Pursuant to standing order 17, I lay on the table my warrant nominating the honourable members for Flynn, Chisholm, Indi, Hasluck, Swan and Paterson to be members of the Speaker's panel to assist the chair when requested to do so by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker.

I have received advice from the Chief Government Whip nominating members to be members of certain committees.

by leave—I move:

That Members be appointed as members of certain committees in accordance with the following list:

Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration—Mr Burns, Ms Chesters, Ms Clutterham, Mr Soon

Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water—Ms Berry, Ms Byrnes, Ms Comer, Mr French, Mr Repacholi, Ms Urquhart

Standing Committee on Communications, the Arts and Sport—Ms Doyle, Mrs Elliot, Mr Moncrieff, Mr M Smith, Ms J Ryan, Ms Templeman

Standing Committee on Economics—Ms Campbell, Mr Gregg, Mr Husic, Ms Jarrett, Mr Laxale, Ms Sitou

Standing Committee on Education—Ms Coffey, Dr Garland, Ms Roberts, Ms J Ryan, Mr Soon, Mr Watts

Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations, Skills and Training—Ms Ambihaipahar, Ms Coker, Ms Fernando, Dr Garland, Ms Lawrence, Ms Roberts

Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability—Ms Belyea, Ms France, Dr Freelander, Ms Jordan-Baird, Dr Reid, Ms Stanley

Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science—Mr Abdo, Ms Byrnes, Ms Mascarenhas, Mr Mitchell, Mr Repacholi, Ms Teesdale

Standing Committee on Petitions—Ms Belyea, Ms Comer, Ms T Cook, Mr Holzberger, Ms Roberts

Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests—Ms Claydon, Mrs Elliot, Mr Laxale, Mr Mitchell, Ms J Ryan, Mr D Smith

Standing Committee on Procedure—Ms Claydon, Ms K Cook, Mr Gregg, Mr Neumann

Publications Committee—Ms Doyle, Ms Fernando, Mr Moncrieff, Mr Ng

Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport—Ms Briskey, Mr Burnell, Ms Jordan-Baird, Mr Neumann, Mrs Phillips, Ms Urquhart

Selection Committee—Ms Byrnes, Ms Chesters, Ms Mascarenhas, Ms Roberts, Ms Sitou, Ms Urquhart

Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs—Ms Clutterham, Mr Gregg, Ms Miller-Frost, Mr Ng, Mr D Smith, Ms Witty

Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings—Ms Swanson, Ms Teesdale, Ms Witty

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit—Ms Berry, Mr Burns, Ms France, Mr Husic, Ms Miller-Frost, Ms Sitou

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works—Ms Ambihaipahar, Mr Burns, Mr D Smith, Mr Zappia

Question agreed to.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Introduction

I proudly introduce this legislation, delivering on our key election commitment to protect penalty rates.

The intent of this bill is simple.

If you rely on the modern award safety net and work weekends, public holidays, early mornings or late nights, you deserve to have your wages protected.

You deserve laws that ensure your pay will not go backwards.

Our laws are working

In our first term, the Albanese Government delivered landmark workplace relations reforms with a clear goal—getting wages moving for Australian workers.

We addressed loopholes that undermine principles of fairness and improved access to secure jobs and better pay. We reinvigorated enterprise bargaining, which results in more cooperative, productive workplaces.

We put gender equality at the heart of the workplace relations framework, helping drive the gender pay gap to its lowest level on record. We improved workplace conditions and protections right across the board.

And in every annual wage review since taking office, we've backed minimum wage increases, with our most recent submission calling for an economically sustainable real wage increase. I'm pleased that from 1 July minimum wages have been increased by 3.5 per cent.

These were significant and important reforms, and we fought hard to deliver them because working Australians deserve fair pay and decent conditions.

And we know that our changes to legislation are delivering improved outcomes for working people and employers.

Our same job, same pay laws have seen thousands of workers receiving up to $60,000 extra in their pay packets each year.

More than half of employers who responded to a recent Australian HR Institute survey said our right-to-disconnect laws had improved employee engagement and productivity.

The latest figures on enterprise bargaining show that nearly 2.7 million Australians are now covered by current enterprise agreements—the highest coverage on record since enterprise bargaining commenced in 1991.

Our laws are working to deliver real wage increases, improved conditions, and more cooperative and productive workplaces.

Now, we are continuing that work with a bill to protect penalty rates and overtime rates in modern awards.

Why penalty and overtime rates matter

Penalty rates and overtime rates matter. They are a longstanding feature and a vital part of the modern award safety net, which supports some of our lowest paid workers in our country.

Relative to all employees, award-reliant employees are more likely to be women, work part time, be under the age of 35 and employed on a casual basis—people like Emily, a retail worker from New South Wales expecting her first child and in the middle of moving houses:

On my normal rates it's a struggle to be able to afford the necessities, but with the penalty rates, it lets me breathe.

It gives me room to be able to save a little for my bubba, and to help me move to make sure my new little family has a roof over our heads. It also helps in times for when the bills pile up.

Or Eryn, a grocery store worker from South Australia:

I miss out on time with my children and my husband who works long hours, time spent with friends or family during off days, downtime to rest and recover.

Earning penalty rates makes it worthwhile being away from family and not taking the day to be able to rest and recover. It is extra money earnt for choosing to work rather than enjoy a day off.

Or Gary:

Because of the hours I work, I miss out on parts of our family life and being with friends. When most people are at home enjoying their time and doing things with their family, I'm working.

If I have to work late or on weekends I like to be compensated for the time I miss with my family watching them play sports and growing up.

What's at stake

This bill is about safeguarding fundamental entitlements for around 2.6 million modern award-reliant Australian workers.

We know that, right now, the modern award safety net can be undermined.

Currently, penalty rates and overtime rates in modern awards can be rolled up into a single rate of pay that leaves employees worse off.

There are current cases on foot where employers in the retail, clerical and banking sectors have made applications to the Fair Work Commission to trade away penalty rates of lower paid workers on awards.

We know the coalition are all too willing to back these applications. Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton confirmed it when he said 'we don't propose any departure from the current arrangements.'

We took a very different approach. In the retail case, our government intervened to argue as a matter of principle the wages of low-paid workers should not go backwards.

Because that's not fair.

And it's not what Australians expect of our workplace relations system.

This legislation will mean that proposals like these cannot be included in modern awards, which act as our safety net, and ensures penalty and overtime rates of low-paid workers are protected.

Operation of the principle

This bill will amend the Fair Work Act 2009 to enshrine protections for penalty rates and overtime rates in modern awards.

The bill introduces a new section, 135A, which establishes a clear and important principle.

When exercising its powers under part 2-3 of the Fair Work Act to make, vary or revoke modern awards, the Fair Work Commission must ensure:

This bill is designed to be simple, fair, and workable.

It introduces a high-level principle, not a prescriptive rule, because we are committed to strengthening the modern awards system without adding unnecessary complexity.

It is targeted to modern award terms that are about the 'percentage' of penalty or overtime rate to be paid and terms that reduce workers' pay by 'rolling up' penalty and overtime rates with other modern award terms into a single rate of pay.

It means modern award covered workers who rely on penalty and overtime rates as a critical part of their overall pay no longer have to worry about reductions to those rates.

And exemption rate proposals that diminish workers' take-home pay cannot succeed in the future.

This bill does not stop parties engaging on ways to make awards easier to use, or ensuring that award terms can adapt to modern working needs.

For example, parties will still be able to put the case to the commission about appropriate hours of work terms, but where that case involves a penalty or overtime rate the commission will also need to consider this new principle.

This bill does not impact individual employment contracts. It does not apply to individual flexibility arrangements.

This bill will also not affect the enterprise bargaining framework, which is the right place for employers to directly negotiate with employees and their unions to achieve flexible and productive gains with appropriate safeguards in place such as the better-off-overall test.

We have consulted closely with stakeholders to ensure these reforms are practical and balanced.

Importantly, the changes introduced by this bill will not disrupt employers' day-to-day operations.

The amendments will not apply retrospectively. Employers covered by the award system already have an ongoing responsibility to correctly apply the relevant modern award. Where that award provides for employees to be paid penalty and overtime rates, that obligation will just continue.

This bill does not impose new obligations beyond that existing responsibility.

Role of the Commission

We respect the Fair Work Commission's role as the independent industrial tribunal. That role is unchanged.

The commission will continue to interpret and apply the Fair Work Act, including the new principle introduced by this bill. This process will be guided by its usual consultative approach, ensuring all interested parties have the opportunity to present their views.

This bill also preserves the commission's existing powers to remove an ambiguity, uncertainty or to correct an error in a modern award.

Interactions with bargaining

The appropriate place to negotiate on entitlements is the enterprise bargaining system.

We want to see enterprise bargaining. Enterprise agreements deliver better deals for working people, better wages and conditions and more cooperative and productive workplaces.

The government has reinvigorated the enterprise bargaining system so that we now have a record-high number of employees covered by federal enterprise agreements that are delivering real wage increases for Australian workers. As at 31 March 2025, the commission approved 9,829 agreements since our reforms, covering nearly 2.5 million employees.

The average annual wage increase for those agreements is 3.8 per cent, compared to a 2.7 per cent increase in 2022, and the 5-year average preceding the legislation, which was also 2.7 per cent.

As at 31 March 2025, almost 2.7 million employees were covered by a current enterprise agreement—the highest coverage since bargaining began in 1991. And for the sixth consecutive quarter, wage growth in newly approved enterprise agreements outpaced inflation.

Encouraging workers and business to engage with good-faith bargaining gives workers access to improved conditions and can help business owners attract and retain talent. This can improve the relationships in the workplace, facilitating innovation, greater acceptance of new technology and the fostering of skills growth for employees—all of which enhance productivity.

Enterprise agreements continue to be subject to the better off overall test, ensuring that employees are better off overall compared to the relevant modern award. That safeguard remains unchanged.

Conclusion

For many modern award reliant employees, penalty and overtime rates are not optional extras; they are a critical part of their take-home pay. This is especially true in sectors like retail and hospitality, where work often takes place at unsociable and irregular hours and where workers are among the lowest paid in our economy.

This bill is about fairness. It's about respecting the millions of Australians who work those public holidays, weekends, late nights and early mornings to keep Australia going.

And it's about making sure that the safety net does what it's meant to do—protect those most in need.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I am pleased to present the Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025, which makes various amendments to the Defence Housing Australia Act 1987 to expand the main function of Defence Housing Australia (DHA). The changes will enable housing and housing-related services to be provided by DHA to those making important contributions to the defence of Australia.

DHA was established in 1987 for the purpose of providing Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families with quality, affordable and readily available housing. This housing initiative was and still is a key element of ADF conditions of service, which contributes directly to the retention and wellbeing of ADF personnel.

This bill addresses the recommendation from a 2020 ANAO report on the management of DHA. The report recommended expanding DHA's functions to also provide housing for foreign exchange and visiting military personnel, and philanthropic organisations that provide counselling and other support services to ADF members and their families.

This bill recognises that the ADF, in modern times, relies on the support, services and cooperation of a wide range of external partners and organisations, including foreign militaries, who may require housing support in Australia.

In particular, this bill will directly support our requirement to house personnel coming to Australia as part of Submarine Rotational Force-West under the Australia, United Kingdom and United States trilateral security partnership—AUKUS.

Submarine Rotational Force-West is part of the AUKUS optimal pathway, which was announced in March 2023.

The AUKUS optimal pathway will:

The first phase of the AUKUS optimal pathway includes the rotational presence of United States and United Kingdom nuclear-powered submarines at HMAS Stirling, known as the Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West).

From quarter 3 of this year, a small cohort of approximately 34 United States personnel will arrive in Western Australia to prepare for the commencement of the SRF-West. Following this, there will be an increasing number of US and UK military, civilian and contractor personnel arriving in Western Australia over the course of five years, including some families accompanying United States military personnel.

To enable the activity, Defence, through DHA, needs to ensure that housing for these US and UK personnel is available in close proximity to HMAS Stirling.

SRF-West is integral to helping Australia and Australians develop the skills and infrastructure to safely and securely maintain, own and operate nuclear propelled submarines.

Providing housing and family support to these personnel while they reside in Western Australia is a critical aspect of enabling SRF-West. Housing stock will be made available through DHA. This will be comparable to the support provided to ADF members and their families.

The Albanese government is committed to AUKUS and supporting our AUKUS partners appropriately; however, we are conscious this should not be at the detriment of local communities.

Further, in the spirit of a true partnership, the Albanese government seeks to ensure overseas personnel are integrated into local communities in order to provide them and their families the best possible experience in Australia.

Utilising DHA will ensure Australia secures adequate and suitable housing that aligns with Australian Defence Force standards whilst limiting any negative impacts that may be had on local housing markets.

More generally, there is a need in a range of circumstances to provide housing to people in locations where Defence operates across Australia, including remote areas, to deliver defence capability.

This bill will also enable DHA to provide housing and housing related services to organisations who are integral to defence business, including philanthropic organisations providing important support services.

The bill will also provide a mechanism for the Minister for Defence Personnel to determine that DHA can provide housing and housing related services in the future to broader categories of people to meet the operational needs of the ADF and the requirements of the Department of Defence. This allows for flexibility and the ability to respond to changing circumstances, as and when they arise.

This recognises the changing nature of the defence workforce, which is no longer exclusively encompassed by ADF members and APS employees.

Ultimately, this bill will ensure that Australia's security requirements are met.

The speedy passage of this legislation is an important step in ensuring we can meet our commitments under AUKUS.

These amendments will also enable better support for those who provide assistance and support to the ADF.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I introduce the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.

This bill makes technical, transitional, and consequential changes to support the commencement of the Aged Care Act 2024.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which released its expansive final report in March 2021, shocked Australians with its damning assessment of a failing aged-care system.

The first recommendation of the royal commission was the development of a new aged-care act to put rights of older people at the very centre of their care.

The Aged Care Act 2024 passed the parliament in the last term.

I recognise the immense contribution of my ministerial colleague, now minister for communications, in steering these landmark reforms through the parliament last term.

I also want to acknowledge that the reforms passed through the parliament with bipartisan support, and I recognise the constructive roles that the opposition and members of the crossbench played as these reforms were considered.

It's a timely reminder that the wellbeing and dignity of older people, and the importance of delivering respectful and person centred care, should be above politics.

The Aged Care Act 2024, which commences on 1 November 2025, which replaces the Aged Care Act 1997, will deliver on this recommendation and establish a new rights based framework for the delivery of aged care in Australia.

The new legislative framework follows so many other improvements, including:

The new act puts the dignity of older Australians first and foremost with the statement of rights, underpinned by Australia's obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

It is very important that we get this once-in-a-generation reform right.

That's why the government chose to defer the start of the Aged Care Act 2024 and the new Support at Home program that comes along with it. As we said when the deferral was announced, the government decided it was appropriate to give more time for aged-care providers to prepare their clients, support their workforce and get their systems ready for change.

This bill provides further support for our ambition to transform the experience of older Australians receiving care.

The bill also includes amendments to the Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2024 and other legislation that supports the aged-care system.

Aged Care Act 2024 c hapter 4 amendments

The Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 makes a number of transitional changes to ensure that subsidies are paid correctly to support the provision of funded aged care to older Australians.

Older Australians are now receiving an additional 6.8 million minutes of care every single day—2.5 million of which are delivered by qualified registered nurses. Care minutes and related measures were introduced in response to a recommendation of the royal commission to ensure that older people in aged-care homes receive the dedicated care time that we all know they need and deserve. Amendments to provider based subsidy provisions ensure that registered providers are supported to deliver this high-quality care while maintaining a sustainable aged-care system.

The bill also contains amendments to support the continuation of 'accommodation bond' arrangements, which are amounts paid to enter and receive care in a residential setting made under the 1997 act, for people who entered care before 2008.

The amendments also include a new civil penalty provision comparable to the existing accommodation payments framework under the new act.

Miscellaneous changes

The new act provided for automated processes to support decisions about classification levels, prioritisation and allocation of places to individuals.

Updated automation provisions are included in this bill which reflect best practice for transparency and clarity. The updated provisions will support means-testing arrangements under the new framework for financial contributions. This will allow the system to remain efficient and keep pace with technological advances and ensure that older Australians get quicker and more robust decisions.

The protection of personal information and the regulation of its use and disclosure, consistent with both Australian law and international standards, remains a key priority. Under the new act, this information is protected information, and the act provides substantial penalties for misuse.

Amendments in this bill ensure this information is clearly transitioned from the old framework to the new framework with no confusion as to when and how authorisations to use or disclose this information for a proper purpose apply.

Amendments are also being made to the Star Ratings program. The introduction of this program has given older Australians and their loved ones more information about residential aged-care homes. But, based on public consultation and feedback, amendments will be made to better utilise compliance information in determining and publishing a registered provider's compliance with their obligations under the law.

This new bill also introduces a requirement that the aged-care quality standards are reviewed every five years, to ensure that the standards of care that we all expect for older Australians are regularly considered against and aligned with best practice.

Consequential amendments

The Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 will make consequential changes to legislation that reference the Commonwealth aged-care system. These amendments will ensure that funded aged-care services are provided in a manner consistent with other Commonwealth legislation. Amendments will ensure that existing exemptions to the application of the GST remain in place for aged-care services. Amendments to the treatment of means testing and income support payments will ensure they continue to operate as intended—specifically, that aged-care accommodation payments and certain compensation payments are not considered income, and that certain exemptions continue to apply to payments made to injured veterans.

Concluding remarks

To conclude, this bill builds on the new and enduring foundation for the Australian aged-care system from 1 November 2025, and for many years to come.

I would like to thank the many people who have contributed to this ambitious reform to date.

In particular, I thank:

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to the older Australians, the carers, the workers, the unions, the providers, the advocates and the other experts who continue to contribute to an aged-care system that puts people first.

I hope the parliament will come together to support this bill, to help realise the full potential of these critical aged-care reforms.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be read a second time.

I introduce the Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025.

This bill is a counterpart to the bill that I just introduced before this, and it complements the provisions it contains.

This bill makes additional technical, transitional, and consequential changes to support the commencement of the new Aged Care Act 2024.

This bill makes consequential amendments to Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Act 2006 which guarantees certain payments made by older Australians who seek to access funded aged care.

It does so in two main ways. Firstly, it ensures that registered providers under the new act framework continue to be subject to the government's guarantee scheme.

Secondly, it provides that the government may levy the costs of this guarantee from certain classes of registered providers in certain circumstances, such as when there is a default event.

This bill is an important measure to ensure that funded aged-care services remain sustainable, and payments made by older Australians remain protected into the future.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Customs Amendment (Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2025 amends the Customs Act 1901 to implement the free trade agreement known as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement will bring commercial and strategic benefits. The UAE is Australia's largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East. In 2024, total trade between the UAE and Australia was worth $12.3 billion. UAE investment into Australia rose to $14.7 billion in 2024, while our investment in the UAE rose to $9 billion, resulting in two-way trade of $23.7 billion.

The agreement will give a competitive advantage to Australian exporters by eliminating tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian exports, by value, to the UAE.

It is estimated that this will result in tariff savings of up to $135 million on Australian goods exported to the UAE in the first year, rising to $160 million as tariffs are progressively eliminated over five years.

The agreement locks in access to services markets, and provides a framework to facilitate investment to support Australia's energy transition and Future Made in Australia ambitions. It will also improve certainty for exporters and importers, service suppliers and investors across the whole economy.

The agreement will support a strong and diversified economy that will enhance the resilience of Australia's trade and investment to future crises. It will also enhance Australia's economic engagement with the UAE through strengthened trade rules that will help build upon our already healthy trading relationship.

The amendments contained in this bill will establish, in the Customs Act, the rules-of-origin and document-retention requirements called for by the agreement. Those amendments determine when imported goods from the United Arab Emirates in accordance with the agreement may be considered to have originating status, called UAE originating goods, and be eligible for preferential rates of customs duty.

Complementary amendments to the Customs Tariff Act 1995 are also required to provide for these preferential rates of customs duty applicable to UAE originating goods.

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties—and I acknowledge that you're the chair of that committee, Deputy Speaker Chesters—reviewed both the agreement and related supplementary investment agreement, and recommended they be ratified.

I commend this bill to the chamber.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Customs Tariff Amendment (Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2025 will amend the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to implement the preferential rates of customs duty for UAE originating goods to implement the free trade agreement known as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

These amendments, together with the amendments by the Customs Amendment (Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2025, will ensure that Australia fulfils its obligations as a signatory to the agreement and is prepared for the agreement to enter into force in Australia.

This bill will insert a new schedule of duty rates into the Customs Tariff Act. Schedule 16 will contain the preferential rates of customs duty for imported goods that satisfy the rules of origin set out in the agreement. UAE originating goods not set out in schedule 16 will have a 'free' rate of duty.

Australia has committed to reducing the rate of customs duty on most UAE originating goods to 'free', either at entry into force or over several years following entry into force of the agreement.

Excise-equivalent goods—which are certain fuel, alcohol, tobacco and petroleum products—that are UAE originating goods will continue to have excise equivalent duties of customs applied, so they receive the same treatment as domestically produced equivalents.

Finally, this bill also amends certain tariff concessions to maintain their scope and ensure that commitments made under the agreement are honoured.

The amendments in this bill complement the amendments in the Customs Amendment (Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2025.

I commend this bill—if not its name!—to the chamber.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025 relates to the fees imposed on the pathology sector for certain categories of pathology applications. This bill provides reforms for the current charging arrangements imposed on the sector for categories of accreditation applications.

Under the Health Insurance Act 1973, pathology services must be rendered by or on behalf of an approved pathology practitioner (approved practitioner), in an accredited pathology laboratory (accredited laboratory) operated by an approved pathology authority (approved authority) to be eligible to receive Medicare benefits.

Practitioners (pathologists) are required to sign an undertaking to the minister that they will comply with the requirements of the legislation and certain administrative arrangements. They must pay an acceptance fee to become an approved practitioner. Similarly, the proprietor of a laboratory must sign an undertaking and pay an acceptance fee to become an approved authority. Laboratory premises may be approved by the minister as an accredited laboratory following the submission of an application and relevant supporting documentation. This includes an accreditation assessment and payment of the accreditation fee once the premises are provided with an in-principle approval.

The accreditation requirements impose obligations on approved practitioners, accredited laboratories and approved authorities to undertake to meet, or demonstrate compliance with, quality assurance standards for pathology services provided under Medicare.

The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) Act 1991 (pathology fees act) specifies the fees which must be paid for the acceptance, and approval of, applications for the approved practitioner, approved authority and accredited laboratory. This allows approved providers to be identified in the Services Australia billing system of Medicare eligible services. These fees were arbitrarily set to be between $500 and $2,500 in 1991.

The 2022 Health Portfolio Charging Review identified that the fees set against each of these application categories have not been reviewed or changed since the pathology fees act came into force. Further, when investigated, the fees were found to exceed the administrative cost of processing these application categories. As such, this arrangement does not align with the Australian Government Charging Framework (2015).

Removing the fees applied to the three categories of applications through the repeal of the pathology fees act will resolve this misalignment with government charging policy. It will provide fee relief in addition to reducing the administrative burden for the pathology sector.

The consequential amendments included in this bill remove all references to the payment of fees for these application types from 1 July 2025. In line with this intended commencement date, provisions have been included to allow the refund of fees collected between 1 July 2025 (inclusive) and the commencement date of this bill where the applicant's approval has come into force on or after 1 July 2025.

To preserve the high level of confidence in the accuracy of pathology testing in Australia provided under Medicare, the administrative requirements including accreditation obligations will remain unchanged.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Today I am proud to reintroduce the Pacific Banking Guarantee Bill 2025.

This bill will help secure access to banking services across the Pacific.

It will help ensure our entire region can stay connected to the global financial system.

Australia's relationship with the Pacific is a special one.

Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor government has been working hard to be a partner of choice with the entire region.

We've been restoring trust and rebuilding relationships.

Within our first 12 months in office, Albanese government ministers visited every Pacific Islands Forum member country.

To renew our Pacific partnerships, listen to Pacific priorities and deliver on our collective interests.

We've been making record investments, and we are the region's largest development partner.

I pay tribute to the work of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign minister, trade minister and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs.

When it comes to banking in the Pacific, the challenges in front of us are clear, and confronting.

We know the Pacific has seen the fastest withdrawal of correspondent banking services of any region in the world.

We know these vital services help communities access foreign currencies and international payment systems.

And we also know that without them, large parts of the Pacific risk being cut off from the global financial system.

At stake here is the ability of the Pacific to engage with the world.

This pressing challenge was one of the main topics discussed with counterparts at the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting last year.

That marked the first time an Australian treasurer had travelled to the Pacific to attend that forum in almost two decades.

It's also the challenge this bill helps tackle.

This legislation allows the Commonwealth to use its balance sheet to support Australian banks to maintain their Pacific operations.

It will enable the Commonwealth to guarantee an Australian bank's business in the Pacific—either directly or through its subsidiaries—against the unlikely possibility of a default in the region, which may force them to shut their operations.

Eligible Australian banks will pay a fee to the Commonwealth for the guarantee, it is not a subsidy.

It is highly unlikely this guarantee will be needed.

But it is still an important and necessary change to make sure that our Pacific family can continue to bank with confidence.

This legislation is just one part of the substantial progress we've already made to secure the future of banking services in the region.

Working with the Commonwealth Bank to establish banking operations in Nauru this year.

Working with ANZ and Westpac to secure their continued presence in the Pacific.

Working with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to develop digital identity infrastructure and improve compliance with regulations.

And funding our Attorney-General's Department to help build capacity in Pacific countries, to strengthen protections from financial crime and build trust in the system.

We've been able to make all this progress at the same time as also securing access to banking services around Australia.

Because of our efforts, all major banks now have a moratorium on branch closures in regional Australia for two and a half years.

And we've helped secure a number of new agreements to shore up the vital services provided by Bank@Post.

We are standing up for regional Australians, helping to secure the banking services they need and deserve.

More than banking, this is about keeping regional communities, that contribute so much to our national economy, connected and thriving.

Banks have a responsibility to regional communities and we're holding them to it.

We will continue to work with regulators, industry and communities to ensure our regions have access to fit-for-purpose and sustainable banking services over the long term.

This includes a focus on sustainable cash distribution and ensuring Australians can use cash to pay for essentials if they want or need to.

This bill will help prevent the loss of banking services in the Pacific, which is vital to the security and economic development of our region.

But it won't solve the challenge overnight.

We'll continue to work with the banks and our international partners to address this issue; to make our region safer and more stable; to make sure loved ones, families and communities can continue to access their money; and to build a better future for the people of the Pacific.

Full details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum.

Debate adjourned.

I move:

Excise Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2025; and

Customs Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2025.

The proposals that I have tabled propose amendments to the Excise Tariff Act 1921 to pause biannual indexation on draft beer excise and to amend the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to pause biannual indexation on the customs duty that applies to those goods where they are imported into Australia. The government committed to these measures in the 2025-26 budget to take pressure off the price of a beer poured in pubs, clubs and other venues, supporting businesses, regional tourism and customers across Australia. The proposals pause biannual indexation applying to the excise and customs duty on draft beer for two years starting 1 August 2025. Biannual indexation will then recommence from 1 August 2027.

Debate adjourned.

Before I call the honourable member for Lyons, I remind members of the House that this is the honourable member's first speech and I ask the House to extend to her the usual courtesies.

I would be kidding myself if I tried to pretend that standing here to give my first speech as the federal member for Lyons wasn't a little overwhelming, in part because I'm standing in the same spot so many of my political heroes have stood and in part because of the weight of responsibility that comes with the knowledge that I'm here to be the voice for my electorate. But it's also because I know all too well how significant this opportunity is—to be a member of a Labor government with the capacity to make profound impact on the lives of people right across our country. I'm going to strive every day to make sure that I don't waste a moment, because I know that all the moments add up, and I can assure those of you who have never been there—that's most of my new colleagues here—that the opposition benches are not the place you want to be if you're serious about making a difference. Timing in politics is everything, and I plan to make the most of my time here.

As I stand here and reflect upon my role in this House, I want to acknowledge the traditional and original owners of the land upon which we do our work, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and pay my respect to elders past and present. I extend my acknowledgement to my home state of Lutruwita/Tasmania and to the Palawa people, who, despite the worst oppression and dispossession, endure and continue to share with us their story, language and cultural practice. It's a lesson in generosity that we benefit from as a nation. Tolerance, inclusion, respect and indeed kindness are attributes that make as all better people and a stronger community, and fundamental to the reason why I am here is community.

When I was 18, I worked in hospitality, waiting tables and working in a bar while I was making my way through uni. I was working a shift one afternoon in a Hobart restaurant when I took the lunch order to a table and put the plate down in front of a man seated with a group of his friends. There were the usual friendly smiles, and then the man asked me where I'd gone to school. I told him I'd attended Sorell school, the local public school in my regional town. He looked at me and said, 'Haven't you done well for yourself?' In that moment, my polite country upbringing went into autopilot and I probably said something like, 'Thank you,' and smiled, but inside I felt the sting of his words not just because I felt judged by somebody who knew nothing about me but because I felt he had insulted my town and my school with his offhand remark. It triggered in me a need to protect the place and people I cared the most about and to stand up for them. It's a feeling that's never left.

I've always been incredibly proud of my community and the people who've supported me my entire life. I'm a country girl through and through, a fiercely proud Tasmanian and someone who was taught early on to never give up. I'm the daughter of a plumber and a teacher. My Mum, Anne Pitney, moved in with my dad, Lindsay White—he's here in the gallery today—on what would become our family farm, known as Redbanks. They lived in a run-down Federation-style weatherboard house that had been used by the previous farmer to store hay in. For the first decade of my life, I woke up in the winter seeing my breath, because it was inevitable that the open fire would have gone out overnight, and sometimes the frost on the ground outside was enough to put the water pump into hibernation. And as cold as that was, I still think Canberra is colder.

Mum and Dad then did a bit of a reno and we got a wood heater, which was a life changer. My brother, Jeremy—who's also here today—and I had a lot of fun on the farm. We climbed trees, rode our bikes, played cricket, kicked the footy and shot at tin cans with our air rifles. I rode horses and learnt how to drive in a tractor. We would help with the jobs of feeding hay out to the beef cattle, looking after the pigs or milking the dairy cows. We were taught the value of hard work and we were brought up with the motto that there is no such thing as can't.

My brother and I were taught a lot of life lessons on the farm. First among them was to feed the animals before you feed yourself. Farmers are stewards of the land and I've never met a farmer who didn't care deeply about the animals they look after or the land they work. The principle of feeding the animals before you feed yourself is a lesson in looking after those who need your help before you help yourself, and it's an ethos I carry with me to this day.

I was lucky that my family was so much bigger than the four of us. We were surrounded by people who loved us, from aunts and uncles and cousins to grandparents who were constantly in our lives. My grandma Ethel continues to play a role as great-grandma in the lives of my children, Mia and Hudson, and I'm so grateful to my big and wonderful family, who continue to be such an incredible support to me every day, especially Dad, Mum and Andrew. My most important job is mum to Mia and Hudson, and I love watching them both grow up—far too quickly, but it's incredible to see them learn about the world around them with such open minds and kindness. My favourite time of the day is reading a book to them in bed as they snuggle in for a cuddle. They remind me of what really matters and they motivate me to make the most of each day.

I realise how fortunate I am to be able to tell a story like this, a story of love and support and encouragement, and I try not to take it for granted. Life is big, and my philosophy is that we should fill it with as much as possible and always say yes to opportunities. I know that I've been able to feel capable of taking on new challenges because of the support that I've had not only from my family but also from my home town and local community. I grew up at Nugent, known for farming and forestry and our vibrant community hall. It's like so many of the regional towns right across the electorate of Lyons. It's full of doers who work hard, volunteer for the local fire brigade or community event or raise funds for charity.

The people who have shaped me and taught me the values of fairness and to look out for one another are the same people who taught me the value of friendship and loyalty. Whether it's working bees or hay carting, everyone helps out in the country, and I feel so lucky that I got to grow up in a place where everyone is like my extended family. Nugent will always be my home, and there's nothing that beats the smell of the bush or that feeling of walking into the community hall and seeing everyone again.

It's also a reminder for me of what really matters. People need people. Each of us has an innate need to be connected to something or someone who helps give us meaning and purpose to know that we matter, and it's important for me to hold that thought front of mind when we make decisions so that we build stronger and more resilient communities and empower people to live good and happy lives. Standing here in this place, I am humbly reminded of my responsibility to uphold the best of what my community has taught me—to act with integrity, to promote fairness, to work with others and to treat everyone equally.

My electorate of Lyons is my home. It's the place where I was raised, where I went to school and where I now live and raise my two gorgeous children. To be elected to represent my friends, my family, my neighbours, my community in the Australian parliament is the greatest honour and one that is deeply personal. The vast electorate of Lyons was jointly named after Joe Lyons, Tasmania's only prime minister, and Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman member of the House of Representatives.

I stand here in service of my community as the first ever woman elected to represent this seat in the federal parliament. I stand here with determination to work hard, to be a voice for my electorate, to fight for us and to represent our interests to the best of my ability—to elevate our story to the national stage. It is a story of a regional landscape that is wild and beautiful, of coastlines that are drawcards for tourists and playgrounds for children, of farmers who toil to produce the best potatoes and beef, of winemakers and distillers who win global awards, of renewable energy that is steeped in our state's history of hydro-industrialisation, and of people who are creative, resourceful and resilient.

But we have our challenges, too. There are struggles with access to health care, difficulty finding safe and permanent housing, concerns about whether our young people will realise their ambitions, and the ongoing problem that distance from services and employment creates for people living in regional areas. I'm here not only as a voice for my electorate but also to work as a problem-solver, to help find solutions to the things that hold us back. I put my hand up for politics because I fundamentally believe that politics is the best way to effect change at a population level and improve people's lives. And I'm so excited to be part of a government that has purposeful ambition to uplift the lives of Australians.

Thank you to everyone who has welcomed me to this place following the election, and particularly a big thanks to you who have helped to establish my office and help me find my feet. I've been humbled by the support I've received, and most notably from my electorate, who put their trust in me to represent them here. I value and respect the relationship I have with the people of Lyons, who I had the honour to represent in the Tasmanian parliament for nearly 15 years. My election to this place marks the sixth time they've placed their faith in me, and I'll do my very best to honour that responsibility.

