Brian Mitchell's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2025-09-07T23:05:15+00:00
items: Federal Election | Adjournment | House debates
items: Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Agriculture Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Lyons Electorate: Volunteering | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
items: Tasmania: Albanese Government | Adjournment | House debates
items: Labor Government | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Raise Our Voice Australia | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Pesticides | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Taxation | Matters of Public Importance | House debates

Federal Election | Adjournment | House debates
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description: It's been an article of faith in the Liberal Party, handed down in reverent tones from Liberal parent to Liberal child, that the Liberal Party stands for lower taxes while the godless socialists...
encoded: It's been an article of faith in the Liberal Party, handed down in reverent tones from Liberal parent to Liberal child, that the Liberal Party stands for lower taxes while the godless socialists of the Labor Party seek only to tax and spend the nation into economic oblivion. The facts tell a different story, of course—has anybody heard about those two Labor budget surpluses? Facts rarely shake those of the deepest faith, but what a shock it must have been this week for even the bluest of blue believers to see holy writ being torn up before their eyes: a Labor government voting to cut taxes and a Liberal opposition voting to keep taxes higher. The Liberal leader even described Labor's tax cuts as a 'cruel hoax', despite the fact they contribute to a package of tax cuts, now delivered by a Labor government, that will see, on average, $2½ thousand put back into the pockets of Australian workers every year. But I'll tell you what is a cruel hoax. Spending three years as Liberal leader voting against every cost-of-living relief measure the Labor government has put forward and then claiming to care about the cost of living—that's a cruel hoax. Spending a parliamentary career railing against so-called higher taxing governments but then voting to keep taxes higher—that's a cruel hoax. Opposing work-from-home flexibility, which saves workers the significant cost of travelling to and from an office, but then opposing workers having the right to disconnect from their employers when on their own time—that's a cruel hoax. Standing next to tradies and apprentices and claiming that he backs them, but voting against the same job, same pay laws that ensure workers are treated fairly on the job—that's a cruel hoax. Inviting employers to claim long lunches as tax breaks, but opposing their employees getting even modest tax cuts—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about immigration while opposing the Labor government's cap on student visa numbers—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about cri…
date: 2025-03-27T10:05:00+00:00

Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question, my last in this place, is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government building Australia's future and strengthening Medicare by delivering more...
encoded: My question, my last in this place, is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government building Australia's future and strengthening Medicare by delivering more bulk-billing, more doctors and cheaper medicines? Why is urgent action needed to strengthen Medicare after a decade of cuts and neglect?
date: 2025-02-13T14:26:00+00:00

Agriculture Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
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description: I thank the member for Hunter for this opportunity to recognise our agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors and our agricultural workforce more broadly. It's a pleasure to follow the member...
encoded: I thank the member for Hunter for this opportunity to recognise our agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors and our agricultural workforce more broadly. It's a pleasure to follow the member for Hunter, the member for Paterson and the member for Gilmore in this debate—all very fine regional representatives. As a representative of a regional electorate myself, I'm proud to be part of a government that is delivering for Australian farmers and producers. In my own electorate, the agricultural sector is one of the highest employment industries, second only to the healthcare sector, with around 10 per cent of my constituents directly employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. More broadly, Tasmania's agricultural sector is a major contributor to the state's economy. In 2023 farm-gate value exceeded $2 billion for the first time. The Albanese government is continuing to deliver practical support for Tassie's farmers and for our regions. At the end of last year, I joined the Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water at Greg Gibson's farm at Hagley. I spoke to Greg and other local farmers about the recent completion of the Greater Meander Irrigation Scheme augmentation project—that's a mouthful!—and what it means for their business and the wide industry in Tasmania. The federal government invested $5 million through the National Water Grid Fund to this project, which included upgrades to pump stations and new pipelines to transfer water more effectively and efficiently across the Meander Valley. For producers like Greg, secure access to water for farming means increased confidence and security to grow and develop farming operations, and this project is just one of the many that confirms the Australian government's ongoing support for the Tasmanian agricultural industry more widely, particularly for Tasmanian irrigation. I know it's got bipartisan support, which I'm pleased to see, but I like to make the point whenever I can that the Tasmanian irrigation sch…
date: 2025-02-10T17:37:00+00:00

