2023-11-16 2 1 0 House of Reps 0 1

Thursday, 16 November 2023

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

 

BILLS 1 BILLS Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 1

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023

Second Reading 1 09:01 The SPEAKER 53517 In accordance with standing order 133, I shall now proceed to put the question on the amendment by the member for Bradfield on the motion moved for the second reading of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, on which a division was called for and deferred in accordance with the standing order. No further debate is allowed. The matter before the House is the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, and the question before the House is that the amendment moved by the member for Bradfield be agreed to.  

The House divided. [09:05]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

60 AYES Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Chaney, K. E. Chester, D. J. Coleman, D. B. Conaghan, P. J. Coulton, M. M. (Teller) Dutton, P. C. Entsch, W. G. Fletcher, P. W. Gee, A. R. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Landry, M. L. Le, D. Leeser, J. Ley, S. P. Littleproud, D. Marino, N. B. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. Morrison, S. J. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pearce, G. B. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Price, M. L. Ramsey, R. E. (Teller) Scamps, S. A. Sharkie, R. C. C. Spender, A. M. Steggall, Z. Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Thompson, P. Tink, K. J. van Manen, A. J. Vasta, R. X. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Ware, J. L. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Young, T. J. 82 NOES Aly, A. Ananda-Rajah, M. Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Bowen, C. E. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Chalmers, J. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Daniel, Z. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Freelander, M. R. Garland, C. M. L. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. Gosling, L. J. Haines, H. M. Hill, J. C. Husic, E. N. Jones, S. P. Katter, R. C. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, B. K. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. Neumann, S. K. O'Connor, B. P. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Ryan, M. M. Scrymgour, M. R. Shorten, W. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Swanson, M. J. Templeman, S. R. Thistlethwaite, M. J. Thwaites, K. L. Vamvakinou, M. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wilson, J. H. Zappia, A. 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

 09:10 The 53517 SPEAKER (): The question now before the House is that this bill be now read a second time.  

The House divided. [09:11]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

 78 AYES Aly, A. Ananda-Rajah, M. Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Bowen, C. E. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Chalmers, J. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Freelander, M. R. Garland, C. M. L. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. Gosling, L. J. Hill, J. C. Husic, E. N. Jones, S. P. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, B. K. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. Neumann, S. K. O'Connor, B. P. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Scrymgour, M. R. Shorten, W. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Swanson, M. J. Templeman, S. R. Thistlethwaite, M. J. Thwaites, K. L. Vamvakinou, M. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wilson, J. H. Zappia, A. 62 NOES Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Chaney, K. E. Chester, D. J. Coleman, D. B. (Teller) Conaghan, P. J. Coulton, M. M. Daniel, Z. Dutton, P. C. Entsch, W. G. Fletcher, P. W. Gee, A. R. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Haines, H. M. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Landry, M. L. Leeser, J. Ley, S. P. Littleproud, D. Marino, N. B. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. Morrison, S. J. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pearce, G. B. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Price, M. L. Ramsey, R. E. (Teller) Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Sharkie, R. C. C. Spender, A. M. Steggall, Z. Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Thompson, P. Tink, K. J. van Manen, A. J. Vasta, R. X. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Ware, J. L. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Young, T. J. 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Messages from the Governor-General recommending appropriation for the bill and proposed amendments announced.

 09:17 The 53517 SPEAKER (): In accordance with the resolution passed on Tuesday 14 November, the debate is adjourned and made an order of the day for a later hour. Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 3

Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023

First Reading 3 Second Reading 3 09:17 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill proposes urgent amendments to the Migration Act and the Migration Regulations to support the effective management of noncitizens released from immigration detention following the decision of the High Court in the matter of NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. While the Commonwealth argued that previous detention settings were constitutionally valid, the High Court's decision requires the immediate release of NZYQ and similarly affected people from immigration detention. Let me be clear, the safety of the Australian community is the absolute priority of the Australian government. While the High Court has not yet handed down the reasons for its decision, noncitizens affected by the NZYQ decision are being released on removal pending bridging visas as a result of the High Court's order. The purpose of this visa is to regularise a noncitizen's migration status pending their removal from Australia. Removal pending visa holders are all subject to a range of conditions, including key reporting and security conditions. Importantly, the removal pending visa includes requirements for the person to cooperate and to facilitate their removal from Australia. The Australian community reasonably expects that all noncitizens in Australia will obey Australia's laws. The Australian community also expects that noncitizens who do not meet the requirements for migration to Australia will not undertake activities or engage in further criminal offending that harms the community and could prejudice the Australian government's ability to facilitate their removal from Australia. As has been reported publicly, the NZYQ caseload includes certain individuals with serious criminal histories. The government is working with state and territory criminal justice agencies, who have primary responsibility for community safety, and the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force are providing updates to responsible counterparts. This collaboration is underpinned by an enduring law enforcement engagement mechanism, which was established before any individuals other than the plaintiff in the High Court case had been released. It has also supported NZYQ affected people to move into state and territory post-offending programs, where appropriate. Let me be absolutely clear: depending on the nature of the offending, and the circumstances of the individual, the government is working to ensure the individuals are managed appropriately under the relevant legal frameworks. The measures outlined in this bill are proposed to complement and strengthen existing safeguards. Amendments to the removal pending visa are required to ensure the effective management of this cohort. Noncitizens with a history of serious criminal offending require appropriate and proportionate management while their migration status is being resolved. Specifically, the government is proposing to amend the Migration Act to include: Appropriate amendments to the bridging visa conditions to protect the community, increase monitoring capabilities and reporting obligations, and secure ongoing engagement with the Department of Home Affairs. Including mandatory reporting obligations and discretionary curfew and monitoring requirements which will be imposed on a case-by-case basis only where necessary to protect the safety of the community, and new criminal offences for failing to comply with these reporting and monitoring conditions. These amendments are proposed to apply to all existing and future NZYQ affected noncitizens. This means noncitizens who are no longer able to be managed in immigration detention where there remains no real prospect of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future. New visa conditions The government proposes stringent new visa conditions. These new conditions include a discretionary requirement for the visa holder to wear an electronic monitoring device, as directed by the minister, and a requirement to comply with the electronic device condition. The purpose of this condition is to protect the community where an individual is assessed as posing an unacceptable risk of harm to the community. The monitoring device supports ongoing monitoring, which will help keep the community safe. Electronic monitoring will also assist in preventing people from disengaging or avoiding engagement with the government, which would hamper efforts to facilitate their removal. It provides an alternative means for encouraging compliance that will be more suitable in circumstances where additional support alone will not prevent reoffending. The bill includes a discretionary requirement for the visa holder to adhere to a curfew for the hours specified by the minister at the location notified to the department, as required. A rigorous assessment process will be undertaken by the department to identify those individuals whose background and past conduct, including criminal offending, makes them of particular concern in terms of future offending. The government believes that individuals who pose a particular risk to the community should be required to comply with additional visa conditions such as the wearing of an electronic monitoring device, and/or being locatable at certain hours through a curfew mechanism, where that is reasonably necessary and appropriate to protect the safety of the community. These measures are consistent with the legitimate objective of community safety, and the rights and interests of the public, especially vulnerable members of the public. The conditions relating to electronic monitoring and the curfew are proposed as discretionary conditions and will not apply to all visa holders. They will only be imposed where necessary for the protection of the community. Where appropriate, the conditions may be revoked. Other conditions developed for the NZYQ caseload are mandatory. These include: A requirement for the visa holder to seek approval before doing any work with vulnerable people—this includes work with children. This new condition ensures that the proposed employment by the noncitizen is appropriate and consistent with the purpose of the removal pending bridging visa, and reflects community safety considerations. Under this new condition, the visa holder will be required to obtain ministerial approval before taking up employment in certain occupations relating to vulnerable people, including minors, or where the arrangement is as a contractor or a volunteer. This condition also includes regular organised activities, whether for reward or otherwise. This builds upon existing obligations to obtain ministerial approval in fields such as: occupations that involve the use of, or access to, chemicals of security concern; occupations in the aviation or maritime industries; and occupations in facilities that handle security sensitive biological agents. The government's primary objective is community protection. In order to achieve this objective, the minister's approval will be required prior to the visa holder's engagement in occupations involving interactions with minors, such as education, child care, or babysitting. Ministerial approval will also be required in other roles requiring a Working with Vulnerable People check. The proposed new conditions also include: a requirement for the visa holder to notify the government of changes in finances, including any significant transactions, debt or income. This notification requirement supports the department to identify circumstances that could prejudice the Commonwealth's ability to resolve the visa holder's migration status, in particular, to affect removal, and to allow the government to appropriately manage community safety considerations and the circumstances of the visa holder. The proposed new conditions also include: a requirement for the visa holder to notify the government of changes in accommodation circumstances, including providing details of any person residing in the visa holder's household; a requirement for the visa holder to notify the government about any of membership or association with any club or organisation; a requirement for the visa holder to notify the government of associations with any individual, group, entity organisation alleged, known or reported to be engaged in criminal or illegal activities; and a requirement for the visa holder to notify the government about any interstate or overseas travel. Again, these conditions are essential for ensuring that the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force remain aware of the noncitizen's location, activities and associations, and that the visa holder remains engaged so that they are available for removal as soon as removal is reasonably practicable. This bill proposes that the breach of some of these conditions will be a criminal offence. New criminal o ff ences Ordinarily, a visa holder who does not comply with a condition of their visa may be considered for visa cancellation on the basis of that breach, and if cancelled, would be liable to be detained as an unlawful noncitizen. For the NZYQ-affected cohort, immigration detention is not available. As such, the prospect of visa cancellation for a breach of a visa condition is not an effective deterrent against non-compliance with reporting requirements. Establishing new offences for NZYQ-affected visa holders, sends a clear message about the importance of compliance with requirements to report to the Department of Home Affairs, and to notify of changes of circumstances. These new offences relate to: mandatory visa reporting conditions; compliance with the curfew; and compliance with wearing the electronic device. Each of these offences would only be enforced following due consideration of the circumstances of the case, recognising that they are designed to support a proportionate response in circumstances where the noncitizen attempts to deliberately or repeatedly evade contact with, and monitoring by, the Department of Home Affairs. The aim is to reflect the seriousness of the breach of conditions. Each offence carries a maximum penalty of five years and equivalent penalty units to address serious and repeated cases of noncompliance. Importantly, the offences also encourage compliance with conditions that help ensure the noncitizen engages appropriately in removal processes. It is reasonable to expect that removal pending visa holders will cooperate with the authorities to facilitate their removal from Australia if, and when, that becomes possible. This cooperation includes refraining from activities that either threaten community safety or otherwise prejudice the government's efforts to facilitate removal from Australia. The evidentiary burden for establishing a reasonable defence for failing to comply with the conditions will sit with the noncitizen. The standard defences available in the Criminal Code will also apply. By establishing an offence specifically for NZYQ-affected bridging visa holders, the government is making it clear that compliance with conditions and ongoing engagement with the Department of Home Affairs is of critical importance. This includes in person reporting and reporting by other means. It also includes notifying the Department of Home Affairs of changes in circumstances to give both the department and the Australian Border Force continuing visibility over the visa holder's movements and circumstances. This reporting will also help to ensure the noncitizen is available as soon as the visa holder's removal from Australia becomes practicable. The im p ortance o f amendments to s im il ar le g islation It is critical that these arrangements are enacted through an amendment to the Migration Act. And it will remove any doubt that these new laws apply to both current and future NZYQ affected cases. Pending passage and commencement of these measures, new visas will be granted to this cohort with the new conditions imposed. This will occur by operation of law. In essence, this means the original visa ceases completely and is replaced by a new visa that must be held with the mandatory conditions automatically imposed. The government will continue to work through the implications of this High Court judgement, and the ongoing engagement of the visa holders is necessary to support this process. Additional measures These amendments are necessary as an immediate response following the High Court's decision. Further responses may be required once we have received the High Court's reasons for decision. The overarching objective is to bolster the existing framework and ensure an enduring, and appropriately robust, framework for the management of NZYQ affected non-citizens over the long-term. Closing remarks In closing, the High Court's decision has significant implications for immigration compliance and for the community protection objectives of the government. While it is important that we enact this legislation as a priority, further safeguards are being considered. Community protection remains a fundamental priority, and the measures included in this bill are fundamental for providing the legislative framework to support this outcome. I commend this Bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned. BUSINESS 7 BUSINESS Rearrangement 7 09:31 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent: (1) debate on the second reading resuming immediately, with the time limit for Members speaking being 5 minutes; and (2) the second reading debate continuing for no longer than 1 hour, after which the bill being passed through all its stages without delay. I'd indicate that this is a contingent motion on the Notice Paper for the exact circumstances we face today, where there is an issue regarding security and where there is urgency in getting a bill across to the Senate. I respect the fact that that does put limits on some of the forms of the House that members would otherwise be able to use, but the government believes the nature of the legislation before us is the exact sort of circumstance where these procedures should be used. 09:32 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I'll be brief given the urgency. The opposition has significant concerns with the proposition that there not be the opportunity to move amendments at the consideration in detail stage, which is a consequence of the motion moved by the Leader of the House. Separately to that, I want to move as an amendment to the motion moved by the minister: That all words after "immediately" in paragraph (1) be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "with the Leader of the Opposition and the Member for Wannon to each speak for up to 10 minutes, and the time limit for all other Members speaking being 5 minutes". The SPEAKER 53517 Is the amendment seconded? Mr Hogan 218019 I second the motion and reserve my right to speak. 09:33 Mr BANDT M3C Melbourne I rise to speak on this motion to gag debate and rush a bill through parliament today when we've seen it for the first time today. Labor is dancing to the Liberal's tune. Labor is letting Peter Dutton write anti-refugee legislation— The SPEAKER 53517 Order. The Leader of the Australian Greens will resume his seat. For the purposes of this debate, I would like you to refer to all members by their correct titles. I give the call to the Leader of the House on a point of order. 09:34 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I refer to the urgency that we're dealing with here, and I move: That the question be put. The SPEAKER 53517 The question before the House is that the question be put.  

The House divided. [09:39]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

86 AYES Ananda-Rajah, M. Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burns, J. Byrnes, A. J. Caldwell, C. M. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Claydon, S. C. Collins, J. M. Conaghan, P. J. Doyle, M. J. J. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Fletcher, P. W. Garland, C. M. L. Gee, A. R. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Gosling, L. J. Hamilton, G. R. Hawke, A. G. Hill, J. C. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Kearney, G. M. Khalil, P. Landry, M. L. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Le, D. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marino, N. B. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBride, E. M. McIntosh, M. I. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, B. K. Mulino, D. Neumann, S. K. O'Brien, L. S. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Pearce, G. B. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Plibersek, T. J. Price, M. L. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Scrymgour, M. R. Sharkie, R. C. C. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Templeman, S. R. Thompson, P. Thwaites, K. L. Vamvakinou, M. van Manen, A. J. Violi, A. A. Ware, J. L. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wolahan, K. 11 NOES Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. (Teller) Chaney, K. E. Daniel, Z. Haines, H. M. Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Spender, A. M. Steggall, Z. Tink, K. J. Watson-Brown, E. (Teller) 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 09:49 The SPEAKER 53517 The question now is that the amendment moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to. Question agreed to. The 53517 The question before the House is that the amended motion moved by the Leader of the House be agreed to.  

The House divided. [09:54]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

 75 AYES Aly, A. Ananda-Rajah, M. Bowen, C. E. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Chalmers, J. E. Chaney, K. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Garland, C. M. L. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. Gosling, L. J. Hill, J. C. Husic, E. N. Jones, S. P. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, B. K. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. Neumann, S. K. O'Connor, B. P. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Scrymgour, M. R. Shorten, W. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Steggall, Z. Swanson, M. J. Templeman, S. R. Thistlethwaite, M. J. Thwaites, K. L. Vamvakinou, M. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wilson, J. H. 62 NOES Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Coleman, D. B. Conaghan, P. J. Coulton, M. M. (Teller) Daniel, Z. Dutton, P. C. Entsch, W. G. Fletcher, P. W. Gee, A. R. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Haines, H. M. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Landry, M. L. Le, D. Leeser, J. Ley, S. P. Marino, N. B. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. Morrison, S. J. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pearce, G. B. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Price, M. L. Ramsey, R. E. (Teller) Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Sharkie, R. C. C. Spender, A. M. Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Thompson, P. Tink, K. J. van Manen, A. J. Vasta, R. X. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Ware, J. L. Watson-Brown, E. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Young, T. J. 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 BILLS 9 BILLS Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 9

Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023

Second Reading 9 09:58 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson This is a very dark day for our country. The Prime Minister's not here to deal with one of the most significant domestic issues in recent time. The Prime Minister should be here, in the chamber here in Canberra, instructing the public servants to do what it was that should have been instructed six months ago. The SPEAKER 53517 Order, member for Swan. Mr DUTTON 00AKI It's important to recap as to why we're here today. This legislation has been drafted overnight, so thank you to the drafters and to the public servants who clearly have worked through the night to cobble this piece together. The fact is that this bill should have been drafted months ago. It's inadequate in its current form. There are amendments, which I'll go to in a second, that I would otherwise have sought to move but the contingency motion that's just been moved and passed and rammed through this House by the Leader of the House means that, in an almost unprecedented way, we are not permitted to move amendments to this bill. The government might disagree with the amendments that we seek to move, but it's their prerogative, particularly in a parliament where they have an absolute majority, to vote down those amendments and then to support their bill to safe passage through the House. But that's not what they've chosen to do; they've chosen to close down debate in relation to this most important issue. In June of this year, the High Court, through Justice Gleeson, gave a very clear indication to the minister for immigration that the government was on shaky ground. The government had the ability, in June of this year, to respond by way of legislation or other administrative changes to deal with this very real threat to the Australian community. Was legislation drafted in June? Was it drafted in July? Was it drafted in August? Was it drafted in September or October? It wasn't even drafted 24 hours ago. The fact is that Australians are being put at risk. This is a very serious matter. We're now talking about 84 hardcore criminals because another one has been released overnight. As the West Australian rightly points out, these people are now staying in motels at taxpayers' expense. They've been given per diem assistance in terms of their out-of-pocket living expenses. They're being given welfare support. These are people who have murdered Australians. These are people who have raped young children. These are people who are serious domestic violence offenders. These are people who are of the worst character, and they are noncitizens. We're not even talking about Australian citizens here. These are people who do not deserve to live in our country. Had they committed these offences overseas in their country of origin, they would not have been granted a visa in the first place. Let's be clear about that. How does the government respond? They could have responded with legislation, which we were told by the Prime Minister, by the Minister for Home Affairs and by the hapless immigration minister was not an option. In question time this week and in media interviews, that was their response. Yet today we have before the parliament urgent legislation that has been drafted overnight to try and provide some response, which is totally and utterly inadequate. I want to be clear to the Australian people today: the Prime Minister has taken a decision not to re-detain these 84 serious criminals. But it's worse than that. We were asking for a briefing on this matter, which was provided at 7.15 this morning. The minister has given an undertaking to this House to add to an answer and to provide a breakdown of each category of offending. It has still not been provided. We didn't get any update or any briefing at the start of this week—not on Tuesday, not on Wednesday—but this morning, at 7.15, we get the hapless immigration minister and the hopeless Minister for Home Affairs in there, who move from one disaster to the next. They throw the bill onto the table and say: 'Here's the bill. Will you support it? We want your bipartisan support?' We said, 'There are countless provisions in this bill, and we want more than an hour and a quarter to look at it and take legal advice and decide our position.' We think, even on the first quick read of it, that it is completely and totally inadequate. So they come in here and move a motion which doesn't allow us to amend their bill at all, but I'll tell you what else we found out during the course of the meeting this morning. We already have 84 people now out in the community, with the prospect of eight more being released imminently. These are people with adverse security assessments—national security risks—murderers, rapists and paedophiles. As I point out, they are the most serious of offenders against Australian citizens. But we are not just talking about the 84 who are out now and the eight about to be released. We're now talking about a pipeline of 340 people and, potentially, more beyond that. What we do know in some of these cases—and I won't go into them individually, but I was the minister at the time who took a decision to keep them in detention, on multiple occasions in some cases—is that these people have offended against multiple Australians. We're not talking about some people who have had some indiscretion under the law. These are people who have committed serious offences. The likelihood of them reoffending is very, very high. I think it is completely and utterly unconscionable that the Prime Minister has not been here to deal with this matter. The safety and security of the Australian population is the first charge of any leader of this country, and this Prime Minister is missing in action. I would have been happy to sit down with the Prime Minister at any time during the course of this week, including overnight and this morning. Was he at the briefing? No, because he's on his plane to another overseas destination. I would have been happy to sit down with him and negotiate a regime that we could pass by legislation that would see these people come back into detention—to see the threat that is imminent, to see the threat that is real to women and children in our country, dealt with and dispensed today. But the Prime Minister has taken a deliberate decision to abandon the Australian people when they most need him. I think there are many Australians at the moment who are shaking their heads in disbelief at a Prime Minister who has the opportunity to address this—and has had the opportunity since June to address this so that these people would not have been released in the first place—and has chosen other priorities over the Australian public. We're seeing already some of the victims of these particular hardened criminals out there telling their stories. We know, for example, that there are particularly egregious cases that we're talking about here. We know in one circumstance that one individual has committed a crime of this nature—and this is not easy to read nor hear, but it's necessary to be said. One person killed a pregnant woman and then blew up her body with military-grade explosives. I think the Australian public is rightly outraged at a government that sees fit to let that person back out into the community. This government has had months and months and months to deal with these issues, and they have chosen not to do so. Why? Because they believe that the rights of these individuals trump the rights of the victims of these crimes, and the rights of the future victims of these criminals as well. I don't believe that the Australian public voted for that in May of last year. I think it doesn't matter where you look at the moment across this government: the wheels are falling off. They have decisions before them. They either delay the decisions until the problem compounds into something that they can't manage, which is exactly what has happened in relation to this matter, or they make decisions which adversely impact the Australian public. They don't have the experience or the competence to lead this country. When the Prime Minister's over in China walking in the footsteps of Gough Whitlam, he's doing it here domestically as well. That is hurting Australian families. This minister stands condemned for releasing these people into the community when he had a choice to do completely the opposite. This minister had the choice, and he has done nothing since being advised of the High Court's concerns in June of this year. This minister misled this parliament and misled the Australian public when he said that people had been released on visas, when it turns out they had not. We had the Deputy Prime Minister out yesterday again misleading the Australian public, and we've had this rushed response overnight which is inadequate. The amendments that we seek to move in the Senate that we can't move here will be moved today, and this parliament should sit until these matters are resolved today. 10:09 Ms O'NEIL 140590 Hotham I want to thank the parliament for this opportunity to support Minister Giles in putting this bill forward to the parliament. It is part of the government's response to a High Court decision that was made last week. I want to come back to that decision because the Leader of the Opposition has come forward to the parliament and made a series of statements in his speech just now that he knows to be untrue. He knows them to be untrue, I know them to be untrue and a grade 6 student who is studying politics in a primary school can tell you that they're untrue. The consistent falsehood that continues to be put forward by the Leader of the Opposition is that this a choice by the government. I will say again to you, Speaker, that one thing I actually agree with the Leader of the Opposition about is that some of the people at the heart of this decision have committed deplorable crimes; disgusting crimes—crimes that no-one in this parliament, surely, would accept. That is why we kept them in detention and that's why the people opposite kept them in detention. What we had last Wednesday was the High Court telling us that we must remove those people. We only do so for that reason. I have said it before, and I will say it again: if I had any legal power to keep these people detained, I would. I would do it. We do not have that power—that is what the High Court has told us. That is why we are putting forward a comprehensive response which deals with the community safety implications of this problem, which are real. That is why we released people in detention on the strictest-possible legal conditions. That is why we set up a joint ABF-AFP operation which is case managing these people in detention. That is why we are bringing forward a bill to the parliament which gives our government powers that no government has ever had before to manage community safety risks from people in detention. The Leader of the Opposition loves to present himself as a tough guy on borders. He never wrote laws as tough as this. These laws will allow the Commonwealth to make sure that we have electronic monitoring of people. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order on my left! Mr Bowen DZS Tell us about the Nixon review. Ms O'NEIL 140590 Exactly. These laws allow us to do things that no government has ever been able to do before: to put ankle-monitoring bracelets on people we are concerned about; to require approval for employment for people who are going to work in some types of industries; and to apply curfews to people. What's really important about this bill is that for the first time we criminalise people who do not follow these visa conditions. This is something that the Leader of the Opposition could have done in the long years that he was home affairs minister, but he chose not to do so. We are putting forward what are extremely tough conditions, and the legal advice that we have been given is that we are going as far as we can in order to manage the issues that are before us. The opposition has a real choice to make here. They have a real decision to make and, frankly, it shouldn't be a difficult one. They should come into this parliament and do everything they can to facilitate the fast passage of this bill through the parliament—everything they can. They have been saying all week that they want us to bring forward legislation—well, here it is. Here is the legislation; what we need from the Leader of the Opposition is to come forward and say that he'll support it. But I haven't heard that, and I'm not sure if my colleagues have heard that. What I've heard from the Leader of the Opposition is a bunch of bluff and a bunch of bluster, that we heard for the long years while he told us he was doing a good job of managing our borders and utterly failing to do so. I would say to those opposite that we need to move quickly on this. I was very disturbed earlier to hear the shadow minister for home affairs say that the opposition was in no rush to deal with these laws. I object to that; we are in a rush. I would like to get this through the parliament today and I need the opposition's support to do so. What I want to know is why the opposition is not actively working with the government to facilitate the passage of this legislation. The opposition has sat through the parliament all this week, asking the government to do exactly what we are doing right now. So this is the test for the opposition: is all the political posturing that we see through question time just that, or do they actually care about the safety of the Australian community? If they actually care about the safety of the Australian community then we've got a clear decision to make here, as a parliament. Opposition members interjecting— Ms O'NEIL 140590 We can make our country safer today, but we need the Leader of the Opposition to come in and cooperate with us. We can make our country safer today, but we need the Leader of the Opposition to come in here to support us and help us do that. I'd say again to the Leader of the Opposition, 'You can pretend to be a tough guy all you like, but words don't make our country safer—good laws do.' That is why I implore the parliament and I implore the opposition to help us make our community safer. We can do it today. The SPEAKER 53517 Order. There was far too much noise during that contribution. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Hume! While I'm speaking is definitely not the time to interject. 10:14 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon This amendment bill, the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023, is too little too late. It bells the cat on the incomprehensible failure of this government to undertake its No. 1 priority, which is keeping the community safe. They have had over six months to get this right, and what we have seen is just incomprehensible—delays, mistruths and misleading of this parliament from the government. Let's look at just this week alone. This is what the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs said on Monday: … we were prepared for this outcome due to the case's significance. He also said: I don't forget you asked about the number of people who've been released. That number is 80, all of whom are on appropriate visa conditions. This is what he said on Tuesday: Our focus throughout—in anticipation of the decision and since—is on ensuring the safety of the Australian community. That includes looking at all options we have to ensure safety. Then, on Wednesday, the Minister for Home Affairs said: The first is that we are releasing people under the strictest possible visa conditions … We now know that is not true, because right here before us now the government is acting to do what we were asking for on Monday. Mr TEHAN 210911 The Minister for Home Affairs has just said that we weren't cooperating. That is an absolute nonsense. On Monday, we wrote to them. We didn't get a response to that letter until today. What they said to us was: 'Here's a piece of legislation. Take it or leave it.' As we will demonstrate, there are amendments to this amendment that would strengthen this. It's not only that. The biggest failure is that they don't have before us today a new regime which would allow us to lock those detainees back up. That is the greatest failure. The Australian people need to know that the government has misled them and not acted in their best interests. It has not acted to keep them safe. We could be debating, in this chamber this morning, a preventive detention regime which would allow those people to be locked back up. Why is this so serious? Thanks to some incredible reporting through the week, we have learned of the consequences of the decisions—or lack of decisions—that the government has made. We heard and read today about a domestic violence victim who has had to go to the police and ask: 'Please, what are the protections that I now have? What are the protections that are being put in place to protect me, because I have just found out the person who perpetrated domestic violence against me is now out in the community, free?' That person should not have to go through that. We have learnt through other reporting that in Queensland there was a lady who was raped who has now found out that the person who raped her is free in the community. She had to go and ask the police, 'What protections are being put in place to protect me?' In our country, those people should not have to be going through that. This government should have undertaken this as their first priority and been focused on that first priority of keeping the community safe. In June last year, they knew that this decision was possible. As a matter of fact, they had a briefing in 2021, when they were in opposition, which showed that this decision was possible, and yet we are here now and they are rushing this amendment through the parliament. It is the greatest shame of all time. As the Leader of the Opposition has said, where is the Prime Minister? Where is the Prime Minister when it comes to him undertaking his No. 1 priority? Jim Chalmers said of the Prime Minister— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! I remind all members to use correct titles. Mr TEHAN 210911 Sorry. The Treasurer said of the Prime Minister when he was failing to address the cost-of-living crisis that it was like Driving Miss Daisy. What we have seen from the Prime Minister when it comes to keeping Australian people safe is like 'Flying Miss Daisy' because he's not here to keep the Australian community safe. It is absolutely deplorable. He sat in that chair this week while the minister for immigration refused to answer question after question as to whether the visa arrangements were put in place before the people were released or after they were released. We still haven't had that question answered. Just remember that these are rapists, these are child molesters and these are murderers. It now seems from the once again excellent reporting that they were released without visas. We asked the minister three times yesterday and he refused to rule that out. If that is not the greatest failing of a government to keep the community safe, I do not know what is. We just heard the minister for immigration say when he introduced this bill that this is an immediate response. Those were his words—'This is an immediate response.' An immediate response would have taken place last Wednesday before you let them out, not here now. I appeal to the government. What we need to see before this parliament goes anywhere this week is a new regime put in place that allows for preventive detention, which allows for those 84 to be redetained. I say to the minister: 'Say to your department that you want that outcome. Don't sit there and listen to all the reasons why it might be difficult or there might be trouble in doing it. Learn to be a minister. Actually direct your department to get you the outcome that the Australian people want.' It's very clear what the outcome is that the Australian people want. They want these people redetained. Let's not beat around the bush on this. What do the Australian people want? They want these people redetained. What we want and need from this government—and it's why the Prime Minister should be here to direct his ministers that this is the outcome we want—is a new regime in place to do it. We learnt today that the government have asked for some sort of new regime. They've asked for that. We can't understand why that wasn't asked for in June so that we would be prepared today and would be debating today the new regime that would allow those 84 to be redetained. As the Leader of the Opposition has mentioned, we're about to see an additional 340 released into the community. So we have 84 now and potentially 340 more while the government is completely asleep at the wheel and is sitting on its hands and not doing enough to make sure the community is safe. Their No. 1 priority is to keep the Australian community safe. They have failed and they should be ashamed of their failure. (Time expired) 10:24 Mr KEOGH 249147 Burt The safety of the community remains the utmost priority for our government, as it should be for any government. It is my priority too. Yet, what we've just had disclosed by the shadow minister for home affairs was that, when the opposition leader was the Minister for Home Affairs, he apparently received advice in 2021 in relation to these issues that they thought should have been undertaken then and they failed to implement when they were in government. So we get a lot of fluff and cluck and bluster from the shadow minister for home affairs and the opposition leader about things that we are doing in the first week that parliament is sitting immediately after a High Court decision, yet they took no action when apparently they had advice when they were in government. Over the weekend, 32 detainees were released from the WA immigration centres in Yongah Hill and Perth. This was a result of a High Court ruling that declared that the detention of a plaintiff in immigration detention was unlawful. Following that ruling, that individual was released immediately, and I stress, while our government argued against this in the court, we were prepared for the outcome due to the case's significance. Complying with an order of the High Court is not optional. Governments are required to act in accordance with the law. That is what the fundamental principle of the rule of law is all about, and that is what we have done and will continue to do. Since that ruling, 84 people have been released who are owed Australia's protection. They're stateless, or their removal from Australia is intractable for some reason. They are of varying backgrounds. Those that have committed crimes have all served their sentences before going into immigration detention. These individuals have been placed on bridging removal pending visas with conditions. In this way, they are similar to Australian criminals that have been convicted, finished their jail terms and faced similar restrictions to other people that have gone through the Australian legal systems. Border protection and law enforcement agencies have been working together to make sure that the strictest possible conditions are placed on these individuals. Each individual offender is being case managed. They have been and continue to be the subject of a range of strict mandatory visa conditions. These conditions include restricting types of employment, requiring regular reporting to authorities and requiring released detainees to report their personal details, including their social media profiles, which are being actively monitored. Additionally, the government has imposed daily reporting requirements for those with the most serious criminal histories. We continue to work around the clock with agencies and law enforcement to uphold the safety of our community. The bill before this House today strengthens those regimes even further, and the government will continue to consider what further it may do once we actually finally receive the reasons for decision from the High Court. That has not yet been provided to government. This law creates a number of new and amended mandatory conditions to be imposed on these individuals' release and any further people required to be released on these visas. These conditions include reporting household, work, finances, memberships, associations and travel to appropriate authorities. The law will also allow for the imposition of curfews and the use of electronic monitoring. To support the enforcement of these visa conditions, the bill creates several criminal offences for breaching conditions, including for a failure to wear electronic monitoring devices, for a failure to follow an authorised officer to maintain their monitoring device or to make sure that it can be maintained. It will be a criminal offence to fail to comply with a curfew and fail to comply with reporting requirements. I know many people in my community are concerned about this situation. West Australian police and federal authorities are monitoring this very closely. The Albanese government is committed to the rule of law. We are committed to maintaining the integrity of our migration system and keeping the Australian community safe. I am committed to this for my community. This bill delivers on that, and I commend the bill to the House. 10:29 Mr BANDT M3C Melbourne Labor is dancing to the Liberals' tune. Labor is letting the Leader of the Opposition write anti-refugee legislation and then rush it through parliament. A man who has built his career on punishing refugees and dividing the community, now is able to scare and spook Labor into rushing legislation through this parliament. We are dealing with a High Court decision where the High Court has said that the system of taking someone and indefinitely detaining them—locking them up forever—is unlawful, and, in the face of that, the opposition has run a fear campaign, demanding that things be done that the High Court has just said you can't do. The opposition has been taking instances of crimes that we would all agree—everyone in this chamber would agree—are abhorrent, and then using that to demand the government do something the High Court has just said it can't do. Instead of saying, 'Well, let's see what the High Court has said,' and accepting the fact that in Australia the High Court has now ruled you're no longer able to lock someone up indefinitely, and saying, 'Let's work out what a proper system of detention would look like,' Labor has been panicked into coming back here with legislation that looks like it's designed to get around the High Court and may well end up back in the High Court being ruled invalid again. The opposition's arguments are despicable, because they are demanding something be done that they know can't be done. But instead of saying, 'No, let's abide by the rule of law and work out now how to deal with this complex decision,' Labor's giving in to them. I've got a piece of advice for Labor: Labor, don't engage in a race to the bottom with the Leader of the Opposition, because there is nowhere he won't go. We've already seen that. Labor has been pressured into bringing legislation here, and already the opposition is saying, 'We're going to come back for more and we're going to come back for more and we're going to come back for more.' Now, there's a reason that the Human Rights Law Centre has said that this kind of legislation is very likely to end up in the High Court again, because it looks like the government is trying to introduce detention by another name. I repeat the point that none of this is about defending the actions of the people that we have seen stories about in our media and that have been the subject of debate here. None of this is about that. The question is: how do you lawfully deal with that, given what the High Court has said? That's the question that we've got to deal with. What the Human Rights Law Centre has said is: 'This way of doing it is probably going to end up back in the High Court, because you're not listening to what the High Court has said.' If we were to come back here and have a reasoned debate about how you deal with a significant decision of the High Court, then I think everyone in this parliament would engage with it. Instead, what you have is legislation that was rushed and drafted overnight, and, when you try to stand up in this place and say, 'A Labor-Liberal deal to pass legislation should not be rushed through,' Labor gags you. Labor is trying to silence people who want to say: 'Maybe there are some serious legal questions that need to be asked about this. Maybe this response is going to be ineffective because the High Court is going to overturn this as well.' This is a political response that has been driven by the Leader of the Opposition's fear campaign, and, when Labor members stand up in this place and say that this is tougher legislation than anything that the Liberals ever introduced and they try to out-tough Peter Dutton, they are going down the wrong track, because, as I say, there is nothing that the Leader of the Opposition won't do in trying to divide the Australian community. And instead of standing up to it, Labor is folding and giving in to him. This is only going to give succour to the Liberals, who will come back again and again and again and try and divide this community. We cannot be party to rushing legislation through parliament that we've seen for the first time this morning and that has serious constitutional implications, when this should be the subject of sober consideration by this parliament on a matter as important as this—and you may end up with legislation that everyone in this parliament can support. But, when you try and silence even people who say, 'We want to have a debate about it', and when Labor silences any debate on the deal that they've done with the Liberals because they've been spooked by the Liberals, that is a dark day in this parliament. 10:34 Mr COLEMAN 241067 Banks This is absolutely shameful—the conduct of the Albanese government. The people who have been released into the community are the worst of the worst—murderers, rapists and paedophiles, released into the community. The ministers in the Albanese government knew in June that there was a strong chance this would happen. So what did they do in June? What did they do in July? What did they do in August? What did they do in September? What did they do in October? What did they do for the first two weeks of November? Nothing. They knew that this was probably coming for months and months and months, and did nothing. Let's just pause and reflect on that, because that is what this government has done. The minister for immigration knew there was a strong chance this would happen. The Minister for Home Affairs knew there was a strong chance that this would happen. The Prime Minister, presumably, was advised that there was a strong chance that this would happen. What action did the Albanese government take, during those 5½ months, to protect the Australian community and ensure that preventive orders were put in place to stop these people from being released into the community? Nothing. The government can't say this is the High Court's fault. The High Court has its role, and it will do what it will do. Governments, ultimately, are responsible for the safety of the Australian people. Here, we've got ministers who knew for months that 80 or 90—and we learned today it could be hundreds of people—of the most serious criminals in this nation were going to be released as a consequence of this High Court decision. What did they do? Nothing. Who's responsible for the situation we face today? It's the Albanese government. We saw, in the West Australian, a couple of days ago, the reality of the release of these people into the community. There's talk of conditions and so on, but what did the West Australian find? They are coming and going as they please on the streets of Perth with no supervision. They have the capacity to go out there and do, frankly, whatever they want to do. These ministers come into parliament and say that there are conditions and say that they're taking steps, but the West Australian found absolutely the opposite. We also know, from the reporting by the ABC that numerous people were released into the community without visas at all. Poor old Minister Giles, the minister for immigration—we need to extend the definition of the word 'hapless' for that individual, because what we have seen in this chamber in the last few days has just been shocking, and I think it will be remembered for years and years to come. He has refused to provide clarity to this parliament, despite saying that he would, about the precise nature of the individuals that have been released into the community. We see them come in today with the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023. A few days ago they were saying, 'Look, there's nothing else that we can do,' despite having had six months to think about it. A couple of days later, they're saying, 'Well, there is something we can do, so we're to going bring something in.' But the bill they bring into parliament is weak and ineffectual and goes nowhere near far enough. Australians need to know this government had five months, at least, to prepare for this. This government didn't do that. They can't get around that; it's on the public record. The High Court of course will make decisions, as courts do, but governments are here to lead. Governments are here to protect the safety of the Australian community. They've shamefully failed to do that, and they must be condemned. 10:39 Ms DANIEL 008CH Goldstein I'm not in the habit of supporting this kind of legislation which seeks to control refugees. Humanity must be at the centre of all policy. However, let's be quite clear about why we're here today discussing the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023. It was the High Court—not the government nor the parliament—that was responsible for the release of these people. Many of them have been convicted of very serious crimes including rape, murder and paedophilia. It was the High Court—not the parliament nor the government—that failed to provide reasons for its decision. I am extremely disappointed, I will say, that many in my old trade, journalism, have reported what happened a week ago and what's happened since as if it was the government's decision, but we are where we are. The High Court has made it clear in this decision that punishment is a matter for the courts, not any minister. Therefore, the opposition's suggestion that these individuals should be redetained is at best misinformed and at worst an attempt to manipulate public opinion on something it knows can't happen. The task before us now is to ensure community safety right now, within the boundaries of human rights, given that these people have been released. It's a time for this parliament to act in the interests of community, not to seek to divide once again and to weaponise issues around refugee policy. The High Court is not likely to deliver its reasons for this decision until early next year, and I'm assured by the two ministers involved that that means there will be further amendments to this legislation. This is an accountability piece for the crossbench, and there will be close eyes on that from this part of the chamber. We need to be able to see whether the legislation is fairly achieving what the government says it will do. I will say that I believe that the government is working with state jurisdictions to get as many of these people as possible into rehabilitation programs. There is an innate danger that people who've been held in immigration detention, rather than correctional institutions, have not been offered rehabilitation support. The psychological condition that that's created likely means that they will be more difficult to rehabilitate. Wellbeing and rehabilitation of these people must be a consideration. I continue to have concerns that some of the people in this cohort should not be in it, and this is something that should be carefully considered when it comes to proportional responses to the people in this group. That said, the government submitted to the High Court that the vast majority of this group are serious offenders. The vast majority are offenders in areas of national security, cybercrime, gang activity, sexual and violent offences, crimes against children, domestic violence, and it goes on. So here we are yet again this week with another moral quandary. I hear the concerns of refugee advocates who worry about overreach. This is an extremely fine balance. On balance, I will support the bill in the knowledge that there will be further changes to it when the High Court publishes its reasons in the new year. I want to say very clearly here that indefinite detention is fundamentally wrong. This was always going to happen. This government and the previous government should have been prepared for this. Now the High Court has forced the issue. We must now work to protect our communities, while adhering to basic human rights for people who are refugees. This legislation must be neither misused by the government nor weaponised by an opposition that plays politics with people's lives. 10:43 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning The No. 1 priority for any government is to keep Australians safe from threats external to our borders and safe from threats internal to our borders. We're here today debating this new legislation, the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023—this half-baked, rushed legislation—because the Albanese government has been caught flatfooted by the High Court judgement handed down last week. It has shown that the Albanese government is unable to manage an unfolding situation and is unable to impose itself on that situation and protect the Australian people. We know that since June this government was aware that this judgement may have been handed down, so they've had five months to come up with a plan to mitigate the risks posed by this decision. What we've seen over the last week is 80 to 90 hardcore criminals, including child sex offenders and murderers among them, released into the Australian community. We now know that there are perhaps hundreds more to follow, with up to 300 who may well join them in the community. That why we're here today, because we have a government that is distracted. We have a Prime Minister, yet again, who's flown overseas and left it to his hapless cabinet to come up with a legislative fix to a problem they should have been across five months ago. This points to an absence of leadership. It's a failure of leadership. The new visa conditions that are being introduced today—the wearing of electronic monitoring devices, the curfews being imposed on people and the basic stuff: making sure that they have a working with children permit, the fact that they have to let authorities know if there's interstate travel or that they are working with vulnerable people—are pretty straightforward. They should have been thought of five months ago in preparation for this decision. It's just not good enough. All week we've had the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs stand up and um and ah and hedge his way through question time, unable to give the Australian people the clarity and the certainty that this government is working to protect their interests and uphold the public good, the public order and the public safety by taking actions to protect them. There are a number of options that I can think of that we've passed through legislation over the years. There are control orders, preventive detention orders and continuing detention orders. There are a number of law enforcement tools that this government could have used to mitigate the risk of these 80 to 90 people being let into the community, but they've failed. This government is on notice. They should be ashamed of this lapse in leadership, of their failure to impose themselves on this situation and come up with solutions to protect the Australian community. It's not good enough. Once again, in a moment of crisis, in a moment where we really need leadership in this country, what does the Prime Minister do? He heads over to the US and leaves it to his ministers to fix up. Even now, with this half-baked legislation, I don't have any assurance that the Australian people are going to be kept safe. We don't have any assurance that the Australian people are going to be kept safe. This government should hang its head in shame. 10:47 Mr WOLAHAN 235654 Menzies Thank you to my colleagues who have spoken on the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 before me. There are many times in this place where we get told to jump with short notice. Often we do that because there are various bills that have been brought on because there's a gap. But we shouldn't be doing that for such urgent business when we could be fixing this. This bill is flawed, and the government, when it had a chance to fix it, has said no. They don't even want to have that debate. We're going to have to have that debate in the Senate, but we could have had it here. But, more than that, this is a new government. It's still on its training wheels when the Australian people expect better. But on this side there are serious, experienced former ministers who offered the hand of friendship to fix this and were turned down. The shadow minister wrote a letter on Monday, and it was only responded to today. We believe in the separation of powers—we support it and we defend it—and the High Court has created a bind for this government. It has made a decision without reasons. When you don't have the reasons, it makes it hard to draft legislation—of course it does. We don't know when exactly those reasons will be released. It was indicated that it could be in February next year. The High Court hasn't always done that. It's a discretion of the court. In the Pell case, it didn't. In Love and Thoms, it didn't. But it has here, and it has here in a really significant matter, and it has significant safety consequences for the community. I don't say that as a criticism of the High Court—no-one should come up here and do that; that's not what we're doing. But the onus now is on the government for how they react. How you react is that you, as the executive members of government, come up with a way to keep people safe. The bill as proposed—I've only just got it for the first time here—hasn't had a chance to be considered properly. The amendments that we have and would like to debate with you haven't been properly considered. I note here that the Australian public might think that we know there are serious criminals who are about to be released and the government is proposing a regime that will keep you safe. The proposals here are about breaches of visa conditions and include things like ankle bracelets and consequences for not doing what the terms and conditions of a visa say. Sentencing practices have changed in the last few decades. You might think that a breach of one of those conditions is going to lead to a serious criminal being put in jail, but that's not how sentencing practices work in Australian courts at the moment. Breaching a condition like that isn't an automatic visit to your local prison. It doesn't take you off the streets. It doesn't protect people. There are many other things that could have been considered if the government had reached out and responded earlier. We live in a Commonwealth and, as a Federation, there are other state based mechanisms that could help. For example, a lot of the states have apprehended violence order provisions. They have domestic violence provisions. There are, I assume—I don't know the details of the individuals—people who are personally fearing for their safety. I hope that the minister, who does know the details, will be liaising or having the department liaising with state based authorities to make sure that those people are kept safe and that the released individuals go nowhere near exclusion zones, schools or people who have been put at risk. Those are some of the things we need to make sure are included in a bill like this. It should not just be at your discretion, Minister; it should be mandatory. You should be making sure that those people are kept safe. Furthermore, you should be regularly updating the parliament as to the status of those released individuals. We saw in question time, when questions were put to you, that you were drip-feeding the number of people that were being released. You were drip-feeding what particular people were being put into the community. We had to rely on the press, who are the fourth estate of government, to tell us the actual details and circumstances of where people are in this country. My good friend the member from Canning is from WA, and a lot of the WA members of this place were quite surprised to see that their state had a disproportionate number of those people in their community. So they are quite rightly concerned about the families that live in Western Australia. We would like to know where else in Australia these have people gone. Who else is at risk? Members before me have quite rightly said that our No. 1 priority is to keep our community safe, and this government and this minister have failed in that duty. 10:52 Mr PITT 148150 Hinkler What we see here is an indication of the inability of this Labor government to actually defend the Australian people and their interests. Our job in this place is to act in the interests of the Australian people, not others. It's their safety and protection. To give you an indication of what the Australian people are thinking, this was correspondence I received in my office yesterday from an individual. I'll give you the summary version. They said: 'I was at one of my craft groups this morning. We don't usually talk politics, but I can tell you everyone was disgusted about murderers and rapists not only being released from prison but being given all of this aid at a time where we have people who are living in their cars.' The response so far from the Albanese government has been completely inadequate. Let's look at the timing of the response. This was a decision that was taken last week. With the resources of the government—the Australian Government Solicitor, the Public Service and all the available extra support that can be provided given the government has access to the Treasury and the budget—in the time between last Wednesday and 10 o'clock Monday morning, this legislation could easily have been drafted and been drafted in consultation with the opposition and its shadow ministry. There were no restrictions on that. There was no inability for the government to come forward with a proposition and have that discussion. And, of course, we stood ready to work with the government on what is a matter of public interest—protecting the safety of the Australian people, every single individual. Instead, we have a situation where not only have 80-plus criminals been released into the community; we hear this morning there could be another 300-plus. This is an outrageous proposition. The High Court has made a decision. The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs was in the chamber yesterday effectively saying in the matters of public importance debate: 'There's nothing we can do here.' And yet, overnight, legislation—the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023—has been rushed into the parliament which could have been developed much earlier. It could have been introduced on Monday. It's been rushed in. It was provided to the opposition at quarter past seven this morning and now we found out that we can't even put forward amendments which we believe would actually make it a better proposition, would strengthen the proposition and would help defend the Australian people, who are at risk. They are at risk from these individuals—there's no doubt about that whatsoever. The government extended the sittings on their closing the loopholes bill, which is a list of union demands. That was the priority during the week. There were extended sittings of the House of Representatives to deal with those demands, but not to deal with this. This issue is front of mind for the Australian people. They are struggling with the cost of living and are bogged down in their own issues, but they know that this matters. This parliament deals with difficult issues. That is why we were elected. We were sent to this place to represent the interests of our communities and the Australian people. The Labor government rolled this through this morning with such little notice—it was 7.15 am—for our people to get across this bill without the ability to consult with others. It is just outrageous. How is it possible, firstly, that it has taken this long and, secondly, that it is being done in such a short time that we have little time to consult with individuals who could put forward changes? We now find that that is blocked and we can't even do that. So the Labor government, firstly, failed to act; secondly, said yesterday that there was nothing that could be done here; thirdly, rolled up today with this proposition; and, fourthly, said the opposition can't put forward amendments, changes and better propositions. This bill will go to the Senate, where it will be debated and, as the Leader of the Opposition said this morning, we will attempt once again to put forward what we think are improvements. Instead, we have an inadequate proposal to keep the Australian people safe. We have limited time in which to put forward amendments that we think will strengthen the proposal and the proposition in the interests of the Australian people. What will happen this afternoon or tonight? Who knows? Perhaps we'll find that it is important and we'll be back tomorrow to look at this again in the House of Representatives. What we do know is that this Labor government has its priorities wrong on this matter. The Australian people deserve to be protected. We are here to act in their interests. We are here to defend them. The decision to release these individuals has to be addressed and it has to be addressed now. 10:57 Mr HOWARTH 247742 Petrie The Labor government has failed to make sure that a migration amendment was introduced six months ago when they had an opportunity. These serious offenders—murderers, rapists and child sex offenders—have been let into the community. It is totally unacceptable. The member for Goldstein said before that indefinite detention is wrong. The community would want to see people like that in indefinite detention. They do not deserve to be let out. This government could have made tougher legislation back in June. We're now in November. Nothing was done. No amendments are able to be put forward by the coalition. What are they afraid of with tougher amendments? What is it? The community expects the coalition, a decent opposition, to put forward amendments, but the Albanese Labor government are not allowing that to be done, to the shame of the Albanese Labor government. The Australian community need to know that. They do need to know that this parliament isn't being treated with the respect it deserves. This is totally being rushed at the last minute. This could have been introduced on Monday. We're now on Thursday. Nothing had been done. The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZY The time provided for this debate has expired. The question is that this bill be now read a second time. A division having been called and the bells having been rung— The SPEAKER 53517 As there are fewer than five members on the side for the noes in this division, I declare the question resolved in the affirmative in accordance with standing order 127. The names of those members who are in the minority will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Third Reading 19 11:03 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023 19

Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023

First Reading 19 Second Reading 19 11:05 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I move: That this bill be now read a second time. It is my privilege to present the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023. Background This bill is the second legislative step in support of Australia's acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. It builds on the Defence Legislation Amendment (Naval Nuclear Propulsion) Bill that was introduced in Mayand commenced in July. Following the passage of that bill, in August the Australian Labor Party National Conference adopted a statement in detail explaining why we are acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. We recognise that deciding to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines is a hard choice, but it is actually a clear choice. The Collins class submarines we currently operate are a potent capability, but diesel-electric submarines will become increasingly detectable. And so, if we want to maintain a leading-edge capability in the future, then we simply have to take the step of nuclear propulsion. The statement in detail explains how this Labor government will go about acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. For example, it says that: We will ensure that Australian workers will benefit from the massive investments in industry, infrastructure, and common user facilities; We will ensure that Australia continues to meet all its nonproliferation obligations and commitments under international law; We will maintain Australia's longstanding position of not possessing or seeking to acquire nuclear weapons; And we will ensure Australia is a responsible nuclear steward and maintains the highest level of nuclear safety in respect of nuclear-powered submarines. Bill overview This bill is specifically focused on ensuring Australia maintains the highest level of nuclear safety in respect of nuclear-powered submarines. It will enable the establishment of a new regulatory framework, including an independent regulator, to ensure nuclear safety within Australia's nuclear-powered submarine enterprise and capability lifecycle. The new framework will be harmonised with other schemes, including those relating to work health and safety, nuclear nonproliferation and civilian nuclear safety. Regulated activities The bill makes clear the activities that are to be regulated, identifying three distinct types of regulated activities: (1) Facility activities—that relate to particular facilities in Australia that are relevant to AUKUS submarines; (2) Submarine activities—that relate to AUKUS submarines themselves; and (3) Material activities—that relate to certain material, plant and equipment that emit or produce radiation that come from (or are for use on) AUKUS submarines. 'Regulated activities' are relevant to 'AUKUS submarines'. 'AUKUS submarine' is a term defined by the Bill and includes, an Australian conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine or a United Kingdom or United States conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine. The focus of this bill is on regulating activities across the lifecycle of Australia's own conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines—and the facilities in Australia that will support Australian submarines and UK and US submarines. The bill does not apply to conduct on board UK and US submarines. Designated zones Under this bill, regulated activities can only occur within 'designated zones' in Australia or in relation to Australia's conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (wherever they are located). Zones will be designated so it is clear where the boundaries lie between the Commonwealth's existing civil nuclear safety framework, established by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 and the new arrangements under this bill. Two zones will be designated initially, one at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia and another at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. The limits of those zones will be described in regulations. This bill establishes nuclear safety duties that apply to people when they undertake a regulated activity. It is necessary to impose duties on persons undertaking regulated activities because it is those persons who bear prime responsibility for nuclear safety. For example, a person must ensure nuclear safety so far as reasonably practicable and must be authorised by a licence. A person who is a licence holder must also establish, implement and maintain a nuclear safety management system to ensure nuclear safety. A licence holder would also be required to report nuclear safety incidents and to ensure that persons who are authorised by a licence have the appropriate expertise, training and information to ensure nuclear safety. Under this bill, a person must comply with the conditions of a licence. Work is underway to develop regulations that would, amongst other things, specify the conditions applicable to particular licences that would be required. We anticipate an exposure draft of the regulations will be made available next year. Only Commonwealth related persons will be able to apply for a licence and become a licence holder. Commonwealth related persons are defined in this bill to include industry partners who are Commonwealth contractors. Other people may also be authorised under a licence. This bill establishes a range of significant civil and criminal penalties for contraventions and offences, including breaches of licence conditions and contraventions of nuclear safety duties. These have been benchmarked against other offences in Commonwealth law and certain penalties proposed by the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, which is currently before the parliament. This bill establishes a new independent regulator, the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator. The new regulator will work with existing regulators to promote the safety of our submariners, Australian and international communities and the environment. The name of the regulator is marginally different from the name announced in May this year. The reason for this change is to ensure a clarity of roles. As operator of Australian submarines, the Royal Australian Navy is responsible for the control and disposition of Australian submarines. It is responsible for ensuring all aspects of submarine safety. This applies to the Collins class today and the conventionally armed nuclear powered submarines it will operate in the future. The Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator will be responsible for monitoring and, where necessary, enforcing compliance with nuclear safety duties that would be applicable under this bill. This includes the nuclear powered submarines themselves and also the facilities where they are built, operated from and maintained in. This regulator will have a range of functions, including considering applications for licences that would authorise regulated activities and compliance and enforcement functions, which would largely be discharged by inspectors who would be appointed under the bill. The powers of the regulator and its inspectors are comprehensive and are first directed towards promoting nuclear safety. The powers include entering, monitoring and investigating areas, conducting searches, operating equipment and securing or seizing evidential material. Inspectors may also give directions, improvement and prohibition notices and make certain requirements of persons that are necessary for nuclear safety. A person would only be appointed as an inspector where the person has the necessary competence, technical expertise and experience to properly exercise the powers of an inspector. The regulator will be led by a director-general and a deputy director-general. A person will not be appointed as the Director-General or Deputy Director-General of the regulator unless the minister is satisfied they have the competence, independence, technical expertise and relevant experience to properly discharge their important functions. To ensure the independence of the regulator from the Australian Defence Force chain of command, neither the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General will be members of the Australian Defence Force. The bill provides the Minister for Defence with a power to give the regulator a direction about the performance of its functions and the exercise of its relevant powers. This power would only be exercisable where the Minister for Defence is satisfied that it is necessary to give the direction to the regulator in the interest of national security and where it is necessary to deal with an emergency. Submarines are warships and will be Australia's most significant strategic asset. Should the power be exercised, the minister will be required to table, in each house of parliament, a statement that such direction was given to the regulator. A ministerial direction would not have any effect on the operation of nuclear safety duties in relation to regulated activities—including the operation of an Australian nuclear-powered submarine. The purpose of this power is to provide a mechanism to ensure that the functions of the regulator do not prejudice, and are not contrary, to national security during an emergency. Moratorium on civil nuclear power Consistent with the first tranche of AUKUS related legislation that passed the parliament earlier this year, this bill does not affect the moratorium on civil nuclear power in Australia. The moratorium has been a feature of Australian law since the Howard government enacted the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in the late 1990s. Conclusion This bill is the second legislative step in support of Australia's acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. This is a responsible and necessary step to ensure delivery of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, and the safety and security of Australians. Building the legal architecture to support this endeavour will involve further tranches of legislation. This work will extend beyond the life of this parliament. We will continue to adopt a methodical, phased approach that builds our capacity as a nation to safely and securely build, maintain and operate conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. Doing so will keep Australians safe. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned. BILLS 21 BILLS Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023 21

Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023

First Reading 21 Second Reading 21 11:17 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I am pleased to present the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. In May, I introduced the Defence Legislation Amendment (Naval Nuclear Propulsion) Bill 2023. This clarified that the moratorium on civil nuclear power—as reflected in the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999—does not limit the performance of regulatory functions that might be necessary in respect of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and their supporting infrastructure and facilities. Those amendments, which have now been enacted, mean the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) can perform their functions in support of the nuclear-powered submarine enterprise. These functions would include the issue of licences, where applicable safety criteria are met. In the event that licences are issued by the CEO of ARPANSA under the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 in relation to regulated activities, this bill would enable those licences to be treated as licences for corresponding activities on commencement of the regulatory regime established by the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill, I have just introduced. It is our intention that these bills be considered together, given their linkages. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned. Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023 22

Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023

First Reading 22 Second Reading 22 11:20 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The bill that I introduce today will enshrine an objective of superannuation in legislation, and I acknowledge the presence of the Assistant Treasurer and also Assistant Minister Leigh in the parliament this morning as we move this important legislation. I thank them for all the work that they do in these important areas. This legislation defines the objective as: to preserve savings to deliver income for a dignified retirement, alongside government support, in an equitable and sustainable way. This simple and straightforward objective will serve as a guide for future governments, regulators, industry, and the wider community—instilling greater confidence in the system. Australia has a world-class superannuation system that is the envy of countries right across the globe. But for the last 10 years or so super policy has been costly, confused and chaotic. Those opposite raided the superannuation system for their own purposes with a devastating impact on the retirement savings of millions of Australians. Around $36 billion in savings that were meant to last a lifetime were drained out of super accounts in a matter of months. Legislating an objective of super will help prevent this sort of short-sightedness ever happening again, making sure the focus of super is on the best interests of members, and not on those interested in ideological battles. The objective will help ensure super delivers on its foundational promise of providing a dignified retirement for more Australians. It will secure super's future by embedding its purpose into law. This will ensure that any future changes to the superannuation system will support its objective, not supplant or undermine it. The bill does this by requiring ministers to produce a statement to parliament explaining how any proposed changes to super are compatible with its legislated purpose. Policymakers will be held to account when considering changes that affect Australians' retirement savings. The objective will not alter superannuation trustees' existing obligations. Super funds will continue to be required to make investment decisions in the best financial interests of their members. This legislation also doesn't change the ability of members to get early access to their super on compassionate grounds or in cases of genuine financial hardship. For trustees, the objective will serve as a reminder of their role to support members during their working life and into retirement. And with more Australians approaching retirement age than at any time in our history, delivering better retirement incomes has never been more important. This bill is an important next step towards a stronger super system for a stronger economy and it has been met with strong industry support, and I want to thank the industry for their engagement. We know that superannuation is a significant source of capital: it contributes to the strength of our financial markets and there are opportunities to leverage superannuation investment in areas of national economic priority where it aligns with the best financial interests of members. Having a clear, legislated objective of super will help ensure these broader benefits of super can be maximised. This will be a defining decade for our nation, and that demands defining the role of superannuation—to protect the gains that have been made and to pursue its greater potential as well. We are very proud, as Labor people, that we built super. We will protect it and make it the best it can be to ensure that it continues to deliver dignity in retirement for generations of Australians to come. Full details are contained in the explanatory memorandum. Debate adjourned. Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023 23

Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023

First Reading 23 Second Reading 23 11:25 Mr JONES A9B Whitlam I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today I am proud to introduce the biggest government crackdown on tax adviser misconduct in Australian history. The government is appalled by the outrageous behaviour by PwC and the allegations about other firms in the consultancy sector more broadly. Through the misuse of confidential government information, large multinational organisations had a head start on how to sidestep and avoid Australia's tax laws—a head start that put $180 million a year of money that should have been flowing for the use of Australian taxpayers at risk. The Tax Practitioners Board's investigation exposed a tax advisory firm that had betrayed trust for personal gain, rather than ensuring tax was fairly paid in Australia. This government has a clear agenda on multinational tax. New laws, currently before the parliament, will tighten multinational tax loopholes, increase transparency and ensure multinationals pay their fair share of tax in Australia and for Australians. This government has a very clear agenda on multinational tax. I'm pleased to have in the chamber alongside me today the assistant minister who has been leading the government's reform agenda in relation to multinational tax. New laws currently before the parliament will tighten multinational tax loopholes, increase transparency and ensure that multinationals pay their fair share of tax in Australia. We cannot let tax adviser misconduct undo all of that good work or undermine that important agenda. The PwC scandal exposed several shortcomings in Australia's regulatory frameworks, and that undermines community confidence in our tax system. It showed that it is not only the multinational companies but also their tax advisers that need to be held accountable for their actions. This bill will crack down on tax practitioner misconduct and rebuild public confidence in the systems and structures that keep our tax system and capital markets strong. Schedule 1 will expand tax promoter penalty laws to ensure that promoters of tax exploitation schemes face significant consequences for their actions. Penalties will be extended to significant global entities, to ensure that both corporate entities, and non-corporate entities like partnerships, are captured by these laws. The maximum penalties for these entities will increase 100-fold from the current $7.8 million to as much as $780 million. We will also make it easier for the Australian Taxation Office to apply the promoter penalty laws by broadening the scope of important definitions and providing an additional two years for the tax office to gather information and evidence. The message from government is clear: Do not promote schemes that sidestep our tax laws. You will be caught, and you will be punished. Schedule 2 is about whistleblower protection. It extends existing tax protections to whistleblowers who disclose information to the Tax Practitioners Board. Those who become aware of misconduct within the tax agent profession should be protected when they bring that information to the appropriate regulator, without fear of recriminations or punishment. This measure responds to a key recommendation of the independent review into the TPB and the Tax Agent Services Act 2009. It protects tax whistleblowers from detrimental conduct, such as termination or litigation, in response to a disclosure. If detriment is suffered, it will allow whistleblowers to seek compensation—important stuff. Schedule 3 will allow the Tax Practitioners Board to publish more details of its investigations and its decisions publicly, and it will require them to keep those details published for up to five years. The schedule will also increase the investigation time frame from six months, as it currently stands, to two years, enabling the Tax Practitioners Board to investigate a wider scope of issues raised by a potential breach. Schedule 4 will remove limitations on information sharing that were a barrier to regulators acting in response to the PwC breach of confidence. We know that it took too long for the government to be advised of the PwC's actions. On that occasion, the misconduct first occurred in 2014, and it was discovered by the Australian tax office in 2017, but it was not until December 2022 that the government was made aware. I'll repeat that. It first occurred in 2014, it was discovered in 2017, but the government itself was not made aware until December 2022. That's not good enough. The measures in schedule 4 will enable our tax regulators to share protected information with Treasury about confidentiality breaches by those engaging with the Commonwealth. Treasury can then take the necessary action to properly and quickly respond to the breach, including by disclosing information to other agencies and certain ministers, in order to deliver the appropriate response. The Australian tax office and the Tax Practitioners Board will also be able to share protected information with prescribed professional disciplinary bodies where they suspect actions may constitute a breach of the relevant professional codes or standards. This will ensure all professionals, no matter the framework that they're regulated under, will be held to account. These four schedules reflect the government's decisive next step—the second of three steps—in better regulating tax practitioners and strengthening accountability within the tax system. They're not our first step, and they won't be our last. Further areas of reform have been foreshadowed. These will follow reviews which have been separately announced, and these will deliver options to government progressively over the next two years. We'll soon commence consultation on the first of which, stronger sanction powers for the Tax Practitioners Board. Together, our immediate and longer-term measures will drive better behaviour, deter misconduct and strengthen the resilience of our regulatory frameworks. This bill also delivers on the Albanese government's 2023-24 budget commitment to implement a cap on the use of deductions under the petroleum resource rent tax. This is the first element of the government's response to the petroleum resource rent tax gas transfer pricing review. Schedule 5 will limit the proportion of petroleum resource rent tax assessable income that can be offset to a maximum deduction of 90 per cent. These changes will mean that the offshore liquefied natural gas industry pays more tax sooner, contributing to an expected increase in tax receipts of $2.4 billion over the forward estimates. Under the current law, most of the LNG projects are not expected to pay any significant PRRT until the 2030s. These reforms address this issue. These sensible changes will deliver a fairer return to the Australian taxpayer from the resources that they own, providing certainty to industry and investors to allow the sufficient supply of domestic gas, and ensure that Australia remains a reliable trade and investment partner. Consultation on further measures to deliver the government's petroleum resource rent tax reforms will follow the introduction of this bill. Full details of the bill are contained in the explanatory memorandum. Debate adjourned. REGULATIONS AND DETERMINATIONS 25 REGULATIONS AND DETERMINATIONS Health Insurance (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Amendment (Indexation) Determination 2023 25 11:35 Ms KEARNEY LTU Cooper I move: That in accordance with section 10B of the Health Insurance Act 1973 , the House approve the Health Insurance (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Amendment (Indexation) Determination 2023 made on 6 November 2023 and presented to the House on 13 November 2023. The extended Medicare safety net provides an additional benefit for Australians who incur high out-of-pocket costs for Medicare-eligible out-of-hospital services. Once the relevant annual threshold of out-of-pocket costs has been met, Medicare will be pay up to 80 per cent for any future out-of-pocket costs for out-of-hospital Medicare services for the remainder of the calendar year. Caps are applied to the maximum additional benefit that can be paid to items under the extended Medicare safety net. This amendment applies at a 5.4 per cent indexation to the cap of 86 items from January 2024, providing a greater benefit for patients accessing care under these items. It also updates the caps of four obstetric telehealth and phone consultation items, aligning them with arrangements applied to equivalent face-to-face items. The Albanese government is committed to strengthening Medicare. We have made medicines cheaper by cutting the PBS copayment to $30, the largest cut to the copayment in the history of Medicare. We have introduced 60-day prescribing for a range of medicines, delivering savings for six million Australians living with ongoing health conditions. And we have tripled the bulk-billing incentive for children under 16, pensioners and concession card holders, making it easier to find a bulk-billing doctor for around five million children and their families, and seven million pensioners and concession card holders. This amendment today continues our government's commitment to strengthening Medicare and I commend it to the House. Question agreed to. COMMITTEES 25 COMMITTEES National Disability Insurance Scheme Joint Committee 25 Report 25 11:37 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, I present the committee's report, incorporating additional comments, entitled Capability and culture of the NDIA. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). Ms COKER 263547 by leave—Through this inquiry, the committee received 206 submissions and held 13 public hearings. As the only permanent body providing oversight of the NDIS, the committee appreciates the time and effort of people with disabilities and their families who provided written and oral evidence. I would like to acknowledge the positive life-changing impact the NDIS has had on the lives of so many people with disability—when it works well, it is life-changing. However, in committee hearings we have often heard the anxiety, frustration and exhaustion of participants, families, carers, and advocates. The committee calls on the government and the NDIA to learn from these experiences and to take action to improve the NDIS for all participants, their families and carers. In the report, the committee focuses on the operational processes and procedures of the agency, staff employment and workforce matters, and the impact of the NDIA's culture and capabilities on NDIS applicants and participants. The report looks at the impact of the NDIA's capability and culture on various groups of people with disability, including women, First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse people and LGBTQIA+ people. The committee places a particular focus on the lived experience of people with disability, the difficulties they face in having their disabilities recognised by the NDIA and accessing reasonable and necessary supports. The committee also examined the NDIA's approach and assessment of multiple disabilities and recommends the agency assess people according to the totality of their disabilities and no longer require participants to nominate a primary and a secondary disability. In their evidence, Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service highlighted the consequences of this approach. They said a participant's primary disability effectively determines which of their impairments will be supported and what level of funding will be provided in their plan. They explained the impacts of this 'cookie-cutter' model. They said: But people don't come pre-packaged with a primary disability. People come with all sorts of complex situations, and one person with disability A is not the same as another person with disability A. Furthermore … the agency is making their own decisions about what the most important condition is. Regardless of what doctors tell them, regardless of what the participant tells them, and regardless of repeated challenges, they are deciding, 'No, your primary disability is hearing loss and the other conditions don't even count.' That is not what the legislation says, that's not what the case law says and it's not fair or reasonable. It's not how people are. On the matter of fraudulent practices, the committee received substantial evidence and welcomes the federal government's strong action on deterring, investigating and prosecuting fraud, including the establishment of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce. In regard to guardianship, respite and accommodation, these are also considered in the report. In making our recommendation on respite, we recognise the important role it plays in sustaining the participant, the carer and their families. In her submission, Lynda Lett emphasised its importance: My husband is my only informal carer and works full time. He requires respite to be able to continue looking after me long term. In nearly 30 years of marriage he has only had a total of 4 weeks respite. He is burnt out and suffering under carer burden. It is reasonable, necessary and value for money to provide my husband with respite— where it is required— thereby reducing my need for formal supports otherwise. The report also highlights the need for effective early intervention and diagnosis of disability, to ensure the best quality of life for the individual. The committee urges the states, territories and the federal government to work together to better support improvements in early intervention and diagnosis. I'd like to acknowledge that the Albanese government is recognising the need to lift the capabilities of the NDIA. And that's why, in the 2023-24 May budget, it included a record $720 million investment into the resources of the NDIA and the scheme. The committee hopes this report, combined with the recent report of the disability royal commission and the upcoming report of the NDIS review, will set out a path for government and the NDIA to build on the promise of the NDIS, for the benefit of people with disability. On behalf of the committee, I thank everyone who has written or spoken to the committee during this inquiry. We appreciate the effort they have made in sharing what can only be considered deeply personal, often frustrating and exhausting experiences. Please know that we see you, we hear you, and we are making recommendations to make the NDIA more responsive to you. In closing, may I thank all my colleagues on the NDIS committee and the secretariat for their diligence, their compassion and their hard work. I commend this report to the House. 11:44 Ms WARE 300123 Hughes by leave—I thank the House for the opportunity to make a short statement as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme who was recently part of the inquiry into the capability and culture of the NDIA. At the outset, I'll say that this statement is in the nature of additional comments provided by the coalition members of the joint standing committee, those coalition members being the deputy chair of the committee, Senator Hughes, as well as Senator Reynolds and me. There are just three additional comments that I wish to bring to the House's attention today. The first recommendation that we have proposed is that the NDIA co-design and implement a sex and relationship policy to give NDIA staff and participants clear guidelines on the approach to related supports. This recommendation relates to evidence that was given to the inquiry on the absence of proper supports relating to sex education, particularly for children and teenagers with disability. The failure to provide these supports has, in the past, seen many with cognitive and intellectual impairments fall foul of the criminal justice system, either as perpetrators or as victims, due to the lack of a framework existing within the NDIS which they can understand, and this has had, particularly, unintended consequences—for example, of teenagers who are going through puberty being excluded from sex education within schools. So this recommendation is part of our additional comments. Recommendation 2 relates to the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program. We say that that should be administered by the NDIA with robust links to the Department of Social Services, rather than, as is currently the case, the Department of Social Services having responsibility for this program. The Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program is meant to be the third plank of the NDIS, providing support to community groups to assist people with disabilities. So we say that, for the effective implementation of this program, it would be more appropriate for the NDIA to administer this program and to be given the supports to do so. Lastly, recommendation 3 relates to improving the overall transparency around the future financial sustainability of the NDIS, and I'll say this. As part of our additional comments, we are calling upon the government to resume a practice that was instigated under the former government where the NDIS monthly summaries were released. We are also calling for the immediate release of the outstanding 2022-23 Annual financial sustainability report and the NDIS independent review, in full. This inquiry related to the capability and culture of the NDIA. The NDIS is a world-first and life-changing insurance scheme for people with disabilities. Financial sustainability and transparency lie at the heart of the future success of this insurance scheme. To not have the monthly accounts provided by this government is a complete breach of transparency and accountability. In closing, they are the three recommendations that are presented as additional comments to this report. Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee 27 Report 27 11:49 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I present the committee's report entitled Supporting democracy in our region. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). Mr BURNS 278522 by leave—On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and as Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, I'm very pleased to present this committee's report titled Supporting democracy in our region. The report makes eight recommendations which the committee hopes demonstrates the way in which Australia can continue to work and partner with countries in our region and align local priorities, enhance countries' institutions and build on our existing strong bilateral relationships. The inquiry was referred to the committee by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in September 2022. The committee received 58 submissions and held a series of public hearings in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. As part of the inquiry, three committee members had the wonderful privilege and opportunity to travel to the Solomon Islands and to Papua New Guinea, and I acknowledge the member for Jagajaga, who joined us, and the member for Fisher, who was part of that really memorable delegation. The committee met with parliamentarians and committee counterparts from both countries as well as the Auditor-General, the Electoral Commissioner, civil society groups, journalists and other integrity agencies. I would like to extend my personal thanks to all of the experts and the people of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, who not only gave us their insights and their intellectual contributions but also their kindness, their warmth and their hospitality. It added greatly to the composition of this report, and I thank everyone that we met through that delegation. The stability, prosperity and sustainable development in our region are under threat from a range of factors, including growing inequality, the pandemic, other health challenges, climate change, economic challenges, gender imbalance and inequality, diminishing human rights and a closing civic space. These are big challenges to grapple with, and it is in Australia's national interest to support and build stronger partnerships when invited to in our neighbouring countries. The committee received evidence that demonstrated there is a significant weakening in democratic governance in the region, and this is problematic for all people living in the region, including Australia. We are not immune to our own democratic challenges here in Australia, and we must constantly be reinvesting in and re-enforcing our own institutions. We have an important role to support those in our region, our family, to do the same thing as well. The evidence was clear that democracies, while varying in nature in the Indo-Pacific, rely on good governance to achieve robust institutions that are accountable and can be scrutinised. In addition, democratic governments support free and fair elections that are well administered and have transparent practices. Independent media is necessary for the functioning of democracies as they hold power to account, raise awareness of regional, national and international issues, and give communities a voice to engage in debates that shape their lives. One of the main findings in this report was to recommend that Australia's electoral assistance to be given as effectively as possible. The committee suggested taking the whole-of-election cycle to support countries in our region. This means, due to the significant logistical challenges that many countries in the region face, to be able to administer and to logistically plan and prepare for very challenging elections in countries where infrastructure presents huge challenges, that Australia can do more over a longer period of time, to lead into elections through our agencies to support those who are doing a remarkable job, working extremely hard for their own country's elections. The committee also recommended that the department of foreign affairs publish a clear and transparent policy on its funding and program support for international elections. This is aimed at preventing international players from mischaracterising Australia's longstanding precedence of supporting the core function of democracy in our region through the appropriate channels while respecting the sovereignty of each nation. The impacts of climate change were a significant topic that arose during the committee's discussions around supporting peace and stability in the region. The committee recognised that the Pacific nations have identified ongoing challenges of climate change as their No. 1 priority. Committee members who travelled to the absolutely beautiful Salamaua in the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea heard from the local administrator about the devastating impacts rising sea levels and high seas are having on their community. This included seeing houses that had collapsed on the coastal shoreline and flooding that was impacting the local village school, which needed to be relocated. We literally walked over damp sand that never used to meet the high tide. It was a very rare occurrence that the high tide would come up to the local infrastructure of the community of Salamaua, and they are now saying this this is a daily occurrence. This is literally changing the way in which they are living their lives, and they urged us as Australians and their local administrators to maintain our focus on climate change and support them in their community infrastructure. With this in mind, the committee recommended increased support for international communities in our region to mitigate climate change. This includes adaptation and mitigation works to prepare for rising sea levels and extreme weather events, given the adverse effect climate change has on institutions, national security and civil society, which negatively impacts democracy. It was clear from evidence that there is a need for increased funding to support independent media in the Indo-Pacific region which includes partnering with local journalists in country to strengthen democratic norms and good governance. The committee believed it is important to reciprocate training for journalists and to fund journalists from the Indo-Pacific to bring a variety of news and stories back to Australia as well. This will help to advance stronger partnerships within our region between journalists. The committee received evidence from civil society organisations that are undertaking valuable work in the Indo-Pacific region. Countries that have well-functioning governments, low corruption and strong connections between government and civil society organisations have higher resilience to disruption and instability. It is good for democracy to have a strong civil society, and I thank the incredibly dedicated civil society organisations and their people for all of the work they've been doing. Promoting gender equality is a human rights issue and is a means to social and economic empowerment. It is critical that women in the Indo-Pacific region are provided with equal opportunities to actively participate in community and society as a whole. The committee recognises that gender equality is critical in participating in democracy, in leadership and in decision-making in all levels of society, including in parliaments. The committee recommended that the Australian government reinstate funding for a women in parliament program within the Australian parliament. The committee believes that the preconditions for the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities are important for a strong and functioning democracy. The committee believes that the focus on participation of people with disabilities should be continued and increased. The committee was also impressed to receive evidence demonstrating that young people are key agents of change in the region and are engaged in promoting democratic values. Recognising that there is a significant youth population in the Indo-Pacific with over half the population of 10 million under the age of 25, the committee believes that the government should provide increased targeted funding to youth led organisations which promote democracy in our region. Final recommendations made by the committee included the establishment of a central civil society organisation hub within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support the coordination and delivery of development in the region. Lastly, the committee recommended that the government set an annual baseline funding target in the ODA budget for the delivery of humanitarian and development programs through civil society organisations. On behalf of the committee, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of those who contributed to our inquiry. I want to thank those who made submissions and who appeared before the hearing. I want to give a special mention to Rebecca Gordon, the secretariat of the committee, who has joined us in the chamber and who also joined us on the delegation to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Along with her team, she worked extremely hard on providing sound support and the collation of evidence and really important discussions around the tabling and the construction of recommendations. She is a fine representative of the quality of Public Service we have here. I want to thank the deputy chair, Senator Chandler, and the other members of parliament who contributed to this report. It is a multipartisan report. We have worked together to think deeply about our region and to think deeply about the people in our Pacific family who people in this House hold in their hearts as essential to Australia's future. I thank everyone for participating. I commend the report to the House. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 265979 Does the member for Macnamara wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion? Mr BURNS 278522 I move: That the House take note of the report. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 265979 The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. Reference to Federation Chamber 29 11:59 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara I move: That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate. Question agreed to. BILLS 29 BILLS Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023 29

Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023

Second Reading 29 12:00 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin Last night I was making the point that the Australian people had not heard of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee before the election, because it wasn't an election commitment from this government. The only reason we are here using precious time in this parliament to debate the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023 is the dirty deal done by the Labor Party in order to get one of their industrial relations bills through the Senate. The problem when you make dirty deals in order to just facilitate politics, like this government does, is that you waste Australian people's money. This is going to cost $8.7 million. I know that the government on the other side of the chamber throw millions and billions around—it just sort of rolls off the tongue. At a time when they have just wasted $400 million on a referendum they now want to waste another nearly $10 million on a committee to advise them on things they should already know. What on earth do members of the government do for their day jobs? If they're not out there listening to the Australian people and getting a feeling for the things that they need and the policies they need, why on earth are they here? Why on earth do they need to set up a body that's going to cost nearly $10 million to give them advice that they can then ignore? That's the other inconvenient truth of this whole charade that we're going through with the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. When it was set up in an interim fashion before being legislated it provided the government with a whole lot of advice and the government ignored it—I think quite rightly, given some of the advice that came out of it. These are all hand-picked fellow travellers of the Labor government. The chair of the soon-to-be-legislated Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee is the former member for Jagajaga. What was she doing recently? She was just administering the Labor Party in Victoria. That's what she was doing. She was just administering the Labor Party of Victoria, deciding who was getting preselected and who wasn't. She was wielding quite extraordinary power in the Labor Party. Now it's proposed that she will chair this new legislated committee. There will be other fellow travellers, like the head of the ACTU, Sally McManus. It sounds like a bit of a make-work program for fellow travellers of the Labor Party. If the government are saying that they need a separate body of unelected individuals outside of the Public Service or a department to give them advice on these sorts of matters then really the government have fallen a lot further than most Australians think. This is a government whose priorities are utterly wrong. This is a government that wants to talk about anything other than the issues that are affecting Australian people. I know that the Labor Party think that this $8.7 million is just someone else's money. It's someone else's hard-earned money. Do they realise that every day Australians get up, they get on the train, get in the car or get in their ute to go to work and they voluntarily pay their taxes—begrudgingly in some cases? The deal is that the government ensures that every single dollar is spent wisely. Spending $8.7 million to get a group of fellow travellers of the Labor Party sitting around together thinking up new ways they can get the government to spend more money, for the government to then ignore, is just an embarrassment. It is an utter embarrassment. The fact is that this was negotiated with Senator David Pocock in order to get his support for a piece of industrial relations law. And there is obviously the union wish list, which every Labor government gets on day 1 after they're elected. They get the wish list—the unions walk in the door, and they say to the Prime Minister and each of the ministers, 'Here's the wish list; it's the list that we need you to deliver in exchange for all the support we've given you.' I give credit to the government! They're very studiously working through the union wish list, one by one, crossing off every item on the wish list from the unions! The problem is that, here, we've got—sure, in the context of the Australian budget, it is a relatively small amount—$8.7 million that is literally being flushed down the drain. That's $8.7 million taken out of the pocket of a hardworking Australian, who contributes their taxes for the greater good of this country on the basis that the government zealously guards that dollar and spends it properly or spends it to help another Australian. It is not so a group of people who—let's be frank—are already doing very well for themselves, who are all high-income earners themselves, can come together and prognosticate to the government their wisdom, their remarkable wisdom. Seriously, if those opposite don't get enough belief in themselves from their electorates, or from their stakeholders if they're a minister, then they're in the wrong job. Give it up. Give it to somebody else. If you need an unelected body to tell you these things, spending $8.7 million in the process, then you're in the wrong game. But the truth is, I suspect, in the defence of many of those opposite, that this was just a dirty deal in order to get a piece of legislation through. They know that they don't need this. They know that this is akin to pouring $8.7 million down the drain, down the gurgler. But they just see that as a cost of doing business, for them to get their destructive agenda for the Australian economy through the Senate. We're all realistic in this place. We're all realistic. But to use taxpayers' money in such a wanton fashion to bring forward this bill is, I think, shameful. On a day like today, when we've just had a bill rammed through this House, a bill that doesn't keep dangerous, violent non-citizens detained, by the way, but a bill that still ensures that those people are roaming free in our community, we are using precious legislative time in a threadbare agenda from this government on something like this? Instead of the government focusing on their core duty of keeping Australians safe—instead of the government putting their energies towards developing legislation to ensure that murderers, rapists and paedophiles stay behind bars in detention rather than roaming the streets—they've used their energies on this, to appoint a whole lot of fellow travellers at the cost of $8.7 million. It just highlights that the priorities of this government are all wrong. How on earth could a government think of doing this, today, when there are people fearful in the community of those who have perpetrated domestic violence against them? The government offers no solution to that. Instead of dealing with that problem in a thorough way that keeps those people detained, we're dealing with this trifling matter at a cost of $8.7 million for advice that's going to be ignored by the government. Mark my words: nothing will come out of this Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee that remarkably changes the law of this country or the economic direction of this country. It will come up with recommendations that the government will ignore. It will prepare papers and reports that will go into a drawer somewhere, never to be read, never to be looked at. Meanwhile, we've got a government saying: 'It's all too hard. We're sorry, Australia, but there are now 84, and potentially hundreds more, violent criminals, the worst of the worst, who are going to be wandering our community.' And this bill is what the time in this chamber is being used for today. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 230531 The minister is seeking the call on a point of order, I assume? Mr Jones A9B It's on relevance, Deputy Speaker. I have been very patient on this. He knows what he's saying and promoting. It's got nothing to do with the question before the House. He's advocating unconstitutional— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 230531 I thank the minister for his point. I will listen very carefully. Mr SUKKAR 242515 If the minister was listening, which he clearly wasn't, he would know that I'm discussing the priority that this bill is taking in the House. It's the absolute wrong priority. Instead of the government doing their job, we have this. It's the solemn duty of government to use their energy, time, skill and the Public Service to protect Australians. Instead, we have this. It's an utter embarrassment to those opposite. There are good people opposite who I know feel embarrassed by these sorts of tawdry deals done in the Senate. It's been legislated at the eleventh hour now this year. It's close to the end of the year. Why? Because that was the promise made to Senator Pocock—'If you vote for our bill, we'll make sure we legislate this by the end of the year.' With all due respect to Senator Pocock, he hasn't really driven a hard bargain here. He's not exactly negotiated for himself, from his perspective, a phenomenal outcome, because what has he negotiated and what's the government delivered? The government's delivered him a committee of fellow travellers who will give them useless advice that they should already know and that they'll then ignore. How do we know that? Because they've already ignored it. The interim advisory committee, this committee that is now being legislated, has provided advice to the government that the government have ignored. All of that you could put up with because, in the end, if people want to volunteer their time and give the government advice that the government will ignore, it's a free country. Absolutely. Do it. But to spend nearly $10 million of taxpayers' money to bring together a group of people who are already doing very well for themselves to prognosticate and give advice to government that is going to be ignored is an abject waste of money. We have seen that before this year, with $400 million spent on a referendum. That all of the energy and efforts of this government have been put into priorities that are completely not helping the Australian people in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is remarkable. When you look at what the government have delivered and what they promised, it's very interesting. I started my remarks by saying nobody in the gallery and no-one in the Australian public had heard of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee before the election. Why? Because it was never promised. We know it only came up as part of a dirty deal with Senator Pocock. But what the Australian people did hear before the last election very loudly from the Prime Minister and all of his MPs and shadow ministers at that time was that he was going to make their lives easier. Under this government, how have they made it easier? The cost of food is up by 8.2 per cent, the cost of housing is up by 10.4 per cent, the cost of insurance is up by 17 per cent, the cost of electricity is up by 18.2 per cent and the cost of gas is up by 28 per cent. An Australian with an average mortgage is paying $24,000 a year more. The most repeated promise before the last election wasn't the promise of an Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee; instead, we got another promise on 97 occasions. That promise was repeated not as a slip of the tongue; not a moment where, as we all do from time to time, you get a bit excited and say something that you haven't thought through. On 97 occasions the Prime Minister said, 'I will deliver Australians energy price reductions of $275 a year.' The Prime Minister has never mentioned that since the election. It was something he was willing to promise 97 times before the election, but he's not been able or willing to repeat it once since. Instead, as I said, we see that the cost of electricity is up by nearly 20 per cent. The cost of gas is up by nearly 30 per cent. Australians would have every right to be angry if energy prices had remained the same. They'd say: 'Well, hold on. You told me I was getting a $275 reduction. But it hasn't moved. It's still the same as when you were elected.' They would have a right to be angry. They have a right to be utterly appalled that, rather than prices staying the same or going backwards by $275, they're paying 20 per cent more for electricity and 30 per cent more for gas. This Prime Minister stared down the barrel of a camera 97 times and made that solemn promise to the Australian people. I suspect many Australians voted for him on that basis, because they believed that he meant what he said, that he was going to deliver what he said and that he was going to deliver energy price relief. So, instead of delivering the things that they did talk about before the election, we're now spending the precious time today in this chamber, the people's house, on a day when the issues being faced in this country require urgent attention from this government, delivering on a dirty deal done by the government with Senator David Pocock in order to get some of their troubled industrial relations legislation through. It's a shocking precedent. Do the backroom deals all you want, as long as it doesn't cost Australian taxpayers. Somebody's got to stand up for those taxpayers, and on this side of the House we will, and I certainly will. Let me repeat: these taxpayers are people who get up every day, those mums and dads who don't get home in time to bathe their young children, because they're working. They have to work that little bit harder every time the government does something like this today, spending $10 million on something that is akin to flushing money down the drain. Who's going to stand up for those people? Well, clearly, nobody in the government, but we will. It's a terrible precedent because I'm worried now, particularly with their very troubled and radical industrial relations changes seemingly being stalled again in the Senate, what other dirty deals they are going to do in order to get the union wish list ticked off. Who won't they sell out? Who won't they shake down for a bit more money in order to get their agenda through in order to pay back their union paymasters? This time it's $8.7 million, but the next dirty deal will be a lot bigger, and the dirty deal after that will be a lot bigger. And, like a gambler, they'll chase their losses. The only problem is that they're not gambling with their money; they're gambling with your money. It's very easy to gamble with and waste other people's money. We will be opposing this bill. We'll be opposing the fruits of this sneaky, backroom, dirty deal between the Labor Party and the senator. We'll be calling on the government to save this $8.7 million. Put this $8.7 million into something better. Put it into the health system. Put it into mental health. Put it into the education system. There are a thousand things you could do with $8.7 million. If I went to my electorate and said, 'What on earth could we do with $8.7 million?' there'd be a list as long as your arm of decent, worthy projects and people to support, including for cost-of-living relief, that everyone in this place would say is absolutely worthy. It would be a worthy use of $8.7 million. But flushing $8.7 million down the drain to bring in a group of Labor fellow travellers to give them advice that they're going to ignore is terrible policy. It shows no regard and no respect for the Australian people. It completely disregards those millions and millions of Australians who work hard, get up every day and make sacrifices in order to work hard and pay their taxes. The one thing they expect in return is a decent government that spends that money wisely. They'll look at this and know that every single one of those 8.7 million dollars is being utterly wasted, disregarding their efforts, and that's why we will be opposing this bill. 12:21 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby One of the really important things that any government can do to build a thriving and cohesive society is to address disadvantage. Australia is the lucky country, but it's important that it's the lucky country for all. A fairer society is a more cohesive and peaceful society, and that benefits us all. A fairer society means that when you fall on hard times you know that you are still part of the broader community and that the broader community supports you to get back on your feet. We're there for you. Of course, that experience of community support comes through the actions of a caring and compassionate government that is here for all Australians. That's not what we've seen over the last 10 years, and I'm not surprised to hear that those opposite are opposing this bill. They have demonstrated over the last decade and, in fact, more recently that they stand for division, not for that cohesive, peaceful society that we are looking for. Before I came to this place, I ran a number of not-for-profit agencies that focused on those experiencing disadvantage. I was the chair of UnitingCare Wesley Bowden, the CEO of women's homelessness service Catherine House and the CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society in South Australia. I've seen how cruel and random life can be and how hard it can be to pick yourself up when life has kicked you in the guts. Advantages and opportunities are not distributed evenly. For all that there are those of us who've been blessed with all the advantages—health, education, a stable childhood home, a supportive partner, gainful employment—there are others for whom poor health, poor education, an unstable childhood home, an abusive partner, unemployment or predatory employment experiences have been barriers to full participation in our society. This is not their fault, but these barriers can be very difficult to overcome. While each individual experiencing disadvantage needs an individual response—and that's what the not-for-profit sector does so well—it's important that we address disadvantage at a systemic level. This is the classic metaphor of the fence at the top of the cliff, not just the ambulance at the bottom. That's why I decided to leave the not-for-profit sector and seek to be elected to this place so as to address those systemic issues, and that's what is at the heart of this bill, and it's what Labor governments are all about. This bill will establish the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee in legislation. Ahead of every federal budget the committee will provide advice to the government on economic inclusion and tackling disadvantage. This is really important information to be under consideration when setting economic plans and levers—the impact on Australians from all walks of life experiencing various types of disadvantage. An interim committee was established in December 2022, which provided advice to the government ahead of the 2023-24 budget. This bill now supports the government's commitment to legislate a permanent role for the committee in 2023. The bill outlines the functions of the committee, the contents of its reports and the provision and publication of the committee's reports. This includes economic inclusion, including approaches to boost economic participation through policy settings, systems and structures in the social security system and other relevant programs and policies; the adequacy, effectiveness and sustainability of income support payments, including options to boost economic inclusion and tackle disadvantage; and options to reduce barriers and disincentives to work, including in relation to social security and employment services. The bill requires the committee in preparing its report to demonstrate its regard to the government's economic and fiscal outlook and fiscal strategy. The bill also requires the committee to report to the Treasurer and the Minister for Social Services with sufficient time for its advice to be considered ahead of every budget. The government will annually publish the committee's findings, without a requirement to formally respond. The committee will comprise up to 14 members, including the chair. Members will be appointed by the Minister for Social Services, in consultation with the Treasurer, and be leading economists, academics, community advocates, union and business representatives, and representatives of the community sector. This committee will bring together representatives from various parts of our communities. The current membership of the interim committee includes representatives of community advisory services to the NDIS, various economists and academics, a representative of an Aboriginal women's organisation in Fitzroy Crossing and representatives of ACOSS, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Council of Trade Unions. It's really good to see, in addition to academics and economists, a broad representation of people working or living with experience of disadvantage, who can speak of the lived experience of disadvantage and analyse proposals through that lens. The Albanese Labor government is committed to boosting economic inclusion and tackling disadvantage. This bill will ensure that there is an ongoing mechanism for the provision of independent expert advice to government on matters relating to economic inclusion and disadvantage. This bill will ensure that there is an enduring mechanism for government to benefit from expert advice on how best to support Australians most in need and minimise disadvantage in our communities. The establishment of the committee as a statutory body furthers the government's commitment to provide support to Australians most in need and the commitment to listen to experts, stakeholders and community views to inform decisions in the budget, while acting in a fiscally responsible manner. The Albanese Labor government is committed to a strong social security safety net. We will always look to provide more support where we can to those most in need where it is responsible to do so in line with the government's economic and fiscal outlook and fiscal strategy. The committee is an example of the government's commitment to listen to experts, stakeholders and community views to inform decisions in the budget. Disadvantage is a complex and systemic problem. This is an issue that is not limited to consideration in a single budget process or resolved within a single portfolio, so it's important that this committee has an ongoing role established in legislation to provide advice for this budget and the next and the next and to consider various portfolios where it sees they are relevant, because disadvantage is not only persistent but multifaceted and changing. As policy changes the impacts change. This committee's reports will provide important information for consideration now and in the future. The committee's membership will include a diverse range of individuals representing the views of people impacted by the work of the committee along with the relevant experts. The committee will include a number of members who work closely with and represent the views of income support recipients and people with lived experience of disadvantage. Through its work, the committee will also consider and listen to perspectives of people experiencing economic exclusion and disadvantage. The committee will consist of a chair and up to 13 members, comprising economists, academics, union and business representatives and community advocates, who will be appointed by the Minister for Social Services in consultation with the Treasurer. Members will hold the office on a part-time basis for a period of three years, and they will be eligible for reappointment once their term ends. Members of the committee will not be remunerated. The government has committed ongoing funding of $8.7 million over the forward estimates to support the operation of the committee, including the ability for the committee to commission independent research and for secretariat support. The committee will provide annual advice in a report to government on a range of matters, with a focus on economic inclusion and boosting participation, the adequacy and sustainability of income support payments, and reducing barriers to economic participation. In its report, the committee will be required to demonstrate regard to the government's economic and fiscal outlook and fiscal strategy, workforce participation, relevant policies and the sustainability of the social security system. The committee's findings will be published on the Department of Social Services's website. There is an interim committee already in existence, and the committee provided advice to the 2023-24 budget. The government delivered significant income support measures in that budget which came into effect 20 September 2023, providing much additional support to Australians who are doing it tough. These measures included increasing the base rate of working-age and student payments by $40 a fortnight, reducing the qualifying age to 55 years, down from 60 years, for the higher rate of JobSeeker payment for single recipients who've been on the payment for nine continuous months; increasing the maximum rates of Commonwealth rent assistance by 15 per cent; and extending the parent payment single to parents until their child is 14 years of age, up from eight years. In its next phase of work ahead of the 2024-25 budget, the government has asked the committee to focus on improvements in the social security system that would support participation, in particular for disadvantaged groups experiencing or at risk of long-term unemployment. The committee's advice will complement other processes, including the employment white paper and the inquiry into employment services, which should be reporting some time this month. The government believes that everyone deserves the opportunity and the dignity of work. We recognise the wide range of benefits that come from having a job, including economic, social and personal benefits. The Albanese Labor government will always look to provide support where we can to those most in need, where it is responsible and affordable to do so and to weigh it up against other priorities and fiscal challenges. This is consistent with the commitment that government made to consider income support payments ahead of every budget and to give consideration to measures where we can support people in Australia who are doing it tough, because Australia is a lucky country, but we want it to be lucky for us all. Thank you. 12:33 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah I rise to speak to the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023. This bill is thanks to the efforts of Senator David Pocock in the other place, and I pay tribute and thank him for ensuring it has come to fruition with the government's agreement. This bill establishes into legislation the committee that has in fact already been up and running prior to the previous budget. This legislation puts it on a statutory footing. It brings together experts from across Australia to provide ongoing expert advice to government, because what's clear is too often decisions in this place are not sufficiently based on expert advice. In particular, when we look at how we support those most vulnerable in our community, they are all too often used as political pawns, for attack, for wedge, for headlines, for shock jocks on radio, rather than looking at what their genuine needs are and what the merits are behind policy. I absolutely welcome this committee, and the basis on which experts will be able to make recommendations so that we actually pass legislation and, hopefully, have budgets that are geared towards assisting—not scoring political points. This committee will provide expert advice to government, and it will help ensure the widest range of stakeholders will feed into each yearly budget process. The advice this committee will give to the government will include advice on areas such as the adequacy, effectiveness and sustainability of income support payments; options to boost economic inclusion and tackle disadvantage; options to reduce barriers and disincentives to work; options for tailored responses to address barriers to economic inclusion for long-term unemployed and disadvantaged groups; the impact of economic inclusion policies on people with barriers to work, including, without limitation, people with caring responsibilities, Indigenous Australians and people with disability; and the impact of economic inclusion policies on gender equality, because far too often we see policies and budgets that have imbalance and inequity. Whilst I welcome that we had the Women's Budget Statement return in the last budget, it is important that the advice going to the Treasury—prior to the budget being determined and finalised—includes an assessment of the impact and the effect of possible decisions. Regarding the trends of inequality markers in Australia and international comparisons, are we falling behind our OECD partners and countries? I urge, as an additional consideration in that aspect, that we look at generational equity. We need to make sure that young people and young people's interests are front of mind when budgets are being determined and when we are allocating spending in this country, because, if young people are not supported in an equitable way, we are heading down a road of great trouble. There's a lot to cover for this committee, but it's heartening to see a good policy advisory mechanism reporting directly to government on the most effective way to deal with thorny, long-running issues around people who face barriers, hardship and disadvantage, so we can help those people to fulfil their full potential. In that respect, we obviously have to address the ongoing gaps of disadvantage that First Nations Australians face, but also, in particular, the gender inequity that remains persistent and the fact that women are still not paid equally and are still not retiring with equal amounts to men. Decisions are incredibly important around budgets and around opportunities for how we assist women back in the workforce and to get equitable pay in the workforce. I know many of my constituents in Warringah will welcome the sorts of measures that improve the policymaking process and try to address the longstanding complex policy conundrums that have been an issue for successive governments and have failed to progress for much too long. We see that in all communities around the country. And, whilst Warringah may be more affluent than others, I still deal with constituents facing great hardship who struggle to make ends meet and who need help to get their lives back on track. It's concerning when you see the statistics of women over 55 being the group most facing homelessness, for example, the difficulties and barriers to getting back into employment, and all of those issues. At the moment, as we grapple with cost-of-living issues, we know some of the highest cost-of-living areas are in our urban areas, for example. In Warringah, in particular, recent data came out relating to housing affordability and rental availability of properties, and areas like Seaforth were identified as some of the most expensive in the country. It is incredibly important that when decisions are made by the executive, by government, it is with the benefit of sound expert advice that is non-partisan and that hopes to close some of these gaps that have remained too wide for too long. This bill will ensure substantive, sober policy work is undertaken and provided to the government to act on in order to help constituents. The committee has already, in fact, issued the report, in April this year, with a series of wideranging recommendations for the government to examine, including a substantial increase to the base rates of JobSeeker payments and related working age payments. I have to pause here, because, again, what we saw with the recommendation for a substantial rise was that the government did not match the recommendation. My concern in relation to this legislation is that we don't really have a requirement for the government to explain why it will depart from that expert advice and recommendation in relation to certain policy areas. I think that is a level of transparency that is required. If you are going to depart from sound recommendations of a committee that you are putting in place and endorsing, something you should do in this place is explain the decisions of government. I think that is part of the transparency that the Australian community would like to see. The committee has also advocated for an increase to Commonwealth rent assistance and a reform to its indexation to better reflect rent paid. Again, not all of those recommendations were taken up in full at the last budget, so that explanation is important. But I look forward to hearing more from the government on how this committee is specifically driving it to make better policy and take onboard the recommendations that it receives. There's always a risk that governments will set up committees such as this because it looks good and it's a great headline but ultimately ignore the recommendations. That is why it is important for government to come back and explain and respond. It's a bit too easy to say you're going to respond in the form of the budget papers—they are extensive documents, and you're really saying we should go fishing and finding to get your explanations of why you've departed from the recommendations. I support this bill. I support the work of the committee. I welcome it. For too long, these areas have been fraught with wedge politics for the sake of politics and not for the good of communities. But the proof will be in the pudding whether the government will take up the advice of the committee. So I await budget 2024 to see how much it does. 12:41 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan I am proud to be a part of a government that makes positive choices and creates positive bills. We're building, not blocking; we're choosing love, not hate. We want to empower people, not hold them back. And we choose inclusion, not exclusion. So I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023, which, once passed, will establish the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, as a statutory body. The committee will be put in place in statute to provide important advice to government—advice given to government in the lead-up to the budget each year about the best ways to tackle disadvantage. That's because we're a country that believes that all people should be able to achieve their full potential. This is a significant step towards ensuring that the government considers policy implications of its budgetary measures in relation to tackling financial disadvantage. The Albanese Labor government has been committed to creating a permanent role for such a committee. It was a commitment that arose after the interim committee was formed in December 2022. It was advice from this committee that was submitted to the government in advance of the 2023-24 budget. Now, the Albanese Labor government again is wanting to deliver. The function of this committee will be to promote economic inclusion through boosting economic participation via, firstly, an effective mechanism in our social security system and, secondly, promotion of relevant programs in the community. Doing this is important because economic exclusion means entrenched disadvantage. To have the opposite—economic inclusion—it means a society that is more equitable and distributing income more fairly, including wealth, jobs and economic opportunities. An equitable distribution of income is better for everyone because it means prosperity, wellbeing and financial security for more people, not just the few. This includes boosting economic inclusion for our most vulnerable populations—the disadvantaged and the marginalised. This can include the most vulnerable and marginalised people in our community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, the elderly, women and people who live with disabilities. There are complex factors that lead to economic disadvantage. The reasons are often systemic and institutionalised. It could be due to a lack of access to education and training in early years or intergenerational trauma and disadvantage. People with a disability or our seniors find themselves economically excluded, particularly in a world where the majority of our financial services are provided online. Family and domestic violence is also a factor that directly correlates to economic exclusion. Often, economic exclusion is a tool used by perpetrators to inflict abuse on a victim. Financial abuse is a form of domestic and family violence. It includes the use of bank accounts to perpetrate abuse and the use of money to control victims. It's a very hidden form of abuse that often doesn't get talked about, or sometimes victims don't even know that it's happening until after the fact. It's often a problem that will have a prolonged effect, reminding the victim-survivors for years to come of the abuse that they suffered at the hands of their perpetrator. I have talked with advocates and victim-survivors in my community and have heard some difficult stories, and often some really confronting stories, of abuse. I remember door knocking in one of my communities and meeting a lovely elderly gentlemen who was living with his older daughter and grandchild. He explained the financial abuse that his daughter had been subjected to, which included the withholding of money for things as simple as sanitary products, which I think is really awful for someone who's supposedly a partner to do to their wife. In more recent consultations with victim-survivors and advocates, it seems that, when it comes to perpetrators, where there is a will there is a way. Bank accounts are being used to harm women. Many of these women do not hold a bank account in their name. They will work, but their pay is deposited into an account controlled by their abusive partner. Financial abuse can often leave victims in debt and without access to resources to escape unsafe situations. This means that people who are economically disadvantaged are often trapped in a cycle of financial exclusion. To exit disadvantage, to overcome economic exclusion and to achieve economic inclusion, all consumers need to have access to safe, secure and affordable financial products and services. This often starts with something as simple as having a bank account in your own name, which is something that I'm hearing eludes many women, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. But the truth is that I've even had this conversation with highly educated women who aren't from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For many women, accessing something that seems to simple to us, their own bank account, is a big step forward to financial inclusion and wellbeing. A bank account can mean independence, autonomy and, ultimately, the ability to escape from an unsafe situation for them and their children. Understanding the system and their financial rights is an important aspect to the path of economic inclusion. That's why next week I'll be launching the WA branch of the Economic Abuse Reference Group. Consistent with the commitment of the Albanese Labor government, I recognise the importance of listening to stakeholders, people with lived experience and those with expertise in this area. The Economic Abuse Reference Group is an informal group of Australian community organisations which influences government and industry responses to the financial impact of domestic and financial abuse. Its members include domestic and family violence services, community legal services and financial counselling services. It was initially established to consider recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence in Victoria. The EARG has provided input into national issues such as banking and insurance to create products that empower people to overcome economic exclusion. Over 20 organisations are involved. It's an example of bringing experts together to explore complex factors that lead to economic abuse and, ultimately, economic exclusion. I look forward to supporting WA organisations to establish a branch in my home state to advocate for positive change. Consumer Credit Legal Service and Women's Legal Service WA have been driving this initiative, and I congratulate them on their hard work and advocacy. The WA reference group will be an important vehicle to raise awareness of the issues around financial exclusion caused by family and domestic violence. It may also provide advice on policy relevant to the social security system. It's a system that we need to provide to support and to protect women, with strategies to encourage their economic empowerment by overcoming economic exclusion, exclusion that has been reinforced by family structures or a system that does not allow for economic independence when needed. Another function of the committee is to identify options to reduce barriers and disincentives to work, including in relation to social security and employment services. It means creating equal jobs. The government is working hard every day in this area to address the gender pay gap. The recent report on women's economic equality revealed that Australian women are much less likely to work full-time than women in many other OECD countries. And, despite more women working more than ever before, gender segregation still persists. The report also identified that women are more likely to be reliant on award-based, low-paid insecure work and tend to work fewer hours than men, and most casual workers are women. The government is tackling these issues from a variety of angles such as the closing the loopholes legislation that disadvantages casual workers through our new Fair Work legislative reforms. The report found that women do the majority of formal care work. I ask leave to continue my remarks at a later hour. Leave is granted. Debate adjourned. Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 1) Bill 2023 36

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

Consideration of Senate Message 36 12:53 Mr JONES A9B Whitlam I move: That the amendments be agreed to. The SPEAKER 53517 The question is that the amendments be agreed to.  

The House divided. [12:57]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

80 AYES Aly, A. Ananda-Rajah, M. Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Bowen, C. E. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Chalmers, J. E. Chaney, K. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Daniel, Z. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Freelander, M. R. Garland, C. M. L. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. Gosling, L. J. Haines, H. M. Hill, J. C. Husic, E. N. Jones, S. P. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, B. K. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. O'Connor, B. P. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Scrymgour, M. R. Shorten, W. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Swanson, M. J. Templeman, S. R. Thistlethwaite, M. J. Thwaites, K. L. Tink, K. J. Vamvakinou, M. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wilson, J. H. 59 NOES Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Chester, D. J. Coleman, D. B. Conaghan, P. J. Coulton, M. M. (Teller) Dutton, P. C. Entsch, W. G. Fletcher, P. W. Gee, A. R. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Hamilton, G. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Landry, M. L. Le, D. Leeser, J. Ley, S. P. Littleproud, D. Marino, N. B. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. Morrison, S. J. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pearce, G. B. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Price, M. L. Ramsey, R. E. (Teller) Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Sharkie, R. C. C. Spender, A. M. Steggall, Z. Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Thompson, P. van Manen, A. J. Vasta, R. X. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Ware, J. L. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Young, T. J. 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023 41

Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023

Second Reading 41 13:02 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan It's so wonderful that so many people are in the chamber; I think it's because everyone wants to see more economic inclusion! This is something that this Albanese Labor government is really proud to be working on. That's because we believe in a society where all people can achieve their full potential, and this government is actively working on how we can do this. One of the things that we see often with economic exclusion is that it is systemic; it's often institutionalised. We are having a look at the ways we can put structures in place to make sure we can improve the lives of other people. This also includes women. One of the things that we've seen with this Economic Inclusion Committee is that we want to make sure that we look at options to reduce barriers and disincentives to work. This includes social security and employment services. It means creating equal jobs, and the government is working hard every day to address the gender pay gap. The recent report on women's economic equality revealed that Australian women are much less likely to work full-time than women in many other OECD countries. That's quite a concern. The report also found that women do the majority of formal care work, which is generally low-paying. And in aged care, child care or disability support, again, it is women that are making up the majority of the workforce. So we're lifting the wages for these workers. In WA, for example, we have 26,000 aged-care workers that have earned between $129 to $340 more every week—the result of our support for aged-care workers. Let's remember what we saw at the royal commission and what was happening in our aged-care facilities. We need to make sure that we look after our most experienced Australians. They deserve to be cared for, and the workers that look after them should be paid fairly. The Albanese Labor government is working to encourage more women into vocations that are traditionally male dominated. This has been done through our initiatives in STEM education and career development, which is led by our wonderful Minister for Industry and Science. We're also providing cheaper child care and extending paid parental leave. These are tangible measures to reduce the barriers and disincentives to go to work. We must do this because the issue of economic exclusion is complex. Complexity requires an integrated and whole-of-government approach: a statutory body which will have an important role in overseeing policy design and development—an oversight that can span across government when it comes to budgetary outlay and the implications of its decision. This is a bill I champion for these reasons. I want everyone in Australia to achieve their potential and not be trapped by disadvantage but thrive because the Australian government has their back. Our government puts people at the centre of policy development by advancing financial and economic inclusion, delivering economic growth that's inclusive for all Australians. The committee established by the bill will contribute to a policy of inclusive growth under the umbrella of a statutory body which will advise the Albanese government and consult and work in partnership to achieve a better outcome for all Australians. In closing, I urge you to recognise the profound implications of this bill. By establishing the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, we take a significant step towards a society where economic opportunities are accessible to all, breaking the chains of disadvantage and fostering a community where everyone can thrive. I commend the bill to the House. 13:06 Ms TINK 300124 North Sydney It's a core belief of mine and the people that I represent that everyone deserves respect and a fair go, no matter their background. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023. Right now, many Australians are doing it tough. The cost of living is increasing, rents and petrol prices are skyrocketing, and it is the individuals and families on lower incomes or without work who are being hit the hardest. According to Mission Australia, over 3.3 million Australians are living in poverty, facing significant disadvantages and challenges in their day-to-day lives. The Intergenerational report released this year shone a light on the barriers to economic inclusion and participation in Australia for underrepresented and historically disadvantaged groups. These include women, who continue to face barriers to finding a job or working the hours they would prefer, with unpaid work and caring responsibilities particularly impacting those with young children. At the same time, the share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in employment is around 22 percentage points lower than for non-Indigenous Australians. Similarly, people with disability have considerably lower employment rates than people without disability. I believe we can have a healthy, productive, thriving and inclusive society, but to achieve this we must address the root cause of disadvantage, look for ways to ensure economic and social inclusion for all and provide an adequate social security safety net. In this context, I welcome the government's bill and congratulate Senator David Pocock, particularly, on his work to make this committee a reality. This bill creates a committee to provide advice to government, ahead of every federal budget, on ways to boost economic inclusion and tackle disadvantage. In simple terms, the committee will advise government on ways to help those who are doing it tough. The committee will provide advice on policy settings, systems and structures, and the effectiveness of income support payments, as well as providing options to reduce barriers to work and economic inclusion, particularly for long-term unemployed and disadvantaged or disengaged groups. In providing this advice, the committee will consider the government's economic and fiscal outlook and fiscal strategy, workforce participation, existing policies, and the long-term sustainability of Australia's social security system in the overall context of the budget. Within this bill, I particularly welcome the provisions of independent expert advice to government, framed by consistent terms of reference. I also welcome the efforts to ensure the committee is comprised of a diverse range of experts, including a representative of the community sector involved in assisting or supporting persons who are economically disadvantaged, a representative of a peak employer or business association and an academic expert in social security. I also welcome the inclusion within the committee's functions of specifically having regard to the impact of economic inclusion policies on people with barriers to work, including those with caring responsibilities, Indigenous peoples and people with disability, as well as the impact of economic inclusion policies on gender equality. However, I believe there are ways to strengthen this legislation to ensure the government receives the best possible advice on ways to lift economic inclusion and reduce disadvantage. The Australian Council of Social Services has put forward several recommendations that they believe would strengthen the integrity and diversity of this committee, to help ensure its advice is well informed. I'd like to particularly draw attention to the following of their recommendations. Firstly, they recommend that the bill set out a process and time line for the development of national poverty targets and a national poverty measure or measures. This would ensure that poverty reduction is put front and centre on every agenda. They also recommend that the bill stipulate that reports must be published at least two weeks ahead of the federal budget, as this would ensure a minimum period of time for consideration of the committee's advice ahead of the federal budget. They also recommend that the bill ensure the committee includes representation from those people experiencing poverty by stipulating a minimum proportion of people directly affected, with a range of experience represented. To make this possible, they recommend that the bill provide that committee members be remunerated. They also recommend that the bill require that women should comprise at least half the membership of the committee, and, finally, that the bill ensure consultation with First Nations bodies to ensure there is sufficient representation of First Nations people on the committee. It is my hope that the establishment of this committee will lead to better policy that addresses entrenched disadvantage and includes measures to ease cost-of-living pressures. I believe these recommendations would help make that a reality. If the committee's advice is truly listened to, and acted on, it could lead to powerful policy outcomes—policies that see more affordable early childhood education and care, and the expansion of paid parental leave; policies that increase income support to adequate and livable rates; policies that address entrenched community disadvantage and create more affordable housing; and policies that close the gap between outcomes for First Nations Australians and those for the non-Indigenous community. However, the establishment of the committee is not a panacea for retaining economic inclusion. As we know, the Interim Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee was established earlier this year, pending this legislation being passed. The interim committee comprised the nation's leading economists, academics, philanthropists and community advocates. Their report, which was released on 21 April this year, just over two weeks before the May budget, had a number of recommendations, the primary one of which was: The Government commit to a substantial increase in the base rates of JobSeeker Payment and related working age payments as a first priority. The committee also recommended that any increase in income support be accompanied by, but not contingent upon, major reform of the employment services system so that it works much more effectively for disadvantaged jobseekers and employers. I hear from the North Sydney community regularly about the need for major reform of these services, and I'd like to speak about that feedback for a moment. In calling for a substantial increase to the JobSeeker payment, the interim committee found increasing the rate to 90 per cent of the age pension would improve adequacy, which means it would be the minimum increase required to support a basic standard of living in line with community expectations. While the interim committee made several recommendations, they highlighted this as the highest and most immediate priority. According to the committee, substantially increasing the JobSeeker payment, potentially to 90 per cent of the value of the age pension, is the most effective way to tackle poverty. But come budget day, there was no such substantial increase in support to be seen. Yes, working age and study payments increased, but only by $20 a week; that's just $4 a day. That doesn't even buy you a coffee, and it is certainly not the substantial increase recommended by the interim committee. Adopting the interim committee's recommendation would have resulted in a rise of closer to $100 a week, and that's just to ensure people can cover the basics. According to ACOSS research, in 2023, seven in 10 people on income support are eating less or reporting difficulty getting essential medicine and care because their incomes are inadequate. When coupled with poor services and stigma around receiving these payments, the inadequacy of JobSeeker payments is truly damaging. We must push for better employment services and payment rates for those facing barriers to employment. Adequate social and community services are critical to Australia's social cohesion and the development of a fair and equitable society. I and my electoral team regularly hear from members of the North Sydney community who tell us about their difficult and sometimes traumatic experiences accessing these services. Many of their calls are truly heartbreaking. We hear from people experiencing major mental health crises who find that the process of engaging with Centrelink compounds an already stressful situation. We've heard from constituents whose wellbeing is suffering; they're losing sleep and they're struggling with their addictions as a result of unnecessarily navigating the Centrelink system. Many constituents comment on their lifetime of paying taxes and doing the right thing, only to feel betrayed by their government when the chips are down and they need help. Instead, they're being made to feel they cannot be trusted and are somehow scamming the system when legitimately trying to access Commonwealth support. When people try to follow up on their claims on the phone, they are met with a circular recorded message, or an automatic disconnection when the system actually recognises that they have called before. Sometimes the call simply fails, regardless of how long they've been waiting. One constituent told my office that seeking to contact Services Australia is like trying to talk to the man on the moon. Another said, 'If you don't speak to someone, my income will be reduced; yet I cannot get anywhere. It's impossible and makes life 10 times harder—for what?' We hear a lot about customer accounts failing to be updated with the latest data and missing documentation that was submitted online, as well as inconsistencies in information on the myGov account versus the customer records. The recently-announced increases to staffing at Services Australia is, therefore, long overdue and welcome. However, as inflation, interest rates and other living costs continue to rise, it's disappointing to reflect that, while the interim committee made clear recommendations to raise the adequacy of income support payment rates and services, those recommendations were neither heeded nor implemented. Other recommendations of the interim committee have also gone unheard. The interim committee called for the scrapping of the activity test for childcare subsidies. Childcare accessibility and affordability are other key issues for my community in North Sydney and are also complicated by a frustrating level of administration, often at odds with the economic and social outcomes we, as a society, want to achieve. The activity test is a major barrier to families accessing early learning and child care, as it adds unnecessary complexity to the social security system, increasing job-search costs for unemployed parents and creating uncertainty for parents engaged in casual work. If it were removed, children and families would have greater access to early learning and child care, and we know that that supports children's development and allows parents to participate in the workforce. Specifically, the interim committee recommended that: The Government abolish the Activity Test on the Child Care Subsidy and commit to guaranteeing all Australian children access to three days of early childhood education and care. All children benefit from access to early childhood education and care, and government policies that ensure affordable access can lift female participation. This call has been made by numerous experts and independent bodies, including, most recently, by the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce report, which again recommend that the government: Abolish the Child Care Subsidy Activity Test, as an immediate first step towards universal access to early education for Australian children. While I welcome the establishment of this committee, we must acknowledge that, in and of itself, simply establishing it does not solve the extensive challenges to economic inclusion of all Australians. The committee's advice is not binding, and, as this very recent history shows, the government may choose to ignore the committee's recommendations. If that continues to be the case, this committee will simply become another box to tick, another advisory body whose advice goes unheeded while people continue to struggle to make ends meet. That will mean more individuals and families battling every day, despite the existence of commonsense, workable solutions, and, in fact, will leave many of them feeling like the solutions that could be directed towards them are being deliberately ignored. I really, truly hope that, with the passage of this legislation, the government intends to not only establish this committee but also properly consider and act on their advice. To ensure this, I point again to the recommendations made by the Australian Council of Social Service which I believe would strengthen this legislation, and I'd like to advise both the House and the minister that I'll be moving several amendments during consideration in detail on this legislation to try to effect some of those amendments. We can only make our nation greater if we are prepared to listen to each other and move forward when good ideas are presented. I look forward to being a part of that process. 13:20 Ms PAYNE 144732 Canberra I'm proud today to be speaking on the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023 to establish a permanent role for the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee as a statutory body. The government is committed to boosting economic inclusion and tackling disadvantage, and this bill will permanently establish a role for this. It will ensure that there is an ongoing mechanism for the provision of independent expert advice to government on matters relating to economic inclusion and disadvantage. This is an issue that is really close to my heart and, honestly, is central to why I am in this place. Governments have an incredibly important and critical role in delivering the policies, services and foundations that enable Australians to live the happiest, healthiest and most fulfilling lives that they can—the policies that ensure that no matter where you were born and what your parents' income, you have the best shot at life here—and in creating the safety net that is there for all of us when life events happen that mean we need that support. It's what makes us a relatively egalitarian society. This is something that I think most Australians deeply value. Governments do this best when they look at the evidence and focus on assessing the need in the community and how to respond to that using the evidence. This is what the EIAC is about. I am pleased that the EIAC will be established to look at this and give advice before each budget each year and that its membership will include a diverse range of individuals representing the views of people impacted by the work of the committee, along with relevant experts. Before the last budget we saw the interim committee report and make some really important recommendations about what is needed to ensure economic inclusion in this country. There's a long history of this. As I said, this is close to my heart because my first job was working at NATSEM, the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, an organisation that is all about modelling the impacts of policies on households and modelling poverty and inequality. I had the great privilege to work with the inaugural director Professor Ann Harding, who, very sadly, passed away earlier this year. Her work—and I've talked about this in this chamber before—was very much about putting that evidence around poverty and disadvantage and how best to address it at the centre of public discussion and at the centre of policy development. NATSEM was instrumental in that for many years. At a recent memorial event for Ann I had the great pleasure to meet Brian Howe, one of Labor's greatest reforming ministers, including as the social security minister. He talked in his remarks there about the importance of governments focusing on poverty and the importance of focusing on that evidence. It was an incredibly inspiring speech, particularly coming from someone who has played such a role. Brian was there because he was also instrumental as the minister at the time in establishing NATSEM and seeing a role for the important provision of data and independent advice to governments and community on these issues. In 1986, as the minister, he also instigated the Cass social security review, which led to substantive restructuring of the social security system and the inclusion of some really important payments and changes, including the introduction of a family allowance supplement and important changes to unemployment benefits, the guaranteed indexation of benefits to the cost of living, the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of programs, and the removal of gender based eligibility for payments. Those were some really important changes. He has continued his contribution in this area over many, many years. Most importantly, Brian Howe was the minister in the Hawke government when Prime Minister Bob Hawke said that by 1990 no Australian child should live in poverty. While that statement is often ridiculed, less attention is paid to the measures that he introduced. There were a range of changes to child support, to family payments and to the social security system that meant that child poverty was immediately reduced by a third. By 1994, poverty rates for the children of jobless couples had reduced by about 80 per cent, and by 50 per cent for the children of jobless single parents. The social security system is an incredibly powerful tool that governments have to address poverty. We have also seen that in 2009 in response to the Harmer review, when the Gillard Labor government, under the social services minister, Jenny Macklin, who I am so proud to have worked for as the shadow social services minister after that, delivered the biggest increase to the age pension in its history and lifted a million pensioners out of poverty. These things can have a huge impact. The interim EIAC committee made some recommendations around the JobSeeker payment. They recommended that it should have a substantial increase, and in the findings of their report they talked about it being 90 per cent of the age pension. I'm about to run out of time, but I do want to talk a bit about the history of that payment and about this discussion around evidence and poverty in our community that has been going on for over 20 years. If we go back to March 1994, the Keating government increased the Newstart payment by $2.95 a week above the rate of inflation. For a long time after that, it was not increased. That would be the last time that Newstart was raised in real terms. Following that, in 1997, the Howard government made the decision to tie the indexation of the payment to inflation—unlike the pension, which is tied to wages. This effectively froze the payment. This is what began to lead to JobSeeker being so incredibly low. It has structurally lost its connection with the cost of living and living standards—unlike the pension, which is indexed to wages if they are increasing more than the cost of living. In 2002, the Senate held another major inquiry into poverty and disadvantage. It had a huge impact on the community in response and then a continued impact on the community conversation that was happening around poverty and disadvantage and the government's role in addressing it. This was the 2002 inquiry into poverty and financial hardship. Around that time, Anti-Poverty Week was established, which had its 20th anniversary last year. We also saw the Make Poverty History campaign. This was, of course, an international campaign with a focus on addressing absolute poverty around the globe. Here in Australia, it had a key focus on the unemployment benefit and the need to increase that as well. This saw a huge coalition of community groups, faith based groups, advocates and people in the community, and, discussing this with people, they say that there was a real change in the discussion. For example, here in the ACT, there were forums held where all of the Senate candidates and House of Reps candidates were in attendance to discuss— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The debate is now interrupted in accordance with standing order 43, and the debate may be resumed at a later hour. The member for Canberra will have leave to continue her speech when the debate is resumed. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 45 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Immigration Detention 45 13:30 Mr BOYCE 299498 Flynn We've always known that Labor governments are weak on national security. Last week, the High Court overturned a 20-year-old precedent that has underpinned the immigration policy of governments on both sides. As a result, in the weeks since the decision, the government has released 83 hardcore criminals into the community. including child sex offenders and murderers, who are the scum of the earth. But they have failed to introduce legislation to fix this issue. One of the released criminals is a violent sex predator with a record of attacking elderly women in their own homes, and a judge branded him as a danger to the Australian community. Another released criminal was sentenced in 2018 to over seven years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of rape and one of sexual assault. Whilst the coalition welcomes the government's belated commitment to introduce legislation this week, it shouldn't have taken a week for the government to actually focus on the safety of the Australian community. You might be asking: where is the Prime Minister, while his government and its weak policies and weak track record on national security fall apart? Once again, he is overseas, acting like everything is okay. The people in my community are worried about the message the Labor government is sending by releasing these 83 hardcore criminals. It's too little too late. The Labor government will always be weak on national security, and Australians know that. Israel 45 13:32 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby We are seeing an absolute tragedy in Israel and Gaza. The peace that we value here in this country stands in sharp contrast to the horrors we are seeing being inflicted on civilian populations. I want to thank the Boothby constituents who have reached out to me to share their pain and their fears. So many of the community—Palestinian and Israeli—have family and friends in the region. Your pain strikes my heart. The attack on 7 October was abhorrent, and we have, rightly, condemned the actions of Hamas. I grieve for the innocent civilian Israelis, including children, who were taken hostage or killed. Israel has a right to defend itself. In doing so, it must honour its commitment to uphold international law and protect innocent lives. The scale of the death and destruction in Gaza is unfathomable. All human life is sacred, and innocent civilians should be protected. I grieve for the innocent civilian Palestinians, including children, who have been killed or injured. I call for all parties to work towards a ceasefire. I want to see an end to the killing of innocent civilians. I want humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. I want to see an enduring two-state solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live with security. Without an end to the violence, that cannot be achieved. Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 46

Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023

13:33 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt This morning we had a situation where the government brought a fairly weak piece of legislation into this parliament to deal with a very serious, significant problem—a problem which all Australians are talking about and which all Australians are frightened of. Yesterday, the Prime Minister and the minister said that there was nothing they could do about a decision of the High Court. Miraculously, overnight, this weak lettuce leaf piece of legislation has been brought in an attempt to make it look like the government is doing something. But we on this side of the House want the government to actually do something. The piece of legislation that has been raced through this parliament goes nowhere near the community expectation of getting these dangerous people out of the community and away from vulnerable future victims. One need only reflect on some of the crimes that have been committed by these people who are now roaming freely in and amongst the communities that we all represent. There are rapists, murderers and child sex offenders. These people should not be free and in our community, and we need to have laws in this country that protect Australians from these sorts of people. We all pray desperately that no-one will fall victim to these criminals that are walking the streets, but, at the moment, the risk is very high. This government needs to take it seriously. Instead of the ridiculous and pathetic piece of legislation that came through this morning, the government needs to bring in something with actual teeth that gets these dangerous people out of the Australian community. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 46 13:34 Ms BYRNES 299145 Cunningham I'm participating again in the Youth Voice to Parliament campaign, championed by Ash, Gemma and the team at Raise Our Voice. Today's submission is from Zara Freeman, a 14-year-old constituent from Cunningham. These are her words: My name is Zara, I'm 14 years old, and I live in the Cunningham electorate. The issue I'm delivering to you today is how children's Medicare bulk-billing is not being utilised to help families. Currently, the top pages of search engines say that Medicare bulk-billing completely covers GP visits, paediatrics, dental work and immunisations for children under 16. But, in reality, these services are guilty of not bulk-billing like is claimed. A basic general practitioner's out-of-pocket gap is up to $40—$40 more than is claimed and $40 more than it should be. The federal budget for 2023 intended to address this issue by tripling bulk-billing for children, but this has still not solved the problem. There's a direct demonstration that incentivising does not work to combat children's Medicare costs. Instead, we need to penalise for not doing it. That means that free, equal health care would be available for all children when they need it, not just when the budget allows. Through introducing financial penalties for not bulk-billing children's visits, it means that Medicare is utilised so that struggling families aren't affected by absurd out-of-pocket costs, reducing future financial and health burdens on the current youth. Thank you to Zara. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 46 13:36 Dr SCAMPS 299623 Mackellar This is Youth Voice in Parliament Week, coordinated by Raise Our Voice Australia. I'd like to thank all the wonderful young people of Mackellar who submitted speeches. It was great to hear your thoughts and ideas, and I encourage you to keep speaking up. Today, I'm reading a remarkable speech by Tasman Cowper, who is 11 years old: Imagine a world where we can harness the power of the earth itself to create clean and renewable energy. That's exactly what we'll be exploring today as we dive into the fascinating world of geothermal energy. Geothermal energy taps into the earth's natural heat beneath our feet. It's a bit like using the earth as a giant battery, and it's clean and renewable. Australia has immense geothermal potential, with hot rocks hidden deep underground. By investing in geothermal energy we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions. This isn't just about saving the environment; it's also about creating jobs and securing our future. Geothermal power plants require engineers, scientists and technicians to build and maintain them. This means jobs for Australians, especially in rural areas where these resources are abundant. Imagine a future where Australia leads the way in clean energy, where our air is clean and our climate is stable. It's a future I dream of. Let's take this step towards a cleaner, greener, Australia together. Bendigo Electorate: DJAARA 46 13:38 Ms CHESTERS 249710 Bendigo Yesterday, 15 November, was a very special day for the people of my electorate and, in particular, for our First Nations people, the Dja Dja Wurrung. It marked exactly 10 years since they signed the historic first agreement with the State of Victoria which recognised them as the traditional owners and gave them settlement. They have since had 10 years of management of Crown land in our area. It's the alternative pathway that we have in Victoria to using the High Court for traditional owners, and they have flourished. Our local DJAARA have done extraordinary things in the 10 years of management they've had. They are restoring our waterways and they're teaching all of us how better to manage our lands—whether it be water or land. They're restoring the health of our forests through cultural thinning—removing the trees that are creating competition with other trees. They've also had a huge impact on our built environment by sharing with us their language. If it weren't for settlement and the relationship that's been built between our local First Nations people and our local council, the old Bendigo Gaol Theatre may still be called the old Bendigo Gaol Theatre. Instead, it's called Ulumbarra, a place to gather. The Kangaroo Flat Aquatic Centre may still just be the Kangaroo Flat Aquatic Centre. Instead, it's known as Gurri Wanyarra. These are some of the amazing achievements in my community. Congratulations DJAARA on a brilliant decade, and I look forward to the future of what we achieve together. Petition: Gaza 47 13:39 Mr BANDT M3C Melbourne Over 116,000 people around this country, including health and medical workers, some of whom are in the gallery right now, have signed petitions calling on the government to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. There are over two million people in Gaza living in an area half the size of Canberra—40 per cent of them are children—and because of the blockade they are walled in. They have nowhere to go, so when there were plans to launch an invasion of Gaza, the most densely populated place on the planet, it was obvious that it would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Yet, as bombs began to rain down on Gaza, Labor and the Liberals backed the invasion. On top of the 1,200 Israeli dead, there are now over 11,000 dead in Gaza and over 4,000 children dead, and they're just the ones we know of, because they have lost the ability to count how many people are now dying. There is no food, no water and no electricity. Doctors are performing caesareans by torchlight on mothers without pain relief. Premature babies are unable to be incubated. Yet, even as these horrors unfold—even as entire families lie beneath the rubble—our Labor government still will not call for a ceasefire. We need to join the majority of countries around the world that are calling for a ceasefire. I seek leave to table the petitions relating to a ceasefire in Gaza. Ceasefire now. Release the hostages. End the occupation. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 Has the petition been approved by the Petitions Committee? Mr BANDT M3C No. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 So you're now seeking leave for the document to be presented. Is leave granted? Leave granted. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 The document will now be forwarded to the Petitions Committee for its consideration and will be accepted subject to confirmation by the committee that it conforms with the standing orders. Chisholm Electorate: headspace 47 13:41 Dr GARLAND 295588 Chisholm During the election campaign last year, I promised $3.6 million to open a headspace centre in Box Hill in my electorate of Chisholm, and I'm really proud to say that I'm delivering on the promise. Box Hill headspace is on track to be fully operational by 2024, with some services commencing later this year. I recently visited the site of the new Box Hill headspace, and it's coming together beautifully. The site is on Prospect Street in Box Hill. It's close to public transport, to local schools and to the Box Hill Institute. Every step of the way the headspace team have been consulting with young people to create the very best service possible—and I think that's such a wonderful principle that headspace have. It's not just for young people; it's with young people. I met with the team at Mind Australia and the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network who are leading the project. I was so impressed by their passion and enthusiasm for making the site the very best it can be. I know how important Box Hill headspace will be for our community. I've had lots of young people write to me about how significant this commitment is. I look forward to updating the House, hopefully shortly, on this exciting project when it officially opens early next year. Immigration Detention 47 13:42 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume Today we've seen the latest from this shambolic government. In the last week—indeed, in the lead-up to today—we've seen the government release 84 hardcore criminals, including child sex offenders and murderers, into the community without any response or measures to keep Australians safe. In fact, we've seen reporting that tells us that a number of those people were released without a visa. Indeed, the minister has refused to clearly reject that allegation made by the ABC. I would add that it's very important that Australians understand that these people are not citizens of this country. This morning in this place we saw the government bring legislation that was literally drafted overnight. Now, they've seen the possibility of this coming for many, many months and they should've been focused on the safety of our community. These are people who have committed violent murders and vile offences against children. This is a government in panic mode. It's been caught asleep at the wheel. It's distracted and is focused on the absolutely wrong priorities. The Australian people deserve better. Australian Society 48 13:44 Mr DAVID SMITH 276714 Bean At the beginning of this week at the National Prayer Breakfast, more than 500 leaders came together in the Great Hall to hear Danny and Leila Abdallah's inspiring story of the power of forgiveness. This morning, at the ACU interfaith breakfast, leaders from all our faith communities came together in a celebration of the diversity and tolerance that holds our nation together. It is critical to bring together people of goodwill from all our communities, and for me it was heartening to see so many friends from the Bean community. There has been much debate in this place in between that has been less than edifying—debate that has sought to sow discord and division; debate that stokes hatred over love. It was disappointing that there was an attempt to bring some of this approach to the interfaith breakfast this morning. Words matter. We have a responsibility to do much better: to act in support of social inclusion and harmony, in our midst and also throughout the world. In the words of Sister Giovanni Farquer today: 'May we reach out with renewed courage and compassion to lift the burden of those with whom we journey, and to reignite in one another the spark of hope for a world where all humanity will live together in righteousness.' Immigration Detention 48 13:45 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina I have been very proud to sit in this place, the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia, and see this parliament at its finest—this parliament coming together for a national cause; this parliament coming together to do what's right for Australians; this parliament coming together, joining, combining and unifying, to help this nation, in the national interest. I'll give you a couple of examples. When there were the pins in strawberries, in 2018, this parliament passed emergency legislation to make sure that we did the right thing to stop that from happening anymore. Then this year we had the Russian Federation wanting to lease a site not far from the house of democracy—this place. And again, we came together to do what was right in the national interest. Today was not one of those days. We should have come together, perhaps even have been recalled, last week, when the High Court made the decision that it did: to release more than 80 rapists, paedophiles and murderers—people who are not of Australian birth; people who are not Australian citizens. We should have been better. But unfortunately, we were not. Today, we had a piece of legislation—to which we did not have the ability to move any amendments—pass this House, and it's not going to do what is required. We should have been better than that! Robertson Electorate: King, Dr Jennie 48 13:47 Dr REID 300126 Robertson Today I rise to acknowledge Central Coast nurse Dr Jennie King, who has been named a 2023 finalist for NSW Health's Judith Meppem Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognises the contribution of an outstanding nurse or midwife who, throughout their career, has had a positive and sustained influence on patients, the health system and their profession. Dr King has been a nurse for 40 years, and 20 of those have been with the Central Coast Local Health District. Dr King has also spent some time in the United Kingdom working for the NHS. She received her fellowship at the University of Sydney in nursing research. During her time with the Central Coast Local Health District, Dr King has worked in research with a focus on type 1 diabetes and improving patient care as well as outcomes. Dr King is a phenomenal healthcare professional, and I congratulate her on this recognition. Her commitment to health care and research highlights her dedication to her community and to the nation. I recently spoke with Dr King to commend her on her work, and she let me know that she loves every part of her nursing career, which has opened so many pathways throughout her life. Our healthcare professionals are truly amazing Australians and have demonstrated their strength through the COVID-19 pandemic and the demands that it placed on our healthcare system. I wish to thank all of our nurses, all of our doctors, all of our allied health professionals and medical support staff who assist our community, not just on the Central Coast but right across Australia. Immigration Detention 48 13:48 Mr THOMPSON 281826 Herbert Murderers, rapists and paedophiles—84 non-Australian-citizens are at large on the streets of Australia, with 343 more set to be released into your neighbourhoods. The High Court made its decision last Wednesday. Releases were made just days after. These people—violent offenders, who have committed horrific crimes—are free in the community. Only now has this government decided it would be a good idea to do something. And what's the solution they've put forward? Slap some ankle bracelets on them. It's too little, too late—especially now that we know the Labor government was warned about this in June. The government's first priority should be to keep its people safe. Instead, the government has misled and significantly let-down the Australian people. It disgusts me to think what could happen next. It disgusts me to think what a non-Australian man who killed a woman and her unborn child and blew up her body with explosives could do roaming free in our country. It disgusts me that a rape victim has been told her non-Australian rapist will not be detained or deported and is now out free in the community. This could have all been avoided. We've had all week to debate and pass legislation, which actually we've had since June. Instead, the Prime Minister has done nothing. And where is the Prime Minister now? He's not here to keep Australians safe from these murderers, rapists and paedophiles—he's overseas again. Australians deserve better. Holt Electorate: Dashain 49 13:50 Ms FERNANDO 299964 Holt I rise today with great joy to share a wonderful experience that highlights the rich cultural diversity in my electorate of Holt. Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Dashain celebrations at Cranbourne Gyan Jyoti Pathsala, a Nepalese community language school that plays a vital role in fostering cultural heritage. Dashain, the most significant festival in Nepal, is a time of joy, family and community. It is a celebration that brings people together to strengthen bonds with each other. I was pleased to join the pupils' parents at the Dashain barbecue and feast for some delicious homemade sel roti. Cranbourne Gyan Jyoti Pathsala, under the leadership of the dedicated individuals, has become a beacon for preserving and promoting Nepalese language, culture and traditions. The school serves as a bridge that connects the younger generations with their roots, ensuring that the rich tapestry of Nepalese heritage is passed on to the next generations. I thank the President Chiran Pandey, Secretary Suraj Parajuli—who is present in the gallery with his family—and the committee of the school for inviting me, and thank you to all the volunteers. I look forward to visiting again soon. Immigration Detention 49 13:51 Mr PEARCE 282306 Braddon Our government's No. 1 priority must be to keep Australians safe. I recognise that this commitment comes with significant complexities, but in all cases we must be resolute in our prioritisation of protecting our citizens. Last week, the High Court overturned a 20-year precedent that has underpinned our migration policy. This decision has resulted in 84 hardcore violent criminals, all non-citizens of Australia, being released into our local communities. I cannot accept the failure of this Labor government to prioritise legislation in order to fix this major national safety issue. This is one of the most significant domestic threats in recent times, a threat that the minister has known about since at least June. That's when this legislation should have come before this parliament, when it should have been fixed. Mr Kerry Whittle, from East Devonport in my electorate, is just one of the many who have contacted my office in relation to this matter. Kerry said that he's worried sick, and he asked who is running this country and why haven't they fixed this. Well, Kerry, from East Devonport, you've nailed it. You're spot on. Kerry's sentiments are spot on and true. This government is not prioritising keeping Australians safe from violent, overseas-born non-citizens, and if this government was doing its job these hardened criminals will never have been released in the first place. Lyons Electorate 49 13:53 Mr BRIAN MITCHELL 129164 Lyons My electorate is an absolutely amazing electorate. Last weekend was an absolute cracker. The Sheffield Mural Fest was on. Congratulations to brothers Kerry and Malcolm Nicholson from Queensland, who took home the $15,000 major prize for the People's Choice award for their Thespiritof adventure. The mural fest is the premiere mural fest in Australia, without a doubt. On Saturday, I attended a Remembrance Day service in Campbell Town, with guest speaker Geoff Parkes, from Nasho Fair Go, who delivered a fantastic oration on behalf of Vietnam veterans. Saturday afternoon was a day I look forward to all year with the Westbury show, which was celebrating its 160th year. There were many highlights, including the release of a book. The show goes on at Westbury! The next day, Sunday, I was back down south for another great country show in Brighton, the best country show in southern Tasmania. I had the honour of officially opening that show, alongside my state colleague Jen Butler. Thank you to all the committees and volunteers of these amazing festivals and shows, who do such amazing work in the electorate. It was also a sad time this week. Three days ago we lost Lindsay Birch, who was 41 years with the Tasmanian Fire Service, many years as a volunteer, mostly at Runnymede station. My condolences to Lindsay's family and the extended Birch family, an extended family that does incredible work out in the south-east of my electorate. Of course, I also give a shout-out to all the volunteers and emergency service responders who responded to the Dolphin Sands fires. Thank you. Immigration Detention 50 13:54 Mr VASTA E0D Bonner I'm in shock and I'm in disbelief that I have to be standing here today to give this speech. I'm outraged. Eighty-four hardened criminals, noncitizens, have been released into our community from detention. Rapists, paedophiles, sex offenders and murderers are now free in our country. The worst part is that the federal government was told in June this year that this could be a possibility, but, instead of working towards protecting Australians and having a plan if the High Court overturned this 20-year-old precedent, they have put rushed legislation through that hasn't even been written for 24 hours. That in itself is unbelievable considering the types of criminals that have now released from detention. To have a man who brutally shot a pregnant woman and then blew up her body with explosives walking free in this country is disgusting. As a father of two young boys, to know that a man who raped a 10-year-old boy is no longer in detention is unthinkable. Australians deserve to be put first. Australians deserve to be safe and they deserve to be protected. We in the opposition are prepared to stay here in parliament for as long as it takes to get this right. We are prepared to put Australians first. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 50 13:56 Mr LAXALE 299174 Bennelong Today I'll be reading a speech written by a Bennelong local. Ross Theo is 16 years old and this speech was submitted through the Raise Our Voice initiative. He said: 'I imagine an Australia in which every young person, regardless of their background or religion, has access to high-quality education. I want to see a country where opportunities are not limited by certain circumstances but rather where everyone's abilities are developed and ambitions are manifested. In this better Australia we must also embrace environmental responsibility as a core value. Let us be known by taking these urgent steps to make Australia what it fully represents. It is by ensuring we promote a healthy and prosperous environment for future generations. We as Australians should feel compelled to foster and care for a culture that appreciates both diversity and equality. It is now time to build a country in which everyone is treated with both common decency and respect, regardless of race, gender or heritage. We must promote a stronger and more united nation that thrives on its differences by breaking down these barriers and speaking for those who are disadvantaged. Let us strengthen the bonds between generations. We must pave a path for a unique Australia by investing in education, prioritising long-term sustainability, promoting equality for all and creating intergenerational connections and future ancestries.' Thank you, Ross. It's been a tough week in this place and your speech is a timely reminder of the issues that we should all be focused on. Immigration Detention 50 13:57 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon Hapless and hopeless is the only way you can describe what this government did before the High Court decision and after the High Court decision. They have been all at sea on what should be their No. 1 priority. They have misled the Australian community. They have misled this parliament. We stand here now still not knowing how we are going to fix this situation which at the moment sees 84 hardened criminals out in the community and the potential for another 340. We wrote to the government on Monday, saying, 'We will work with you to fix this.' At 7.15 this morning, the government came to us and said, 'This is what we're going to do.' There was no bipartisanship on an issue which is of paramount importance, the No. 1 priority that any government should have—that is, keeping the community safe. The Prime Minister was straight onto a plane to get out of here rather than do his duty and fix this issue. There are 340 people in the pipeline. We still do not know how this is going to be fixed in the long term. The Australian community knows what the government's priorities should be. The sad fact is that the government doesn't know what its priorities are. Middle East 50 13:59 Mr LIM 300130 Tangney Peace, love, unity and respect—I said this in this my first speech, and I reiterate these words now. We must apply these words to our everyday actions as we advocate for those amid this horrible war. I've spoken on the atrocity of war before, and, as a Buddhist, I have always advocated for peace. My electorate office has received hundreds of letters of correspondence regarding the ongoing humanitarian situation. I have personally been contacted by the community directly affected by the war. I am listening. We cannot be a silent observer in the face of violence. I grieve for those whose lives were lost, regardless of their background. Life is so precious. I advocate for the most basic of human rights—the right to live. Lasting peace requires all sides to respect the rights of each other. It cannot be forced, and, as a country— (Time expired) The SPEAKER 53517 In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. MINISTRY 51 MINISTRY Temporary Arrangements 51 14:00 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I advise the House that the Prime Minister will be absent from question time today. I will take questions on his behalf. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 51 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Immigration Detention 51 14:00 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Would the Acting Prime Minister be able to provide an update to the House in relation to the release of 84 hardcore criminals from the department of immigration? 14:01 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. On 8 November, the High Court ruled in the case of NZYQ, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs and others. It was a decision which was made against the arguments that were put forward by the Commonwealth government. The consequence of the decision was the release of the individual referred to in the case along with 83 other individuals into the community. It is fair to say that, since the moment of the High Court's decision, there has been a significant degree, understandably, of anxiety within the community about the release of these individuals into the community, given the nature of offences that many of these individuals had committed at points in time in their lives. The government, in releasing those individuals, put them on bridging visas, where there were strict conditions. But we made clear that we would look at every option available to us, including legislative options. This morning, we introduced into the parliament the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023. This represented the most legally robust proposition, which would put forward the strictest conditions—as the government saw it—in respect of these 84 individuals. Since then, we have been working cooperatively with the opposition around amendments to this piece of legislation. I want to say upfront that I commend the Leader of the Opposition and thank him for the spirit in which he has worked with the government in relation to amending this legislation. I want to say that there are six amendments that the opposition has put forward: the first is in relation to making curfews and electronic monitoring conditions mandatory, not discretionary; the second is requiring visa holders not to perform work or participate in any regular organised activity that involves contact with children; the third is requiring visa holders not to go within 150 metres of a school, childcare centre or daycare centre; the fourth is ensuring that each day of a breach of a visa condition will be treated as a separate offence; the fifth is, if there is a visa holder who has been convicted of an offence involving violence or sexual assault, allowing the minister to put in place a no-contact condition in respect of that individual; and the sixth is to establish mandatory minimum sentences in respect of those that breach this bill. The government agrees with these amendments in principle and is working with the opposition to establish the precise amendments that will be put to the bill in the other place. The basis on which we are doing this is that we are in a position where this must be resolved immediately. So this has been done on the basis that it passes this parliament today—it passes the Senate this afternoon and passes this House later this evening. This has been a matter of controversy and political debate in the public and, indeed, in this chamber. But I do want to say that, despite that, what we have seen in the last few hours in the way in which we have cooperated across the aisle demonstrates that, notwithstanding differences and debate, Australians can look to their political leaders and their legislators as people who will act in their interests and work together to keep the community safe. I believe that everyone who has been elected to this parliament comes here with the sincerity of representing the national interest. Central to that is maintaining the safety of the community. What we have been able to agree on today is an embodiment of that spirit on behalf of all of us. Immigration Detention 51 14:05 Ms BELL 282981 Moncrieff My question is to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. One of the hardcore criminals who has been released into the Australian community is Mohammad Rafiq, who has been convicted of both rape and sexual assault. On hearing of him being released into the Brisbane community, his victim said that she started crying immediately and felt a numbness. Has the minister or his department contacted this victim to provide her with any reassurance, assistance or support? 14:06 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I thank the member for Moncrieff for her question. My thoughts, and I'm sure the thoughts of every member in this place, are with that victim, and with all victims who are or who may be affected by these issues. But, of course, as she would appreciate, I can't comment on individual cases. What I can say, though, is that the Department of Home Affairs is, and has been, engaging closely with state and territory enforcement agencies, proactively sharing information. Starting well before the decision in the current case was handed down, our border protection and law enforcement agencies have been working together to make sure that the toughest possible conditions have been placed on these individuals. It's also incumbent on our state and territory law enforcement agencies to enforce existing state and territory requirements and orders which have been put in place with regard to individuals— The SPEAKER 53517 The minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Dutton 00AKI Mr Speaker, reluctantly, I raise a point of order, on relevance. I have respect for the minister's contribution which he has made to date, but this is a very sensitive issue. If the minister or his department haven't contacted the victim, would he commit, or undertake, to make such contact, given the sensitivities and obvious vulnerabilities that this individual is feeling? The SPEAKER 53517 I'll just ask the minister to continue. Mr GILES 243609 Unfortunately, as I said, I'm not in a position to comment on individual cases. But I can assure the Leader of the Opposition, the member who asked the question and the House that I will endeavour to put in place all the appropriate arrangements to demonstrate the highest level of concern that we have for safety. But, as I was saying, in this area it is incumbent on the state and territory law enforcement agencies to enforce those existing orders. Those existing orders include parole conditions, intervention orders and sex-offender-registration reporting obligations, amongst local law enforcement options. And, further to the answer by the Deputy Prime Minister: each of us in this place and in the other place has an opportunity to come together to make a difference—to impose even tougher requirements on all those affected so that we can come together to ensure community safety. Employment 52 14:08 Ms MASCARENHAS 298800 Swan My question is to the Treasurer. What do today's jobs figures mean for the Albanese Labor government's economic strategy? What other approaches have been rejected? 14:08 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Thank you to the wonderful member for Swan for her question about today's labour force data. On this side of the House we are under no illusions about the pressures that our people are under and that our economy is under. But we did get more welcome news today about the jobs market, after yesterday's wages data showed the second consecutive quarter of real wages growth— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The Treasurer will pause. The member for Hume and the member for Deakin will cease interjecting. The Treasurer will be heard in silence, just as the question was heard in silence. Dr CHALMERS 37998 Fifty-five thousand new jobs were created in October, which means that 620,000 new jobs have been created under this Albanese Labor government. More jobs have been created under this government than under any other first-term government in history, and we're only halfway through our term. The unemployment rate is 3.7 per cent, and the participation rate is at a record high of 67 per cent. Since these monthly records were first kept in 1978, the unemployment rate has only had a three in front of it 20 times. Seventeen of those 20 times have been under the Albanese Labor government. So it's 620,000 new jobs, record participation and the fastest quarterly wages growth in the 26 year history of the wages data. Our record-setting labour market is even more remarkable in a world of global uncertainty, volatility and conflict. We welcome these outcomes today and we welcome this strength in our labour market, because a secure job with decent pay is central to our efforts to help people with the cost of living. Australians are doing it tough, but our economic plan is helping to take some of the sting out of these cost-of-living pressures and take the edge off inflation. We have strong jobs growth, two quarters of real wages growth, $23 billion of cost-of-living assistance rolling out, the first surplus in 15 years, and key investments in housing, skills and energy. The Bureau of Statistics says that our efforts have taken half a point off inflation in the most recent data. Fitch Ratings, the RBA governor and the IMF all say that our efforts and our economic plan are helping, not hampering, this important fight against inflation. Those opposite want higher inflation, they want lower wages and they want more debt. We know this because they voted against cost-of-living help. We know this because they don't support our efforts to get wages moving again in our economy. They left us deficits and debt as far as the eye could see. That's because their nasty negativity comes with a hefty price tag. On this side of the House we are cleaning up the mess that they left behind. We are working for Australia, and more Australians are working as a consequence. Immigration Detention 53 14:12 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has left the country to go to San Francisco to meet with senior tech executives at a time when community safety is at risk from 84 hardcore criminals being released from detention by his government. Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The Leader of the Opposition will cease for a moment. Members on my right will be warned if they interject while the Leader of the Opposition is asking his question. The Leader of the Opposition will be heard in silence and will begin his question again. Mr DUTTON 00AKI My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has left the country to go to San Francisco to meet with tech-sector executives at a time when community safety is at risk from 84 hardcore criminals that have been released from detention by his government. The Prime Minister was unavailable to negotiate these matters this morning. I want to thank the Acting Prime Minister for his engagement. In the Prime Minister's absence, can the Acting Prime Minister give an assurance that the government will make contact with each of the victims of these 84 individuals or, in the cases where the victim is deceased, the victim's family? 14:13 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio In response to the last part of the question: we will make our best efforts to communicate with the families of victims around not only the circumstances of the release but the steps that the government is now taking in accordance with the legislation as amended that has passed this parliament. We will make our best efforts in relation to that. In respect of the first element of the question that the Leader of the Opposition asked: indeed, the Prime Minister is in San Francisco right now at APEC, a leaders meeting which has been attended by every prime minister, including the member for Cook, and by all Liberal prime ministers since the establishment of APEC, along with Labor prime ministers. We make no apology for the fact that we are engaging with the world. What we inherited when we came to power in May of this year was the worst circumstances in terms of our global relations that this country has ever faced. We had the situation with our largest trading partner where there was no contact whatsoever. With the country about whom we have the greatest security anxiety there was no formal defence dialogue in place at all. What the government has done is that we have been out there; we have been out there in a way which has made sure that our country is safer, our national security is improved and our trade is improved. When the Prime Minister was in the United States and when the Prime Minister was in China, he was there representing Australian working people and creating Australian jobs by getting trade back in place, and that's exactly what he is doing in San Francisco right now. Opposition members interjecting— Mr MARLES HWQ What we have from those opposite, which is to yell out shrilly whenever anyone goes overseas, is so compatible with the fact that when they were in government all they did was yell at the world! It's a complete lack of understanding about what we need to do as a nation in terms of improving our economy and our national security. That is why the Prime Minister is in San Francisco right now; we make no apologies for that. He is there representing Australians. Workplace Relations 53 14:16 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Why is action to stop wage theft so important, and how will the Albanese Labor government's closing loopholes legislation protect workers from having their wages stolen? 14:16 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I thank the member for Newcastle, someone who fights for jobs in Newcastle every single day—for good, secure jobs. The good news that has come through in terms of the number of people in work and wages finally getting moving is welcome. But let's not pretend it's shared by everybody. It is true that wage growth under the coalition never had a four in front of it. It never had a three in front of it and the average barely had a two in front of it. But it's also the case that even with wage growth finally coming through, now that we no longer have a government where low wage growth is a deliberate design feature of how they manage the economy, if you're somebody who is having your wages stolen then you are not seeing this. We can think about when this issue really came to public light, and I want to describe this. Not every underpayment is wage theft, we know that. But let's have a think and remember what happened with those 7-Eleven cases. There were two different forms of wage theft that we saw. The first was the half-pay scam, where people would be rostered formally for half the hours they actually worked. So in terms of the books, nothing was wrong, but in terms of the difference between their hours at work and their pay, they were getting half of what they were actually doing. And the second form of wage theft that we saw then was the cashback scheme, where you'd be paid the correct amount and then the manager would walk you across the store to the ATM in the corner, get you to take a chunk of your pay out and hand it back to the manager. If that exact same worker had walked back around behind the counter and taken money from the till, it would have been a criminal offence. But because it was the employer stealing the money at work, it was not a criminal offence. Nearly a thousand days ago, I saw something that was extraordinary in the Senate: the opposition, having introduced laws to make wage theft a criminal offence, voted against the provision that they themselves had introduced. And nearly a thousand days later, this morning, they did it again! They did it again! The one crime they seem to be relaxed about never putting on the books is when a worker has their wages stolen. Loopholes need to be closed. Workers should not be in the situation where, somehow, if theft occurs to them it's just always something we turn a blind eye to. It needs to be a crime, and the loophole— (Time expired) DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 54 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS National Growth Areas Alliance, Pearce, Hon. Chris 54 14:19 The SPEAKER 53517 I'd like to acknowledge that, in the gallery today, we have a delegation of 15 mayors and councillors from the National Growth Areas Alliance, as guests of the member for Pearce, and also the Hon. Chris Pearce, the former member for Aston and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer. A warm welcome to you all. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 54 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Infrastructure 54 14:19 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The Verdun freeway interchange was built in the early seventies. It's not fit for purpose and travels in only one direction. Despite extensive state government planning and a contribution of $50 million to the project, you've cut the promised federal funding of $200 million. My community is rightly angry and wants to know why, as minister, you don't believe we deserve an upgrade to our 50-year-old freeway interchange? The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Fisher will not interject before the minister even begins to speak. 14:20 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I thank the member for Mayo for her question. I know you are a long-term advocate for projects in your community, including this one. The facts of the matter are that we have been left with an infrastructure investment pipeline that is an absolute and utter mess. There are projects that have been committed to where there is insufficient funding to actually deliver what has been asked for. There is insufficient funding. They have left us with known cost pressures of over $33 billion in the infrastructure investment pipeline, including $14.2 billion of known cost pressures on those projects that are yet to start. I understand that there will be communities who are disappointed by some of the decisions that we have made today, but I can say very clearly that they should blame those opposite for leaving a pipeline that simply cannot be delivered and for, in fact, not being honest with communities, including yours, that there is insufficient funding. They have been all press release and no delivery. We will continue to work with states and territories for priority infrastructure projects, but what we have done today is guarantee the $120 billion infrastructure investment pipeline. We have provided billions of dollars worth of cost pressures to states and territories, including $2.7 billion in South Australia to make sure that the North-South Corridor can be delivered, and that is an incredibly important project for that state. We will continue to work in partnership with states and territories to deliver projects, but not just press releases. Aged-Care Workforce 55 14:22 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa My question is to the Minister for Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to fix the neglected aged-care sector it inherited and getting wages moving for our dedicated and hardworking aged-care staff? 14:22 Ms WELLS 264121 Lilley I thank the member for Werriwa for her question. I know that she cares very deeply about ensuring that we support aged-care workers in providing the best care for older people in her electorate. Australia's aged-care workforce is the foundation of the ambitious change that we are delivering for the sector. For too long, aged-care workers were underpaid, and they were undervalued. Finally, those workers have a government that cares for them as they care for our vulnerable. We stood beside workers in their fight for better wages. As a result, they were awarded the largest-ever increase to award wages in a work value case at the Fair Work Commission—a 15 per cent increase to award wage minimums for 250,000 workers across the country, an $11.3 billion commitment. For a nurse like Julie at Loreto Nursing Home in Townsville, this means up to $10,000 more a year. For a personal care worker like Regina at Arcare Nirvana in Malvern East, it means up to $7,300 more every year. That is life-changing money. And those are not my words; those are the words of Sharon, an aged-care manager at Uniting Care in Weston. The pay rise isn't the only life-changing reform that we have implemented and delivered in aged care. We have delivered increased transparency so that taxpayers can see where their money is being spent. We have delivered star ratings to help older people make informed choices about their own care. We have delivered a new funding model to better match care funding with the needs of older people. We have delivered an expanded Serious Incident Response Scheme to help keep older people safe and an independent pricing authority to ensure that the sector is getting the funding that they need to deliver quality care. We have delivered more carers with more time to care, and we have put nurses back into nursing homes 24/7, and we did it a year ahead of schedule. We are working on more than 100 reform projects that we have on foot at the moment. These reforms are having a real and tangible impact on the ground. In the past year, there has been a reduction in the number of pressure injuries, a reduction in significant unplanned weight loss, a reduction in falls, a reduction in the use of antipsychotics and a reduction in the use of physical restraints. Those opposite sat on their hands for more than a decade while they watched older people and the people that care for them struggle and suffer. The people on this side of the House have been delivering in 18 months for those same people, getting results for those people. That is what Labor governments do. (Time expired) Roads 55 14:26 Mr LLEW O'BRIEN 265991 Wide Bay My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Data obtained from the Queensland government shows that almost half of the Bruce Highway is rated just two safety stars out of five. Can the minister guarantee that life-saving projects along the Bruce Highway, like the four-lane Tiaro Bypass, will proceed according to the same scope and timelines committed to in the government's October 2022 budget? The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Hunter will cease interjecting before the minister even begins speaking or he'll leave the chamber. 14:26 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I thank the member very much for his question and for his advocacy for the Bruce Highway. The Bruce Highway is an incredibly important road for this country. It's an incredibly important corridor for the people of Queensland. I can absolutely guarantee that there have been no cuts to funding for the Bruce Highway—none. Medicare 55 14:27 Mr BURNELL 300129 Spence My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare and making medicines cheaper? After a decade of cuts and neglect to our healthcare system, why is this work essential? 14:27 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh I thank the member for Spence for his question. He is a terrific representative of the proud northern suburbs of Adelaide, a community that gave us Barnesy, Holden and Australia's best ever health minister, Neal Blewett, who introduced Medicare almost 40 years ago. The member for Spence knows how important to his community Medicare and the PBS are, which is why he's constantly on his feet in this place backing in this government's plan to strengthen Medicare. At the end of budget week back in May, he hosted the Prime Minister and me at a GP clinic in Elizabeth to discuss our historic investment that week in bulk-billing. I want to remind him of a quote from the owner of that clinic, who said to the media that day: 'The tripling in the bulk-billing incentive is going to make a big difference. Our clinic was actually going to put in a $10 to $15 charge for healthcare cardholders as a gap fee, and that's not going to happen anymore.' Basically, it means more bulk-billing doctors, more bulk-billed patients and, we hope, lower ED presentations at the hospital. Yesterday, at the Health of the Nation forum, an owner of a clinic in Townsville, in the member for Herbert's electorate, told that forum that they had introduced a gap fee for pensioners and kids in February because of cost pressures. As a result of the tripling that took effect on 1 November, they got rid of that gap fee and they've returned to bulk-billing. The College of GPs said: 'The tripling of the bulk-billing incentive genuinely is a game-changer.' After a decade of cuts and neglect to Medicare, we know bulk-billing had been in serious decline, as much as the former government tried to cover that up. That decline was no accident. The father of the modern Liberal Party, John Howard, said that bulk-billing was an 'absolute rort'. The Leader of the Opposition, when he was health minister, said, 'There are too many free Medicare services.' So he tried to abolish bulk-billing altogether. Well, if he tried that, we've tripled the bulk-billing incentive. Where he froze the Medicare rebate for six long years, the Treasurer this year delivered the biggest across-the-board increase in the Medicare rebate in more than three decades— The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Fisher will cease interjecting. Mr BUTLER HWK more than at any time since Paul Keating was the Prime Minister. Well, after 10 years of cuts and neglect by a party that's never genuinely supported the Medicare system, we are getting on with the job of strengthening Medicare through tripling the bulk-billing incentive; through rolling out a network of Medicare urgent care clinics that are open seven days a week, fully bulk-billed; and by delivering cheaper medicines. Immigration Detention 56 14:30 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon My question is to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. The government initially said that no legislation was possible, following the High Court decision, but days later the government has introduced legislation, without the full High Court judgement having been handed down. Why is it not possible for the government to implement a preventive detention regime which would have prevented these 84 hardcore criminals being released into the community and creating a risk to the safety of Australians? The SPEAKER 53517 Order. I give the call to the minister— Mr Sukkar 242515 Great question! Mr Dutton 00AKI It's Thursday and you're in parliament. You have to answer questions. Mr Jones A9B Ask another one, Dan. The SPEAKER 53517 Order! I give the call to the minister— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! No-one will be interjecting until I call the minister. Order! I give the call to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. 14:31 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin Thank you, shadow minister, for the question, but the premise upon which it proceeds just simply isn't true. We've never said that. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! Members on my left. I give the call— Honourable members interjecting— The 53517 When the House comes to order— The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Bowman will cease interjecting, or be warned, so I can hear from the member for Hawke. Vocational Education and Training 56 14:31 Mr RAE 300122 Hawke My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government increasing access to skills and training for Australians, after a decade of neglect? 14:32 Mr O'CONNOR 00AN3 Gorton I thank the member for Hawke for his question and his very strong advocacy for the VET sector. Indeed, I look forward to being with him at the Melton campus that is soon to be established. Creating a TAFE centre in Melton is really important for that community. Providing access to the VET sector is critical for the entire nation, and that's why, of course, this government has been ensuring that we invest in the VET sector and we provide the skills that are needed for workers to gain decent employment and career progression. We're also ensuring that businesses that are crying out for skills find those skills, through the efforts of this government, working with other state and territory governments and working with industry, to ensure that happens. When we came to office, the Jobs and Skills Summit was established by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, which was a very good idea because it set the tone for collaboration, which is absolutely required to supply the skills to our economy. Last week I happened to be with the Victorian Premier and my counterpart minister at Kangan TAFE and we were announcing 60,000 fee-free TAFE places starting next year for Victorians. That's part of the new initiative of the Albanese government to have an additional 300,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places, starting next year. That will mean that workers in this country will be able to enter into courses, enrol in courses, and acquire the skills that they need to actually get meaningful work. It will also mean, of course, that businesses will be able to find the skilled workforce that's important. We inherited not only a trillion dollars of Liberal Party debt; we were bequeathed the worst skills shortage in five decades in this country, and that's the reason we're attending to it. Of course, the other thing we needed to do—and we have been doing so—is to bring the states and territories along with us on this very important initiative. That's why we negotiated a national skills agreement between state and territory governments and the Commonwealth government. This is the first National Skills Agreement in a decade. For the entire nine years of those opposite in government, they did not enter into one national compact with states or territories or with industry. That probably explains, in many ways, why there are shortages in the construction sector, in the energy sector, in the care economy and in many other sectors of our labour market. This government is getting on with the business of supplying the skills that are needed, and the National Skills Agreement will actually provide the vehicle for reform for the VET sector. It's not just about ensuring we have courses now that are in areas of demand but also about reforming the VET sector so that it's fit for purpose and working closer with universities and with industry to supply the skills for a modern economy. That's what the Albanese government is doing and will continue to do, regardless of the failure and incompetence of those opposite. (Time expired) Immigration Detention 57 14:35 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer My question is to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Among the hardcore criminals released into the Australian community by the Albanese Labor government are brothers Juma and Zackaria Chol. They have been in detention since 2014, where they have been held for fracturing a man's skull with a baseball bat. Their visas were cancelled by the former coalition government. The minister has had six months to respond and to draft legislation that would have prevented these individuals being released. Why did he fail to act for the safety of Australians? The SPEAKER 53517 I want to hear from the Leader of the House to make sure we get this question right. Leader of the House. Mr Burke DYW Mr Speaker, you made a ruling earlier in the week with respect to the fact of the High Court's role in this. Questions were previously adjusted as a result. The SPEAKER 53517 To assist the House could the Deputy Leader of the Opposition phrase it consistently, as we did the other day. Mr Dutton 00AKI On the point of order, Mr Speaker, just so we are very clear of the circumstances: the minister has a personal decision to make in relation to each of the individuals. In the Solicitor-General's submission to the High Court in relation to this matter 92 cases were referred to. So, to put beyond doubt the minister's responsibility here, the minister originally took the decision to release 82 of the 92. He has now released two further individuals, so 84 out of the 92 have been released. The minister is exercising his discretion to retain eight in custody— The SPEAKER 53517 This is— Mr Dutton 00AKI No. It is an important point, Mr Speaker, because it goes to the very point made by the Leader of the House. This is a decision that ultimately is made by the minister for immigration so, therefore, the proposition put to you by the Leader of the House is completely and utterly fallacious. The SPEAKER 53517 That's not a point of order. It went further than the question. We dealt with this issue the other day. For consistency—and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has indicated she is happy to rephrase the question—and to assist the House and make sure the question is in order— Mr Dutton 00AKI There is no basis on which you can rule that the question is out of order. The SPEAKER 53517 The Leader of the House. Mr Burke DYW Mr Speaker, to the point of order: you made a ruling a couple of days ago on this. The ruling asked the member to rephrase the question. That was what the Speaker ruled should happen. That was not contested by anyone. It's simply a case of including in the question a reference to the High Court and then question time can move on. The SPEAKER 53517 At the time when I made that decision it was complied with. There was no contest or question at the time. I'm just asking that to assist the House so that we can deal with the question and have the answer— Mr Dutton 00AKI Can I add to it, Mr Speaker? The SPEAKER 53517 The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Dutton 00AKI Mr Speaker, it's always our instinctive default position to be of assistance to you and to the good order of this House. I think we've demonstrated our very significant track record in that regard. However, on this occasion the Leader of the House for his own political purposes is asking to dictate the composition of our questions, and that is not something that we will tolerate. If your ruling is that this question is out of order then that is a ruling that is open to you. But I put to you, Mr Speaker, that the question is in order. It's in accord with the standing orders and it reflects the reality given the minister's personal decision-making capacity in relation to the 84 and the other eight that are under consideration now. As it turns out, we were advised today that another 340 hardened criminals are likely to be released beyond the 92. The SPEAKER 53517 Let me hear the question again, as it was read. Ms LEY 00AMN My question is to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Among the hardcore criminals released into the Australian community under the Albanese Labor government are brothers Juma and Zackaria Chol. They have been in detention since 2014, where they have been held for fracturing a man's skull with a baseball bat. Their visas were cancelled by the coalition government. The minister has had six months to respond and to draft legislation which would have prevented these individuals being released. Why did the minister fail to act? The SPEAKER 53517 I will allow the question. 14:40 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I thank the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party for her question. The safety of the community has been, and remains, the utmost priority of this government. That was the case before the decision of the High Court, which was on Wednesday of last week, and that is why, today, we have introduced urgent legislation to strengthen visa restrictions and impose criminal penalties on noncitizens where necessary to keep Australians safe. All of us in this place and in the other place have a decision to make later on today: whether we can work together to keep communities safer, or stand in the way of swift and effective action. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! Members on my left. The member for Groom is warned. Mr GILES 243609 This shouldn't be a difficult choice. This legislation should be above politics, as should be the response more broadly. And I want to make one additional point. Starting well before the decision was handed down, our border protection and law enforcement agencies have been working to make sure that the toughest possible conditions were in place. Infrastructure 58 14:41 Mr GEORGANAS DZY Adelaide My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How does the Albanese Labor government's response to the infrastructure review ensure that we deliver the infrastructure our communities need while ending the rorts and waste of the Liberals and Nationals? Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The minister will just pause for a moment. The question is going to be read again, and it will be heard in silence. If anyone interjects, they won't remain here. I don't know how more clear I can make this: if they want to interject once the minister is answering, that's a members choice, but not during a question! I hope everyone understands that now. Mr GEORGANAS DZY My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How does the Albanese Labor government's response to the infrastructure review ensure that we deliver the infrastructure our communities need while ending the rorts and waste of the Liberals and Nationals? 14:43 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I thank the member for Adelaide very much for the question. This government is absolutely committed to delivering the infrastructure Australia needs, creating jobs and growing the economy while not increasing pressure on inflation. The simple truth is that the Nationals failed to manage the infrastructure investment pipeline— The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The minister will pause. The member for Gippsland will leave the chamber under 94(a) and take whatever he's got with him—and not leave it behind! The minister is in continuation and will be heard in silence. The member for Gippsland then left the chamber. Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Thank you very much. It's not unsurprising that it's the National Party blokes who are making the most noise on this issue—not surprising at all! The Labor government is absolutely committed to delivering the infrastructure Australia needs to create our jobs and grow the economy whilst not increasing pressure on inflation. The simple truth is that those opposite failed to manage the Infrastructure Investment Program during their wasted decade. They set the nation on a path to $33 billion of cost blowouts and an inability to add any new projects to the pipeline until 2033. That is the legacy of those opposite. The economic mismanagement of those opposite in announcing projects they knew did not have enough money and which couldn't be delivered is, frankly, breathtaking. It let down every single one of those in communities who believed in their false promises. Today I have announced the outcomes of the Independent Strategic Review of the Infrastructure Investment Program. The review made 15 recommendations, all of which the government has agreed to or agreed to in principle. No funding has been cut from the $120 billion pipeline, and all states—every single state—have maintained the same amount of funding in the pipeline that they previously had. Over the next 10 years, more than 400 nation-building projects are expected to be completed or substantially developed. When we say we're going to deliver a project, the community can have faith that we will do so. We are delivering the north-south corridor Torrens to Darlington project in Adelaide; we proposed an additional $2.7 billion. For the Logan to Gold Coast faster rail project in southern Queensland we proposed an additional $1.8 billion. The M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace is to start imminently. For METRONET on the west coast, we proposed an additional $1 billion. The Tanami, a favourite project of mine in Central Australia, has received an additional $200 million. We're getting on with the job of building the new Bridgewater Bridge in Tasmania, long awaited by Tasmanians. These are important projects across the nation. The Albanese Labor government is delivering the infrastructure that Australia needs to build a better future. Parliamentary Standards: Lobbyists 59 14:46 Dr RYAN 297660 Kooyong My question's for the Attorney-General. Aided by unenforced regulations, lobbyists seemingly influence all aspects of this government's decision-making. We have minimal insight into who walks the corridors of this place, who they're meeting with and why. Will the Albanese government support my 'clean up politics' bill and commit to finally regulating lobbying in this country? 14:47 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs I thank the member for Kooyong for her question. To give this a bit of context, the Lobbying Code of Conduct was created by the last Labor government. It was one of the many integrity measures introduced by Labor in government, including a new code of conduct for ministerial staff and a strengthened ministerial code. The Lobbying Code of Conduct, which is administered by my department, is an administrative instrument. It exists to promote trust in the integrity of government, and to ensure that contact between lobbyists and government representatives is conducted in accordance with public expectations of transparency, integrity and honesty. Government expects that lobbyists and government representatives will comply with the code. It requires that any person who acts on behalf of third-party clients for the purpose of lobbying Australian government representatives must be registered and must comply with the requirements of the code. Mr Dutton 00AKI Is that like Simon Holmes a Court? Mr DREYFUS HWG It applies equally, in answer to the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition. The code also prohibits government representatives, including ministers and their staff, from knowingly or being intentionally party to lobbying by a lobbyist who is not on the register. In February 2022 there were amendments made to the code, including introducing a power for the secretary of the Attorney-General's Department to bar a lobbyist who has committed a serious breach of the code, including unregistered lobbying, from registering for up to three months. I stress again: it works by requiring both lobbyists and government representatives to comply with the code. No government representative is to meet with someone who is lobbying who is not on the register. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is currently—as one of its many references; it's a very busy committee—reviewing the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018, which also regulates lobbying and other influence activities on behalf of foreign principals. The government is looking forward to the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and will consider any representations or recommendations that it may make. Manufacturing Industry 60 14:49 Ms SWANSON 264170 Paterson My question is to the Minister for Industry and Science. What's the Albanese Labor government doing to create more manufacturing jobs and bolster our supply chains after a wasted decade? 14:49 Mr 91219 Chifley HUSIC (—) (): I say thank you very much to the member for Paterson, who is a big backer of regional manufacturing. The Albanese government is a government that believes in a future made in Australia, in the value of Australian manufacturing, in making things here and shipping them everywhere, in creating secure, well-paying jobs and in diluting our reliance on concentrated and broken supply chains, those broken supply chains that helped trigger the inflation wave that we are fighting in so many ways today. As an example, we are standing up the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. We look forward in the coming weeks to releasing an investment mandate for the fund. We are stabilising and improving our trading relationships and also standing up our $400 million Industry Growth Program. Being a country that makes things matters. It creates sovereign capability to help us deal with international shocks—wars that drive up energy prices, new technologies that disrupt industries through to pandemics that expose broken, brittle supply chains. I was glad that I was asked about the past decade and what we are doing differently. Frankly, the best time to future-proof our economy was a decade ago and, unfortunately, we saw a decade of neglect and decay from those opposite. In fact, it was a decade of Liberal Party and National Party government characterised by the phrase, 'It's not a race.' They were always slow to the mark and to actually deal with the types of things that we needed tackled. For example, we saw our economic complexity slip. In terms of manufacturing, we became one of the least self-sufficient economies in the OECD and we saw investment in Australian know-how plunge. Australian families are feeling the direct consequences of that approach, an approach that never tried to tackle productivity or grow our industrial capacity to help us better fight inflation. Unlike the coalition, our government is setting Australia up for the next decade. The National Reconstruction Fund is a $15 billion investment to revitalise Australian manufacturing and create, real, sustainable, high-paying jobs, address supply chain vulnerabilities and take up the fight to inflation. Those opposite were all talk for 10 years. It's time they stop pretending to care about manufacturing and get out of the way while the government cleans up the mess that they left behind. This government will continue to rebuild manufacturing capability because it's only a Labor government that believes in a future made in Australia. (Time expired) Immigration Detention 60 14:52 Mr TEHAN 210911 Wannon My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs advises 340 more hardened criminals are likely to be released by the government. Will the Acting Prime Minister commit the government to passing preventive detention legislation to stop the 340 hardened criminals from being released? 14:53 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I thank the member for his question. As I said at the outset of question time today, I acknowledge, and the government acknowledges, the anxiety that has been felt throughout the community from the very moment that the High Court made its decision. From that moment, we have been looking at everything we can in respect of ensuring that the steps that we take are legally robust. We do nothing to promote community safety by taking steps in this place which will not survive legal challenge, and that's to state the most obvious fact. We have, from the very first moment, put those people who are in the community into the community under the strictest conditions. From there we have taken the steps we have taken today in terms of moving legislation which places further conditions on those people. We will continue to look at options, but we will do so in a way where what we pass here is legally robust and maintains the safety of the community. Education 61 14:54 Ms MILLER-FROST 296272 Boothby My question is to the Minister for Education. What steps is the Albanese Labor government taking to build a better and fairer education system? 14:55 Mr CLARE HWL Blaxland I thank the brilliant member for Boothby for her question. Teaching is the most important job in the world, and the truth is we don't have enough teachers. Part of it's pay and part of it's workload, but part of it is respect. That's what the Be That Teacher campaign that the PM launched two weeks ago is all about. It stars eight teachers, one from each state and territory. One of those teachers is Mrs Frogley from South Australia. She tells the story of a young girl that she taught named Izzy with sacral agenesis, which meant that the lower part of her body didn't develop. It meant she couldn't join with her friends doing athletics or cross-country. That's when Mrs Frogley suggested that Izzy try swimming. The next thing you know, Mrs Frogley was watching Izzy blitz it through the pool in Tokyo at the Paralympics. When she got back, Izzy gave Mrs Frogley a note thanking her for getting her into swimming, and Mrs Frogley still has that treasured note. She says in the ad, 'Teaching really does give so much more back than you actually give out.' You can see Mrs Frogley today tell that story on billboards right across Adelaide, including on Goodwood Road in Cumberland Park, in the electorate that the member represents. But this isn't the only thing that we're doing to encourage more people to want to be that teacher. Last week, applications opened for 5,000 teaching scholarships that are worth up to $40,000 each, and already more than 2,500 people have applied for those scholarships. Two weeks ago, applications also opened for round 2 of the Schools Upgrade Fund. That's $215 million to fund things like replacing demountables with permanent classrooms, and upgrading tech and music rooms and outdoor equipment in public schools. I encourage all members on all sides of the House to get in contact with their local public schools and encourage them to apply. Applications are also now open for 10 new regional university study hubs. They're places where you can go and study, for almost any degree at any university, close to where you live. There are 34 at the moment. Where they are, they work. That's why we're doubling the number of them: 20 more for the bush, 20 more for the regions and 14, for the first time, in our outer suburbs. As I said, applications are now open. I encourage all regional members to work with your community and put an application in. Applications close for those on 15 December. They're just a couple of examples of the real common sense, practical things that we're doing to help build a better and a fairer education system. Roads 61 14:58 Dr HAINES 282335 Indi My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The government's Infrastructure Investment Program review has redirected money away from regional road projects. The state of local roads in my electorate of Indi is dire. Regional and rural roads are disintegrating. They are unsafe to travel on. What are you doing to increase funding for regional and rural roads? 14:58 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I thank the member from Indi for her question. I don't accept the premise of the first part of the question. That's simply not the case when it comes to the Infrastructure Investment Program review. What I would say, as the member for Indi and I both know—as regional MPs both with caravans, we drive through our electorates with our mobile offices—is that our regional roads, particularly some of our local council roads, because of the weather events that we have had and because, frankly, we are seeing more traffic on those roads, are in need of repair. That is why the Albanese Labor government is very proud, through the financial assistance grants, to continue to provide money to local government. It's why we continue to provide money through the Roads to Recovery Program. It's why, in the last round—we had to find provision for the last round of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure fund—we increased it by $250 million, taking the last round to $750 million of roads and local community infrastructure funding directly to local government. It's why we've continued the black spots road program, the heavy vehicle roads program and the bridges renewal program. You will see from the infrastructure investment program review that there are three recommendations in particular that relate to funding of subprograms that will be of significant interest to local government. We have not released the government's response to those as yet. I'll be doing that in coming days. I know, all of those on this side of the House know and the member for Indi knows just how important our local government roads are and that Commonwealth investment in those is important. But it is also important that we have continued investment from state and local governments as well. Economy 62 15:00 Mrs PHILLIPS 147140 Gilmore My question is to the Treasurer. How is the Albanese Labor government's budget strategy right for the times? How does this approach help address what the government inherited? 15:00 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Thank you to the member for Gilmore for her question and for the dedicated way that she represents that beautiful community of hers on the South Coast of New South Wales. We understand that Australians are under pressure, we know that our economy is slowing and we know that the global environment is volatile. That's why we're rolling out cost-of-living help. It's why we recognise that there is more work to do to clean up the mess that we inherited and build the kind of economy that our people need and deserve. One of the reasons those opposite don't ask me any questions about the economy is that, under them, inflation would be higher, wages would be lower and there would be more debt as well. They don't ask me about the economy because yesterday brought welcome news on wages and today brought welcome news on jobs. They don't ask about the economy or about cost of living because they couldn't care less about the pressures that people are under in our community. They don't ask questions about the economy because they know they left a deficit of $78 billion, which we turned into a surplus of $22 billion. They don't ask about the economy because they know that gross debt was peaking at 45 per cent under them, and it will be 36 per cent under us. They don't ask because they know that interest costs are $44 billion lower because of our efforts. They don't ask about the economy because inflation, in quarterly terms, was 2.1 per cent under them and it's now 1.2 per cent under us. They don't ask about the economy because average wage growth under them was just over two per cent and now it's around four per cent. They don't ask about the economy because real wages were falling 3.4 per cent under them— The SPEAKER 53517 The Treasurer will pause. I want to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. Mr Fletcher L6B The question was about 'budget strategy right for the times'. What we have heard is the Treasurer using almost two minutes to simply review the record—in highly misleading terms, I might add—of the previous government. The SPEAKER 53517 The question did have a component of 'what was inherited'. That is not a reason to compare and contrast the whole answer, so I'm going to ask the Treasurer to contain his remarks to the question without completely going— Mr Littleproud 265585 That's going to be a problem, Jim. The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The Leader of The Nationals, when I am dealing with a point of order, it is highly disorderly to interject. You're warned. The Treasurer has the call. Dr CHALMERS 37998 There have been 620,000 jobs created under this government's term in office. Unemployment today is at 3.7 per cent; it was 3.9 per cent when we came to office 18 months ago. The reason I run through these comparisons—and they are factual comparisons, not opinions—is that it shows that the Leader of the Opposition's nasty negativity is no substitute for economic credibility. And we know that because of the wasted decade of division and disappointment and failure on the economy that we saw from those opposite. We are working for Australia, and we are making some progress. More Australians are working. They're earning better wages. We're rolling out cost-of-living help, the budget is in better nick and we're investing in the future as well. Dr CHALMERS 37998 I say to the shadow Treasurer who is interjecting: we will start to take the shadow Treasurer seriously when his tactics committee take them seriously and actually gives him a question— The 53517 The Treasurer will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business? Mr Fletcher L6B The standing orders are very clear about not being critical of the character or conduct of a member. You specifically admonished the Treasurer yesterday to be careful with his language, and he is again violating the guidance that you have given. The SPEAKER 53517 The Treasurer will cease interjecting. The Leader of the House on the point of order? Mr Burke DYW To the point of order: if it's not allowed to be critical of anyone's character in any way in this place, then I'm not sure what's been happening in question time all week from the opposition. It's one of those 'be careful what you wish for' points of order if this one gets ruled in. The SPEAKER 53517 I remind all members about standing order 90 regarding reflections on members. The SPEAKER 53517 The Treasurer! When I'm dealing with a point of order—the Treasurer and the shadow Treasurer, if they really want, can take their conversation outside. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 We'll move to the next question, quickly. Immigration Detention 63 15:06 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt My question is to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. The SA Police Commissioner has stated that five of the released detainees with a serious criminal history are expected to travel to South Australia. Why has the Albanese Labor government put the safety of South Australians at risk? 15:06 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I thank the member for Sturt for his question. I say once more that the safety of communities across this country remains our priority. That is why, prior to the decision, senior ABF officials briefed all local, state and territory police counterparts on the possible implications of the case. Immediately following the High Court decision, which of course we are obliged to comply with, I say again, the AFP Commissioner briefed those police commissioners on the outcome, including the expected number of individuals required to be released. We went on to establish Operation AEGIS, which is managing the overall response of federal agencies and territory police. As I've said on many occasions, we imposed the strictest possible visa conditions on those individuals, and today we introduced legislation which I hope the member for Sturt will support, in any form it comes back in, so that we can ensure community safety. House of Representatives 63 15:07 Dr ANANDA-RAJAH 290544 Higgins My question is to the Leader of the House. Can the Leader of the House provide an update on the work of the chamber, including seating arrangements in the House of Representatives? Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Riverina and other members shall cease interjecting. 15:08 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I thank the member for Higgins for an opportunity to talk about the work of the chamber and the rare opportunity, as Leader of the House, to talk about some of the seating arrangements within the chamber—not an issue that I often get to discuss. On the work of the chamber, there is the important role of the chamber in bringing people together. There is a fundamentally important role of the chamber in bringing people together, and I do want to acknowledge the conversations that have happened, including with the crossbench, on making sure that we find opportunities within this House to be able to perform the leadership role of bringing people together at a time where there is so much difficulty across the country. I want to acknowledge that with respect to the work of the chamber. With respect to seating arrangements, the seating arrangements have changed significantly during this term. Mr Tehan 210911 Point of order: 340 hardcore— The SPEAKER 53517 I haven't given you the call. Resume your seat. The member for Wannon knows that is an abuse of the standing orders. The SPEAKER 53517 The member for Groom will leave the chamber under 94(a). He was on a warning. The member for Groom then left the chamber. Mr BURKE DYW That same concept of bring people together is something— Mr Dutton 00AKI Mr Speaker— Mr BURKE DYW On the topic of bringing people together, you stand up? The SPEAKER 53517 Order! The Leader of the House will resume his seat immediately. Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER 53517 Order, members on my right. Members on my right will cease interjecting. I want to hear from the Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Dutton 00AKI Mr Speaker, this makes a complete mockery of the parliament, when this government has other priorities to deal with— The SPEAKER 53517 There's no point of order. MOTIONS 64 MOTIONS Leader of the House 64 15:10 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I move: That the minister be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 53517 The question is that the minister be no longer heard.  