But nothing I have ever achieved has been achieved alone. There are people in this chamber, in the gallery and back home in Tassie who've all helped me get to where I am today, including my fabulous girlfriends, who've been the strongest support to me over decades and continue to be a constant source of inspiration and advice. My friends, along with my community and family, are the reason I stand here today. But my family grew when I joined the Labor Party, and I've been incredibly lucky that I've made friendships that will last a lifetime, from bonds forged through campaigns and caucuses to those shared with people from across our movement as we've worked alongside one another to push forward a progressive agenda.

I will never stop finding it remarkable how people give their time, often in a volunteer capacity, to help support our movement and campaigns. I cannot thank enough the huge number of people who've been with me over the years and have given their time to support the 2025 campaign. I said on the day I stood alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he announced that I was the endorsed candidate for the seat that the contest would be won by the margin of our effort—and the effort was enormous.

Thank you to all the volunteers from the mighty Australian Labor Party, from the rank-and-file members who gave their time, to our union affiliates who put in an extraordinary effort, to my campaign manager, Celeste Miller, who's here in the gallery—and I'm going to point you out, even though I know you hate it!—and who skilfully juggled it all and did so with such poise and calm determination. There is not a person I have met who can say no to you, and it's not because you intimidate them into compliance—although you do sometimes give me a look that makes me think twice about whether my idea was such a great one! But it's because you have that rare ability to empower people to believe in themselves.

My campaign team was a powerhouse of the very best people who share a common passion to make a difference and have fun while doing it. I had the super-human efforts of Margaret and Greg Luckman, who led teams of volunteers as we doorknocked across the 35,000 square kilometres of Lyons, and the boundless enthusiasm of Martyn Summers, who was the first to put his hand up to help with any task. Thank you to Bronwyn for lending him to us. You are two of Tassie's finest Labor members.

There was the clever and creative genius of Heidi Heck. She put her hands up for more things than she probably expected to at this election, and she did it all with grace and professionalism. There was the ballast that is Stuart Benson, one of my oldest friends in the Labor Party, who weighed in when needed and kept things on track in a way that only someone with his experience and knowledge can do. There was the guidance of Michael Aird, who's been a reliable source of support and advice to me over the years and who was once again there for me during this campaign. Celeste Di Bar, with all her positive energy and practical effort, helped our fabulous volunteers engage with the campaign. To the fabulous and enthusiastic Joe Birch, who I know will be watching this speech and who demonstrates the most incredible dedication: thank you for your hard work as chief whip, always keeping us on track. Jane Atkinson, very ably and with all her trademark diligence, rallied volunteers and prepared booth kits for the 72 polling places across Lyons.

The same goes for wonderful people like Kate; the mighty efforts of Robyn, who was there for me everyday; the dedication of self-proclaimed president of our gang, Allan; and the absolute stars Paul and Jonathan, along with the pinnacle of organisation, Anne. There were the enormous efforts of Dave, Morris, Bish, Luke, Zac, Bron; the hard work of Ella, Lachlan, Lauren, Nick, Gayle, Lucy, Elias, Tahnee and Brad; and the energy of Richard, Rod, Scott, Ben, Casey, Craig and Lee and so many others who helped deliver mail, put up a poster, knock on a door, make a phone call, stand on pre-poll, hand out on polling day and even lend me a car. There were over 100 individuals who turned from supporters into active campaigners and joined us in having thousands of conversations across the electorate about Labor's agenda, not just for the election but for our country's future.

Thank you to the union movement, who were incredible in the way they provided support to our effort to hold the seat of Lyons. I would like to recognise the SDA, RTBU, CPSU, PPTEU, TFTU, UWU, ASU and MUA. It was an energetic and fun campaign, and this result has only been made possible by the effort put in by all of you. We are stronger together, and this time we were unbeatable.

There are just a few more important people I want to specifically acknowledge. To Gordon Luckman, Jarryd Moore and Stephen Briggs: thank you. I've been involved in many campaigns over the years and I know how much effort and time it takes to coordinate and rollout a statewide election strategy. We knew we could rely on you to meet every challenge. The entire team at NatSec were phenomenal, and my thanks go to Paul Erickson and Jen Light for the support and friendship they've shown me over many years.

Of course, to the Prime Minister: I'm honoured to stand here as a member of your team, to stand here in support of the Labor government's agenda and to do all I can to progress our ambition for this beautiful country and to uphold our shared values of fairness, equality and social justice. Thank you for encouraging me to be a part of it and for the trust you place in me as we deliver on our promises in this government.

The final thankyou goes to someone who has been my friend for nearly two decades: Brian Mitchell. Brian was elected as the federal member for Lyons in 2016 and served the electorate with distinction and pride. He loved the job of representing the people of Lyons here in Canberra, and I want to acknowledge the significant generosity of spirit he demonstrated to me as the federal candidate for Lyons at this election. As it turns out, we've done a bit of a swap, with Brian not yet officially but looking very likely to be newly elected to the Tasmanian parliament following the weekend's election, which is great news, an outcome for our community that I believe will help us deliver great results for our electorate.

For me, today marks the beginning of a great opportunity to put into effect the knowledge and experience I've gained over the course of my life to deliver improvements for the community who made me who I am. My job is to repay their investment in me by giving voice to the needs of regional Tasmania and to challenge the assumption that the best we can aspire to is limited in some way by the school we went to or the postcode where we grew up. I love my community and I'm a fiercely proud Tasmanian. I dedicate myself to telling our story and to making you proud as we build our future together.

Before I call the honourable member for Bass, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech, and I ask the House to extend to her the usual courtesies.

I believe that we learn through stories, so please me allow me to share mine. A little boy handed me a button. His name is Archie. No explanation, no big moment—just a quiet, unexpected gift at the door of a stranger. It was the final week of the campaign. I was tired, hopeful and stretched to my limit. And there he was, a small hand reaching out offering me something precious. Something small, yes, but full of meaning. Did he sense, maybe, at that point in time, I really needed a lucky button? Perhaps. I carried it with me through the final week. I kept it close on election night, and I brought it here with me today, because this button became a reminder of kindness, of trust—of why we do this. This chamber hears a lot of talk about policy, priorities and power. But it's the small human things that actually hold us together, especially when distant horizons feel like they begin to darken.

As I hold Archie's gift, I'm reminded that we walk in the footsteps of generations of his ancestors and on lands filled with deep stories far older than any of us. I acknowledge and pay my deepest respects to Palawa elders past and present, community members, their families and the Palawa people that passed too soon and did not make elder status yet who remain in the thoughts of their families and their community across Lutruwita/Tasmania. I acknowledge Palawa are the traditional owners and carers of country and sea country of Lutruwita that span millennia. There is a strong connection to country for Palawa, who continue to pass on cultural practices and knowledge to the next generation in my electorate of Bass.

I extend my acknowledgement and deepest respects to the Ngunnawal people, whose country we are standing on today. I recognise the enduring strength and wisdom of First Nations people and the importance of listening, being led and sharing decisions. I recognise the significance for truth telling, healing and justice to be part of Australia's future and a strong link to closing the gap for better outcomes for First Nations people.

I'm here today because of the people who stood beside me and those who came before. To Michelle O'Byrne, who stood in this chamber nearly 20 years ago and asked when it would reflect the true diversity of Australia: thank you for your service, advice and encouragement. It's taken time, Michelle, but this week we are finally taking a step towards a parliament that truly looks like its people. To Janie Finlay, who showed me how to make the most of every moment and turn it into the change that we want to see: thank you.

I'm deeply grateful to the many ministers who offered their support during the campaign and beyond. I took each moment as a lesson, and I look forward to learning and working beside each of you. Prime Minister, I particularly thank you for being present at key moments throughout my entire campaign, from introducing me as a candidate to hosting the major Medicare announcement in Launceston to flipping sausages for volunteers who had worked so hard to support our dream. Your presence, constant belief and support have made these moments particularly special for everyone who was involved.

To Bridget Archer: I know you care deeply for Bass and its people. You stood up for what you believed in even when that meant standing alone. I thank you for your service in this House.

To my small but mighty family: you show up. You ask for nothing and make everything better. Laughing with you is my favourite thing in the world. Thank you for working through every challenge and harebrained scheme together. To Liam, whose radiant smile and front-row cheerleading is the truest expression of love that I have ever known: thank you.

To my campaign team: we started small, just Luke and me, learning the ropes as fast as we could. What we built together grew into a team of some of the smartest, hardest-working and most dedicated people I now feel lucky enough to call friends. Seeing your joy on election night was a gift that I will never forget. Thank you.

To the unions who supported and engaged with us: thank you. Australia's union movement is something we can be rightly proud of, and many countries look on with envy at the hard-won conditions that it has secured.

To our intrepid volunteers: thank you. You show up with kindness, grit and good humour, no matter the weather. You keep us going, keep us fed and lift us up when we need it the most. I'll never stop being grateful.

When I think about people who shaped me, not just as a politician but as a person, I think of teachers. Only a few months ago I was a teacher too. For 14 years I worked in remote and regional schools teaching students from prep to year 12. Because of the diverse needs of the students in front of me, I kept studying. I became skilled in supporting students who were learning English as an additional language or dialect and those students with disabilities or additional needs. Teaching brings so much joy. There are days full of laughter and light and others filled with frustration—frustration in a system that too often feels inflexible and doesn't allow teachers to meet students where they are.

There are many moments I look back on with deep fondness, but my greatest passion will always be teaching people to read. There is nothing quite like helping someone at any age unlock the English language. To watch someone start to enjoy reading, to see their confidence grow as they engage with text, is one of the great privileges of teaching. It's not just about books; it's about science, instruction and conversation. It's about opening doors to further study, meaningful work and communication. Reading is one of the most important skills a person can learn, and I know so many teachers across the country who share the same joy in helping people, young or old, discover the power of reading.

But, if you've been in a classroom lately, you know that teachers wear too many hats. They carry too many roles. They're educators, counsellors, snack providers, data collectors, resource creators, learners, reporters and event organisers, often all in one day. But through it all they focus on their students. They carry their hopes, their futures and their fears. Teachers walk beside us quietly, steadily, believing in us, even when we don't always believe in ourselves. During the campaign, some former teachers reached out. Many I hadn't seen in years. They were proud, encouraging and quietly cheering me on, and that's what great teachers do.

But too many of our teachers are burning out. They're being stretched beyond what's fair, and many are leaving. That's why I'm really proud to be part of a government that is listening. We're fully funding public education. We're delivering free TAFE, reducing HECS, expanding mental health support and taking bold steps to give our kids a break from the relentless noise of social media. It's not just about policy; it's about people and the future that we want.

This week, my family celebrated the arrival of my perfect niece, Willow. Hugh and Tara, thank you for the extraordinary gift of making me an aunt and asking me to announce her name here for the first time, for Willow's family and loved ones to be a part of this moment. Willow will grow up wrapped in unconditional love, surrounded by people who believe in her, who cheer her on and who will be there no matter what. But I wonder and I ask: What will define success for her generation? Will it be owning a home, or simply being able to afford rent? Will it be the freedom to choose her path, her work, her family and her future? Will it be growing up safe, supported and seen, no matter who she is or where she's from? I hope Willow learns from wise teachers. I hope she grows within a strong and kind community. I hope she's held by a world that prioritises keeping her emotionally and physically safe. I hope she knows that she belongs, that her voice matters and that fairness isn't something she has to fight for; it's something that she can count on.

This leads me to one of the most common questions I was asked during the campaign: why? Why would you put yourself forward for a job like this, and what makes you worthy? While hope is integral to us in our humanity, it is not enough only to hope for change; it must always be partnered with action. The truth is I had very little interest in politics growing up. Mum worked hard to make sure that I had what I needed, and I was happy. It wasn't until I began to travel and to really understand how systems work and how policy touches every part of our lives that I started paying attention.

My first teaching job was in Ramingining, a remote Yolngu community in Arnhem Land about 800 people strong. On a good day, it's a six-to-eight-hour drive to Darwin, and in the wet season you hold your breath as your tiny plane dances around storm clouds. Ramo is an extraordinary place. I loved my job and my time there, and I learned every day, from my students, my neighbours, my colleagues and the families who welcomed me in.

But, like many remote communities, Ramo faces real challenges. Housing was scarce; people had to sleep in shifts. Diesel didn't always make it off the barge to power the generators. When someone needed urgent care, getting to a hospital could take hours, if the weather allowed it at all. People learned to rely on one another; they had to. But, as independent as we tried to be, we also had to rely on funding and being heard and understood by those who control it. I watched politicians fly in, make announcements, take some nice photos with the kids and leave within the hour. But I also saw something different: leaders who sat, who listened and who asked questions to understand. That's when I started paying more attention, because that's what politics should be: community led, grounded in respect and driven by care.

When I came back to Tasmania, I joined the Labor Party, not because I had a grand plan—I certainly didn't expect to be here—but because I wanted to help inform good policy. I remember walking into my first Tamar branch meeting, nervous and unsure if I belonged, but I'm so glad that I did. I found acceptance. I found people who cared, who wanted to serve and who could share ideas and disagree respectfully. I know many of our Tasmanian branch members are watching today, and I thank you for your ongoing support.

I know politics can leave a bad taste for people, but I believe that, when more Australians get involved, we build better policy and a better country. So, if you hope for a different future, if you have an idea or if you want to help, find a party that fits your values. Go to a branch meeting, get involved and be part of developing a future that you want. That is why I am here. This is my purpose: to build a future where every child feels heard, seen, supported and free to dream big.

That question—what kind of future do we build?—is at the very heart of this role. After the election, I asked myself: What now? What does it actually mean to represent a place, to serve? The answer came quietly, as most good answers do: to connect—to connect people to services, to connect ideas to action, to connect the dots between problems and solutions and to make sure that, when someone walks into my office nervous, frustrated and out of options, they leave with something: a path forward, a next step and a sense that they were heard. That's what I want that job, this experience, to be, and that is how I will measure my success for this role as a federal member for Bass.

Eight generations of my family have called Bass home, near the beautiful Kanamaluka River. We've farmed, built boats and mined gold. I know Bass, and I know that Bass is exceptional. We have world-class vineyards, Australia's only UNESCO City of Gastronomy and some of the world's best mountain-biking trails. We have landscapes so breathtaking and so commonplace that we sometimes forget just how lucky we are. We also have grit, innovation and history. We were the first area in the Southern Hemisphere to use anaesthetic, the first city in Australia to be powered by public hydroelectricity and the first Australian city with underground sewers or to take an X-ray. Bass doesn't wait for the future; we lead it. And, today, we still do. We have cutting-edge manufacturing, renewable energy and incredible community organisations, such as the Benevolent Society, still operating after 190 years, with over 70 volunteers helping furnish homes and helping people feed their children. That's the spirit of Bass—bold, innovative, generous—and I was lucky enough to see the impacts of generosity from a young age.

I was raised by strong, hilarious and fiercely intelligent women: Marion, Kimbra and my exceptional mum, Ann. These women saw volunteering and supporting their community as a given—not even a question. Your community is what you make it, so give what you can to it. That's how, at age 13, I started volunteering at the YMCA. And what I learned is this: volunteering isn't just about helping others; it's about discovering and improving yourself and the way that you engage with your community. It builds us, it connects us and it makes us better, and I see it every day in Bass at Shekinah House, Strike It Out, parkrun, Rosie's Reading; in op shops, Men's Sheds, Neighbourhood Houses; in Rotary and Lions clubs; and in the quiet acts of courage, patience and dedication that never make the news but change lives all the same. This is the strength of our community.

But, even in our strong community, there are fractures that we cannot ignore. Tasmania has some of the worst health and education outcomes in the country. We have some of the lowest year 12 completion rates and some of the highest rates of chronic illness. Too many young Tasmanians are struggling with literacy, with housing and with hope. These aren't just statistics; these are people. They are your neighbours, your children and your friends. And that is not good enough. My job—our job—is to change that, to improve these statistics and to make sure that no-one in our community is left behind.

So, yes, I brought this button in with me today. It fits in the palm of my hand. It's not shiny. It's not worth anything on paper. But it's Archie's button—a child's act of kindness, a moment of connection and a symbol of what matters most. Leadership doesn't have to be loud. It can be gentle. It can be generous. And it can begin with a button. To the people of Bass, whether we've met yet or not, I carry this for you too. My promise is simple: I will listen, I will act and I will connect. And I will never forget what brought me here. Let's lead with kindness. Let's connect with courage. And let's build something better together. Thank you.

Before I call the honourable member for Bullwinkel, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech, and I ask the House to extend to her the usual courtesies.

I think I might need that lucky button, so you can pass it over! Hello, parliament. My name is Trish Cook. I'm from Noongar country of Perth, Western Australia, and I'm the very first member of the new federal electorate of Bullwinkel. Bullwinkel encompasses the lands of the Whadjuk and the Ballardong people of the Noongar nation, and today I speak on Ngunnawal and Ngambri lands. I offer my deepest respects to these First Nations people here, in the west and indeed all across this beautiful, peaceful country of Australia.

Speaker, one year ago, I sat in the visitors' gallery of the chamber, watching question time with curiosity and interest. I was here as part of my role as Deputy Shire President of the Shire of Mundaring, from the Perth Hills, where I'm deeply involved in the community as a volunteer as well as a councillor. For the previous three years, I had watched with gratitude as the Albanese Labor government steered Australia into a more secure, progressive society and reinstated the Labor values of fairness, equity, workers' rights, climate change action and public education—cornerstones of a healthy society that had been purposely neglected by the previous conservative government for over a decade. I had seen the Labor government over-deliver on their 2022 election commitment to provide 50 Medicare urgent care clinics around the country, impressively delivering 87 clinics. This improvement of accessible urgent health care reduces the pressure on emergency departments and the daily lists of general practice, both of which I have worked in. As I watched the frank exchanges and robust debates of the progressive legislation occurring in question time, I simply had the idea that I could be part of the democratic process at the federal level, with my eight years of service as a councillor in local government serving as the foundation.

As luck would have it, the new seat of Bullwinkel, some months earlier, had been created by the Australian Electoral Commission. Suddenly, here was a brand new electorate of Bullwinkel, which encompassed Darlington—my home of 17 years—and was named in honour of World War II nursing hero Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel. I took this optimistically as a sign of encouragement. I ignored my campaign naivety and threw my nurse's cap into the ring, and, to my delight, the Labor Party embraced my candidacy. I thank them for their incredible support and trust that they've shown in me.

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful and supportive Labor network that was afforded me during the campaign, and I would specifically like to thank my campaign director, Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman; WA Labor state secretary and now senator Ellie Whiteaker; Mark Reed and the WA Labor team; Helen Tuck and my branch members of Perth Labor Women; branch members of the amazing Kalamunda Zig Zag, Bassendean and Northam branches; my campaign manager, the remarkable and tireless Fiona Bennett; my friend and colleague 'fighter for Hasluck' Tania Lawrence; the WA federal Labor members; Premier Roger Cook and the WA state Labor members; the cabinet members, some of whom visited Bullwinkel and cheered me on; the President of the Senate, Sue Lines, who challenged and mentored me in her own netball-coach style; and the Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles. Both Sue and Richard walked alongside me as we doorknocked the people in the suburbs of High Wycombe and Wattle Grove in the Perth summer heat on several occasions. How grassroots can politics get!

Thank you also to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who believed in me from our very first conversation, who supported my nomination and who made time for me on his many regular trips to WA. Thank you. And thank you to all the selfless donors, volunteers and the campaign team members who worked on the Labor Bullwinkel campaign, many who I now know and love and many more who I haven't even met yet.

So I come to this role of MP, with all of these incredible members of the class of 2025 here today, with enormous gratitude and a joyful sense of responsibility to represent the people of Bullwinkel and with the hope that my skills as a nurse and midwife—pragmatism, problem solving and compassion—will contribute to the workings of this chamber and as a local MP.

My life can be summed up in the following numbers. I'm blessed with three incredible siblings: Lorna Cook, exceptional nurse and innovative business owner, having co-founded chemo@home; Dr Diane Parker, self-proclaimed 'best teacher in Australia'; and my brother, Russell Cook, truck driver, mountain climber and corflute-sign erector. I have one life partner, Greg, whose compassion, integrity and high personal ethics have raised my own standards; one deeply thoughtful and gentle, kind daughter, Grace, who is here today; one loving, slightly unpredictable kelpie-cross, Coco, who is not here today; and one loving, stable extended family of sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Another number is 10, because I'm the 10th nurse to be in parliament; No. 4, because I'm the fourth midwife to be in parliament; and No. 6, my position on the softball diamond.

I come to this parliament as a nurse, a midwife, an occupational health and safety consultant, a small-business owner, a community volunteer, a shire councillor and a PhD candidate and now, of course, a legislator. The first half of my career was as a remote-area nurse and midwife in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of my beautiful home state of WA. I had the privilege of caring for and working with people in remote Indigenous communities, such as Ardyaloon/One Arm Point, Djarindjin/Lombadina, Bidyadanga/La Grange and Looma. This is where I first witnessed the impact that access to fresh food, local employment, education and housing, and connection with country, connection to culture and other social connections can have on the health of the community. These factors are referred to as the social determinants of health and, not surprisingly, parallel the social determinants of justice and the social determinants of mental health. And it is improving these factors that brings true investment and gains in community health as well as in the justice system.

I was also employed as a remote-area nurse-midwife in the mining towns of Pannawonica and Argyle and in other isolated corners of our state. Many times I had been the only clinician for hundreds of kilometres, and I relied heavily on the support of Aboriginal health workers, the tradies and truck drivers who doubled as the emergency response team, and, of course, the iconic Royal Flying Doctor Service. I have known the weight of responsibility when resources are thin on the ground. Later, my work in industry included construction sites, casinos, oil and gas production facilities at Karratha and Barrow Island, and some of the offshore oil and gas platforms in the north-west. It's not unusual for me to work FIFO to Canberra, having often caught aircraft and helicopters to work for many years.

It was during my time working as a nurse in industry that I obtained a grad diploma of occupational health and safety and also established and conducted a small business for 10 years, providing extraordinarily capable registered nurses to remote locations. I know the responsibility, the difficulties and the 24/7 nature of owning and running a small business. I extended my education to a Master of Occupational Health and Safety when my then young family did a yearlong stint in the Solomon Islands in 2007 as part of the AusAID and RAMSI mission, followed by four years in Kalgoorlie as a nurse-midwife. I also became a nurse educator, teaching the next generation of nurses at Kalgoorlie TAFE, Northam TAFE and, later, Edith Cowan University. In 2019 I was again inspired to take on tertiary studies, embarking on a PhD study. My thesis—which is just a few months off completion!—is a study on the patient experiences of receiving home based immunotherapy infusions for cancer and chronic diseases.

I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the role of my beautiful parents, who raised four children in state housing in Eden Hill, only 16 kilometres from where I now live. Both parents were involved in the community at grassroots level and instilled in us Labor values and a strong sense of fairness. My mother, Mary Josephine Morgan, came to Australia in 1947. She was 12 years of age when she arrived in Fremantle on board the SS Asturias in the first batch of some of the 10,000 children who were sent to Australia from the UK under the British child migrant scheme. She was part of the lost generation of children who were sent here from the UK to help repopulate a depleted white population after World War II. Despite being institutionalised, having a limited education and enduring the trauma of a life in an orphanage, she chose a career in nursing. She cared about people, and I proudly followed in her footsteps, becoming a nurse. In 2009, in this very chamber, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the child migrants, and, while my mother did not live to see the apology, I would like, in this chamber today, to acknowledge all the British child migrants and their contribution to Australia. I would especially like to acknowledge my aunty, Dilys Budd, nee Winter, who is in the gallery today for my parliamentary speech.

My father, Terence Joseph Cook, whose ancestor was transported to Australia as a convict from England and whose own father was a decorated World War I veteran, was a proud and courageous defender of his working-class roots. He first began advocating for people who were being exploited when he became the voice for the Polish migrant workers who were silenced by their language barrier when working on the Tasmanian hydroelectric scheme in the 1950s. That experience eventually led him to a career in the union movement and his position as state secretary for the Australasian Society of Engineers union. He was a lifelong member of the ALP and lived his life always adhering to Labor Party values. My dad looked after workers from outside the companies through his union work, and I looked after workers from inside the companies as a nurse. I know that he would be proud of me as I stand here today as a member of the Labor Party, a member of parliament and a member of the mighty United Workers Union.

I would like to extend my thanks to the United Workers Union in WA, who supported me throughout the campaign. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Carolyn Smith, Dom Rose, Emily Knowles, Matt Clarke and all the wonderful, dedicated delegates, officials and volunteers who worked on the Bullwinkel campaign. Thank you. I would also like to thank the TWU, RTBU, ASU, UnionsWA and the broad union movement. UWU represents over 150,000 workers in more than 45 industries and every day fights to protect and support those workers in industries such as aged care, early childhood education and ancillary staff in hospitals. These workers are often from the lowest-paid jobs and highly feminised workforces. I'm proud to be part of the Labor Party, who recognises the value of the care industry and has recently acted to increase wages for aged-care workers and early childhood educators.

Bullwinkel is the first electorate to be named after a nurse, and it's the 18th electorate to be named after a woman, but I don't want anyone to worry over there—there are still 88 electorates named after men. Bullwinkel is the fourth-largest electorate in WA, and it consists of the foothills, the hills and the rural portion of the western Wheatbelt. The localities of the foothills and the hills include a mix of newly established suburbs, historic villages, large state water catchment areas, national parks, orchards and residential homes. It's beautiful. The rural area of Bullwinkel consists of four historic Wheatbelt towns: Beverley, Toodyay, York and the largest of the four, Northam, home of WA hot air ballooning. As well as the townspeople, these rural communities include passionate farmers who produce our food and our agricultural exports. They see the ever-changing impact of climate change, and, while they have thankfully and recently got their barley markets back, they are still transitioning to the ban on live sheep export by sea.

All three areas of Bullwinkel—the foothills, hills and rural areas—boast amazing communities along with stunning natural but sensitive and bushfire-prone environments. I look forward to working closely with the nine local governments across Bullwinkel to deliver improvements in line with their community strategic plans as well as our Labor Party commitments—commitments of a Medicare urgent care clinic and childcare centre in Mundaring, a Medicare mental health centre in Kalamunda, telecommunications improvements and upgrades to the volunteer bushfire brigades. And I look forward to working with and assisting the farmers of Bullwinkel as they transition away from the live sheep export trade.

The name of Bullwinkel carries significant historical weight and a powerful legacy. As the inaugural member, there are a few things I'd like to tell you about the remarkable Lieutenant Colonel Matron Vivian Bullwinkel. In 1942, Vivian was one of 65 Australian nurses who fled Singapore in response to the Japanese invasion in World War II. After surviving a bombing at sea of the Vyner Brooke ship, she and her colleagues surrendered only to face atrocity. Vivian was the sole survivor of the infamous Banka Island massacre, whereby she and 21 of her fellow nurses were assaulted, marched out into the ocean and machine-gunned down. After surviving this war crime, she was forced to surrender several weeks later and endured three years of unimaginable hardship, suffering as a prisoner of war alongside 65 other Australian Army nurses. Vivian was only 26 years of age at this time, only a few years older than my own daughter. I cannot imagine the hardship of parents sending their daughters and sons off to a foreign country to fight for democracy and I thank them for their incredible sacrifices and services.

Not only did Vivienne survive World War II but afterwards she went on to testify against the Japanese at the war crimes tribunal in Tokyo. She spent the rest of her life advocating for her fellow nurses wanting to tell their story, not wanting them to be forgotten. She retired at 60 years of age, married and moved to Perth, where she lived for a further 24 years. In 1992, Vivienne bravely returned to Bangka beach, accompanied by WA Labor Senator Pat Giles—No. 2 nurse, incidentally—to open a memorial dedicated to her comrades on the beach.

One of her comrades who died in the terrible massacre was Sister Alma Beard of the Wheatbelt town of Toodyay in the electorate of Bullwinkel. Alma is remembered and honoured by her local community and relatives still residing in the region, including with a statue in her honour at the Toodyay medical centre. I acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice of Alma, who was only 29.

In addition to a distinguished military career, Vivienne had a remarkable career in the nursing profession, and there are just two things I'd like to share with you about Vivienne Bullwinkel's nursing history. First, in 1960, Vivienne became matron of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital in Victoria, which has since closed, in 1996. Can you imagine a whole hospital dedicated to infectious diseases? A whole COVID ward, sure—but a whole hospital? And the reason, of course, why we don't now have infectious diseases hospitals in this country is the unarguable benefits of vaccination, and I take this opportunity to thank the Australian government for providing the free, comprehensive National Immunisation Program, which covers 19 vaccine-preventable diseases for all Australians across all age groups.

I have administered vaccinations for the past 40 years and agree with the position statement of the Australian College of Nursing and the Australian Medical Association that vaccination is the No. 1 best health dollar spend in this country. I'm so privileged to see the mass reduction of typhoid, diphtheria, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal and HPV in my lifetime. I'm sure Vivienne and the other past nurses would also be amazed by and grateful for vaccinations, as was my own father, who suffered from diphtheria as a child. Let us not forget what lies dormant and kept at bay by immunisation and high herd immunity levels. We need to continue to build trust and understanding about vaccinations, especially given the rise of misinformation and declining immunisation rates in some areas.

The second thing is that Vivienne was president of the Australian College of Nursing, and she's remembered as one of the most influential people within the Australian nursing profession. Vivienne helped elevate the standard of Australian nurses by transferring training of nurses from hospital based training to the tertiary trained profession that it is today, equal to other allied health professions. At the time of my training, young trainee hospital trained nurses worked in a role that was considered a vocation, where men were doctors and women were expected to do the role of the carer for the love of it, and, of course, the wages and conditions reflected that attitude. I know, having completed hospital base training as a nurse and midwife at St John of God Subiaco Hospital in the eighties, followed by a university degree of Bachelor of Health Science in the nineties.

Nursing remains a highly feminised workforce, and the Labor government's recent commitment to paid prac recognises the contribution of students, mostly women, who juggle study, clinical practice, part-time jobs and family, all while learning to care for us, and I note that this policy has been extended to student teachers and social workers, both equally deserving of financial support.

I have come full circle, from my training in the corridors of a hospital to the corridors of this House. The professions of nursing and politics both require great commitment, honesty and a great sense of wanting to help people and communities. As a nurse-midwife, I have cared and advocated for patients when they drew their first and last breaths and everything in between. As a volunteer I've cared and advocated for my wonderful and supportive community of Darlington by leading projects such as the local skate park extension, the construction of a pump track, a well-loved and well-used community garden and the environmental restoration of our local wetlands and a native-bush triangle area. As a shire councillor for the shire of Mundaring for eight years, I have supported community projects such as the construction of the Boya Public Library and the Mundaring Arena. And, as a federal Labor member, I pledge to care and advocate for the fair and equitable allocation of resources to target the social determinants of health, the factors which will improve life for those in Bullwinkel and for all Australians.

I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians on the land on which the parliament sits, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples; the traditional custodians of the land on which I grew up, the Wilyakali people; and the traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work, the Yugambeh and Jagera peoples—the freshwater people of Canberra, the desert people of Broken Hill and the saltwater people of Logan and the Gold Coast.

My two favourite organisations in Forde are Jinndi Mibunn—an Aboriginal organisation who help with housing, community, language, everything—and Gilmour Space, a company about to launch the first Australia-made rocket ship. One has a vision of ancient Australia; the other has a vision of futuristic Australia. Together they represent Forde perfectly, just as Forde represents Australia perfectly. People have lived in Forde for tens of thousands of years. It was one of the first areas in Queensland to be colonised, as English and Germans, like my family, made an industry out of timber, cattle and sugar cane. Today, we have one of the most multicultural communities in the world. Forde is ancient Australia, old Australia and modern Australia. Forde is a perfect snapshot of Australia.

As a kid, when I began to think about the world, I was intrigued to know what it meant to be human—before agriculture, before the industrial revolution. I believe many people suffer from poor mental health today because we're disconnected from the way of life that we as humans evolved to live in. I spent many years working in farming, a lifestyle little changed over 10,000 years. Sure, we have motorbikes and gyrocopters and GPS, but when you're working on a farm—as I understand you did, Deputy Speaker Claydon—you feel an infinity with an ancestor a hundred generations past. Living with the rhythm of nature is infinitely more satisfying than how we live in the industrial age.

But Indigenous Australians have a link to an even more fundamental past. I still don't grasp what that means, although I yearn to know it. In Australia we are so fortunate to share our lives with the longest continuous culture on the planet. It is just a handful of generations since the colonisation of Australia began, and our Indigenous brothers and sisters have survived; they have kept alive a fundamental knowledge and way of life that one day, I believe, Indigenous Australians will share when the rest of us are open to receive.

And then there is Gilmour Space. If there is any company that symbolises the future, it's those legends. They have taken all the elements of the earth and transformed them into a rocket ship that will take us to the stars—well, technically, low Earth orbit, which may not sound as poetic as the stars, but it's heading in that direction. In this place, we're lucky to focus on the next three years, let alone the next 100. It's been only in the past 100 years or so that we've been able to stand on top of the foundations of science and look out to our past and see our future. Only in the past 100 years have we learnt that Aboriginal culture is more than 65,000 years old and that humans are about 100,000 years old. Only in the past 100 years have we learnt that our universe is not contained in a single galaxy but stretches over billions of light-years. For the first time, it is our generation that has a clear picture of our past and a good glimpse of our future.

When I meet with people who are struggling to pay for a home, struggling to afford medicine, struggling to pay for electricity, it reminds me that we are still living in the Dark Ages. One day people will look back on how we live, just as we look back on the Romans, and will think how clever we were to make do with what we had but that they wouldn't want to live in our time. Scientists today talk of a technological singularity, a point where advanced research in robotics, biology and energy production all come together to create a whole that is infinitely more powerful than the sum of its parts.

I believe science is close to creating a world where all of us have a material abundance beyond our wildest imagination. My core belief is summed up in the line 'On one hand technology, on the other hand democracy.' Technology has the power to create material wealth; democracy has the power to share it. My time as a parliamentarian will focus on helping our inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs to create and our community leaders to share. But, even in the midst of material abundance today, people suffer spiritual impoverishment, and to that I want to return at the end of my speech.