Lyons Electorate: Volunteering | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: MITCHELL () (): Last week, I had the pleasure of joining the Rotary Club of Westbury for its annual Australia Day breakfast and was accompanied by federal Lyons candidate Rebecca White, my good...
encoded: MITCHELL () (): Last week, I had the pleasure of joining the Rotary Club of Westbury for its annual Australia Day breakfast and was accompanied by federal Lyons candidate Rebecca White, my good friend. Every year Westbury Rotary members host a breakfast at the local RSL, all in the aim of connecting the community over a meal and raising money for great causes. This year the event was supported by both the Australian government and the Meander Valley Council, and more than 120 people enjoyed breakfast, with thousands raised for District Governor Pam Scott OAM's campaign to end family violence. I was delighted to lend a hand at the juice station, a position I've taken up for many years, and it was great to see the community come together to enjoy each other's company and celebrate our wonderful country. huge shout-out to everybody who made the day possible, including Westbury Rotary Club of Westbury President Carol Wood and Secretary Andrew Wood. Thank you also to club members and friends Graham Dent, Annette Barrett, Tracey Lee, Beryl Pearn, Amanda Taylor, Dinah Fitzgerald, Barry Pearn, Harley Nicholls, Miles Irving, Doug Poulton, Malcolm French, Miles Kerr, Ben Dudman, Florida Rickard, Jo Fitzgerald, Martin Wilson, Russell Whitcombe, Judy Kilby, Matthew Godfrey and Anne-Marie Loader, all of whom woke up before dawn to make sure breakfast was hot and ready from 7.30 am. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 11 Lyons constituents who received recognition in this year's Australia Day Honours. Congratulations to Duncan Kerr SC—former Attorney-General of Australia, former Federal Court judge and my boss in a previous life—who was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia. Congratulations to Denise Talbot, David Downie, Reverend Josephine Pyecroft, David Gatenby and Dr James Markos, who were all appointed Members of the Order of Australia for their service to the nation and to the Tasmanian community in their respective fields. Congratulat…
date: 2025-02-05T09:57:00+00:00

Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How are Medicare urgent care clinics making it easier for Australians to see a doctor after a decade of cuts and neglect? What proposals...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How are Medicare urgent care clinics making it easier for Australians to see a doctor after a decade of cuts and neglect? What proposals will make it harder to see a doctor and will leave people worse off?
date: 2025-02-04T14:43:00+00:00

Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
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description: Or 12—thank you! As a local member, I've been able to achieve things for my electorate, not least the siting of a Medicare urgent care clinic in Bridgewater and a new Services Australia...
encoded: Or 12—thank you! As a local member, I've been able to achieve things for my electorate, not least the siting of a Medicare urgent care clinic in Bridgewater and a new Services Australia centre in Sorell, both of which officially open today. There are many others: sport facilities, factory funding, communication upgrades, irrigation funding and more, but those two I'm especially proud of. I'd like to thank the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Government Services for their support. Over my time as the member for Lyons, around $2 million has been disbursed to local non-profit community groups and talented young athletes, with grants ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, and every single dollar has benefited the communities of my electorate and the people who live in them. I'm sure all members have similar experiences. Speaking of achievements, the Prime Minister announced the other week $150 million for the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme in my electorate. I've been advocating for months for this project, but it was Rebecca White who sealed the deal. Rebecca grew up on a farm in the south-east, and she was able to make the strongest argument. She's not even in the parliament yet and she's already delivered a $150 million project for Lyons, not as an election commitment but as funding that will be delivered this term. I've got people to acknowledge: my Tasmanian federal parliamentary Labor colleagues, Julie Collins, Carol Brown, Anne Urquhart, Catryna Bilyk and Helen Polley, for being such great Tasmanian teammates. Of course, I acknowledge Ross Hart and Justine Keay, who were elected with me in 2016 for Bass and Braddon, but who sadly left the parliament in 2019. The class of 2016 is a great class. Honourable members: Hear, hear! An honourable member: As was 2019. Hear, hear—as was 2019; that's right. Leave no-one out! I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership and his vision. I thank former leader, Bill Shorten, for …
date: 2024-11-25T15:20:00+00:00

Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
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description: on indulgence—I was confronted with a blank screen when coming to write this speech, and, when blank screen brain freeze would happen to me when I was a journo, we were told by editors,...
encoded: on indulgence—I was confronted with a blank screen when coming to write this speech, and, when blank screen brain freeze would happen to me when I was a journo, we were told by editors, 'Just start typing what's in your head.' So that's what I'm doing, and that's what you're hearing now. This is a stream of consciousness more than it is a speech, so my apologies for the incoherence. Did you hear the member for Higgins's incredible speech last Monday? That demonstrated what a loss Michelle will be for this House, following the Electoral Commission's decision to abolish her seat. It was a speech full of intellect, insight and compassion. Don't expect much of that this time. I say to the commissioners: 'It's not too late. Reconsider. Abolish the seat of Melbourne instead—or, better yet, Deakin. Either would be a definite improvement.'' I'm giving my valedictory today not because my seat has been abolished but because our great party has chosen a candidate other than me to represent it at the next election. It's a decision I understand and a decision I support. As members and candidates, we all believe that we will definitely win our seats at every election we face. We need that self-belief to survive. But the brutal mathematical fact is that my margin sits on 0.9 per cent, or 1,344 votes. It's a margin significantly slimmer than me! My heart tells me that I've worked hard, that I'm well liked and that I can definitely retain this seat. But my professional, political brain tells me that the seat is on a knife edge, that Lyons is exactly the sort of seat the opposition leader is targeting and that, while I'm a hardworking member, I'm not a terrific campaigner. At elections, seats can and do change hands, despite the incumbents' self-belief and best efforts. So, when the potential arose for another Labor candidate to emerge, my good friend Rebecca White, the former Leader of the Tasmanian Labor Party and a state member for Lyons—I won't go into the detail of Tasmania's Ha…
date: 2024-11-25T15:20:00+00:00

Tasmania: Albanese Government | Adjournment | House debates
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description: The Albanese Labor government continues to deliver in the regions. Last Saturday, the Minister for Education announced that Sorell, in my electorate, will be home to one of 10 suburban university...
encoded: The Albanese Labor government continues to deliver in the regions. Last Saturday, the Minister for Education announced that Sorell, in my electorate, will be home to one of 10 suburban university study hubs across the country. Study hubs provide student support and campus-style facilities for students in a university or TAFE course, without them having to leave their community. That's a big win for the future students of Sorell. Congratulations to Business and Employment Southeast Tasmania Inc, known as BEST, for its successful application. Next week, the doors will open to Tasmania's fifth urgent-care clinic in Bridgewater, joining two in Hobart: one in Launceston in your own electorate of Bass, Deputy Speaker, and one in Devonport. I strongly made the case for the people of Bridgewater to have an alternative option to driving into the city for non-emergency medical care. That will also benefit the areas of Brighton, the Derwent Valley and Hobart's northern suburbs. It brings bulk-billed non-emergency care closer to home, taking the pressure off Royal Hobart Hospital's emergency department. It's a huge win for the area, and I'm proud to see it inching closer to reality. Next month, we open a new Services Australia centre in Sorell—a $3 million, fully staffed facility that will save people a trip to Hobart or the eastern shore. Our Labor government is also doubling roads funding for councils, with more than $57 million heading to Lyons. The Albanese Labor government's Australian General Practice Training Program, being delivered in partnership with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, is training regional GPs in St Helens and Swansea. We are ensuring the sustainability of regional childcare facilities, with recent funding to support the families of Bicheno, Triabunna, Campbell Town, Bagdad, Evandale and Longford, with more than half a million dollars of support. We're funding aged-care upgrades in Deloraine and Swansea, supporting the right of all …
date: 2024-11-21T10:30:00+00:00

Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Why is bulk-billing important in Medicare, and what pressure has bulk-billing faced in the past? What has the Albanese Labor government been...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Why is bulk-billing important in Medicare, and what pressure has bulk-billing faced in the past? What has the Albanese Labor government been doing to promote more bulk-billing?
date: 2024-11-07T15:02:00+00:00

Labor Government | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: On the weekend, the Prime Minister and Minister Clare announced that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will cut student debt by 20 per cent for every Australian carrying a HECS-HELP debt. It...
encoded: On the weekend, the Prime Minister and Minister Clare announced that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will cut student debt by 20 per cent for every Australian carrying a HECS-HELP debt. It will also raise the threshold at which debt has to start being repaid, bring down minimum debt repayment levels and make fee-free TAFE permanent. These measures combined will slash $5,500 from the average level of student debt and put $680 a year back into the household budgets of university graduates and their families, including 8½ thousand across my electorate of Lyons. Bringing down student debt is part of Labor's broad suite of measures to tackle the cost-of-living pressures that we inherited from the Liberals three years ago. When Labor was elected, interest rates were on the rise and inflation was more than six per cent. The budget was suffering from waste, rorts and incompetence. Our new Labor government took immediate steps to bring down the pressures that had built up under 10 years of Liberal mismanagement. Labor brought down two budget surpluses in two years, when the Liberals achieved none in 10. Labor delivered tax cuts for every taxpayer, including bigger tax cuts for nine in 10 Tasmanian workers, when the Liberals planned to give big tax cuts to high-income earners but no new tax cuts for low-income earners. Labor created one million new jobs, a record achieved by no other new government since Federation. Labor increased bulk-billing across Australia, when it was in freefall under the Liberals, and created Medicare urgent care clinics—opposed by the Liberals. I look forward to one opening in my electorate imminently. Labor slashed the cost of medicines on the PBS and introduced 60-day scripts—opposed by the Liberals. Labor provided energy bill rebates—opposed by the Liberals. Labor made child care cheaper—opposed by the Liberals. Labor introduced fee-free TAFE courses for skills in critical short supply—opposed by the Liberals. And Labor introduced a $10 bil…
date: 2024-11-06T09:49:00+00:00

Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: There was so much wrong with that speech from the member for Longman, it would take all of my 15 minutes to address all the points. The irony is that we're standing here talking about a bill...
encoded: There was so much wrong with that speech from the member for Longman, it would take all of my 15 minutes to address all the points. The irony is that we're standing here talking about a bill about misinformation and disinformation and we had to listen to that contribution. Nobody is banning opinions. Nobody is banning the right to express an opinion or have a say. The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 is about addressing the spread of misinformation and disinformation. It's about the prevalence of fiction being portrayed as fact. This is not simply an issue about copy-and-paste Facebook circulars that claim your data will be protected under the Rome statute if you post certain words on your timeline. It's a serious issue that has direct implications for public safety, democracy, societal cohesion and our national economy. The fact is all sorts of very serious people in our society, from national security agencies downwards, are saying this is a serious issue that requires addressing. This misinformation and disinformation bill is an essential piece of legislation to protect Australians from the harms caused by false and misleading information. We've always had these sorts of protections in the past, with broadcast media and print media. But social media and the internet are an entirely new beast, in the pace of it and the way algorithms are used. We are dealing with a different ecosystem for the spread of information. Our society has always functioned in a way where broadcast media and print media have been required by society to be truthful and factual, and there are consequences when they're not. So what's at risk? The fact is, online platforms have become essential parts of our lives, connecting us, at their best, with family, friends, news and the world at large. That's a good thing. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X or any other platform, we use these sites to entertain, stay connected and e…
date: 2024-11-06T11:45:00+00:00

Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I thank the member for Wannon for the spirit in which he gave that speech, the bipartisan nature of it was very important. And I would like to thank the member Cunningham, who has left us with a...
encoded: I thank the member for Wannon for the spirit in which he gave that speech, the bipartisan nature of it was very important. And I would like to thank the member Cunningham, who has left us with a terrific speech telling us about her trip on the Kokoda Trail, likening that of course to the fact the diggers and the veterans who walked that trail would have been doing it in very different circumstances. It was a wonderful contribution from her and I would like to thank her; it was a delight to listen to. That is probably the closest I will get to the Kokoda Trail, by the way—listening to the member for Cunningham. As it currently stands, a veteran wanting to understand their entitlements must navigate and correctly interpret the following compensation acts: The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and then, depending on when the veteran served and if it caused a specific condition, the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988. That's a mouthful. It's complicated. You pretty much need to be a military lawyer to understand it and that is not good enough for our veterans. Our veterans and their advocates have been calling for the entitlement process to be streamlined for years, and I am pleased to be speaking in support of a bill that does just that. This bill is the Albanese Labor government delivering the most comprehensive and significant improvement to veteran entitlements in more than 20 years. The Productivity Commission recommended slimming compensation legislation to two acts rather than three. Well, we have gone one better and are simplifying it to just one. This legislation means all new claims for compensation and rehabilitation will be untangled and determined through a single act, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, MRCA, the first one I mentioned. Under this change it will be easier than ever for veterans to understand and receive their entitlements. The bill does …
date: 2024-11-05T17:36:00+00:00

