Brian Mitchell's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Federal Election | Adjournment | House debates
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...
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 crime, when, as a Liberal minister, he presided over a migration system riddled with corruption and human trafficking, and did nothing to stop robodebt—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about the cost of energy, when he did nothing as a senior Liberal minister for 10 years to produce more energy supply—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about the cost of energy, but voting against Labor's power bill relief and against Labor's cap on domestic gas prices—that's a cruel hoax. Planning to spend hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money developing nuclear reactors, when, as a Liberal minister, he said such a plan would be too expensive and take too long—that's a cruel hoax. Planning to cut thousands of public servant jobs, when he wasted millions of dollars on expensive consultants as a senior Liberal minister—that's a cruel hoax. Claiming he supports veterans while planning to cut the jobs of the staff who provide their services—that is a cruel hoax. The next election will be called within days and will be held in May. In just three years, this federal Labor government has delivered a record number of new jobs, supported higher wages and fairer working conditions, delivered bigger and better tax cuts and halved Liberal inflation. We know the job's not done and we know people are still doing it tough. The difference between Labor and the Liberals is that Labor is doing something about it. Our measures are improving the economy over the long term after a decade of Liberal neglect and failure. We are fixing the skills crisis that we were left with with free TAFE. We are building more homes. We are delivering critical infrastructure, improving school and tertiary education and strengthening Medicare. We are doing this while providing affordable, responsible cost-of-living relief, backing in higher wages and delivering permanent tax cuts so workers earn more and keep more of what they earn. The alternative is a divided Liberal Party at war with itself and its own principles, a Liberal Party wedded to a nuclear plan that is unaffordable, undeliverable and unnecessary, a Liberal Party that will smash the essential services Australians rely on, and all led by a Liberal leader whose own record as a Liberal minister is one of cuts and portfolio failure. This will be my last contribution to this parliament. I use it to urge all listening to vote Labor at the May election in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate. In Lyons, vote 1 Rebecca White.
Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
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...
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?
Agriculture Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
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...
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 scheme was started by Labor. I know those opposite like to talk about how they're the friends of the farmers, but it was David Llewellyn, when he was the Minister for Primary Industry and Forests in a former state Labor government, who got this on track with the support of farmers. It's been a raging success for our shared state ever since. Deputy Speaker Archer, I know you know just how well Tasmanian irrigation works. I'm pleased as well that our government is investing more than $150 million to deliver the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme down in the Sorell region. That will drive further economic growth in Tasmania in what is a particularly dry part of the state. Powered 100 per cent by hydroelectricity—I think the member for Dawson's head will explode when he hears that—it will provide water to grow iconic Tasmanian produce like cherries, apples, salad vegetables, grapes, stone fruit and olives. I myself live on an old sheep paddock in that region, and all those places used to be the wheat belt back at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. To see these high-value products being grown in the region is just spectacular. An extra 37 gigalitres of water will be available to farmers in Tasmania's South East every year. That's the equivalent of almost 15,000 Olympic sized swimming pools every year. I'm not sure even Ariarne Titmus could get through that! We also announced last month a further $20 million for the On Farm Connectivity Program to help farmers utilise new technology. Across Lyons, many producers have taken advantage of this innovative program so far, enhancing on-farm connectivity to monitor activity with real-time data, improve safety and increase productivity. Importantly, farmers now have a government willing to work with them to meet our shared ambitions on sustainability and adapting to climate change. Together, we are developing a plan to reduce the sector's emissions and position Australia as a world-leading producer of food and fibre. Throughout their time in government, the coalition wilfully ignored the science and failed to act properly on climate change and its impact on farmers. They ignored the Australian agricultural industry's calls for action. Industry peaks were left to go alone, and of course Farmers for Climate Action was born; it now has very active chapters nationwide and particularly in Tasmania. There has been inaction by the coalition. Climate change has dramatically reduced farm profitability, with ABARES modelling indicating an average loss to farms of 23 per cent, or close to $29,000 per farm, over the period from 2001 to 2020. Our government is getting on with the job. We are protecting farmers. We love representing farmers, fishers and foresters, and we're getting on with the job.
Lyons Electorate: Volunteering | Constituency Statements | House debates
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...
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. Congratulations also to Catherine McDonald, who was awarded the Public Service Medal, Andrew Skelly, Kathryn Gillham and Adam Jones for the Australian Fire Service Medal and Curtis Salter for the Emergency Services Medal. Congratulations to all Tasmanians across Tasmania who were recognised with honours at the national, state and municipal levels for their wonderful service to their communities and to their nation. The country thanks you.
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...
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?
Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
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...
