Kristy McBain's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-10T22:05:33+00:00
items: Rural, Regional and Remote Australia: Infrastructure | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
items: Uttley, Darcy, Eden-Monaro Electorate: Community Events, Terry Campese Foundation | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Rural, Regional and Remote Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Victoria: Bushfires | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Australia: Natural Disasters | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Tropical Cyclone Fina | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Eden-Monaro Electorate: Awards and Honours | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates

Rural, Regional and Remote Australia: Infrastructure | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for Paterson for the question. She knows how important it is to deliver for regional communities and, while we're at it, for future generations. Congratulations on becoming a...
encoded: I thank the member for Paterson for the question. She knows how important it is to deliver for regional communities and, while we're at it, for future generations. Congratulations on becoming a grandparent for the first time. Since coming to government, we have committed $4.4 billion over five years to the Roads to Recovery program. That's a $1.8 billion increase on the previous five-year period. It's funding that goes directly to every single council to spend money on the roads they want to, the way their community wants to. Why is that important? Because those opposite froze funding in that space. For Port Stephens Council what that means on the ground is an extra $2.9 million that they are receiving under the Albanese government more than what they would have received under those opposite. Our Growing Regions program is delivering $600 million to important projects across the country, including $8.5 million for the Eastwood Leisure Complex redevelopment in the member for Ballarat's electorate and $9.5 million for the Roma pool revitalisation in the member for Maranoa's electorate. We have substantially increased road Black Spot funding to $150 million a year. It's going to 102 rural, regional and remote programs across the country. There's $1.2 million for traffic lights in the electorate of Braddon, in Spreyton, and $1 million for safety improvements in Caboolture in the electorate of Longman. We've also launched a new $200 million program called Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure program, and we recently announced tranche 3 of this program. The Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in Durack will receive nearly $4 million towards the Mulligans Lagoon Road and Weaber Plain Road intersection to accommodate heavy vehicle traffic, and the Mareeba Shire Council in Kennedy will receive $3.1 million to support agricultural productivity. More than $77 million is earmarked for projects in regional Australia in this tranche of funding. While we're at it, we have restored hig…
date: 2026-02-10T14:54:00+00:00

Rural, Regional and Remote Australia: Infrastructure | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: I ask the other side to listen up, because you're about to get schooled in how we deal with regional communities! Thank you to the member for Paterson. I really appreciate the question.
encoded: I ask the other side to listen up, because you're about to get schooled in how we deal with regional communities! Thank you to the member for Paterson. I really appreciate the question.
date: 2026-02-10T14:54:00+00:00

Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
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description: It's with great sadness that I rise here today to pay my condolences to our Luch. No-one in this place does their job alone, especially in Parliament House. Some of us are lucky enough to spend...
encoded: It's with great sadness that I rise here today to pay my condolences to our Luch. No-one in this place does their job alone, especially in Parliament House. Some of us are lucky enough to spend enough time in this place to get to know a lot of people behind the scenes—and I say 'behind the scenes' but, for all of us, Luke stood out. He was someone who had the heart and soul of our parliament really close to his heart. He was ever the professional. He carried out his role with pride and with really good humour, and he was a big personality. He was a friendly face who cared deeply. When I learned of his passing, it came as a shock, and I know it came as a shock to many people across this parliament—both elected officials and all of the people who work in this building. He was someone who was so full of life—Luch Jonceski from Jerrabomberra. He served parliament and its members for four decades, always with a smile on his face and always bringing a bit of fun and humour to a place that can be short on it a lot of the time. He'd offer you water and he'd say, 'It's on the House.' He'd greet me every single sitting day with, 'How's my local member today?' He'd sneak in a chocolate, and he'd do so from within the sleeve of his coat, and he'd always chat to me about his beloved Queanbeyan City Football Club. He'd ask for his birthday card and his Christmas cards to be delivered personally, and I always obliged. It's been really interesting talking to so many other people across this building, because everyone has a personal story or a connection with Luch just like that. There was his daily quip to the Speaker of the House at the opening of parliament every day: 'Let's do this, Mr Speaker.' He was comfortable speaking with prime ministers, with opposition leaders and with members from all political persuasions, and he helped each and every person in this building. His work here was diligent. He was diligent in his job because he had a deep respect for the institution that h…
date: 2026-02-05T11:56:00+00:00