I was advised by my good friend Cameron Murphy to do the thankyous at the beginning of the speech and was cautioned against doing too many. Well, seeing as we're not at the start of the speech, I've already ignored the first part of that advice, so I may as well ignore the second part! The first group of people I want to thank are the people of Forde, who have given me an awesome responsibility and opportunity. Perhaps because I have a margin of 1.8 per cent, I keenly feel the temporary nature of the jobs we have been entrusted to do. I want to acknowledge former member for Forde Bert van Manen and thank him for the way he conducted himself during two campaigns.

The second group of people I want to thank are the people who make up the labour movement. Sometimes people say to me, 'Sorry, I can't support the Labor Party because you're too close to the union movement.' And I think to myself: 'Well, we aren't just close to the union movement; we are the union movement. We are the political wing of the trade union movement.' The Labor Party exists because there are some things you just can't achieve on the shop floor—workers compensation, free health care and free school education. To achieve these things you need control of the parliament. And, anyway, without laws that protect striking workers from the thuggery of an authoritarian government, you can't even fight on the shop floor for improved wages and conditions.

Paul Keating said that the history of the Labor Party is the history of Australia. It's little known that the world's earliest trade union activists, like the Tolpuddle Martyrs, were sent to Australia along with the convicts who were sent to Australia for stealing bread. It was because of political prisoners like them that Australia was the first country to have a secret ballot, the first country to allow men to vote regardless of wealth and property and one of the first countries to allow women to vote. It is because of union activists that we have progressed as a country today—people like AMWU state secretary Rohan Webb and executive officer Ann-Marie Allan, who have not only spent a lifetime backing in workers but also spent what seems like a lifetime backing in me! Queensland Meat Workers secretary Matt Journeaux and two unionists who have had a much bigger impact on me than they might have imagined, Harry Early and Stuey Trail, are continuing inspirations to me today. Thank you to the Labor Party's state secretary, Ben Driscoll, who, for his sins, ran my 2022 campaign for Forde, and to former state secretaries Evan Moorhead, Katie Flanders and the new member for Moreton herself.

The most important people are the ones who have showed up today. You are not only the ones who will give me the most grief if I leave you out but also some of the most important people to ever come into my life. To Emico, Ruby Rose and Riley, Lonnie and Ruth Nelson, Francis Bedford, Sharon Vallis, Elliot Lini and the Logan Afghan community, and Saeed Mujahid Hashimi and the Gold Coast Afghan community: thank you. Shannon Fentiman, Queensland's shadow Treasurer—friend, former boss, campaign director and fellow observer of the ridiculous—is here, and Joshua Lucey, campaign manager and hero of the cause, is not. Thanks also to the mighty Sharon Robertson and the Waterford branch, Kate Drysdale and the Slacks Creek Politburo, Fran van Gilst and the Beenleigh branch and Keenan McEwen and the Coomera branch. To say I couldn't have done it without you is such a statement of the obvious, but what I really mean is it wouldn't have been half as much fun. A special mention goes to the patron of Queensland Young Labor, Brianna Bailey, whose advice beyond her years and sense of humour below her years has got me through two elections and one preselection.

And there is one other person who has come along today. Advice given to us when preparing our first speech was that it wouldn't be a bad career move to put in a 'thank you' to the Prime Minister! Of course, I want to thank him for his performance during the campaign and his performance over the last term, where people came to see his vision and compassion. But I really want to thank him for being like a big brother. I met the PM when I was 14 and he was 24, when I went to my first, and his last, Young Labor conference. Even though I never really worked closely with him, he was like the big brother who'd grown up and gone off to work while I was still the kid at home. My political brothers who I did grow up with were the Young Labor president who succeeded the PM, Mal Larsen—who is a current adviser to the PM—and Damien O'Connor, a former adviser. Those two can never know the incredibly positive impact that they had on me then in the late 1980s and that they still have on me today. Like any big brother, the PM looked after me when he could. When I got a job as a 19-year-old with a former member for Makin, Peter Duncan—who I also want to acknowledge for his brilliance as a person and a campaigner—Peter told me that it was on the recommendation of Anthony Albanese. To the PM and his team, people like Tim Gartrell and Alex Mookareeka: I know I will always be the kid to you, but I stand in this place today because of you all.

While my core political belief is, on the one hand, technology and, on the other hand, democracy, it is rooted in my core political value, which I would like to explain in the context of my life. My dad met my mum in Mount Isa. I was born in Brisbane and I grew up in Broken Hill. While Barcaldine was the birth place of the labour movement—although New South Wales people will say it's Balmain—Broken Hill was for many years its spiritual home.

As a kid I got an interest in politics, sparked by the union's struggle for justice that I grew up around, and at the age of 14 I joined the party and went to my first Young Labor conference in Sydney. After school I moved to Adelaide and got a job working for Peter Duncan in the Keating government, from its glorious beginning until its spectacular end in 1996.

I went back to Broken Hill and determined to see a world outside of politics and wanted to do an apprenticeship as a fitter and machinist. I got a job as a labourer for a mining contractor, where I got my ticket in the metal workers union. Unfortunately, I couldn't fix the things I broke, and that job only lasted six months! What followed was two years of looking for work and doing odd jobs.

In the nineties the national unemployment rate got up to 10 per cent. It's hard to imagine it now, but those who were there remember what it was like. It was tough. In Broken Hill, like many regional communities, the unemployment rate was above 20 per cent. Twenty per cent unemployment is depression-level unemployment. So when a job came up in an outback pub in Wanaaring, about 300 kilometres north-east of Broken Hill, I took it.

From there I did some lamb marking on a sheep station, and the next thing I knew I had a bike and a ute, a pack of working dogs, and the will to win, and I became a station hand—the best job I ever had. It truly made me as a person.

There's something about farm work. I learnt a different set of values. My time in Labor politics had taught me collectivist values: the government has a solution to many problems. My time on outback stations taught me about personal responsibility and reliance on oneself. But it also taught me that you look after your neighbour. In the drought of the early 2000s, if it hadn't been for the government stepping in, all of those sheep and cows would have died, and all of those farmers would have gone out of business.

Then I turned 30, met a woman and we had a little baby. We moved to Tenterfield to be near her mum, and I got a job in a servo, flipping burgers and serving petrol. She gave me a book about a cashier at Woolies who got into self-improvement, got into sales and made millions. I started off thinking the book was a joke, but by the time I finished it I was hooked. It wasn't the money; it was the idea that I had so much more power over my own emotions and my own destiny than I had known.

There was one book I read—and I still remember it today—that talked about DEB and AAG, that you can either live in denial, make excuses and blame others, or you can take action, be accountable and be grateful for what you already have. And I thought: 'Well, that's fine for an able-bodied white guy like me, but what if I was born into real disadvantage? Wouldn't I have a right to make excuses and blame others?' I remember the night it hit me. I was scrubbing out the deep fryer at the servo in Tenterfield at 2 am in the morning and I had an epiphany: someone has every right to make excuses and blame others, but what good does that do them? The moment you blame others is the moment you put the solution onto others and the moment you disempower yourself. That single night, above all others, scrubbing out the deep fryer, was where my political values were formed, where it all came together.

The Left takes a collectivist approach. We think we can solve other people's problems, which is partly true. But sometimes we on the Left use that as an excuse not to empower the person with the problem to fix it themselves. The Right takes an individualist approach, that we all have the power in us to solve our own problems, and that is partly true. But that can be used as a justification by people on the Right to turn a blind eye to suffering. The answer—and everyone here probably worked it out earlier; it was just me that took so long—is not collective responsibility and it is not individual responsibility; it is individual responsibility for the collective. The greatest satisfaction that we can get comes from the greatest contribution that we can give, which is to help other people. So, seized by that idea, I moved with my young family to Southport on the Gold Coast, determined to live and spread that message.

I started a sales-coaching business. I wanted to learn how to sell, and because I knew the best way to learn is to teach—again, with the will to win—I went knocking on doors. There was one point I remember. I was walking across Scarborough Street in Southport and I had this amazing sense of freedom. I had no clients. I was on YouthStart. I'd just sold the ute and the bike, and I had nothing except this incredible sense of freedom. I didn't need the security of a nine-to-five job. Somehow I knew that I was going to be able to survive on my wits alone.

I went doorknocking on Scarborough Street and Ferry Road in Southport and got a hairdresser as my first client, and then a real estate agent, a telemarketer, an aquarium store, a second-hand store and a mechanic. Then I got a construction company in Beenleigh as a client and did more and more work for them until I ended up being their director and running the company. Along the way, I learnt that good businesspeople aren't attracted to the money. In fact, truly successful businesspeople are more likely to live frugally, drive an old car, eat at home and holiday in Australia, but they have this amazing passion for an idea, an idea for something that helps other people. The money is a way of keeping score, but it's the act of creation and of following your passion and dream that is what entrepreneurialism is—because we are all different and we all have gifts that we have been given by our creator. As someone said, 'Gifts are things that we give to other people.' A life where we find and follow our passion is an indescribably fulfilling life, whether in business, politics, community service, raising a family, art or doing all of those things at the same time.

Here, at the end of my speech, I return to the point I left off at the start: that, in the midst of material wealth, many suffer from spiritual impoverishment. That is why I believe in, on the one hand, technology and, on the other hand, democracy; building public housing, like we used to; subsidising electricity, like we used to; protecting our environment to keep our air and water clean; and a health and welfare system that looks after the sick and vulnerable. And then, like Maslow's hierarchy, once those elemental needs are met—clean air, clean water, healthy food, shelter and energy—people can self-actualise with an education system that mentors not just kids but adults as well to find our passions and follow our dreams. We can become who our creator intended. I believe in an education system that teaches life skills, learning things like living frugally and within your means because, for most people, doing that is more than half the economic battle. None of us worked that out for ourselves. We all had mentors; we all had someone who showed us the way. That's what our education system should be about. These are the practical things that we can do as a parliament. If we get the material conditions right and mentor people to follow their dream and find their purpose, we get the spirit right too, just like the men and women at Gilmour Space. As we shoot to the stars, we can also nurture the spirit of what it means to be human, just like our Indigenous brothers and sisters at my other favourite organisation Jinndi Mibunn.

Just to completely break the rule of thankyous in a first speech, I'd like to end with two more: one to my mum, and the other to my dad. My mum taught me the lesson of frugality. How she managed to run a household on very little stunned me as a teenager and inspires me today. My dad lived to 93 and passed away two months ago. Just after I was elected, a journo asked me who my political heroes are. I was stumped! I've never really made a hero out of any politician. Then I remembered something my dad said to me when I was a kid. I said, 'Wow, it must be hard to be a pilot,' and he said, 'I bet it's not as hard as being a bus driver.' Another time, I said, 'Wow, it's amazing how radio presenters bring their shows to an end just in time,' and he said, 'Not as amazing as a teacher who brings their lesson to an end just in time.' Bus drivers and teachers—they're who my political heroes are. The FIFO worker who leaves his family to work on a mine for two weeks at a stretch and the childcare worker with small kids of her own who comes home and looks after an ageing parent are my heroes, so to are the folks who put their bodies on the line every day they get up and go to work—because, if you have to get up to go to work to pay the bills, whether you're a doctor, a childcare worker, a fitter, a machinist, a station hand or a small-business owner, if you have to be there or you don't get paid; you're working class. If you need to sell your labour to live but can't do that because of age or disability, you are working class. The working class are the people that we have been elected to represent, and, in my first speech, I make this commitment: I am here for us.

Before I call the honourable member for Moreton, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech, and I ask the House to extend to her the usual courtesies.

NSEO—that was the reason my grandfather was given when he was rejected by the RAAF at the beginning of World War II. It stands for 'not substantially of European origin'. He was a Chinese Australian. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were also given this designation and often turned away when they tried to sign up to defend a country that did not properly recognise them. I acknowledge them and all First Nations people as the traditional owners of the land we stand on here today, the traditional owners of the land on which we walk in all of our communities and the longest continuing culture on the planet.

I have long stood astride two different worlds. My roots lie in an ethnically diverse background, and my professional work and purpose has been to stand up for everyday working people. Hey, babe! Both are often taken for granted—overlooked for their contributions to build this country. And sometimes, despite the common ground between them, they are pitted against each other by those who seek to divide us, when in reality they share the same struggle. Many of them are economic outsiders who rarely see the proportionate rewards of their labour. I'm here, Margaret. This speech is for everyone who feels like what they give isn't what they get back, and it's clearly also for my daughter, Margaret. To the ordinary working people in this country, who often feel like the economy does not work for them: I will work for you. Whether it's Indigenous Australians, who have an unbroken lineage in this country stretching back tens of thousands of years, or people like my gong gong, Harry Hoy Pang Moo, who was born here but was a Chinese Australian, many of the country's institutions, in a time not very long ago, simply were not welcoming of anyone who didn't fit the mould. For many, that is a perception that remains to this day.

As an Australian with a Chinese and Canadian heritage, I am the first person of colour and the first woman to be Labor state secretary in Queensland. I am an outsider who decided to take on politics and institutions. I am now incredibly proud to be the first person of colour and the first woman to be the member for Moreton.

The opportunity to bring my experience, formed over many generations, to positions of influence is emblematic of the Australian Labor Party. Only the Labor Party enables outsiders to put their hands on the levers of power, to deliver the structural economic change that gives everyday Australians access to the engine room of the economy. My story is a road map for that possibility becoming a reality.

My family, the Moo family, immigrated to this country in the late 1800s, to Darwin. We have a Hakka ancestry. Moo Yat Fah started out as a labourer working on the construction of the Darwin to Pine Creek railroad. My por por's family the Lau Gooeys, also immigrated from China around that time. Her mother came by ship as a maid, and her father worked as a slaughterman in Melbourne. Gong Gong always kept chooks in the backyard that he would defeather and butcher himself. He loved AFL, Geelong in particular, and when he settled in Brisbane he worked as a carpenter and helped establish the very first Chinese club of Queensland as one of its early chairmen.

Por Por loved to play the piano, and she devoted her life to making sure that every one of her four children got a great education. When I was older she would call me to drive her to the Bi-Lo to get cartons on soft drink when they were on sale, cementing our shared love of a cheeky Pepsi Max for the ages and also allowing me to put the words 'cheeky Pepsi Max' into Hansard.

Gong Gong was eventually admitted to the Air Force. He reached the rank of flying officer and completed over 50 sorties with the No. 31 Beaufighter squadron, a testament to perseverance. His memory—and that of his siblings who also served in the armed forces—is now preserved in the awarding of bursaries in their names to schoolkids in my local community, at St Thomas More College in Sunnybank and at Runcorn and MacGregor state high schools. The children who receive those bursaries will never experience the slight of being characterised as NSEO.

I doubt Por Por and Gong Gong, who were very much outsiders in this country for most of their lives, could have ever dreamed that their granddaughter would be standing in this place honouring their contributions as Chinese Australians. I am humbled and proud to be able to represent the most multicultural electorate in Queensland, one with over 39 per cent of people born overseas and almost 36 per cent of people speaking a different language in the home—from Mandarin to Cantonese, Arabic to Punjabi, Vietnamese to Korean and many more. I am one of the 15 per cent of people in Moreton with a Chinese heritage, and ours is a community that truly reflects modern Australia. Part of my mission as their representative in this place is to ensure everyone who calls our part of Brisbane home can reach their full potential regardless of their background.

Our community, on Brisbane's south side, has been fiercely represented in this place for the last 18 years by my dear friend Graham Perrett. Perhaps with the exception of literary prudes and parliamentary soccer referees, you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't like Graham. I give my heart-felt personal thanks to Graham, and I hope to continue his legacy—for clarity, not the legacy of his record-breaking ejections from this Chamber, but the legacy of a decent and kind member who cares deeply about our community and is focused on outcomes.

The opportunity of a federal Labor government is that we listen to ordinary people. We share their concerns as our own and we give them the opportunities to drive the economy and lead community. One night, in March this year, I found myself in a near-empty lot in the outer suburbs of Brisbane's south side, in the pouring rain and the dead of night, lit only by the spotties of a nearby ute. I had a shovel, and I was digging. No, this is not a privileged confession of misdeeds. It was a last-ditch community sandbagging mission. Cyclone Alfred was looming off Queensland's eastern seaboard, and we had been told just hours earlier that no more sandbags would be issued. So with more than 30 tonnes of donated sand, over a thousand donated bags and the help of a late call-up of the Yeronga devils AFL club, a spontaneous community led sandbagging operation began to help those whose homes needed protection.

This story is not unique—quite the opposite, in fact. It epitomises Brisbane's south siders. Through tough times and across the years, we are resilient, we muck in and we help each other. Our community knows the drill when natural disasters strike. Reverend Dave throws open the doors of the Oxley Uniting Church for respite. Karen and the Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre provide relief and waterproof document protecters. And, this year, Claire and the Sunnycare team opened their back lot to those who needed more last-minute sand. If our local communities understand instinctively that we cannot afford to leave anybody behind and that everyone matters, surely our national politics can do the same.

On my journey to this place I chose to study law. Fortunately, it was on the shortlist of professions that met with my Chinese mother's approval. I cut my teeth standing up for boilermakers, vehicle builders, printers, sheet metal workers, and fitters and turners, and I learnt a few things representing those working in the manufacturing industry. Firstly, the boilermaker is the natural enemy of the fitter and turner. Secondly, we must be a country that makes things. Thirdly, the contribution of working people to the economic story of this country is immeasurable and often overlooked.

In 2017, I was driving up the Bruce Highway. On this occasion my destination was the last bastion of the rail industry in our state, the old Walkers facility. When I walked into the shed, every hard hat represented a job under threat and a broader family hurting from the offshoring of train manufacturing. With those workers, we led a campaign to keep their jobs and to save their community, and a Labor government brought domestic rail manufacturing back to Queensland. It is a great example of an economic intervention that puts people first, rather than letting critical industries fail and skilled jobs go offshore.

In societies where governments have made different choices, we see that people have had enough and are using their power at the ballot box. We are witnessing a global phenomenon where economic inequality is rising, and trust in democratic institution is falling. But Australia has proven itself to be different, and now we have the opportunity to keep it that way. The people I now represent—like Maria, a teacher aide from Acacia Ridge, or Brian, a blind-cleaning company scheduler living in Annerley, or Ryan, an apprentice plumber in Salisbury—are the people who actually create the goods and provide the services that keep our economy moving. Too often they are denied the benefits of their own labour. Everyday workers have been asked repeatedly to bear the brunt of economic reforms in the national interest. The only times those reforms have succeeded are the laudable occasions when Labor governments have made sure that workers share in the benefits of reform by design and not as an afterthought. I am proud that this government has decided to tackle the economic reform challenge head-on and with a burning ambition to make sure that, in any reform, working Australians are deliberate beneficiaries and not unexpected casualties.

My dad is here today. Last December, Dad was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, after months of chemo, was given the all clear just in time to make it to my local campaign launch. My dad is a pretty stoic guy, but, like so many other families who face health challenges, it is a reminder of how lucky we are to be in this country and how important well-funded, accessible health care is.

My mum is here, too. When I was a little girl there was a red hardback book on the shelf. It was totally off limits, and I wasn't allowed to touch it. I found out its title later, 'A Review of the Promotional Hopes and Aspirations of Women in Queensland Primary Schools'. It was my mother's thesis. It was a time when the vast majority of teachers were women but most school principals were men. Women were the outsiders in our education systems even though they were doing most of the work. Her central hypothesis was that, while there were plenty of well-intentioned programs designed to support women into leadership roles, none of them had the teeth to actually make a difference. I think of this not as a lesson in affirmative action or women's participation—although those are both incredibly important—but as instructive on the need for teeth and guts to get things done.

Talk without action is the natural enemy of progress, and the hard bit of reform is doing the work to bring people with you. This is what Labor does. As an aside, my dad's thesis sat next to that book, but, frankly, I couldn't find a relevant life lesson linked to 'Comparative study of adult sexual behaviour and larval ecology of three commercially important portunid crabs from the Moreton Bay region of Queensland'! Sorry, Dad—but thanks for opportunity to put 'important portunid crabs' into Hansard!

My partner, Mark, and I moved to Acacia Ridge because we knew that Brisbane's south side was a great place to raise a family. We welcomed our beautiful daughter, Margaret, in 2023 and now live in Corinda doing just that. Mark is my best friend. He is one of the best humans I know. His favour is famously hard to earn, but I have come to know his stoicism is a function of saying only what deserves to be said—a lesson many in politics could heed. He is the Barbara Hershey to my Bette Midler and the Bogey to my locomotive—that's one reference for each of us, and I'll let you decide which is which. Also, thanks for the opportunity to put Bette Midler into Hansard! During the campaign Mark was and always has been a practical supporter: clothes laundered, dinner cooked and grounding advice at the ready. Conversely, I would describe Margaret's approach as loving but deeply indifferent—as we have seen today! Regardless of the good or bad of the day, I was greeted with a cuddle delivered without judgement. In politics, there is something very comforting about knowing that my mere presence in her eyes is enough. Thank you to both of you.

To those with the largest non-refundable investment in my success—Mum and Dad—thank you. To the cooker of many thousands of sausages—my brother, John—thank you. To the chief Margaret wranglers and givers of countless hours of support—my mother-in-law, Jenny, and her partner, Owen—thank you. To those who taught me about finances through cattle auctions and sixpence stories—my dearly departed grandparents, Cloriece and Jack Campbell—and to all of my extended family that supported me: thank you.

To my hardworking campaign volunteers, led by the bedrock of south side Labor, Sasha Maron: Thank you. To those who doorknocked in the blazing Queensland summer, hit the phones night after night, stood beside roadsides with pictures of my face and forced my participation in many a social media trend—Angus, Seth, Kane, Caleb, Lenne, Sebastian, Rudolf, Matt, Tom, Lesley and Marg, Kash, Martha, the Sottiles, the Gibson-Haynes, the Cunninghams, the Elverys, Uncle Jeff, Karleigh, Clare, John, Jane, Emma, Jen, Kylie and Sandy: thank you. To the world's best emcee, Lewis Lee: thank you. To the often-unsung Labor campaign directors, my friends Paul Erickson, Katie Flanders and the newest senator for WA, Ellie Whiteaker: thank you. To my union, the AMWU, and its Queensland leadership, the perpetually supportive parental figures Rohan Webb and Ann-Marie Allan: thank you. To the trade union movement, particularly Sally Gunner and the CPSU, Wendy Streets and the FSU, Peter Allen and the RTBU, Matty Journeaux and the Meaties, Gary Bullock and the UWU, Alex Scott and Together, Peter Ong and the ETU, and Josh Millroy and the TWU: thank you.

To my friends in no particular order—the supplier of my personal phone banking couch, the person who dressed as a rabbit for our Easter event, my political confidant of 20 years, Margaret's earliest play date, the smartest person I know, my canine contemporary, my late night phone call sounding board and she whose personal safety is always paramount in my mind—Shannon Fentiman, Alana Tibbitts, Ben Driscoll, Jackie Trad, Anika Wells, Evan Moorhead, Zoe Edwards, and Nino Lalic: thank you. I will let you decide who is who.

To my sisterhood of supporters, Laura Fraser Hardy, Emily Brogan, Cynthia Kennedy, Nita Green and the new member for Maribyrnong, Jo Briskey: thank you. To Labor leaders who have helped me along the way, Steven and Stacia, and to Senator Murray Watt: thank you. To my fellow Labor representatives on the south side—Peter Russo, Mark Bailey, Leeanne Enoch, Jess Pugh, James Martin, Barbara O'Shea, Steve Griffiths and Emily Kim—thank you.

Mr Speaker, I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank a very special electoral neighbour of mine—you. I thank you for your support and congratulate you on your well-deserved re-election to the high office of Speaker. Most importantly, to the richly diverse, fiercely resilient and extraordinary people of Moreton, I am excited to work with and for you every day. For your support and trust, thank you. Lastly, I'd like to thank the Prime Minister. My apologies for your unceremonious mobbing when we visited Sunnybank's Market Square during the campaign. This is notable because the normal practice of Queenslanders is to run people from down south out of town, as evidenced by our recent State of Origin victory. Your warm embrace by our local community goes not only to the endorsement of your vision for this country but also to your accessibility as a leader who everyday people trust and outsiders can root for.

I know that the Prime Minister also believes that the economy must work for everyday people every day. If you're an Australian with an ethnically diverse heritage like my gong gong, the economy has to work for you. If you're a boilermaker working in the industrial precincts of Coopers Plains, the economy has to work for you. If you're a nurse raising a family and working shiftwork to care for someone like my dad, the economy has to work for you. When I joined the Labor Party, people who looked like me did not get to be campaign directors. When I was growing up, people who looked like me did not get to walk these halls—that is, until Penny Wong came along. My daughter Margaret entered this world as an Australian with a blend of heritages from Chinese, Canadian, Italian and British origins. Unlike my gong gong, she will grow up not with the weight of discrimination but knowing that the diversity of her background is a strength. Our job now is to make sure that her generation reads about the economic outsiders of this country in the history books, not the newspapers. Only Labor has the will, the teeth and now the opportunity to make that dream a reality.

It's a great honour to be able to stand again in the House of Representatives chamber following my sixth election as the member for Wannon. This will be the sixth parliament that I have participated in, and this is the 48th parliament that this great nation has ever held. It's quite incredible when you look at those numbers—48 parliaments. It shows in many ways how young our democracy still is and I think is a lesson to all of us as to how important democracy is. We should not take for granted in any way that we have the greatest opportunity globally to be able to form government, and that is through democracy, because the sad reality is that, as we look internationally, more and more tyranny is coming to the fore again. If we're not vigilant and if we're not careful, all those long-term gains that we've made in ensuring that liberty goes to the heart of forming governments around this nation will be eroded away. I think that call to be ever vigilant is as prominent now as it ever has been.

I place on record my thanks to the people of Wannon for once again placing their trust in me. It's not a trust that I take lightly. It's one which, to me, gives a great level of responsibility. I've always sought to fulfil that level of responsibility to the best of my ability, and I will continue to do so in this, the 48th Parliament.

I've seen the highs and lows, in my time as the member for Wannon, both on the government benches and on the opposition benches. Obviously after this 2025 election I sit on the opposition benches, and I look over at the government benches and it is quite overwhelming, the decision that has been made by the Australian people as to who should govern this nation. But that doesn't mean that on the opposition benches we don't have a huge responsibility, because good government relies on good opposition. You only have to look at some of the examples of state governments and territory governments around the country, both past and present, to see that if you do not have good oppositions you do not get good government. That is not good for states, for territories or for this nation.

One thing I commit to the people of Wannon is that even though we're in opposition I will be working just as hard as I always have. Whether we've been in opposition or in government, I've always sought to work hard to represent the people of Wannon to the best of my ability, and I will continue to do so, because I see my job now as probably more important than it ever has been. Especially in representing a rural electorate, one of the things we have to ensure is that this government does not get arrogant, does not get full of hubris and does not forget that it needs to govern for all Australians.

Sadly, in the state of Victoria we aren't seeing that. We are seeing more and more complete and utter neglect of those outside major cities. This is to the detriment of the state, and I do not want to see this occurring nationally. Every single day I will be reminding government that good government of this nation means governing for all people, no matter where they live. That is going to be a big challenge but one that I'm looking forward to taking on.

I thank not only the people of Wannon for putting their trust in me but also those who helped and supported me to win the last election. The last election was a full-on battle in the seat of Wannon. We have calculated that my opponents spent roughly $2 million trying to win the seat of Wannon—an extraordinary amount of money. Yet, through fantastic grassroots community campaigning, we were able to ensure that that $2 million did not lead to the outcome my opponents wanted. To those 1,700 people who supported me in one way or another in grassroots community campaigning, I say thank you, one and all, for your efforts. It's funny: I bumped into someone in the corridors today and they said their great aunt is one of my biggest supporters. Their great aunt is 105. To her, who I think is my oldest supporter in the electorate of Wannon, and to all those young people who supported me: just a huge, huge thankyou. It is a team effort that gets you to this place.

With that in mind, I also thank my wonderful office staff. I have two offices, given the size of the electorate. My office staff work tirelessly. They worked harmoniously, and they did a fantastic job. So, to all my staff, including my shadow ministerial staff, for the way you came together as a team to back and support me: I will not forget. A huge thankyou to you all as well.

Can I also take a moment to thank all the candidates who ran in Wannon. Democracy requires people to want to stand up and put themselves forward for election. To all those who stood, I say: thank you for being prepared to put yourself forward and for being prepared to participate in the democratic process. It is that preparedness to participate which ultimately is so important for us to have a proper functioning democracy. As I said earlier, it has never been more important that we have people who are prepared to put themselves forward.

I also commend everyone who was elected to this place for the first time at the 2025 election. I point to the member for Monash, who is here with us today, and say: well done to you and all the class of 2025. Being elected to this place is something which is incredibly special. It's a great honour. To everyone who achieved that, I say: well done.

To everyone who was re-elected, I also say: well done. Whether you are with the Liberal Party or the National Party—like my good friend here, the member for Mallee—or our political opponents, well done on your election as well.

I say to the people of Wannon that one of the fantastic things about campaigning is being out and about, meeting people and hearing about the needs of our communities and seeking to deliver on those. Over the last three years, I was out and about, and I did countless listening posts. We were racking up 100 listening posts a year and doing numerous community events to find out what the needs of the local communities were. As we know, roads are the No 1 priority. I say to those opposite: never ever forget or underestimate how important roads are to rural and regional communities right across this nation. One of the things I have great pride in is having fought to get significant road and rail infrastructure funding for my electorate. It's not going to stop and it will never stop, because those needs continue to grow, sadly, because we've had a Victorian state government who has failed to invest into our road and rail infrastructure. Sadly, what we saw over the last term of the Albanese Labor government was a reduction in that investment as well. Since the election, I have been doing everything I can to make sure that our want, our need, for more road investment and for more road maintenance funding continues. As a matter of fact, there was $60 million that the last coalition government put into the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy that was finally enacted upon; that road was upgraded to an extent. Yet by the time it was finished there were still large sections which hadn't been fixed. There were large potholes that were still there on the side of the road, and my constituents, rightly, were wild.

I embarked immediately after the election on writing a letter a day to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King; to the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan; and to her roads minister, Melissa Horne. I finally got a response from Melissa Horne, the Victorian Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and Minister for Health Infrastructure. I've got to say, I was incredibly disappointed. She said, 'Even though there are still large amounts of work which need to be done on this section of road, I've been advised by the Department of Transport and Planning that the works are now complete and that no further works are scheduled for this section of the Princes Highway in the 2024-25 maintenance program.' Can I say to the minister: that is simply not good enough. If you do a job, do it properly. Surely, that has to be a fundamental principle of any good governing. So I would ask her to pop down the road. Get outside of your office in Melbourne, and drive along the stretch of road between Warrnambool and Port Fairy. I think you'll clearly see that that response isn't good enough for my community. You have to do better. I hope you will, because, as I've said, we should be governing for all people, no matter where they live. Can I say to the Minister for Infrastructure, Catherine King: federally, $60 million of federal money went into that road, and you should be ensuring, as well, that that money is spent efficiently and effectively.

It's not just that section of road where you have to make sure that that happens. The Western Highway between Ballarat, your home town, and Beaufort, where we've also invested heavily, is deteriorating before our eyes as well. Potholes keep popping up every single time it rains, and we need to ensure that that bit of road is fixed properly, plus the duplication. I know the member for Mallee is hot to trot on this as well. The duplication between Buangor and Ararat needs to be finished, and it needs to be finished quickly, because, sadly, that piece of road had seen growing tragedies occurring on it, and there is no reason. We've run out of excuses. The money's there. We need to get that finished, because, sadly, people are dying as a result of it not being finished, and that is simply not good enough. Not only that: we can then get on to the further duplication between Ararat and Stawell, and onwards. I know the member for Mallee absolutely supports that call as well.

I say to my communities as well that for every one of my election commitments that I made—and they were numerous—I want to try and make sure that we do everything we can to keep them on the government's agenda, both federally and at the state level. I want to place on record what those commitments were. For the Portland multipurpose indoor sporting facility's changerooms and amenities—that's the Portland Basketball Stadium—there was $1 million. For the Beaufort Bowls Club's female-friendly facilities, there was $112,000. For female-friendly facilities at the Birregurra Football and Netball Club, there was $450,000. For Dartmoor's female-friendly change facilities, there was $350,000. For the Warrnambool Football Netball Club's women's shelters and female-friendly facilities, there was $300,000. For the redevelopment of the Elliminyt Recreation Reserve, there was $3.3 million. For the Port Fairy Football Netball Club community sports hub, there was $1.5 million. For the Skipton community and recreation hub redevelopment, there was $2.35 million. For the construction of a purpose-built lifesaving facility at Warrnambool, there was $7.65 million. For the Cavendish Football Netball Club's female-friendly change rooms, there was $1.28 million.

For Ararat Headspace—incredibly important for Ararat—there was $3.1 million. For the Sikh Community Centre's Warrnambool meals service, there was $90,000 for construction of a commercial kitchen. For CCTV at Lava St in Warrnambool between Liebig St and Banyan St, there was $55,000. For CCTV at Lava Street opposite the Kermond's and Coles entrance, there was $55,000. For CCTV for the Port of Warrnambool breakwater, there was $55,000. For CCTV for the corner of Raglan Parade and Fairy Street adjacent to Max Hotel and Macy's Bistro, there was $55,000. For CCTV for the Beaufort Fire Brigade, there was $8,787. For an upgrade to the Timboon Demons' multipurpose netball courts, there was $496,000. For the Colac Imperials Football Netball Club's new netball court, there was $389,000. For CCTV for Portland, there was $250,000.

For the Cobden Recreation Reserve redevelopment, there was $1.45 million. For the Colac Bike Park, there was $300,000. For Derrinallum skateboard park, there was $300,000. For fencing for Premier Speedway Warrnambool, there was $350,000. For the Western Eagles' female-friendly facilities, there was $450,000. For the Portland Football Netball Cricket Club playground, there was $69,295. I thank all the community groups that worked with me to advocate for those funding commitments, and I say to you all that I will continue to work tirelessly to get outcomes for you. I have written to all relevant ministers federally asking them to prioritise these projects so that we can make sure that we can bring them to fruition. I will not stop, through the next three years, doing everything I can to work with you to make sure that we can get investments into these much needed programs, because they are critically important.