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 his service and his support; the Leader of the House for his intellect and his enthusiasm; the members for Fremantle, Perth and Chifley, whom I knew long before I came to this place from other lives; and so many of you for the chats, catch-ups, advice and support. It's all treasured. Thank you to the member for Macarthur for trying to keep me alive a bit longer. Across the aisle there are the members for Riverina, Gippsland, Bonner and Bass, whom I have very much enjoyed catching up with. The members for Indi and Mayo have always been delightful company, and the members for Goldstein, Flinders and Parkes, have been thoughtful and positive contributors on my comms committee, alongside our own members for Macquarie and Corangamite. There is so much more that unites the people in this place than divides us. It's important to have the fights, as the member for Maribyrnong said in his speech the other day. It's important to have the fights—to test what works and what doesn't, to stand up for your beliefs and ideals and to poke holes in the other side to expose the fault lines. But I know most of us would prefer that we were able to do it while being just a little bit nicer to each other. I must thank the many volunteers and supporters who have door-knocked, made calls and allowed me to litter their yards with posters. There are too many to count, both volunteers and posters. What do you do with old corflutes apart from line your chook pen? I don't know, but I'll find out. And, of course, my staff: Lara von Stieglitz, Ben Dudman, Anthony Corke, Lyndell Jones, Mel Franklin and Tom Price, and Shannan Aherne, who just last week gave birth to Harrison, a new addition to her beautiful young family. I'm pleased to say that I won the office sweep on the most likely date of arrival. Thank you all for your service and dedication to our community. My name is on the door and the letterhead, but I have never forgotten that this is a group effort. I would like to thank my former staff too for their invaluable contributions, especially the late Sharon Carnes, and Darren Clark, Janet Lambert, Margaret Watson and Lachie Grey, and Natalie Maple, who left me earlier this year after nearly eight years service—she really lost the lottery there—to look after her health. We love you, Nats, and we miss you and wish you all the best. Staff are the unsung heroes whom none of us can do without. Assisting our constituents with their concerns and grievances and helping them navigate bureaucracies and achieve just outcomes are our bread and butter. I recall not long after I was elected that Margaret dealt with a man who had been struggling for years to access his superannuation. He was a bit aggro in his manner, and it was clear that the people he'd previously talked to just wanted him out; he was too difficult to deal with. But Margaret stuck with him, patiently teasing from him the details she needed to chase up his super. He would grump and harrumph, but she would brook no nonsense. She got the details she needed and she got his super for him—$400,000! This guy was couch surfing. It only happened because that remarkable woman stuck by that difficult man and because I'd been in a position to give Margaret a job. Margaret changed his life. There have been so many other cases where my staff have won results for our constituents through dogged determination. I won't take credit for their work; they deserve the acknowledgement. I wish them all well in the next stage of their journeys. I thank the Australian Labor Party for preselecting me three times and the people of Lyons for electing me for three terms. It has been the privilege of my life to serve in the national parliament. I know I leave my communities across Lyons in the best of hands with Rebecca White as our new federal Labor candidate. I must say before I leave that I thank the attendants here, the comm car drivers and everybody who assists us in this role. The cleaners of this place are just wonderful. Dom at Aussies—everybody you come across just makes your life easier and better, and I thank everybody for their service. Last, but not least—never least—is my family: my wife, Tania, and our two remarkable children, who have allowed me the freedom to do this job, which comes with such heavy demands on time and on bandwidth. My family is everything to me, but as the wonderful Kim Beazley remarked in his valedictory many years ago, the fact is that, with this job, 'our families come second'. I will miss this job and I will miss you all, but my time here is done. In the immortal worlds of Gotye, now I'm just 'somebody that you used to know'.
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,...
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 Hare-Clark—the opportunity was too good to pass up. I've quipped with a few people over the recent weeks that, if I'd been on the preselection panel and had to choose between White and Mitchell, I'd have voted for White too—and I'm Mitchell! I am confident that Rebecca will be the new member for Lyons, and she will be a great addition to the caucus, to this parliament and to this nation. When I cast my eye around this caucus, I see an incredible bunch of people from all walks of life. We have dairy farmers, miners, teachers, factory workers, academics, police officers, lawyers, engineers, doctors, nurses, journalists, social workers, allied health workers, soldiers and a sprinkling of trade union officials. A majority of those in our ranks are women, and we have MPs from all walks of life and multicultural, linguistic and faith backgrounds. I am proud—enormously proud—to be part of a federal Labor caucus that reflects the diversity of the Australian population better than any caucus—or, indeed, any government—has in our nation's history. This group of people I've had the privilege to serve alongside is passionate and committed. In conversations and meetings, all the talk is about how we can do things to make life better for the people we represent. I've never had a Labor minister turn me away or be dismissive of my concerns, and I've been struck often by the compassion and the care shown by members of this group and, indeed, by members of this parliament towards each other when someone is having a tough time—especially when a loved one has died or a member has had a rough trot in the media. This is a group of people that care about each other, and that's reflective of how this group cares about its communities and the nation as a whole. Amongst this group is a new generation of Australian political leadership, and I leave this place knowing the country is in good hands, with people of this calibre to carry the torch. I will miss being part of this very fine group of Australians. I consider myself privileged to have been amongst you. There are many things I wish I'd further progressed before leaving this place, but there are three in particular that I will mention. First is the need for government to take a much more active role in the preservation and propagation of quality journalism. Quality journalism is increasingly replaced by clickbait because that's what drives eyeballs to advertisers who have stuck with legacy media. I do take my hat off to the efforts of the communications minister, who's worked so hard in this space. Organs dedication to quality journalism struggle because they don't get the critical advertising mass they need to pay the bills. Increasingly, the only people accessing quality journalism are those who care enough to pay for it via subscriptions, and that makes it a niche and boutique proposition. The people who most need access to quality journalism simply aren't being exposed to enough of it. If we really believe that all Australians deserve access to quality journalism, which provides them with the information they need to make informed judgements, it's going to have to be publicly funded. Before the Treasurer and the finance minister have conniptions, I think it can be done without adding too much to current expenditure. One model is to guarantee a minimum level of government advertising and sponsorship in established media, especially regional and independently owned newspapers, TV and radio, that can demonstrate genuine newsroom bona fides. It shouldn't end up costing the budget much more than is currently spent on a myriad of government information campaigns and job ads already in circulation. But it will mean a dedicated effort to redirect advertising resources towards the primary goals of supporting quality journalism and diverse media ownership, rather than simply dumping advertising dollars with the big corporates and platforms that do not offer journalism. It won't be easy. Guardrails will be required, and any regime will have to be adaptable to changing technologies and practices. But we simply cannot leave journalism to the crippling brutalities of market forces. As a nation, we acknowledge that justice and defence require substantial government expenditure; we don't expect them to survive in the market. We must acknowledge journalism's role as a cornerstone of our