Uttley, Darcy, Eden-Monaro Electorate: Community Events, Terry Campese Foundation | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: I rise to congratulate eight-year-old Darcy Uttley from Googong who is a true local hero. Darcy is a scout, and he's been raising money to buy bedding and shelter for the homeless in our...
encoded: I rise to congratulate eight-year-old Darcy Uttley from Googong who is a true local hero. Darcy is a scout, and he's been raising money to buy bedding and shelter for the homeless in our community to earn his Creating a Better World badge. His amazing fundraising efforts have earned him the Australia Day Hero 2026 Young Person of the Year Award by the national charity Backpack Bed for Homeless. The charity gives out awards every year, but, this Australia Day, Darcy was the only person to receive this honour. Other awards went to organisations such as schools and businesses. Darcy raised over $2,000 for the charity by selling Play-Doh and holding lolly guessing competitions. The amount raised equated to 15 backpack beds for the homeless in the area, which have been distributed by the Salvation Army. Backpack Bed for Homeless founder and CEO, Tony Clark, said, 'Darcy's amazing fundraising efforts have resulted in almost $50,000 in taxpayer savings for the Canberra and Queanbeyan communities.' These backpack beds are a great comfort for people that are living on the streets or sleeping rough and have helped to improve the dignity, health, sleep and warmth for people across our communities. It is an honour to have young constituents like Darcy in the electorate of Eden-Monaro, so a big congratulations to Darcy. I'd like to give a plug to one of my favourite times of the year. Country shows have kicked off right across the mighty Eden-Monaro. We're in the midst of the 2026 country show season, which kicked off with Pambula and Candelo in January and will continue with the Nimmitabel show this weekend. Country shows and ag field days are much more than a great day out; they are the heart of regional communities. I want to encourage everyone in this place to take your families and to support a country show. In fact, if any members of parliament are here for the weekend, Nimmitabel is only an hour and a half down the road, so come down and have a look. You can get a full li…
date: 2026-02-05T09:52:00+00:00

Rural, Regional and Remote Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: I know! They hate it. But it's good work for all of us; we believe in Medicare on this side of the House. We believe in Medicare not only for the cities but for all the regional areas too. The...
encoded: I know! They hate it. But it's good work for all of us; we believe in Medicare on this side of the House. We believe in Medicare not only for the cities but for all the regional areas too. The other thing we did was increase Roads to Recovery funding to $1 billion a year, and 85 per cent of that is going to regional councils. On this side of the House, 24 members represent regional areas. (Time expired)
date: 2026-02-05T14:52:00+00:00

Rural, Regional and Remote Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: As I said, PBS medicines are now $25 or less thanks to our investment in Medicare, saving Australians over $200 million a year. The last time they were that price was in 2004. Silverchair were...
encoded: As I said, PBS medicines are now $25 or less thanks to our investment in Medicare, saving Australians over $200 million a year. The last time they were that price was in 2004. Silverchair were still together as a band—and so were the coalition! Our Medicare urgent care clinics have been a game changer for health care in our regions. There are now 122 urgent care clinics that have opened across the country, and 39 of those have been in regional, rural and remote areas. Last weekend, the latest Medicare urgent care clinic opened in Bega, in Eden-Monaro. No appointment is needed. Patients can walk in. It's all bulk-billed. Chloe from Tura Beach said: 'Excellent doctor with detailed care. Not a long wait. So easy and a relief to receive treatment promptly on the weekend without a visit to the emergency department.' Isn't that a good news story?
date: 2026-02-05T14:52:00+00:00

Rural, Regional and Remote Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: I thank the member for Lingiari for her question. If we want to see what delivery in regional and remote Australia looks like, we need look no further than the member for Lingiari. She does such...
encoded: I thank the member for Lingiari for her question. If we want to see what delivery in regional and remote Australia looks like, we need look no further than the member for Lingiari. She does such an amazing job representing her communities, and our thoughts are with communities that may be impacted by the Daly River flood, which is coming soon. I'm proud to be part of a government that's delivering for our regions. We're investing billions of dollars in remote, rural and regional Australia whilst those opposite are investing in self-interest. Just yesterday I joined colleagues to announce the Regional and Remote Airport Support Program, providing financial relief to regional councils who were impacted when Rex Airlines went into voluntary administration—and while those opposite were exercising voluntary self-destruction. We are delivering in programs across all portfolios to help regional Australians with health, with housing and with education, from home batteries to cheaper child care to more home-care packages. We're delivering $10,000 payments to assist housing apprentices with cost-of-living pressures while ensuring Australia gets the workforce it needs to build more homes across our country. We've waived HECS debts for doctors and nurse practitioners working in our regional communities, to attract them outside of our big cities, while those opposite have waved goodbye to one another. We're delivering cheaper medicines from 1 January this year. Our plan is to make the biggest cut to the cost of medicines on the PBS—
date: 2026-02-05T14:52:00+00:00

