. Both a lawyer and a sparky, he brings a full spectrum of skills, and it will be very handy having him in the parliament. I know he'll make a great contribution to building Australia's future. There's also my friend Senator Ellie Whitaker, who spent most of 2025 campaigning for others as party secretary but has also joined us, which is great to see. One of the things you couldn't avoid during the federal election campaign was the debate around the GST. When I was first elected to this place, I said, 'Every Western Australian is sick of debating the GST.' I still believe that. The reason I believe it is that I think we finally have a set of policy settings that appropriately recognise the interests of every part of the Commonwealth, and the No Worse Off Guarantee that our government has extended has meant we can keep the GST debate off the front pages, allowing us to focus on the serious challenges Australia faces. It will also implement the 2026 Productivity Commission review, as was agreed between the McGowan-Cook government in 2018. There are a lot of things I'd like to cover, but I'll just touch on a few things that make me really proud of the work this government is doing. The first is the partnership we've got when it comes to the Collie Battery Energy Storage System. This is significant investment in battery storage. I've been down there to see it myself. It's going to make a huge difference to the stability of the WA grid, but it's also making a huge difference in reducing WA's emissions. In the last term, I had the joy of riding on the Perth-based Morley-Ellenbrook train line. I'm looking forward to further investments in METRONET that will get more people into our CBD, supporting the businesses of Perth. The other one that is great for everyone who is young or young at heart is Labor's $100 million commitment to invest in the future of Scitech. Scitech is the Questacon of the west. It's a fantastic science education facility that has serviced generations of Western Australians and inspired them to go on to careers in the resources industry, science, technology and so much more. However, its home at City West is looking pretty shabby these days. It's time for a new forever home for Scitech. The Albanese government will be there in partnership with the state government to get that done. Similarly, we will be there when it comes to the urban forest project turning what was a tip, or a dump, in Bayswater into a new urban forest next to the Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, making sure we've got the urban forest and the urban tree canopy we rightly need. At the same time, down the road in Hyde Park, a park that is loved by my community, we've seen a huge removal of trees because of the horrific impact of the shot-hole borer, which is killing trees throughout the Perth metropolitan area. I must say I hope it never comes to this beautiful part of the country on the east coast. We're partnering with the Mayor of the City of Vincent, Alison Xamon, with a significant investment in the replanting of Hyde Park. In my final moments, I want to quickly thank some—and I can't do all—of those who I've been fortunate to have support me to continue to serve in this place. Firstly, I want to thank my family. My wife, Jess, has gone through four elections with me. Every election is its own unique challenge. The incredible support that she provides both humbles me and makes me feel incredibly loved, and I'm really glad that she's been with me for all those elections. As a result, at the end of this sitting fortnight, we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I want to thank our children, Leo and Ruby, who both enthusiastically demanded their own mini campaign shirts and enthusiastically sat at the front when the member for Sydney came over and launched the campaign. They only interjected around seven times during her speech, but it was great to have their support. To my family—to my mum and dad, Wendy and Ron, who were there at prepoll in Morley pretty much every day, and to my brother Joey: I'm very grateful for your support. My mother-in-law, Diane, handed out at an election for the very first time. I'm really grateful for that support, as I am to my brother-in-law Andrew. I want to say thank you to the team that I work with: Daniel Sutherland, Anna Churack, Kiani Mannon-Bakaj, Raz Abdullah, Kelly Ovens, Marissa Williams, Shai Macpherson, Martina Ucnikova, Katelyn Stubberfield, Rukshan De Alwis, Matilda McCagh and Harry Saunders. They all made an outstanding contribution and were fantastic campaigners. People are very proud, and rightly proud, of the results that they achieved. One of the other joys if you're in this place long enough is to see your staff make big life decisions, and we got to welcome Baby George. Congratulations to Martina for adding Baby George to the broader office family, and, similarly, congratulations to Daniel Sutherland for adding Baby Daphne to the broader office family. Those were two really exciting and nice moments. It's always good to have a campaign baby in tow. I'd also like to say a special thankyou to Marissa Williams, who left my office at the conclusion of the term to spend more time with her two excellent and lovely children, Jude and Henry. Marissa has done an incredible amount of service, not just to me but to the Labor team in Western Australia, and I wish her the very best. I'd like to thank equally the campaign committee who were there to tell me the hard truths and to make sure I stayed on message and kept my diary of commitments and everything else. Thank you to Ali Vaughan, Bob Kucera, Jimmy Murphy, Marije van Hemert, Megan Anwyl, Rachael Roberts and Steven Graves, and thanks to Marije for bringing along Baby Iris from time to time. I'll finish my comments there. It is an absolute honour to serve in this place alongside so many talented members. We had an excellent contribution of members before the election. We added to that at the election, while retaining everyone who wanted to recontest their seat on our side of the place. That is a unique outcome in Australian electoral history, and it is one that I'm proud to have played a very small part in achieving. I'm looking forward to the work of the 48th Parliament. 