democracy, just as justice and defence are. It's too precious to allowed to crumble. Another issue I would have liked to have pursued—and the Treasurer will get nervous here—is getting more dental and mental in Medicare. I acknowledge the incredible leadership of the health minister, who has done so much in three years to repair the damage done to Medicare over the previous nine. He really has done a magnificent job creating Medicare urgent care clinics and improving bulk-billing rates, but I would love to see more mental and dental in Medicare firmly on the Labor agenda. The wonderful Carmen Lawrence got dental care into Medicare in the dying days of the Keating government, but it was promptly ripped out like a healthy tooth by John Howard, and there have being no serious attempts since to restore it. I have no illusions about the expense or the difficulty, but it's time to commit to starting a process. Too many people, our people—the old, the sick, the poor—are suffering from poor dental and mental health for us not to turn our attention to it. In the words of the great late JFK, we do these things 'not because they are easy but because they are hard'. One last thing for the Treasurer to crack a smile about is I would love to see some far-reaching reform on the taxation of alcohol. As you know, I'm the co-convener on the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Spirits group, which I started not least because there are nearly as many distilleries in Tasmania as there are in Scotland. There are some deeply ingrained inconsistencies and injustices in the way alcohol taxes and excises are levied, and we do need some serious reform there to both create a level playing field in Australia amongst distillers, brewers and vintners and make Australian spirits more competitive in the global market. The budget might take a hit in the short term by getting few dollars per litre of spirits sold, but I do think it would make more over the long term by growing the pie overall. Distilleries, and for that matter breweries and wineries, are terrific employers and generators of economic activity across regional Australia, and we should not underestimate their significance. The other issue that keeps me awake at night—other than all known life in the universe being reliant on a thin strip of atmospheric gas separating us from the infinite vacuum of space; believe me, it keeps me awake!—is the rise, and this is serious, of the extreme political Right across western democracies and the rapid mainstreaming of fascism. What was unthinkable 10 years ago is accepted now and will be firmly entrenched tomorrow unless we do more to prevent it taking root, particularly amongst disaffected young men. Fascism is corrosive to who we are and the values of our country—values that Australian men and women have died to defend. I know it's an issue being dealt with at the highest levels of our security apparatus, but we do need to sandbag our institutions, media, regulators, police, courts and infrastructure to ensure they are protected from this insidious, cancerous menace. And, despite the concerns I've outlined above, I am genuinely optimistic. We do live in a wonderful country. It is not perfect, and it has dark elements to its history and its genesis, but that is true of all nations. No country has been forged without blood being shed or injustice being meted out. It is important, vital, that we acknowledge the truth of our history in all its facets, both the dark and the light. I reject the proposition that it is a black-armband-view of history to acknowledge the darkness, but I equally reject the proposition that we cannot or should not be proud of the nation that has been forged and which continues to be tempered; the values that this nation stands for, even if it does not always live up to them; and the bright promise that it holds. There is so much to be proud of, but there is an unceasing duty to keep striving towards the light, towards humanity's better nature and ideals, a duty that falls most heavily, if not exclusively, to those of you who remain within this chamber. Colleagues, I never came to this place with that baton in my knapsack. The member for Grayndler had nothing to fear from me! I only had a passion to serve, to make a contribution and to be part of a team, and I'm proud of the part I've played. Our government's decision to change the stage 3 tax cuts from being weighted towards high-income earners to become tax cuts for every worker, with tax cuts for low-income workers and bigger tax cuts for average-wage earners is something I'm really proud of helping kick into gear, however marginal my role. That one decision, amongst many others, has made a material difference to the living standards of millions of Australians, and nine out of 10 Tasmanians have more money to spend as a result. I am proud of this government's achievements in so many areas in such a short time: cheaper medicines, fee-free TAFE, higher wages for aged-care and childcare workers, and so much more. We've achieved a lot in three years. Let's see what you lot can do in six or nine.
Tasmania: Albanese Government | Adjournment | House debates
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...
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 older people in regional Tasmania to have access to safe, high-quality aged-care services, regardless of where they live. Schools in Triabunna and New Norfolk are benefiting from the Schools Upgrade Fund to help build or upgrade infrastructure. We are supporting farmers with water projects across the state. Just last week, the Prime Minister visited Tasmania to announce that he's providing $150 million for the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme to ensure that farmers in the south-east—one of the drier areas in Tasmania—get the water they need. It's not an election commitment—it's not waiting until after the election—it's funded now. It's happening. That's in addition to $270 million for Tasmanian water infrastructure projects already committed by this government, providing highly reliable water to expand irrigation districts and supporting regional economic development, including the Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme; the Sassafras Wesley Vale Irrigation Scheme augmentation; and the Don Irrigation Scheme, which was officially opened last year. We're supporting funding for regional infrastructure, like the $1.5 million for the Bicheno Gulch Foreshore and Esplanade Upgrade; $4.4 million for the Longford Memorial Hall and Village Green revitalisation; $500,000 for Prospect Park upgrades to enable Launceston City Football Club to grow; $500,000 for the St Helens RSL redevelopment; $5 million for the Launceston Airport check-in hall and security expansion; $15 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service upgrade at Launceston Airport; and $3.7 million for Perth Early Learning Centre upgrades. The Liberals and the Nationals claim to be the only parties to support the regions, but this just demonstrates how false that is. After spending five of my eight years in this place in opposition, I have seen firsthand how Tasmania was kept off the map. The Liberals and the Nationals always seem to forget that cashiers, teachers, childcare workers, police, aged-care workers, shop attendants, butchers, road workers and office workers all live in the regions too. Labor's bigger tax cuts for ordinary workers, our cheaper medicines, the higher wages that we are backing in and the record jobs growth all support regional workers and regional communities. Over the past three years, the Labor government has made a huge impact in Lyons, and it's in my constituents' best interests that Lyons and the nation are represented by Labor. Rebecca White is Labor's candidate for Lyons at the next federal election, and I look forward to her being elected as part of a re-elected Australian Labor government so that Labor can get on with the job of rebuilding our regions.
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...
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?
Labor Government | Constituency Statements | House debates
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...
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 billion plan to address the nation's critical shortage of housing supply—opposed by the Liberals and, inexplicably, opposed by the Greens. Key elements of Labor's housing supply plan still remains stuck in the Senate, condemning tens of thousands of Australians to homelessness while the Liberals and the Greens play politics. Every time Labor have tried to fix the mess left behind by 10 years of Liberal neglect, the Liberals have opposed us. Every time Labor have tried to make life just that little bit easier for Australians struggling with the cost-of-living pressures that are affecting countries worldwide, the Liberals have opposed us. And now, predictably, the Liberals are opposing our plans to reduce student debt. We will get on with the job of fixing the mess the Liberals left behind. We will get on with the job of building Australia's future.
Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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...
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 even find out information about issues affecting us locally and across the globe. It's an information-sharing thing. This connectivity has many benefits, but it also presents real risks. Digital platforms, when unregulated, can and do spread information at speeds and scales never seen before, amplifying misleading narratives that threaten our society's wellbeing and, indeed, targeting users with even more misinformation. If you seek information about a certain subject, the algorithm says, 'Oh, this guy is really interested in that; we'll pump in more of that,' and before you know it you're down a really deep well of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Suddenly, your nice, normal next-door neighbour is a raving lunatic. The fact is, we live in a world where misinformation can impact public health, such as during COVID-19, when false information about vaccines and the benefits of vaccines circulated so rapidly. This is not a trivial issue. Misinformation led many to question or outright refuse life-saving medical treatment. We see it even now, with young children being refused life-saving medical treatment because their parents believe the nonsense on social media saying that somehow it's not good for their kids. It has led to a distrust in government, and I'm not talking about Labor governments or any other sort of government; I'm talking about government in general. It has led to a growing distrust in government and an overarching thought that there is no social cohesion and that the only person you can trust and stand behind is yourself. It's a dangerous narrative for any society that seeks to bring people together. The spread of misinformation also affects our democratic processes, our societal cohesion and even our physical safety. The US election that's underway right now has been rife with battles of misinformation and disinformation. We do separate it. The fact is, people are allowed to express their opinions no matter how out there they are. Nobody is denying Sky After Dark's right to express its opinion on the Right of the political scale. You've got Fox News in America doing the same, expressing their opinion. You can do that in a democratic society. There's a difference between expressing an opinion and spreading misinformation. If nothing else, the nature of the 2024 presidential race is a case in point for why this bill is so important. There's also the last presidential election in the US and the claims that it was stolen. The misinformation and disinformation emanating from that shocking assault on the Capitol, and the disinformation that has arisen from that shows that fact is under attack. On a local level, recent misinformation spread like wildfire following attacks in Southport and at Bondi Junction. Misleading narratives and false reports spread rapidly on social media, escalating public fear and, in some cases, inciting hatred against specific minority groups who it later turned out had nothing to do with those heinous crimes. Such events make it clear that when digital platforms do not adequately respond to harmful content on their platforms, the consequences are real and deeply felt by communities across Australia. Let's remember that broadcast platforms are responsible for the content on their platforms. Print platforms—newspapers and magazines—are responsible for content on their platforms. Digital platforms should be held to the same standard. It is vital that we address the spread of misinformation and disinformation as a priority for our democracy. The concerns of everyday Australians reflect this urgency. Research from the Australian Media Literacy Alliance's Adult media literacy in Australia report published this year indicates that 80 per cent of Australians—eight in 10!—are worried about misinformation. It is amongst the highest levels of concern reported globally and highlights a serious erosion of trust in the digital information landscape right here at home. Australians are looking to their government to take meaningful action to ensure the information they encounter online is reliable, accurate and safe. They don't want the government to buy into misinformation pushes and propaganda. I don't deny that the digital platform industry and some specific social media platforms have taken some steps to seek to tackle misinformation and disinformation, but it has not been enough. The industry as a whole has a variety of voluntary codes. Not enough is being done. They make a lot of money in this country; they can spend more to deal with this. One example of the industry's attempts is the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation. It's a code designed to tackle misinformation and disinformation. It's an initiative I welcome, but this code has some clear and undeniable limitations. The transparency reports produced under the code have been inconsistent, lacking the Australia-specific data necessary for effective monitoring and assessment. The voluntary code, while a step in the right direction, has not been enough to meet the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation online in Australia—and I don't buy the arguments about why it can't be done. The fact is if you're talking to your wife about some shoes that you like, somehow it ends up in your feed. Somehow there are ads popping up for those shoes. If they know that, they can deal with this. They're clever enough to have very sophisticated data-tracking and management systems. They can put some of that knowledge to work and deal with misinformation and disinformation. That's why this legislation is necessary. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, has repeatedly urged the government to introduce regulatory powers to hold digital platforms accountable. Now ACMA's not some big tsar of information and truth, which is what the member for Longman suggested. It doesn't want to sit there with a god-like status telling people what they can and can't believe. It's nothing like that. It's a trusted regulatory body. Those opposite, who are the alternative government of this country, should not be spreading distrust in government agencies. ACMA's insights highlight the critical need for stronger enforceable standards that ensure digital platforms are transparent about how they handle misinformation and that they take concrete steps to protect users from harmful content. The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 answers that call. It amends the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and makes consequential changes to related legislation, including the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005, the Telecommunications Act 1997 and the Online Safety Act 2021. Through these amendments, the bill establishes a regulatory framework that empowers ACMA to oversee digital platforms and ensure that they responsibly manage misinformation and disinformation on their services. The bill has three primary objectives, each carefully crafted to address community concerns. No. 1 is to require digital platforms to manage the risks of misinformation and disinformation. Under the bill, digital platforms will now be legally obligated to assess, mitigate and take responsibility for the potential harms caused by misinformation and disinformation in Australia. I repeat that these sorts of measures already exist in broadcast and print media. We're just bringing digital media into the fold. No. 2 is to increase transparency. Digital platforms will now be required to disclose the actions they are taking to combat harmful content, ensuring the public can see and understand those efforts. No. 3 is to empower users. Australians who use digital media should be equipped with the tools to critically engage with information online. By providing transparency, platforms can empower users to make informed decisions and identify false information themselves. We know that tackling misinformation and disinformation online is everybody's job and can only be achieved by all users critically engaging in the content they receive online. I say that at a time when we see things like deepfakes emerging. Technology has become so incredibly advanced that videos can emerge online of people, just random people, purporting to be national leaders or celebrities, whoever they are, and the average user has no idea that what they are seeing and hearing is fake. There's no way to discern it, because the technology is just so good. And that spreads like wildfire. 