Victoria: Bushfires | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: I thank the member for Indi for her question, and I acknowledge her community is going through a particularly tough time at this point in time. A lot of Victorians have been impacted by bushfires...
encoded: I thank the member for Indi for her question, and I acknowledge her community is going through a particularly tough time at this point in time. A lot of Victorians have been impacted by bushfires that have burnt through over 415,000 hectares across Victoria, and it's had a major impact on communities right across that place. Can I again thank the member for Indi and the member for Nicholls for inviting me into their local communities. It is really important in this role to hear firsthand from communities about what they're going to need not only in the short term but also in the medium and long term. Can I thank, in particular, the members in Ruffy who I met. I said the other day that they were so worried about their local environment, let alone their own homes. I heard very clearly from them their desire to see the Ruffy community centre rebuilt, which they lovingly referred to as the TCC. We will continue to work with your community on those things. I also heard really clearly from Strathbogie and Murrindindi shire council members about the need to make sure that infrastructure is built back more resilient and that we work on those community cohesion projects together into the future. As the member knows, the Prime Minister announced another package of supports—$158 million going to things like extended power outages for businesses, clean-up support for community members, temporary accommodation, rebates for people who need to clean out water tanks, and mental health support in particular. We'll continue to extend support where it's needed, and we'll work with the Victorian government on that. We have enacted over $330 million in those state-Commonwealth Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements already. However, we recognise that the state and the local councils are best placed to identify the type and the level of assistance that is going to be required following this disaster, in accordance with their responsibilities for disaster management. The Albanese governme…
date: 2026-02-05T14:14:00+00:00

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: People who have been impacted by disaster are going through a really tough time, and every level of government needs to step up when that happens and deliver as quickly as possible. Category C...
encoded: People who have been impacted by disaster are going through a really tough time, and every level of government needs to step up when that happens and deliver as quickly as possible. Category C and D funding has been delivered on the Mid North Coast. Category C and D funding has been delivered in north-west Queensland. Category C and D funding has been delivered in Victoria. And we'll continue to deliver for every member of our communities. When we talk about policies, we don't have to put 'regional' in front of them to know that they're going to help regional Australia. Whether it's bulk-billing, whether it's infrastructure investment or whether it's disaster recovery, our government will continue to deliver for all of the country. (Time expired)
date: 2026-02-04T16:10:00+00:00

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: They ran it into the ground. It is really a terrible outcome. We are talking about a skills shortage that didn't need to be there. We've seen successive coalition governments at state, territory...
encoded: They ran it into the ground. It is really a terrible outcome. We are talking about a skills shortage that didn't need to be there. We've seen successive coalition governments at state, territory and federal levels rip money out of TAFE, in particular. Not only do we know that there's a skill shortage; we know that we have to incentivise people to get back into those skills shortage areas, which is why we've got prac payments now rolling out to nurses, teachers, social workers and midwifery students—people who make a real difference in every community across the country. It is so important to focus on what's in front of us instead of focusing on what's behind you—for those opposite. We are committed to making sure we make a difference to every person across the country, and I'm particularly committed to focusing on how we deliver for regional Australians, because right now, on this side of the House, there are 24 members of the Labor Party who represent rural and regional Australia. That is a number larger than the National Party, larger than the crossbench and larger than the Liberal Party. So when we talk about delivering for regional Australia, can we please not go through this old trope that somehow you—those opposite—are the party of regional Australia, because it is not true. Regional Australia is not a monoculture. Regional Australia is diverse. It is interesting, and they vote Labor too. It is incredibly important now that we come together and we look at how we deliver for communities. I've been listening to communities across the country. Over the last couple of months, I've been in the Tiwi Islands, Swansea in Tassie, Cloncurry, Bendigo, Ruffy and Colac, particularly over the high-risk weather season, listening to people and their firsthand experiences in the wake of bushfires, cyclones and floods. It's incredibly important we deliver for those communities both now and into the future. We've delivered almost $330 million to Victorians impacted by devastatin…
date: 2026-02-04T16:10:00+00:00