17:44 Ms THWAITES 282212 Jagajaga It's an absolute privilege and an honour to be here once again as the member for Jagajaga, and I am sincerely grateful and humbled to once again be trusted by my community to represent them in this parliament. I've said many times that I love our community. It is the place where I grew up, and it's now the place where I'm bringing up my own children with my husband, Daniel. We absolutely know firsthand just how special our part of Melbourne is. The people who live there, the community groups, the parks, the creeks—there is a strong sense of belonging and connection in Jagajaga, and it makes it a wonderful place to call home. Every day I absolutely take pride in the opportunity to be our community's voice here in this parliament. I was really pleased with the conversations I was able to have with community members during the election campaign. A lot of people spoke to me, both about what they could see our government had achieved in our one term in government and also about the progress they wanted to see come next—about the work still to do. There was a marked difference in those conversations I had in the community between the sense of trust they had in a Labor government to deliver on that work still to come and what was being put forward by our Liberal opponents—which really was an agenda based around negativity, an agenda that clearly wasn't well thought through, particularly if we think about their main plan of a nuclear future for Australia. It's an agenda which showed they really don't understand the lives of modern Australians and of people in communities like Jagajaga. I'm thinking here particularly of the way they wanted to limit things like working from home. It was clear to me when I was talking to people, whether it was at early voting centres or when I was knocking on doors or standing outside the local shops, that what they valued were the things that Labor governments do, and they were trusting us to get on and do those things and to build for the future. I am really looking forward to doing that work in the second term, to staying focused on our goals and to making sure that we continue to achieve, not just for Jagajaga but, of course, for the entire country. I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I'm giving this speech today, the Ngunnawal and the Ngambri people, and I pay my respect to their elders past and present. I also want to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land Jagajaga stands on. Theirs is a deep and ongoing connection to land, water and sky, which is absolutely inseparable from that place, and I again pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging in Jagajaga. In this second term, I look forward to getting on with work to continue that connection, to continue to close the gap and to continue to make sure that we are helping First Nations people in our country to be as strong a part of our community as possible. I know it is something that many people in Jagajaga are passionate about, and they talk to me about it. The Birrarung, the Yarra River, forms a natural border around my electorate. It runs from Ivanhoe all the way through to North Warrandyte. And, certainly, that waterway and other significant waterways such as the Darebin Creek, the Banyule Flats and Plenty Gorge are an important part of Jagajaga. People in Jagajaga care deeply about these places and about our environmental legacy. I can absolutely say that one of the main issues raised with me during the election campaign, and now, by people in Jagajaga is the need for continued action on climate change. There is a real understanding in my community of how environmental protection, emissions reduction and climate resilience action all come together. What was very clear at the last election and what is increasingly clear now, as those opposite continue to debate whether they will actually ditch a commitment to net zero, is that Labor is the party of climate action. We have made tackling climate change a top priority. Again, that is exactly what communities like mine in Jagajaga expect of a government that understands the challenges that we are facing and that understands what this country needs to be doing to provide a safe and secure future with good jobs—not just for people now, but for our children and for their children's children. As a government, we are delivering on our emissions reduction targets. It was really encouraging to see the announcement from the minister this week that emissions are falling and that we are on the right track—with a lot more to do! That's why we are making major investments in renewable energy. We are improving and protecting the places that we love. We're also, this term, putting a renewed focus on expanding our climate adaptation and resilience work, on making sure that communities like mine are supported to live with the effects of what we already see from climate change. That will be critical right around the country. Very clearly at the last election Australians rejected the divisive nuclear push that we know was steeped in climate denialism from those opposite. Every time they put that policy forward, it wasn't a policy about debating a better way forward for Australia; it was a policy about denial. Again, we see this very clearly now with the motion before the parliament to drop net zero. The sense of security and of certainty for Australians that we now are committed to climate action and that that will continue under this government is really important. In Jagajaga, just like around the country, we are rolling out community batteries with support from this government. That obviously supports the many solar rooftops that I see as I travel around the electorate. People in my community understand that batteries are not only a good way to help tackle climate change but also a good way to bring down their bills and reduce electricity costs. I know they will continue to be very popular in Jagajaga. Recently—in fact, just before the start of the election campaign—I helped open the Bellfield community battery, which our government has helped fund. Again, this work is about taking pressure off the grid and supporting local people to reap the benefits of the energy transition. Another key issue during the election campaign in Jagajaga, and right around the country, was Medicare and our health system. Labor will always be the party that protects Medicare. We understand that it is the cornerstone of our health system. We know locals want it to be there for them when they need it—for themselves, for their kids and for our entire community. I was so pleased to be able to open the Heidelberg Medicare Urgent Care Clinic during our first term of parliament, and I've seen the huge impact it's had on the community—providing that place that people can go to when they need urgent care, rather than having to go up the road to the Austin Hospital and wait many hours in emergency. They're able to go to the clinic, be seen and have certainty. I know it's also taking pressure off the Austin emergency department, so it's appreciated there. I was pleased that, in this last campaign, we also committed—together with the member for McEwen—to secure a new Medicare emergency clinic for Diamond Creek and surrounds. I know that will be beneficial to people living in the northern end of my electorate. It was fantastic to be able to do that with the member for McEwen. I'm very pleased he is back in this parliament so we can continue to work together to serve our communities. In fact, today I met with the Northern Councils Alliance with the member for McEwen, the member for Scullin and some other colleagues, to work together across Melbourne's north to continue building the services we need. Another part of election campaigns that I always enjoy is engaging with my local sporting clubs. These play a huge role in bringing people together locally and in providing both young people and older people places to keep fit and engaged. I was so pleased to