'Look at what this political leader has said!' People believe it, and then they spread the chain. The digital platforms have to be responsible for tackling that. They have to be responsible for that. This bill will also provide ACMA with a series of new powers to hold digital platforms accountable in fulfilling these three primary objectives. No. 1 is transparency and accountability, because transparency is essential to this legislation. Under the new framework, digital platforms are required to disclose their efforts to combat harmful misinformation and disinformation. This includes publishing a clear media literacy plan, detailing the steps they are taking to empower users in identifying and responding to false information. This requirement empowers Australians with the knowledge they need to navigate online content more confidently and critically. In addition, platforms will be required to publish policy documents on how they handle misinformation and disinformation and the results of any risk assessments they have conducted. This level of transparency is fundamental to public trust. Australians need to know that digital platforms are taking their safety and wellbeing seriously. No. 2 is information gathering and record keeping. Another critical component of the bill is information and record-keeping powers. ACMA will have the authority to obtain information from digital platforms on their efforts to address harmful content. Platforms will be required to maintain records of their actions and may be called upon to provide these records to ACMA periodically. This creates a clear accountability trail, allowing regulators and the public to track a platform's progress over time and understand how they are evolving their strategies to combat misinformation. The bill includes protections for end users in this process. The information-gathering powers are designed to protect individuals' privacy, as they do not apply to content posted by regular users unless those individuals are employees, content moderators, fact checkers or otherwise providing services to the platform provider. The example used by the member for Longman about people being able to express an opinion about the health impact of eggs—totally safe. This approach balances the need for transparency with the protection of personal privacy. No. 3 is the code and standard making powers. Under the bill, ACMA will have the power to register industry codes and make enforceable standards if voluntary efforts are inadequate. This ability to set standards is essential because it provides a regulatory backstop. Should voluntary measures prove ineffective, ACMA will be able to require platforms to implement specific practices. We're also safeguarding freedom of expression. I'm sure other speakers will go into detail on that. The fact is that this bill is needed. Agencies say that it's needed. We live in a time where misinformation and disinformation are absolutely rife, where technology is providing things like deepfakes and a hostile and deliberate way for misinformation and disinformation to be spread, not as an accident but as a deliberate way to affect our democracy. This bill will help deal with that and will hold digital media platforms to the same sort of account as broadcast and print media.
Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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...
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 more than just slim down the process. It also builds on key areas as communicated to us by veterans when we reached out to consult with them. Under this bill, the MRCA gives greater benefits to veterans under a simpler package. All dependents and legal representatives of a deceased veteran can claim for the funeral costs under the MRCA irrespective of the act under which they formerly had coverage. Not only this but we have raised the cap for funeral costs by 50 per cent. The MRCA now regulates support packages, household services and attendant care, allowances for heroic recipients of the Victoria Cross, ex-gratia payments and supplements for former prisoners of war. Finally, the Albanese Labor government will introduce a whole new payment scheme under the MRCA. The additional disablement amount, or ADA, payment builds on pensions received by veterans if they received some kind of impairment during the service. It recognises the sorts of difficulty specific to an injured veteran in their old age and provides much-needed relief. Further, any dependant of a recipient of the ADA will have automatic access to a gold card and benefits when the veteran dies. The ADA provides assurance to our veterans that their loved ones will continue to be supported after they're gone, and that's a really big consideration and a matter of security for our veterans. It's important to note that not a single veteran is worse off under this bill. There are no losers. No-one has any benefit reduced. All changes are positive. The intentions of this bill to simplify claims and reporting are an acknowledgement of the royal commission's findings that the labyrinthine entitlement process is a significant contributor to poor mental health among veterans. It is both astonishing and unacceptable that a male veteran is 42 per cent more likely to commit suicide than a male who did not serve. If a male veteran was discharged on medical grounds, it becomes almost three times as likely. If you're a woman who served, you are twice as likely to commit suicide. A female veteran discharged on medical grounds is more than five times as likely to take their own life. Between 1997 and 2021, Australia recorded 1,677 suicides of people who had served this nation in uniform. Wearing a uniform in defence of this country and having the commitment to serve and the willingness to take up arms and put your life on the line for your fellow Australians and in defence of the values of Australia should not result in damage to your mental health so profound that it is potentially lethal. In 2019, I spoke up in this place in support of the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Partner Service Pension and Other Measures) Bill, which was put to the parliament by the former government and again had bipartisan support. I talked about Eric, a Vietnam veteran living in Bridgewater in my electorate. Eric had complained about the way politicians are very happy to shake veterans' hands on commemorative days and on the campaign trail but we seem to soon forget about them once the cameras are off. I know that we in this place all have a genuine commitment to our veterans, but I try to look at it through his eyes. Through his eyes, he was seeing that we were there for the pomp and the ceremony but, when it came to dealing with the department and trying to cut through and navigate all those issues, we weren't there in the same way. That was an important point to me. He was angry about how difficult it was to access basic entitlements like medical care, services and benefits and how hard it was to deal with the department. I ended that speech by saying: … we need to do better … Our veterans need the ongoing support of government and their community. Those words remain just as true today, five years later, under a new government. That's what the bill aims to do—make it easier for veterans to access their entitlements. It shouldn't be