The House divided. [15:14]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)

 50 AYES Andrews, K. L. Archer, B. K. Bell, A. M. Birrell, S. J. Boyce, C. E. Broadbent, R. E. Buchholz, S. Caldwell, C. M. Coleman, D. B. Conaghan, P. J. Coulton, M. M. (Teller) Dutton, P. C. Entsch, W. G. Fletcher, P. W. Gillespie, D. A. Goodenough, I. R. Hastie, A. W. Hawke, A. G. Hogan, K. J. Howarth, L. R. Landry, M. L. Leeser, J. Ley, S. P. Littleproud, D. Marino, N. B. McCormack, M. F. McIntosh, M. I. McKenzie, Z. A. Morrison, S. J. O'Brien, E. L. O'Brien, L. S. Pearce, G. B. Pike, H. J. Pitt, K. J. Price, M. L. Ramsey, R. E. (Teller) Stevens, J. Sukkar, M. S. Taylor, A. J. Tehan, D. T. Thompson, P. van Manen, A. J. Vasta, R. X. Violi, A. A. Wallace, A. B. Ware, J. L. Willcox, A. J. Wilson, R. J. Wolahan, K. Young, T. J. 87 NOES Aly, A. Ananda-Rajah, M. Bandt, A. P. Bates, S. J. Bowen, C. E. Burke, A. S. Burnell, M. P. Burney, L. J. Burns, J. Butler, M. C. Byrnes, A. J. Chalmers, J. E. Chaney, K. E. Charlton, A. H. G. Chesters, L. M. Clare, J. D. Claydon, S. C. Coker, E. A. Collins, J. M. Daniel, Z. Doyle, M. J. J. Dreyfus, M. A. Elliot, M. J. Fernando, C. Freelander, M. R. Garland, C. M. L. Gee, A. R. Georganas, S. Giles, A. J. Gorman, P. Gosling, L. J. Haines, H. M. Hill, J. C. Husic, E. N. Jones, S. P. Kearney, G. M. Keogh, M. J. Khalil, P. King, C. F. King, M. M. H. Lawrence, T. N. Laxale, J. A. A. Le, D. Leigh, A. K. Lim, S. B. C. Marles, R. D. Mascarenhas, Z. F. A. McBain, K. L. McBride, E. M. Miller-Frost, L. J. Mitchell, B. K. Mitchell, R. G. Mulino, D. O'Connor, B. P. J. O'Neil, C. E. Payne, A. E. Perrett, G. D. Phillips, F. E. Plibersek, T. J. Rae, S. T. Reid, G. J. Repacholi, D. P. Rishworth, A. L. Roberts, T. G. Rowland, M. A. Ryan, J. C. Ryan, M. M. Scamps, S. A. Scrymgour, M. R. Sharkie, R. C. C. Shorten, W. R. Sitou, S. Smith, D. P. B. (Teller) Spender, A. M. Stanley, A. M. (Teller) Swanson, M. J. Templeman, S. R. Thistlethwaite, M. J. Thwaites, K. L. Tink, K. J. Vamvakinou, M. Watson-Brown, E. Watts, T. G. Wells, A. S. Wilkie, A. D. Wilson, J. H. Zappia, A. 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 65 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE House of Representatives 65 15:17 The SPEAKER 53517 The minister has the call. 15:17 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I won't refer to the glass jaw, but I will refer to the fact that in the time that we've had, that we've been in this House for this parliament—I'm talking about the member for Monash who is no longer sitting with you, I'm talking about the fact that the member for Calare is no longer sitting with you and I'm talking about the fact that the member for Aston left your side, joined ours, raising the average of both sides. And now the walk-out on his own party is led by himself! He's not the only frontbencher to walk out on his leadership—the members for Calare, Berowra, McPherson and Senator Payne and the former member for Aston and the former member of Fadden all walked out on his leadership as well. In terms of the empty frontbench, Andrew Bolt has suggested who should fill it. Andrew Bolt has suggested the empty frontbench should be filled by the member for Cook, not realising the member for Cook possibly already holds portfolios there! We then had the Leader of the Opposition, himself, write in The Spectator about potentially Tony Abbott coming back, having an argument as to: do they go back to Morrison, do they go back to Abbot or do they do what the shadow Treasurer is doing this week and go back to the HR Nicholls Society, an organisation described in 1986 by Bob Hawke as a group of 'political troglodytes and economic lunatics'? Those opposite have a shrinking party room; a shrinking frontbench, which has shrunk even more than I thought during the course of this answer, and a leader who we saw shrinking before our eyes when he spoke yesterday. Mr Marles HWQ I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. BUSINESS 65 BUSINESS Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders 65 15:19 Mr BURKE DYW Watson on indulgence—Regarding arrangements for today, people are aware of the legislation that we passed quickly so that the Senate would be able to deal with it quickly—and the concept of the Senate dealing with an issue quickly is always different to our concept of dealing with something quickly. My understanding is that the Senate will deal with that legislation by 7 pm tonight. We are working on the basis that transmission tends to take in the order of an hour and a half. What I propose for arrangements for the rest of the day is as follows. In a moment, I will move for the suspension of the standing order that is relevant to whether or not we can receive business after 4.30 today. When we get to 4.30, I will request that the question be put immediately on the adjournment. The government's intention is that we vote that the House do not adjourn. I'm very conscious there will be six people who have prepared speeches for the adjournment. The intention is that leave will be given for five-minute speeches for each of those six people. So, if you prepared a speech, you'll still get to give it, even though the adjournment has been negated. At 5 pm, I will ask you, Mr Speaker, if it would suit the convenience of the House for the House to suspend, with the intention that we would come back here at 8.30 pm tonight. By that time, we expect transmission will have occurred. That hour and a half should be enough for the Senate to have dealt with any potential amendments before it. It will mean we will not have to be here tomorrow. In terms of the different ways people will vote, when we resume at 8.30, there'll be an opportunity for debate on the motion as to whether or not the amendments from the Senate be agreed to. Here is a quick summary of the order of events: in a moment I'll move the suspension of the relevant standing order; at 4.30 we'll ask to negate the adjournment, but anyone who's prepared a speech will still get to give that speech; and at 5 pm, we'll ask the Speaker to vacate the chair until 8.30 pm. At 8.30 pm—or any time after that, if transmission has not occurred—the bells will ring and we'll come back to receive the message from the Senate. I hope that clarifies everything. To give effect to that, first of all, I ask leave of the House to move a motion to suspend standing order 31, the automatic adjournment of the House, and standing order 33, the limit on business after normal time of adjournment for the sitting. Leave granted. Mr BURKE DYW I thank the House. I move: That standing order 31 (automatic adjournment of the House) and standing order 33 (limit on business after normal time of adjournment) be suspended for this sitting. Question agreed to. DOCUMENTS 66 DOCUMENTS Presentation 66 15:22 Mr BURKE DYW Watson Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 66 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Social Cohesion 66 15:23 The SPEAKER 53517 I have received letters from the honourable member for Page and the honourable member for Goldstein proposing that definite matters of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion today. As required by standing order 46(d), I have selected the matter which, in my opinion, is the most urgent and important; that is, that proposed by the honourable member for Goldstein, namely: The need for the Parliament to support social cohesion and take steps to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of those affected communities at a time of international conflict where communities in Australia are directly affected. I call upon those honourable members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places. More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places— 15:24 Ms DANIEL 008CH Goldstein Last Friday, at Princes Park in Caulfield South, in my electorate of Goldstein, my fears were realised. The unfolding conflict in Israel and Gaza had reached the streets of Melbourne in a frightening way, on a Friday, Shabbat, when members of our Jewish community were at worship in a synagogue nearby. A fire in a nearby Palestinian-owned store drew protesters into a heavily Jewish neighbourhood, at a time when residents were walking the streets to and from shule with their families. This was the kind of face-off that I had been actively trying to prevent, repeatedly urging that social cohesion must be at the centre of all our concerns and that actions and language must be measured and careful. No-one was seriously hurt, thankfully, but the anxiety among the Jewish community after the terror attacks of 7 October in Israel affecting, in many cases, people who they know, has been magnified. Antisemitism is on the rise. Many Jewish people are fearful and anxious when outside their homes. Some students from Jewish schools are avoiding wearing uniforms and Jewish businesses are facing protests and boycotts. At the same time, Palestinian Australians and others are traumatised by events in Gaza. I am too. I am desperately concerned about those in the Jewish community in Goldstein and across the world. I am also heartsick at the deaths of thousands of civilians in Gaza, especially children. The two feelings can coexist—indeed, they must. What happened last Friday in Goldstein is the leading edge of what could escalate, and we in this place must all understand and operate under the principle that every word we utter has a consequence. We cannot allow distress to turn into hate and anger in a way that divides us. Australia has limited ability to influence the course of events in Israel and Gaza. What we can do, and have a responsibility to do, is to articulate multipartisan calm, to encourage empathy and, at all costs, to take the politics away. The risk of cataclysmic global conflict is higher now than at any time since the height of the Cold War or the Cuban missile crisis. Now we're confronted with a conflict in Israel and Gaza which directly affects our own communities and threatens to tear apart the hard-earned gains of Australian multiculturalism—the envy of the world. As parliamentarians, we have a responsibility in these circumstances not to pointscore. The Director-General of ASIO has been sufficiently alarmed himself to warn: … words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and inflamed community tensions. He said: … it is important that all parties consider the implications for social cohesion when making public statements. I'm sure that most of my colleagues in this place will have been alarmed at the tone of the communications from constituents to their offices in recent weeks: threats, anger and hatred from all sides. I can only imagine what Jewish and Muslim members of this place are receiving. I raise this not to call attention to the welfare of MPs but to point to it as a social barometer. Personally, on that level, having seen the aftermath of conflict around the world, and, as a reporter, having been amid deadly civil unrest myself, I have spent recent weeks experiencing sickening and stomach-churning anxiety about what happens next. The Jewish community is justified in feeling that the events of 7 October bring back real memories and fears of the Holocaust—that it's happening again. Last Saturday I met with the Premier, along with my colleague the member for Macnamara, state MP David Southwick, senior Victoria Police officials and representatives of the Community Security Group, along with Jewish organisations, to review what happened and to determine the next steps to prevent it from being repeated. I have engaged with Jewish organisations and institutions in Goldstein, including several of our rabbis, to check on their welfare and that of their members. I have also met with members of the Australian Palestinian community and have listened to their grief and their pain. I have appealed to them to put social cohesion at the centre of all that they do as they express those things. Australia, I believe, is facing its greatest test since multiculturalism was instituted by Malcolm Fraser and Petro Georgiou in the 1970s. It has stood the test of time until now. Let it not fail. We must pull this up here, in Australia; we must pull back from this tipping point, where hate and anger become so dominant that any nuance, any capacity for reasoned conversation or empathy for others, is lost. 15:29 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I want to start by thanking the crossbench, the member for Goldstein and a number of members who will speak. The conversation about how we lower the temperature in what is happening in the community is not something that simply happened by reference to this MPI. I have taken personal phone calls from many members of the crossbench, knowing the nature of my community, and we've been trying to work out what we can do at different points to help lower the temperature and to acknowledge the very real grief—I don't think it's an exaggeration to use the word 'trauma'—that the people we each represent are experiencing. I want to advise the House but in particular to publicly acknowledge when those crossbench members have raised this with me it has helped member of my community when I have told them that they did. It has mattered, and I am deeply grateful for it. I hope as part of where Australia is now at we can once and for all do away with the argument that somehow hate speech is part of freedom of speech. I have heard those debates in this chamber on and off for the best part of a decade. I remember when it was seriously argued that the right wasn't the right to protection from hate speech; the right was the right to be a bigot. It was put in a serious form by someone who, I might say, on many aspects of these sorts of issues actually had a really good reputation. This concept of freedom of speech as an article of faith is something that I do appreciate. If you live the life that I have lived and you only see it from your personal perspective, maybe you could get there. I have never been subject to hate speech. I will cop—as we all do—hatred, anger and bile for what we have done or for what someone thinks we might have done or might have said, but we never cop it for who we are. For so many Australians, that is their daily experience. I also want to make sure—and this resolution and this opportunity for the parliament, I think, does it brilliantly—that we don't get into some world where somehow it is a competition about who is being the more picked on. If anyone is subject to any level of bigotry, that is not acceptable. We need to call it all out. I had one person ask me just the other day, very genuinely: 'When there is something that causes so much concern, such as, for example, Caulfield, why is it that the response is to refer to both antisemitism and Islamophobia given the concern there was publicly viewed very much as being about antisemitism? Does that mean you are somehow excusing the other?' No, it doesn't. While we might live much of our lives observing what's happening in the community by what breaks in the media, the people we represent don't have to wait for a media story to be experiencing this. The big moments that make the papers that are horrific are a tiny subset of the constant drain of being harassed because you are in the school uniform of a Jewish school or having all the confidence in the world prior to 7 October and now saying, as one woman said to me not long ago, 'Right now, I won't go out without my husband.' That's because she wears a hijab. She knows that, the moment she gets outside of the immediate suburb she lives in, she will have people calling her a terrorist. Someone else wearing the keffiyeh, the Palestinian scarf, a schoolteacher I know very well, let me know three days ago that just walking through the streets she had food thrown at her along with abuse. None of this makes the papers. It's not necessarily because the papers are holding it back; most people don't report it. Most people just want it to go away. Most people just want to be able to live their lives. This is where our leadership roles in our communities can allow us to call it out, both when it's against the people we represent and when it's not. That consistency I hope provides a pathway, some level of solace and, in the tiniest way, some level of example. I've addressed most of this in terms of members of parliament. I do want to say something to the media. I'm always wary because when you say something to the media it can blow things up in a worse way, but I do think something needs to be said. Please, just be wary of magnifying an offensive voice that is already a complete fringe marginal voice and pretending it is somehow representative. I know that this is being done in an area close to me with some hate speech. It has been presented as though it's somehow representative of the Islamic community. If you go to the person's social media feed, you see that most of their posts are actually an attack on the leadership of the Islamic community. They're a complete fringe group that have never had anything like the publicity they've had in the last week. I worry what that impact will end up being. I know similarly that there are some groups that present as representing the Jewish community in Australia. In terms of membership, I am told they are nowhere near as representative as you would think. Understandably, journalists sometimes go to where it's quickest to get a quote when they're putting a story together. In Australia the vast majority of people who are deeply affected by their personal relationships to the region have I think two things in common. The first thing they have in common is that they are experiencing not just grief but trauma right now. Think of the grief that any of us feel when we hear that a family member has passed away. Imagine that sort of grief and trauma being presented to you graphically multiple times a day on your phone. That's happening and that is putting people on edge. The second thing people have in common is that they deeply want Australia to work. They deeply want our relationships with each other to be good and positive. We have a real role in making sure that that happens. The concept that abuse is just words is not true. And some of it is being done by members of parliament. The worst examples are by members of parliament in the other place, not in this one. These debates tend to bring out the best and the worst of what leaders are capable of. I met today with one of the rabbis who walked with me in Lakemba a few years ago in the Walk for Respect. It was a wonderful conversation of hope. It feels in so many ways like we have gone backwards. For people's ordinary experience of what it is to live in Australia we have gone backwards in the last month in a big way for a lot of people. I want those people in some small way to know by this debate that there is a core of people who in fact do represent the communities most directly affected, who hear you, who respect you, who call out the hate speech against you, no matter where it comes from, and who dearly want you to feel as safe in Australia as we do. 15:39 Ms LE 295676 Fowler As elected leaders of our communities and representatives of our country we have a huge responsibility of setting the tone, the language and interactions of this chamber, to ensure that we demonstrate respect, civility and consideration of the Australian public when we talk on and debate matters of public importance. As the elected member of Fowler—and Fowler is one of the most culturally diverse electorates in the country—I stand for cohesion, I embrace and respect differences and I am a strong voice for my community. Therefore, I cannot stress enough the important role that we in this House play in protecting and nurturing the wonderful multicultural tapestry that we have in Australia, at a time when international strife has caused mass casualties and inflicted grave harm to human lives. I have no doubt that Australians from different cultures, faiths and lived experiences are impacted by the conflict in the Middle East. While the conflict is not directly at our doorstep, our people have families and friends who have lost their lives from this tragedy. There's no denying that there's real pain and anguish in our communities, including those of many members in our House. It's critical that we are conscious of Australia's multicultural community and recognise that both the Jewish and Muslim communities have probably been impacted the most. Incidents of Islamophobia and antisemitic incidents are at a record high according to the Guardian. Within a month, the period between October and November, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry reported 221 antisemitic incidents—42 incidents were within a single week alone. Within the same time frame, the Islamophobia Register Australia reported 133 incidents, but authorities believe that the accurate number is much higher because Islamophobic hate crimes are historically underreported. Australia does not condone this abhorrent upward trend of targeted violence against any communities in our diverse country. It is our job as representative leaders to reassure our people and confirm that the government prioritises their safety, security and wellbeing. Therefore, I stand before this parliament and implore that we pay close attention to the words we choose and the stance we take to ensure good faith in all Australians, from every religion, ethnicity, race and skin colour, that their leaders stand with them and for them. By focusing exclusively on addressing antisemitism, we are prioritising one group and overlooking an entire community. It is impossible to condemn the attack against Israel and ignore the horrors in Gaza. This approach is polarising and is the most harmful and dividing thing that we could do as leaders. We must recognise the position of privilege we are in to be able to turn off the news and put down our phones amidst the ongoing crisis, because the not-so-secret reality is that a horrific amount of human lives, regardless of where, have been and are being lost in the Middle East. For that reason, it is pivotal that the message we establish on the matter as a nation is made with clarity and conviction—so, when we condemn Hamas's action of terrorism, it is not Islamophobic, and, when we call upon Israel for a ceasefire, it is not antisemitic; it is purely and completely indiscriminate humanitarianism. Let me reiterate this. The condemnation of the killing of innocent lives, including women and children, and the bombing of buildings is not a stance charged with religious or racial prejudice; it is a call for basic human rights. Furthermore, I cannot ignore the politics of fear being used in this parliament, as it is dangerous. It drives out reason and is an obstruction to productive discourse. Right now, Australians are grappling with critical economic challenges that impact our livelihoods, and the last thing we should be doing is driving more fear. The cost-of-living crisis is a critical issue that affects everybody in Australia, including not only adults and parents but youth and children as well. In spite of this, the parliament is inciting fear, anger and division on an already devastating conflict. Instead, we must prioritise social cohesion and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of our impacted communities. This begins in the parliament with the message we are sending to Australians—that we are all Australians. 15:43 Dr ALY 13050 Cowan May I start by thanking, from the bottom of my heart, the crossbench for bringing forward this motion and recognising that our social harmony, our community harmony in this country, is indeed a matter of public importance. I recall in 2016, when I delivered my first speech, I looked up at the gallery and there was a Muslim sheikh, a Jewish rabbi and a Christian pastor sitting in the gallery. It could make the opening line of a joke! But, in this case, they were there to listen to my first speech—a first, I believe, in the history of this place, to have representatives from the three Abrahamic faiths present at a first speech. They were there to hear me say these words: It is a time when we should not allow important discussions about our future to degenerate into a competitive agenda of rights, for all rights are worth pursuing and worth pursuing with vigour. I repeat those words now, and I add to those words: standing up against anti-Semitism does not mean that you can't also stand up against Islamophobia and vice versa. In fact, standing up against anti-Semitism compels you to also stand up for Islamophobia and any other form of hate speech and vice versa. You would think though that what we saw in this place yesterday would have you believe that sowing the seeds of division and harvesting community tensions is a way to conduct politics for a particular political agenda, but, as David Crowe observed in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, the opposition leader's: attack was incendiary by design. At the very moment leaders are meant to be calm, he chose to inflame. Shortly after I was elected to this place and shortly after I delivered that first speech, my baptism of fire into politics was our debate on section 18C and removing section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act. As somebody who had been subject to hate speech for most of my career but also as somebody who had worked with civil society and with governments here in Australia and right across the world on social cohesion, on community tensions and particularly with young people on ensuring that young people do not get embroiled into an ideology that leads them down a path of violence and hate, I had to stand here and listen to the now opposition defend the claim that people had the right to be bigots. Suffice to say, that was my baptism into parliament, and there were many moments during that period when I wondered whether I had made the right decision to give up my career and come into this place. I had thought we had put that behind us, as the manager of the House had said. I had thought we had moved on from those times and we had put that behind us. What we saw in this place yesterday demonstrates the fragility of social cohesion and the fragility of community harmony but also the reason why we need to be ever vigilant against those who would sow the seeds of hate, who would sow the seeds of division and who would exploit hatred and division at a time when we have communities who are feeling so traumatised, so anxious and so insecure. I call on everybody in this parliament to uphold the values of leadership and bring us together for the sake of the people we represent. 15:49 Dr RYAN 297660 Kooyong Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, their targeting and their murder of civilians and the taking of Israeli hostages was inexcusable. Since then, the civilian population of Gaza has been forced to pay the price for Hamas's reprehensible actions. It's been clear from its onset that this conflict would lead to tragic levels of civilian suffering and death. More than 200 Israeli hostages remain captive in Gaza, many of them children and infants. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Journalists, medical personnel and humanitarian staff have also been killed in Gaza. Gazans have suffered the tragedy of being used as human shields. The war has caused life-threatening shortages of water, food, fuel and medicines, and for the last five weeks the whole world has watched on in horror and with grief. In Australia, Jewish and Muslim communities are shocked, saddened, fearful and angry, both about the war and about how it has affected our society here. I'd suggest that every Jewish individual and every Muslim individual in this country, every member of the Israeli and Palestinian diaspora, has been traumatised by this tragedy. They feel pain, they feel helpless, they are hurting. Some have struggled to let others speak of their sadness regarding this human tragedy and of their desire for peace. They've struggled to allow that without falling into accusations and reproach. We often say that there is no room for antisemitism or Islamophobia in Australia, but both have been expressed in the streets of this country in recent weeks: in protests and in demonstrations; in writing and online; in attacks on schoolchildren, faith groups and businesses. Communities are divided and people feel unsafe. In recent years, this country has dealt with the frightening uncertainties of a pandemic and, more recently, with a bruising referendum. Social cohesion is at a record low. We're struggling with cost-of-living and housing crises, and with increasing intergenerational inequities. Australians are polarised and stressed, but now on our televisions and social media feeds we're seeing images of untold loss. We need our leaders to take us forward with empathy and with generosity, to hold us together and to remind us of our shared values. Instead, at this time of great grief and horror, the opposition has chosen to foment anger, when what we needed was respectful, measured leadership. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition elevated tensions with false accusations. He launched a mean-spirited attack when he could have modelled compassion and kindness. He claimed concern that temperatures were rising, while he poured further fuel on the fire. That is not leadership. Going down dark rabbit holes of fearmongering and name-calling is the last thing that this country needs. We all need to unite, not divide, our communities. We need to support all faith, racial and ethnic groups in this wonderful melting pot of a country. We need to show all Australians as best we can our support, our care, our respect and our love. We need to tell all Jewish Australians and Muslim Australians that they matter, that they are valued, that their presence enriches our culture and makes us better, and that we cannot ourselves solve the terrible divisions in the Middle East but we can resolve and we can ensure that they don't divide us here. Now, more than ever, we have to work together to support our communities in their hurt and in their trauma and to hold each other close. The language that we use matters. We have to let all Australians speak their truth, and we have to hear them with respect. We have to reject the divisive tactics adopted by the opposition in this place yesterday. I pledge to work as best I can for as long as I am in this House to support all members of my electorate and to work for peace and cohesion in this country. 15:53 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara I rise to support the member for Goldstein on her matter of public importance. The member for Goldstein is my electorate neighbour. Since becoming the member for Goldstein, I've seen her bring an intellect and a thoughtfulness to this place and to the people of Goldstein as their representative. But until Friday night I didn't realise how much the member for Goldstein cares about her community. I heard it on the phone when we spoke, at about 9.30 at night, after we had, frankly, one of the most confronting scenes I've ever seen happen in my community in the more than three decades I've lived there. I've lived in and around Macnamara and Goldstein my whole life. The warnings that we heard from the Director-General of Security of ASIO, of having demonstrations meet each other, were unfortunately found to be exactly correct. The scenes that happened—where people were assaulted, where people were screaming at one another, where people were breaking police lines, where businesses were targeted—were unacceptable, and they were dangerous. They go to the heart of why I think this matter of public importance is so important right now, because, frankly, despite the fear that people were feeling after Friday night, the one thought I had afterwards, as I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep, was: 'Thank God no-one was killed. Thank goodness, in Australia, no-one lost their life in that moment,' because that wouldn't have been devastating for just one community; it would have torn the social fabric that we are talking about right now even further apart. That is why it is absolutely important that we do everything we can, everything in our power, to be there to support communities: to support the Islamic community, who are going through the most unimaginable pain right now, and to support the Jewish community, who are lost in this world of devastation and antisemitism that I hadn't ever experienced in my lifetime. You know, I think about what this country has meant for me and my family. I think about the fact that my grandparents, all four of them, were born in different countries. I think about the fact that one grandmother didn't have a state next to her name when she arrived here as a four-year-old girl, and what this country meant for her, and the life that she was able to build as a migrant coming into this country. I think about my grandparents, who left school when they were 13 years old. They came here, and Australia meant that they could send their kids to university, for free; that they could send their kids to the doctor if they were sick; that it didn't matter how much money they had in their bank account, they were going to be able to be there and provide for them and their family. My family has an incredible life here in Australia, and we are proud Australians. And I want that for every single Australian. I look at the Australian Islamic community and I see among them my people and my friends. I see the Islamic community as people who have had similar experiences, of coming to this country and wanting to build a life of peace and prosperity. I want them to be able to go to the mosque and to be with their family and to practise their faith and to be who they are, in our country—just as I look at my own community and think that it is devastating that our schools are fortresses; that our synagogues have walls; that people are terrified to show their identity and to publicly display being a Jew in Australia in 2023; that kids are thinking about whether or not they can do that in public; that children right now are thinking about whether or not they can wear their yarmulke in public. That is not the Australia I grew up in. That is not the Australia that has been a safe haven for my family. So it's incumbent on all of us remember what it is to be multicultural Australia—why this is a fundamental part of who we are; why the member for Goldstein has brought this matter of public importance into this place today: because we are all custodians of not only the laws of this place but the social fabric and the culture as well. We are leaders in a time where there is great tension and where there is great difficulty and pain being felt. So it's incumbent on all of us not to seek to increase that pain, not to seek to further divide and polarise communities, but to try, in some way, to bring people together and to show that we have a shared humanity that is not just as Jews or Muslims but as Australians and as people. I thank the member for Goldstein, and I thank all members for joining in this discussion. 15:58 Ms SPENDER 286042 Wentworth Today is the International Day for Tolerance. This morning I attended a multifaith breakfast in Parliament House, and that was a very appropriate thing to do, because the last few weeks have been a traumatising time for our community—particularly our Jewish and our Muslim communities. Over 200 people are still hostages. Thousands of people have died. And these are not distant events. The dead, the missing, the injured—these are the friends and families of our people in Australia. Australia has been a safe haven for many people from around the world, and for none more than the Jewish community. A woman came to see me last week. She was born in Australia, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor on one side and Jewish relatives who'd been in Australia since the 1880s on the other. After seeing the antisemitic chanting at the Opera House, her 12-year-old son asked if they were still safe here. Another man received a text from an old university friend. It was the first time he'd heard from her for ages. But the message was blunt: 'What you are doing in Gaza is appalling.' It was as if every Jewish Australian were responsible for every action of the Israeli government and as if Hamas had never attacked. In my community we have seen posters of Hitler. We have seen Jewish businesses boycotted. Next door in Goldstein, we have seen a violent conflict and a deliberate and provocative motorcycle convoy to the beaches of the eastern suburbs, which is the heartland of the Jewish community in Australia. And we have seen horrific chanting at the Opera House. These are horrifying to my community, particularly because of the history of antisemitism. The Jewish Holocaust survivors in my electorate and their families remember when they were accepted members of the Jewish community and of other European communities. They attended schools. They worshipped. They ran businesses. They fought alongside their neighbours and other people. Then, when things changed, they were almost wiped out. That is the history of the community, and this is why the fourfold increase in antisemitism since October has left Jewish Australians asking whether they are welcome here. It is up to all of us to give them the reassurance that they are. But the Jewish community is not alone in feeling the pain of the conflict in the Middle East, nor in facing discrimination. One constituent wrote to me about his wife, a respected Palestinian Australian professional who gives her time to charity. He said: 'I can't believe I'm having to say this, but my wife is not a terrorist.' Many people in this House have told me about their Islamic communities and of the challenges and the Islamophobia they have faced, and it is tragic. The Jewish community is grieving, the Palestinian and Muslim community is grieving, and the Australian community is horrified by the death of civilians overseas. It is our shared humanity that cries out at the civilian deaths. One of the privileges of being an MP is to officiate at citizenship ceremonies, and there are incredibly moving words, which I'll read: We believe in a society in which everyone is equal, regardless of their gender, faith, sexual orientation, age, ability, race, national or ethnic origin. Ours is the land of the fair go, in which respect and compassion underpin our care for each other and our willingness to reach out to those around us in times of need. We are in times of need. We need to reach out to each other now. We need to stand up against antisemitism, against Islamophobia and against racism. We need to consider our words and actions carefully. This parliament and parliaments around the country must lead by example. Our first duty is the safety of our community. We must ensure that our laws protect our community and that their enforcement is appropriate, and I am working with the New South Wales government around that in my community. Our children are our future. We need to protect them and make sure that they feel safe and welcome and that they are educated appropriately so that the tropes of antisemitism and Islamophobia do not persist in future generations and that everyone is welcome in our universities. As leaders in this place, a microcosm of Australia with a variety of religious and other backgrounds, we need to show that we stand together. We need to choose our words carefully, because we know words matter. We cannot expect to speak with violence in this place and not expect violence to be repeated in the words and deeds of our communities. It is very hard to think clearly when grief and anger cloud our vision, as it does in so many of our communities, but this is not the time to let Australians turn us into 'us and them'. Regardless of how you see things overseas, everyone in Australia must recognise that this conflict, more than any other, demonstrates that we cannot take for granted our tolerant, open and multicultural society. There is nothing to take for granted, and it is up to all of us to safeguard it. 16:03 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor Yesterday I wasn't in the chamber but I watched on the television in my office as the member for Swan, in such a heartfelt way, reminded people in this chamber that the words we say here reverberate around the country, and I am pleased to join in this matter of public importance today and see the opposite occurring. The words being said today will reverberate—hopefully, around this country. Hopefully, at kitchen tables tonight, people will be discussing the members of parliament who stood up and talked about social cohesion and the importance of social cohesion in all of our communities. There is not a member of this House who does not feel the loss that the globe is watching. But, as I said to a group of students in one of the Islamic schools in my electorate a week ago, while I was hosting the SRC forum for the end of the year—and, as I said in this place when I spoke on the resolution supported in this House—my community is like a microcosm of the globe. If we get social cohesion right in Wyndham then we will be something for the world to look to and say: 'Look at that! Australia already prides itself on being that shining light of multiculturalism.' I am proud to say, as a proud Victorian, that I think we do it extraordinarily well south of the border. An honourable member interjecting— Ms RYAN 249224 We're all parochial! No-one is more parochial than an Australian group of people. What has mortified me most in our communities in the past month has been people taking to a conflict like it's a football game—choosing a side and barracking. This is something for which there should be tears, shared tears of humanity, that in another part of the world people cannot resolve differences through peaceful means. This is something we should mourn, and I know that in my community it is being mourned. As has been mentioned—and I want to thank the member for Goldstein and the member for Wentworth for their words—I represent one of the most multicultural communities in Australia. I attended an event last week, the Barry Jones Oration, which is organised by the Wyndham City Council. It's an annual event. I walked into that event, stood and smiled, because what I saw was the business community, our teachers and schools—the representation for my community in that room was extraordinary. And it was multicultural and multifaith. There are over 100 languages spoken in my community, and 46 per cent of my community were born overseas. We come together every day in classrooms and every day at the school gate. We are building that great multicultural community. I said here on the day of the resolution that I was pleased to receive emails, because I was pleased to see that I had people concerned about what happens around the globe. That isn't surprising in my community; people are affected by issues around the globe personally. And they're affected by this issue personally. I want to say thank you directly to the people in my community who have behaved so responsibly throughout this. They're feeling the pain, but their behaviour is cognisant of social cohesion. I want to thank the leaders—particularly of the Muslim community in my community—for their forbearance, for meeting with me and for listening as much as they speak. I hope they say the same of me. I want to thank them for showing their respect for social cohesion because, trust me, we know what the other looks like. We're looking at the other; we're looking at what happens when you don't have social cohesion. We're looking at what happens when people can't find a peaceful outcome. I want to finish by saying this. To those who are stoking division, to those who think that seeing Islamophobia is a good thing, or that antisemitism is a good thing: cease and desist. It is our country you're hurting in following this line. We all need to be the grown-ups in the room, the grown-ups at the kitchen table and the grown-ups in the classroom. We all need to ensure that the young people who are listening to us hear that we stand together. 16:08 Ms TINK 300124 North Sydney I just want to acknowledge all of my colleagues who have spoken in this place already and thank them for being here this afternoon. Thank you for enabling this conversation. Coming into this place, I knew there would be times that would be difficult to navigate, both for my community and myself. The truth is that we find ourselves in one of those times at this very moment. In the course of the last six weeks, our country has had a number of challenges that would test the fabric of any society, from the bruising and divisive debate that dominated the referendum for a Voice to Parliament and the outcome of that referendum, through to the discussions we have witnessed in this place in recent weeks relating to the appalling attacks on innocent civilians in Israel on 7 October. I want to say from the outset that I do not think there is a single person in this country who does not believe that what happened on 7 October in Israel was abhorrent. I certainly know there is not a single person in my seat of North Sydney who does not believe that. The loss of any life is to be mourned, and the loss of a life taken so violently should shock us all to the core. The challenge to our community since that time, however, has been to find a way to navigate what is a fundamental truth: that two things can be true at the same time. We can, as a society and a nation, condemn the acts that took place on 7 October. We can empathise with the Israeli community, and we can do everything in our power to embrace that community and to ensure that they are protected within the community and that they know that they are loved. At the same time, we can also be shocked by what we see taking place in Gaza, with thousands of Palestinian lives lost, including the lives of innocent women and children. Today I met with a delegation of healthcare professionals who were here to represent over 25,000 of their peers. They'd all signed a petition calling on our government to do everything we can to urgently address the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. They came from different backgrounds, different medical specialties, different communities and different faiths. But, rather than be divided by their differences, they chose to unite behind their shared medical ethical principles to advocate for all life. For this reason, I will be eternally grateful to them. They represent the best of us. At this time, it is imperative that we work to create an environment in which everybody feels safe, in which everybody understands they're valued and everybody recognises that there is no place in our country for racism in any form, be that antisemitism or Islamophobia. Events like the ones we are witnessing globally challenge us, but, in doing so, they can either prove the strength of our multicultural fabric or they can prove its weakness. Certainly the Mapping social cohesion report, which was released only yesterday, found that social cohesion in Australia is at its lowest level in 16 years. The report indicates that significant numbers of people experience prejudice and discrimination routinely in everyday life and that the attitudes to government and democracy in this country are now politically charged and polarised. Who are we when we allow that in this place? Who are we as a parliament and who are we as leaders? A socially cohesive society is one where all groups have a sense of belonging, participation, inclusion and legitimacy. This sense is being severely tested at the moment, and I am seeing it, heartbreakingly, in my community. We were warned only weeks ago by the ASIO director-general of the direct correlation between language and inflamed tensions and violence. It is essential that we maintain space in our communities for people to legitimately express different opinions on matters which deeply concern them, without complex matters being reduced to artificially binary positions. Social cohesion and democracy cannot function without the ability to disagree peacefully and respectfully. At the same time, we must acknowledge that all forms of racism destroy social cohesion. They must be forcefully, loudly and consistently condemned, rather than used to stoke division. Inciting racism for political gain directly threatens our social cohesion and, ultimately, our democracy. As the member for North Sydney, I'm incredibly proud of the vibrant and diverse community I represent. We are a community that is a microcosm of the multicultural society which is today's Australia. In this place I say that my community believes in the sanctity of all life. My community rejects racism in all forms. As the voice for that community, I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to speak with my colleagues today about the importance of prioritising, and fighting for, social cohesion. I undertake to continue that fight every day that I am enabled to stand in this chamber. 16:13 Mr KHALIL 101351 Wills We are in the midst of a political storm—and, more importantly, a moral storm—that is impacting our social and community cohesion. The cohesion of our multicultural society is one of our nation's greatest assets, and everyone needs to play their part in protecting it. We know that people in our communities are hurting and anxious, and it is up to every person in this place to provide calm, responsible and unifying leadership, to de-escalate tensions and not to inflame them. I completely understand that people, regardless of their religious, ethnic, cultural or political background, are in pain and are experiencing trauma over what is happening in Gaza and Israel. I am deeply upset and concerned myself, but I will always support the right of every Australian to protest peacefully and understand many Australians wish to express their views about what is happening in Israel and Gaza. But, in doing so, we categorically condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia or dehumanisation of any kind. For decades throughout my work as an MP and in past roles at SBS and as the Victorian Multicultural Commissioner, I have committed everything I have to protecting and supporting our multicultural society and have condemned discriminatory behaviour, hate speech and incitement of violence based on religion and ethnicity. Those behaviours are not the same as Australians' right to peacefully protest. Right now, it is more critical than ever that we maintain social cohesion and respect for one another to safeguard what we all value so much—our multicultural and pluralistic society. We must ensure the protection of schoolchildren, teachers, places of worship and all Australians as they go about their lives. Threats or acts of violence against innocent people should never be tolerated or justified. The government is continuing to work with communities affected to keep all Australians safe, to provide support and funding for Australian Muslim, Palestinian and Jewish organisations and to support students in Jewish and Islamic schools. On the other end are a lot of people who are dealing with this. The member for Goldstein rightly pointed out how many of our staff have faced threats. Regardless of their political affiliation, those staff work hard for our local communities on a huge range of dishes. They support families and communities affected by the humanitarian crisis, and they work every day to ensure community cohesion. That is how important they are. So, in the hopes of safeguarding the diverse and multicultural society we have built, I call on all sides of politics and all parties to avoid using what is happening for domestic political gain. I call on all sides of politics not to stoke the pain and trauma being experienced by Australians in response to this crisis but instead to work to bring people together and to safeguard our communities, just like this MPI says. As the member for Wills, one of my priorities is to keep my community safe and secure and to maintain social cohesion. As a member of the Australian government and as chair of the intelligence committee, I work to safeguard Australia's national interests, our national security and Australia's social cohesion. As an Australian of Egyptian heritage, I have a personal understanding and deep connection to the region. It has been tragic and deeply sad for decades. We have our history of supporting Palestinian self-determination and statehood. I also empathise with the families of the Israeli civilians who were killed because the same types of extremists attacked the Coptic community in Egypt which I'm from, deliberately targeting and killing innocent civilians. That is why, in condemning Hamas, I made the important point that the legitimate cause of Palestinian self-determination and statehood does not and can never legitimise Hamas's action. Likewise, Israel's military operation's response against Hamas must distinguish Hamas from innocent civilians, because the loss of innocent Palestinian lives is unacceptable and the protection of innocent lives is paramount. While most people understand that we may not be able to end the cycle of violence that has gone on for decades in the Middle East, I can and have spoken up for Palestinian and Israeli lives. I refuse to engage in the polarisation and hatred of 'the other' to stoke anger on either side. There is already far too much hatred. I refuse to take the path of engaging in selective empathy or to dehumanise any people, whether they are Palestinian, Israeli, Muslim, Jewish, Christian or atheist. I won't engage in the polarised hate speech that seeks to dehumanise. Nor can we allow that to be facilitated or encouraged. Rather, my focus is on calling out the devastating loss of life, ending conflict and suffering, and focusing on reaching out to my community in the mosques and Muslim schools in my electorate to protect them against Islamophobia. At this time, it is more critical than ever that we maintain social cohesion and respect for one another to safeguard this multicultural society that we love. In conclusion, we cannot be indifferent to human suffering, wherever it occurs, and we must recognise and always embrace our shared humanity. 16:19 Dr HAINES 282335 Indi If ever there was an MPI, a matter of public importance, as the contributions from my colleagues today have demonstrated, it is this. I believe every member of this place would agree that the events of 7 October in Israel were abhorrent. The international community was appalled by the loss of life, overwhelmingly civilian life, and since that day we have recognised Israel's right to defend itself. While we recognise that right, the footage, images and stories that have come from Gaza, and the loss of civilian lives is devastating. Again, it's civilian lives overwhelmingly being lost—now in their thousands and with the number increasing every day. The huge number of children to die in this conflict is heartbreaking. More constituents have written to me about this conflict between Israel and Hamas than on any other issue this year. My heart goes out to members of parliament here and their constituents who have been directly impacted. It is clear that Australians are deeply distressed by what is happening in the Middle East. I am deeply distressed by what is happening in the Middle East. I am also deeply concerned by what is happening at home, here in Australia. One of the things that makes me so proud to be an Australian is our diversity, our multiculturalism and our acceptance and embrace of people of all faiths. Multiculturalism has shown us that there is so much more that unites us than divides us, but what we've seen in our communities here in Australia since 7 October brings me grave concern. And, while I support protesting or demonstrating peacefully for a cause, in many cases what has occurred is not a peaceful statement about what's happening overseas. It has been about intimidation—confronting, devastating—as the member for Goldstein and the member for Macnamara have so clearly illustrated. It has been about sending a message to people here in Australia to make them feel unsafe and unwelcome, and that is never acceptable, and I believe every member here agrees. It's for this reason that I want to comment on the tone of debate in this House, and most especially yesterday. The words of leaders in this place must be careful and considered. What we say in this place matters. Words matter. And, while in times of such terrible international conflict we can stumble at times to find the right words, we must never deliberately choose to use words designed to divide. As leaders we must model the behaviour we want to see in our community more broadly. That is what generates cohesion. The role of an elected leader is a privilege, and to be the leader of a political party is a greater privilege, and one which comes with a microphone and a platform afforded to few people. We must think very carefully about how we use that privilege. We should be doing everything we can to prevent unrest and division in our communities, and we should be doing everything to bring our communities together, centred around our shared humanity. We must not tolerate antisemitism, we must not tolerate Islamophobia and we must not tolerate hatred in any form. We absolutely should not be engaging in debate that seeks to be provoking, fuelling or encouraging division and the degradation of social cohesion. To do that to score a political point is not only dangerous to our national cohesion but defiles the gravity of this devastating international conflict. When the words spoken in parliament are intentionally inflammatory it legitimises and encourages further division in the wider community. We are grappling with the absolute tragedy of what is happening in the Middle East, with the frightening rise of antisemitism here at home and with the heartbreak of Palestinian Australians and Jewish Australians alike. To then come into this place and hear political pointscoring in a circumstance as grave as this leaves me, as a member of parliament, at a complete loss. To weaponise the tragedy playing out every day in Middle East and to weaponise the very problem of antisemitism against political rivals is completely irresponsible. Since when has it been wrong to show compassion? Since when has it been wrong to acknowledge the humanity of those trapped in the unimaginable terror of a war zone? The way some members of this place have chosen to jump down the throats of others on this matter, deliberately seeking to score political points here in this parliament and in the media, is dividing our community and creating a very real threat to some individual members and their staff. Let it not be an unforgivable mistake to have a heart that breaks at the loss of civilian lives, no matter which side. The conduct and language used in this place is having dual effects, inciting those who wish to use hateful language and silencing those who simply wish to express their humanity and sadness at the loss of thousands of lives. We are at a critical juncture, colleagues, and we must do all in our power to nurture social cohesion, not to divide this great nation. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 I would just like to thank all the speakers for their very considerate and respectful ways in which they conducted the debate today on the MPI. I preside over many, and this is by far the finest. I also expect it's appreciated by those sitting in the gallery, those tuning into the broadcast and those in our respective communities. Thank you. The time for discussion has now concluded. COMMITTEES 75 COMMITTEES Human Rights Joint Committee, Parliamentary Library Joint Committee, Appropriations and Administration Committee, Privileges and Members' Interests Committee 75 Membership 75 16:25 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 I have received advice from the Chief Opposition Whip discharging Mr Broadbent from certain committees. 16:25 Mr JONES A9B Whitlam by leave—I move: That Mr Broadbent be discharged from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library, the Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration and the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests. Question agreed to. BILLS 75 BILLS Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Small Business Redundancy Exemption) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Protections Against Discrimination) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (First Responders) Bill 2023 75