support the Heidelberg West Football Netball Club with an $814,000 grant for female-friendly facilities, including proper changerooms, showers and toilets. I know these facilities will be much appreciated and make a huge difference to the women and girls playing at that club. Congratulations to all of them. I'm absolutely thrilled that we will be delivering $2 million to support Banyule City Council to build a new netball facility and upgrade the Ivanhoe Park Croquet Club. These investments really help promote active, inclusive communities, the netball encouraging more women to participate in and play sport and the croquet club encouraging people of all abilities, including older people, to be involved. I always enjoy my visits to the Ivanhoe Croquet Club. They are a very lively bunch. They've given me tips. I'm not very good yet, but I hope that I have the opportunity to continue to go back and improve my skills. We are continuing to support community infrastructure more broadly, including at Shelley Park and Heidelberg Heights, which is getting a brand new pavilion and clubrooms through an investment we made during the last term. I'm really looking forward to seeing it become a new hub for local sport and community events. This does come, I think, at an important time for that growing population in that area of Jagajaga. At Eltham Lower Park we've opened a new off-leash dog park, and the sporting pavilion there will be upgraded, which will help the local lacrosse, croquet and cricket clubs. There is lots going on on the sporting and community front in Jagajaga, which I'm very pleased about. One of the main focuses for our government this term is of course housing. We know that right across Australia we have challenges when it comes to housing. It is still very difficult, particularly for people to enter the market. We don't have enough social and affordable housing. We are trying our best to tackle this, obviously, after many years of those opposite neglecting it—neglecting to have a housing minister for most of their time in government, in fact. Again, one of the frequent conversations I had with people in Jagajaga during the election campaign was about how difficult it is to get into the housing market. Many people who were having this conversation with me were approaching it from a situation of generational inequality, talking to me about how they were worried for their children or their grandchildren and also how they want their children to be able to live in the vicinity of them. Again, in many parts, Jagajaga is an expensive place to buy a house, and people want to be able to live near families, to live near the places they love and where they grew up. So I am really pleased that our government has announced that we're expanding the opportunity so that people can access the dream of homeownership with a five per cent deposit and that it will come into effect from 1 October this year. In Jagajaga we are also delivering new social and affordable housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund and the Social Housing Accelerator. In Heidelberg West we've teamed up with the state government to rebuild the Bell-Bardia estate. This will mean 104 homes in the area delivering high-quality, modern housing. It's on a site that previously had 94 homes which were not really fit for purpose anymore, so they were demolished some years ago. I am really glad we are getting these new houses built on that site, and I know that it will be really important for the 3081 community. Across Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Rosanna and Greensborough, 642 new homes are being built through the HAFF. We have just funded 25 additional homes under the second round of the HAFF, in Bellfield. These are significant investments in Jagajaga and in our communities. Again, I'm really pleased with how our community has embraced this opportunity and seen the need for more housing and particularly more social and affordable housing in our area. It will support women and children leaving family violence. It will support First Nations people. It will mean that key workers can live close to things like the Austin Hospital, so that's going to be really important. I look forward to continuing to see those houses being built and hopefully visiting some of them fairly shortly for an opening. I talked before about intergenerational equality. Again, when I talk about those conversations about the future that people had with me during the election campaign, this idea of how we're making sure we do build a country that delivers a better life for our children and their children was one they were talking with me about. So I'm very pleased that one of the first acts of our government in this new session of parliament was to introduce our bill to wipe 20 per cent off all student debt. I've already heard from many people in Jagajaga about what a real difference this has made to them, particularly when it comes to things like getting into the housing market, so that's fantastic. Obviously we have a commitment to not just wiping debt but also helping young people to get the skills and education they need. We've made free TAFE permanent, because it is essential to skills development and opportunity. In my community, that means that students at Greensborough and the west Heidelberg Melbourne Polytechnic are already benefiting. We are investing in the future workforce though a new national TAFE centre of excellence for housing construction at west Heidelberg Melbourne Polytechnic, which will be fantastic. That's a $50 million investment which will tackle skills shortages, speed up housing delivery and support more sustainable construction, all while creating strong pathways into secure local jobs. It was great to visit that site with Minister Giles and talk with some of the students studying there and also some of the educators about the important work they are doing there. Another great strength of Jagajaga is our diversity. I'm proud to represent one of the largest Somali Australian communities in the country. I was pleased to secure further funding for Himilo Community Connect, which does outstanding work in education, youth leadership and engagement within the community. Supporting community cohesion, interfaith understanding and cultural celebration has been a focus of the great work they are doing. Together with the member for Cooper, I was also proud to support the Darusalam Community Centre, helping to ensure that it remains a safe and welcoming gathering place. Thank you to community leaders Abdallah Ahmed and Ishmael Gabo. To Abdiaziz Farah, Pam Burley and Yusuf Oman: you and your teams are doing the work on the ground in the community, and I thank you for your collaboration—and all of those in the Somali Australian community who are helping us build a more inclusive and connected society. There are a lot of thankyous to make after a campaign, and I want to thank all of the people who made our local campaign possible. In Jagajaga, we ran a grassroots campaign, which was local, positive and progressive, and it focused on what mattered to our community. I'm so grateful