Raise Our Voice Australia | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: I'm thrilled once again to be participating in the Raise Our Voice campaign, which champions the voices of young Australians by giving them a voice in parliament. This year's topic was: what do...
encoded: I'm thrilled once again to be participating in the Raise Our Voice campaign, which champions the voices of young Australians by giving them a voice in parliament. This year's topic was: what do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years, and what can the next parliament to do to achieve it? It was difficult to choose just one entry, so here's a small sample of some of them. Amber and Baden from New Norfolk said, 'We think there should be a KFC in New Norfolk because it's not fair to have to drive 20 minutes then come back with food that isn't finger lickin' good anymore.' Jack and Seth, also from New Norfolk—I reckon they were sitting next to each other—said: 'Imagine a World where you don't have to drive for that irresistible KFC flavour. A KFC New Norfolk' contributes to shaping our community's development. Lacie, also from New Norfolk, said: 'I would like to see more family bike tracks in the Derwent Valley, to get more young people off their devices to see the beautiful world we have.' Hip, hip, hooray! Ashley from Molesworth Primary School said, 'I would like to see more National Parks, nature walks and bike tracks added to our community, to get us outside and off our devices more.' Hear, hear, Ashley! I thank all the young people in my electorate who took part in this year's campaign. It was amazing to see the amount of engagement and passion and fun that you have for your community, for your local issues and for the Colonel. Long may KFC reign!
date: 2024-11-04T16:17:00+00:00

Pesticides | Private Members' Business | House debates
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description: As the member for Tasmania's largest rural electorate, I take a keen interest in the matters the member for Mallee has brought forward today. Before any agricultural and veterinary products can...
encoded: As the member for Tasmania's largest rural electorate, I take a keen interest in the matters the member for Mallee has brought forward today. Before any agricultural and veterinary products can be sold or used in Australia, they are evaluated and registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, APVMA, an independent regulatory body responsible for ensuring the safety, efficacy and environmental impact of such products—including paraquat and diquat. Paraquat and diquat are widely used herbicides in grain and horticulture farming. The APVMA recently reviewed paraquat and has proposed removing support for certain high-rate uses, due to its potential as an environmental risk and insufficient mitigation of acute poisoning risks. The APVMA's proposed decision released on 30 July sets out which uses of paraquat can remain acceptable—specifically, at lower rates and early in the season. These proposed restrictions align with best practice to protect our environment and, importantly, our users, who, of course, are our farmers. The APVMA examined a wide range of epidemiological studies, including concerns about paraquat's potential link to Parkinson's disease, which of course was the subject of the ABC report that the member for Mallee refers to. After thorough evaluation, both the APVMA and the United States Environmental Protection Agency have found no robust association between paraquat exposure and Parkinson's, reassuring the public that these findings are grounded in scientific evidence. It's important to note that the APVMA operates as an independent body. Its decisions are based on evidence. Government officials and elected representatives cannot and should not seek to influence such regulatory decisions, which are founded in science. While we're speaking about the APVMA, I'm going to take the opportunity to highlight some of the systemic challenges that it has faced as an organisation in recent years. A 2023 review found that some chemical r…
date: 2024-11-04T11:50:00+00:00

Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: The Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill before the House today will help address significant workforce shortages in early childhood education by...
encoded: The Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill before the House today will help address significant workforce shortages in early childhood education by supporting the delivery of a wage increase of 15 per cent for eligible workers over two years. A typical early childhood educator on award wages will receive an additional $103 a week from December 2024, increasing to at least $155 from December 2025. A typical early childhood teacher on award wages will receive an additional $166 a week from December 2024, increasing to at least $249 a week from December 2025. These are very significant pay increases. The wage justice bill also establishes terms and conditions of the ECEC worker retention payment grant, including a limit on fee increases. Let's be clear: the government does not accept centres seeking to raise fees for families as a result of these wage increases. Our measures put downward pressure on fees, helping to make ECE more affordable and accessible for families. The wage justice bill also encourages good-faith bargaining and the making of enterprise agreements in the sector. This will help support the steps the government has already taken to make ECE cheaper for Australian families. In September 2017, I spoke in this place when on the opposition benches to stand with the United Workers Union's Big Steps campaign and the early childhood educators of Tasmania in their struggle for better pay. I asked for the undervaluing of our early childhood educators by the then coalition government to end. It never did. I'll take the words of the member for Gippsland at heart that there is a good deal of bipartisanship in this place, but it took the election of a Labor government to bring wage justice to early childhood education workers. Unions have played a pivotal role in these changes, with the Australian Education Union, the Independent Education Union and the United Workers Union all advocating tirelessly for their members. Jo…
date: 2024-11-04T15:58:00+00:00