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Small Business Redundancy Exemption) Bill 2023

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Protections Against Discrimination) Bill 2023

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency) Bill 2023

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (First Responders) Bill 2023

Consideration of Senate Message 75 STATEMENTS 76 STATEMENTS Health Care 76 16:27 Dr SCAMPS 299623 Mackellar by leave—Yesterday the General practice: health of the nation report was released by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. I was invited to speak on a panel for the launch of the report at the National Press Club. With me on the panel was the President of the RACGP, Dr Nicole Higgins, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Mark Butler, and recently qualified GP Dr Emily Rushton. There was a general agreement, including from the minister, that general practice is the bedrock or the backbone of our health system. But the decade-long Medicare rebate freeze under the former coalition government has done extensive damage to general practice, which it will take years to recover from. The rebate freeze can be held up as an example of short-term thinking at its worst. There was some good news in the Health of the nation report. GPs are spending more time with their patients on average, and nine out of 10 people are able to see their GP when they need to. It was also great to read that the vast majority of patients are feeling listened to and respected by their GPs. There was also a lot of not so good news, but it must be noted that the research was performed prior to the implementation of the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive payments. Some of this not so good news includes the fact that over 70 per cent of GPs are experiencing burnout, with three in 10 planning to leave the profession in the next five years and many more hoping to cut back on hours because of overwork. Also, four out of five practice owners had concerns about the viability of their practices, and only around 10 per cent of GPs aspired to owning their own practice. Concerning also, is the fact that the number of junior doctors choosing to move into specialist GP training practice is also declining. Many practice owners state that one of their main concerns about the viability of their practice is their inability to attract and retain GPs due to the serious workforce shortages. If we want to attract and retain more GPs in the profession, more needs to be done to value the vitally important work and role that GPs have in our health system. Currently, if a junior doctor wants to specialise in general practice, they must take quite a significant—in fact, a very significant—pay cut when compared to their hospital based colleagues. They also must give up paid parental leave and other protections. This is a serious barrier for many people entering general practice training schemes, as 60 per cent of the junior doctors entering are women and are often doing so at the time of life when they're considering starting a family or taking on a mortgage. From personal experience, I can attest that being a GP is an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding role. It is an enormous privilege and honour to be invited to support and advise people in some of the most significant times in their lives—both difficult and joyful. The GP-patient relationship is like no other, and I can't recommend the profession highly enough. Investment in general practice and primary health care is an investment in better health outcomes. It's an investment in fewer hospital admissions, healthier lives and greater wellbeing for all Australians. It takes the stress off our hospitals and the stress off our ambulance services, and reduces elective surgery waitlists. And, of course, it's the most cost-effective form of healthcare provision. Investing in prevention, early diagnosis, early intervention and close management of chronic disease is by far the most cost-effective form of health spending, and saves billions in hospital spending. It was very positive to hear the minister say that at national meetings, such as the former Council of Australian Government meetings, premiers and first ministers are focusing their calls on greater funding to the primary healthcare network rather than just a focus on the hospital system, as has happened for so long. The health of our nation and the health of general practice go hand-in-hand, so I look forward to working with government to build a strong and vital general practice sector that serves the needs of all Australians, not just those who can afford it. Immigration 76 16:32 Mr LAXALE 299174 Bennelong by leave—This isn't the first time I have risen in this parliament to speak about the opposition's divisive language when it comes to migrant communities. Unfortunately, for many migrant communities, being impacted by the language of the Liberals isn't a new experience. They've been using migrants as political footballs for decades. You'd think that by now they would have learned to stop. In a country where 30 per cent of our population was born overseas, as a country where almost half of the population has a parent born overseas—just like mine—this sort of rhetoric from the Liberals is divisive and nasty, and it hurts Australian families. In 2016, the then Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, and now Leader of the Opposition, suggested that migrants: … won't be literate or numerate in their own language, let alone English. In 2018 he said that migration should be cut and that we shouldn't be letting migrants in who are 'going to be a burden'. And in 2023 it goes on; they continue to use migrant communities to score cheap political points. In this place a matter of months ago, they did it on infrastructure, saying that we should stop renewable energy projects because solar panels and inverters are being made in China—again, using the Chinese-Australian community in their ideological opposition to taking action on climate change. Now they're doing it with housing. I first want to say that I acknowledge that the housing crisis is real and that people are hurting. They want governments to do more, and this government will. But, we are not in housing crisis because of migrants; we are in a housing crisis which we've been in for decades. Do I need to remind those opposite that rents rose and housing prices rose when our international borders were slammed shut during the pandemic? CoreLogic's head of research shows that rents rose 16.5 per cent during the pandemic, and in 2021 we saw housing prices rise by 23.7 per cent. Those things happened when migration was next to zero. Earlier this week, founder of an online rental reporting agency, Jordie Van Den Berg, summed it up perfectly when he said: 'Migrants to Australia are not the cause of our housing crisis. Successive government failures are.' The response to his statement of fact is the byproduct of what happens when leaders use migrants as political footballs. The replies to Jordie's tweet were filled with racist and anti-immigrant sentiment, especially towards the Islamic, Asian and South-East Asian communities. This is the impact of the rhetoric that the opposition continues to use. When the Leader of the Opposition and his party use migrants to score cheap political points, their language hurts communities like the one I represent. Words matter, language matters and, in this instance, facts matter. There is a human toll to the political tactics of the Liberal Party. Their words hurt communities that make our country great, and their words enable hate speech online and in our suburbs. Through you, Mr Speaker, to the Leader of the Opposition and to the Liberal Party, I would like to say migrants are not the cause of housing and rental crises in Australia. Lazy governments are the cause. Let me tell you how proud I am to be part of a federal government that, for the first time in nearly a decade, cares about the housing crisis and is doing something about it. Every street in my electorate of Bennelong has benefited from the contributions of migrants. Sixty-six per cent of my electorate have one or both parents born overseas, and, as I take my kids to school or grab a coffee at my local shops, I see and hear the positive impact that migrant communities have made to our country. Both my parents were born overseas and moved to Australia. I went to a school in Western Sydney where all of my friends were from migrant backgrounds—Polish, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Sri Lankan. They had all moved here, to Australia. In my entire life, I've not met a migrant family that has not made this country worse. Every migrant I've met loves this country and loves being here. Every migrant I've met works hard and wants to grow our economy. So, to the Liberal Party I say: Be better. Stop using migrant communities to score your cheap political points. Take ownership, and be part of the solution. Parliament in Schools Program, World Environment Day 77 16:37 Ms WARE 300123 Hughes by leave—I rise with pride to congratulate and acknowledge school students within my electorate of Hughes. Just last Thursday, 9 November, I was privileged that you, Mr Speaker, visited my electorate as part of your Parliament in Schools program. Thank you for that. We first visited Hammondville Public School where we met with the enrichment class 4/5/6 Cobalt and then years 5 and 6 at Jannali East Public School. At both schools, the students were engaged, articulate, interested and interesting. They also enjoyed role playing the Speaker and the Serjeant-at-Arms and having the opportunity to ask us questions, including whether we wanted to be Prime Minister, our favourite songs and the best and worst parts of our respective parliamentary roles. At both schools, we held a mock vote to demonstrate how voting works in the parliament. The topic was important—proposed legislation dealing with the banning of pineapple on pizza. I'm sorry to say that on both occasions I was on the opposing side, being a proponent of pineapple on pizzas, and on that particular occasion the ayes had it. Another school which is doing a lot of work educating their students around civics is Heathcote Public School, where I was also privileged to go and speak during the last couple of weeks. I'll turn to World Environment Day. This year I ran a speech competition throughout my electorate for school students to write about solutions to plastic pollution. I'm pleased to say, even though it was a hard decision, the winner was high-school student Kayley MacDonald, who comes from Kirrawee High School. I told Kayley I would read out her speech, and I am going to do that now. I do hope my delivery matches Kayley's content. She said: Protecting the environment is crucial since it's where life starts. Neglecting it leads to declining well-being, visible in issues like the climate crisis endangering life. Ceasing to care for the environment brings consequences such as biodiversity loss, economic harm, and global challenges. Our responsibility is to protect the environment as it directly impacts the future. The fate is in our hands. Plastic bags have been an ongoing issue and have reached their climax. It is estimated we use around 5 trillion plastic bags a year!! 160,000 plastic bags a second! This fact provided by Plastic Bags Used Per Year made me beyond shocked and ashamed of the world we live in today. It is time to take action to beat plastic pollution and here is how. A local organization will plan to establish clean-up clubs aimed at removing plastic waste from communities. These clubs will not only clean up plastic but also provide education on proper plastic recycling and waste reduction. To encourage community participation, the organization intends to offer rewards and recognition to individuals involved in these clubs. Raising awareness about plastic's harmful impact on the environment is essential. Education should cover proper plastic recycling and alternatives. Starting at a young age is crucial … This ensures a deep understanding of plastic's environmental effects as individuals transition to adulthood. Reducing single-use plastic bags is crucial, with some progress in stores and shops. Yet plastic remains pervasive in packaging and daily items like food wrapping. Despite their convenience, single-use plastics persist. To address this, the government should fund research for an affordable, sustainable alternative material to replace plastic. This effort will require international collaboration as the issue affects people globally. I was quite overwhelmed by the quality of the speeches submitted. I thank all the school students throughout Hughes who submitted speeches, particularly Kayley for her winning speech. Finally, Lucas Heights Community School in my electorate of Hughes is the only K to 12 metropolitan school throughout the state. Last week Lucas Heights Community School launched its First Nations wellbeing hub to address the health needs of Indigenous students to promote their academic success. I thank my colleague the honourable member for Macarthur for joining me on that day. I particularly congratulate Principal Julie Adams, the Lucas Heights community and all the fantastic students at Lucas Heights Community School for this initiative providing practical outcomes to address Indigenous youth health and the gap that exists between our Indigenous youth and non-Indigenous youth. To conclude, I've used my five minutes to showcase some of the recent amazing achievements of schools and students within my electorate of Hughes. They are all to be congratulated. Immigration, Middle East 78 16:42 Dr CHARLTON I8M Parramatta by leave—I rise to express my heartfelt appreciation for the Refugee Women Walk for Fair Go. On Tuesday around 15 female asylum seekers completed a march from Sydney to Canberra. Driven by their passion and personal experiences, these courageous women, many of them from Tamil backgrounds, walked 340 kilometres over 15 days to advocate for the thousands of refugees who have been stuck in migration limbo. Many of these 15 women arrived in Australia over a decade ago, fleeing abject poverty and persecution. They came to Australia to search for the same opportunities we enjoy today, safety and peace, but in the past decade these women and their families have been barred from much of what makes life in Australia so great, much of what many Australians take for granted—the opportunity to work in any area they choose, the opportunity to send their children to university in HECS places and to access TAFE and the opportunity to get full access to Medicare and superannuation. As well as being refugees, these women are mothers, friends, sisters and colleagues. They're active members of our community. Every day they make a positive contribution to our society. I'm confident that they will continue to contribute to our local communities. My message to them is simple: you are valued; your contribution to Australia is appreciated. I had the honour of delivering this message in person earlier this week, when I met with these inspiring women at Parliament House. I note that this amazing feat of activism and advocacy was made possible through the efforts of many local Tamil organisations and supporters. The second issue I want to address is the situation in Gaza. The world is watching a complete tragedy for the innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians who are victims in this situation. Many Australians are understandably shocked by the horrific violence and loss of life. The feedback I have from my community, every day, concerns the need to protect and value all human life. My community calls for recognition of Palestinian suffering and loss to the same degree as Israeli suffering and loss. All human life is sacred, and all innocent civilians should be protected. I've had hundreds of messages from my community, from people who have friends, families and loved ones who've been killed or subjected to terrible suffering. Of course I want to see a cessation of hostilities. Everybody wants to see the killing stop, and the cry for a ceasefire is an entirely and deeply human response to the humanitarian disaster the world is witnessing. Everybody wants to see innocent people live in peace. A ceasefire requires both parties to agree; by its nature, a ceasefire cannot be one-sided. Hamas still holds over 200 hostages as human shields and has a stated intent to kill Israelis and destroy the State of Israel. Australia has led international calls for humanitarian assistance and calls for the fighting to stop so that food, medicine and other assistance can be brought into Gaza. Clearly, much more is needed. Here at home, we have an urgent responsibility to ensure that the most precious elements of being Australian are maintained. Harmonious multiculturalism is something we have built in this country, and we should fight to protect it. As leaders, we have a responsibility to calm tensions here at home, not to inflame them. We must ensure that all Australian Jews feel safe and secure and that all Australian Muslims feel safe and secure. Australian Muslims and Jews are good people who deserve to live in this country in peace and security. Lindsay Electorate: Infrastructure 79 16:47 Mrs McINTOSH 281513 Lindsay by leave—The Albanese Labor government has ripped six projects away from the people of Lindsay. These are projects that the coalition government committed to funding, projects that I fought for, and projects that our community desperately needs when it comes to infrastructure upgrades: Mulgoa Road upgrade stage 2, the Werrington Arterial stage 2 project, Western Sydney road transport network development, the M7-M12 interchange, and upgrades to railway stations at Kingswood and St Marys. These projects are now gone. First and foremost, I know that the Glenmore Park, Regentville and Jamisontown communities will be really unhappy. Some people will be extremely upset by the culling of the Mulgoa Road stage 2 upgrade. This will see more than $230 million of federal money ripped out of the project. I doubt the New South Wales Labor government will take on the full $465 million cost, and this means that our community will miss out on this project. The Mulgoa Road corridor is a vital link for suburban Penrith through to Mulgoa and Luddenham and the motorway connection to the city and the Blue Mountains. It is currently an absolute bottleneck at the best of times—dropping kids at school, going to weekend sports. We know how desperate people are to have the Mulgoa Road upgrade completely finished. People have been waiting on this. Commuter car park upgrades for St Marys and Kingswood have been axed—$55 million cut from local infrastructure. This is despite the fact that Penrith council is already using the funding to upgrade both these car parks, and the St Marys community, which is growing continuously is the key Metro rail station for the Western Sydney International Airport. The upgrade to the car park was meant to be a key feature to support the additional people travelling to and from the airport. Werrington Arterial Stage 2 has also been cut. This was funding in partnership with the New South Wales government and was such an important thing for our community, which has so much congestion. It's why I fought for and secured the money for Dunheved Road. We're waiting for council work to start on that upgrade very shortly—we hope. In addition, the Western Sydney road transport network development plan has also been found unsuitable by the minister for infrastructure. This is absolutely absurd; with the new airport set to service Western Sydney in a few years, this money was meant to develop a network of roads and other infrastructure to ensure better connectivity. The precinct will not only have the airport but major freight and logistics facilities; manufacturing; health, tourism; and agribusiness, all of which rely on vehicles. Importantly, it was going to service a business case for upgrading Luddenham Road. Another project which has been cut was for the M7 and M12 interchange. It's ridiculous that I have to keep reeling off multiple projects that meant so much to my community of Lindsay! This interchange was a missing link, and construction was going to get underway as part of the airport infrastructure project. Even the Labor state Treasurer has said that he's disappointed by this decision, and the roads minister has said that he wants the connection to be maintained. The New South Wales Labor government and Penrith City Council should be livid about this decision cutting over $300 million of Commonwealth funding for infrastructure for the Lindsay community. It just seems like we don't matter at all to this government. The minister stood up in question time and said that her favourite project is being funded; apparently, the people of Western Sydney are not her favourites. But Western Sydney is the new heartland of the Liberal Party, and we will proudly fund infrastructure projects in my community. That's why I fought so hard for each and every one of these projects—because our community said that we needed them. And it isn't only infrastructure projects: it's the flight paths where we were hoodwinked. At midnight there will be flight paths going over Lindsay. There are more flight paths out of Western Sydney International Airport over Lindsay than over any other community. It seems like Western Sydney really does not matter to the Albanese Labor government. On the other hand, we will always back in projects for our growing community and we're going to be extremely loud in ensuring the government hears our calls and doesn't cut infrastructure projects critical to the growth of the community of Lindsay. Youth Voice in Parliament Week, Middle East 80 16:52 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon by leave—Mr Speaker, as you know, this week is Youth Voice in Parliament Week. Raise Our Voice is an Australian organisation which aims to amplify the voices of young women and gender-diverse people to actively lead conversations in politics and domestic and foreign policy. I have joined other members in giving young people a voice by reading out a speech they've prepared on what change they would make for Australia to be a better place for future generations. Today it's my honour to read a speech written by Nambi Henderson, age 14, a Warumungu and Mudburra-Jingili girl from north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. Nambi currently lives in Darwin, my home, in the Solomon electorate. She writes: Another day. Another family member dies. Another funeral. I feel as though I attend more funerals than birthday celebrations. And I'd like that to change for the sake of future generations. My family are the Warumungu, Mudburra and Jingili people, who have a rich history on this land. Unfortunately, our future doesn't look so bright. I don't know any of my relatives who have died of old age. They have all died from alcoholism or chronic diseases like renal disease, diabetes and rheumatic heart disease. Just this month we buried one of my grandmothers. My cousin-brother Troy is 17. He's about six feet tall, fit and strong. He has dreams for the future but he might not live for long because he has rheumatic heart disease. This means he has spent months and months in hospital because his heart valves are damaged. There's no cure. But it is totally preventable. I wish my people didn't have to suffer through these diseases. It's hard to watch. And it's even harder to say goodbye. I know Aboriginal people have so much to contribute to this country, and that's why every day I hope that we can turn the tables on this situation. We really need to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people. It would make Australia a better place and the future would be brighter for us all. It would be amazing if all Australians could work together to see this through, and my greatest hope is to see it happen. I really thank and congratulate Nambi on such a moving speech, highlighting the health disparity that First Nations people face in the NT and around Australia. The disproportionate prevalence of rheumatic heart disease among Aboriginal people is a national disgrace that we must change. The NT has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease mortality in Australia, as well, taking almost one Territorian's life a day. When it comes to rheumatic heart disease, the rates for Aboriginal Territorians are 120 times greater than the national average. We very clearly must do better. So thank you again, Nambi. You are one of the very many things that makes Darwin, our home, the jewel that it is—a diverse multicultural place, with people from all around the world who've come together to live in peace, with the traditional owners; a place full of strong, passionate people, who are, as so many of us are, feeling horror and pain and even anger at the conflict in Gaza. So I want to acknowledge the situation in Gaza and the fact that it is really affecting people in my electorate and throughout the Territory. I've spoken with many Territorians, and they are experiencing trauma and grief, particularly due to the deaths of so many innocent people. Tomorrow evening, many will gather and stand shoulder to shoulder and draw support from one another, and raise their voices together, or remain silent together, respectfully, in a chorus for peace. I want to assure all Territorians that our government is listening. We are listening. We hear you. The SPEAKER 53517 The House is suspended until the ringing of the bells. The House transcript was published up to 16:58. The remainder of the transcript will be published progressively as it is completed. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mrs Archer ) took the chair at 09:30.

Thursday, 16 November 2023

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mrs Archer ) took the chair at 09:30.

 