I will end on this note. What we're seeing in our communities in regional and rural areas is a feeling that government, at both the national level and at the state level, have forgotten us. We do not feel that we are part of the national agenda. We feel like, in many ways, we are being used in so many ways it's not funny, whether it be for the energy transition or whether it be for fixing society's problems. Crime is becoming an ever-more-present issue in our communities when it wasn't there. The services are not there for our populations at this time, and there is a real need for a focus again—and I made this point earlier—on making sure that governments at both the national and the state levels know and understand that you have to govern for everyone, for all people. Immediately after the federal election, I was on a fire truck heading to Spring Street because of unfair taxes being placed on community volunteers in my electorate. That is just one of many issues which are becoming more and more apparent, of the complete misunderstanding of how our communities work and function. You need to know and understand it, and I'm going to make sure, in this parliament, that I'm here to remind you of that.

Deputy Speaker, congratulations on your election to that high office. I want to start my remarks by thanking the community of Burt, across the cities of Gosnells and Armadale and now the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, for putting their faith and trust in me to continue as their elected representative in this place. I'd also like to congratulate the newest members of the Labor caucus from Western Australia: the member for Bullwinkel, Trish Cook; the member for Moore, Tom French; and our newest WA senator, Ellie Whiteaker. I congratulate them on coming to represent their communities here in this federal parliament. Particularly, I'd like to call out the new member for Bullwinkel, who, with the creation of that new seat, absorbed some of the suburbs that I represent. Indeed, the house that I grew up in and many of my family have moved into the electorate of Bullwinkel due to the redistribution. I know she'll be a fantastic representative for that community—one that I hold very dear to my heart as well. It was great to hear her first speech here earlier today.

When we went to the election in May, the issue of the cost of living was an incredibly important one, especially for my community in Burt. What our government promised to deliver were further rounds of tax cuts, a 20 per cent reduction in student debt—importantly including apprenticeship debt—$150 of further energy bill relief and new Medicare urgent care clinics being delivered. We have one in Gosnells now, and even I have used the Medicare urgent care clinic in Gosnells. During the election campaign I managed to dislocate my toe. It just goes to show that fitness is not all it's cracked up to be! Importantly, we've also delivered two Medicare mental health centres. Now, these are incredibly important for the service that they provide, but they're also a great demonstration of community advocacy and need.

Since I've been the member for Burt—for some nine years—I have run, I think, eight Burt Young Leader Forums, which involve inviting student leaders from all of the high schools across my electorate to come and present on issues important to them, to decide amongst themselves the most important of those issues and to discuss what actions could be taken to resolve them and what action could be taken by not only federal government but also state government, local government and even themselves as student leaders. One issue that has been raised time and time again has been mental health and, in particular, supporting student mental health. That is why I'm really pleased that our government has been able to deliver these two Medicare mental health centres to my community, making sure that mental health care is even more available to the students and the community in my electorate—something that's been raised with me so many times.

In the course of the election campaign, I was also very proud to be able to make a number of commitments supporting a broad cross-section of the community that is Burt. This included a $1.4 million commitment for a roof, basically, over the bowling greens at the Thornlie Bowling Club. I've been working with the Thornlie Bowling Club for many, many years—indeed, before I was elected to this place—about the need to expand the community facilities at the club, and we've now been able to deliver a whole new clubroom building. That's not just about supporting the club; it also supports the tennis club that was previously next door, as well as providing additional community meeting facilities that were not available there before. Covering the greens there will mean that they'll be able to operate all year round, and not just through rain; importantly, as you might have heard, Perth gets pretty hot, and being able to put those greens under cover means it will be a much more accessible community facility. The Thornlie Bowling Club is one that hosts many competitions, metropolitan and statewide, and it will allow them to continue to do that on an even larger scale.

We also committed a million dollars for the building of a multipurpose community facility for the Tigray Orthodox community. This is a rapidly growing community in my electorate, one that has been somewhat overlooked. It's great to be able to provide them with a facility that will provide sporting options and the capacity to host large community events, something that they need and that our broader community in that area of Kenwick needs as well. It will include an indoor basketball court.

We've committed $50,000 to the Chinmaya Mission in Perth. Again, this is a growing, vibrant community, located in Forrestdale. It will make sure that they are able to continue with their community lessons, education programs and support, which they provide across the age ranges, I must say. Having the playground will enable them and their families to be able to do that in a much greater way.

We also committed $50,000 to support a new playground at the Armadale Community Family Centre, and that will be shared with and be accessed by the childcare centre that's located next door. The Armadale Community Family Centre provides a very important resource to support families in Armadale. Armadale and the suburbs around the community centre have a very high saturation of public housing and low-cost and community housing. A number of services are provided to support families in the community to connect to other services and to have the support of one another. Providing them with a better playground is much needed and long overdue.

We're also providing a million dollars to the Hindu Association of Western Australia. This is an incredibly important association for the entirety of Western Australia and particularly for Perth. They used to be located in my electorate. They are now located in the electorate of Tangney, quite literally over the road from my electorate. But their community expands throughout the electorates of Burt and Tangney and across the entire metropolitan area. We are providing them with funding to support classrooms, a multipurpose hall and additional parking. The facilities they currently have are so well used that the road they sit on has quite possibly one of the worst traffic snarls in the entire community, and so having that additional parking is desperately overdue and, I know, also supported by the City of Gosnells for that reason.

These are very important additions and commitments that we've made to our community in Burt, and I've been happy to be able to make those commitments as the local member, but I'm very proud to be able to be doing that as a minister in the Albanese Labor government—being able to be part of our focus on addressing cost-of-living-concerns and making sure that we're delivering for people where they need it. The reforms that we've made through changes to the Fair Work Act to make sure that people are protected in their workplace and have greater security in their employment, where we have seen not only inflation coming down but real wage growth as well, whilst maintaining high levels of employment, is incredibly important. My community is often the first to see an increase in the unemployment rate and the last to see increases in the employment rate, so being able to maintain unemployment at a low level while seeing wages grow in real terms under our government is incredibly important,. and I know everybody in my community is very happy to see that interest rates are starting to fall as well.

As part of the Albanese Labor government, I'm incredibly proud of what we have been able to deliver in my portfolios of veterans' affairs and defence personnel as well. Over the last three years, we've been able to achieve great change when it comes to how we support our veterans and their families. We've invested in the Department of Veterans' Affairs' frontline claim-processing capability, which has included a huge investment in increasing the number of staff—and not just the number of staff but also making sure they are public servants employed in ongoing employment jobs. That's meant that we've reduced the reliance on labour hire. It's meant that we've reduced the rate of churn in the department. It's meant that the efficiency and effectiveness of how we're able to process those claims has increased incredibly. The Department of Veterans' Affairs is now the best resourced that it has been in three decades.

We also undertook one of the most significant reforms to veterans' entitlements legislation in four decades with the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025. This will see, from the middle of this year, a movement where three separate, complex schemes of veteran support will converge into one scheme going forward. This will mean that it's easier for veterans to understand and navigate the system that is there to support them, it will make it easier it for the advocates that work with our veterans to be able to provide that advice and support, and it will make it easier for the department to be able to process those claims by simplifying the system that underpins it, which means that veterans and families will be able to get access to the support that they need more quickly.

This is all part of us delivering on our responses to the interim report and the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This was a royal commission that we called for when we were in opposition, and in September of last year we received the final report from the royal commission. By December, in almost record time—in fact, it probably is record time—we'd provided the government's response to all of those recommendations. This came on the back of the work that we had undertaken in relation to all of the recommendations that had been made in the interim report of the royal commission, which we received in August of 2022.

We are now in the process of working through the implementation of those recommendations from the final report of the royal commission. This started with the establishment of a taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to provide that integrated advice across government, Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs on how we stage out and implement the 122 recommendations that were made by the report.

Importantly, what we also did at the beginning of this year was to legislate the establishment of the oversight body that the royal commission itself said was the most important recommendation that it had made—a body that will oversee the work undertaken by Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs in supporting our serving personnel and veterans and their families, making sure the government delivers on the intended outcomes from the recommendations of the royal commission. Earlier this year, we legislated the establishment of that body, which will be the Defence and Veterans' Services Commission. It will commence legislative operation from September of this year, and we have already appointed an interim commissioner who is starting the work of that commission, which will be incredibly important and give confidence to the veteran community around Australia that governments, not just now but into the future, will continue to have a focus on delivering on the supports that our veterans and their families not only need but deserve.

As part of the government's response to the royal commission, we've also funded the Department of Veterans' Affairs to undertake important co-design work with the veteran community, firstly, in relation to the establishment of a wellbeing agency within the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This represents a critical shift in the approach that has been taken in supporting our veterans and families. Largely, the support provided to veterans and families has been focused on medical support, mental health support, processing claims and access to compensation. But the broader wellbeing of our veteran community, whilst having been something often spoken about, has not been the key focus of a government agency. The establishment of a wellbeing agency, on which the department has been undertaking consultation with the broader veteran community around the country for a number of months now, will be an incredibly important change in that approach, to make sure that we have that broader aspect of connection when it comes to housing support, employment, mental health and physical health—a connection which is so important.

A number of these things have been done for some time within the department or by other organisations and services, but bringing them together in a more coordinated way will be incredibly important. It will allow us to bring together, in an important way, the veterans and families hubs that we have been rolling out since our election in 2022. I was very happy to be able to join the member for Brand in Rockingham last week to announce the location of a new veterans and families hub, the Goldsworthy Veteran and Families Centre, in Rockingham. That will be an important contribution to the network of veterans and families hubs that we've been rolling out in an area where we have located Australia's biggest naval base.

The department is also doing work with our ex-service organisations in relation to the recommendation for the establishment of a peak body for ex-service organisations. This has been something that has been much talked about for a long period of time. It was raised with me as soon as I came into the portfolio some three years ago. It was something that had been spoken about by many but had never been able to be delivered upon. It's fair to say that it is a broad church in the veteran community. We funded the Department of Veterans' Affairs to undertake this work with the veteran community. I say to the veteran community engaged with this work: the royal commission made the recommendation because it saw the benefit that can come from having a unified peak body representing the interests across the broad cross-section of the veteran community and the ex-service organisations that represent it.

For such a body to be a success, it will, of course, be incredibly important that it represents that broad cross-section appropriately, in terms of geography, across our federation, in terms of the three different services of Navy, Army and Air Force, and in terms of those that represent those who served in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the conflicts and peacekeeping that have occurred since. Making sure that all those different interests and others across the veteran community are represented will be the thing that ensures the success of an ex-service organisation peak body. It will need to be a body that is owned, not in a legal sense but in a tangible sense of connection, by the veteran community. That will be the thing that will ensure its success and ensure the delivery of that recommendation by the royal commission. So the work of DVA in engaging with the veteran community to make sure we find a model that is supported by the veteran community for this will be incredibly important.

DVA is also supporting the ex-service community in the establishment of an independent institute of veteran advocacy. Through public consultation that occurred last year, this is a sector led institute that will be responsible for training and accreditation for compensation and wellbeing advocates working with veterans and families as they engage with DVA. This is about lifting the standards in the sector. It will enhance governance standards across the advocacy sector and ensure that there is a focus on approved advocates that have undertaken the required training to support our veterans, making sure that veterans are not taken advantage of by some unscrupulous actors that exist in this ecosystem. I say to all veterans and their families: if you need support and advocacy support in engaging with the DVA system, please make sure that you choose an accredited advocate on the register. You can access the register at www.advocateregister.org.au.

I'll be working to continue the momentum on what we have already achieved when it comes to improving our supports for our serving personnel, veterans and their families. We campaigned for the royal commission, and I'll work tirelessly to ensure that our government's response to its recommendations are implemented so that all of those that have selflessly served our nation in our uniform receive the services and supports not only that they need but, frankly, that they deserve.

The question is that the address-in-reply be agreed to. I give the call to the member for Mallee.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I join my colleagues in congratulating you on your well-deserved election to Deputy Speaker for this House.

As we begin the 48th Parliament, I am deeply aware of the honour that every member who sits in this House on both sides has in representing the electorates that they come from. It's a very serious position to take to be able to represent, in my case, the 130,000 people living in the region of Mallee. I want to thank all of those who spent their time, their energy, their money backing me for this third time to take up this position to represent the people of Mallee. I want to thank my family, of course; my staff, many of whom have been here this week and those back home in my two offices—two, given the size of Mallee; and especially my husband. I don't think we spend enough time thanking our wonderful partners. My husband of 48 years, this year, is my rock and remains my rock.

I rise today, this afternoon, in the very privileged position as the sworn-in representative of Mallee. I'm humbled that they bring their stories to life and that I have the opportunity to bring their stories to life in this House.

Mallee extends, for those who don't know, from Maryborough in the south to Cohuna in the east, Edenhope to the west and Mildura to the north of Victoria. The electorate covers 83½ thousand square kilometres, over a third of the state of Victoria—if you look at it, it is quite frightening—and it boasts prime agricultural and horticultural land that grows stone fruit, grapes, vegetables, wheat, legumes, olive, almonds, dairy, sheep and beef, just to name a few.

Cropping land makes up 43 per cent of that north-west Victorian region. Mallee is an essential part of Australia's food bowl and a key to the country's food security. Why do I say that? Because the public policies developed in this parliament—and, of course, in the Senate—are not just words on paper to be filed away; they have a huge impact on people's lives every day, and that impact can be positive or negative; hence, I would like to reflect, over the course of my speech, on the importance of good policy and the perils of poor policy as they relate to constituents in regional electorates across the country, especially Mallee.

While I applaud good policy and bipartisan commitments to defence, such as AUKUS, and to ensuring that our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is not used as a bargaining tool to fight US tariffs, there are too many examples of bad policy from the last three years under the Albanese Labor government that I must call out. This is my job. In my home state of Victoria, we have state and federal Labor governments who are zeroing in on my electorate of Mallee as a dumping ground for bad policy—namely, railroading and dividing small regional communities and farmers with unwanted wind turbines, solar panels and transmission line projects. This is all in the name of a 43 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

These communities, my communities, many of them made up of multigenerational farming families, are sick and tired of their private-property rights being eroded, their land values and income-generating capacity being put at enormous risk, their children's future being played like pieces on a chess board and their communities being torn apart as neighbours are pitted against neighbours. As Andrew Weidemann of the Dunmunkle Land Protection Group, a farmer in Rupanyup in my electorate of Mallee, said at an event in Horsham last night, 'Net zero was meant to be about making the world a better place.' That is true. But I tell you what: in practice, on the ground, this policy is not making life better for people in Mallee or indeed improving the budgets of every Australian household. Check your latest energy bill.

I encourage you to take a look at the wonderful way the Institute of Public Affairs has captured some of the stories of the people in communities across Mallee who are affected by this reckless renewable rollout in their video titled The Faces of Net Zero, released today. I commend those courageous people who were part of that project, and other leaders, for their tireless work and ongoing fight in their communities to protect their way of life. I would like to mention Marcia McIntyre, who features in the IPA video and whose farm in Kanya is in the line of the proposed VNI West transmission line. Marcia is a tireless advocate for her community. I also want to mention Ben Duxson, who generously hosted my event at his farm, also in Kanya, late last year, where I took the shadow treasurer, Ted O'Brien, then the shadow minister for energy, and the Victorian opposition shadow energy minister, David Davis, to hear from Wimmera locals about their opposition to renewable projects and especially the imposition of the VNI West transmission line.

These people represent the many in Mallee and beyond who feel as though they have no voice. Communities in the Wimmera are facing the imposition of large-scale projects with a total lack of information transparency, token consultation and, therefore, a complete lack of social licence. While I have long advocated that renewable energy and mining projects in the regions must have social licence and tangible community benefits, the emerging themes of a recent electorate-wide survey undertaken across Mallee suggest that the majority of respondents expect much more than just token community consultation as a mechanism for gaining social licence. They object to the imposition of energy or mining projects on farming land altogether and, indeed, would like a right of veto to these projects, as exists in Western Australia.

I again reiterate the important role this part of Mallee plays in food production and therefore food security. There is a relative scarcity in this country of prime agricultural land and a blatant disregard for agricultural value from both the state and federal Labor governments in their drive towards net zero. It is no coincidence that the Victorian state energy minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, visited Kerang and Wycheproof recently and that VicGrid's chief executive, Alistair Parker, was also in the region—both, at times, receiving justifiably prickly receptions. Farmers who object to the Victorian government representatives entering their properties without the farmer's consent risk a $12,000 fine for refusing access. This is a dystopian nightmare coming to life on Victorian farms. The newly legislated government controls over private property are unprecedented.

Mallee farmers, who are a down-to-earth bunch, know better than anyone that this drive towards net zero is an impossible task that will destroy not only pristine landscapes and prime agricultural land but the nation's economy and our livelihoods more broadly as well. The constituents survey I mentioned earlier highlighted that almost 60 per cent of respondents in Mallee oppose both the 2030 renewable targets and net zero by 2050. They prioritise affordability and reliability in our energy system and are not willing to pay a dollar—68 per cent of them, at that—to fund the energy transition. Think about that. If 68 per cent of my electorate is representative of the rest of regional Australia, that is millions of people who are not willing to put one dollar towards this energy transition, yet we know that Australians are already paying for net zero. Not only have Australians not seen the $275 reduction in energy bills repeatedly promised by the Prime Minister in the last term of government but electricity bills have increased by 32 per cent and gas bills by 34 per cent, driving the persistent cost-of-living crisis that is crushing household budgets.

Labor are not content just to railroad regional communities to tick the boxes on their unachievable political targets for city votes; Labor—both the Albanese and the Allan governments—are raiding farmers for money too. Victoria's so-called emergency services and volunteers fund levy is a tax on land values, and it took the protests of farmers like those I've mentioned in Spring Street to get Labor to realise that there's a drought on in western Victoria. So, in their benevolence, they've given farmers just one year of reprieve.

On top of that, the Albanese Labor government, with the Treasurer's customary smirk and shrug of the shoulders, say, 'Too bad, mate; we need your money.' They're now coming for farmers' unrealised capital gains. It's a simple and offensive proposition. Your farm value or your small-business value goes up, but that's only on paper. You haven't realised that gain. You haven't sold the business or the farm to earn that money, but Labor want to tax farmers and small-business owners for those gains every year.

Nowhere in the world has a government been as brazen as the Albanese Labor government in raiding money from people who are in drought—in drought! As farmers are telling me, they will have no option but to sell land to pay the new taxes every year with the new super tax. It is outrageous. Farmers are asset rich but cash poor. Wimmera farmer Ross Johns has asked: why is the government destroying the farming future of his 30-year-old son?

And let's remember that Labor's raid on self-managed super funds won't end there. In question time yesterday, they would not rule out taxing the family home or family trusts. In their hubris and their triumph at outgreening the Greens, they've turned the politics of envy up to maximum and are raiding small-business owners and farmers for money that simply is not there. And let's not forget the Henry VIII clause, the power the Treasurer wants to give himself to tweak the dials harder to bring in even more revenue for Labor's reckless spending priorities without any checks or balances in this House. Make no mistake: this radical Labor government is determined to bleed Australia dry and then some more. Small businesses and farmers are the engine of our economy, but Labor only want their chosen winners—their union affiliates—to succeed and to increase in productivity in this country.

Another example of horrible policy from this government is water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin. Our food security is in deep trouble. I was speaking with AUSVEG about this yesterday here in Canberra. We cannot assume traditional supply chains from overseas will continue to hold strong, as they once did. Labor seem to have forgotten the food supply shocks we experienced during the pandemic and as a result of natural disasters. The common theme here, whether it's railroading regional communities with utterly unachievable energy rollout targets or buying back water from farmers to please radical environmentalists, is that Labor puts our food security at risk.

And the risks don't end there. We have had some level of bipartisanship with the government in acknowledging that local government is not sustainable. I have called and called again, as shadow minister for local government, for this government to resume the parliamentary inquiry into local government sustainability. My own councils in Mallee have dire sustainability issues, and this comes back to risk and, of course, local roads. Councils are struggling to maintain their local roads, getting no funding from federal or state governments. The Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program the coalition established in government has ceased, and councils loved that program. It gave them money every year to spend on their priorities. Regional councils got more out of this program than city councils, so, yet again, we see Labor raiding regions to buy votes in the city by scrapping the program. Labor is bleeding regional Australia dry, pretending they don't exist so they can railroad their transmission lines and their turbines and raid farmers for money so they can celebrate more electoral triumphs in the inner city.

To that end, I want to commend the Daily Telegraph and other media outlets like Sky News and organisations like the Institute of Public Affairs for joining me and my Nationals colleagues in giving a voice and a face to these farmers, the collateral damage—or, as Premier Chris Minns implied in that story, the sacrifice for Labor's agenda. For two days running this week, the Daily Telegraph has profiled farmers in the firing line of a wind project in Binalong and Bowning, and I can tell you that Emma Webb and her father Angus Oberg's stories from that farming community are all too familiar to me as the member for Mallee. I've been talking about it here, in the media, wherever I can, because these are the human stories, the Australian stories, the real people whose lives are being turned upside down by Labor rewiring the nation and bleeding the country dry for tax revenue. I will continue to stand and I will continue to fight through this parliament, the 48th Parliament, for the people who live in regional Australia so that they get a much better deal than they're getting right now.

It's wonderful to be back in this place having been elected for a record seventh term in my electorate of Blair. I'm humbled by the election result and indebted to the people and communities of Ipswich, the Somerset region and the Karana Downs area for their support. It's an honour and privilege to represent an area in which my family has lived for seven generations, but I couldn't have done it without the hard work and dedication of so many volunteers and supporters. For me, the highlight apart from increasing my majority in a marginal seat was seeing Labor re-elected. I'm immensely proud to have come through what was a very bitter and hard-fought local campaign. At the same time, I'm encouraged to see so many new Labor MPs and senators elected. I take this opportunity to congratulate them all on their success. The future of our party, our government and our country is indeed bright. I also want to congratulate my neighbour in Ipswich, the member for Oxley, on his re-election as Speaker, and I look forward to working with him and all the deputy speakers over the next three years. Thanks, Speaker, for the cooperation on all the joint booths in Ipswich.

Again, I want to thank the good people of Blair for putting their faith in me to continue to represent them in federal parliament. I look forward to continuing to work hard for my local community as part of a re-elected and re-energised Albanese Labor government. It was a hard-fought victory for Labor in Blair and ultimately a rejection of the coalition and its former leader, Peter Dutton. You didn't have to be very long in a polling booth to meet people coming through saying that they couldn't bring themselves to vote for Mr Dutton. It was a negative for the coalition. As they always do, the LNP talked up a big game in Blair and talked up their chances, but in the end their message struggled to gain traction.

For our part, we ran a disciplined, well-organised grassroots campaign, and I'm confident we had the right message for voters. At the end of the day, you don't win a rugby league grand final by just turning up in the semifinals. You have to work hard and campaign continuously. Our campaign focused on cost-of-living relief, health and delivering the road and community infrastructure needed in my rapidly growing electorate. We made numerous election commitments during the campaign—things like $200 million in funding a long-term fix for the notorious Amberley Interchange, major upgrades to the Brisbane Valley Highway and the Mount Crosby interchange, a new rugby league and sports centre in the Ripley corridor, upgrades to the Ipswich basketball stadium and Fernvale Sports Park, expanding the Chuwar Koala and Native Fauna Conservation Park, a new headspace mental health centre in Redbank Plains, a new House of India community and cultural centre in Springfield, a major upgrade to the Lowood pool and upgrades to the Springfield Central YMCA. At a national level, voters connected with the Albanese government's clear plans for the nation's future: delivering cost-of-living relief with tax cuts for every taxpayer, more affordable health care, help for first home buyers, free TAFE, cheaper child care and cuts to HECS debt.

Ipswich is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We're grappling with infrastructure needs, housing pressures and youth unemployment, so our positive policies and local commitments really resonated with Blair's booming suburbs like Ripley and Spring Mountain. The result reflected the strong local support for our agenda in areas like this.

In contrast, the coalition shot themselves in the foot by running one of the most negative and nasty campaigns I've seen anywhere in all of my 40 years of local campaigning for the Labor Party—that cuts across 15 federal campaigns. I make no apology for describing the LNP's 2025 campaign in Blair as toxic and a new low in local politics. The LNP engaged in disgraceful personal attacks on me. There was no record of me anywhere, verbally or personally, attacking the LNP candidate, yet they spent much of their campaign caricaturing me, alleging false things about me, even accusing me of being responsible for alleged rising crime in Blair.

There's been extensive national media reporting on the role of the fringe Plymouth Brethren Christian Church—also known as the Exclusive Brethren—in this election. Perhaps what is less well known is their presence in the LNP campaign in Blair. There was a clear arrangement, a quid pro quo, between the LNP and the Exclusive Brethren.

What did the LNP get out of it? In Blair, they recruited the Exclusive Brethren in their hundreds—up to 20 people on a polling booth—to campaign on issues like road funding. I doubt, by the way, very few of them could even name five streets in Ipswich or in Esk. Not only that, we saw bullying, and aggressive, intimidating and offensive behaviour at polling booths by the Exclusive Brethren in LNP paraphernalia. Exclusive Brethren members stood in front of Labor volunteers and verbally abused them—men and women—physically blocked them from handing out how-to-vote cards, filmed Labor volunteers and other volunteers on their phones and made petty and vexatious complaints to polling booth returning officers. Yet they themselves refused to obey lawful directions by the AEC at pre-polls, and I saw this myself.

The Exclusive Brethren even harassed and stalked me and my campaign staff during the campaign. On election day they even followed me and my car at one point, from booth to booth. They followed my campaign workers at night, doing laps of polling booths, heckling and yahooing. When I went to Ipswich State High School, on the last day, they abused and abused and abused me as I walked in to hand out how-to-vote cards for the Labor Party. On top of this, they regularly defaced and destroyed my campaign signs and plastered the electorate with LNP signs, which really just succeeded in annoying voters.

In the social media space, several times during the campaign, my posts appeared to be swarmed by coalition, Advance and other extreme-right trolls and bots from all over the country. To be clear, there is no issue with people of faith or no faith campaigning. After all, I'm a Christian by faith and a member of my local Baptist church.

They flooded the pre-poll. A number of female voters told me and my Labor volunteers they felt intimidated by these hordes of Exclusive Brethren men, in LNP garb, haranguing and yelling at them as they attempted to make their way into polling booths. This is backed up by voters on social media posts in Ipswich.

I believe the coordinated conduct of the LNP and the Exclusive Brethren in this campaign in Blair and elsewhere—all around the country—highlights why we should consider a truth-in-political-advertising framework at a federal level, like they have in South Australia and the ACT. We also need stronger and better electoral rules and laws around groups like the Exclusive Brethren operating as an unofficial third party.

I certainly hope that parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, JSCEM, takes these issues up as part of its post-election inquiry.

Yet, despite everything we had to put up with in terms of the final result, these ugly tactics backfired and blew up in the LNP's face. Critically, the LNP wrecked their voter base by preferencing One Nation and doing a deal for second preferences. As a result, they lost many moderates, middle-of-the-road voters, who want a centrist, liberal free enterprise party.

I was proud that Labor put One Nation last—as we always do—in Blair. The LNP should have done the same thing.

I was fortunate to have so much help from so many quarters during the campaign. I thank the Prime Minister for his support and leadership. Congratulations on an historic victory. There were so many people involved, and I want to thank them. There are probably too many to name, but I want to do my best. First of all, I want to thank the voters of Blair for putting their faith and trust in me. I won't let you down.

I thank the traditional owners of my area, the Yagara and Yuggera and Yugarabul people, and pay my respects to the work that they do and to their elders past, present and emerging and also to the fact of the tens of thousands of years they have cared for country in my area.

I want to thank all the local Labor Party branches and unions who supported me and the local residents and community activists who helped me on the ground. To the ALP national secretary, Paul Erickson, and assistant secretary, Jen Light: thanks for your leadership, your extensive research and the resources provided to me. I also want to thank former Queensland state secretary Kate Flanders and assistant secretary Zac Beers for their support. I look forward to working with the new incoming state secretary, Ben Driscoll. It's fair to say the incredible results we got in Queensland reflect the strong leadership and directions that Kate and Zac provided at the state level.

I want to thank my Queensland Labor organiser, Bella Scattini, and my field organiser, Jeremy Wong, for their work on the ground and behind the scenes in keeping me on the straight and narrow. I want to thank the unions as well, including the Queensland Council of Unions and the general secretary, Jacqueline King, who came and handed out our how-to-vote cards for me at prepoll and on election day.

I've been a member of the Services Union for a very long time. Thanks to Jen Thomas and Neil Henderson for their ongoing support, and thanks to all the ASU members who came out to stand on polling booths for me.

Thanks to Stacey Schinnerl, Joey Kaiser, Luke Richmond, Max Braddy and the mighty AWU and all their members who provided such hands-on support. Stacey even worked through election eve with her team, setting up election booths. Thanks to Gerard Dwyer, Justin Power and the SDA, the shoppies, for their generous support for members who doorknocked and letterboxed whole suburbs and country towns and worked polling booths across Blair, with Justin spending election day in the country town of Esk with Lionel and Doreen Shaw. Thanks to Josh Millroy and the TWU for providing valuable personal and logistics support, especially setting up and staffing polling booths. Thanks to Sally Gunner and the CPSU for their help. Thanks to the Queensland Teachers' Union and those teachers who fought for public education at polling booths.

I had amazing support from so many Young Labor members who mucked in and did high-visibility campaigning, doorknocking, letterboxing and making phone calls. I recognise the valuable work of people like Chris, Jacinto, Kyall and Brodie, whose dedication and youthful exuberance were inspiring. There are many hundreds of branch members across Blair. I want to thank them all, including those in my own branch, the Raceview Flinders branch, which is the biggest Labor Party branch west of Brisbane. These people are the backbone of the campaign. I want to thank the local branches from Somerset to the greater Springfield area.

I especially want to thank my campaign director, Madonna Stott, for her relentless work ethic, campaign discipline, wise guidance and strong leadership. Madonna was the point person who worked with me to develop our campaign plan and then liaised with everyone from party office to campaign HQ, ministers' offices, unions and branch members just to make it all happen. Thanks, Mad, you were absolutely fantastic. Madonna transformed her house into a campaign staging post, the nerve centre of the operation, possibly to the chagrin of her local neighbours. I've known Madonna for decades, and I thank you for your friendship and leadership in the Blair campaign.

My constituent and community liaison manager, Cate Oliver, kept the administrative side of things running smoothly and provided huge logistical support on election day, keeping volunteers fed and watered—also known as Cate's café. Both Cate and Nicole Chapple from my office organised the booth rosters and handled the prepolls. Blair has over 50 booths; it's a big regional and rural electorate. Despite having to deal with a range of challenges, Nicole and Cate ensured we had the best booth rosters I've ever seen in Blair. Nicole is secretary of the Blair federal organising council and, along with the treasurer, Nick Hughes, ensured the t's were crossed and the i's were dotted. Thanks, Nicole, and thanks, Nick.

A big thanks to my diary manager, Kerry Silver, who kept the electorate office going and made sure I knew where I needed to be. She was an indispensable part of the campaign and fundraising team. Kerry worked closely with my former electorate officer, Janice Cumming, who still is much loved in the local community, on postal votes and aged-care facility voting.

To my then media adviser and the former award-winning journalist Brian Bennion: thanks mate. To policy adviser Chris Condon, who helped pull together my election commitments and campaign announcements: I don't know what I would've done without you, Chris. Chris was vital in prepping me for the many candidate forums we had in Blair. They seemed to go on forever—right to the eve of the election. He made sure I was on message and well briefed. He was an indispensable part of our campaign team. I can't thank enough Paul Cantrall and William Hartley from my office. They made tens of thousands of calls to constituents and volunteered much of their spare time.

Thanks to Jeremy Wong, who worked with me in doorknocking and calls, organised the young people and made sure I was always up there on the leader board of the Labor candidates around the country and certainly up near the top of the leader board in Queensland. Jeremy became the campaign hi-vis whiz, ensuring teams of people were standing on street corners, engaging with commuters and passers-by months out from the election.

Thanks to Mick Watkins, who worked with a small team to get the signs up and keep them up in the face of daily vandalism across the electorate. Once again Mick transformed his ute into a mobile billboard and became a regular troubleshooter.

Thanks also to the many campaign volunteers, supporters and branch members. I want to thank local state Labor MPs Wendy Bourne, Charis Mullen and Lance McCallum; and Ipswich councillors and Labor members Jacob Madsen, Marnie Doyle and Paul Tully for their support. Paul, to you on the loss of your wife, Lisa: my deepest condolences. In addition, I thank councillors Andrew Antoniolli and David Martin for their support and friendship. Thank you as well to Somerset Regional Council member Michael Bishop for his wisdom and support in the rural areas and also to Bud Smith for his corflute help and constant campaigning in the Somerset region.

We are blessed to have a number of former MPs who give so much back to the party. This is why the Labor Party believes in lifelong calling. There are people like former state environment minister Pat Comben, whose withering biography of Peter Dutton helpfully came out during the campaign. There were former state member up in Gladstone, Neil Bennett, and the former federal member for Ryan and first female member for Ryan, Leonie Short, while former Ipswich state MPs Rachel Nolan and David Hamill provided useful sounding boards. These are some of the elder statespeople whose wisdom and advice I find invaluable, along with my mate, the head of the Clem Jones Foundation, Peter Johnstone.

To my good friend and supporter, Everald Compton, who spoke at senior forums and provided personal support and good company. He's a great raconteur. He's one of Australia's true independents, according to Wayne Swan. Thanks for your support, Everald. Meanwhile, Beryce Nelson, who served as a cabinet minister in conservative governments at state level but is now a supporter of mine in Toogoolawah, is a fierce community advocate and wonderful supporter. The Toogoolawah booth was staffed entirely by community members, like Charlie and Jade Lewis, along with people like Carolyn Barker. Thanks to Paul Whewell in Raceview, Arthur Needham in Karana Downs, Geoff Beattie in Glamorgan Vale, Malcolm Scott in Kilcoy, the greater Springfield 'cartel' of the Labor Party branch members, the wider multicultural and refugee communities across Ipswich and Springfield and all the regular and first-time volunteers.

Thank you to my praetorian guard from the Bundamba branch of the Labor Party, especially Alison Young, Lachlan Enshaw, Brad Snow and so many others. Thanks to the North Ipswich Tigers rugby league club for hosting a jubilant election night. It certainly was when Antony Green announced the result so early. To the Witch Hotel in West Ipswich, a place where all the journalists from the Queensland Times used to hang out, for hosting a volunteer thankyou function as well.