to every person who gave their time and energy and for their belief in the work we do. To my incredible volunteers and branch members: thank you. Whether you joined us in the morning at the train stations or you were making phone calls in the evenings, there every day at prepoll or helping behind the scenes, I could not have done this without you. To Judy, Jennie, Garry, Rhonda, Chris, Jason and all our local party leaders and volunteers: thank you for your trust and support. To my state colleagues Anthony Carbines, Colin Brooks and Vicki Ward: it's always such a pleasure to have your support and to work with you on behalf of our communities, and I'm looking forward to standing alongside you in your coming election campaigns. To my wonderful staff—to David, my campaign manager; Simone; Alex; Kate; Ziggy; Izzy, who's here in the chamber; and Carla: you all worked so hard and you delivered for our community, so thank you. Of course to my family—to Daniel, Harriet and Gilbert, these campaigns do take a lot and put a toll on families. I could not do it without any of them. It was great to see Harriet, who's now seven years old, take quite an interest in this campaign. She's definitely on team red. She was quite pleased and proud to see her mum's face up around the electorate. I don't think that will be the case if I get the chance to run for election when she is 10 years old, so I also enjoyed having that moment. But a huge thanks goes to them and to my parents, to my brothers and their partners, and the whole family who wrapped around us. Also a final thankyou from me goes to the Australian Electoral Commission. We are really privileged in this country that we have an independent commission that is dedicated to running our elections in a way that is free, fair and transparent, and I know that that work is not always easy. We particularly see this in local campaigns, and we did see in this last local campaign, particularly when it came to prepolling, that the environment can get heated. There can be some very difficult demands put on AEC staff, who are working to deliver a free and fair election. I think that the way the AEC is able to deal with those demands, with the professionalism shown by its staff, is exemplary. We absolutely must make sure that we protect that system and that Australians do feel confident and proud to vote and to participate in our democracy. Thank you to the AEC, and I look forward to hopefully doing it with them all again. In the meantime, I look forward to delivering for Jagajaga during this campaign. 18:03 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon It was an absolute pleasure in the last sitting to listen to all the first speeches from the new MPs. They were very impressive and from a wide variety of backgrounds. It was humbling to hear of the skills, experiences, attributes and backgrounds that this new cohort, the class of 2025, brings to us. It's going to make our parliament better. We're going to make better decisions based on that broad range of experience, as the will of the Australian people was shown. Of course, there are some outstanding members of the class of 2022, and they continue to impress. My classmates from the class of 2016 and all members of our caucus are united in our vision to deliver for the Australian people. Already in this term we've seen so many examples of that, as we deliver on the commitments that we've made to the Australian people over the last five or so years and in the lead-up to the elections. We maintained those commitments and delivered in the first term, and now we are delivering in the second term. But, of course, listening to all the first speeches does cause one to reflect on your own first speech. I delivered mine in the main chamber nine years ago almost to the day. In a photo I've got of that delivery is Warren Snowdon, the old man, the then member for Lingiari, who's been capably replaced nowadays by my friend and colleague Marion Scrymgour, the member for Lingiari now. Warren was in that photo and was a great assistance and mentor to me, and he continues to assist the Northern Territory and Australia in our mission for advancing reconciliation and developing the north. He's also very passionate about his veterans work; he was the veterans' affairs minister. I'm very honoured today to have another veteran, my brother Dan, join us in the Fed Chamber. Dan served in the Australian Army for about 28 years in the infantry and in a variety of roles, but a lot of his work was with both NORFORCE—our Indigenous First Nations soldiers—and the people of Timor-Leste. I refer to my time in both of those places, serving with those cohorts of both Australian and Timor-Leste soldiers, and it very much enriched my life. But a lot of that experience—and a lot of the reason I'm here now in this place, representing the people of Darwin and Palmerston and serving as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia—is down to my brother Daniel. So I wanted to publicly acknowledge that and put it in the Hansard forever and a day that I really appreciate all the support that you've given me over the years, brother. In my first speech, I spoke about the great privilege of representing the people of Solomon, the northern capital of Australia, where we've got people from over 100 countries that have been generously welcomed to the ancient lands of the Larrakia people and other groups of First Nations people in the north of Australia, who have not only their ancient connection to land but also their 300 to 500 years of relationships with people from other surrounding islands in what is now called Indonesia. Those trading relationships go back a long way, and that relationship with Indonesia and, certainly, Timor-Leste continues to be part of my life but also my service to the nation. I'll touch on that briefly in the time I've got available. As a proud Territorian, I always tell my colleagues—they're all pretty aware of it; there's no need to bang on and sell the Territory, because everyone's pretty clear about how incredible the place is. I love this territory too, as you do, Deputy Speaker Payne. I spent four years here—three years in the Australian Defence Force Academy and then one year in the Royal Military College, Duntroon. I did came back for some postgrad study later on as well. It's the place that my children call 'the cold place', but they love it all the same. They've got cousins down here. They come down here infrequently. But my heart has always been in the Northern Territory, ever since Dan and I and the other six kids, and Mum and Dad, headed around Australia in a HiAce van. Mum and Dad took us out of school for about three months and we travelled around Australia, and that's the first time we went to the Territory. I really fell in love with it at that time—Uluru, up the Stuart Highway to Litchfield and Kakadu, and rolling into Darwin. When we think back, it was only 10 years or so after Cyclone Tracy. But the seed was certainly sown on that trip around Australia. A lot of us had fallen in love with the Territory a bit. Dan served there with NORFORCE in the Army, one of