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS 81 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Australia: Bushfires, Queensland: Fire Management 81 09:30 Mr BOYCE 299498 Flynn I'd like to start this speech by thanking our firefighters and the SES and everybody who's been working hard to keep Australian property and people safe in the Flynn electorate and across Australia. Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen fires burning through all different parts of our region, including the Central Highlands and the Gladstone, Bundaberg, Banana, Rockhampton and Burnett regions. As a nation, we need to be more proactive, rather than just reactive. All too often we've seen clean-up after clean-up after fires have burned through communities, yet the governments of the day have not implemented tangible solutions. The first issue is our substandard telecommunications system. I was recently contacted by local firefighters, explaining the challenges of the inadequate telecommunications systems that our emergency services are forced to struggle with on a daily base in these situations. They said that at the time they were facing huge fire seasons and fires already raging throughout much of Queensland. They'd been listening to fire com conversations, as there were other crews working on firegrounds. All too often, operators could not hear the transmissions due to poor phone services. We've also seen many volunteer firefighters banned from battling blazes due to blue card requirements imposed by the Queensland government. Previous and recent bushfires have highlighted the fact that the management of our state owned national parks and lands and forests have been severely lacking. I echoed these comments previously as the state member for Flynn and I will continue to do so as the federal member for Flynn. For many years there's been little or no maintenance of firebreaks and access roads to and from these places. There's not been enough managed maintenance burning to reduce fire loads in our Crown lands and parks, which has added to the ferocity and devastation that these fires cause. We have much to learn from these events, and this is why we need to be proactive. It is a prime example of local residents understanding their local communities and the bureaucrats in Brisbane and Canberra having little or no idea. There are too many bureaucrats in offices with no practical knowledge of firefighting. There are too many bureaucrats in offices mismanaging our state owned lands. This is a case of the farmer getting it right and the bureaucrats getting it wrong. The vegetation management laws legislated in Queensland are unworkable and do not help or protect the environment. Look what has happened with these fires recently. They have destroyed vegetation, wildlife, property, infrastructure, grazing land and the environment. It is the farmers who are the real environmentalists. They are the frontline firefighters, and the bureaucrats would do better to try and understand this. Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, Services Australia 81 09:33 Mr SHORTEN 00ATG Maribyrnong This week has been a watershed moment for the victims of the unlawful robodebt scandal. The Albanese government has agreed, in full or in principle, to all 56 recommendations of the royal commission into the coalition robodebt scandal. But today I particularly want to talk about the 30,000-or-so staff who work at Services Australia. Many were traumatised by having to follow and implement the morally bankrupt suggestions of their senior leadership and the previous coalition ministers. The Labor government says no more—never again—to robodebt. But what's important is that Services Australia staff feel that they are backed up on the front line, which they are by this government. I want to acknowledge two Services Australia officers who exemplify the typical frontline worker. The first is Sean Donohoe, a member of my community. In the last couple of weeks, Sean has retired after 31 years of service to people who used to come through the office of the old DSS in Glenroy and at Broadmeadows Centrelink. For the last 10 years, Sean's focus has been working with and helping refugees and asylum seekers. He played an important role in establishing the national Refugee Servicing Network team earlier this year. For Sean, this is not just a job but also a vocation, a deliberate decision to be a true servant of the public. Sean was and is a priceless asset. He generously mentored junior staff to ensure customers reaped the benefits of his experience and wisdom. What a great legacy, Sean; congratulations. I thank him for three decades of service, and I wish him and Natalie well in their next chapter. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Proceedings suspended from 09 : 35 to 1 0 : 02 Mr SHORTEN 00ATG I'd also like to acknowledge another senior Services Australia frontline leader, Kim Henderson. Kim was the service centre manager at the Newmarket Service Centre for the best part of 21 years. She's worked at Medicare Services Australia, and she has built an exceptional team down there at Flemington near where I live and where my office is. She's been fantastic for my electorate office to deal with. I saw Kim in action last year at the Maribyrnong River floods. She and her Services Australia team worked tirelessly to help community members in their desperate need of support. Indeed, after the dreadful stabbing of respected team leader Joeanne Cassar at Airport West earlier this year, Kim helped pull together the response, and helped a lot of shocked and traumatised staff regroup to continue their services to everyday Australians. I want to express my gratitude to Kim for all of the work she's done, and I look forward to her contribution at the National Disability Insurance Agency going forward. In summary, Services Australia staff work not only with their intellect and physical labour but also with their emotions. This is a tiring and thankless task. A lot of vulnerable people, who are doing it hard, walk through the doors of Centrelink and Services Australia offices, and they take their cues from how these staff are feeling and how the staff are responding. It can be very tiring working with your emotional, physical and intellectual energy every day, but that's what Services Australia staff do. Today I've just given but two of the stories, of Sean Donohoe and Kim Henderson. I want to thank all of the frontline staff of Services Australia, because you do a fantastic job and you extend human rights to all Australians. Casey Electorate 82 10:03 Mr VIOLI 300147 Casey Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Lyrebird College senior school's opening of their new senior school and their new playground. Lyrebird College is a special community in Coldstream. Many people come from all over the state to get an education for their children and to make sure that their needs are addressed. It was wonderful to be at the opening and to spend some time at the school, particularly with the founder, Melissa; the principal, Julie; and many of the teachers—and it was great to run into my good friend Sophie, who is an EEA there as well. It was a great day to see the students who need certain conditions and certain buildings that aren't standard to make sure that they are safe and their educational needs are met. That was delivered through $880,000 from the former coalition government. Importantly, that dream that Melissa had three years ago of turning a piece of dirt into a wonderful school and a wonderful community has come to fruition. When you speak to the parents of those students, many driving hours to get their children to the school, many moving closer to the school so their children can have the education they deserve, you see the impact that it has on the students, on their families and on the wider community. It was great to be there to visit them regularly, and I'm looking forward to continuing to support Melissa, Julie and the wider community as they continue to grow and provide support to many other students. In Casey we recently had the opportunity to celebrate with the Mt Everland Street Party. After a tough couple of years with COVID when we hadn't been able to hold the festival, it was great it see it back in action. The weather was perfect. We're debating whether it was a record crowd—we think it was. There were people everywhere enjoying themselves. Importantly, it was good to see the community back, connecting. I had the opportunity to buy a couple of pieces of artwork that supported the Mt Everland CFA. It was great to drop in and see them later that week to collect the artwork and talk to Rick, the captain, and a few of the team. They were heading up to Queensland to support our communities up in Queensland. I congratulate the Mt Everland Street Party committee and all of the community groups that participated in a wonderful day. I'll also take an opportunity to send our love and support to those in Queensland, as well as those in the CFAs across the Yarra valley, across Casey, who have taken time away from their families, friends and work to head up north to protect our communities. We hope they stay safe. We thank them for their work. We know they're going to have a tough summer coming up and it's important that we continue to support all of those CFA volunteers for that surge capacity in Victoria and across the nation. Bush-Blanasi, Dr 82 10:06 Ms SCRYMGOUR F2S Lingiari It is with a heavy heart that I rise to speak about the passing of my good friend and longtime Northern Land Council chairman, Dr Bush-Blanasi. He was surrounded by members of his extended family when he passed. Dr Bush-Blanasi was a Yolngu man with country in the Blue Mud Bay region of eastern Arnhem Land, and was a claimant in the High Court case of that name. This resulted in traditional owners taking ownership of 85 per cent of the Northern Territory's intertidal zone. He was a long-term resident of the Wugularr or Beswick community, east of Katherine. Dr Bush-Blanasi made an enormous impact on Aboriginal politics, serving as the chairman of the Northern Land Council for four terms and as a Northern Land Council member since 1989. In recognition of his long period of service to our community, he was named the 2023 Northern Territory Australian of the Year. Dr Bush-Blanasi's work had a deep impact on our communities across the Northern Territory and the Top End. Anyone who worked closely with Dr Bush-Blanasi would know that he had the most extraordinary knowledge of and memory for Aboriginal families, connections and history. His own extended family was extensive, with relatives spread across Arnhem Land from Blue Mud Bay to Wadeye and further south at Wugularr. But Dr Bush-Blanasi's encyclopaedic knowledge extended far beyond his own family and country to everyone's family throughout the entire Northern Land Council area and beyond, including Groote Eylandt and my own home on the Tiwi Islands. He could tell stories about significant characters, going back to times of upheaval and forced shared accommodation in camps for Aboriginal people established in the Second World War—stories which family members of individuals concerned hadn't even known. This kind of knowledge contributed to making him a formidable player in Aboriginal politics. More importantly, it assisted him in maintaining a complex and organic sense of collective identity which connects Aboriginal families to country and was part of what made him so passionate about recognition of that through the recognition. I had the privilege of working with Dr Bush-Blanasi when I was CEO of the Northern Land Council. One of the things that I will hold closely to my heart is his role, particularly in supporting women in Aboriginal communities. He was and will always be remembered as a change-agent for women, particularly Aboriginal women in the workplace. Not only was he instrumental in allowing me to be the first female CEO of the Northern Land Council but he was also tireless in promoting women in all sorts of fields and endeavours, including the Ranger program and women's football. He has contributed so much to the Territory and the nation. He will be sorely missed. Climate Change 83 10:09 Dr GILLESPIE 72184 Lyne I rise to speak about a hypothesis circulating around the globe and in Australia. There are calls for us to be signing up to methane pledges due to supranational bodies like the UN and the IPCC recommending it. It is the genesis and the justification for the absolute madness proposed in Ireland, where they're going to cull a third of their dairy herd to meet the methane pledge. We've already seen the Netherlands virtually have a revolution by farmers who have started up their own party because they were going to shut down one-third of their farms. It's all based on very dodgy science. People don't understand that biological methane is quite different from unnatural methane that comes from gas and coal extraction and other processes. The other madness is that methane has a very short atmospheric life. CO2 is there permanently. If you have the same herd reproducing itself, it is a closed system. To have dairy herds and beef herds, you need pastures. If you look at the effect of improved pastures, you see massive soil carbon growth. Otherwise, you can't produce enough pastures to feed all these animals. So they are more than carbon negative. The whole cycle is a natural cycle. The animals themselves, the bovines, are about 15 per cent solid carbon. Each one of them is a sink, let alone the soils on which their pastures grow. As I said, biological methane is a very short lived atmospheric. Even though it is technically, scientifically, maybe a more powerful warming gas, it's only there temporarily, and it goes back down into the soil and into animals. In the Lyne electorate and in Australia, we have a huge dairy and beef industry. The red meat and livestock turnover was $67.7 billion. In Australia 428,000 people are employed by this industry, 191,000 directly. The production of red meat provides protein for us and for our importing countries who can't grow that. We have 1.5 per cent of the global cattle herd and five per cent of the global sheep stock, but we are the fourth largest beef exporter. So most of our red meat is for other countries. Not only do we supply energy for other countries but we supply protein and meat. And we should reject any calls for methane pledges. Reid Electorate: Community Events 83 10:13 Ms SITOU 298121 Reid Last weekend typified what a wonderfully diverse electorate I represent and the people who work so hard to make it a community. I attended a moving Remembrance Day ceremony organised by Burwood Council and Burwood RSL Sub-Branch. In all of these commemorations, they always involve local students. This time it was the wind ensemble from Santa Sabina College providing a fitting tribute to remember those who sacrificed so much for us. A constant presence at these events is a man by the name of Dennis Quinlan, master of ceremonies and a fixture at Burwood RSL Sub-Branch for over two decades. He's had a tough year this year with illness, and he said to me that he thought it might be time for him to pass the baton on. Thank you to Dennis for your service and commitment to honouring our veterans. I spoke at the inauguration of Esther Hye Young Kim, who was elected as the 34th President of the Korean Society of Sydney. She's a pioneer—the first woman to hold the role. Esther has a deep commitment to serving not just the Korean-Australian community but the broader community. She wants to share the Korean culture and traditions with all of Australia. I saw that firsthand when she ran the G'day Together event in Five Dock to celebrate Australia Day, where K-pop dancers performed alongside a Chinese dancing group, Ukrainian dancers and an Indigenous singer. Congratulations, Esther. I opened the fete at Russell Lea Public School, the first one they've had in a number of years. It was a lovely event with some great student performances, including Elvis impersonators. Principal Dan Sprange even got in the dunk tank to raise funds for the school. The strength of the community spirit could be seen in the return of year 6 students who were there helping with the fete. Congratulations to Russell Lea staff and the P&C. Every year the team at Saint Nectarios church in Burwood host the Greek Street Fair, a celebration of Greek heritage and spirit. I love indulging in my favourite Greek sweets, loukoumades. Congratulations to all the team at the Saint Nectarios community, in particular Penelope Kioussis, whose dedication to the Greek community is unparalleled. I got to attend the Sri Durga Devi Devasthanam annual dinner. The temple and community facilities were the brainchild of Mike Mahendran Ratnam, providing a wonderful place for the Hindu community to gather for celebrations and worship. It's a 10-year labour of love to develop and construct the community facilities. Congratulations to everyone involved. Infrastructure 84 10:16 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt Yesterday we saw the latest development in a concerning narrative from the government around infrastructure funding. The front page of the Australian Financial Review indicated that the government are going to change their approach to infrastructure funding with the states and, where it is national productive infrastructure, they'll move away from the 80 per cent-20 per cent model. This is going to have an enormous impact in my home state of South Australia. In particular, it means that the Truro Bypass Project is now almost certain to be scrapped in South Australia because of both the 80-20 change and also because it seems the government will not fund projects worth less than $250 million. As it stands, this project is around $200 million. The Truro bypass will get heavy freight out of suburban Adelaide. It will lead to the implementation of the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass. I think Adelaide's the only capital city in the nation where Highway 1 runs through the suburbs of the city. Portrush Road, which is also Highway 1, runs through the heart of my electorate. For most of my life I've lived within a few hundred metres of Portrush Road. I and anyone who lives in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide knows how significant a burden on traffic it is, but also what a high safety risk it is having all of this enormously heavy freight, most of it destined either for Port Adelaide or the northern suburbs of Adelaide, coming through the suburbs. The Truro bypass would mean that we could move all that heavy freight out of suburban Adelaide and send it back around the Adelaide Hills to connect into Port Adelaide or the northern suburbs of Adelaide, perhaps onto other freight destinations north or west of continental Australia. It was something that we eagerly anticipated. It has been funded, and the state Labor government, of all people, have it in their budget and were expecting that promise to be honoured by the government. Now it seems that promise is going to be broken. I hope the Labor government decide to fund the project by however much they need to themselves, because even if federal government funding is cruelly ripped out of this project, it is still such a vital project for South Australia that it must go ahead, even if that means 100 per cent funding from the South Australian state government. The Truro bypass is absolutely vital for the infrastructure of South Australia, so for the Albanese government to make these changes and rip this funding out of South Australia, directly impacting my constituents in Sturt by seeing this heavy freight continue to rumble through Portrush Road and through suburban Adelaide, is absolutely disgraceful. It needs to be condemned. South Australian Labor members of this government need to stand up to the Prime Minister and say, 'Don't rip that money out of South Australia.' World Scout Jamboree 84 10:19 Mr DAVID SMITH 276714 Bean Earlier this year, I caught up with a couple of junior Scouts who wrote to me about their upcoming trip to the World Scout Jamboree held in South Korea earlier this year. The jamboree brought together more than 40,000 participants. Josh and Lily from my electorate were part of a large Australian Scout contingent of almost 1,000. They were both excited to be travelling overseas for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. After hearing about how excited they were and the different experiences they were looking forward to having, I set a challenge: report back to me so that I can update the parliament. Here is what junior Scout Lily Mills had to say when she reflected on her first overseas travel experience: Our jamboree started on 28th of July 2023. We met at a Murray's bus station and hopped on the bus to Sydney airport. The plane ride was long and boring but exciting, nonetheless. We arrived in South Korea around 08:00 and spent the day looking at some street markets where we bought many traditional Korean street foods, went to a cat Cafe and bought some souvenirs before heading to the museum. After that, we headed back to our hotel and checked in … We spent 3 more nights at the hotel in Seoul sightseeing and buying food and souvenirs as well as running into many other scouts in the streets along the way. There were a few complications along the way such as getting lost, losing things and people being grumpy or silly but nothing we couldn't work out. We spent six days at the main camp, enduring the heat and humidity. Despite receiving heat warnings twice a day and many falling ill, we didn't let it dampen our spirits. There were moments of frustration and conflict, but nothing serious. Despite everything, we still had a blast, experiencing many new things and interacting with people from different countries. On the last day of camp, we were evacuated due to a typhoon. I would've liked to meet more people, but it wasn't bad because we got to stay in air-conditioned areas and hang out in hotels. We even connected more with people staying in the same hotels, including some from Britain. This gave us more opportunities for sightseeing … I would like to thank Lily for sharing her experiences with me so I that could share it with my colleagues here today. Scouting brings together young people from across faiths, cultures and countries. It builds not only a volunteering spirit but also tolerance between people who may not come across each other in their normal lives. Clearly, for anyone who read any of the reports about the jamboree in Korea, it builds an extraordinary capacity to adapt to challenge. Those scouts had to deal with typhoons, and they had to deal with record heat and humidity. But, as comes through Lily's words clearly today, they did so with good spirit and built greater connections across the world. Playgroup Tasmania: 50th Birthday 85 10:22 Mrs ARCHER 282237 Bass It brings me great joy to stand here today to wish Playgroup Tasmania a very happy 50th birthday. Way back in 1973, a handful of mums in the south of the state came together and formed their local playgroups. Three months later, there were over 22 members, and, thanks to funds raised through attendance fees of 30 cents per family and fundraising through raffles, they were able to purchase jigsaw puzzles, coloured pencils and blocks to play with. By the end of 1973, the movement had expanded, with a second playgroup session each week. Today, there are more than 65 playgroups running in communities around Tasmania, providing play, support and connection for 1,320 children from 880 families, with more than a dozen groups running across northern Tasmania. Half of today's playgroups are led by volunteers who provided more than 41,000 hours of support, while community organisations manage the remainder, catering for specific groups such as new migrants. Playgroup Tasmania works to support Tasmanian families with young children and babies to flourish physically, emotionally and socially through their connections to Tasmania's playgroup community, providing warm, welcoming and accessible spaces for families of all shapes and sizes. More than just a playgroup, the organisation also provides early support and inclusion work, which encompasses its unique community-led Baby Village model, which was introduced earlier this year and already is benefitting countless families. Playgroup Tasmania also has programs for families with children who have developmental delay or disability, namely PlayConnect+ and Play and Learn Supported, or PALS Playgroups, as it's known. Both of these national programs provide adaptable environments, with the PALS program featuring music and movement based activities in collaboration with local cultural and sport and recreation providers. As a mum of five, I've spent countless hours at local playgroups over the years and have incredibly fond memories. It's not only fantastic for kids to engage in play based opportunities but also wonderful for parents to have a social connection at a period of life that can feel quite isolating at times. As a sidenote, as a parent who openly admits to not loving painting, crafts or similar activities, it's a great place for kids to engage in messy play and water play without the stress of having it at your own house. Over the past 4½ years, I've worked closely with Playgroup Tasmania, advocating for essential funding to ensure the organisation continues to be sustainable for years to come and providing support through various grants and essential equipment and training. I commend the work of CEO Jacinda Armstrong, who has steered the organisation through many challenging circumstances over the past few years and has always had the best interests of families at heart. I'd also like to thank the numerous volunteers who keep their local playgroups growing. Happy 50th birthday, Playgroup Tasmania. What a gift you've provided to families across generations. Werriwa Electorate: Somewhere Nice 86 10:25 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa Last month I was thrilled to attend the launch of the new, one-of-a-kind venture called Somewhere Nice. Somewhere Nice is the brainchild of Grace Fava, the powerhouse founder and CEO of the Autism Advisory and Support Service. The service provides a huge range of services to support, advocate, help, educate and guide families who have a family member with autism, as well as the greater community. Grace's passion to support people with autism and their families was ignited when searching for services for her two boys who both regressed with autism and global developmental delay. In 2007, Grace gathered seven other like-minded parents around her kitchen table and made plans for a modest information service to provide support and information specifically to those for whom language was a problem and other difficulties made it impossible for them to find suitable supports for their newly diagnosed children. From these humble beginnings, the service now employs more than 25 staff in a range of health disciplines to nurture and support those living with autism. The organisation is about ensuring that every child has the best opportunities for the most productive and meaningful life possible, just like any other child in our society. I've had the privilege of visiting the centre and talking to Grace about her genuine love and passion for every person and every family she meets. Grace is warm and kind, and we need more like her in our community. At the opening, one of Grace's boys did a splendid job with his colleagues in welcoming guests, taking coffee orders and serving food. Located in the Liverpool CBD at 36 Railway Street, Liverpool, Somewhere Nice is an opportunity shop and cafe that works in collaboration with TAFE New South Wales to enable the participants to gain a tertiary education in retail and hospitality in a safe and supported environment that takes into account the disabilities they have. Empowerment in an inclusive workplace will give the individuals the opportunities to develop skills and pursue careers like anyone else. The grand opening also marked the beginning of a beautiful journey towards a more inclusive community for those individuals living with autism and their families. Somewhere Nice is a place where diversity is celebrated, and the people that it is made for are at the heart of everything that's done there—and they have really great coffee, tea, hot chocolate and treats. Congratulations, Grace, and all involved in supporting and getting the idea off the ground. I know you've worked so hard on it, and I look forward to visiting again soon. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 176304 In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded. MOTIONS 86 MOTIONS National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse 86 10:28 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston We mark five years since the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sex abuse, and I acknowledge, with the greatest respect, all Australians who have been impacted by institutional child sexual abuse. We are deeply sorry for the suffering you endured. We're sorry for every time you spoke up but were not believed by those who should have been protecting you from harm. We hear you now. We believe you. Australia believes you. These are incredibly important words that have been spoken by prime ministers and parliamentarians, and they send a very powerful message to those that have been impacted. The other message, though, I want to send today is that we will continue to hear you, believe you and do all we can to support you and keep children safe from harm. As the government, and as members from all sides in this place, we have accepted responsibility and we are working together and acting to address the pain of these failures that have caused your suffering. But we also need to resolve to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I know that an apology can never take away the trauma and the pain, but this acknowledgment does bring what for so many decades was an unspoken trauma and pain out of the shadows and into the light. But we know that it must be backed by action, and it must be action that is driven by victim-survivors. As one of the ministers responsible in this area, I will continue to listen, to believe and, importantly, to ensure that victim-survivors' voices are at the centre of the action we take. The National Redress Scheme is an incredibly important way of providing acknowledgment but also of turning that acknowledgement into action. All states and territories have reaffirmed their commitment to the continuous improvement of the scheme and to place the voices of survivors at its centre. The scheme is now almost 5½ years into its 10-year life span, and we encourage any institution that has a history of working with children, particularly those institutions that have been named in applications, to join it. While it's not compulsory to join, I believe there is a moral obligation for you to join this scheme. There are now nearly 500 non-government institutions participating in the scheme, covering around 69,000 churches, schools, homes, charities, community and sporting groups across Australia. This has resulted in 15,000 outcomes, with payments totalling approximately $1.2 billion. Many applicants have chosen to receive an apology from the institution. Many survivors have found a direct personal response to be very important in helping them to achieve a sense of healing and to feel like something is being done to help make things right. For many survivors, the redress application is the first time they've told anyone about what happened to them. We recognise—and I recognise—the trauma and the difficulty involved in applying for redress and in coming forward and putting these experiences into words. I acknowledge the strength and resilience it takes to share these stories for the first time and the bravery and courage it takes to come forward. There has been strong progress towards improving the scheme thanks to the commitment from and meaningful consultations with survivors and support services. I would particularly like to acknowledge those survivors that have turned their experience and their pain into advocacy. It takes courage and bravery, and that needs to be commended. Every time I speak with survivors about their desire to make things different for someone else I am always moved. Through the service charter, there is now an embedded survivor round table, which is so important for hearing the voices of survivors on how we can improve the scheme. We've also been able to provide more support services across Australia. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those on the front line of the redress support services who really do care and who, in a trauma-informed way, hold, support and walk alongside those seeking redress. More work needs to be done and is being done to ensure that those people who are often excluded from services—people with disability, First Nations people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds—are having their needs met and have a pathway for redress. Listening to the people with lived experience is how we will continue to make improvements to this scheme. I commit that I will continue to engage with survivors, advocates, service providers and frontline services to ensure that they do get the support they need. Of course, this week our government has introduced legislation in response to the second-year review to strengthen the scheme, and I would like, once again, to thank everyone that shared their experiences through the second anniversary review of the scheme. These improvements, made in response to the review, make it easier for survivors to apply for the scheme, and include the removal of the requirement for an application to include a statutory declaration. We've committed to other improvements in the scheme, including offering reassessment of an application if a relevant institution subsequently joins the scheme, removing the restrictions on people applying from prison and further expanding access to redress for former child migrants. This is just one of the ways we are looking at how we best support people. I do want to spend a small amount of time on prevention, and I would like to acknowledge the work being done by my colleague the Attorney-General, and the National Office for Child Safety. This office is incredibly important, and the work being done, including the national strategy, is really important. What sits alongside that national strategy is Safe and supported: the national framework for protecting Australia's children 2021-2031. This has been an important strategy that has two action plans underneath it, one of which is particularly dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Through these different processes, the work will continue. I want to briefly mention the work being done by the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse. Their vision—and I thought it was important to share their vision—is: A community where children are safe and victims and survivors are supported to heal and recover, free of stigma and shame—a future without child sexual abuse. It is incumbent on us to take steps to repair the mistakes and the devastating impacts of what was horrific—horrific—abuse, to try and repair those parts of the past. This is exactly what the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse does. They put everything into ensuring that we stamp out this insidious, horrific behaviour. The national centre has now launched its five-year strategy. I was so privileged to be at the launch of that five-year strategy. It has a really substantive work program that does look at healing, but it does look at prevention as well. This is a critical part of how we not only turn our words into actions, but also try and live up to what victim-survivors are asking for—that we do everything in our power to prevent what happened to so many from happening again. On those notes, I commend the motion to the House. 10:38 Mrs ARCHER 282237 Bass I feel compelled to rise to speak on this issue, as we mark the fifth anniversary of the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. It also comes at a critical time for my home state of Tasmania, as the state government recently wrapped up its commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse in institutional settings. It is so disappointing to me that, as we stand to acknowledge the fifth anniversary of the national apology, you may be forgiven for thinking that we apologised for things that happened in the past, that don't happen anymore. But these things are happening. They're happening right across our country, and we have seen the most shocking—shocking—evidence presented in the inquiry in Tasmania. The inquiry examined the responses of government institutions to allegations of child sexual abuse dating back more than 20 years, in out-of-home care, in schools, in hospitals and in other institutions. The 3,500-page report is harrowing, and the commission has put forward 191 recommendations that I'm pleased the Tasmanian government has accepted in full. Although it's difficult to hear, I want to share a story from victim-survivor Tiffany Skeggs, as she told it to ABC Tasmania: Bouncing onto the outdoor courts on frosty mornings in Launceston, northern Tasmania, the naturally talented netballer was in her element. After losing her dad in a fatal car accident a few years earlier, Tiffany found happiness on these courts—joy she thought nobody would be able to steal away. "I would never have perceived that that would be where I met my greatest threat," … The threat was disguised as an upstanding citizen. He was a volunteer medic and masseur at the Northern Tasmanian Netball Association, who also worked as a nurse on the children's ward of the Launceston General Hospital. James Geoffrey Griffin was 58. Tiffany Skeggs was 11 … "It was a predator in his playground," Ms Skeggs said. Ms Skeggs said the sexual abuse started with long hugs and kissing, and quickly escalated. Sometimes Griffin would pick her up for netball on Saturday mornings, and on the way there he would park his car and molest her. He also sexually abused her in the first aid room at the netball precinct while he was on duty. She said the first time she remembers being raped by Griffin was at his home when she was 15 years old. The abuse occurred regularly, over several years, and at various locations. According to the brief of evidence given to prosecutors by Tasmania Police, obtained by Ms Skeggs through a Right to Information request, Griffin also took sexually explicit photos of her and sent them to an associate. He also told that associate about his offending against Ms Skeggs and abused her at parties hosted by associates of his. Ms Skeggs said she was groomed to believe she was Griffin's only victim, until one day in 2019 she saw him surrounded by children at the netball courts. "Something in me just clicked," she said. "I didn't have a choice anymore. …   …   … … I as a victim-survivor along with every other victim-survivor out there, deserve answers to the questions that I have asked. "We deserve to see action taken, we deserve integrity, and we deserve respect." Following the police report that Ms Skeggs made, Griffin continued to work as a paediatric nurse at the Launceston General Hospital for three months. During that time, four more women contacted Tasmania Police and alleged Griffin had sexually abused them as children, in complaints ranging from the nineties through to 2012. He was charged in September 2019 with multiple child sex offences, including maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under the age of 17, an offence I note has been renamed 'persistent sexual abuse of a child'. Police also found a significant amount of child exploitation material at his home. During a formal interview, he admitted to criminal sexual misconduct and that he had met Ms Skeggs through a local sporting group. After knowing about the nearly 40 years of abuse that children had suffered at the hands of this man, they let him walk free into the community. An internal review of police actions relating to Griffin found Tasmania Police received four information reports about him, in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. CFS closed the file, and police took no further action. It was really only after reports of this surfaced in the media that action was taken to call the commission of inquiry. I've met with many victims-survivors since the commission of inquiry was called, and I would like to acknowledge their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence to the commission, particularly Katrina Munting; Azra Beach; Tiffany Skeggs, who I've mentioned; Angelique Knight; Daisy Ford; Benjamin Felton; and Ashley Youth Detention Centre whistleblower Alysha. I think it's important to note that more needs to be done to protect people who come forward to share evidence about abuse when it occurs. I don't think that the whistleblowers who have given evidence in this inquiry have had the protection that they deserve. It is one area I think we need to do more work on if we are going to change the really awful child sexual abuse statistics that we see in Australia. I'd particularly like to acknowledge the work of Amanda Duncan and her family in honour of her sister, Zoe Duncan, who was abused in the Launceston General Hospital. As a result of that abuse, she later died because she refused to go back to the hospital. After the report was handed down, Amanda said: People say that Tassie air is some of the purest and freshest in the world, and I feel like I haven't, and my family haven't, been able to experience that fresh air for 22 years since Zoe was abused at the LGH. After hearing what the commissioners had to say today, and in waiting for the final report, I feel like I am able to walk out of this building today and breathe the fresh air for the first time in 22 years. We have to acknowledge that these reports and recommendations show that abuse is still happening. It is not over for so many victim-survivors who are going through this. There is still so much more work to be done to support victims and survivors and to prevent creating more victim-survivors. It's important to note that this is not an issue that just exists in institutions. Child sexual abuse exists in every pocket of this country, in homes across the country—in suburbia, in the city and in some of the nicest homes in the nicest streets right across the country—and we have to do more to protect children. It's not enough to just say sorry and to come every year and acknowledge that apology, when those things are still happening right across the country every day. I will spend every day that I have, in this place and beyond, fighting until we can get this changed. I'd like to echo the words of the incredibly brave Tiffany Skeggs, when she said, 'To every child out there, I will fight this battle come hell or high water for you as well.' 10:46 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle It's an honour to stand in this chamber following my colleague the Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, and the member for Bass. I thank them both for their exceptional efforts to ensure that we find justice for those who have had the most heinous crimes committed against them as children. I, too, rise to make a contribution today to mark this fifth anniversary of the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. The apology was delivered five years ago by the former prime minister Julia Gillard AC, a colleague and friend, and it marked a historic moment in recognising the tens of thousands of innocent victims of child sexual abuse, much of which occurred in what should have been our most trusted institutions. More than 17,000 victims, survivors and advocates gave evidence at the royal commission. Having had the commission sit in my hometown of Newcastle for a number of days, sadly we have two volumes dedicated to the shocking crimes that were committed over many decades in the diocese of Maitland and Newcastle. Many, many survivors have told me that that royal commission and their experience of that was the gold standard of royal commissions, and I really congratulate, retrospectively, not just the former prime minister Julia Gillard but those prime ministers that followed, as well as the current Attorney-General, who was also the Attorney-General then and had so much to do in shaping that royal commission process, ensuring it was a safe space for survivors and that they would be able to get the evidence that was required to shine a very big light on what had previously been part of Australia's very darkest histories. The royal commission certainly did expose the horrors that thousands and thousands and thousands of Australian children experienced in places where, as I said, they should have felt safe. Their courage in coming forward and reliving their trauma cannot be understated. It was the result of that courage that, finally, after many years of living with untold trauma, their perpetrators got exposed and the institutions that in some cases turned a blind eye—or, even worse, engaged in acts that covered up what were clearly explicit crimes—were held accountable. The excellent work of the royal commission and the subsequent establishment of the National Redress Scheme have gone a long way to validating survivor experiences and reminding us all of the need to always ensure that our responses are survivor focused and that everything we do is, indeed, trauma informed. I do wish to make note of a recent High Court ruling that has paved the way for many survivors of abuse from perpetrators now deceased to go ahead and seek justice. The significance of this decision is enormous. We're yet to see it really play out in Australia, but it means that survivors of child sexual abuse will no longer be excluded from a pathway to justice simply because their abuser has died before this matter has come forward. The High Court decision to overrule the infamous dead man's defence is especially important given that we know that it takes an average of more than 20 years for a survivor of child sexual abuse to tell someone about that experience. The case will put to an end, as I said, the shocking misuse of the dead man's defence, ensuring that more survivors can pursue justice for the lifelong trauma of the horrific abuse they experienced as children. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 282237 Order! We're going to have to suspend the Federation Chamber, as we've lost quorum. Sitting suspended from 10:5 1 to 10:5 3 ( Quorum formed) Ms CLAYDON 248181 Given the prevalence of institutionalised child sexual abuse in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese and the extensive use of permanent stays in New South Wales, there will be many survivors in my community who will be greatly relieved by this High Court decision. They may now even dare to hope that justice, albeit long delayed, is within reach. I'd also like to acknowledge the work of the Albanese Labor government in making sure that the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Bill is now fairer and more transparent. I sat in the chamber yesterday listening to the minister as she introduced the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Bill 2023.As deputy chair of that committee that was set up to oversee the National Redress Scheme, I was there from 2017 to 2022. This work is deeply important to not just my community but also to me and my work in this parliament over many years now. I am and remain deeply committed to seeking justice for survivors of child sexual abuse, and some of the most harrowing evidence given in the royal commission came from Newcastle and the Hunter region. We have much work to do to ensure that those people are supported to heal and to seek the justice they deserve. It's for those people, their bravery and their commitment to ensuring the abuse they experienced never happens again that this work is so important. I acknowledge some people in Newcastle—survivors—who have been steadfast in their advocacy in this work. I acknowledge Bob O'Toole and his group, the Clergy Abuse Network; Peter Gogarty, now an associate lecturer at the Newcastle School of Law and Justice, who has been an absolute champion; Audrey Nash, who lost her beloved son, Andrew, through suicide as a result of the abuse he experienced in his life, and her other children—Geoffrey and others—who have been dogged in their insistence that justice is served. I want them to know that I stand beside them each and every day in pursuing that goal too. I echo the words of the minister and acknowledge the powerful advocates who have called on the government to do something about addressing those wrong of the past. There have been many more from across the nation, and this helped shape the legislation that was put before the House yesterday. The bill has some key changes to allow applicants to provide additional information when they're requesting a review of their decisions, reducing the circumstances where applicants must undertake a special assessment process. This is particularly important for people with criminal convictions or who are doing time in prison, removing restrictions that prevent incarcerated survivors from lodging an application. We know that so often many of those people in prison have been survivors of child sexual abuse, so enabling that to progress and a reassessment of final applications if a relevant institution joins the scheme down the track, has been an important amendment. I understand there are now 496 nongovernment institutions that are participating in the National Redress Scheme. There have been 13,400 payments, totalling $1.2 billion, that have been paid to survivors to date, but this is not a note of self-congratulation here. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We know that. The royal commission estimated some 60,000 people would seek to make use of the National Redress Scheme, and only 13,400 have been paid out. There is always room to improve the scheme, and we will continue to do that. I acknowledge the terrific work of the national centres now established to focus on the eradication of child sexual abuse in our country, and I thank the House for the opportunity to speak today. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— 11:08 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs 22 October marked the fifth anniversary of the National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. I wish to commemorate this anniversary and highlight the essence of the apology's message. To reiterate the words that victims and survivors, their loved ones and their families should have heard all along: we are sorry, we believe you and we will do better. In the wake of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the apology acknowledged our country's history. It is a history of children being sexually abused by people and institutions that they should have been able to trust. The royal commission gave an opportunity for thousands of victims and survivors to be heard. For many, it was the first opportunity they had to speak about their ordeals. I commend the extraordinary people who shared their experiences and spoke of the abuse suffered at the hands of institutions and I commend the people who spoke when others could not. I'm very proud of the role that I played, as Attorney-General at the time, in the establishment of the royal commission and ensuring that people who engaged with the royal commission received the legal support that they needed. Knowmore was launched in 2013 as a free legal advisory and support service to assist people to tell their story to the royal commission. The value of the service was acknowledged in the final report of the royal commission, where it recommended that knowmore should not only continue but expand its services. Knowmore now provides legal advice and support for all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Mr Warren Strange, who retired earlier this year after guiding knowmore from its inception and with unwavering commitment for more than a decade. I'm honoured to stand here today and speak of the progress we are making to give effect to the royal commission's recommendations. The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation has marked its fifth anniversary this year. The ACCCE has a vision to keep children free from exploitation and a mission to drive coordinated responses to counter online child exploitation. Demonstrating their success in this mission, over the past five years the Australian Federal Police have charged 877 alleged offenders with more than 7,000 child abuse offences. It's also the fifth year of operation for the National Office for Child Safety. Recommended by the royal commission, the national office is working across the Commonwealth, state and territory governments and the community in a coordinated approach to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and to support and empower victims and survivors. The national office overseas the delivery of the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030, which launched two years ago and responds to approximately 100 royal commission recommendations. Following the national apology and the royal commission, significant progress has been made in addressing child sexual abuse, and this year has been no exception. I'd like to name a few achievements from this year. We have launched a national awareness raising and behavioural change campaign called One Talk at a Time. The campaign is aimed at helping adults understand that child sexual abuse is preventable and encouraging ongoing, proactive and preventative conversations. It's the first national campaign of its kind. I'm incredibly proud to be able to say that the campaign has reached over six million Australians since launching in October, sparking important conversations across the country. We have released guides for media reporting on child sexual abuse to promote reporting that raises community awareness of child sexual abuse, reduces stigma and empowers victims and survivors when they share their personal experiences with the media. We have launched minimum practice standards for specialist and community support services responding to child sexual abuse to promote safe and effective services that support individuals who've been impacted by child sexual abuse. And we have supported implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, including delivering child safety risk management resources. I acknowledge and thank all the individuals and organisations who are working so hard to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. In particular, I thank the victims and survivors who have so generously shared their experiences. It's because of your bravery that meaningful change can be achieved. There is so much more work to do. The recently released Australian Child Maltreatment Study revealed that one in four Australians aged 16 and over have experienced child sexual abuse, underscoring the importance of the work under way to combat child sexual abuse. The fifth anniversary is a milestone in our journey to address child sexual abuse. We will continue upholding the royal commission's recommendations and striving to do better for all victims and survivors. To the community, I ask for your continued support. To victims and survivors, I say again: we are sorry, we believe you and we will do better. Debate adjourned. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS 91 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Vocational Education and Training 91 11:15 Mr RAE 300122 Hawke Melton, in the heart of my electorate of Hawke, is now officially the fastest-growing area in the whole country with an annual population growth of 6.42 per cent. We've got one of the youngest regions in Australia, with 53 per cent of residents aged under 35. Over 73 per cent of our local workers leave the area to access employment every day, and this will only continue to grow if we are unable to create new local jobs. Young people in the western suburbs deserve opportunities to access high-quality training close to home. It's Labor that stands up for TAFE time and time again, because only Labor believes in properly funding vocational education. When the Liberals get the chance, they do nothing but cut and slash funding for vocational education—they simply can't help themselves—because very few of them have any experience with the TAFE system whatsoever and, indeed, the benefits it can bring to communities like mine. Their shallow, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps ideology simply doesn't extend to people seeking to do a trade or TAFE course. We've seen it nationally and we've seen it in my home state of Victoria. The Victorian Liberals have shamelessly and savagely cut funding to the state's training system, short-changing the future of thousands of Victorians. This was aired by the Productivity Commission's report on government services in 2015, but it was already obvious for all to see. The report also showed that the decline in funding under the Liberals resulted in poorer outcomes for Victorian students overall. Unsurprisingly, when the Liberals got their hands on the purse strings, the devastating effects flowed through to people's lives and their livelihoods. Upon the election of the Victorian Labor government in 2014, the government worked towards rebuilding Victoria's TAFE sector from the ground up. I make particular acknowledgement of my state colleagues Steve McGhie, the member for Melton, and Josh Bull, the member for Sunbury. Their tireless advocacy and hard work behind the scenes paid off late last year with a commitment that a re-elected Labor government in Victoria would deliver new TAFE centres for both Sunbury and Melton. The $65 million to $80 million investment for the Melton campus will mean it can support hundreds of students once it's complete, with a focus on meeting demand for construction and skills training so sorely needed within our economy. The investment will also secure a TAFE for Sunbury, operated by the Bendigo Kangan Institute. Ever since the closure of the Jacksons Hill Victoria University campus, students living and working in Sunbury have had no local options. What this has meant for our community is that students are too often locked out of further training or study due to travel costs and other factors. This is born out in the numbers, with my community recording lower numbers for further study and training than the state average. The consequences of this are vast, and are carried around with the individual for life. Jobs and Skills Australia's quarterly report that was recently released found that over the year to May 2023, 91 per cent of total employment growth was in careers that required post high school qualifications. More than half of that massive growth is in occupations that require vocational education and training pathways. This Labor government knows this fact all too well, and we're doing something about it. We went to the last election with a plan to train, retrain or upskill more Australians, helping us to tackle the massive skills shortages left behind by the previous Liberal government. We've made significant headway with this task, with all 180,000 fee-free TAFE places being filled and, indeed, exceeded within the first six months of the program. In fact, fee-free TAFE enrolments have hit more than 214,300 in the first six months alone. The biggest winner out of this amazing result is the care sector, with courses across health care, aged care and disability care attracting more than 51,000 students across the country. The fee-free TAFE and VET agreement was only possible because of our partnership with state and territory governments. This has opened the door to more opportunities for so many people in my community, whether they're entering vocational education for the first time or retraining so that they can work in a new career and take on the jobs of the future that our economy requires. It's simple. Our Labor government is implementing a skills planning framework for the future of the Australian economy. Last year, the member for Lalor and I hosted the outer western Melbourne jobs and skills summit in Melton South. We wanted to hear directly from locals across our community of the outer west about the shared vision for a more prosperous future for local families. We discussed the need for greater access to vocational and tertiary pathways for local students, as well as the desire to bring more jobs to our communities. The feedback that we got from the participants was absolutely invaluable. It's also important that we take the opportunity to recognise the people that make all of this possible—our vocational educators. My mum was a proud public school teacher. She raised me to know the value of a good education and that every kid deserves the best start in life. She instilled in me and my brothers the core values that I carry to this day—fairness, collectivism and opportunity. Public education is a public good which collectively benefits every single person in this country, and it should be recognised for that. Our vocational educators do so much for their students and for our broader community. They open doors for opportunity, creating pathways and removing barriers for our students so that they can achieve their very best potential. We would do very well to always acknowledge their tireless efforts. As our jobs and skills offering expands and we continue to work towards achieving effective, structured and sector based planning frameworks for our modern skills and training sector, we will continue to reform the system as required. We've already achieved a significant milestone in this journey: the establishment of Jobs and Skills Australia and the creation of ten jobs and skills councils nationally. The jobs and skills councils have been created to provide industry with a stronger voice to ensure our VET sector delivers better outcomes—the workforce that our economy needs for the future. They are tasked with bringing together employers, unions and governments to find solutions to the skills and workforce challenges that we're facing today and that we will face into the future. Jobs and Skills Australia has replaced the National Skills Commission, with the explicit role of forming policy development and providing expert and impartial advice to the government on workforce pressures and emerging trends. It is always Labor that invests in vocational education. It is Labor that values the workers that that training and skills investment creates. Ultimately, it will be the Albanese Labor government that creates the workforce that our economy requires in order to be sustainable and prosperous into the future. 11:24 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt I always take the opportunity to speak on issues related to skills when I get the chance here, because in South Australia we've got an enormous skills challenge and an enormous skills opportunity in the defence sector. Since I was first elected, I have always spoken very proudly about the naval shipbuilding opportunities in my home city of Adelaide, which will bring thousands of jobs to the people of Adelaide—and many of them will live in my electorate for decades to come. I always take the opportunity to commend decisions that are made to commit to a continuous naval shipbuilding sovereign capability in Australia, centred on Adelaide. Certainly, the previous government put in place the decisions necessary to commit to that, but we've had a very frightening development in the media recently in South Australia where a huge question mark now sits above the Hunter Class Frigate Program. We have been told through media sources about speculation, driven by the high commissioner in the United Kingdom, the Hon. Steven Smith, who wears that hat now but previously wore the hat of being the Defence Strategic Review co-author with Sir Angus Houston. He is reported to have said at an event in London, at a defence industry gathering, that the Hunter program will be scaled back dramatically, possibly to a mere four vessels. If that were to happen—this is the reported comments of High Commissioner Smith—those four vessels will most likely be built in the Govan shipyard in Scotland rather than at the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide. The cataclysmic consequences of that, if true, are absolutely spectacular for the Adelaide economy and for skills and all the work we've done to prepare the trained workforce for that opportunity. I have followed the Hunter program since way before it was called the Hunter program. I was at the Australian Submarine Corp in 2015 when then minister Kevin Andrews came to Adelaide to outline that the Future Frigate Program, as we called it then, would absolutely be built in Adelaide and to outline the terms of the competitive evaluation program to select the design for that vessel. I went to the United Kingdom immediately after the announcement that the Type 26 BAE frigate was selected to be the future frigate design base. I was at the steel cutting for the first prototype block for the program. I was there for the opening of the assembly hall—the biggest building on the shipyard at Osbourne South, where the surface vessels are to be built into the future. I've followed this program very closely for nearly ten years, and to hear a mere few weeks ago that it might be in jeopardy has sent an absolute shock through the defence industry and, indeed, through the broader Adelaide community—at the possibility that a program that we are counting on to support our ability to be a continuous naval shipbuilding sovereign capability nation is at risk. The defence minister has had the opportunity to dismiss and rule out as preposterous the concept that we would be acquiring these vessels out of Scotland instead of building them in Adelaide. That should be a fairly straightforward thing to do if there were no chance of it being the case, and that has not happened. The defence minister's response to this is that he won't pre-empt any decisions that are going to be announced out of the surface fleet review and broader decisions that might be imminent, as he has committed to doing that next year in February. It wouldn't be pre-empting any decisions to rule something out that isn't a potential decision. So what he is effectively doing is confirming that there are major changes afoot for the Hunter program. We don't know whether that means scaling it back to six vessels or four vessels. There is a lot of speculation that is concerning the people of South Australia, particularly the workers of South Australia—the ones that are out getting the training that is envisaged in this report from the minister that we are noting and debating right now. All those workers dutifully thought that they could take the government at its word when it said, 'Go out and get trained for a future in naval shipbuilding, because we're building nine frigates and we'll be building the Future Submarine program.' The nine frigates are in jeopardy, and we're hearing concerning rumours about other programs, particularly the offshore patrol vessels. The industry is in complete disbelief. Last week, we had the Indo Pacific Sea Power Conference in Sydney. There was a very lacklustre engagement from the government but a very comprehensive engagement from the opposition. The shadow minister for defence and the shadow minister for defence industry were there. I have to say that I am well connected in defence industry circles, because of being an Adelaide MP and being very interested in the future of that sector for my home state, and the view in defence industry circles is one of great apprehension and fear about the imminent decisions that are going to massively scale back commitments that the industry thought it could rely on from this government. We have people being trained in Adelaide for jobs that have an enormous question mark on top of them. We know that the surface fleet review has been done. We know that it's with government; the defence minister has confirmed that. So we had the Defence Strategic Review, and a recommendation to have a review, in that review. The review from the review has now been done, and no decision has been made or announced coming out of that. We know that, if nothing was changing and they were committed to the Hunter program in full, that would be a very straightforward thing to have confirmed immediately upon receipt of that review. Instead, what seems very clear is that that review recommends some significant changes, scaling back the Hunter Class Frigate Program. Building anything less than those nine vessels in Adelaide is an absolute breach of faith with all the people in the ecosystem that were counting on the government keeping its word. If you're a young person in Adelaide currently training in a VET course for a skill that is absolutely required if we're building nine frigates in South Australia, and you find out that the government is about to change that and take that future opportunity away from you, that's absolutely appalling. This is a report about national planning for vocational education and training. Well, the national plan envisages continuous shipbuilding in South Australia. If that's about to change, next February or March, or whenever they come clean on their secret plans to make dramatic changes to shipbuilding commitments in Adelaide, then how can anyone rely on this plan or any other plan the government produces, when it's based on assumptions that are going to change and goalposts that are going to be shifted? It's very tough times in the defence industry sector in South Australia right now, with the sword of Damocles hanging over these programs. We have enormous concern about the future nuclear submarine program and what is actually going to be happening in Adelaide versus what's going to be happening somewhere else. We know that billions of dollars of taxpayers' money are being invested into shipyards not in Australia. We know that's happening; that's been confirmed. And we're told that submarines, at some point in time, will be built in Adelaide. Well, we're losing a lot of confidence in this government in Adelaide. One wonders what's in store for the Hunter program and one wonders what's in store for future nuclear submarine construction in Adelaide. As things stand, this government is demonstrating that you can't count on its word on these things. We call on the defence minister to make a very clear commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding and the Hunter Class Frigate Program, as it stands, being fully constructed in South Australia. It shouldn't be hard to make that commitment. He's been to Adelaide recently and refused to make that commitment, and we smell a rat here, frankly. I say to the defence minister: please, give the workers of South Australia—the young people training in VET et cetera—an early Christmas present and say, 'The jobs we promised you would exist into the future are guaranteed.' 