Thank you to all those who helped me fundraise and contributed financially in any way.

Finally, a big thanks to my family for their love and moral support. To my wife, Carolyn, who's been my biggest backer. Next year we celebrate 40 years as a married couple. Despite her ongoing health battle, she has provided ongoing family support. Thanks, Carolyn. To my daughters, Alex and Jacqui, and their families: thank you for your love and support. To my brothers, friends and confidants, Regan and Darrin, together with Darrin's wife, Claire, and their children, who provided great support up in Kilcoy and Mount Kilcoy: a big thankyou. They know the local LNP people and get on quite well with them up there.

Also, a big shout-out to my mum, Joy Butler, and her husband, Rob, for their ongoing support and home cooking. My mum is like the godmother of the Labor Party in Ipswich.

Thank you to all those wonderful individuals. My victory is a victory for you, as I am just the front person. I am just the representative. This is a victory for the true believers in Blair, a victory for the Labor Party and the union movement. I go into every campaign holding two tickets in my pocket: (1) a Labor Party ticket and (2) my services union ticket. I don't forget that the Labor Party has all been for the trade union movement. I thank all the unions for their fantastic support.

In closing, I thank my colleagues, particularly those ministers who visited my electorate and my colleagues with whom I spend so much time in Canberra—you become good friends with so many! I especially want to thank the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, for launching my campaign, and Senator Anthony Chisholm for making a number of announcements in Blair. So many of them could have rented a flat in Ipswich! I also want to thank Senator Deb O'Neill for her constant support, encouragement and financial help. Thanks to now Senator Corinne Mulholland for her pre-poll help and regular campaign assistance. They are more than just colleagues; they're friends, brothers and sisters in arms—comrades. We share similar values and a desire for a better future for our communities and for the nation. We believe in social justice, equality of opportunity and a fair go for all. That's what I've believed in all my life.

I remain energetic, enthusiastic and excited about representing my local community and the people of Blair for another three years. I look forward to delivering on my election commitments and I've already hit the ground running. I look forward to this coming term and getting those much-needed projects I've talked about going for the people of Blair, so we can build a better future for my local community.

Firstly, in my address-in-reply, I want to congratulate an extraordinary group of individuals who have made exceptional achievements in my community, particularly in surf lifesaving, and who have kept my community safe by patrolling our beautiful Bate Bay. We have four proud and active surf lifesaving clubs in my community: Cronulla, North Cronulla, Elouera and Wanda. All recently held their annual presentation awards. There were a number of individuals honoured.

The Elouera Surf Life Saving Club awarded the Surf Sports Awards, recognising members of this club for their athletic prowess. The under-15s athlete of the year received the Constance and Colin Toll Award; that went to Nate Robertson. The under-17s athlete of the year received the Daile Banning Award; that went to Jake Hughes. The under-19s athlete of the year received the Terry Trevillian Award; that went to Nick Hughes. The open athlete of the year received the Rick Pallister Award; that went to Alex Duggan. The water man of the year received the Robert Chapman Award; that went to Nathan Neale. The water woman of the year received the Sharon Muddle Award; that went to Mikaela Mead. The most outstanding male beach athlete received the Gilchrist Family Award; that went to Peter Thoroughgood. The most outstanding female beach athlete received the other Gilchrist Family Award; that went to Natalie Hay. The most outstanding masters competitor was Robert Humphries.

They next had the boat awards, recognising members who display exceptional skills in manning the club boats. The Most Outstanding Boat Competitor Award went to Jessie O'Mahony. The Most Outstanding Boat Crew Award went to Jessie O'Mahony, Edwina Wright, Gabby Ferris, Terani Inoke and Grant Wilkinson. The Most Improved Boat Crew Award went to Tahlia Ingram, Casey Mood, Caitlin Smith, Isla Lawson, Mia McCarthy and Grant Wilkinson. And the rookie of the year received the Tim Nesbitt Award; that went to Lincoln Rommel.

The club's training awards recognise work undertaken to upskill club members in ensuring beach safety and surf lifesaving. The winner of the Most Outstanding Trainer Award was Rob Van der Sanden. The Most Improved Trainer Award went to Byron Watson.

To the lifesaving awards: the junior lifesaver of the year received the David Chandler Award; that went to Natalie Hay, as the most outstanding junior patrol person of the year. The Patrol Person of the Year Award went to Caitlin Smith. The Rookie Life Saver of the Year Award went to Nicola Dorling. The Most Outstanding IRB Member Award went to Neill Hunt. The Most Improved IRB Member Award went to Khristina Verstraete. The Most Outstanding Under-15 Club Person Award went to Ruby Kelly. The Most Outstanding Under-17 Club Person Award went to Jake Hughes. The Most Outstanding Under-19 Club Person Award went to Angus Jarolimek. The most outstanding club person received the President's Trophy; that was Neill Hunt. The Belinda Emmerson-Franke Encouragement Award went to Tim Grant. The Ted Brooker Memorial Award for most outstanding contribution in club competition and service went to Ruby Kelly. Congratulations to all the winners from Elouera Surf Club.

The Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club is our oldest lifesaving club and one of Australia's oldest and most iconic surf lifesaving clubs, established in 1907. Cronulla awarded Silver Medallion Patrol Awards in advanced surf lifesaving that equipped members with skills and knowledge to confidently manage beach patrol, especially in challenging situations. This year, there were a number of winners, including Bridget Cole, Brandon Leelong, Freddy Obitz and Kim Williams.

There were 100% Award winners. These winners must have been on patrol for the entire season and performed all their rostered patrols as per the roster without any time missed or any changes. This year, the award winners were Alessio Polimeni, Amelie Sanchez, Angelo Palamidis, Annette Tasker, Freddy Obitz, Benjamin Paton, Brian Dalgarno, Bronessa Smith, Catherine Rubbi, Chloe Teuma, Chris Barber, Claire Pierse, Craig Timbrell, Chris Ordenes, David Dalla-Camina, Damien Carlton, Diego Ordenes, George Ordenes, Phillip Hamilton, Jacinta Watson, Janine Paton, Justine Woolveridge, Kenneth Anderson, Kenneth Rosebery, Levi Stateski, Lew Cochrane, Ludovic Catherine, Maddie Stanton, Maj Sibai, Mark Teuma, Nader Saleh, Nick Rubbi, Noah Duchet-Catherine, Olivier Sanchez, Pablo Azurdia Webb, Paul Spratt, Richard Pinker, Robert Short Junior, Rodd Sanchez, Samuel Easton, Saoirse O'Brien, Sascha Stewart, Stewart Rodham, Tahlia Comb, Tiffany Crompton, Kim Williams, Zack Pontey and Zane Watson.

Special recognition goes to Chris Barber for achieving the 100% Award for over 20 years—how outstanding, 100 per cent for 20 years. The Outstanding Patrol Attendance Award went to Anne Crane and Richard Pinker. The winning patrol of the year was captained by Zoe Duchet-Catherine and comprised a number of surf lifesaving members: Alessio Polimeni, Alicia McCullouch, Andrea Fantechi, Angus Griffin, Anna Cox, Bob Sagar, Brent Gaddes, Brooke Edwards, Darryl Easton, Darryl Gaddes, Dylan Ingram, Harrison Clarke, Isabella Ingram, Joanna Panter, Levi Stateski, Ludovic Catherine, Melvyn Guilbert, Niclas Rogulski, Noah Duchet-Catherine, Freddy Obitz, Rebecca Ingram, Samuel Easton, Sascha Stewart, Sophie Guilbert, Titoan Guilbert, Vincent Guilbert and Wojciech Rogulski.

This year, the individuals with the greatest number of points for each sport were Ricky Crompton in the open swim, Paul Cox in the masters swim, Scott Phillips in the vets swim, Chris Ordenes in the open ski and Greg Oldfield in the open board. The Auxiliary Trophy winners were Tiffany Crompton in the opens, Scott Phillips in the vets and Stephen Parkes in the masters. The President's Trophy winners were Daryn Metti in the opens, Rob Walker in the vets and Paul Cox in the masters. The Captain's Trophy winners were Baden Green in the opens, Carolyn Macauley in the vets and Mark Franklin in the masters. The 2025-26 Nipper Leadership Team and winners were the captains, Jackso Swingler and Charlotte Diver-Tuck; the vice-captains, Fletcher Sellick and Madelyn Watts; and the leadership team, Catherine McCulloch and Liana Ellis.

I now turn to the ironperson swim and let champions, who excelled in the swim portion of the overall ironwoman or ironman competition. This year the club recognised Saoirse O'Brien in the under-15 females, Melvin Guilbert in the under-17 males, Amelie Sanchez in the under-17 females, Jay Furniss in the open males, Paul Cox in the over-50 males and Chris Freeman in the under-50 males.

In the surf race, the under-15 male was Dylan Cooper and the under 15 female was Amelia De -Jongh. The under-17 male was Melvin Guilbert, and the under-17 female was Amelie Sanchez. The under-19 male was Brent Gaddes, and the open male was Will Bannister. The open female was Zoe Duchet-Catherine. The under-50 male was Chris Freeman, and the over-50 male was Baden Green. In the belts, the under-17 male was Ethan Maclachlan. The under-19 male was Jake Boyle. The open male was Jack Robinson.

I now turn to this year's board and ski championship winners. The under-15 male board winner was Diego Ordenes. The under-15 female board winner was Saoirse O'Brien. The under-17 male board winner was Chris Ordenes. The under-17 female board winner was Amelie Sanchez. The under-19 male board winner was Brent Gaddes. The open male board winner was Will Bannister. The open female board winner was Zoe Duchet-Catherine. The under-50 male board winner was Chris Freeman, and the over-50 male board winner was Robert Walker. The under-17 male ski winner was Melvin Guilbert. The under-17 female ski winner was Sophie Woodrow. The under-19 male ski winner was Hobbie Smit, the open male ski winner was also Hobbie Smit. The open female ski winner was Zoe Duchet-Catherine. The under-50 male ski winner was Chris Freeman. The over-50 male ski winner was Daryn Metti, and the over-50 female ski winner was Kelly Mountier.

In the beach championships, the open male flags winner was Levi Statevski, and the open female flags winner was Telia Ellis. The under-17 male flags winner was Melvin Guilbert, and the under-17 female flags winner was Sophie Woodrow. The under-19 male flags winner was Hobbie Smit. The under-15 female sprint winner was Saoirse O'Brien. The under-17 female sprint winner was Sophie Woodrow, and the open male sprint winner was Levi Statevski.

The Australian championships is a major national event where surf lifesavers from across Australia compete in a wide range of events. This year's participants were Nikki Jones in the over-35 sprint and over-35 flags, Jon Lavers in the over-70 boardriding longboard and over-70 boardriding shortboard.

There was also another set of special awards that I would like to draw attention to. The Masters Competitor of the Year was David Brukmann. The Ken Brown Award went to Zara Lammers. The Nick Dixon Memorial Boatman's Trophy went to Declan Bourke. The Outstanding Contribution to IRB Section went to Greg Oldfield. The Outstanding Official went to Carlo Villanti. The Bill Marshal OAM Memorial Award for the patrol person of the year went to Lachlan Waring from patrol 2. The Tony Purcell Memorial Award went to Jack Robinson. The Instructors Award went to Rodd Sanchez.

The junior club person for the under-15 males went to Diego Ordenes and the junior club person for the under-15 females went to Amelia De Jongh. The junior club person for the under-17 males went to Melvin Guilbert. The junior club person for the under-17 females went to Sophie Woodrow. The junior club person for the under-19 males went to Hobbie Smit. The junior club person for the under-19 females went to Joanna Panter. The Most Improved Member went to Thomas Woodrow.

The Ken English Patron Emeritus Award for efforts in instruction and/or training of club members went to Rodd Sanchez, and the Luke and Jack Gibson Memorial Award for most inspirational member went to Chris Barber. The Barry Ezzy OAM Patron Emeritus Award for fundraising or innovation went to Ken Rosebery. The Geoffrey Forshaw OAM Patron Emeritus Memorial Award for efforts in enhancing the reputation of the club went to Anna Crane and John Tangohau.

To all of this year's recipients: your contribution to the safety, the sport and our community of Cook is deeply appreciated. You make Cook proud.

I also want to celebrate the Southern Sydney Business Awards in my local community. Small business is the backbone of our country and our economy. Small and medium-sized businesses make up nearly 70 per cent of employment and almost 98 per cent of businesses, and while small business hires, large business fires. Small and medium-sized businesses that grew made up 100 per cent of net job growth in the Australian economy. Not only are they the backbone of the Australian economy; they're the backbone of my local community in Cook. This year's winners in Cook were, for excellence in large business, Geoff Bannister from Betty's Burgers, Miranda, and, for the most outstanding community organisation, Karen Johnston from BFF 4 Change. The outstanding new business award went to Esther Goh from Marketing Jar, and the outstanding visitor experience business award went to Jim Winchester from Quest Woolooware Bay.

We also had the Local Business Awards, which celebrated more outstanding achievements from these vital small businesses in my local community of Cook. Again, they make up the backbone of Australia, the backbone of Cook, and the backbone of employment. This year's winner from Cook in the automotive services category went to Stephen Melton from Southern Sydney Mechanical. The best bakery/cake business award went to Bastian Gab from Miranda. The best beauty services award went to Wafaa Karim from Cronulla Skin Sanctuary. The best brows and lashes beauty services award went to Lauren Conway from Lauren Elyse & Co, Sutherland Shire. The best cafe award went to Zee Cheikho from Dolce Aroma. The best community services award went to Dani Christie from the Family Co. The best delicatessen/gourmet food award went to Michael Haddad from Nina's Chocolates—a beautiful place, which has an outlet just near where I live, in Gymea Bay.

The best early childhood centre award went to Carissa Blizard from Antara on Wyralla Childcare and Preschool. The best education service award went to Lindsay Smith from Excite Safety. The best fashion award went to Melissa Bennetts from Bay Road Clothes. The best food/takeaway award went to Abdul Chowdhury from Chargrill Chicky. The best fitness services award went to Sophia Chantharawiphak from SPC Muay Thai Gym. The best florist award went to Stephanie Jordan from Nunu Designs. The best fresh food award went to Christina Basile from Panetta Mercato Kirrawee in South Village. The best hairdresser award went to Joanne Beards from Karizma Hair Kreations in the Civic Arcade. The best health improvement services award went to Rachel Dorman from shire hearing and implant centres. The best holiday and travel award went to Susie Potter from the Africa Safari Co in Sutherland. The best jewellery store award went to Julie Heta from Prouds the Jewellers in Sylvania Southgate Shopping Centre. The most inclusive employer award went to Mike Parker from Commercial Freight and Logistics. The best performing arts award went to Zoe Karatzovalis from Infinite Abilities Performing Arts. The best pet care award went to Jacqueline Bell from Cronulla Veterinary Clinic. The best pharmacy award went to Ramy Hanna from TerryWhite Chemmart Caringbah. The best plumbing services award went to Jeremy Atoui from Jeremy's Plumbing Meats at Southgate—a great business and a great entrepreneur as well.

The best professional medical services award went to Sarah Anis from Spectrum Medical Imaging Miranda. The best professional services award went to Jodie Jamieson from Gibson Howlin Lawyers. The best real estate agency award went to Peter Green from Laing+Simmons in Miranda. The best family restaurant award went to John Hatzikiriakos from the New Chambers Restaurant. The best services and trade award went to Ivana Josic from Boyan Built. The best sole operator award went to Andrew Woodward from the Investors Way. The best specialised business award went to Ben Browning from 1800 Projects. The best specialist retail business award went to Tracey Morrison from Crockers Paint and Wallpaper. The best businessperson of the year award went to Tahlia Carlyle from Tahlia Carlyle Empowered Living Care. The youth award went to Kyra Holloway from Kyra Holloway, Antara on Wryalla Childcare and Preschool. The best business of the year award went to Jodie Jamieson from Gibson Howlin Lawyers, and the Sutherland Shire access and inclusion winner was Jasmin Moffitt from Dust Devilz.

I'd also like to acknowledge a tragic accident. My condolences and prayers go out to the boys and families involved in the tragic jet ski accident on Tuesday evening on the Georges River in Sylvania. Tragically, this accident claimed the life of 15-year-old Mitchell Irvine and left his friend, 14-year-old Noah Watkins, seriously injured. Mitchell's loss and Noah's injuries have devastated my local community and serve as a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life is. To Mitchell's family: we mourn with you—me and the rest of our beautiful community in Cook. To Noah and your family: our thoughts and prayers are with you for a speedy recovery. I would also like to pay special tribute to police officer Jesse Hockey and paramedic Scott McNamara, who showed extraordinary courage diving into the cold, deep, dark, murky water to help Noah and save his life. Their bravery reflects the best of our emergency services and reflects the community spirit and bravery that all of our community in the seat of Cook exhibits.

[Kaurna language] Ninna Marni. Ngai nari Louise Miller-Frost. Ngai kartinya ngarri. Ninna marni ngadlu Kaurna yerta. Ngadluku Ngunnawal and Ngambri yerta, ngadlu tampinthi, parnku yerta, ngadlu Ngunnawal and Ngambri yartangka tampinthi. What I just said was: 'Hello. My name is Louise Miller-Frost. I am the first-born female in my family. I come from Kaurna land, and I acknowledge that I am on the land of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. I respect their land and acknowledge that they are the traditional owners of the land.' This is the language of the Kaurna people, the First Nations people of the Adelaide Plains, the place where I am privileged to live and work and that I represent here in Canberra.

As I speak these words into Hansard, I reflect on the history of the Kaurna language. The lands of the Kaurna people are the Adelaide Plains, and they extend to the north of Adelaide, around Crystal Brook, and to the south, at Cape Jervis. When European settlers came to South Australia and founded Adelaide, the Kaurna people were pushed off the fertile plains. They were sent to missions on the lands of the Ngarrindjeri people near the Coorong and the Narungga people of the Yorke Peninsula, and their culture was suppressed. The language was lost and completely died out. It was only through the work of school principal Aunty Alitya Wallara Rigney and linguist Dr Rob Amery in the 1980s, who researched through written records and letters written home by German missionaries, that the language was rediscovered and rebuilt. I reflect on practices that eliminated something as important as culture and language, and the impact that colonisation had and still has on First Nations people. But I also reflect on the importance of written records, without which we would not know the Kaurna language today. I reassure Hansard that I will be providing them with the text of the words.

It's my very great honour to represent the people of Boothby in South Australia. I was first elected in 2022, the first Labor member for Boothby in 73 years, and now I am very honoured to have been returned by the people of Boothby in 2025. It's wonderful to be back here in Canberra with my colleagues. We have a larger majority in the House and two additional senators. Every single member of the Labor class of 2022 has been returned, and, with the exception of those retiring at the last election, every single one of my colleagues has been returned. The former member for Higgins, Michelle Ananda-Rajah, whose seat was eliminated in a redistribution, is back as a senator for Victoria. Moving in the other direction, former senator Anne Urquhart stepped down as a senator for Tasmania and has successfully won a seat in the House of Representatives. We welcome her as the member for Braddon.

South Australia was a very exciting place on election night. We had birthday cake at the Boothby election party for Charlotte Walker, who turned 21 on election night and, shortly thereafter, discovered, as third on the Labor ticket, that she had been elected as the youngest-ever senator. Senator Walker is a great addition to the Labor caucus, building on an important aspect that the Prime Minister often comments on. We are a caucus that reflects modern Australia: diverse in gender, cultural origin, career paths and age. Every voice is important.

I also welcome my friend Claire Clutterham as the new member for Sturt. The Sturt electorate voted for Claire, returning the electorate to Labor for the first time since 1972 and with a female representative for the first time ever. It still shocks me that we have to say 'the first female' so often and in so many spheres of life. The people of Adelaide have put their trust in Labor, and we will work every day to ensure they know that their trust and their vote was well placed.

I'd like to put on record my thanks to the many volunteers who supported me in the Boothby campaign—doorknocking, phone calling, supporting me at events, letterboxing and of course prepoll. Day and night, in good weather and bad, they came out day after day after day because they knew it mattered. They knew that only a Labor government would look after our community and our economy, that only a Labor government will do the necessary work of energy transition that is vital for mitigating climate change.

The catastrophic algal bloom that is currently ravaging the coastline in my electorate as well as much of metropolitan and regional South Australia coastlines is not an early sign of climate change; it's a late sign—maybe a too-late sign. The algal bloom is twice the size of the ACT and up to 20 metres deep in places. For years—decades—we've been warned about the impact of climate change on our oceans, rising ocean temperatures, changed ocean currents, failing ecosystems and catastrophic die-offs of marine life, and now we are seeing it in the fish, the rays, the dolphins and sharks, the grasses, the sponges and the shellfish being washed up on our shores, dead.

Climate change should no longer be a debate. Net zero by 2050 is the bare minimum, and the idea that it is still being debated and that there still might be political points to be made by casting doubt, working against it or delaying it, as we saw with environmental legislation in the last parliament, in this place and the other, is shocking. We are elected here to do what is right for our country and for Australians, not to score political points at their expense. A liveable climate is the bare minimum.

Only a Labor government will do the necessary work of energy transition that is vital to mitigating climate change. In the last term of government, 80 large-scale renewable projects were approved, and another 130 were in the process of approval. This is really important work. We need to decarbonise if we are going to have any possibility of maintaining a liveable environment. We are already decades behind where we should be. We cannot have further delays. And we invite those opposite and those in the other place to join us on this most critical fight and to do what is right for our environment, for our country and for our planet.

Only a Labor government will protect the rights of workers and ensure that everyone gets to share in the prosperity of our country—a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. We passed a number of really important pieces of legislation in the 47th Parliament: closing the loopholes that meant some got paid less for doing the same job; increasing paid parental leave; enabling multi-employer enterprise bargaining; and backing increases in the minimum wage in some of the low-paid sectors, such as child care and aged care. Only a Labor government sees gender equity as something worth fighting for. We should all be entitled to an equal playing field—equal pay for equal work, equal opportunities in work, in sport, in our life choices and in politics.

But gender gaps don't close by accident. The same conditions that generated a gap aren't going to magically produce a different result because you wish it. As with everything in life, gender gaps close only when there are deliberate accountable strategies that are designed to close them. I'm pleased to be part of a Labor caucus that: is 56 per cent female; has overseen a record closing of the gender pay gap in Australian society; introduced additional paid parental leave, including a 'use it or lose it' clause so that both parents take leave and that encourages shared responsibility for parenting; applied superannuation to paid parental leave; and reintroduced the women's budget so that every budget measure has a gender lens placed on it.

Only a Labor government will continue to heal our relationship with our overseas trading partners and our neighbours in the Pacific—so important for our security and prosperity. In the last term, we saw a normalisation of relations with China, and I know, in my home state of South Australia, winemakers are particularly pleased with the resumption of trade—and I imagine Chinese consumers are pleased to see our top-quality reds back on their shelves.

Only a Labor government will protect Medicare and the NDIS. Only a Labor government—

Apologies. The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour, and the member will be granted leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.

Many young Australians have lost hope of owning a home. And, if they can't build a home, it's very hard to start a family. That might, in part, explain the collapse of our fertility rate to 1.5 births per woman, the lowest in history. Yet, Australia is growing rapidly, but it's not because we're having more children. So what's driving our growth? The answer is net overseas migration, or the NOM. Historically, the 20-year average for the NOM from the year 2000 to 2019 was about 190,000 people per year. Yet, post-COVID, net overseas migration has exploded. In 2023-24, the NOM was 446,000 people, the largest group being temporary students, with 207,000 arrivals. In the last two years, we've added nearly a million extra people to our population.

The Australian people are feeling the impact of Labor's immigration policy. Our infrastructure is under pressure, essential services from schools and hospitals are stretched thin and Australians are locked out of the housing market. Many are house poor, spending most of their income on rent or mortgages. Labor talk about a housing supply crisis, but this is a housing demand crisis driven by unsustainable immigration. It's that simple. We must act. Net overseas migration must come down. Our first allegiance is to all Australian citizens and making sure they have a roof over their heads.

Recently, we lost Clyde Nicoll, who was a dedicated community champion from the small town of Rosewood, in Ipswich, in my electorate. In many ways, Clyde was the unofficial mayor of Rosewood. He was Citizen of the Year in 2005.

Clyde was born in Brisbane on 8 December 1941 and passed away on 23 June 2025 in Ipswich hospice at the age of 90. He was a former teacher and principal at Rosewood State High School. His contribution to the school and its students was recognised earlier this year when he was asked to open the new Clyde Nicoll Senior Schooling Learning Centre, which was named in his honour.

Clyde was always heavily involved in his local community. Whether it was as the director of the board at Bendigo Bank in Rosewood, Rosewood Lions, the Cabanda Care aged-care facility or the Rosewood Uniting Church, he was such a big part of life at Rosewood.

Clyde was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 but remained active until very recently. His funeral, held at his beloved Rosewood Uniting Church, was a very moving ceremony, and those who attended were fortunate to hear about his earlier life from his children.

I extend my condolences to Delma and his whole family and his many friends. A life well lived, Clyde. You will be missed by many. Your legacy will live on. Vale, Clyde. Rest in peace.

During the Queensland school holidays, Rockhampton was the place to be, with our population swelling by over 21,000 people as the region played host to three major sporting events. We welcomed the 45th Confraternity Carnival, the Queensland touch football junior state championships and the Hockey Country Championships. These events transformed Rockhampton into a sporting powerhouse.

The Confraternity Carnival brought 1,300 of Queensland's best high-school rugby league players to town. It was thrilling to watch the future stars compete with such passion. Congratulations to Rockhampton's own Cathedral College girls team for taking out the girls shield, and a special mention goes to Mackay's St Patrick's College for winning the boys title. The Queensland junior state cup touch football championships saw more than 4,000 players battling it out across our fields. Our local teams rose to the challenge, with Rockhampton's under-14 girls and under-14 boys both winning their divisions, an outstanding effort. With Hockey legends like Jamie Dwyer and Mark Knowles hailing from Rockhampton, it was only fitting that the Hockey Country Championships were held in our city, drawing over 2,000 players and visitors.

These events didn't just bring excitement to the field; they delivered a major economic boost to our region. Our hotels were booked solid, and our cafes, pubs and restaurants were buzzing with activity. Well done to all the competitors and congratulations to the winners. You've done your teams and our region proud.

I rise to acknowledge the recent passing of a stalwart of our community, Margaret Parker. Margaret's life was a testimony of someone who cared deeply about her fellow people and who always put her hand up to assist others. Margaret was an early childhood educator working in preschools for decades. She was the director of the Anzac Village Preschool at Holsworthy for over 10 years and taught a childcare certificate at TAFE.

But Margaret's real passion was her family—Brad, Brian, Grant and their families. During their childhood, there was always volunteering at the sporting teams they and anyone else who was around played for. Margaret especially wanted to ensure when she did the barbecue that no-one went home hungry. Margaret volunteered with the retired teachers' union and was on the board of the Child Adolescent and Family Services for over 20 years. She was also instrumental in informing the Heckenberg-Busby over 50s club. Margaret received the Commonwealth seniors award in 2001 and the Australian government volunteer award in 2014. The mayor and the Liverpool City Council recently awarded Margaret the Macquarie Award for services to our community.

Margaret was my friend and a supporter, and I know she will be missed by so many others in our community. My condolences to Brian, Brad, Grant and all her family. Vale, Margaret.

I want to express serious concern about the recent changes to the NDIS pricing arrangements and price limits, which came into effect on 1 July with less-than-three-weeks notice on providers. The reduction in our price limits, freezes on core services and cuts to travel reimbursements have placed significant pressure on small businesses and sole traders. These providers are not large corporations; they are local, community based businesses, including speech pathologists, physiotherapists and psychologists—many of them women led, mobile and deeply embedded in the care economy. These businesses have been under increasing pressure from persistent inflation, rising costs and industrial relations reform.

Last month I convened a roundtable with local NDIS providers in Warringah and heard about the impact of these changes on the viability of their businesses. One mobile speech pathologist specialising in brain injury rehabilitation told me about how he may well need to reduce the service area, limiting access to care for vulnerable clients across the Greater Sydney area, due to these cuts. I urge government that any changes that impact providers has to have meaningful engagement with these small providers to ensure that any impacts can be well understood and provided for in advance. If we want a productive, sustainable NDIS, we must ensure our policies support, not squeeze, the small businesses that make it work.

I would like to address the blatantly racist and hateful attacks that were perpetrated upon two Asian restaurants, a healing centre on Mountain Highway and the Hindu temple in the suburbs of Boronia and Bayswater earlier this week. In my first speech in this parliament, in May 2023, I spoke about meeting Atul from the Shree Swaminarayan Hindu temple in Boronia and how I was welcomed upon my first of many visits there. The temple is a tranquil place of worship to the Hindu community of Aston and beyond. To learn that it'd been plastered with such hateful images and offensive language was sickening.

I have spoken to Atul today and I will visit with him and others at the temple on Saturday to reassure them that I stand with them in solidarity against such hateful attacks. I also hope to visit Graham and Elly, owners of Kingsland Chinese Restaurant in Boronia, who found similar hateful graffiti upon their premises earlier this week. No-one should have to deal with this kind of hate.

The cowards who chose to paint such hateful images and offensive words on these premises are absolute low-life with fear in their hearts, not love, for others, and I strongly condemn their actions. I stand in solidarity with those affected and I want to assure them that, as their federal member, I believe that our multicultural diversity in Aston is something to be celebrated, not feared. It makes us a stronger community, and racist and hateful attacks such as these will not be tolerated.

Last Saturday, Tasmanians returned to the polls for the second time in 16 months. It was an election nobody wanted and an outcome nobody thinks was worth the disruption and cost. Hanging over the fiasco was, of course, the state's dire financial situation, because there are less than 600,000 people in Tasmania and we're facing a debt of roughly $13 billion by 2028—and that's despite the chronic underinvestment in our busted health and education systems, not to mention the appalling housing crisis and choking traffic congestion.

But at least one thing is clear after the poll, where the Independents enjoyed a surge in their vote and no major party secured even close to a majority, and that is that the community expects all of those elected to grow up and, this time, make a parliament work. So Liberal and Labor must stop insisting that only majority government is okay and that the crossbenchers are just wreckers and roadblocks. It's simply not the case. Indeed, it's a lie because the crossbench vote shows that they are not fringe players but central to the operation of the Tasmanian parliament. In other words, it's time for Liberal and Labor to pull their heads out of the sand and to face the reality of power sharing. Anything less will show contempt for the long-suffering Tasmanian community.

There are many amazing leaders in my community on the Central Coast, and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge one in particular. Dr Tom Tseng of Bensville is truly a local legend. Not only is he a dedicated surf lifesaver at Copacabana SLSC but he's also serving as the club's president. Dr Tseng became involved in Copacabana Surf Life Saving Club when his three children enrolled in the club's Nippers program. Although they are now in their 20s and 30s, Dr Tseng continues to provide his support as president, participating in regular branch meetings and charity monthly board meetings, and to assist with patrols at the beach.

In his professional career, Dr Tseng is a dental surgeon practising dentistry at Kincumber Dental Care, which he has done since 1994. Dr Tseng has seen many changes over the years, including a growing community, which has required the clinic to welcome an additional three dentists.

On top of his volunteering work and his career as a dentist, Dr Tseng is also the president of the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific section of the International College of Dentists. The International College of Dentists has been honouring the world's leading dentists since 1920, with more than 12,000 members in more than 140 countries. Fellowship of this college is by invitation only. For Dr Tseng, it's for the great work that he has done in our community. So, on behalf of the Central Coast, I'd like to commend Dr Tseng on his incredible community work and his contributions to dentistry worldwide.

I rise to table a petition which has been certified by the Standing Committee on Petitions.

The petition read as follows—

In 1998, CSIRO's Dr. Graeme Harris warned that the Gippsland Lakes would be "stuffed" unless phosphorus (P) loads were reduced. A plan was implemented to cut P by 40% to prevent toxic algal blooms. Since then, conditions have worsened. Declining freshwater inflows and entrance deepening have made nitrogen (N) the limiting nutrient, yet water quality monitoring remains unreliable. Key impacts since 1998 include:—Loss of stabilizing fringing vegetation, increasing erosion.—Declining black bream and mullet populations.—PFAS contamination threatening species like the Burrunan dolphin.—Nine toxic algal blooms and major fish kills in 20 years.—Invasive marine species threatening deeper ecosystems.—Heavy metal pollution in the food chain. It's been 26 years since the last audit, and an updated, independent CSIRO assessment is critical to guide restoration efforts.

We therefore ask the House to conduct a new CSIRO audit to ensure the future of the iconic Gippsland Lakes system.

From 941 citizens (Petition No. EN7256)

Petition received.

This petition by concerned Australians calls for an independent environmental audit of the Gippsland lakes. This is long overdue. The last audit was undertaken by the CSIRO in 1998, and this is a dynamic system which is subject to a range of external impacts and influences. I've previously described the Gippsland lakes as the Great Barrier Reef of the south, such is their importance to my region.

Just for context, the Gippsland lakes are an impressive coastal lagoon system, and their value to my region cannot be overestimated. Socially, economically, environmentally and culturally, we have an obligation to care for these Ramsar listed wetlands, and I'm concerned that we're failing our future generations. It's the environmental future of the lakes and the rivers in my region which causes me and the Friends of the Gippsland Lakes the most concern, and the ongoing failure to properly measure, manage and take practical action to improve water quality, reduce the impacts of pests and ensure the lakes are passed on to future generations.

Managing the lakes is, like most natural resources issues, primarily a state government responsibility. What do we do when a state like Victoria continually fails to meet its responsibilities? An independent audit like this would provide an effective stocktake of the condition of the lakes. I commend the petitioners for their work, and I'll continue to advocate on their behalf for a complete environmental audit of the Gippsland lakes.

De Iuliis wines have secured the three-peat. For the third year in a row, they have been named a top winery of 2025 by the Real Review. That's almost unheard of. The Real Review's list of top wineries of Australia is highly regarded for its rigorous and independent assessment. Wineries are judged on the quality and consistency of their wines reviewed over the past two years, making this accolade a true indicator of sustained excellence. To put it simply, if you're a wine lover, it means that when you have a taste of De Iuliis wines you're treating your tastebuds to some of the best wine you can find.