our sisters nursed there, our youngest brother worked as a teacher in both Arnhem Land and the Red Centre, another brother has been a Territory firefighter for 16 years, and Mum and Dad still love coming up to see their kids and also their grandkids. So there's a great love affair not just for those Goslings who went on that trip around Australia and made Darwin or the Territory home but for all the rest of the family as well. I spoke in that first speech about the things that built me in terms of my life experience and my desire to be part of the leadership of the nation that I love so much. I see serving in this place, the federal parliament, as an extension of that service in the military and for non-government organisations. I will briefly touch a couple of those things. I met my wife, Kate, on Anzac Day in Dili. We were both living in Darwin, but for different reasons we were working in Timor-Leste at the time, and we met playing two-up in Dili. So I never forget the anniversary of our meeting; it's Anzac Day. Recently Kate and I took our two kids, Sally and Frank, over to Timor and we did some diving. Whenever I talk about the tourism potential of Timor, it's not only because it's so beautiful and so different to the Top End of Australia; it's also that you can just marry them up. If you go over to Timor-Leste, you stop in Darwin on the way over. If you come to Darwin to get out to Kakadu or whatever, consider the one-hour flight to get over to Timor-Leste. It's a beautiful place, and it's a really practical way that we can help our good neighbours in their development. Certainly their democracy has been very resilient. They've had five rounds of parliamentary and presidential elections now. It was good to catch up with a lot of friends that my brother Daniel and I served with when we were with the Defence Cooperation Program in Timor-Leste. Twenty years later—last week—representing the defence minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, I attended the 50th anniversary of the Timor-Leste armed forces, which was a great event. They're obviously very proud of their independence and their defence of their sovereignty. It had been 20 years since I met with a lot of those Timorese generals, and a funny thing that they and I reflected on was that none of us looked any different from how we did 20 years ago! Maybe we do a bit! Maybe we're a bit slower than we were back then. But I was able to catch up with old friends who still have that real desire to strengthen the relationship not only between our military and their military but also between our two countries. The relationship between Timor-Leste and Indonesia is also fantastic these days, on a number of levels, and it's good to see that that reconciliation process has been so successful. I look forward to spending some time here tomorrow with the Indonesian defence minister. He's visiting the parliament. It is 50 years. A lot of things happened at that time—1974 and 1975. There are some big anniversaries. One of those is the anniversary of the Timorese refugees arriving into Darwin and the compassion and solidarity that we showed with them because of, in many ways, the solidarity and compassion that was shown to our Australian soldiers in World War II by the Timorese. In the veteran space, I continue to work with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to roll out the recommendations that came from the royal commission, which I've worked very hard to see put into place with many others, including the families of those whose sons or daughters had unfortunately made the decision to die by suicide. I think we are making good progress. In my electorate, we had a recent veterans conference. It was excellent. It was a veterans and families conference, because families are so important. That was excellent. The Scott Palmer Services Centre is now with the Salvos as part of a federally funded program where the Salvos will be purchasing some units that we will be making available for veterans if they become homeless or at risk of homelessness. So that's something that I'm very passionate around. I want to give a shout out to Colin Heard, the single remaining World War II veteran in the Northern Territory. He was in the Air Force as a pilot in World War II, and I send my regards to him on the 80th anniversary of the end of that awful conflict. I've been very pleased to get out and see some of the people I served with in NORFORCE and certainly with a northern Australia lens and a defence lens. The best thing we can do with young people who are not sure what they want to do is cadets, the Army Indigenous Development Program, the Navy Indigenous Development Program and servicing NORFORCE 51 Far North Queensland Regiment and the Pilbara Regiment. They remain our eyes and ears throughout northern Australia, and I would certainly recommend to young people in the north that I come across, whether they be Indigenous or not, to consider service, whether it be reserve service or full-time service. I was very thankful—and I'm conscious of time; there are other issues in my electorate that I'll reflect on at future opportunities. But the Army is doing fantastic things in Indigenous communities in a program called AACAP. That's where the National Indigenous Australians Agency joins with Army and builds infrastructure in communities. Just recently, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, was there in Gapuwiyak, a place very familiar to us in the Arnhem squadron of NORFORCE. They built a brilliant new community and arts centre, and that will drive local employment. And that's what the best projects are—where we have our First Nations brothers and sisters in the workforce, whether it be building roads, just making their art, which is incredible, and having opportunities to get their product to market, working as rangers, protecting country, or working with the Defence Force. There are fantastic job opportunities in health as well and in doing a lot of the tasks that they naturally do in the community, such as child care and aged care. As I said, 1974-75 was a significant time for Darwin, and one of the reasons for that is that 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve, Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin with a big loss of life. I'll be forever thankful to the Prime Minister and the Governor-General and the Chief of Defence Force, for that matter, Admiral Johnston, who actually was a young boy in Darwin when Cyclone Tracy hit. To have those three esteemed people from our nation attend and give up their Christmas morning with their families to be there with us in Darwin to mark the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy was very important to the people of Darwin and the survivors and to our whole community. I'm very proud to have achieved 40 Commonwealth funded medical places so that our university, Charles Darwin University, is going to have next year a medical program for the first time. We're very thankful to Flinders University, who will continue to provide a medical program. But, when you consider that the Northern Territory is about 