11:34 Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Hunter I rise to speak on revitalising national planning in vocational education and training. Vocational education and training is a matter of national importance. Without it we cannot continue to grow and build our nation's skills and services which every Australian relies on, whether it be a mechanic to fix their car, a plumber to unclog their dunny or an early childhood educator to educate their children—that'll be hard to find. The jobs which require vocational education and training make up the backbone of our nation, and, until we came into government a little over a year ago, that backbone was struggling because the former government never had one and never understood how important vocational education and training is. Because they never understood it, they never respected it, and, as a result, our vocational education and training system was neglected and left crying out for help. But I suppose this would happen when a government doesn't have anyone who's done a real day's work in their life—on their side, anyway. I stand here today as an example of the opportunities that vocational education and training can provide. When I was 15, I finished school and went to TAFE to become a fitter and turner. An honourable member: Good on you! Mr REPACHOLI 298840 Thank you. This gave me opportunities for good, secure employment for most of my life. I have done jobs that really do help to keep our country running, like working in the mines. I'm proud to be a tradie and I'm proud of my qualification that I was able to get because of vocational education and training. I know that school isn't for everyone—and that's okay; school certainly wasn't for me—but that doesn't mean that you don't still have a lot to contribute to society. University is great, and we should be encouraging young people all around Australia to study at uni if that's what they want to do to achieve their dreams. But finishing school and going to uni isn't the dream for every young person. And this is a good thing, because at the end of the day our country would get by just fine if we had a shortage of students studying arts degrees. But, if we had a shortage of builders, mechanics or early childhood educators, like we have already started to see, our country would begin to struggle. We need people getting a trade or a diploma because it's these people who will build our country and help us keep it running. My trade has given me opportunity after opportunity, and today I stand here in front of you all, in our nation's capital, as the member for Hunter. One thing that I have gained from having a trade is an understanding of everyday people and how important their jobs are. That is something that was clearly lacking in the former government, who left our vocational education and training system to crumble. We are a government that understands what the former, out-of-touch government did not. This is why we are desperately trying to revive a system that was stripped bare by those opposite. Right now, Australia has a lack of skilled workers, which has created one of our biggest economic challenges in decades. This is an issue that requires urgent action, and urgent action is what has been taken by this government through the commencement of two major initiatives that will improve the way in which skills are delivered to the labour market in the future. The first initiative is Jobs and Skills Australia. The main role of Jobs and Skills Australia is to inform policy and provide independent advice to government on what the workforce needs right now as well as into the future. Jobs and Skills Australia looks at the whole of the economy, identifies where skill shortages exist currently and projects where they are likely to be in the future. They won't just focus on the 'where' of shortages; they will also focus on understanding why and how the shortages exist. The work done by Jobs and Skills Australia will be valuable to many who are important in the Australian workforce, including industries, training and education providers, and state and territory governments. Not only will Jobs and Skills Australia help in resolving the skill shortages we are currently facing, but it will be there to provide advice in order to prevent us from ever getting into this kind of situation again in the future. Jobs and Skills Australia will also look at how we can improve education and employment outcomes for people who have historically experienced labour market disadvantage and exclusion. Some of these people may include those who are disadvantaged by age, health, gender, disability, culture, language and socioeconomic backgrounds. We in the Labor Party believe that, regardless of any of these factors, you should be able to gain meaningful skills and education and you should be able to put these skills to use and set yourself up for the rest of your life. This is good for those gaining new skills and it also helps us to respond to our current skills shortages. The second major initiative is the creation of 10 industry-led jobs and skills councils. These councils, across a broad range of sectors, in all parts of our economy, will provide Australian industry sectors with a stronger, more strategic capacity to ensure training is relevant to their needs and that Australia's vocational education and training provision delivers skills that provide workers with opportunities for secure jobs and career progress. To put it simply, these councils are about making sure that the training provided through our VET programs provides businesses with well-trained and useful employees and sets them up for a career in the sector of their choice. The jobs and skills councils will do this by working with educators and training providers to develop world-leading qualifications for workers and employers. They will draw on the best of industry knowledge and expertise of educators and will be critical in delivering the skills our workforce and economy need. They're already onto the job of addressing our skills shortage, with their first major task being to consult across their industry sectors to develop workforce plans that address both existing and emerging skills needs. When we came into government, we knew we had a big job ahead of us. The previous government completely trashed our VET system, so much so that occupations on the skills shortage list jumped from 153 to 286. This is a national embarrassment. We are a country built by a highly skilled workforce. We have always punched above our weight on the world stage because of the quality of our skilled workforce. But now, according to the OECD, Australia is experiencing the second-most severe labour shortage in the developed world and if things don't change, our situation will only get worse. Projections are that nine out of every 10 new jobs over the next five years will need a post-school qualification. The choice is simple: either we get our act together and fix the VET system or we fall even further behind than we already are. Common sense will tell you that when there is a skills shortage in a particular area, the way to fix it is to get more people trained with that skill. In order to train more people, this training and education needs to be accessible because people can't be something if they can't access the training. They need to be able to learn the necessary skills. We are making vocational education and training in the areas of skills shortages accessible by providing fee-free TAFE—and our fee-free TAFE is working. It's making a real difference. It's making sure Australians have the skills that our workforce needs. In the first six months, the target of 180,000 enrolments was absolutely smashed, with almost 215,000 Australians enrolling in a fee-free course. That means 215,000 people who are accessing skills and training in areas where skilled workers are needed. And this is just the start. We're making funding available for a further 300 fee-free TAFE positions starting in January next year. I know that we are facing a big task in front of us when it comes to addressing skills shortages in Australia and I know that we have a long way to go. It took those opposite nine years to tear it down and smash it up, and it will be impossible to rebuild it overnight. But I'm proud to be a member of a government who put skills and vocational education and training at the forefront of our priorities, a government which will take real action to fix the issues that our country is facing. Honestly, tradies are cool. We need more tradies around Australia. We need lots more tradies. I'm absolutely so proud to be here as a tradesman who left school at 15. This is proof that trades can take you anywhere. 11:44 Ms DOYLE 299962 Aston I rise to speak on the statement made by the Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor MP, on these fundamental reforms of revitalising national planning in the vocational education and training sector through the establishment of Jobs and Skills Australia and the creation of 10 jobs and skills councils. This is one of our greatest assets for ensuring that the country is well positioned for meeting the nation's target for better skills in the future, and meeting those challenges will be no small feat. What this is about is creating more opportunities and a more secure economy. Achieving that means tackling one of our greatest economic challenges in decades—the lack of skilled workers. We understand the extent and urgency of those challenges for Australian industries. The Albanese government has inherited the most significant national skills shortage in decades, and we must provide greater opportunities for Australians to acquire the skills they need to secure rewarding and sustainable employment. The OECD data identified Australia as having the second-highest labour shortage amongst OECD countries, and the skills priority list shows that occupations in shortage nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022, jumping from 153 to 286. In March 2022, the former National Skills Commission predicted that, over the next five years, nine out of 10 new jobs would require post-school qualifications, with four out of 10 new jobs requiring vocational training. Jobs and Skills Australia and the new jobs and skills councils will work together, and they will play a critical role in developing and directing training and education in priority workforce areas. That may include people marginalised by age, health, gender, disability, culture, language or socioeconomic background. A key priority will be improving opportunities for First Nations people. This is an opportunity to improve education and employment outcomes for people who have historically experienced labour market disadvantage and exclusion. The Albanese government will set the skills and training sector back on the right path, enabling a better, more secure future for all Australians. The jobs and skills councils will have a new strategic role for industry, and the first major task of each jobs and skills council will be to consult across their industry sectors to develop workforce plans that address both existing and emerging skills needs. This is about addressing skills shortages and supporting key industries that make our economy run. The jobs and skills councils will use industry based knowledge, understanding of trends, and real-world experience. They will work with educators and training providers to develop world-leading qualifications for workers and employers, drawing on the best of industry knowledge and the expertise of educators. The jobs and skills councils will be critical in delivering the skills our workforce and economy need. Ten tripartite industry-led jobs and skills councils are now established. The 10 areas are: energy, gas and renewables; agribusiness; early educators, health and human services; arts, personal services, retail, tourism and hospitality; public safety and government; manufacturing; finance, technology and business; mining and automotive; building, construction and property; and transport and logistics. These jobs and sectors are the ones we turn to in our daily lives, in moments when we are in desperate need of help, and we need people to be trained to help all of us. This is what the Albanese Labor government is all about—helping everyone so we can help each other. We came to government last year with a promise on fee-free TAFE. We thought 180,000 enrolments in fee-free TAFE courses over a six-month period was ambitious. Well, almost 215,000 enrolments occurred in that time frame. That's 51,000 care sector courses, 16,700 technology and digital sector courses and nearly 21,000 construction sector courses. These are people who will be trained with skills that will help build our nation and deliver services to those who need it. Fee-free TAFE supports Australians who have struggled to break into the labour market. In keeping with our government's commitments to the ideals of social justice, fairness and equality, we have seen over 15,000 people with disabilities and almost 7,000 First Nations people enrol in courses. Women make up over 60 per cent of enrolments—that's nearly 130,000 women taking up further skills and training, empowering them to follow their dreams. Ninety per cent of future jobs will require post-school qualifications, and 40 per cent will require vocational-level training. These are sustainable jobs for the future for Australian workers, and all of these jobs require advanced skills and training that can be accessed through TAFE. The government wants to ensure that Australia has the skilled workers our economy needs, while also giving every Australian the best opportunity to secure a stable, well-paid job. We must have a strong TAFE at the heart of our training, and our TAFE sector must be significantly complemented by other high-quality VET providers. That is why we are serious about stamping out unethical and badly performing operators, strengthening the integrity of the entire vocational education and training sector. In my visits to schools and Swinburne TAFE, I heard that students want to learn these skills. That is why we are committed to building a strong, resilient and dynamic skills and training sector. For too long there has been a tendency to see university study as superior to TAFE. However, we need to support both to keep up with skills needs that are growing faster than ever and to have the skilled workforce to best face the national challenges of our time. By working in genuine partnership with our state and territory counterparts, our fee-free TAFE program is the flagship initiative that will help support key industries experiencing skills shortages. It's focused on areas of emerging growth while providing access to vulnerable cohorts, including the most vulnerable in our communities. This is about tripartism—working with employer organisations, unions and independent directors, who are represented in jobs and skills councils' governance arrangements through board composition and membership structures. That is why the minister and this government have this ambitious plan for Jobs and Skills Australia and are committed to building a strong, resilient and dynamic skills and training sector. 11:52 Mr BRIAN MITCHELL 129164 Lyons I rise to speak in support of the ministerial statement on revitalising national planning in vocational education and training. Labor is fixing Australia's skills crisis, which developed over nine years of failed Liberal government. Across the country, TAFE courses are filling up again, and hundreds of thousands of young Australians are gaining the skills they need to provide financial security for them and trained labour for the nation. When Labor came to office in May last year, the nation's skills sector was in crisis. I don't say that lightly; there was an absolute skills crisis. There were fewer people completing traineeships and apprenticeships after nine years of failed Liberal government than there were when the Liberals first came to office in 2013. Despite population growth and ongoing economic growth, there were fewer traineeships being completed at the end of nine years than at the beginning—absolutely ridiculous. Billions of dollars were cut from TAFE under the failed Liberal government. No wonder we had employers tearing their hair out for hairdressers, aged-care workers, childcare workers, chefs, butchers and tradies. When we don't have enough aged-care workers and nurses, we end up with an aged-care system in crisis. When we don't have enough childcare workers, we end up with an early childhood learning sector that can't keep up with demand. When we don't have enough tradies, we can't keep up with the demand for construction, which sees prices spiral. When we don't have enough chefs and baristas, we see cafes and restaurants cut their hours or close because they can't service their customers. What was the failed Liberal answer to all of this? Just import more temporary labour from overseas on temporary visas. Just keep it coming and don't worry about skilling up the next generation of young Australians to seize the opportunity to build a secure financial future. Labor has a different approach. Under the terrific leadership of Minister O'Connor, we are rebuilding TAFE as the backbone of Australian skills and training, and we are fixing the Liberals' skills crisis. Labor's fee-free TAFE plan is at the core of our skills agenda. It was dismissed, laughed at and opposed by the Liberals, but fee-free TAFE has been a raging success. Australians can't get enough of it. We had planned for 180,000 to be on the books by now but we've already reached 214,000, and we plan to add another 300,000. That's half a million Australians with new skills, new training and new opportunities to make a contribution to this great country and to build a secure future for themselves and their families. Opposed by the Liberals, built by Labor, fee-free TAFE is reshaping the Australian skills sector to deliver what this nation needs. I'm pleased to report to the House that the Albanese Labor government has committed more than $10 million to support and deliver fee-free TAFE in Tasmania in partnership with the Tasmanian government—a Tasmanian Liberal government, I might add, that has been sensible enough—unlike their federal colleagues—to grasp the benefits that fee-free TAFE delivers. Tasmania has seen the highest demand for fee-free TAFE in courses like aged care and disability care, early childhood education and care, and technology. In just the first quarter of the year, we have provided more than 600 fee-free places in Tasmania to care courses, more than 200 in hospitality and tourism, more than 237 in agriculture, 192 in technology and digital, and almost 100 in construction. I had the privilege of visiting Clarence TAFE recently on Hobart's eastern shore with Minister O'Connor and local member Julie Collins, accompanied by the state minister, to see firsthand the difference that fee-free TAFE was making to the lives of aged-care students. One student, a mature-aged woman, told me she would not have started the course if it had not been free, because she could not have afforded to. Now she has gained the skills she needs for a brighter future as a valued member of the aged-care workforce, which is great for her but also so essential for our aged-care sector. The Albanese government is investing millions more in Tasmania, with a share of the $50 million national TAFE Technology Fund to upgrade facilities such as laboratories, workshops and IT services. We are investing $1.5 million in my electorate for the new Sorell training and jobs hub, and I look forward to its construction in the months ahead. In our government's first 18 months, we've introduced Jobs and Skills Australia and jobs and skills councils to ensure our programs are targeted where they are needed most. Jobs and Skills Australia will conduct a national study on adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy to provide up-to-date, evidence-based results to help us design future programs and policies, ensuring we build a skilled Australian workforce to meet our country's demands. Because Labor's skills plan is informed by facts, not politics, we fund projects based not on colour-coded spreadsheets of marginal seats but on community need. The Albanese government's $442 million jobs and skills councils have all been formally established. They are a network of industry-owned and -led organisations that bring together employers and unions to work in partnership with governments and the education and training sectors. These councils will address skills challenges and give a voice to the tech, tourism, retail, arts and emergency services sectors. Recently, I had the opportunity to represent the minister at the launch of Industry Skills Australia as the jobs and skills council for the transport and logistics industries in Tasmania. This is a jobs and skills council that covers a vast amount of industrial ground ranging from aviation, maritime, rail and road transport to warehousing and ports. At the heart of jobs and skills councils is tripartism—employers, unions and governments working in collaboration to address skills and workforce priorities. We're not demonising unions as some sort of enemy of industry. We know they can be great partners at the table. Working together confers real benefits on business, community, the workforce and our economy. The reforms outlined by the minister in his statement will ensure that national planning for the skills that our economy needs is timely, high quality, evidence based and tested against the firsthand knowledge of industry. The creation of JSA and the creation of the jobs and skills councils are significant milestones in the skills and training portfolio. These reforms will ensure that workers have the right skills for secure work and career advancement and that our country has the skilled workforce needed for current and emerging jobs. After a decade of inaction, I am pleased to be part of a government that is prioritising Australia's vocational education and training system. As a proud Tasmanian member of the federal parliamentary Labor team, I'm so proud of the work that is being done with fee-free TAFE and the difference it is making to so many Tasmanian lives, particularly young Tasmanian lives, as young people get their foot on the ladder of a better future in a trade or in other skills and qualifications that our country so desperately needs—and they are creating a financially secure future for themselves as well. I'm so proud of what the minister is doing. He's doing such important work in skills and training, and I commend this document to the House. 12:02 Mr BURNELL 300129 Spence By my own definition a week in parliament has been an especially good one when I'm allowed multiple opportunities to speak about TAFE and vocational education in this place. My first contribution was at the beginning of the week, during private members' business, where I had the opportunity to move a motion supporting the implementation phase of the National Skills Agreement, an agreement ratified by the National Cabinet close to one month ago almost to the day. This is a significant agreement, and I'll speak to it as a South Australian. As we all know—because I'll be the first to tell this to anyone that will listen—my state of South Australia was the first in Australia to enter into an agreement with the Albanese Labor government to embrace this government's fee-free TAFE policy and its placements. It's a policy that provides benefits for the broader labour market and our skills base and directly benefits those who undertake a TAFE course as part of this outstanding policy. We were the trendsetter state, or the canary-in-the-coalmine state, with this policy, and the others certainly did follow. With the National Skills Agreement in place, our state will now benefit from an additional $2.29 billion in funding between the state and federal governments, meaning 150,000 training placements over five years. This came after the 15,000 additional fee-free TAFE places between 2024 and 2026 that were announced by our government and the South Australian government. Getting people into vocations that have shortages today and many shortages tomorrow will benefit us all, and TAFE's role in achieving this cannot be underestimated. Notwithstanding the economic climate facing us at any given time, a policy such as fee-free TAFE is one that acts to remove some of the financial impediments that some out there might be weighing up before taking a leap of faith and undergoing a journey to upskill themselves or even to complete a sea change in a wholly new vocation—one that is in very high demand and one that industry and government have confirmed will likely continue to be in high demand. This policy is breaking down some of the financial constraints to someone accessing a chance at a sea change and a pathway into the jobs of tomorrow. These statistics almost appear like a mantra in every contribution on TAFE education or employment, but they always require restating, in the event that we all forget why we are doing this. Three million Australians currently lack the fundamental skills required to participate in training and secure work. Nine out of 10 new jobs will require post-secondary school education, with four out of that total requiring a VET qualification. In my electorate of Spence, according to Jobs and Skills Australia's labour market data dashboard, 69 per cent of online job advertisements require a qualification of certificate III or higher. Alarmingly, 30 per cent of online job vacancies still require a bachelor's degree or higher. When everything gets muddled by numbers, some figures truly hit home. Only 9.5 per cent of people over the age of 15 in Spence have attained a bachelor's degree or higher. That is why I have been putting a considerable amount of effort towards unlocking access to quality education. Disadvantage—whether that be by socioeconomic status; the tyranny of distance, meaning the inability to adequately travel to and from study or placements that aren't based closed to home; and not having clearer pathways forward into higher education from a vocational education setting: these are barriers to entry that I've been wanting to break down ever since being elected. Not everyone's path allows for a university education straight out of high school—myself included—but we aren't doing our jobs if we aren't leaving the light on and the gate unlocked for someone to be able to study without their personal circumstances being the hurdle that stands between them and a career that they have aspired towards but has always been somewhat out of reach. The Minister for Skills and Training's statement to the House back in September was one that I keenly listened to in the chamber. I was proud to be in the House back in September to hear the Minister for Skills and Training deliver a statement of great importance, a statement outlining the Albanese Labor government's strategy to revitalise national planning in vocational education and training. I've had a good look at the list of those members who have noted the minister's statement, both today and since this was on the Notice Paper. I notice a lot of familiar faces amongst us. Most, if not all, are from our side of the chamber, but this should come as no surprise. It isn't a rarity to find some of the bigger supporters of vocational education on this side of the chamber. I wouldn't dispute being called a rusted-on TAFE supporter either, though its No. 1 supporter is the Minister for Skills and Training. I was very pleased to have shown him around TAFE SA's Elizabeth campus when he visited my electorate, alongside South Australia's minister for education, Blair Boyer. Both ministers came into their roles a few months apart last year. Both of them are firm believers in TAFE, both for what it is and for what it can be. They both have another thing in common—a mission statement which involves unwinding years of neglect from Liberal governments, both in Canberra and states and territories, that undermined not only the role of TAFE, as a pillar of vocational education, but its place in the education system more broadly. TAFE, as we know it today, is the product of a Labor government transforming it and its role in education, in providing skills and training required for the needs of the workforce. Upon forming government, Labor has put education, skills and training at the forefront of our agenda. When everyone went home at the conclusion of the Jobs and Skills Summit, all stakeholders should have been sound in the knowledge that this was only the beginning. I'm not sure what the expectations were for those who participated in the process from the beginning. There may have been some cautious optimism. Perhaps they just expected something from the previous government's playbook—a final media release from the summit being the end of it all. What we had instead were those stakeholders continuing to be involved in the process of planning and shaping priorities for our labour market. The efforts of our government, in working with universities and TAFE, industry peak bodies, unions and state governments, has delivered a great deal already. I look no further than the South Australian defence industry workforce and skills report, which was announced last week in South Australia by the Minister for Defence and South Australia's Premier, Peter Malinauskas. South Australia's defence industry is one that is growing and one that will continue to grow and be a fixture in our state, hopefully, for many decades into the future. Our state's expertise in shipbuilding and defence technology, coupled with our educational infrastructure—including TAFE SA—provides a solid foundation for training the next generation of defence industry professionals. This aligns with the broader national strategy to build a resilient and capable defence workforce, which is essential for our national security and economic prosperity. In order to realise this ambition, it requires strategic and collaborative effort. We need to ensure that young Australians know what they need to do in order for them to secure a good, well-paying job in a field that will be in high demand by the time they are leaving school and taking their next step in life to find a career. A factor that will determine the success or failure of this plan involves the governments of today—and successive governments—celebrating and promoting the value of vocational education and training by raising the profile of TAFE and challenging outdated perceptions that still exist in a number of parts of the community. We should encourage more Australians to consider TAFE as a viable first option for their education and career development. Paul Keating said that having a good education was like having the keys to the kingdom. There are many roads leading into that kingdom, but it is the role of government to ensure every Australian, regardless of their background or their bank balance, can walk through the door and grasp a good quality education today and the opportunities of tomorrow. Much like the member for Hunter, I'd like to take note of the great benefits that I've received from the TAFE system. I completed my seafaring studies at Challenger TAFE in Western Australia back in 2006, and this led to a fantastic 10-year career as a merchant seafarer in the maritime industry. I'm forever indebted to the education that I got from TAFE. It's led me all the way to this place, and I'll be forever grateful for that. 12:10 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite Australia is facing a massive shortage of skilled workers. This has huge implications for our economy, our productivity and our nation's future prosperity. The Albanese government understands this and, since coming to government last year, the Minister for Skills and Training has made it his mission to address this problem. Firstly, the minister announced 180,000 fee-free TAFE places in sectors where there is a skilled worker shortage, including in aged care, child care, technology and construction. This initiative has been highly successful. In the first six months, we exceeded our target of 180,000 enrolments, with almost 215,000 Australians enrolling in a fee-free course. That's 215,000 people who are accessing high-quality training in areas where we need skilled workers. Demographic data also shows that fee-free TAFE is making inroads in supporting disadvantaged Australians, with enrolments including 50,849 jobseekers, 15,269 people with disability and 6,845 First Nations Australians. We're not stopping there, with funding for a further 300,000 fee-free TAFE places starting next year. This is not only building skills and opportunities for rewarding, meaningful work; it is building our skilled workforce. And, importantly, it's giving students a substantial cost saving. For example, students undertaking a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care in Victoria are saving up to $8,700 because of the Albanese government's fee-free TAFE program. As I move around the electorate, I'm often approached by people of all ages who are starting a vocational career or transitioning to a new one. At a recent market stall in Barwon Heads, a young woman, Michelle, approached me and shared her story about the impact that fee-free TAFE has had on her life. She said: "I've wanted to change careers for some time. Child care has always appealed to me—I love kids—but I couldn't afford to do it." "This has given me an amazing opportunity—one that I never thought would come my way." Significant reforms are also underway to increase the number of apprenticeships, strengthen the VET sector, build a more constructive partnership with industry and training providers, and create more effective pathways to training and employment for people marginalised by age, health, gender, disability, culture, language or socioeconomic background. Reform is the key after 9½ years of neglect by the coalition. In doing so, we build on the legacy of past Labor governments. Fifty years ago, the Whitlam government sought to significantly widen educational opportunities for all Australians and reform post-school training. The focus was on increasing participation, both at the school and tertiary levels, and it represented a dramatic social and cultural shift. Whitlam's government improved our tertiary education sectors, established national training and removed cost barriers for students. Today, the Albanese government is again reforming our vocational education and training sector. In the words of our Minister for Skills and Training: TAFE is one of our greatest assets for ensuring our country is well positioned for future skills challenges, and meeting those challenges will be no small feat. It will be no small feat because, when we came to government last year, it was clear that not only had we inherited $1 trillion of coalition debt but we were also left with a massive skills deficit. According to the OECD, Australia is experiencing the second-most severe labour shortage in the developed world. Those opposite did little to support the TAFE and VET sector, and all those who look to this sector for vocational education and future employment have struggled because of it. In fact, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has called fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending', and the last time the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Dickson, said the word TAFE in Parliament was in 2004—over 19 years ago. We're now rebuilding the sector because we understand that a strong VET sector is critical. We know a robust skills based economy will help to drive a strong renewable energy sector and, importantly, help us to meet our emissions target of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050. That's why our government has established Jobs and Skills Australia and has invested $402 million in creating jobs and skills councils to help address skills shortages and workforce challenges. The first major task of each jobs and skills council is to consult across industry sectors to develop workforce plans that address both existing and emerging skills needs. As the minister detailed to the House, JSCs will use industry based knowledge, understanding of trends and real-world experience to develop world-leading qualifications for workers and employers. By drawing on the best of industry knowledge and the expertise of educators, JSCs will be critical to delivering the skills our workforce and our economy need. We know that these JSCs are already making positive strides in meeting expectations. The ten councils are: energy, gas and renewables; agribusiness; early educators, health and human services; arts, personal services, retail, tourism and hospitality; public safety and government; manufacturing; finance, technology and business; mining and automotive; building, construction and property; and transport and logistics. The roles of JSCs and JSA are complementary and symbiotic. JSCs have deeper knowledge and connection to specific industries. Our government knows that for far too long industry training bodies have often doubled up on course offerings, leading to duplication and inefficiency. Collaboration and sharing ideas across all sectors will see benefits for so many of our young people, local communities and small businesses. As the minister has made clear, these JSCs are off to a good start, having already built a cohesive network led by their new CEOs and boards. Together we want to achieve a training sector that anticipates the skills needs of industry, one which focuses on the needs of the learner. Currently, the average time to develop or update a qualification is 18 months. This is unacceptably long. World-leading qualifications are key to supporting workforce developments and a stronger, more resilient and productive economy. I know that the Minister for Education is working closely with the Minister for Skills and Training to better prepare young people for tertiary education, whether it be TAFE or university. The Albanese government will continue to work with employers, unions, educators and state and territory governments, building relationships and putting in place the architecture for an inclusive vocational workforce. The mechanisms we are rolling out are already reaping results. Our government values TAFE and the vocational skills it delivers to power our economy, our productivity and our prosperity. We understand that good skills mean good jobs. That means a good future for our nation and, importantly, a good future for all Australians. 12:19 Dr CHARLTON I8M Parramatta The Australian labour market is in a state of flux. We have never experienced so much change in the skills we need and the jobs that we do. That change is generated by a number of global trends, including the shift towards automation, which is changing the types of jobs that Australians do and also the skills that they need to do those jobs. It's also affected by the growth in globalisation, which has changed the type of work that Australians do, affecting the way that we compose our economy and the skills that we need to compete in the global economy. It's been affected by changing demographics and consumer preferences and the enormous growth of the care sector—child care, aged care and disability care. All of this has generated significant shifts right across our labour market, and the only way that we can respond to those shifts is by supporting stronger vocational education that provides Australians with the skills they need in order to participate in those jobs of the future. That's why investing in vocational education is one of the most powerful things that a government can do. Strong educational attainment is a source of productivity, improving the lives of the individuals who benefit from that education. It enables them to increase their skills to become more productive, and to gain the security of jobs of the future that they know are sustainable, but also to support Australia's economy in these transitions. By providing the right skills, we enable entrepreneurship, we demonstrate our country's readiness to adapt to new industries and we enable ourselves to tackle some of Australia's biggest challenges. We know that right now Australia's skill base is not catching up with that industrial change. We have too big a gap between the skills that we have and the skills that we need. Let me give you a couple of statistics on Australia's skills and labour shortages. According to OECD data from last year, Australia is experiencing the second-highest labour shortage amongst OECD nations. The skills priority list, which provides an annual assessment of Australia's labour market, most recently found that 36 per cent of occupations assessed were experiencing worker shortages. That's one-third of Australian occupations experiencing worker shortages, and this is up from 31 per cent in 2022 and 19 per cent in 2021. This assessment points to a consistently tight labour market as the source of the shortages. We simply don't have the skills to provide these industries with the workforce they need. This ricochets through Australia's economy. It means we have consumers with unmet demands, it means we have industries that can't grow and transition into new areas and it means we have workers who don't have the skills they need to get the jobs of the future. That's why it's incredibly important that the government takes the action that it's taking to provide the information to the labour market so that we can guide and assist Australia's vocational education system and make sure the education system is focused on areas of skills shortage. We'll be able to identify the needs of the future and tailor our educational response to those needs so that vocational education is providing the specific skills that are required by the job market of the future. According to the assessment that I mentioned, labour shortages are being felt in many occupations right across the economy: 82 per cent of occupations in health, 69 per cent of occupations in ICT, 54 per cent of occupations in design and 47 per cent of occupations in education, as well as technicians and trades and the construction industry. We know that, as skills become more demanding and as our occupations incorporate more information technology and other technologies, Australian workers will require more training and education. As workers change jobs more frequently, they'll require more vocational education to upskill and re-skill, as they shift between jobs within an industry. By 2040, the average Australian will increase the amount of education that they have through their lives by 33 per cent. They'll be getting extra education through increases in school completion rates. There will be more vocational education and more university degrees. Most importantly, these increases in education will occur throughout their career. It wasn't that long ago that getting an education in Australia meant going to school, maybe going to TAFE and, for some people, going to university. By the time you hit 21, bang—your education was done. These days, we need to rethink the way we deliver education to Australians. We can't just give you a certificate in your late teens or early 20s, slap a debt to that certificate and wish you well for the rest of your lives because the rate of technological change, the rate of skill change is so significant that people will need consistent topping up of their skill bases throughout their lives. We won't just be able to provide people with all of the education in their life before the age of 21; we'll have to provide them with education consistently as they move through the labour market—upskilling, reskilling, changing jobs, adapting to new technologies. This is the great challenge of Australia's labour market, to make sure we rethink the delivery of education so that it's not just something for young people, it's something for people throughout their lives and assists in the adaptation of our labour market to the challenges of the future. Vocational education plays a critical role in that. Vocational education that can be delivered in short bursts, that can be provided, in many cases, on work sites around people's other commitments: this is essential to ensuring that Australians can reskill and upskill to meet the challenges of the future and adapt to evolving technologies in the labour market. Those skills are the skills provided by TAFE, and that's why investing in TAFE is such an important priority of this government and such an important priority of the government's agenda. TAFE has always been an institution that provides people with core skills in order to advance themselves, to get the right skills to get that next job, to get a promotion at their current job. TAFE's role in the Australian labour market has never been more important as we face significant dynamism and change right across the labour market. That's why this is such an important agenda for the government. That's why this government has made investing in skills and investing in TAFE central to its economic plan. That's why we believe it's so critical to Australia's economic growth, our productivity growth, that we make these investments, because without improving human capital we can't address the declining productivity in our community. Without investing in the skills of the individual Australian and our workforce, we won't resurrect the high rates of labour productivity growth that we were lucky enough to experience over the last two decades. And without labour productivity growth, we know there can be no sustained income growth. We know that living standards don't rise without growth in productivity over time. Skills are the essential pre-condition to driving stronger human capital, lifting labour productivity, strengthening our workplaces, building stronger industries and enabling Australia to adapt to the challenges of the future. That's why this agenda is so important to the Albanese Labor government. Debate adjourned. ADJOURNMENT 102 ADJOURNMENT Yip, Skylar, Fowler Electorate: Community Events 102 12:28 Ms LE 295676 Fowler It has been an exciting few weeks of celebrating youth achievements across my electorate of Fowler. Firstly, I want to personally congratulate Skylar Yip, a year 4 student from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School at Cabramatta for being chosen as a finalist for the Dymocks Beyond Words writing competition. More than 3,800 students across Australia submitted their stories to the book company, and only 100 were shortlisted. Her story, 'The Mythical Tree', explores the journey of a magical tree that is cut down by humans to be turned into a book. However, the magic of the tree gets transferred into the book and people start mysteriously disappearing as more and more trees grow out of thin air. I hope that Skylar's story will be published by Dymocks so that you can get hold of it and find out the ending. I welcomed Skylar and her family, along with the Sacred Heart principal, Mr Parawa, and her teachers, Mrs Phillips and Ms Haddad, to a morning tea at my office to celebrate her success. I'm truly inspired by the amazing feats of young people in my community and what they can achieve. Speaking of which, I had the pleasure of hosting the inaugural Fowler Youth Advisory Committee, which brought together a group of young people from across the cities of Liverpool and Fairfield to hear about the challenges they think our young people from south-western Sydney are facing. They identified issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, financial literacy, mental health, employment and housing as some of the more immediate concerns held by them, their peers and their families. These young people come from different backgrounds and all walks of life, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. After all, diversity in the representation of views and perspectives is critical to the success of any leadership team. It was an amazing conversation, and I thank them for giving me their valuable time and great insights. Not only will they advise me on certain issues that I can advocate for in parliament but they will also design a project aimed to further engage with other youth in the community. The FYAC will meet four times a year, and I can't wait to see what they will come up with for our next meeting. Thank you to the attendees: Melody Yalda, Stephanie Kina, Robin Broff, Mario Compart, Barseen Oshana, Kyouko Nagatsuka, Nikki Chan, Annabel Tran, Kimberley Pham, Taylor Green, Bhumi Kambale, David Ly, Alicia Pan, Leoni Le, Alessia Poles, Athena Nguyen, Angela Chau and Jenny Farhan. My hope it is that the committee grows and helps develop Fowler's next generation of future leaders. In turn, this will inspire more young people to make a positive impact on their communities and their respective professions, whether in politics, media, STEM, health or whatever their chosen passion might be. I also want to thank Cabramatta High School for presenting a beautiful Peace Day. I was honoured to share the stage with the 2023 Sydney Peace Prize recipient, Nazanin Boniadi, a renowned actress and an advocate for women's rights, someone who has tirelessly championed for peace in her homeland of Iran. The celebration couldn't come at a more important time to remind us of the importance peace plays in the community of Fowler. This week I was honoured to host a roundtable with the National Electrical and Communications Association to tackle the issue of unfair contract terms. The use of unfair contract terms is placing unnecessary pressure on an industry that is already facing unprecedented challenges, including escalating labour costs, skills shortages, supply chain issues and rising material costs. The construction industry makes up 22 per cent of the Fowler electorate's business economy, with 96 per cent of these business organisations operating as either a sole trader or small business with fewer than five employees. While these SMEs and independent contractors do about 90 per cent of the work across the construction sector as a whole, many of them feel that they don't have enough of a voice to stand up against bigger companies whom they rely on for work. It is crucial to ensure that the favourable and fair terms granted to head contractors also trickle down to subcontractors. After all, the last thing we should be doing is burning the workforce which is propping up a huge chunk of the construction industry during a jobs and skills shortage. One of the recommendations to come out of the forum include redrawing government's procurement processes to ensure that principal contractors must not remove or include clauses that negatively impact their subcontractors. I hope that the government's National Construction Industry Forum prioritises this in its agenda and that the government immediately tackles this issue. Middle East 103 12:33 Mr HILL 86256 Bruce What the world is witnessing in the Middle East is an utter tragedy for the innocent Palestinians and Israelis who are victims in this. Australians are understandably traumatised by the horrific violence and loss of life. In the media, on social media, on WhatsApp—it's everywhere. The overwhelming feedback I've heard from my community concerns the need to protect and value all human life, and calls for recognition of Palestinian and Israeli suffering, accompanied by a despairing cry that two million people in Gaza should not pay the price for the horrors perpetrated by Hamas. All human life is sacred and all innocent lives should be protected. To be clear, I want to see a cessation of hostilities. The cry for a ceasefire is a deeply human and entirely natural response to the humanitarian disaster that the world is witnessing, and everyone wants to see the violence stop. Surely that's true for everyone in this parliament. A ceasefire, of course, requires both parties to agree, and by its nature it cannot be one-sided. Hamas still holds over 200 hostages as human shields and has a stated intent to kill Jews and destroy the State of Israel. Those facts cannot just be magicked away, and it is a horrible situation. As an urgent step, Australia has led international calls for humanitarian pauses, or humanitarian ceasefires, if you like, but clearly much more is needed. The world has witnessed a harrowing number of civilian deaths, including children, and this must not continue. It should not be controversial to state that Israel's right to respond to Hamas's attacks is not unfettered and does not and cannot justify any action. Australia has vocally and repeatedly expressed concern about the unacceptable loss of civilian lives and the need for Israel to observe humanitarian law. That matters. Condemning Hamas's actions in no way diminishes the legitimate support and the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians for a just settlement and a state of their own. Saying this also in no way negates the legitimate criticisms over many years of the Israeli government's illegal settlement policies in the West Bank or the occupation—concerns which numerous Israelis share. I am gravely concerned about the accelerating forced dispossession, the killing of Palestinians and settler violence in the West Bank which have escalated since Hamas's attacks. This is simply unacceptable. I've been a longstanding and vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, and the actions of Hamas are not in the interests of Palestinians and hamper efforts to end the occupation and achieve a just resolution—so do the illegal settlements and the behaviour of extremist settlers. Ultimately, there can only ever be a political solution to this conflict. But, amidst all this despair for people in Israel and occupied Palestine, I worry about our community here in Australia. We must not let ancient hatreds in this decades-old conflict divide our multicultural society. I genuinely decry the gross politicisation of this tragedy by the Leader of the Opposition and the Greens political party; both are seeking domestic political advantage at the expense of our social cohesion, which is beyond contempt. ASIO director Mike Burgess was right to call for calm in the Australian community. Responsible political, religious and community leaders right across the country would and should heed this call. People are traumatised, and it is beyond irresponsible for politicians to stoke the flames of anger. It will lead to violence here if they do not stop it. I can't speak more clearly. I encourage those on the other side to restrain your leader. Antisemitism is to be utterly condemned, and the fear that the Australian Jewish community is now feeling is unacceptable. Islamophobia is corrosive and unacceptable and hurts us all in our wonderfully diverse country. Community leaders and all concerned citizens need to work together to lower the temperature of the debate. All of us, every one of us here and in the community, can play our part in this in the way that we talk and advocate. I hope all of us are guided by the same principle of a just and enduring peace and a negotiated solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state co-exist in peace and security within internationally recognised borders. Page Electorate: Grafton City Junior Cadets, Matthews, Mr Jimmi, Page Electorate: Community Events 104 12:38 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page Today I'd like to acknowledge and congratulate the Grafton City junior cadets. They attended the Australian Fire Cadet Championships in Sydney and were placed first in Australia. The RFS and the Rural Fire Service Association host this event, which sees cadets participate in lifelike scenarios designed to test their skills, initiative and safety procedures. The junior team members were Chelsea Almond, Bianca Almond, Hayden Almond, Andrew Hughes, Cooper Gilkinson and Eli Masters. The trainers are Captain Michael Rogan, Joshua Rogan and Denise Pavlovic. Coordinator Jacinta Taylor was the team coordinator, and Tania Preen assisted in the championships. It's a fantastic outcome to come first in Australia. Michael said the cadets' dedication to training, performance and leadership was outstanding. I congratulate them on their success. I want to congratulate the Mallanganee Rural Fire Brigade for 70 years of serving the community. They recently held a celebration dinner at the Mallanganee Memorial Hall, where the NSW RFS district manager Daniel Ainsworth presented a number of awards. One was awarded posthumously to John Holmes, who sadly died at the Bean Creek fire front on 15 October. His partner, Mavis, accepted the commissioner's commendation certificate on John's behalf. John was both the Northern Rivers and the North Eastern senior deputy captain, and was recognised for his diligent service and unwavering commitment to the Mallanganee Rural Fire Brigade and the community for more than 50 years. Mavis was also awarded a commissioner's commendation certificate for her 37 years of service to the Mallanganee RFS, and the Mallanganee captain Neville O'Malley also accepted a plaque for the unit. Today, they have 13 active members: Captain Neville O'Malley, Larry Ferguson, Daniel Grayndler, Sheridan Grayndler, Mikaylah O'Malley-Grayndler, Robert Lane, Greg Baker, Jason Gogerly, Andrew Barrett, Peter Dobbins, Leanne Robertson, Bruce Robertson and Bradley Martens. The reserve members for the unit are Heather O'Malley, Mavis Goodlad, Trevor McDonald, William Hewetson, Tony Pullen, and Graeme and Denise Wirth. The members in training are Heath O'Malley-Grayndler, Leanna Laughton and Jack Forbes at the moment. I thank the RFS for their service to the community over 70 years. I'd like to congratulate Jimmi Matthews from Lismore. He's a stand-out sportsman. He proudly represents his school St Carthage's across a diverse range of sports, and he earned a well-deserved spot in the NSWPSSA football team, which achieved a remarkable second place at the School Sport Australia national championships in Victoria recently. In 2023, Jimmi also extended his representations in the Lismore diocese in both football and athletics, and he was a key member of the Polding football team. Notably, he contributed to the Gold Coast Knights team's international journey to England, where they competed against football giants including Everton and Liverpool. He's been signed by the Gold Coast United under-14s for next year. His mother, Brodie-Lee, and father, Troy, and all of their extended family, are extremely proud of Jimmi's attitude on and off the football pitch, and I wish him all the best. I'd like to thank the Nimbin Rural Fire Brigade on their 70th anniversary held in October and the recipients of long service medals and clasps for service between 10 and 45 years. Congratulations to Charlie Cohen for 45 years of service, to Brad Soward for 44 years of service, to Greg Soward for 44 years of service and to Janet Soward for 33 years of service. I'd also like to congratulate William Nissan, Chris Anderson, Yarrow Hadley, Raven Hadley, Paul Scott, Oscar Bradley-Gunn, Maxim Pike and Matthew Cook for 10 years of service; Tim Greene and Matthew Steel for 13 years of service; Marcus Manstcheff and Lisa Costello for 14 years of service; and Bernard Rooney for 15 years of service. These 17 members' active service totals 282 years of service to the community. The brigade was formed in 1953, when a small group of community members raised money for a firefighting appliance, and it now boasts 54 members and is very active within the community. I thank all members, past and present, for their commitment. They literally have saved lives through their decades of service to our community, and I congratulate them on their 70th anniversary. Housing 104 12:43 Mr KHALIL 101351 Wills Many vulnerable Australians are renters, and a large number have been in financial stress for prolonged periods. It means they're also more sensitive to rent increases, and we know rental affordability has also gotten worse. I've spoken to a lot of people in my electorate who are struggling with rent increases and who fear they made may need to move further out to find a home within the same price range. Vacancy rates, as we know, are so low right across the country, and landlords have been able to pass on interest rate rises to tenants in the form of increased rent. More Australians are turning to share houses as well. Low-income earners, including pensioners, single parents who work part-time, and students, are being priced out of the rental market. Of those who are currently renting, around one million live in homes that are unsafe for their health—just think about that—but they're too afraid to speak up or request repairs, because they're afraid they might get evicted because of it. Many young people are facing rent increase after rent increase, making it unaffordable to make ends meet, let alone save for a deposit. Certainly many young people have completely given up on ever owning their own home, which is much different than it was 30 years ago. Essential workers—nurses, aged-care workers, early educators, police, ambos and those in hospitality—are being priced out of the rental market. Workers on average are spending around two-thirds of their income on rent. These are the same essential workers that helped us get through the pandemic. My office supports people on a weekly basis who are struggling with evictions and rent increases, who need emergency accommodation, who are waiting for public housing to become available. But we, as a government, know that systemic change is required. That is why the Albanese government is focused on Housing Australia. We've announced and are implementing multiple reforms and housing policies to change the system, because we need structural changes that will have a long-lasting benefit for millions. These are not a bandaid solution. The Albanese government is committed to ensuring more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home, whether they're buying, renting or needing a safe space to spend the night. In just our first year of government, housing has been front of mind in terms of both affordability and supply. The Housing Australia Future Fund, the Social Housing Accelerator and build-to-rent are steps we have taken, announcements we have made, implementing and increasing the number of dwellings across the country. It's real. An opposition member interjecting— Mr KHALIL 101351 I'll take that interjection. We actually do it. We actually pass laws. We invested money in increasing supply. You did nothing for 10 years on this problem! An acknowledgement that housing is an issue of national significance, something ignored by the opposition when it was the then government. In contrast, we are working to a national target to build 1.2 million well-located homes. We are building and supporting the supply of more affordable homes through the $10 billion HAFF, the $500 million housing support program, the $3 billion New Homes Bonus and the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator. The HAFF will deliver 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund's first five years, and there's the National Housing Accord, which includes federal funding to deliver 10,000 affordable homes over five years from 2024, to be matched by another 10,000 by the states and territories. That's called federation, the states and the Commonwealth working together. There's also $1 billion in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to support more homes. Up to $575 million has already been unlocked with homes under construction across the country. That's happening. It's a reality. Not only are we building more homes, we've also increased the maximum rate of Commonwealth rent assistance by 15 per cent, the largest increase in more than 30 years. We've also introduced new incentives to boost the supply of rental housing by changing arrangements for investments in build-to-rent accommodation and we're strengthening renters' rights. We've worked with states and territories to commit to a better deal for renters. This means developing nationally consistent policies on reasonable grounds of eviction, moving towards limiting rent increases to once a year and phasing in minimum rental standards. We know homelessness is also a big problem and that's why we're investing $1.7 billion towards a one-year extension of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. We want more people to own homes, so we've introduced a Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee and expanded the overall Home Guarantee Scheme which has now helped more than 73,000 Australians in their first home since the election. States and territories are supporting the national rollout of the Help to Buy Scheme as well. As a government, it's our job, which we take seriously, to make these good policy decisions in the interests of the nation, in the interests of the Australian people, and having a stable, secure place to live is the right of every Australian and the Albanese government is getting on with that job and increasing the supply of housing. Remembrance Day, Infrastructure 105 12:48 Mr HOWARTH 247742 Petrie Over the weekend, many of us gathered around the nation at the foot of our war memorials for Remembrance Day and to pay our respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We gathered in these places to acknowledge the price paid for the freedom that we live in here and that Australians enjoy every day. We gathered along with those who wore medals signifying their service in the Australian Defence Force or the courage of their loved ones to fight for what matters: the future safety and freedom of our nation. We gathered alongside current members of the Australian Defence Force and we were able to thank them. I want to thank every member who currently serves in the ADF and every family member who has a current serving member in the ADF. And we thank all veterans, including you, Deputy Speaker Wilkie, who have served the nation in the ADF. That's very important. We do know that we need more Australians to join the ADF, so I'd encourage people to maybe join the reserves, where one night a month or a couple of nights a month, and one week a year, you can actually get out and serve the country. We really need more people in our reserve forces. There's also the 12-month ADF gap year, which you could sign up for, or just sign up for four years and serve the country—we'd be very happy to have you. We never take for granted the protection and deterrence provided each day by the men and women trained in the ADF to protect our nation so Australians can go about their lives—an important deterrence. But the challenge before us, as the sun sets on another Remembrance Day, will be to do our part to ensure Australia remains the best country in the world for our children, their children and future generations of Australians so they will have a positive future. Isn't one of the best things that we can do—not just us as parliamentarians but also all Australians—to make sure that there is a positive future for the next generation? I know that I'm appreciative of previous generations of Australians—the Anzacs, the forefathers, both men and women—and the Australia that they left for us when I was born. This rests not just with us but with all Australians, and it's really important to make sure that we invest in the next generation of Australians. As a child, I grew up being taught the value and gift that our democratic system of government provides. My mother taught me values, and a parent's responsibility is essential. It was a childhood where I learnt that we might disagree with others but that at the heart of our humanity we have more in common with our fellow man than what actually divides us. I was taught that respect and honour for fellow man was a choice that we make to rise above division, to listen, to value and to protect. I was taught this is what it means to be Australian. A culture of freedom—of speech, of expression, of religion and faith, and of movement—makes a country that unites us and builds us into a stronger country. We must battle to ensure that we live in this place, and remember our responsibility to preserve what makes Australia great. There are around us those with different views that want to change everything that makes Australia great, where the attack on those who hold a different view is used to discredit and slander others. A line in the sand must be drawn, and this behaviour and ideology must be called out for what it is. I say to all Australians: continue to do your best, make sure you leave a better Australia than what you were born into—or moved into if you're a migrant—so that future generations of Australians continue to live in the best place in the world. I want to talk about infrastructure. I see the minister sitting opposite me. We've been waiting for six months for this list to come out, and I'm really pleased—I hope the minister can confirm what I'm reading online—that online it says 'the following road corridors will be established'. I thank everyone in my electorate because a lot of these road corridors are absolutely essential. These projects were announced by the former coalition government in late 2018-19, and from what I can see, they're all going to be retained. The Gateway Motorway, Bracken Ridge to the Pine River, the upgrades of on- and off-ramps from the Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks and, most importantly, the Linkfield Road overpass and the Beams Road overpass. The Annastacia Palaszczuk government has a lot to answer for. These should have been built three or four years ago. They've been inept— (Time expired) Remembrance Day 106 12:53 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I thank the member for Petrie. As the partner of an ADF reservist for the last decade, Lieutenant Commander Mark Karlovic, my husband, it's always really lovely to hear the words that you had to say. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Federation Chamber adjourned at 12 : 54