hard. That's not all this government is doing, I'm proud to say. The Albanese government has allocated more than $290,000, through the Veteran Wellbeing Grants One-Off Program, for Vietnam veterans in Tasmania. This funding fitted out a multipurpose education and training centre in Lake Sorell in my electorate to support 4,000 veterans, I was proud to be invited to open the Veteran Multipurpose Education and Training Facility recently, representing the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel. I'd like to thank Terry Roe, the Tasmanian branch president of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, for the association's advocacy and hard work in making this facility a reality. It's part of a terrific complex that will provide terrific healing and respite for veterans and their families. If you know the Lake Sorell area at all, you know it's quite isolated. It is a beautiful part of the bush in the Central Highlands. It's just a really nice place to get away and collect your thoughts. Earlier this year, the minister also approved a third round of grants for the Saluting Their Service program. This grant means veterans groups in every corner of Lyons get the chance to commemorate service and sacrifice. Saluting Their Service is already funding flagpoles for Molesworth Primary School, murals in Sheffield, plaques in Melton Mowbray and an entirely new cenotaph in the Meander Valley. The RSLs of Sheffield and the Northern Midlands will see existing commemorative structures rejuvenated and ready to serve as focal points of remembrance in the future. In June, in this place, I spoke about the Swansea RSL and the flag in their possession. The flag had been kept hidden by Tasmanian Fred Pegg during his captivity in the notorious Changi Prison during World War II. That flag bears the signatures of 89 British and Australian servicemen who had been imprisoned there. It bears bullet holes and what looks to be dried human blood. Its very existence in that camp was an act of defiance in the face of extreme adversity, and it has now been gifted by the Pegg family to the RSL. Funding from the Saluting Their Service program will preserve this flag and associated memorabilia in custom-made housing at the Swansea RSL, where it will take pride of place. It's difficult for me to express how moved I was when visiting the RSL and seeing that flag in front of me. As I mentioned in my speech in June, I remember the feeling of seeing this artefact that had been in Changi and written on by men in all sorts of conditions of emaciation and suffering. They'd put their names on this flag—an act of defiance and resilience that said, 'I'm here, and I matter.' It was really incredible. I felt like I wanted to touch this flag and, though I'm not a religious person, I felt reverence. I knew this was a national treasure. I believe it had been offered to the War Memorial, and they turned it down, but I thought, 'This is a magnificent piece of history.' It will now take pride of place in the Swansea RSL, on the east coast of my electorate. It will be behind a mounted frame, in deoxygenated air; it's quite a set-up. I'm sure that, for the families and descendants of the many men who served and were imprisoned in Changi, this will become part of their journey. I recommend that every member go and have a look once it's up. I think it goes up sometime later this year,. The bill before the House offers the biggest improvement, as I said, to veterans' entitlements in 20 years. I'm very proud to represent a government that continuously demonstrates its commitment to veterans. I acknowledge that this is a bipartisan issue, but the simple fact is that, when we came into government three years ago, we inherited 42,000 claims from veterans that had not yet been assessed. We got to work quickly. In the 2022-23 October budget, the Albanese government invested $233.9 million in order to hire 500 frontline staff to deal with the backlog. In February this year, Minister Keogh confirmed that the number of unassessed claims had plummeted from 42,000 to around 1,700 and that the timeframe from submission to claim assessment was down to two weeks. I'm sure every member will be pleased to hear that. But we didn't stop there. We've unlocked $186 million towards hiring an additional 141 staff to keep the applications flowing and to keep that backlog down. In our most recent budget, we have boosted veterans' home-care and community nursing programs with $48 million. It's important to note that, of course, increasing housing for veterans is part of our overall housing package. We know there's still plenty to be done, and we're getting on with the job. There'll always be more to do to improve this area. But, as Eric told me in Bridgewater five years ago, veterans deserve so much more than a handshake and a platitude. This government is demonstrating, by the actions it's taking and the practical improvements it's implementing, that Australia's veterans can count on this Albanese Labor government to make the meaningful decisions that will make a difference. Lest we forget.
Raise Our Voice Australia | Statements by Members | House debates
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...
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!
Pesticides | Private Members' Business | House debates
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...
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 reviews by the organisation had taken decades to resolve. The roots of those delays can be traced back to the decisions of the former Liberal-National government. Of course there was also the forced move of APVMA in 2016 to the city of Armidale in the electorate of New England, the seat of the then agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce. This move significantly disrupted APVMA's operations and led to severe staffing upheaval, including a shortage of technical experts, and a decline in regulatory efficiency and quality, as highlighted in both the 2019 Independent Review of the Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Regulatory System in Australia and the 2023 review. Despite these findings, the former government failed to act. It sat on critical reports, allowing inefficiencies and staffing shortages to persist. The combination of the upheaval of the forced relocation and the delayed response to the impacts smashed the APVMA's ability to fulfil its purpose. It has been left to the Albanese government to pick up the pieces and fix the mess left behind by a decade of Liberal and National incompetence and neglect, and that's a familiar refrain across so many portfolios. In April, the Albanese government outlined our preliminary response to the rapid evaluation of the APVMA, detailing the reforms necessary to restore confidence in this essential regulator. A critical step was the appointment of Scott Hansen as new board chair and CEO in July, installing the experienced leadership needed to make the APVMA a world-class chemical regulator. We have removed the requirement for APVMA staff to be based at Armidale, allowing the organisation to recruit based on expertise rather than geography. This change improves operational efficiency and enhances the agency's ability to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities. And let's be clear. For the record, the APVMA's role is to regulate the sector across all of Australia, not to shore up a local jobs message for the member for New England in a city in his electorate. Throughout the reform process, the APVMA will continue to exercise its regulatory powers to address outstanding chemical reviews and will keep the minister informed with regular updates. The member for Mallee had a bit of a sledge at the ABC. I reject that entirely. I don't agree with everything the ABC does, but I respect its right to act independently and make its own editorial judgements.
Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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...