60 doctors short, it's about our ability to get a pipeline of doctors, including First Nations doctors, but with a preference for Territorians so that there's a better chance of them hanging around rather than us training up doctors and then seeing them disappear down south. We are building the north. We're building the Territory. The way we are doing that is through things like fee-free TAFE and things like having young Territorians able to purchase their first home and become homeowners with just a five per cent deposit and, if they happen to be studying, knocking 20 per cent off their HECS debt. It all helps—tax cuts and the whole lot helps. Assisting Territorians with the cost of living has been very important for me, as it is for our whole government. When it comes to youth, I particularly want to make sure that we've got opportunities for young Territorians. They'll always seek to go interstate to have the adventure of living in a big city interstate, but I want to make sure that there's enough going on in Darwin and Palmerston and that we're building our population and infrastructure, social and otherwise, so that Territory kids say, 'I've heard from my schoolmates about great employment opportunities happening back at home in Darwin'—or in Palmerston or anywhere in the Top End. The infrastructure builds, the logistics hubs, the focus on solar and the focus on how we utilise our gas reserves in environmentally sustainable ways and turn Territory sunshine into energy security is not only for us in the north. It's to power green industry, because that's where the future is, but it's also to send overseas—undersea, in fact, through cables to Singapore and, in the future, Indonesia as well to help them with their energy security. We've certainly got the land to do that, and we've got some of the best solar radiance in the world, so that is really exciting, and it's really exciting for young Territorians to know that there are going to be so many future energy, renewable energy and critical minerals jobs in the NT. I'll touch on defence. Obviously, having served in the Defence Force, I'm incredibly proud of our serving men and women and those who have worn the uniform. They are great ambassadors for the country. I met this morning with the very impressive deputy chief of Army, Chris Smith, and we talked about a lot of issues that came out of the royal commission and the way Army is changing in ways subtle and significant to make sure that we optimise the human capital of the patriots who sign up to serve in our defence forces, particularly when it comes to looking after people who are using weaponry. That is serious weaponry that we need as an insurance policy for our nation. We need a strong military. I'm proud of those that are working on the AUKUS endeavour. I'm proud of those who are making sure that our men and women have got the best possible support that they can. And, as a special envoy, that is exactly what I'm committed to. 18:23 Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Hunter It's an honour and a privilege to once again be given the opportunity to stand here in this place representing the good people of the Hunter. Thank you to the people of Cessnock, Singleton, Branxton, Edgeworth, Cameron Park, Dora Creek, Toronto, Morisset, Wangi Wangi and Wyee and the people from all the surrounding areas for putting your trust in me. A very special thank you and welcome to the newest parts of the Hunter electorate: Kurri Kurri, Weston, Abermain and the smaller townships nearby. For the past three years, I've worked my guts out to be the best federal member of parliament for my electorate, and I promise you that this will be the exact same over the next three years. I want to thank you all. I want to thank all of the incredible volunteers and my fantastic staff and supporters who stood by me during the election campaign. I'm lucky to have such a great team who are passionate, hardworking and always ready to pull up their sleeves. It's fair to say that we have built a Dan army. None of this would be possible without the people behind the scenes who give their time, energy and heart. So, from me and my family to you guys, thank you so much for what you did to help re-elect me to this wonderful place. I can't thank you all enough. I also wouldn't be able to do this job without the support from my amazing wife, Alex, and my two beautiful daughters, Zoe and Asha. Thank you for all that you deal with and have dealt with over the last three years. I'm sorry for everything that I have missed in the past, and I'm sorry for the things that I will miss in the next three years because of my role. Thank you for your love, your comfort and your patience. Now I'm going to turn the spotlight on an issue that doesn't get spoken about as much as it should. I want to talk about some facts and figures. They are stark and they are confronting, but they represent an issue that we need to talk about. I want to talk about men's health. Three in four suicides are men. Seven in 10 young people who die are men. Four in every five heart deaths under 65 are men. Men are 50 per cent more likely than women to die from cancer. Seven in 10 alcohol-related deaths are men. Three in four road deaths are men. Ninety-five per cent of workplace deaths are men. Seventy-one per cent of men are overweight or obese. Men are 1.3 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than women. Over 3,500 men die every year from prostate cancer. To put this in perspective, 50 men die each and every day from avoidable causes. And what does this all mean? It means that men are dying too young. In fact, we are dying on average five years younger than the amazing women in our lives. But these aren't just numbers or facts written on a piece of paper. Behind every single number is a person: a father, a son, a husband. What these numbers and facts represent is a widespread, undeniable issue facing men of every race, religion and age in every corner of our country. The long and the short of it is that men are dying younger than they need to, and we owe to it each other to find out why. But to do this we need to turn the statistics around, and it all starts with a conversation. For the first time in this country's history we have a role dedicated towards the health of men, and I am very humbled to have been given this huge responsibility of serving as the first-ever Special Envoy for Men's Health. I am also excited because this role has huge potential to make a real difference in men's health outcomes all around this country. One of the major benefits of this role is the opportunity to get the conversation started. It's about time that this topic has been brought to the floors of this parliament. When 75 per cent of suicides are men and some of our biggest killers, like heart disease, impact men at a massively higher rate than women, it's obvious that these issues need to be addressed and that changes need to be made. The issue of men dying young is an important one, and it deserves a position in this place focused on addressing it. Now we have that, and I'm so proud of the Albanese Labor