National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: That's right. They did. The fact is the Liberals have never been a friend of Medicare, and the Liberals have never been a friend of the NBN. It was Tony Abbott, when he was opposition leader, who...
encoded: That's right. They did. The fact is the Liberals have never been a friend of Medicare, and the Liberals have never been a friend of the NBN. It was Tony Abbott, when he was opposition leader, who in 2010 appointed Malcolm Turnbull to the shadow communications portfolio—no doubt a decision he came to regret later on—with an instruction to demolish the NBN. That's how much bipartisan support of the National Broadband Network there has been from the Liberal Party; when they were in opposition, they wanted to demolish it. And then, of course, they came to government, and that's exactly what they did—10 years of neglect of the NBN. Neglect takes many forms. If you think about a house, you can leave it there, not maintain it and not do anything with it, and over 30 years it will slowly fall apart. Nature will take its course. That's one form of neglect. That's benign neglect. But what the Liberals did in government was active neglect. They neglected the NBN. But they also took active decisions to make it less than it could be. The Labor government of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard had a plan for the NBN which was based on full fibre to 98 per cent of households and businesses. Think of that. Ninety-eight per cent of the Australian population would have had full-fibre connectivity—superfast, eminently upgradable to bring on new technologies and new services, fantastic for telehealth, fantastic for education and incredibly important for business. That's what full fibre would have delivered. The Liberals came to power, and they absolutely smashed the NBN. They demolished that Labor plan for full-fibre connectivity to most Australians, and instead they brought in this hybrid monster—this multi-technology mix of fibre to the node, fibre to the kerb and all sorts of different technologies, even using coaxial cable in some places. They made an absolute mess of it. They said it would be cheaper, and you know what? It wasn't. They had to completely and consistently upgrade their bud…
date: 2024-10-10T11:30:00+00:00

National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I often find it instructive to come into the chamber a little before my allotted speaking time to listen to the opposition member in the same debate, just to hear what they're saying, and it was...
encoded: I often find it instructive to come into the chamber a little before my allotted speaking time to listen to the opposition member in the same debate, just to hear what they're saying, and it was absolute patent nonsense from the member for Sturt. To pick up a point from his delivery, he talked about the so-called 'Mediscare' campaign of 2016. I remember that election campaign well. It was the campaign in which I got elected to this place for the first time. People might not remember, but the Liberal government at the time had an actual taskforce called the Medicare services privatisation taskforce. So the then Labor opposition's campaign about the Liberals wanting to privatise Medicare was not a scare campaign; it was a truth campaign. The Liberal government at the time actually had a Medicare services privatisation taskforce—20 people, with a budget of $5 million, to look at privatising the payments system of Medicare, which is in the billions of dollars. It was not a scare campaign; it was absolute fact. I take that from the member for Sydney. Thank you, Member for Sydney.
date: 2024-10-10T11:30:00+00:00

National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: You're joking!
encoded: You're joking!
date: 2024-10-10T11:15:00+00:00

Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Education. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to support students and to build a better and fairer education system?
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Education. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to support students and to build a better and fairer education system?
date: 2024-10-09T10:36:00+00:00

Taxation | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: Supply, supply, supply. That is the answer to the pressures facing Australia's housing sector. Increasing supply is what the Labor government has been seeking to do since our election in 2022....
encoded: Supply, supply, supply. That is the answer to the pressures facing Australia's housing sector. Increasing supply is what the Labor government has been seeking to do since our election in 2022. It's the policy we took to the election: more homes to buy, more homes to rent, more homes period. That's the answer to ensuring more Australians get a roof over their heads and enjoy the security that the member for Macquarie alluded to. But standing in the way is Australia's new coalition of protest and petty grievance. The Liberals and the Greens are chained together to the excavator on home sites across the country, stopping tradies from getting on with the job. It's not Bob the Builder; it's 'Pete the protester'. This MPI, from the member for Hume, is on negative gearing, which shouldn't surprise us. The shadow Treasurer has brought on a matter of public importance about a matter that is not government policy. It's a Seinfeld debate—a debate about a policy that doesn't exist, except in the cavernous space of the member for Hume's head. It's easier for him, I suppose, than an MPI on the government's actual economic record of more jobs, higher wages, bigger tax cuts, lower inflation and two big Labor budget surpluses. The fact is this Labor government is fixing the mess the Liberals left behind over their decade of neglect. Labor has done more for housing in three years than the Liberals did in 10. If you want to look at the record of Liberals in government, look no further than the bin fire in my home state. After a decade of state Liberal government, Tasmania has 4,700 people on the emergency housing waiting list. It has doubled since the Liberals were elected in 2014. The average wait time for placement is 94 weeks, which is four times longer than in 2014. As for affordability, New South Wales remains the most unaffordable, but a close second is Tassie. That's the legacy of a decade of failed Liberal government in Tasmania and nationally. Compare that to the progress tha…
date: 2024-10-08T16:22:00+00:00