De Iuliis wines are best known for their premium Hunter Valley semillon, shiraz and chardonnay. Their Hunter Valley semillon is the benchmark for the region, and the Hunter Valley shiraz is a powerful yet elegant wine. For more than three years, I have been standing in this place and saying that the Hunter has the best wines in the country and the world, and what more proof do you all need in this place? Make the trip to our beautiful part of the world, our slice of heaven, and, when you're there, make sure you have a glass or a bottle of some high-quality, critically acclaimed wine from De Iuliis wines. I'm actually looking forward to going there on 27 September for their Cork and Fork event. I'm going to eat plenty of meat and drink plenty of their wine as well. I'm really looking forward to going there and supporting them on their journey to be one of the best winemakers in the country. Thank you, De Iuliis wines.

When I was young, my father had an adage, and he would use it if you were going down in a ridiculous cause. He said: 'There was a person who was trying to train their horse—break in their horse—to eat rocks. They'd just about done it, and the damn thing died, and that's what happens when you pursue a cause for which there is no real result.' Net zero is part of that. If we continue on this path, you'll just about get there and the economy will be dead, but, long before that, it's going to be incredibly sick. Now we're hearing people talking about how the metals industry is going, the plastics industry is gone, the glass industry is gone, we're propping up the aluminium industry and the fertiliser industry is gone. It is not working. Power prices are going through the roof, and pensioners are becoming poorer. This is a total fool's errand.

The argument that's sometimes used is that it will offend other people in certain seats. I'll give you another example of something that offends people in seats and which we're not allowed to go anywhere near. That is removing the curfew on Mascot airport. Apparently, that would be absolute dynamite if you ever did it, and so we never even consider it. I would suggest that the people who may like the idea of net zero are also the same people who don't like the curfew on Sydney airport, and I note how much political pressure that has because of Grayndler, Cook, Warringah and Wentworth. I'll finalise this by saying this thing is national but, for me, it's terribly personal. (Time expired)

Founded in 1965 by a passionate group of football-loving locals, the Abbotsford Juniors Football Club transformed a former waste disposal site—what is now Campbell Park—into a place where generations of children have enjoyed football. Since then, the club has stayed true to its roots, putting local kids and community at its heart. They're now the largest football club in the city of Canada Bay and a powerhouse of grassroots sports. I'll be attending their celebrations this weekend to mark their 60th anniversary, where the club will recognise Stan Blake, the sole surviving founding member, and his son, Gary, an original member of the club. Among those celebrating this milestone will be players from the club's first premiership-winning female team.

The club has a proud history. It also has a bold future. This year, it reached 46 per cent female participation in its youth teams, a huge leap towards its gender equity goals and well above the national average. To the Abbotsford Juniors Football Club—the volunteers, players, coaches and parents—I say: thank you for 60 years of community inclusion and passion for the game. Special thanks to the extraordinary efforts of president Chris Williamson and vice president Nick Ancona, who have been the driving force behind this club.

It was an honour on Saturday night to attend the Chirnside Park CFA annual dinner to say thank you to those volunteers who give so much to keep our community safe. I want to congratulate the captain, Ben, on six years of service to our community. We were celebrating the 10th birthday of the Chirnside Park CFA. Six years is a significant impact, and I want to wish Paul Simpson all the best. I know the brigade is in good hands.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Mooroolbark CFA annual dinner. It was a great event. Again, it was to celebrate those that volunteer to give so much to keep us safe. Unfortunately, I could not attend the Lilydale CFA annual dinner. It was on 3 May, so we were all quite busy. But it was lucky that their dinner was at the same location as my after-election event, so I could drop in and say hello to the team there and congratulate them on a wonderful year. We have so many volunteers in the CFA, who will, at the drop of a hat, leave their families, their loved ones and their businesses to keep our community safe. They volunteer; they do it for free. In the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges, we know how important the CFA are. We thank them today; we thank them every day. I'm looking forward to visiting many other CFA annual dinners, including Wonga Park, Montrose and many others, to say thank you for keeping our community safe.

Exercise Talisman Sabre is currently underway. It is the 11th and largest iteration of this important exercise throughout northern Australia. The ADF, with 19 nations and over 30,000 military personnel, are taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre that spans 70 training areas across 5,300 kilometres. This exercise is an important one with our ally, the United States, but also for some of our important regional partners, including Indonesia, the Philippines and PNG. For the first time, Papua New Guinea is hosting a component of the exercise, showing how important interoperability is with our friends—our wantoks.

Earlier this month, I attended a live-wire exercise at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area near Rockhampton in northern Queensland, where we witnessed a demonstration of the HIMARS, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. This rocket system is a crucial component of our integrated defence, but it's also important in bolstering our collective defence capability with our allies and partners. This was all part of the ADF Parliamentary Program. I want to give a shout out to the Lieutenant Colonel Andy Martin and also the commander of 3rd Brigade, Brigadier Ben McLennan, and the CO of 3RAR—my old unit. Well done on hosting the politicians.

I'd like to honour the life of Julie Fitzsimons. Julie was a beloved mother, grandmother and wife whose generosity and courage left a lasting mark on many in my local community.

After losing her daughter, Nicole, in a tragic motorbike accident in Thailand in 2012, Julie channelled her grief into action, helping establish the Nicole Fitzsimons Foundation, promoting travel safety and supporting young Australians in sport and the arts. Julie was the heart of this foundation, but, in May, she was tragically struck by a car and lost her life while visiting her daughter. It was a tragic accident. We extend our deepest condolences to Vince, Kate, Matt and her grandsons.

I'd also like to celebrate a massive win for my local community with the Gunnamatta Pavilion upgrade. The RSL swim club, the Cronulla Sharks Water Polo Club, the canoe club and the triathlon club did not have adequate facilities. We launched a petition, and the community got behind it. We received almost a thousand signatures and the community has had a massive win as the Sutherland Shire Council has listened to them, revising their plan and creating adequate facilities for each of those clubs. Congratulations to the clubs and to all the community members who got behind the petition.

Member for Cunningham.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker, and congratulations.

Cunningham looked very different 100 years ago, but one thing that hasn't changed is the courage of the men and women that have served at Balgownie Fire Station. Today, Station 210 is led by Captain Luke Rowles, one of only seven captains to hold that role in the station's remarkable century-long history.

I was truly honoured to join Captain Rowles and his team, on Saturday 28 June, to celebrate their centenary with the community. We began the day with a welcome to country and smoking ceremony from local elder Uncle Peter and some wonderful students from Balgownie Public School, who sang the national anthem.

Balgownie Fire Station first began as a substation of the North Illawarra fire district, with Corrimal Fire Station as the head station. There are a lot of jokes that Corrimal does the promotion in the media while Balgownie actually puts out the fires.

Over the years, the Balgownie crew have become a dependable and trusted part of our community. They respond to hundreds of incidents every year, providing vital fire safety education to local schools and families. Balgownie is a strong family based station, with so many family connections, with brothers, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives—all proudly serving the community together over many years. To every firefighter at Balgownie Fire Station and your families who give you up to go out and keep our community safe: thank you so much for keeping us safe over 100 years. (Time expired)

As I've been listening to the maiden speeches this week, a truism of politics has come to mind. All of us are here not by dint of our own efforts but through the efforts, support and encouragement of others. Today I want to speak about Yves and Leila El Khoury who have played an outsized role in me being here. The El Khourys are a wonderful Australian migrant success story. Born in the village of Miziara in northern Lebanon, Yves came as a young man and, as with so many migrants, saw things in our country that those of us born here take for granted.

Yves's been a successful entrepreneur in the property, hospitality and childcare and service station industries. He's given back to our community, being a leader in the Lebanese and broader Australian community. He's been a long-serving branch president of the Liberal Party since John Howard's time and has been a wonderful counsellor to New South Wales Liberals, including to my predecessor and me. Yves was one of the key advocates of the royal commission into banking and financial services, which wouldn't have happened without his tenacity.

The El Khourys always run wonderful events with guests representing the melting pot of our community, and Leila makes the best tabouleh this side of Beirut. Their children and their grandchildren are their greatest legacy, with sons, Lewis and Savio, running Two Brothers Mediterranean restaurant in Castle Hill; their daughter, Shiraz, in the property industry; and Monaya, a make-up artist, making their own way in the world.

Thank you to Yves and Leila and the El Khoury family for all you have done for me, for our community, for our party and for our country. It's wonderful today to take the opportunity to salute you in our parliament.

It's great to return to the 48th Parliament and once again represent the people of Spence. Congratulations to you, Deputy Speaker, on your deputy speakership as well. Today I rise to share a major victory for the people of Virginia and for commonsense. In only a matter of days, for the first time the good people of Virginia will receive their first home mail delivery from Australia Post ever. This might not sound like much to some, but home mail delivery is something the Virginia community has needed to fight tooth and nail for for several years.

In this time, the community has pushed relentlessly for this basic service, even after a recent mail poll showing 92 per cent support was dismissed. This outcome is the result of a grassroots campaign, with hundreds of doors knocked, local street meetings, letters to senior leadership and speeches in this very chamber. After years of delays, excuses and confusions, the message has finally got through loud and clear. This is a decision that will not be getting returned to sender; it is happening.

While this is a big step forward, other communities in Spence, like Riverlea, will still go without home delivery. To those residents I say I have not forgotten you. I will keep fighting for them so they can also access an essential service that many Australians, that now includes Virginia, can rightly take for granted.

I rise today to acknowledge the outstanding community organisations in the Fadden electorate who have recently received funding through the Stronger Communities Program. These grants are about backing our volunteers, carers, parents, coaches and supporters who are the heartbeat of our local community.

In Coomera, the AEIOU Foundation continues its vital work supporting children with autism and their families, helping young Queenslanders thrive. The Fibromyalgia ME/CFS Gold Coast Support Group provides a lifeline to locals battling chronic illness. Their work offers hope, empathy and strength where they're needed. And some of our local P&Cs, like Coomera State School and Biggera Waters State School, play a critical role in building stronger schools, supporting our teachers and our students alike.

Girl Guides Queensland continues to foster leadership and confidence in our young girls, values that will shape our future generations. Of course, the tirelessly hardworking team at the Paradise Point & Districts Meals On Wheels bring meals and companionship to seniors and those in need. The compassion cannot be overstated.

Our sporting pride, the Gold Coast Hockey Association, was also a worthy recipient as well as the North Gold Coast RSL Sub Branch, the custodians of our veteran community in the north of our city.

During the campaign I spoke to an elderly gentleman in my electorate about the things we were delivering as a government. I mentioned child care and he said, 'Oh, love, my kids and my grandkids are all grown up, so it doesn't affect me. Anyway, I'm off for a blood test.' I stopped and I thought: I wonder if the blood collector or the pathologist has a child in child care?

The thing is that child care impacts us all, every single one of us. Even for someone like me with a media background who hears the tough stories, the allegations out of Victoria were truly shocking. Our thoughts are with those families affected, those parents who trusted a service with their most precious things, the lives of their children, only to feel betrayed. Let me say that your government stands with you.

We also stand with our incredibly professional childcare educators, who are facing some pretty torrid times at the moment. We are not just offering words; we are taking action. Just last night we saw the minister, Jason Clare, on 7.30 deliver a calm, serious and heartfelt response. It is worthwhile, so thank you so much for that, Minister. We care about children. Child care matters. It impacts us all, and this government is passing laws to ensure that. (Time expired)

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.

I declare that the resumption of debate on the Prime Minister's motion of condolence in connection with the death of the Hon. Peter James Nixon is referred to the Federation Chamber.

My question is to the Prime Minister. The coalition is the proud architect of AUKUS, a landmark national security agreement that will make Australia safer, stronger and more secure. The coalition cabinet I served in delivered AUKUS because we understand the US is our most important ally. Two hundred and sixty-one days ago, the American people elected a new president. In that time, more than 30 world leaders have met with the US president. Why has the Australian Prime Minister failed to meet with the US president?

I thank the member for the question. Last time I looked—just to have a bit of a fact check—AUKUS wasn't actually delivered during the former government. The concept, to give credit where credit's due, did come from the Morrison government, but the AUKUS agreement was signed by me, President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak in San Diego. That is just a fact. The US President was elected and took office in January. Since then, we have had three conversations. I also make the point that there is no country—including the announcement today of an arrangement with Japan and the United States in which the previous tariff level of 25 per cent across the board was reduced to 15 per cent, which is still higher than the tariff rate of 10 per cent which Australia has. And Australia has a tariff rate lower than or equal to every other country on Earth. Australia used to, on a bipartisan basis, support free and fair trade—both sides. I find it extraordinary that the coalition seem to have made a decision that a decision by the US administration, contrary to our free trade agreement with the United States, to apply an across-the-board tariff on Australian exports into the United States has brought with it not a criticism of the issue of the imposition of tariffs but another criticism. Rather than choosing to support Australia, it has chosen the opposite.

Order! The member for Fisher, I just asked the House to come to order, and I'm about to call the next questioner. Trust me, this is not the time to interject.

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to help Australian workers, and what has been the response to our commitment to helping Australian workers earn more and keep more of what they earn?

I'd like to thank the member for Leichhardt for that question. It was wonderful to visit with him workers in Cairns just last week, talking about how important fair wages and conditions are.

Of course, in our first term, our government has delivered landmark legislation when it comes to industrial relations, with a clear goal of getting wages moving again. Building on this today, I've introduced legislation to protect the penalty rates and overtime rates of 2.6 million workers in this country. We know that right now the modern award safety net can be undermined. Some employers already have applications on foot to trade away penalty rates of low-paid workers, and, of course, that would leave some workers worse off. Penalty rates and overtime rates matter. They compensate people for working irregular hours and are an essential feature of many workers' take-home pay.

I've been asked what the response has been to this very important legislation and our commitment to protecting penalty rates. I met with Liarne, a retail worker, on Saturday. Penalty rates for her make up about $7,500 per year in her pay packet. When Liarne gets home from her late shifts, her partner is already in bed, and she told me it can be really isolating. That's why penalty rates matter to Liarne. They allow her to earn more and keep more of what she earns, being compensated for her late-night work. For workers like Daniel—when speaking about what life would be like if he didn't have penalty rates, he said:

… I'd have to work more. See my family less, see my dog less, see my friends less. Just not go to the movies, not ever have a holiday …

It's for workers like Liarne and Daniel we made a clear election promise that we would legislate to protect penalty rates, and this promise was clearly endorsed by the Australian people. This plan was endorsed by the Australian people.

While Daniel and Liarne back our plan to protect penalty rates, it is disappointing that the coalition are not making their position clear. They seem to be having a bob each way, on one hand supporting Australian workers and on the other hand talking Australian workers down. Well, while the coalition dither around on whether or not they will back Australian workers, it is this Labor government that's getting on with the job of delivering our commitment to protect people's pay, ensuring people earn more and keep more of what they earn here in Australia.

My question is to the Prime Minister. The United States is our closest ally, and 261 days ago it elected a new president. Over that period, the Prime Minister has spent more time making excuses for unacceptable live firing exercises off Australia's coast than he has spent in person with the US President. Following the Prime Minister's recent overseas travels, has he had a conversation with the US President?

Order! The minister for infrastructure is getting close to being warned. We cannot have people interjecting during questions. It works both ways.

Members of this parliament have a choice sometimes of whether they will back Australia or seek to undermine Australia, a very simple proposition. Those opposite have chosen, rather than supporting a position—which they did in government, to be fair—of supporting free trade, including the free trade agreement with the United States and, might I add, the free trade agreement that they signed up to with China as well, and rather than putting the case, along with members of the government, that tariffs are a cause of economic self-harm by the United States and that those countries that impose tariffs are imposing a cost on the purchase of goods and services—in this case, the United States is putting a cost on goods being exported from Australia into the United States—

Opposition members interjecting—

Order!. Members on my left are going to cease interjecting immediately. It's not a rolling commentary. Honestly! It's a serious question, and the Prime Minister is answering it, and he deserves the respect that was shown to the Leader of the Opposition.

The question they might like to ask themselves is: which country has got a better arrangement than 10 per cent? The answer to that is none. People do watch what is going on. The debate within our country is watched outside our country, and in most other countries what we are seeing—in the UK, for example—is that both sides of politics are putting the national interest first and arguing the case for their nation. We will continue to put the case, as I have to President Trump.

Order! The Leader of the Opposition has asked her question.

But we will do so in the full recognition that the 'America first' policy and ideology, which is being promoted by the Trump administration, is clear. To quote President Trump: '"Tariffs" is the most beautiful word in the English language.' We have a very different position, and we'll continue to put it.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! The House is going to come to order. The member for Wright! The member for Spence won't be here to hear the question if he continues.

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to protect wages and help Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn?

I thank the member for Bonner for her question. It was a pleasure to spend so much time with the member for Bonner in the lead-up to the 3 May election, where I saw how connected she was with her local community there in the suburbs of Brisbane. Many of those constituents will, of course, be people who depend upon penalty rates for their standard of living and their quality of life, which is why today the minister introduced legislation to enshrine penalty rates into law, protecting weekend and overtime pay for around 2.6 million Australians, because we want Australians to earn more and to keep more of what they earn. If you're giving up your weekend, our government will make sure that you get paid the penalty rates that you deserve. It's one of the big contrasts in this chamber: we on this side supporting higher wages and lower taxes, and those on that side arguing for lower wages and higher income taxes.

This comes on top of the cuts to income taxes, where we changed stage 3 to make sure that low-income earners actually got a tax cut. It comes on top of the not one, not two but three increases in the minimum wage and award wages—a 3.5 per cent increase for award wages on 1 July. Real wages have now grown for 18 months in a row. At the same time, more than 1.1 million jobs have been created. The gender pay gap is the lowest on record, and we have delivered substantial pay increases for workers in feminised industries such as aged care and child care.

As to the coalition, of course, we don't know what their position will be when it comes to penalty rates. We know that they tried to ban working from home, we know they wanted to sack 40,000 public servants and we know that they opposed the right to disconnect and same job, same pay. They said our IR reforms would take us back to the Dark Ages. What those reforms have done is lead to an increase in wages, which is a real benefit for working people, including the fine workers who elected the member for Bonner to take her place here in this chamber.

My question is to the Minister for Defence. Analysis released by the Centre for Public Integrity shows there's been an alarming deterioration in transparency under the Labor government. There is a lack of transparency around Australian manufacture of weapons and weapons parts and trade with Israel. This makes it difficult to understand whether Australia is complicit in breaches of international humanitarian law in Palestine. Minister, can you guarantee Australia is not complicit in war crimes in Gaza?

I thank the member for her question, and I deeply respect the role that she plays in this House. In answer to the specific question that she has asked me, I can absolutely guarantee that Australia is not complicit in the way which she's described, but I can also say that Australia is not making weapons in this country and supplying them to Israel. We have made that clear on multiple occasions.

I also reject the proposition that we are not transparent in the way in which all of this is reported. I think we have been incredibly transparent in terms of the way in which we engage in all of our controlled exports around the world and the role that our defence industry plays around the world. We are not making weapons for Israel. It is as clear as that. We have not been doing so since the conflict began on October 7, but we were not doing it for years prior to that. We are not making weapons for Israel.

But the point I want to make is that we have seen various actors seek to manipulate various information that they have derived which is, in fact, not evidence of any of that. They try to misconstrue this and put out misinformation which goes to suggest the opposite. I want to make the point that to put that misinformation into the public domain does not help one single person in Gaza. It just doesn't. What it does is raise tensions in this country, which is deeply destabilising for Australia's social cohesion. Those who walk down that path really need to think about what they are doing for their own self-publicity. This is a matter which is of deep concern to us here in terms of Australia's social cohesion.

I reiterate the point that we are not making weapons for Israel. We are not exporting there. But it is really important that every member of this House owns the responsibility that they have to make sure that misinformation is not what characterises the debate in this country.

My question is to the Treasurer. How is the Albanese Labor government boosting wages and helping with the cost of living while managing the budget in a responsible way?

I thank the member for Forde for his question, but I also congratulate him on a terrific first speech earlier today. He did his family, his party and our local community proud today—either side of Loganlea Road, which we've just funded an upgrade for. Well done.

The member for Forde joins a government with two defining features: a big focus on wages and the cost of living, and a big, inseparable focus on responsible economic management. More Australians working, earning more, keeping more, retiring with more—this is our Labor government's reason for being. That's what today's legislation to protect penalty rates and overtime was all about; it's why we're cutting income taxes three times; it's why we're increasing minimum and award wages; it's why we're increasing the super guarantee and paying it on paid parental leave; and it's why we're rolling out more cost-of-living help this month.

We have made room in tight budgets for the help that Australians need and deserve, and that's because we've managed the budget in a responsible way. This has meant the biggest nominal improvement in a budget in a single parliamentary term ever. We've found $100 billion in savings. We've banked most of the upside revisions to revenue. We've got the Liberal debt down $170 billion lower than what we inherited. We're saving on interest costs. We've turned two big Liberal deficits into two substantial Labor surpluses. And the latest advice is that, when the final budget outcome comes out in September, it will show that the deficit for the year just finished is much smaller as well. I inform the House that the 2024-25 deficit is now expected to be in the low double digits. That is less than half what we expected at budget time, and it's around a quarter of what we inherited from those opposite. This is another demonstration of our responsible economic management. Inflation is down, real wages are up, unemployment is low, interest rates are coming down, we've delivered a couple of surpluses and debt has come down as well.

We've made a lot of progress together as Australians. We've got a big agenda to deliver as a government, but we also know that there is more work to do, because people are still under pressure, the global environment is very uncertain and we've got some big, longstanding structural issues in our economy to deal with as well. We're upfront about that. We believe as a government that the best way to build on the progress we've made together and to make our economy and our budget more productive, resilient and sustainable over time is to go about that in the same consultative, methodical and, especially, responsible way that has been a hallmark of our government. (Time expired)

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's answer yesterday when he said the circumnavigation of Australia by Chinese Communist Party warships needed to be viewed in the context that Australia participates in the South China Sea. Is the Prime Minister seriously suggesting that, because Australia engages with allies in the South China Sea, the Chinese Communist Party is free to conduct live fire exercises without warnings off the South Coast of New South Wales?

The member for Forrest will cease interjecting. The Deputy Prime Minister hasn't begun speaking. You're new to this place. Trust me, you do not want to interject before a minister speaks. That goes for both sides—during questions and before answers.

It has been an interesting start for the shadow minister for his new portfolio. It is a place where words matter, where much is read from little, and we have seen the shadow minister all over the place in terms of the way in which he is describing events internationally and, more to the point, the way in which he's asking questions in this place. But the shadow portfolio that he holds and the portfolio that I hold come with an enormous amount of responsibility for the national interest, and pursuing whatever interest he might have within the Liberal Party, in terms of that chair, should not be done at the expense of the national interest.

The Deputy Prime Minister is going to pause. I want to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

A point of order on direct relevance. I think the minister was surprised to get this question from the Prime Minister, but the question pertains to the remarks in the House yesterday made by the Prime Minister, directly quoted, and asked about his conversation.

Point of order! Point of order!

The member for Boothby is warned. Any member is entitled to raise a point of order. That has now occurred. The manager in particular has the right to do that, as the Manager of Opposition Business. The Deputy Prime Minister has had a preamble, and we need to get to the question he was asked. He wasn't asked about the shadow minister. He was asked about statements by the Prime Minister. It was a narrow question, and the Deputy Prime Minister will need to be directly relevant to what he was asked.

I've always understood that the maintenance and support of the global rules based order has been a matter of bipartisanship between the parties of government in this country. It underpins our national interest as a global trading nation—which relies on things such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation on the high seas, in international waters—and is the basis upon what this country does its exports and imports, the basis upon so much of the prosperity of our nation and so much of our national income. It's by virtue of that that the Royal Australian Navy does so much of its work in the South China Sea and the East China Sea to assert freedom of navigation, the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, on the high seas so that those trade routes, which are fundamental—

Why don't you just answer the question? My question was about live-fire exercises.

I'm answering the question—to Australia's national interests, are being maintained. There is no-one, and I'd be amazed if the opposition is actually suggesting this, who is asserting that the task group that came around, in the vicinity of, Australia earlier in the year were in anywhere else other than in international waters. That is where they were. If the shadow minister is suggesting that that must not occur again, I want to understand what standard is being promoted by those over there, which would apply to Royal Australian Navy vessels when they are in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

Honourable members interjecting—

The House is going to come to order so the Deputy Prime Minister can be heard.

The implication of the shadow minister's question yesterday and the implication of the shadow minister's question today is that those opposite do not support what is understood everywhere as the rights of all nations in respect of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and freedom of navigation. What are you saying about what the Royal Australian Navy should be able to do in the South China Sea and the East China Sea?

My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government helping apprentices and TAFE students with the cost of living?

I thank my friend the member for Barton for her question, and I congratulate her on a really excellent first speech, the start of many great contributions for her community and in the national interest. It was also fantastic to join her just a few weeks ago at the St George Kogarah TAFE. We met there with some free TAFE students studying aged care and nursing, including some nursing students benefitting from our government's paid prac that began on 1 July. Free TAFE and paid prac—just two examples of how the Albanese Labor government is delivering for Australians and for young Australians in particular, supporting them to get the skills that they want for the jobs that we need done and supporting them to get ahead with real cost-of-living relief as well.

We know that for VET students and apprentices, just like students at university, cutting student debt will make a real difference, including for those students that the Prime Minister, the Minister for Education and I met with yesterday from CIT here in Canberra, like Jennifer, who has both a HECS debt and a VET debt. Jennifer will save $8,000, which will help set her up for her new career. Ralph, a diploma of nursing student, will save $3,000 because of our student debt relief, which will help him save and prepare to pursue further study to become a registered nurse like a couple of my colleagues in this place here.

These are just some of the thousands of stories that we've heard since we announced our 20 per cent cut from student debt. Three million Australians will benefit from this, including the better part of 300,000 apprentices and TAFE students. In the Albanese government, we are supporting every student and every apprentice to gain new skills to pursue new opportunities and to secure good jobs. To that end, free TAFE has now seen more than 650,000 enrolments and already 170,000 completions.

But we know that not everyone in this place supports free TAFE. The Liberals and the Nationals voted no to free TAFE, and the Leader of the Opposition said in this place that, if you don't pay for something, you don't value it. Well, Australians disagree, and the Albanese Labor government has been listening to students like Jennifer and like Ralph, who told us that cutting student debt would make a difference in their lives. They put that on the ballot paper, and, on 3 May, young people voted for this. Now we are delivering. We're getting on with delivering student debt relief and with it more opportunities for young people to get the skills they want and the jobs we need. (Time expired)

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Can the minister confirm whether Australia's biosecurity requirements from today's announcement to import US beef will be at least to the equivalent to the biosecurity requirements that Australian beef must meet to be imported into the US?

I would say to the Leader of the Nationals that this decision has been made by my department, and it is through the usual processes that these decisions are made. As he would be well aware, of course, this has been an ongoing process now for over a decade in terms of US beef coming into Australia. Indeed, US beef has been able to come into Australia since 2019, and in 2020 they asked for expanded access to allow some of the other beef from the supply chain that is slaughtered in the US to come from Canada and Mexico. I would say to the member opposite that this has been done in the usual way. The department has published the review on the website today in the usual way. The import details that are required for importers will be published on the website and provided on Monday in the usual way.

As the member opposite would know, the protocols in relation to the areas that he is suggesting have actually already been provided to his office today on his email, so the member opposite needs to be very careful here about trying to undermine Australia's biosecurity system. Our biosecurity system is the strongest in the world for a good reason. We've had to invest around $2 billion dollars to strengthen our biosecurity system because of the mess that you left it in, so you should not be undermining our scientific approach to—

Honourable members interjecting—

The minister will pause. I can't hear anything she's saying. I just want to be very clear with everyone. The minister was asked about protocols. She's explaining exactly to the House, on the question she was asked, in detail about what her department is doing, when they're being published—I don't know why this is so controversial. She is being directly relevant, and I just want to make sure I can hear. I want the minister to be heard because I need to hear what she's saying, in case someone does take a point of order and they want me to make a decision about what she's saying; I've got to hear that. I think other members of the House want to hear it as well. The minister has concluded? Okay. We're going to keep moving.

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its election commitment to help families save on their energy bills, and is the government being asked to consider other policies?

I thank my honourable friend for her question. I enjoyed campaigning with her in the beautiful suburb of Travancore, where we were campaigning on cheaper home batteries. The honourable member asked me how we're delivering. We're delivering on the cheaper-home-batteries policy that she and I, and everyone on this side of the House, sought a mandate to deliver.

Yesterday I told the House that just over 11,000 households across the country had installed batteries under the cheaper-home-batteries policy. It's moving so fast I need to provide a daily update to the House; today, I can say that 12,226 households across Australia have installed batteries under the cheaper-home-batteries policy. If you already have solar panels, you can cut your bill by over $1,000. If you install solar panels and batteries together, that can cut your bill by $2,300 a year for a typical family—which, of course, is 90 per cent of the bill for an average typical family. This is a good thing.

The honourable member asked me if we are being asked to consider any alternatives. Indeed, the whole House is being asked to consider alternatives. In fact, next week the member for New England is going to introduce his anti-net zero bill on behalf of the coalition. I received a copy of the bill yesterday through unusual channels; they're leaking like a sieve over there! It's the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025—fair enough! But, when you look at it, it actually goes a lot further than that. The House will be interested to know what it's going to be asked to vote on by the coalition. Schedule 1, 'Amendments', part 1, says 'repeal the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011'. So all those farmers across Australia who are getting income from carbon credits and carbon funds—that all stops; farmers' income stops. Next is 'repeal the Climate Change Act 2022'; I guess we expected that one! Next is 'repeal the Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Act'—well, you wouldn't want things made in Australia, would you; that'd be a terrible thing! Next is 'repeal the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007'—so not only do the coalition not want us to reduce emissions; they want to stop measuring them. Next is 'repeal the Net Zero Economy Authority Act'—that's the organisation which creates jobs in the region, so they're against that. But here's the kicker: 'repeal the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000'. That was introduced by the woke warrior, John Howard! He goes around art galleries throwing paint at pictures, does John Howard; that's how extreme he is! That is the act that has supported solar panels and now batteries across Australia. That's the act under which I signed the regulation for cheaper home batteries. If that act goes, all the support for solar panels goes and all the cheaper home batteries go out the door.

The Leader of the Nationals, during the election campaign, promised they'd do something about batteries; he said, 'It's really important we do something about household batteries.' They never actually did but at least he was in the zone; he had the vibe. We're delivering a policy. Their policy is net zero climate action. (Time expired)

The member for Macnamara is warned.

My question is to the Treasurer. Does the Treasurer know which of his colleagues told the Australian newspaper, 'I hate the principle of taxing unrealised capital gains', as reported on today's front page? Given so many in the labour movement, including Paul Keating, have similar concerns, how does the Treasurer justify taxing Australians on money they have never actually received?

I don't have problems with the question, but I have some problems with the way it was framed. I'll hear from the Leader of the House.

Given that the standing orders and Practice are clear about not responding to unnamed individuals, I'm not sure what you do with a question that actually says, 'I'm referring to an unnamed individual.'

I think we can get through this pretty easily. I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

The Leader of the House is correct. We don't know which one of their colleagues has made this statement.

The Leader of the House is correct. I'm going to rely on the fact that it was a media report and that you're referring to the media report. Certainly the end part of the question was in order. I'll just remind members to refer to a media report or someone's comments directly rather than the way that question was phrased.

Just ask for a show of hands!

The member for Wright will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Wright then left the chamber.

I want to remind members that question time is an important part of our democracy. Of course, the question is important; so is the answer. They're equally as important as each other, and we cannot have people making comments before and, hopefully, not during the answer.

Nobody knew he was on the front bench until you asked him to leave it!

The Treasurer is now going to get to the answer.

It is a strange day to get a question like that given those opposite are in a total nuclear meltdown over net zero policy, as the energy minister just ran through. It's a strange person to choose to ask the question given his role in that nuclear meltdown, and the timing is strange, too, given they have just been towelled up by the energy minister on disunity on their side of the House.

Let me tell you, Mr Speaker, what every single person on this side of the House believes in: the fundamental importance of superannuation. And that's why this side of the House has played an enthusiastic role in taking superannuation from 11½ to 12 per cent when it comes to the superannuation guarantee. We won't be taking lectures on superannuation from those who always try to diminish and undermine and vandalise super at every turn. From John Howard on, they've always opposed superannuation. They've always tried to undermine it. They've always tried to take the 'compulsory' out of 'compulsory superannuation'. Every member on this side of the House takes a different view to the view taken on that side of the House.

We believe in compulsory superannuation, because it's all about making sure, when people earn more and keep more, they can retire with more as well. That's our motivation when it comes to superannuation. Part of our responsibility when it comes to superannuation is to make sure that there are generous concessional treatments for people putting money in super, and they will continue. Even after the proposal that we made, the change that we proposed, around 2½ years ago now, the treatment of super will still be concessional, and the concessions will still be generous. We take our responsibilities to the system very seriously, and that includes making sure—

That's what I'm trying to do, if you listen.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition, it's going to assist the answer that you've asked for if you could let the Treasurer be heard.

The reason these changes are so important is that we need to make sure the generous concessional treatment for super is sustainable, and that's why we announced this change 2½ years ago. There has been an election between then and now. There are good reasons to make the concessions more sustainable. We need to make the budget more sustainable as well, and this is a part of that effort.

I note, as well— (Time expired)

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to strengthen paid parental leave? Were these changes guaranteed?

I want to thank the member for Moreton for her question and congratulate her on an absolute corker of a first speech and say how lovely it was to have little Margaret visiting mummy at work today. A number of terrific changes for Australian families were seen on 1 July, and one of the best is the expansion of paid parental leave. Before the Rudd and Gillard governments, Australia was one of very few developed nations that didn't have a paid parental leave scheme. Labor started paid parental leave, and Labor has expanded it.

Under this prime minister, and with the work of Minister Rishworth, Australians have been receiving about $12,000 more in paid parental leave since 2022, and that's because they're getting more time—an extra two weeks of entitlement this year and another two weeks extra next year. They're getting more money with higher payments—around $200 a week more—and, of course, they're getting superannuation for the first time on paid parental leave, meaning that they'll be about $4,500 better off in retirement because of that payment.