government that we have now done this. Whether it was me or somebody else—it doesn't matter who it was in this role—I'm just glad that we have a government that is actually talking about this. There are two equally important parts of men's health: mental health and physical health. When it comes to our mental health, there is one thing that we as men need to get better at, and that's just talking to each other. The sad truth is that most people know a man who has taken his own life. It doesn't need to be this way. Our mental health isn't an easy topic to talk about. I know that, when I get together with my mates, we don't sit around talking about what is causing us stress. Most of us wouldn't even dream of bringing up our feelings or our emotions. But you know what? Maybe we should. We all have stress and pressures in life; it's normal, and it's unavoidable. But, whether it's stress from work or family struggles or just feeling flat for no reason at all, you don't have to carry it alone. Talk to a mate, call your GP, take a break, ask for help and don't wait until you're at breaking point. There's no shame in having a bad day, but there's power in doing something about it. You're not alone, you're not weak and you're not meant to suffer in silence. I just want to say, to the member for Cowper, you've gone through a massively hard time, and I'm glad you're in the chamber now for us to have this conversation. These are hard, hard things to talk about. So please make sure that you're getting the help that you need along the way as well. Mr Conaghan 279991 Thank you, mate, and thank you for what you're talking about. Mr REPACHOLI 298840 No worries. Starting the conversation might just help others that are going through hard times too. Let's make it normal for blokes to talk about what's really going on, because real strength starts upstairs. As mates, we have a responsibility as well. If you notice something isn't right, please just check in on your mates and have a conversation. If your mate is looking down or if you notice a change in his behaviour, let him know that you're there to offer support and you'll have a conversation any time. You don't have to fix anything; just listening and being there can be all that makes the real difference. It's important to be there for your mates in the good times and the bad. So, if you haven't heard from a mate in a while, give them a call and check in with him. When it comes to men's physical health, not only is it something we don't talk about; it's often something we don't even think about as men—or as often as we should. Too many of us have the 'she'll be right' kind of attitude, when too often things aren't right. Whether it's our heart health, prostate, testes, bowel cancer, that funny-looking mole that changed colour or even the common cold, we just don't take our physical health seriously. If our car was making a funny noise or something didn't seem right, we'd take it to the mechanic and get it fixed. But, when something doesn't feel right with our health, we ignore it and delay going to the doctor until we're sick of being told to go by our loved ones or until an arm's about to fall off. There are figures to back this up. When something is not right, 60 per cent of blokes wait more than a week to see a doctor. One in three blokes wait over a month. Please don't wait until the issue gets too big to fix. Get on top of it early. I know there are some things that us guys may not feel comfortable seeing the doctor or talking to the doctor about. One example of this is prostate cancer. Thousands of men die from this every single year. But if caught early enough it can often be treated successfully. I have no doubt that there are some men out there that aren't too keen on going in for a prostate exam, but it's 2025, gents. The reality is that you no longer need a finger up the anus to get your prostate checked. It can simply be done with a little blood test of your finger. It's amazing the number of things that can be detected by a blood test. So what's stopping you? Remember, there's no more finger; it's a simple little blood test. It takes a couple of minutes, and it could literally save your life. If you're over 50 years old, or over 40 with family history, go have a yarn with your GP. Have the conversation about this, and get it sorted. Testicular health is another issue that many men do not feel comfortable talking about at all. The most sensitive parts of our bodies can cause us a whole range of issues. It's not only when we've been hit flush by a cricket ball. Testicular cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among young men in this country. So, if you have a lump on your testes or if something isn't right, please go and see your GP and get it checked. Erectile dysfunction is another one that blokes don't talk about, that blokes are embarrassed about and that so many men are dealing with right now. Please—if you're having some ED issues, this is not uncommon. This happens to many men, but it can mask so many other things that could be wrong. If you are having some ED issues, please go and see a GP and talk to your pharmacist. Have the conversations and please get the checkups because it is definitely usually masking other issues. Please get out there and have those conversations. Heart health is another issue that too many of us just don't take seriously. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Australian men, especially for blokes over 30 years old, who are most at risk. The catch is you might feel fine right up until you're not. If you want to keep your ticker ticking, go and get a heart health check. They're covered by Medicare. The good news is we have just made these checks free for the next three years. All you need is your Medicare card. There is no treadmill, no stress test and no marathon run involved—just a chat with your GP and a few simple checks to see if you're at risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. It can be covered by just those checks. Over 870,000 Aussies have already done it—200,000 this year alone. That's a lot of dads, brothers and mates who will be around longer because they took 30 minutes out of their day. We men need to stop being weird about seeing a doctor. If something isn't right, don't ignore it and don't try and convince yourself it will go away by itself. An uncomfortable conversation is better than poor health, and it's much better than dying from something that is avoidable. Go in, get the checks, have the tests and stay on top of your health so you can stick around for those who need you most. It's not only when something doesn't feel right that you should pay a visit to your GP. Sometimes, when we get busy in life, we let our health fall by the wayside and we don't even realise it. Before you know it, it's been five years since you've seen your GP, and you don't even know who he is any more or anyone at the clinic. But there's one easy way that men can keep on top of this, and that's a regular check-up with your doctor. Every time I'm in a room full of blokes I ask the same question: can you put your hand up if you've been