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 Schofield, National President of the United Workers Union, said: This wage increase recognises a group of predominantly female workers who have been undervalued for decades, despite providing the social, emotional, and educational foundations for Australia's next generation. It means educators will be able to stay in the sector and in the jobs they love. Early Childhood Australia CEO Sam Page agreed it was time to value early childhood educators. She said: This is a well overdue pay increase, and I am thrilled that the Government has acknowledged the professionalism of our educators … Early childhood educators play a crucial role in the learning and development of young children, and this recognition is a significant step towards valuing their contributions appropriately. Paying ECE workers fairly is a crucial step in charting the course to universal accessibility of early childhood education and care. The Albanese Labor government is proud to say to our early childhood educators and carers that we value you. We recognise your essential work, and we will continue to support you, just like you support the families who entrust their children with you. I would like to mention and congratulate Tammy and Michael of Bagdad Education and Care, who in August were awarded national winners of the excellence in early STEM education for their project 'Will the ropes break under our weight?' Codeveloped with children aged three to six years old, this project involved children experimenting with ropes, physics and motion over many months to develop and test hypotheses around the properties of ropes and how to strengthen them. It's tremendous—and I'm sure the member for Gippsland will take note—that the highest quality early STEM education in the entirety of Australia took place in a very small town in my electorate. I commend the work of Tammy and Michael, who provide an exceptional service, locally owned, locally delivered to local children and families, and they deserve all the support they can get to ensure they can continue to provide their service to the community for many years to come. The work of Bagdad Education and Care reminds me that 90 per cent of brain development happens before a child reaches school age. Just think—in their project at Bagdad, those preschool children were learning physics. Fostering brain development with early childhood education has benefits throughout life, and I would argue it is one of the most important investments we can make as a country. The Australian Early Development Census demonstrates early learners are advantaged with significantly higher social and emotional skills. Early learners outperform their peers in physical, cognitive, communicative, socioemotional and adaptive developmental criteria. When they enter school, children who attended early childhood education consistently show higher test scores across mathematics, science and literacy compared to those who did not. ECE provides a massive head start. I take the words of the member for Gippsland to heart; there are significant parts of the country where there are not enough early childhood education centres. A good way to start is to make sure there's wage justice for staff. If you can attract more people into the sector, then it makes it much more attractive. Conversely, a child deprived of ECE performs worse in every metric by nearly half. Before you say that kids in early childhood education are more likely to come from more affluent and stable homes, which skews the figures, I have to tell you that, no, that's been taken into account. The figures are consistent across socioeconomic categories. Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds with access to ECE perform better than those without. It's the same story across all other socioeconomic categories. The common factor is the existence or absence of early childhood education in a child's life. The 2014 Australian government report called Access to early childhood education in Australia: insights from a qualitative study confirms that most parents are aware of the advantages of early childhood education. The study also details that many parents make the difficult decision to opt out of ECE because of concerns about cost and quality—and that is something that this government, elected in 2022, eight years after that study was published, is doing something about. Early childhood education and care workers are simply some of the most important workers in the country, but, for far too long, their pay has not reflected that. Just like in aged care, early childhood education is an overwhelmingly feminised workforce and, just like in aged care, the pay has been too low for too long. No early childhood educator should have to face the choice of leaving the job they love because they need a job that will pay their bills. With this bill, and with the other changes that we've implemented over the past three years, this Labor government is changing that. We are progressing towards universal early childhood education that will be accessible for every Australian family. We're not there yet; we have some distance to go; but we have started the journey. The Albanese Labor government has already taken significant steps to make early childhood education and care more accessible for more Australian families. More than a million Australian families are benefiting from our cheaper childcare reforms, which are already reducing out-of-pocket costs for centre based day care by 11 per cent, while preserving higher subsidies for families with multiple children in care. More than 1,400 families in my electorate of Lyons are included. After just three years of Labor government, the early childhood education and care sector has grown by more than 30,000 workers. We haven't just arrested the decline that was occurring under the former government; we've turned it around. This achievement is a direct result of our efforts to respect ECE workers with higher pay and to work alongside providers to develop practical solutions for staff retention and strengthen recruitment and training. We are investing in the next generation of early childhood educators already, with our Australian Labor government providing more university places and more access to fee-free TAFE. We have provided sustainability grants for regional ECE centres, ensuring that no matter where you live—with some exceptions, unfortunately—there is a quality centre available to you. I recently met with Letitia at Discovery Early Learning Centre in Bridgewater, Lucy at Uniting outside school hours care in Bagdad, and Monica at Bicheno early learning services on Tasmania's east coast. All are receiving sustainability funding to ensure that access can continue for disadvantaged and regional communities. I heard similar stories from each of them: demand is increasing, but trying to find, train and retain employees is a constant challenge. Decent wages are critical to growing the workforce and providing the service. Services nationally have been delaying expansion plans, closing rooms and limiting enrolments because they simply couldn't find enough qualified staff. That has been impacting on the availability of early childhood education and care for families and limiting parents to shorter hours. As well as the impacts on childhood development, this means more parents, usually women, are staying home when they'd rather be in the workforce, contributing to both household earnings and national economic output. In providing wage justice to ECE workers, this Labor government is supporting workers, supporting children, supporting families and, ultimately, supporting the national economy. I commend the bill to the House.
National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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...