There's more flexibility, with parents able to take more time off together, and more people are eligible, with thresholds increasing—so more time, more money, more flexibility and more people eligible. Of course, when mums and dads go back to work, cheaper child care will leave families thousands of dollars a year better off, as well. The member for Banks introduced me and the Prime Minister to a lovely family in East Hills—Stefan, Julia and baby Artie—and they told us what a huge difference the extra support makes. They are just one of 180,000 families that benefit every year from these changes.

Of course, this was at risk during the election in May. The Liberals' costings show that they would have cut paid parental leave, and, of course, it was the member for Goldstein who said:

… the PPL to me is a very bad scheme and I make no ambiguity about it …

It gets better. He said:

… that is not my choice that women have children … It's genetic.

I say to the member for Goldstein: thank goodness women do have children, and thank goodness that families pour their love and their labour into their kids. Children are the best gift to any parents, and we want new families to be able to spend those precious first days together with less financial pressure. The Albanese government is getting on with the job, delivering our election commitments and taking pressure off Australian families.

My question is to the Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Minister, I've now met many allied health professionals who are concerned that the recently reviewed NDIS pricing structure, including cuts to travel and remote area rates, risks the supply of essential services in rural, regional and remote markets like Tasmania. Minister, will you pause these changes and properly consult with all concerned to ensure price settings are affordable for NDIS clients and sustainable for allied health professionals?

I thank the member for his question. Can I say at the outset what an enormous honour it is to have been appointed as the Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. On this side of the parliament, we take great pride in the establishment of this scheme. It is one of the great social reforms of our age, one supported by the now opposition and one, I remember, also strongly supported by the member for Clark in that term of parliament after 2010. We're very proud of it, but we're also committed to making sure we get it back on track and ensure that it's sustainable for the future, particularly in the interests of people living with a disability.

I think everyone in this parliament knows that the growth rate we inherited, when we came to parliament, of about 22 per cent per year was simply unsustainable. One tool in the NDIS reform toolbox is pricing reform, introducing more robust pricing arrangements than—I think anyone in this place would accept—we've had up until now.

The member asks me about the pricing determination that's been made by the independent NDIA board, taking effect this month. It follows, undoubtedly, the most comprehensive review of NDIS prices conducted in the scheme's history, a review that covered 10 million data points and had—to the member's question—very significant consultation behind it. The principal objective, of course, is to ensure that every participant gets the best possible value for money for their plan, that they're not paying above the odds for any of the supports and services that they get. I stress this was an independent decision of an independent board, but it is one I support. It's a decision I support.

To address the member's questions, I have a couple of points. For Tasmanian prices, many therapy supports were getting paid significantly more than the same therapies being delivered in Sydney and Melbourne. It was $30 an hour more for physiotherapy, about $20 an hour more for psychology—a temporary arrangement intended to develop a market in jurisdictions like Tasmania. That market is now mature, and it's proper that those prices return to the national level. I also make the point that rates across the board for therapy are still higher than pretty much any other system you could look at: health, veterans care, Comcare and other things like that. Even with some of the reductions put in place this month, they are still substantially higher. There are still remote loadings that would apply to areas in Tasmania like in Swansea and Queenstown, which will attract a 40 per cent loading, and in King Island, with a 50 per cent loading. The very generous travel arrangements for NDIS providers that apply to pretty much no other scheme in the country are being made slightly less generous but are still much better than any of those other schemes that I just mentioned attract as well. (Time expired)

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its promise to repair the aged-care sector and deliver dignity to every older Australian?

I'd firstly like to congratulate my friend, the member for Calwell, on his glorious election and thank him for his question about the Albanese government's generational reforms to aged care.

I recently had the great pleasure of visiting the Ottoman Village Aged Care facility in the member for Calwell's electorate. Aged-care homes, like Ottoman Village Aged Care, play such an important role in helping older Australians from diverse backgrounds stay connected to their culture, their language and their community. It was a pleasure to witness firsthand the warmth of care that residents receive there on a daily basis.

We're putting older Australians at the very centre of their care, building a high-quality, dignified and sustainable system for people in residential aged care, for people getting support at home and for every older person and their loved ones. We've shown in our first term that we are determined to fix the aged-care crisis, and we will see it through. I acknowledge the extraordinary work of my predecessor, the Minister for Communications, for passing the new Aged Care Act 2024 through the parliament and for kickstarting our ambitious program of reform work across the aged-care system.

Today the government introduced legislation that will pave the way for a smooth transition to the new Aged Care Act. The latest step will help prepare older Australians and their loved ones, aged-care providers and workers for the act's historic changes. This legislation continues our work and delivers 58 of the recommendations of the royal commission to create a safer and fairer system that puts older Australians at the centre of their care.

But the work to rebuild our aged-care system is already well underway. In our first term, we mandated 24/7 nursing, delivering more care minutes for older Australians. There's now a registered nurse onsite in residential aged-care homes more than 99 per cent of the time. Every single day, we're delivering an additional 6.8 million minutes of care to older Australians. But our aged-care sector would be nothing without the dedicated, passionate workers who care for the people that we love. Our government has invested $17.7 billion to increase the wages of those workers. Under Labor, registered nurses on the award working in the aged-care sector are $430 a week better off. Enrolled nurses are $370 a week better off, and personal care workers are $320 a week better off.

But, most importantly, we've improved the standard of care, giving through that every Australian the dignified care that they very much deserve. In 2022 only 38 per cent of aged-care homes had an overall star rating of four or five stars. Today, three-quarters of residential aged-care homes have that rating of four or five stars. We've got a big job ahead of us, but we owe it to every Australian to be ambitious as we deliver these once-in-a-generation reforms.

My question goes to the Assistant Treasurer. On 19 May this year the Assistant Treasurer said, 'around 10 per cent of taxpayers' will be hit by Labor's unfair super tax. Can the Assistant Treasurer confirm to the House that his publicly announced 10 per cent figure will mean that at least 1.2 million Australians will be impacted by Labor's super tax?

Thank you for the question. Can I state that this is a policy, as I stated yesterday on a number of occasions, that is well designed, that applies to around half a per cent of members' funds and that applies to funds that are $3 million or larger—significantly larger than is required for somebody to have dignity in retirement. Can I also reiterate that this policy will see concessional treatment for the entirety of those funds.

The member asks a question about the number of people who will be affected by this policy. What I can say is that, if we look at our tax system, thresholds across our tax system are not indexed. And if we look at a particular policy that was put forward by those opposite—a change to the division 293 part of our tax system—those opposite, when they were in government, lowered the threshold at which concessional treatment was made less concessional, from $300,000 to $250,000. That was a policy put forward by them. They did not index the $250,000 threshold.

If the Assistant Treasurer can pause, the Manager of Opposition Business has a point of order.

The minister knows division 293 is not relevant to the question. The question was about a public statement about a 10 per cent figure that he made about this policy. So we ask him about this policy and his own figure. We're quoting him on this.

The manager is correct. The Assistant Treasurer wasn't asked about any other policy topic. He can do some compare and contrast, but he can't simply launch into what has happened in the past. That wasn't part of the question.

Leader of the Opposition, I am trying to uphold what the manager has said. I assume we want to move forward, so perhaps you could assist by ceasing interjecting. I'm just going to make sure that the Assistant Treasurer is directly relevant. He can talk about the new arrangement, but he can't talk about the opposition, because he wasn't asked about the opposition.

The point I am making is that what's underpinning this question is an assumption that a particular threshold will not change for 30 years. And the point I'm making is that there are a range of thresholds in our tax system, and we see in our tax system that thresholds are reviewed from time to time, and that there was a threshold in the superannuation system that was introduced by those opposite that was not indexed. That is the connection to the question raised by those opposite. I reiterate that this is a policy that affects half a per cent, and it is a fair and modest measure.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Treasurer are just—

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, you know that is not appropriate, when I'm about to call another member, who's on her feet. Come on. You're now warned, for that sort of behaviour. We simply can't have people just going for each other across the chamber. It's not going to happen this term. It's not going to work that way. I've been very clear with everyone. I'd like to hear from the honourable member for Bullwinkel.

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government unlocking more opportunities for our agriculture sectors and supporting Australian jobs through strengthening trade relationships?

I want to thank the first-ever member for Bullwinkel for that terrific question. I also note in her first speech, which was terrific, this morning, she also referred to her support for farmers in her community and how important the farming community is to her. I think what it shows is that our government has worked incredibly hard with our trading relationships and our international partners. We've been restoring our place in the world without compromising on getting good outcomes for our Aussie farmers. Indeed we've worked very hard to diversify trade and to unlock new opportunities for Aussie farmers. This has supported $73.5 billion in high-quality agriculture product exports to more than 190 countries in 2024 alone.

This is what can be achieved when you don't walk away from the table, when you put the need for positive outcomes of our agriculture sector at the forefront of trade negotiations. Indeed we've worked very hard, particularly to restore trade with China, resuming over $20 billion worth of trade for our lobster, our wine, our barley, our coal, our cotton, our timber logs, our oaten hay, our copper ores, our concentrates and our red-meat exports. In just the last week, of course, during the Prime Minister's visit to China, Australia finalised new agricultural market access between the two countries, the first since 2017, and we're now providing apple growers from across mainland Australia with access to the Chinese market, building on the apple exports already taking place from my home state of Tasmania.

This builds on the over 230 agricultural market access achievements by our government since we came to office, including 29 new markets that we have opened. These agreements are supporting our agricultural industry to grow towards a $100 billion sector by 2030, and it's part of our work to support our farmers and our primary producers to seize these opportunities and new markets. Indeed with one in four Australian jobs supported by our trade, the Albanese Labor government is ensuring growth in trade unlocks more regional jobs and delivers more economic benefits, particularly in our regional communities, where a lot of this is produced. We're continuing to repair the damage of the last decade without compromising on getting good outcomes for Aussie farmers. We want good Australian jobs from these, and we want to support our agriculture sector. That's because, of course, our government has a proud record of delivering better trade outcomes for our farmers, because we know that they make the very best produce across the globe, and our farmers are supporting them to back better outcomes for our national economy. (Time expired)

Mr Speaker, congratulations for your election to speakership and also, to the Prime Minister and your government, for a strong result in May. The red wave certainly rolled through. My question is to the Prime Minister. Your government says all public schools are on the path to full and fair funding and that no-one will be left behind. In Fowler, Bonnyrigg high has over 40 demountables and almost double the students it was built for. With 2,000 new homes under construction nearby in New Leaf, the local P&C have asked me about why their Commonwealth infrastructure funding was rejected. What federal funding will the Labor government commit to fixing critical infrastructure in disadvantaged schools like Bonnyrigg?

I might ask the member—and I thank the member for Fowler for her question—whether it's a public school, if that's okay.

Just for a point of clarification, I understand that was Bonnyrigg public school.

Yes—Bonnyrigg High School; it's a public school.

I thank the member for her question, and I'll make two points. One is that the funding of infrastructure in public schools is conducted by state governments. What we have done through the reforms and the agreement that I signed with the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, is to provide an additional $4.8 billion for New South Wales public schools. What that will do as part of the programs right across the country is take the Gonski formula—the school resourcing standard that was determined in 2012—so that every single student, whether they go to a private school or a public school, will get the funding they need and deserve.

In particular, disadvantaged communities will be the big winners, because what will occur is that funding of that additional $4.8 billion overwhelmingly will go towards disadvantaged communities and towards schools where students might need the additional dollars for additional tutoring, smaller class sizes, one-on-one education or education in small groups. It also will provide for additional resources in terms of teaching. Part of the deal is funding not just for students; in addition, the state governments, including New South Wales, have agreed to lift standards. There will be a real concentration on numeracy and literacy—on those basics—which will be so important going forward.

We are really proud of the reforms that we have put in place. Capital funding remains, for public schools, the domain of state and territory governments. As the Commonwealth, we provide funding for private schools. But what this is really doing is making sure that every parent can have the confidence that their child will get the support that they need, including in the electorate of Fowler.

My question is the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government building on its record of easing cost-of-living pressures for Australian households and families?

I thank the member for Bean for his question. On 1 July we had the increase of 3.5 per cent in wages, we had paid parental leave with an additional two weeks, and we had superannuation paid for the first time on paid parental leave. Importantly, we had the $10,000 incentives kick in for apprentices to do construction, following on what we'd already done with the new energy apprenticeships. We had paid prac for teachers, nurses and people doing social work degrees as well. We had the subsidies for batteries so that solar panels could store energy in order to take pressure off the grid, but, importantly, they will also reduce household energy bills. Already 11,000 households have taken it up. This week we have delivered on critical commitments that we've made, cutting student debt by 20 per cent, benefiting three million Australians by an average of $5,500 each. We have introduced today the legislation to protect penalty rates for 2.6 million workers, making an enormous difference. And, importantly—something that perhaps when people leave here tonight they can have a shout over—freezing the draught beer excise was introduced today. It's an extremely popular measure, I might say, Mr Speaker, including in the electorate of Oxley, I'm sure! People will have a cheer for that.

We are focused on the Australian people. We're focused on delivering the policies we took to the election to make Australians' lives better. Meanwhile, those opposite have been focused on themselves. They're more divided and chaotic than ever. We had the member for Hume being focused on foreign policy on the fly, sabre rattling. Yesterday, we were too pro-China with the questions; today we're too pro-America, apparently, with the changes that have come in.

Now, of course, we've seen the National Party. I'm surprised they have taken a break from the Sky News studio! There were 16 interviews in the last 24 hours—16 back to back, with the Nats talking about themselves non-stop. We'll continue to focus on the needs of Australians; they'll continue to be focused on themselves.

On that note, after a request from those opposite—

Speak to your leader. He shut you down. I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Following what I think most members of the House would have thought was incredibly bad behaviour by a member of the Senate on Tuesday—it was incredibly disrespectful to Her Excellency the Governor-General—I was wondering whether you have heard whether the Senate has taken action and, if they have, whether you could update the House about what action was taken. I think we'd all like to know if there has been action taken.

I thank the member for Wannon. For the benefit of new members in particular, on page 36—we will get to his question, but I just want to remind members that, whilst I'm happy to take questions of administration of this House, I obviously have no jurisdiction over the other place. I will read out this, from page 36, for the benefit of all members:

Each House functions as a distinct and independent unit within the framework of the Parliament. The right inherent in each House to exclusive cognisance of matters arising within it has evolved through centuries of parliamentary history and is made clear in the provisions of the Constitution.

In light of that and as has been reported, I understand that the Senate has taken action against that individual and that that has been reported in the media.

Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Most grievously.

Please proceed.

During the very excited part of the answer from the member for McMahon, he managed to find the wrong bill. The actual bill that he needs is this one I am holding, not the one he's got. He's actually got a draft in his MI5 investigation. There is no carbon credits act 2011 repeal. There is no renewables acts 2000 repeal.

Oh, you're changing it?

No, you've just got the wrong one, clown.

No.

So I move to table the actual bill—or, alternatively, I can take him by the hand down to the tabling office and he can ask for one which is actually sitting down there for him to read.

The member can resume his seat. You do not need to use descriptors on any member of parliament in that way, and I made that clear; personal insults like that—you know, you are given the courtesy to explain where you work misrepresented. We're not having people saying those insults to one another, so I'm going to ask you to withdraw that statement.

I withdraw.

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.

I have received a letter from the honourable member for Moncrieff proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely:

The Government's environmental failures harming the environment and the economy.

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—

Many members in this House may not know this—I will start with a small snapshot of my life—but I grew up in South Australia and spent my childhood playing on the beaches of the Yorke Peninsula, crab fishing in Ardrossan, eating King George whiting for breakfast and flattening out calamari with beer bottles. Mum used to fry them in the pan for breakfast, freshly caught in the Gulf of St Vincent. And what I want to talk about today is the disappointment of the South Australian people, who have been let down miserably by this government, because, today, that beach, in the great electorate—magnificent electorate—of Grey, is a very, very different place. I want to talk about a matter of great national importance: the government's failure on the algal bloom that has been blooming for months and has significantly affected coastal South Australia in the Gulf of St Vincent but also in the Port River region and on Adelaide beaches.

Scientists in South Australia have been asking this government for 18 months—18 months!—for $4 million over 10 years to fund monitoring of the Great Southern Reef and the algal bloom that has been reported as killing 13,800 marine creatures since March of this year alone and affecting over 400 species. Notable marine species are squid, which I talked about; octopus; cuttlefish; benthic sharks; rays; sea dragons; lobsters; reef fish; and seagrass fauna. Beach monitoring has logged nearly 5,000 wash-up events as of June 2025, with thousands more seen offshore. The Albanese government has, under two ministers, failed to respond to the scientists for 18 months. The Albanese government failed to respond when the marine life started washing up dead on the beach in March. This calamity has harmed the environment, and it has harmed the local community and the local economy.

My colleague Senator Ross Cadell has been working hard to support the local fishing businesses, and he knows that industry leaders like the oyster farmer Steve Bowley and Port Wakefield—there's a great bakery there. I'll shout-out the people that work at the Port Wakefield Bakery and the Kitchener buns that they have there. Oyster farmer Steve Bowley and Port Wakefield fisherman Bart Butson have spoken openly about the pain their communities are feeling with disappearing stocks, months-long shutdowns and no end or certainty in sight. It's been over 80 days since Steve sold one oyster—one oyster!

The new member for Grey, Tom Venning, has spent time with members in his electorate who have been affected. The member for Grey knows that it's been over 80 days since fisher Paul Germain has caught one single fish—one fish! And the member for Grey knows that Bart Butson, the local fisher at Port Wakefield who fishes in the Gulf of St Vincent, saw hundreds of dead cuttlefish floating on the sea and, from that time, has started to see southern calamari disappear—and now there are none to catch whatsoever. The significance of that is that they make up at least 30 per cent of the catch, and sometimes the whole catch, for these fishers. Trade has ceased—completely ceased—for commercial fishers at Port Vincent and at Stansbury on the Yorke Peninsula. And it's a crying shame.

The member for Grey also knows that the wider impact on local businesses is devastating. Tourists are cancelling their holidays in caravan parks. They're deserting local operators and hospitality venues. Stansbury publican Rob Rankine is 18 per cent down on last year for the corresponding 11 weeks. That's over $1,000 a day of turnover he has lost. That is his livelihood; that is what he lives on. And it has stopped. Shopkeepers' revenues are down 15 per cent. Businesses can't cope with that. The Albanese government has failed the local fishing and tourism industries. There's no certainty—none whatsoever—of when this situation will be overcome, unfortunately.

South Australians—all Australians—should be disappointed in this Labor government because all of this could have been prevented. It could have and should have been addressed much sooner. I mean, if our marine life had started washing up on Bondi Beach, on Coogee Beach, on Cottesloe Beach—goodness me! Member for Fremantle, if it had been there, I'm sure the minister would have been there much quicker. If this had been the Great Barrier Reef, it wouldn't have taken the minister so long for. Instead, it took 18 months for the Albanese government to do, well, something. Under pressure from his colleagues, the minister did a mercy dash down to South Australia just before we reconvened in the parliament. He made a quick dash down there, to stand up and do a presser—

An opposition member: Look at the dead fish.

Look at the dead fish quickly. I'm sure he didn't walk along the Ardrossan jetty. He tried desperately not to show up. Where's the minister representing the minister now? He's not going to speak to this. Again, Labor is missing in action when it comes to the environment. You failed in the last term. Labor failed on their environmental policies last term. They did not reform the EPBC Act. They stalled—absolutely stalled.

While Labor's drop-in-the-ocean funding announcement is certainly welcome—it is welcome; the people of South Australia welcome that tiny little bit of funding, of $10,000 per business. I mean, at the press conference, the minister didn't even know what the money was for! He was just covering himself for the sittings in parliament after pressure, no doubt, from his Labor colleagues, from the coalition, the Liberal Party, from the Greens, and from South Australia. That's what he was waiting for before his mercy dash down to South Australia.

During the last term, the then environment minister, the member for Sydney, proved completely unable to deliver Labor's promise of an overhaul of the EPBC Act. She promised, multiple times, that the overhaul would be finalised by the end of 2023, but it was continually deferred. What we are left with is a very long process that doesn't serve the environment and doesn't serve jobs. It doesn't serve industry. It doesn't serve our great nation—our flora and fauna—but it doesn't serve jobs or industry either. These determinations are taking too long, and it's deeply concerning that Labor's lack of action is causing investment in Australia to decline. It's decreasing Australia's attractiveness as a place to do business and, most importantly, it is costing livelihoods and jobs across the nation.

It's important that we have an effective process that looks after the environment, because we care about the environment. Our environment has been going backwards under Labor.

Opposition members interjecting—

Come on, the endangered species list has increased! You do not have a record on the environment that you can talk about. We care about the environment, and it's important to have an effective process that looks after the environment and looks after the economy with a sensible balance.

Labor has failed on the environment. You've failed Australians. You've come into government and failed us again today. The minister representing the minister is missing from the chamber. Australians deserve better than this Labor government, which is clearly and ultimately missing in action. It failed to turn up on the South Australian algal bloom, it failed to deliver any outcomes, and it is failing Australians miserably.

Deputy Speaker Claydon, congratulations on your return to that role. It's good to be back in the first week of a new parliament. We come to the new parliament with a hope, on behalf of the Australian community, that all of us return here with a commitment to work with a sense of shared purpose, and there's no more important area for us to apply that shared purpose than the protection of our environment and action on climate change. I waited for 10 minutes to hear a commitment from the shadow minister to reforming Australia's national environmental protection framework. I waited for 10 minutes to hear the shadow minister say anything about their commitment to taking action on climate change and their commitment to net zero—and we know that, all week, parts of the coalition have been tearing themselves apart in a desperate attempt to throw that commitment into the bin. But we got 10 minutes of nothing.

I was glad to hear that the shadow minister for the environment is concerned about the algal bloom in South Australia. That's a concern that is entirely shared by the Australian government. That's why the Minister for the Environment and Water went there as a priority. That's why we've already committed $14 million; that's been matched by the South Australian government. It follows the $25 million we invested, in the previous term, in science that is specifically dedicated to the restoration of environmental conditions in the Great Southern Reef, and the $5½ million we committed through the National Environmental Science Program.

We know that that algal bloom is influenced by climate change. We are a government that takes climate change seriously. We are a government that increased Australia's emission reduction commitment by more than 50 per cent the very instant we were elected in 2022. One of the first things we did in the new parliament in 2022 was to legislate net zero by 2050. The coalition are on the verge of abandoning their grudging commitment to net zero as we speak; they are going up into the Sky studios and tearing each other apart as they try to find ways to abandon climate change action and return to their natural condition, which is climate denialism. Nothing would be more dangerous for Australia than for that to occur.

It is a core responsibility of the Australian government to protect and conserve Australia's unbelievably precious environmental condition and biodiversity. We are, all of us, and especially everyone in this place, the stewards of a remarkably diverse continent nation with one of the largest ocean domains of all countries—a landscape and seascape that's home to ecosystems and species that are present nowhere else on planet Earth. The responsibility to protect our environment is an obligation to the proper care and good stewardship of country and the biodiversity that it sustains for its own sake on its own terms. But it's also an obligation to ourselves because there's no way that our human communities can be healthy and safe, and there's no way that we can maintain and advance our own shared wellbeing, separate from a healthy environment and a healthy climate. That's why it has been an article of faith for this Labor government to pick up from a period of extreme and extraordinary neglect by focusing on environmental restoration and conservation and by focusing on climate action.

It is abysmal that on this topic, of all topics, there should be no capacity for honesty or self-reflection from the shadow minister for the environment about their record. But, because I know the Australian community are sick of us going along with that kind of pointless aggression and sick of that kind of self-imposed amnesia just for the sake of trying to score political points, I'm going to talk about the positive; I'm going to actually talk about our program and our record. I could spend another 10 minutes, if I had another 10 minutes, detailing the abysmal failure of those opposite over nine long years, but I'm going to talk about our record.

We began, after our election in 2022, by reforming the EPBC Act. We strengthened and expanded the water trigger. We brought legislation in here to introduce an independent EPA; it was a reform that was blocked by those opposite and the Greens. We provided $550 million to better protect threatened species and animals. We provided $200 million for improvements to creeks and waterways around this country through the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program. We invested $1.3 billion to double the size of the Indigenous Rangers Program, an extraordinarily successful program both in protecting country and lifting up the wellbeing of First Nations communities. We provided $230 million for 12 new Indigenous protected areas; that covers country the size of Tasmania. We stopped uranium mining in Jabiluka; instead, we added Jabiluka to Kakadu National Park. We doubled funding to look after our national parks, including Uluru and Kakadu.

And, as the party that created the national network of marine protected areas when we were last in government, we came to government with a clear resolve and a focus to take that work further because we know how important our ocean environment is, whether it's off Queensland or Ningaloo and Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia—or in South Australia, as has been discussed today. That's why in 2023 we tripled the size of the Macquarie Island Marine Park. It was the largest act of ocean conservation in the world in the calendar year 2023. And then, in 2024, we quadrupled the size of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve. That was the largest act of marine conservation anywhere in the world in the calendar year 2024. Australia now protects 52 per cent of our ocean domain. We have one of the largest EEZs in the world. We are responsible stewards of one of the largest areas of ocean territory in the world, and we now protect 52 per cent of our ocean domain. That is better than any other country on the planet. We should be proud of that. We are proud of that.

But we know there is more work to be done. That's why we wholeheartedly support the ratification of the new treaty to protect the high seas. That's why the Minister for the Environment and Water continues to look at new programs to support our seascape, our coastal and estuarine environments and our terrestrial environment. But we can't allow those opposite to come in here in the first week with that pointless aggression, that self-imposed amnesia, that 'Let's treat the Australian community to a little bit of the Men in Black mind-cleansing device,' because that would be irresponsible. People need to know what the Australian government is doing on their behalf as stewards of our environment. It's the expectation the community has; it's an expectation that we will deliver upon. But they cannot be allowed to forget what happened under nine years from those opposite.

Forty per cent was cut out of the department of the environment. You cut funds to the CSIRO. You presided over an approval and compliance process that resulted in nearly 80 per cent of all approved activities failing to meet the conditions of their approval. You ran a threatened species strategy with 20 target mammal species where the trajectory of 12 of those species declined. For the eight species where there was an improvement in the trajectory, four of them had an improvement in the trajectory only to the extent that they declined less quickly. Sixteen of your targeted species actually declined in population under the strategy that you didn't properly apply and you didn't properly resource.

You utterly ignored the Graeme Samuel review, which you commissioned. You asked Graeme Samuel to tell you what needed to happen with our national environmental protection framework, and he told you. He said: 'It's failing. It is presiding over a trajectory of decline. You need to fix it. You need to introduce proper compliance and controls. You need to improve the standards.' What did you do? Nothing. You did nothing for nine years. You hid—

Because you blocked it in the Senate!

That's rubbish, Angie! You never introduced anything, and you know that. You introduced—

I am raising a point of order. To the minister, I ask that you pass your comments through me in the chair. To the shadow minister, no more of that.

Deputy Speaker, what the member for Moncrieff said is untrue. They never introduced any legislation to deliver reforms of the EPBC Act. They never introduced that legislation. For the shadow minister for the environment to suggest that they did and that we blocked it is not just collective amnesia. It's not just the Men in Black mind-cleansing device. It is an untruth. They didn't do anything when Graeme Samuel gave them the blueprint to reform our failed national environmental protection framework. We will not make that mistake. We will not neglect our obligation to the Australian people. We will not fail to be the proper stewards of Australia's remarkable environmental condition and biodiversity. We will do the job you never had the courage or strength or resolve to do as a priority of the work of the Albanese Labor government.

Deputy Speaker Claydon, you're probably the only one in the House today who would remember Professor Sumner Miller asking the question as he sold chocolate, 'Why is it so?'

A government member interjecting—

Exactly—I'm not doing that voice, though. And it's a question that I'm asking today. Why is it so? Why do we have a mass fish kill in the Gulf of St Vincent in South Australia? Why is the environment suffering?

Labor's track record on the environment is merely virtue signalling, knee-jerk reactions and posturing, when the evidence is plain to see, rotting away on the Adelaide and regional South Australian beaches and ruining the local fishing industry, as the shadow minister pointed out. Let's face it: Labor are motivated by politics, not outcomes. When you want to see the fruit of Labor's approach to the environment, it smells suspiciously like rotting fish.

Let me take you upstream from the Murray mouth, which was gushing a couple of years ago with nutrient-rich floodwaters, which some say was a major contributor to the algal bloom event in the Gulf of St Vincent—a flood, I might say, that the experts said would never happen on that scale again. Based on that metric, Labor had been buying back water from the Murray-Darling Basin from our food producers and now have more water than they know what to do with.

Up in the Murray-Darling Basin, through the Gannawarra, Loddon and Northern Grampian shires, we have a different environmental threat: Labor's rampage towards political targets—I emphasise political, not environmental, targets—in the name of net zero. In the name of saving the planet, Labor are throwing the environment under a bus.

Government members interjecting—

You, on the opposite side of the chamber, may laugh, but the people in my electorate are absolutely not laughing. We've seen throughout my electorate and elsewhere in regional Australia farmers and local landowners, Indigenous people and local communities speaking up about the environmental devastation and scarring of the landscape due to wind turbines, transmission lines, blanket solar panels and flammable battery project all in the name of net zero. Watch the Minister for the Environment and Water's approach to the Port of Hastings' so-called Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal.

In my home state of Victorian, the Allan Labor government are so hell-bent on their net zero targets and so insistent on ignoring voices of common sense, even those within their own tent, that they want offshore wind. But they can't get it. I emphasise and remind the House that Victoria Labor's goal, if they cannot get offshore wind, is to take up to 70 per cent of Victoria's prime agricultural land to create an industrial wasteland of transmission lines, turbines and panels, all to 'save the planet'.

Mallee community members have come to me distressed about the destruction of their local environment and the risk posed to local threatened and endangered species by Labor's reckless energy plans. It's interesting that, when the consequences of Labor's bad policy start washing up on the beaches of a capital city, suddenly the media take notice. Well, kudos to Sky News, Peter Credlin, Chris Kenny, the Institute of Public Affairs, the Daily Telegraph and others who are giving our farmers, our landowners, our communities a face and a voice in metropolitan media.

I want to finish with 92-year-old Ellen Shepherd, from Horsham, who wrote to me overnight, having seen me on Kenny's program. She said net zero is 'tearing families apart'. She said:

It's tearing neighbours apart, destroying our wonderful farming land and in some states, turning huge swathes of bushland into dust bowls for hundreds of kilometres.

The city slickers, especially those of the Teal brand, don't know and don't care about the severity of these issues throughout this vast land. They live in cloud cuckoo land and get a few more thousand, if they require it, from their moneyman—Simon Holmes-a-Court. As he did for one particular Independent at the Tasmanian election I noticed.

She goes on:

I listened to Ken Henry at the NPC; the hypocrisy in some of these speeches takes my breath away. He adores Koalas, but doesn't see how they are affected in their habitat by the screaming bulldozers tearing their very living away from their lives in many parts—

Your time has expired. I give the call to the member for Richmond.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker Claydon, and can I start by congratulating you on your re-election as the Deputy Speaker. I'm really excited today that my first contribution to the 48th Parliament is to talk about our environmental reform and how it drives our economy as well. It is no surprise, of course, that what we've heard from the other side is the usual rhetoric we've been hearing forever from them—all climate deniers. You can look at that when you look at the legislation that we've brought into the House. Of course, our first bill yesterday was to cut HECS debt by 20 per cent. What was the first major piece of legislation from the coalition? A bill to scrap action on climate change. Just as we saw with the nine years of inaction when they were in government, they still don't accept the science of climate change and they just want to take the country backwards.

As I said, we had almost a decade of inaction with them. I think there were 20-odd plans they had. They were always changing their minds when they were in government, and of course they went to the last election with their $600 billion nuclear plan. Well, how did that go? The Australian people clearly rejected that. They are sick of this ongoing climate denial from the Liberals and Nationals.

In contrast to all of that, we are absolutely committed to making Australia a renewable energy superpower, and the Australian people support that as well. They endorsed our policies at the election because they involved protecting jobs and protecting the environment. We can do both—we absolutely can—and we're committed to making sensible reforms to better protect our environment and deliver certainty to industry.

As we heard today, the independent Samuel review found that our current laws aren't working to protect the environment for industry and business, so our priority is to fix those laws. The current ones are outdated, and we need the support of the House. They should get on board with this. It's vitally important for our future. If we want to be a renewable energy superpower, if we want a future made in Australia and if we want to protect our iconic natural environment, we all need to be on board with this.

We have made huge advances also when it comes to the energy transition, with record renewable energy generation and our policies across the economy helping drive down emissions and deliver on our targets, very importantly. Renewable energy generation has seen Australia reach new records. It is up in volume by around 30 per cent since we were elected, and that comes from government investment, policies and legislation. That's what the Australian people support, and I just cannot understand how the other side fail to recognise that again and again and again. We see it across the board.

We are the party that's delivered every single major environmental reform in Australia's history, from Landcare to saving the Franklin, protecting the Daintree and Kakadu, building the largest network of marine parks in the world and addressing climate change. It is the Labor Party that continues to do that. It's the Labor Party that continues this record investment in renewable energy. Since we came to government in 2022, we've passed strong laws to force big polluters to cut emissions so Australia gets to net zero carbon pollution by 2050. This and other actions have reduced our emissions. It is vitally important that that's happened, and it has happened only through the absolute commitment of this government.

As I've said, we saw almost a decade of inaction from the Liberals and Nationals. Time and time again, they've come in here saying the same things over and over again. Looking forward, we all have an opportunity to get all these important reforms done, so they should actually look at it and think about the impacts of their decisions on our economy. The decisions they make are destructive. The Australian people have said to those opposite that they do not support their climate denialism, and they have said it many, many times. Those opposite should reflect and listen to the people of Australia and what they have said to them and work constructively with the government to reform our environmental laws to sustain our economic growth into the future. It's vitally important. We can just look at all of those things they did when they were in government over those nine years—so destructive.

The Greens need a bit of time for reflection as well. We saw them blocking so much in the previous parliament, whether it was environmental reforms or housing reforms. Well, the Australian people have spoken to them as well. They're not interested in the constant blocking of reforms, particularly those environmental reforms. So I say to them as well: work constructively, get an outcome and put away the playbook of opposing everything. It's not on. People actually want constructive reform and everyone working together.

So, Liberals, Nationals and Greens, you all have an opportunity now in this parliament to stand up for your communities, deliver environmental reform and drive our economic growth. People want you to do that, so stop playing politics. Stop blocking everything—not just environmental reforms but across housing and so many other areas as well—and drive our economy forward.