to see a GP in the last 12 months and have gotten a blood test? I can tell you not very many hands go up at all. We can fix this. When you go and get your car registered every 12 months, if it gets to the age when it has to get the rego check every 12 months, go and book in while you're sitting there waiting for your rego check to be done. Book in to see your GP while you're there. If you have to put your car in for its 10,000-kilometres service, maybe think about booking then. Or, on your birthday, give yourself a birthday present—and the ones around you a present as well—and book it in. Take five minutes out of your day to call your GP. Because being healthy is the best present you can give yourself and also your loved ones around you. I'll be the first to put my hand up and say I've been guilty of not always going for a check-up in the past. But I'm now making it a habit, and I think every male in this country should as well. It's only been a short amount of time since the role of Special Envoy for Men's Health was created. But we've hit the ground running, investing $32 million to support men's health and to help encourage men to get the help they need when they need it, whether that be for their mental health or for their physical health. We are delivering $11.3 million to Movember to provide men's health care training to primary health care workers and to develop a campaign to encourage us blokes to go and see the doctor—to make that visit. Training will be based on Movember's existing Men in Mind program for mental health workers and will help around 60,000 doctors and nurses support men to get the health care they need. The remaining $20.7 million of the investment in men's health will go towards grassroots initiatives to support men's health and wellbeing in the community setting, because being part of a community is the best way to help support those around us. Often, these grassroots organisations and events provide support in exactly the kind of intimate and focused setting that is most effective. A total of $8.3 million will go towards supporting another two years of the Men's Shed National Shed Development Program, which provides grants of up to $10,000 for individual men's sheds. It will also support the Australian Men's Shed Association to deliver new health promotions and preventive programs. I've been lucky enough to visit a lot of men's sheds in the last few months, and I love it. It's one of the favourite parts of my job, not just because I usually get a cracking feed from these guys when I go there but because men's sheds play such an important role in men's health. They provide a space for men to support men and for guys to get together, have a chat, work on some projects and enjoy each other's company. This is the kind of thing that can really make a difference to men's wellbeing. I highly recommend you get out to your local men's shed. Whether you're old or young, get out there and have a chat with them. They are fantastic places to be, and you might even bump into me at one of them. A total of $7.4 million will go to Movember to expand the successful Ahead of the Game program, which has been delivered in partnership with the AFL. I've played my fair share of footy—and sport in general—and I know what it's like. When your head is in the game, you put on a tough face and nothing can faze you. But that's not always right. The Ahead of the Game program equips boys and young men in a sporting environment with emotional resilience and teaches them to seek help when they need it, which is so important. We're also delivering $3 million to Healthy Male to support the delivery of their Plus Paternal project, a program helping men prepare for fatherhood through development of good parenting skills before birth. I was lucky enough to meet with the good people at Healthy Male earlier in the year, and they are really doing some amazing work. Two million dollars are going to the Black Dog Institute to research mental health and suicide prevention at the Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing. Funding is also supporting St Kilda Football Club's annual Spud's Game at the MCG, which raises community awareness to fight men's mental ill-health. This investment is only the first step in supporting men's health. I can't wait to continue working with the health team and Minister Butler to keep making progress when it comes to supporting blokes by closing the gaps that too many men and boys are falling through. There are a stack of incredible organisations doing things for men's health. I've been lucky enough to meet so many of them, including the Men's Shed, the Man Cave, Movember, Healthy Male, TradeMutt, TIACS, Talk2meBro, the Top Blokes Foundation and the Men's Health Education Rural Van, commonly referred to as MHERV, run by Rotary. They're all doing their bit to address the many different issues that we face as men, and I'm looking forward to doing my bit too. I'm committed to working closely with the experts, advocates and everyday Aussie blokes and women to find out what we can do to ensure that all fellas—big or small, old or young and bearded, moustached or clean-shaven—are as healthy as they possibly can be. We need real conversations, real resources and real results. I'm looking forward to the challenge. I want to make one last important point. This is not a political issue. There is nothing divisive about addressing men's health, so I hope that we can come together in this place—in this most amazing building in Canberra, where we really do the best for Australians—regardless of what side of the chamber we sit on, and stand tall, as one, for men's health. Together, let's get this conversation started. Let's make a difference. To all the men around Australia: let's look after our physical and mental health, talk to our mates and go and see our GPs. Get a check-up. Chat to your pharmacist. Actually listen to your wives, actually listen to your kids and actually listen to the people in your life that you love, that you care for the most. Talk to them. Listen to them. If they're telling you to go and see a GP or you need a hand here or there—or even if they're just asking if you're feeling okay—don't hold it in. If you aren't feeling okay, have the conversation. There is always going to be somebody that can listen to you and that will want to listen to you. We can't continue to go through those horrendous statistics that I spoke about earlier. We need to see more amazing men in this country and we need to see more amazing women in this country, because, when men and women are both healthy, we have a healthy generation, a healthy population and healthy communities. So, please make sure you're reaching out and getting the help you need along the way. We're here, as a government, to help you along the way as well. The DEPUTY SPEAKER C2T I thank the member for Hunter for his valuable contribution. Your description of one of the means of prostate testing did have me wondering whether you'd used unparliamentary language, but I will let it stand. It worked in the circumstances. Debate adjourned. Federation Chamber adjourned at 18:44