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 budget offerings. The cost of the NBN under the Liberals spiralled up, while the quality of delivery went down. In 2020, they declared 'job done' and wiped their hands, but that was far from the truth. So many homes and so many businesses are still not properly connected. What have we done in the three years we've been here? This terrific Minister for Communications, the member for Greenway, works like an absolute Trojan. I have the great privilege of being the Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications on the Arts. I work closely with the minister's office, and I see how hard she works across the incredible depth and breadth of her portfolio. She has been absolutely tireless in improving the NBN, particularly in improving the NBN's delivery and outreach to regional and rural Australia, especially in education services, which is an absolute passion of hers. She is delivering more fibre to regional homes—the homes that were left out by those opposite when they were in government. She is delivering fibre to the homes and businesses in regional Australia. That's our commitment to the NBN. We know what a powerhouse the NBN is, as a piece of national infrastructure, when it comes to the delivery of health, education, commerce and recreational services for so many Australians. Millions of Australians love to stream TV, movies and whatever else, and why shouldn't they be able to do that with a high-quality service? What we have before us today is a bill to ensure that the NBN stays in public hands, because we learn from experience. We know that those opposite—the Liberal Party and the National Party—sold Australia out when they sold Telstra. Telstra used to be a magnificent piece of public telecommunications infrastructure, but those opposite had dollar signs in their eyes. They couldn't wait to privatise it, and that's exactly what they did. The Nationals, to their great shame, sold out the bush, sold out regional Australia, by allowing Telstra to be sold, on the false guarantee that certain services would be guaranteed. Those guarantees have not come to pass in the way we would have hoped. There are so many communities, homes and businesses in regional Australia that miss out on the full suite of telecommunications services and mobile services, despite the so-called guarantees. If only Telstra had remained in public hands then we would have had the surety and accountability of services being maintained, particularly in regional and rural Australia. The fact is that Telstra is now responsible to its shareholders, not to the Australian public. They have a corporate responsibility to make as much profit as they can under the law. When you have a corporate responsibility to make as much profit as you can under the law, to deliver the best result for your shareholders, that means areas of no profit or low profit miss out, in favour of areas where there's high profit. And you know what? Regional Australia is sparsely populated—not a lot of customers and not a lot of profit to be made by Telstra—so it doesn't get the services. That is unless they're forced to the table by this guarantee, and it's very hard work getting the terms of this guarantee met. We don't want to see the same thing happen with the NBN, and we know that's what the Liberals and the Nationals will do if they are ever returned to the government benches. We are putting in guardrails for the NBN because we know how important it is as a piece of national infrastructure, in terms of both service delivery and cost control. We don't want to see NBN prices, under a privatised NBN, going up to whatever the market will demand. That's what this bill is about. I continue with the member for Sturt's contribution, when he made allusions to the PM being out of the country. I'm not sure if the member for Sturt was here yesterday, because I'm pretty sure the Prime Minister stood at that dispatch box when this bill was introduced. He spoke very proudly and very passionately in favour of this bill and said how passionate he was that the NBN should stay in public hands. I've got his speech here; it's a very good speech. It's in Hansard. For anybody listening to this, I recommend reading the Prime Minister's speech from yesterday morning on the introduction of this bill, because he spoke eloquently about the importance of the NBN as a piece of national infrastructure. He said: The National Broadband Network is a vital national asset. It delivers an essential public service. It was built by Australians for Australians. It belongs to every Australian citizen, and it belongs in public hands. They are very fine words from the Prime Minister, who has not been shy at all in his support for this bill. In fact, I think it speaks volumes that, in the hours before he was to depart the country for those very important talks at ASEAN, he took the time out of his schedule to speak to this bill. That's how important this bill, and the NBN remaining in public hands, is to this government. The member for Sturt was a repository of nonsense. I have more quotes from him. He talked about how the Liberal Party in government 'enhanced the quality and service of the NBN'. I mean, they were the mob who got rid of full-fibre NBN to 98 per cent of Australian homes and businesses and went out and bought—was it 60,000 kilometres of copper? I don't want to mislead the House. Yes, they bought 60,000 kilometres of copper—enough to wrap around planet earth 1½ times—to build their version of the NBN. Copper was terrific in the 20th century. In the 21st century we've got fibre-optic cable, which provides much better delivery of telecommunications. They turned their back on optical fibre in favour of copper—60,000 kilometres of it. It made the copper markets very happy but it wasn't great for telecommunications customers. They said, when they were in government, that their NBN version would cost $29.5 billion. Then there was an update, 'Uh-oh, now it's $41 billion,' and then another, 'Uh-oh, now it's $51 billion.' That was before they settled at $58 billion, which of course was around what a full-fibre NBN, under the Labor government, had been budgeted to cost. If they'd simply continued with what the then minister, Mr Conroy, started out with, which was full fibre to 98 per cent of the Australian population, we would have ended up, over their 10 years in government, with a first-class NBN we could all be proud of. It would have cost the same as the mess they left us with three years ago, which the Minister for Communications is still diligently trying to fix and repair. It's like we inherited a highway full of potholes and smashed up kerbsides, and there she is trying desperately to fix this mess they left us and deliver the first-rate NBN the Australian people deserve. I am very pleased to be standing here in support of a public NBN. It is so important for this country that we make sure it doesn't fall into private hands, because a privatised NBN will mean higher costs for consumers. And, frankly, I'm also concerned about the national security implications. The NBN is an expensive bit of kit. You're not going to find too many Australian buyers or investors leading the pack to purchase it, so we're possibly looking at foreign interests wanting to purchase it. There are national security implications in vital telecommunications infrastructure being purchased by foreign investors, and that's a concern of mine as the Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts. It is absolutely in the public's interest, in our economic interests and in our national security interests to keep the NBN in public hands. That way it remains accountable. That way we can plug the gaps that the Liberal Party left us with three years ago, after their shocking term in government, and that this government is trying so hard to repair. Deputy Speaker, I'll leave it there. The NBN is vital to the national interest, and it must stay in public hands. I commend this bill to the House.
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...
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.
Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
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?
Taxation | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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....
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 that's been made after just three years of federal Labor government. Our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan unlocks all parts of the housing ecosystem to build more homes, providing leadership, funding and incentives to state governments to get homes more quickly, training more tradies, funding more apprenticeships and growing the workforce, including through fee-free TAFE, which those opposite opposed. We're delivering the biggest investment in social housing in more than a decade to help reduce homelessness. We're improving affordability, with our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, our $3 billion social housing accelerator payment and the largest increase to Commonwealth rental assistance in 30 years. One part of our comprehensive housing plan is the Help to Buy bill being blocked and delayed by the Liberals and Greens in the Senate. Help to Buy will support up to 40,000 eligible Australians, many of them young Australians, to purchase a home. It will do this by the government taking on some of the equity in the property, significantly bringing down the cost of servicing the loan. We know it will work because various states, including Tasmania and Western Australia, already have similar shared-equity schemes in place. A shared-equity scheme even operates under the state Liberal government of Tasmania, and shared-equity schemes are part of Greens policy, but both the Liberals and the Greens in this place are chained together in opposition to shared equity. The naked political pointscoring of this coalition of chaos is stopping 40,000 Australians a year from getting the opportunity to get their foot on the first rung of the homeownership ladder. The shadow Treasurer has brought on a debate about taxation policy. What he should be talking about is the Labor government's taxation policy. I'm very proud of the changes we made to the Liberal Party's stage 3, which delivered a tax cut for every Australian worker and bigger tax cuts for most. Importantly, they also delivered a tax cut to workers earning under $40,000 a year, who would have received nothing under those opposite. In my home state of Tasmania, 90 per cent of workers—nine in 10—are better off under the Labor government's taxation policy changes. That's what this debate should be about, not the fantasy of changes to negative gearing, which is not government policy.