It is a great pleasure to speak on the economy and the environment. Bad policy and bad implementation lead to really bad outcomes, and this is very clear in my electorate of Nicholls. It's not only the people of South Australia who are very disappointed with the Labor government; it's the people who live in the Goulburn and Murray valleys. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan was supposed to deliver a triple bottom-line outcome: social, environmental and economic. It was supposed to support those principles. We would have an improved environment and we would have an improved economy, because we could still produce food and we could therefore have better social outcomes. The people who are employed in agriculture and the people who are employed in all those great food-producing industries, like in my electorate, could continue to be employed and we could continue to export clean, green food to many places, including South-East Asia and China.

But the bad implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and the pursuit of ripping more water away from irrigation, which is basically a political objective, not an environmental objective, has led to some really perverse outcomes. I want to explain one of those perverse outcomes to the House, because I think we could all bring examples that we understand, because we live it. That's what this place should be about. But what happens when excessive amounts of water are pushed down the Goulburn and Murray rivers to meet targets in the artificially fresh lower lakes of South Australia? Those rivers have unsustainably high flows in summer, and that damages the vegetation on the banks of the river. In the words of a peak fishing body in Victoria, 'It's a river, not a waterpipe.' If you think it's bad now, it's going to get a lot worse, because, under the previous environment and water minister, the buyback of more irrigation water to push more water down our precious rivers was authorised. It treats them like a waterpipe and sends it all down to South Australia, which not only damages the economy in my area but also damages the environment, because when the water keeps going up and down in summer, the vegetation that the catchment management authority has been trying to protect gets damaged. The banks are eroded; the rivers are silted up.

I grew up on the Goulburn River, and I've seen it my whole life. It's all very well for city members to interject that this is fantasy, but people in my community have lived it. In fact, Congupna farmer David Miles, who's a great steward of the environment, said: 'We've had some massive high summer flows, and they ruined the banks. There were massive erosion problems and trees falling in. They were softening the bank, then letting it dry out a little bit, and then letting the river rise.' This is what happens when you make policy and don't understand the implication of it.

It's not only that. I think that climate change is a significant challenge for the globe to face, and I am supportive of renewable energy in the right place, but what's happening in my electorate is that prime agricultural land is being taken over by wind turbines and solar panels. The trouble with that is that the communities are very against this. They think it's a terrible policy, because they've been stewards of that land. They've been building up the soil carbon levels for years; they've been growing wheat, canola and all sorts of different production. Now, we're going to have this incredible scarring of the landscape by 650 hectares, in one area, of solar projects. I think people don't understand the scale of what some of these solar projects are. Six hundred and fifty hectares is huge. And I don't object to using all sorts of technologies to try and reduce our emissions. I think it's really important. But when you start to take over prime agricultural land with all of these solar projects and then wind turbines, people don't understand just how much concrete has to be poured to house a wind turbine. When that wind turbine's life cycle ends, that concrete can't be used to install another turbine. Let's have a proper debate about the environment and the environmental degradation caused by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and the reckless rollout of renewables.

I give the call to the member for Canberra.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. May I begin by congratulating you on your re-election as Deputy Speaker. I'm very pleased that my first contribution in the new parliament is to be speaking about the environment, something that's incredibly important to me and incredibly important to my constituents in the electorate of Canberra.

I just want to respond to the hypocrisy writ large from the coalition in bringing this as a matter of public importance today, when they did nothing for a decade in government. It is actually hard to see how the shadow minister kept a straight face for half of that speech, with some of the things that were put forward.

Like most Australians, I have been really concerned to see the devastating algal bloom in South Australia, seeing beautiful marine species washing up dead and the devastating impact that that is having. And I'm really pleased that our government has announced $14 million, partnering with the South Australian government and matching the funding they are putting in, to address this across priority areas including research and science, business assistance, community awareness and support, and clean-up efforts. This is critically important. But what those opposite seem to be ignoring by bringing this today is that what is driving this is climate change. That has been incredibly clear. It reminds me, having first been elected in 2019, what it was like to be here in opposition, with those opposite in government and doing absolutely nothing while a climate crisis unfolded—the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 going on while those opposite ignored climate science.

To come in here and claim that they suddenly care about the environment—well, I welcome that if they do, but it's going to take a lot of policy change on their side. In fact, at the moment, in the first week of parliament one of the first things we hear from them is that some of their own members want to bring in a private member's bill to drop their commitment to net zero. It is unbelievable. The other day I saw a great headline in the Betoota Advocate, who so often get it right, saying that the coalition, after ignoring climate science for decades, is also ignoring election results. What doesn't seem to be getting through to those opposite, after not just this election victory for Labor but also the previous one, is that Australians want to see action taken on climate change. They want to see our precious environment protected.

I am proud to be part of a government that is doing that, and I am proud to be part of the Labor Party, who are responsible for every significant environmental reform in Australia's history. It's extraordinary to hear what those opposite have said in this matter of public importance debate today. This is a coalition that had a decade in government to fix environmental laws and instead they cut funding to the Environment Department by 40 per cent. They halved highly protected marine parks, they sabotaged the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and they let environmental standards slide into chaos. They had the Samuel review of our critically important environmental protection and biodiversity laws, and they ignored it and actually used it as an excuse to try and weaken the laws.

Well, I am proud that one of the first things we are doing as a new government is to again try to reform those laws, as we attempted to do in the previous parliament. This is something that is incredibly important. We cannot protect nature without getting those laws right. We cannot protect nature without responding to the climate crisis. We cannot protect nature without an aim of getting to net zero. I mean, it's extraordinary that we are still even discussing this. Instead, those opposite took a nuclear fantasy to this election, which was more of a distraction from the climate crisis and the need to respond to it and a distraction from our plans to invest in renewable energy and transition us to a sustainable economy.

I am so proud of what we have already achieved in our first term and that we are going to continue that as a re-elected government, because this is critically important. This is about the future of our planet. This is about life on Earth. This is about our economy and so much more. Those opposite seem to be completely in denial about what is required. (Time expired)

Too little and too late has become the norm, unfortunately, for this prime minister and the government he leads. It's becoming a familiar pattern now. Say one thing to the Australian people before the election and then smash them with something very different thereafter. The reality is that the failures of this government on the environment are also causing an economic calamity in South Australia today, and I fear that the same is in store for my electorate of Forrest. This was a bloke who promised so much—to show up and be accountable. But, like every other promise made by this prime minister, it lies broken in a sea of deceit. This is what the then leader of the opposition had to say in 2022:

Will I be perfect? No, but I'll tell you what I'll be doing is this: if I ever do make a mistake, I'll put my hand up. I'll own it. I'll take responsibility, and I'll set about fixing it.

Well, eighteen months after scientists raised the alarm in South Australia, where is the government? This is a government which wouldn't even meet them at the time. This is a government from which we are still waiting for material action, because the little jolly down to South Australia a couple of weeks ago doesn't cut it with the locals. While this environmental disaster in South Australia has been ignored, I wonder whether we would have seen a very different outcome if it was in fact unfolding in front of the cliffs at Copacabana. Indeed, we might then have seen this prime minister come good, put his hand up, own it, take responsibility and set about fixing it.

I think all Australians expect their government to take the environment seriously. I think all Australians value the environment that we enjoy in Australia, across this broad continent, and they expect the government to steward it. And yet today, as we've heard from the members for Moncrieff, Mallee and Nicholls, this Albanese government is nowhere when the people of South Australia need help.

Local industry leaders from South Australia, like oyster farmer Steve Bowley and Port Wakefield fisher Bart Butson that the member for Grey has given voice to in this place, have spoken openly about the pain their communities are feeling, with disappearing stocks and months-long fishing shutdowns, and there is no end or certainty in sight. Whether it's the drought, the cost of living or, indeed, this crisis in South Australia, Labor is slow to act and quick to spin, with lots to say about those on this side of the House but very little in terms of a plan for the people on the ground.

On the environment and the economy, Labor always think that they know better, riding roughshod over regional Australians—in South Australia as well as in my electorate of Forrest. With the Minister for Climate Change and Energy having a lot to say about his plans for this country and his joy in travelling around to engage with local people and sell the story, we are yet to see him front the people of Forrest and explain why their genuine environmental and economic concerns over the Geographe Bay wind farm should be ignored. I was sent to this place to represent a community that was gravely concerned about being steamrolled by this government, a community who value the pristine environment of Geographe Bay, which is a whale migration superhighway, home to migratory seabirds like albatross and also home to two Ramsar protected wetlands on its shore. The Albanese government knows that offshore wind is three times the cost of onshore wind. And how do we know that? Because even the CSIRO admitted that in their GenCost report—one fact which couldn't be papered over in that same report.

It is bad enough that they are ignoring local environmental concerns, but setting my community up for this sort of economic failure as well as an ecological failure is just typical of a government and a prime minister that, with too little and too late, have badly failed the people of South Australia and are on track to fail my people in the south-west corner of Western Australia. We don't need higher power prices. We don't need the environmental catastrophe of a wind farm in Geographe Bay. For that, this government should be ashamed.

Deputy Speaker Claydon, can I start my contribution by congratulating you on your return to the deputy speakership. You are a very fine deputy speaker and a great friend, and I congratulate you. I know you'll do a wonderful job this term, as you did last term.

But, as enjoyable as it must be sitting up there being the Deputy Speaker, goodness, it must be nice being in opposition. If you are the opposition right now, you are not burdened by self-doubt or anything, frankly, that is going on in the world around you. You are not aware of the fact that you've just had a catastrophic election loss. You are not aware of the fact that your environmental record is completely shambolic and, frankly, an embarrassment, nor are you aware, if you are in the Liberal party room, of the fact that your own coalition partner is tearing itself apart on national television on the very day that you come in and bring a matter of public importance about the environment to this chamber. Can you imagine the tactics meeting of those opposite this morning, Deputy Speaker, where they were all discussing what they should put forward for the MPI? The member for Moncrieff—who clearly is so passionate about this MPI that she stayed for some of it—as well as the hordes of coalition members who have come here to support her came in and had a tactics meeting: 'What should we bowl up for the MPI?' Then the member for Moncrieff says: 'I've got one. It's about the environment, energy and the climate around us.' No-one in that room decided to say, 'Maybe today's not the day.'

I'm very pleased that the member for Riverina is in the chamber, because I'm very fond of the member for Riverina. He's a very smiley guy, but he was really smiling in the papers this week. He had a grin from ear to ear, talking about his campaign to take down net zero. I've never seen anybody enjoy himself that much. He was standing next to his old friend the member for New England. They were thick as thieves. The member for New England and the member for Riverina were both absolutely delighted with themselves at getting that sort of coverage and attacking the net zero policies.

You'd think, 'Well, goodness!' While those opposite—the Nationals especially—are still working out whether the planet is a sphere or completely flat, you'd think that maybe today is not the day to be bringing in an MPI about the environment. But, alas, life is good in the opposition. They are not burdened by self-doubt in this place. You would think: 'Okay, fine. Let's look at what they actually did in the environment and energy portfolio and anything that affects our amazing country and all of the natural wonders that we have to protect.' When they were in government, there were a couple of highlights. You may want to take a walk down memory lane on their record on the environment.

In fact, the Leader of the Opposition was the environment minister when they were last in government. I remember sitting in this chamber. I was one of the few members of the opposition at the time who actually had the privilege of speaking on her reintroduction of Tony Abbott's environment laws before she decided to completely scrap all debate. She wasn't willing to debate it at all in the House of Representatives. They rammed the bill through the House of Representatives and then pulled it in the Senate, thankfully, because they didn't have the numbers in the previous iteration of their own government. That was the legacy of the Leader of the Opposition when she was the environment minister. It wasn't to have a constructive debate on the environment; it was to ram through Tony Abbott's environmental laws, which would have completely removed the federal government from environmental approvals. They were going to give it all to the states, and what we know is that the states and territories have different standards on environmental approvals.

The amazing thing about it all was that the Leader of the Opposition, who was the environment minister, commissioned Professor Samuel to do a review into the environmental laws, and he said that the key problem was that this chamber needs to have federal environmental standards in order to ensure that there are national environmental standards that are adhered to and implemented. That was the key recommendation of the Samuel review. What did the Leader of the Opposition do at the time? She ignored her own review, brought in Tony Abbott's legislation, rammed it through this place and then had to walk back home to her own electorate without a bill, because the Senate rejected it.

All of this happened when they were last in government. Their record is abhorrent on the environment. But I have to commend them: on the day that the Nationals are still working out whether climate change is real, they decide to bring an MPI. Bravo! Keep it coming.

My next appointment is going to be in the Sky News studio, where I am going to be talking about, indeed, the other things that I've been talking about this week! I will take the member for Macnamara up on a few points. He talked about the Leader of the Opposition and her record as the Minister for the Environment. I can well remember when the opposition leader was environment minister. She talked a lot about the ocean and the need to protect the sea. She talked about pollution, and that is of great concern. She talked about landfill. We have at the moment a situation in Australia where a lot of local councils are very worried about the amount of space that they have in their tips for the amount of rubbish. We do, as a population—albeit only small compared to other countries—produce a lot of rubbish, and I think companies can do a lot better in the space of packaging to reduce what ends up in landfill. We could do a whole lot more in recycling. I heard the opposition leader, while she was environment minister, talking a lot about the need to have better and more recycling programs.

I also heard the environment minister at the time, the member for Farrer, talking about what I believe is the greatest challenge to humanity, and that is to be able to feed the world into the future. We have a lot of children, not just here in Australia but elsewhere in the world, who go to bed hungry of a night-time. When you see Australia and other countries having the capacity to produce more food, we should be doing that. What I am worried about—very, very worried about—is the fact that we have a great potential and ability to grow more food and yet, supposedly for the sake of the environment, we are taking productive water away from our irrigation farmers, many of whom are in the electorate of Farrer, formerly in the region of the Riverina, with the Murrumbidgee and Coleambally Irrigation Area. They have the ability and the capacity and the potential to grow so much more food, and yet, because of our supposed environmental laws with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, we're stopping them from doing so. Indeed, I moved a disallowance motion against the Murray-Darling Basin Plan when it first arrived in this House, and I'm proud to say I did that. I'm proud to say I did that with colleagues' support—indeed, even with, dare I say, the former Greens leader's support, although I think he was in the chamber for different views than mine.

We're also here talking about also the fish kill situation in South Australia. Let me remind members in the chamber of the fish kill event between December 2018 and January 2019. Fish kill events, unfortunately, are not new, but we haven't heard anybody in the chamber talking about the one at the moment at Lake Cargelligo in western New South Wales in the seat of Parkes. There is a situation unfolding there which is of concern. Fish kill events, unfortunately, also are commonplace, and they are not always due to climate change. They are due to a number of factors which have been occurring for millennia, and to blame climate change and to blame, as the member for Canberra did, the coalition for the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 is an absolute folly. It truly is.

If we really want to apportion some blame, we could apportion some blame to Greens policies of making sure that the fuel load in our national parks, which are run by state governments, has not been looked at. There has not been backburning. The fire trails are not maintained as well as they should be. This does lead to combustion. When there is a spark or a lightning strike, this does lead to fires that get out of control. We blame climate change for all these things, but in 1952 there were a million acres of farm- and bushland in the Mangoplah fire, which started in Mangoplah, south of Wagga Wagga, and went right through to what is now Kosciuszko National Park. The Gold Coast cyclone of 1954 killed 99 people. Nobody was blaming climate change then. We need to do more for the environment—we do—but we need to do more for important things such as pollution, landfill, the ocean, food security and food availability to feed a hungry world. We're not doing enough in that regard, and that's what members opposite should be concentrating on.

The time for the MPI has now concluded.

South Australia is in the grips of two natural disasters: the ongoing drought across large parts of our state affecting our primary producers and rural communities; and the environmental disaster along our coastlines and in our oceans—the toxic algal bloom, unprecedented in terms of scale, impact and duration. It was back in March this year that the harmful algal bloom was first identified in a couple of popular fishing spots in Mayo, in Waitpinga and in Parsons Beach. In Mayo we take in the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. We have more than 715 kilometres of coastline, a coastline that's been ravaged by this harmful algal bloom.

This outbreak might have first been recognised in our patch of the world, but it now stretches along metropolitan Adelaide, the Yorke Peninsula and across the Eyre Peninsula, and it's made its way into one of the most fragile ecosystems—the Coorong. If you're unfamiliar with the Coorong, it's at the mouth of the River Murray and it's a RAMSAR site. It's a wetland recognised for its international importance. Concerningly, testing has confirmed the presence of this toxic algae in the Coorong north lagoon.

What is causing this environmental disaster? Algae are naturally occurring and found globally in saltwater and freshwater, but some algae produce toxins. When that grows excessively it becomes incredibly harmful, and that's what's happened in South Australia. Experts believe this toxic bloom has been caused by several factors: a marine heatwave sending water temperatures at least two degrees above normal; and a nutrient influx from the floods that came down the River Murray.

Where does this leave us? If we look at the Coorong, locals and scientists say the bloom has been causing severe ecological damage, killing off species including coastal crabs, snails and worms—species essential for food sources for both fish and shorebirds. On our beaches, locals describe areas as a marine graveyard—and it is horrific to see. More than 14,000 marine deaths have been reported, affecting more than 400 species. And that's just what people have found washed up; goodness knows what's happened out in the ocean. We're talking about fish, stingrays, sharks, sea dragons, sand crabs and so much more. It's an environmental catastrophe, nothing short of a natural disaster, and it is devastating to witness.

Then there are the socioeconomic impacts for coastal communities and industries such as commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, tourism and beach recreation. There are potential health consequences too, and some of my constituents report symptoms akin to an allergic reaction, respiratory issues, eye itches, sneezing and rashes. Right now, we have no idea how long this bloom will last or where it will move next. That's where we are right now.

The next question is: what can be done and how should the federal government help? I'm encouraged by the $14 million investment by the South Australian government into research, real-time monitoring and community and business support, and it's good to see the federal government has matched that amount. But, really, that spend, from a federal perspective, is like a drop in the ocean. It does not come close to recognising the magnitude of this disaster. It is a national crisis. This harmful bloom might be in South Australia now but it could potentially cross into other states, and we need further investment in science to determine what causes these blooms and where and when they might occur in the future. This information will help communities plan for future bloom events and their impacts.

The Great Southern Reef Foundation has been calling for baseline monitoring across the reef, which stretches from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and all the way along the New South Wales coast. The federal government invests in monitoring the Great Barrier Reef and we should be investing in the Great Southern Reef. We've already got facilities like the Goyder institute's Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Research Centre—often known as CLLMM—which, if provided with additional funding and parameters, is well positioned to monitor the frequency and intensity of algal blooms in the Coorong and Lower Lakes region and to do research, more broadly, on issues affecting the climate.

As far as what can be done to address the environmental disaster, marine experts from across the world are largely at a loss. But science must inform decision-making for the future, and we must invest in science. We need to invest to help our communities that are being so terribly impacted by this dreadful algal bloom crisis.

Every weekend, from West Ryde to Hunters Hill and Gladesville to Lane Cove, you'll find thousands of locals pulling on their team colours, coaching from the sidelines and cheering from the stands. Whether it's netball, football, cricket, rugby, frolf or badminton, sport brings our community together. It builds friendships, keeps people active and gives kids the confidence and connection they carry for life. In Bennelong, it's our local clubs and volunteers who make it all happen. That's why I'm proud to have secured major funding commitments to improve two key sporting facilities in our community: Christie Park and Boronia Park. That's why I'm also standing with our local netballers, calling for a basic fix from the New South Wales government to fund a project that's currently falling short.

Let me start with Christie Park. When I was the mayor of Ryde I backed the Christie Park master plan because I knew then that our community needed better football facilities. Since then we've seen not one but two synthetic fields at the park, and it has grown into a key sporting hub. But there's more to be done. I identified, fought for and will deliver $1.9 million to the City of Ryde Council so that they can construct stage 2(a) of the Christie Park masterplan—that is, five new small-sided synthetic fields purpose-built for futsal and multisport use, particularly for training. It will mean more game time for locals, more training space and more opportunities for sports to thrive in rain, hail or shine. In a fast-growing area like Macquarie Park, we need infrastructure that keeps pace. These all-weather fields will support juniors taking their first kick, volunteers running the programs and local clubs building the next generation of sporting talent, because when we invest in facilities like this we're not just building fields; we're building communities.

Then we get to Boronia Park in Hunters Hill. It's one of Hunters Hill's most loved and used open spaces, and it's been home to generations of local clubs and community groups. The recent opening of the community sports centre was the result of years of work by local volunteers, players and leaders—people who rolled up their sleeves, rallied support, co-funded the construction of this facility and brought it to life. It has already transformed the experience of players and families, and now, thanks to the Albanese Labor government, we'll be able to build on that success. My $800,000 commitment to the council will upgrade the community centre's electrics, deliver a lighting package that will install new energy efficient LED lighting on ovals, add solar panels to the facility and deliver a big beautiful battery onsite to soak up all that excess power. It will help the facility to be more sustainable, it will reduce emissions and it will cut running costs to the club. They spend tens of thousands of dollars a year on electricity to light those fields. It will cut those running costs and futureproof the precinct for generations to come.

But just down the road there's one project that needs a bit of love, and that's the outdoor netball courts at the West Ryde Multi-Sports Facility, which is currently under construction—thankfully, funded by the New South Wales government. It's set to become the home for netball in our area, with over $30 million in public investment. It's a project that has been years in the making, driven by the passion and persistence of our growing and thriving local netball community. But, as I said, the funding is a little bit short. Eastwood Ryde Netball Association, ERNA, have been informed that only 25 of the 29 outdoor courts are currently funded to be sealed, leaving four as grass-only courts. That might sound minor, but it means the difference between them being able to host state championships at the site or not. That's why this facility was built in the first place, and it's something they have been fighting for, for over a decade. Unless all 29 courts are sealed this facility won't meet our local needs or competition standards. That's why, working hand in glove with my good friend and counsellor Lyndal Howison and, of course ERNA, I've launched a petition calling on the New South Wales government to fund these final four courts and finish the job properly.

Time is of the essence here. This facility is under construction right now—four amazing indoor courts and 29 outdoor courts but only enough funding to seal 25 of those courts. We need those extra four courts to be sealed and we've launched that petition. So I would encourage all netball parents and all those who play to sign this petition and share it. I know ERNA have shared it and are doing a fantastic job. This needs to be funded properly. When we invest in sports, we invest in communities.

I grew up with my father telling me that, if I worked hard, I'd get ahead—get ahead to raise a family; get ahead to have a good life when I got older—and that's why today I'm speaking on the intended superannuation changes that Labor are going to try and bring in. We call it a tax against getting ahead, a tax on aspiration, because what they're trying to do is take your money, the money that you have earned and worked hard for and have put into your superannuation so that you can have an easier life as you get older. Those intended changes are increases in taxes over $3 million, but the punch here is that the tax is on unrealised capital gains. I'll say that again: the punch here is a tax on unrealised capital gains.

Some people might be thinking, 'Well, $3 million will never apply to me.' Let me talk about the average person who will be affected by this. They are our people. They're our farmers, our primary producers and small-business owners who, in the past, the government has said to them: 'You can do this; you can put your farm in your superannuation fund or your business, your commercial property, in your superannuation fund. You're allowed to do that.' In fact, they were encouraged to do that. But now the government's moving those goalposts. Why? It's because of the budget, because we're seeing a decade of deficits, and they see an easy grab.

Those farmers who have put their properties into their self-managed superfunds, in some years, will make a loss. I'll give you an example. In my electorate of Cowper, only recently we saw devastating floods. Those floods will take 18 months to two years for those farmers to get back on their feet, and, whilst the government hands out $75,000 for them to fix a few fences, they're in fact paying $200,000 to $400,000 in infrastructure damage, fixing that infrastructure and then not making any profit over the next two years. The government is intending to turn around and say to them: 'Well, your property has just increased by $500,000 over the $3 million cap. We are now going to tax that.' And the farmer says: 'I'm sorry. I don't have that money because my property was damaged and I haven't made any income over the last few years, so what am I to do?' And, without a doubt, the taxman will say, 'You must sell your property.'

Similarly, with business owners, again in my electorate and down the line, they're inundated with flood, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair their commercial property, and they will then have to pay this unrealised capital gain. It is a first, and it is a first that we should not be proud of—to break the convention of basic 101 tax where we're taxing those unrealised capital gains. I say to young people out there who may be listening and thinking, 'Well, that won't apply to me,' it will, because not only are they taxing unrealised capital gains; they are not indexing the amount. By the time you finish your working life, in 45 or 50 years, you will be caught up among the almost eight million Australians who will be paying unrealised capital gains—a tax on a tax—when you're retiring. That is why the coalition will always fight for our people and against unfair taxes.

Speaker—firstly, congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of this House. You not only did a magnificent job in this place during the 47th Parliament but also did a fine job bringing parliament to the people. Indeed, the students at Sacred Heart in my electorate still talk about your visit.

I am humbled that the people of Bean have put their faith in me again to be their representative in this House and that the people of Bean voted to support Labor and the agenda we took to the people at the recent election. The people of Bean rejected an anti-Canberra agenda, a plan which would have seen our public service workforce and the critical services they deliver devastated, with our businesses pushed to the edge. In rejecting the anti-Canberra agenda, the people of Bean also rejected the attacks on Medicare and workers' rights and endorsed our plan to tackle cost-of-living pressures.

We are focused on delivering our election commitments to build Australia future, ease cost-of-living pressure and help Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, and that work has already begun in this place. The Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025 was introduced on Wednesday. What this means is that every Australian with a HECS or other form of student debt such as a TAFE or VET loan will enjoy over the next six months a 20 per cent reduction in that debt. This will amount to an average saving of $5,500 for the more than three million Australians with a HECS or other student debt. In Bean, that means relief for 15,645 student debts. This bill will give so many of my constituents substantial relief, particularly those early in their work lives in careers critical to the future our nation.

This morning, the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 was introduced. This bill will directly protect an important plank of the living standards of many Australians: penalty rates. We have seen far too much politics going to deliberations and discussions on the wages and conditions of working people. For too long, the living standards of Australian workers were batted around like a political plaything by those opposite when they were in government. In government, they deliberately had a policy that suppressed minimum pay rates and stalled genuine enterprise bargaining. We began to restore balance to workplace relations in our last term, and now, with this bill, penalty rates will be protected.

Our government will also be tackling the important issue of payday superannuation as a matter of priority in this term of parliament, with implementation commencing on 1 July 2026 subject to that legislation going through the House. Labor has always been the party of fairness and the party of superannuation, and payday superannuation will be better for both employers and workers, making super payments easier to track and compounding those payments, leaving a larger nest egg for retirement for Australia's workers. This legislation will also help with unpaid superannuation—a scourge for too long. Analysis and reporting suggest that in my seat of Bean just over 13,000 workers were missing out on $27 million in super entitlements in the 2022-23 financial year alone. This is unacceptable. Bringing in payday legislation will be good for workers in Bean and around the country. I will always stand up for workers in Bean getting their fair share. Let's get this part of the puzzle done as well.

In the 48th Parliament, we have a historic Labor majority and a historic number of women on the government benches, and we have a historic opportunity to make our nation stronger and fairer. That work has already begun, this week. We've heard the first speeches of many members of this parliament who will make a significant contribution to those ongoing efforts, and I also look forward to being part of these efforts in the 48th Parliament.

Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your reappointment to the position of Speaker. You bring a degree of professionalism, respect and credible dignity to that role. But, unfortunately, Mr Speaker, tonight I get to speak on an issue that is quite the opposite, that being the manner is which the Bendigo Bank executives have treated the people of Yarram in my community.

The Bendigo Bank likes to promote itself as the better big bank, but when it comes to shutting down branches, the Bendigo Bank is proving to be just as bad as the rest of them. During the break, I've received a letter from the bank dated June 2025 advising that Bendigo Bank would close two retail outlets, located in Yarram and Korumburra, with less than three months notice to the staff. This is a disgraceful decision from a bank which pretends to care for regional customers and then does exactly the same thing as the big four banks.

In the case of Yarram, the bank is saying it will transfer customer accounts to the Bendigo Bank branch in Traralgon. The only problem is that that branch is 64 kilometres away and it takes 50 minutes to drive there even in good conditions. So what about older residents, people with disabilities, community groups, small business people who need access to a branch for cash or for face-to-face service or people who are worried about scams? The bank executives who made this decision are demonstrating their contempt for regional people and their obsession with the bank's bottom line. They should hang their heads in shame.

This was the last bank in Yarram. Now, I'm certain that the Bendigo Bank in Yarram is a profitable operation, and there has been no consultation with the local community about alternatives to a complete branch closure. The bank is claiming it has 'sought to minimise any impact on customers' and has taken into consideration 'the proximity of other service locations', but forcing Yarram customers to drive to Traralgon is an abuse of their power. Why should their loyal customers have to pay for petrol to access their own money in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis?

The bank also claims it undertook 'a review of evolving customer preferences', but they never consulted with my office or with anyone in Yarram, and in forcing this decision on the community they've shown no respect for local needs. But it gets worse, because when I challenged the banking executives about their so-called review, they couldn't answer the most basic questions. You see, they initially told staff a week before the closure announcement that no decision had been made about the Yarram branch and that a review was under way, and they told their loyal customers the same thing, and they told the local media, but seven days later they announced the closure.

When I asked them what steps were taken as part of the review and when the board executive had actually met to discuss the issues and make its final decision, they refused to provide any details. They said it was commercial in confidence. They also refused to be interviewed by local ABC and answer any questions whatsoever. So I say they misled their staff, they misled the community and they misled the local media by pretending there was any formal review process whatsoever. Remember, the community had zero opportunities to provide any input and offer any alternatives to a full branch closure, such as reduced hours. Then Bendigo Bank refused to let me attend a community meeting to discuss the closure. I was invited by the community to attend, but the bank executives threatened to walk out of the meeting if I walked in. What a bunch of sooks!

When I signed a joint letter to the board from myself, the state member of parliament and the mayor requesting a meeting with the chair of the board and the executive, they refused to meet with us. In my 17 years as a member of parliament, I can't recall any corporate or any public authority refusing a legitimate request to meet with the elected leaders of the Gippsland community to discuss a matter of such significant public interest. Gutless is one word. Disrespectful, arrogant—you put whatever word you like.

The community is now calling on bank executives to help them form a community bank to ensure that a physical branch remains in Yarram. We will write to them again on behalf of the community. It's a reasonable request, and any decent corporation with an ounce of integrity would work with the community to provide a seamless transition to a new model of banking in Yarram. If the Bendigo Bank wants to salvage any of its reputation out of its appalling handling of this issue, it will support the community's efforts to establish a community bank and replace the retail outlet which is closing at the end of September despite the Yarram community's best efforts.

As members of this place, we are temporary custodians of something much bigger than ourselves. We are here because the people gave us their trust, and it is our job to honour it. At the opening of the 48th Parliament, Speaker, you committed to ensure that democracy is not only practised here but strengthened here. In a world where democratic norms and institutions are under threat, this sentiment could not be more relevant. The strength of our democracy isn't just measured in votes cast; it's measured in how we contest elections, how we respect outcomes and how we treat each other.

In that spirit, I want to acknowledge my Liberal opponent, Grange Chung. While we had our differences, he engaged in respectful discussion. After the election, he called to concede graciously and offered his congratulations. The former Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, delivered one of his most gracious speeches on election night, acknowledging the result and congratulating the Prime Minister. These acts of respect and civility are not just nice-to-have courtesies; they are the very foundation of our democracy.

While we compete in the battle of ideas, we are all ultimately here to serve the Australian people. The will of the people doesn't reach these chambers without the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and participated in the democratic process, and I want to thank some of those volunteers here today because I want to recognise the important role they have played in our democracy. I want to thank my volunteers, from high school and university students to parents wanting a better future for their kids, seniors who have been through many elections and migrants who voted for the first time. They all came together to fight for a fairer future.

Our campaign community knocked on more than 30,000 doors. Thanks to Roewen Wishart, Madeleine Winter, Anthony Hannan, Evan Yoo, Sean Fitzgibbons, Max Eastwood, Pete Repeti, Sue Bolton, Ralph Curnow, Dani Dwyer, Pauline Johnson and Kate Sullivan for pounding the pavement and knocking on doors with me. Our phone bankers made more than 30,000 calls, too. Thanks to Lesley Light, Michael Holland, Jennifer Davoren, Stuart Maclaine, Caleb Pietsch, Vivek Goyal, Colin Chiu and Nick Rupolo for phoning night after night, bringing empathy and purpose to every conversation. To those who braved early mornings and weekends at transport stops and street stalls, thank you. Jianhua Liu, Graham Levy, Sris Ponniahpillai, Siva, Ivy Tseng, Helen Westwood, Phyllis Parr, Sharron Hawkins, Margaret Donnellan and Mykyta Bolshov, your visibility helped us connect with thousands of voters. To my prepoll queens and king—Kym Ralley, Karen Pensabene, Greg Davis and Rhys Patton—thank you so much for your support, especially when the days were long and the weather unforgiving. You held the line with good humour and make sure every voter received a Labor how-to-vote.

Thanks to all my state colleagues: Jason Yat-sen Li, Donna Davis, Lynda Voltz, Mark Buttigieg and Courtney Houssos. Thanks to volunteers with Asian Women at Work, Sydney Chinese Drum Art Troupe, Rhodes Multicultural Community Association, Sydney Olympic Peninsula MCA and the Australian Xiao Hong Mao Tourism Culture for helping me connect with the Chinese community. To all our local councillors—Mayor John Faker, Mayor Karen Pensabene, Mayor Darcy Byrnes, Andrew Ferguson, Rory Nosworthy, George Mannah and Michael Ng—thank you for your support as we continue to fight for our community. To my campaign and electorate teams—Caleb Dredge, Kyan Aitken, Molly Quinnell, Jo Carlisle, Philippa Scott, Maryanne Duggan, Phillip Kim, John McManus, Jo Mai, Jing Hong, Elaine Shi, Kitty Farrell, Georgie Slater and James Callow—thank you for your hard work, commitment and long hours. Thank you to Dom Ofner and David Dobson for your unwavering support and wise guidance.

Thank you most of all to the people of Reid for the privilege of continuing to serve you. I'll work hard to make our community and our country a better place.

House adjourned at 17:00