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: It's a real pleasure to be able to stand here today and talk about the cost-of-living measures that we, on this side of the House, are voting for. It's almost ironic to hear the Leader of the...
encoded: It's a real pleasure to be able to stand here today and talk about the cost-of-living measures that we, on this side of the House, are voting for. It's almost ironic to hear the Leader of the National Party say that if we were in touch with the Australian people we would do better. Perhaps, if they were in touch with the Australian people, they'd stop talking about themselves and actually focus on what people sent you here to do. They sent you here, and they didn't ask you to hold up a pamphlet. They didn't ask you to talk about backroom deals on media outlets. They asked you to come here and talk about what matters to them, and what matters to them is how governments respond when people are in crisis. That's exactly what we've done. We voted to cap gas prices. We voted to cap electricity prices. Those opposite voted against that, against real cost-of-living measures. We voted on energy bill relief. They voted against that. We voted to reduce PBS medicine prices. They voted against that. When we talk about people being driven by ideology, perhaps it's time those on the opposition benches actually had a think about that, because what you are doing is continually voting on ideology rather than talking about what matters to the Australian people. What matters to the Australian people is that this place comes together at times and puts politics aside and says: 'What matters right now is how we get energy prices down. What matters right now is how we get PBS medicines cheaper. What matters right now is how we get more bulk-billing doctors. What matters right now is good education for our kids.' Those things matter, and, on this side of the House, those things matter so much that we vote on them and we put money towards them. We don't talk about doctor shortages in our regions because we do things about it. Do you know how we do that? We waive HECS fees for doctors and nurse practitioners when they come out to rural and remote Australia for five years. We've waived HECS f…
date: 2026-02-04T16:10:00+00:00

Victoria: Bushfires | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. As she knows and as many people across the House and the country know, it's been a terrible start for many communities across Victoria. We've seen...
encoded: I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. As she knows and as many people across the House and the country know, it's been a terrible start for many communities across Victoria. We've seen bushfires across the state, most recently across the greater Otways. I was in Colac last week, where I attended the Incident Control Centre to understand the impacts of the Carlisle River blaze. I spent time in Castlemaine, Yarck, Alexandra, Euroa, Ruffy and Harcourt over the past few weeks, meeting with emergency services, local councils, businesses and, most importantly, community members. I'd like to thank the member for Indi and the member for Nicholls, who were on the ground with me to hear directly from locals about the best way that we can aid in their recovery. Residents in Ruffy told us that they were worried about the local environment, including the impact on waterways, despite losing their own homes. I met with both Strathbogie and Murrindindi shire councils in their council chambers, who reiterated the importance of building back better after a natural disaster. Through our Commonwealth-state disaster recovery funding arrangements, we've now committed over $330 million in response to the Victorian bushfires. This includes $158 million, which the Prime Minister announced at the state control centre last week. This latest funding package includes funding for clean-up, business support and advice; funding to rebuild the Harcourt cooperative cool store that I visited with the Prime Minister and the member for Bendigo; repairs to public land and waterways; temporary accommodation; power outage payments for businesses; rebates to repair water tanks; and mental health support. This expanded funding package is about delivering practical and respectful support that helps communities begin to rebuild with confidence. On top of that, we've got federal government payments available, including the disaster recovery payment, available to eligible residents in 57 locations. I…
date: 2026-02-03T14:23:00+00:00

Australia: Natural Disasters | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. I've been with her in her electorate the last couple of weeks, visiting the fireground and speaking with impacted community members about their...
encoded: I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. I've been with her in her electorate the last couple of weeks, visiting the fireground and speaking with impacted community members about their experiences, and I want to thank her for her work in supporting the community in the aftermath and what will be a long recovery to come. The last few weeks have brought severe weather to large parts of our country. The bushfires in Victoria have been absolutely heartbreaking for many, and our thoughts are with those that have been impacted by those severe fires, including the family and friends of the man who died in the Longwood bushfire. Whilst assessments are continuing, we currently have 1,300 structures, including 400 homes, that have been damaged or destroyed, and stock losses of up to 20,000. The national aerial firefighting fleet has been active across Victoria and other parts of the country as well, and so far we have committed more than $77 million under our joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, including $75,000 to primary producers, as well as a range of concessional loans, personal hardship payments and a range of other grants. The Australian government disaster recovery payment has been made available in 47 locations across Victoria to support those people most impacted, and the disaster recovery allowance, which is up to 13 weeks of income support, is available now in 18 local government areas, as well as the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, to assist those who have lost income. It was a real privilege to meet with emergency service personnel along with the Prime Minister—many of them, volunteers who have been battling bushfires and putting themselves in harm's way to support others. And I know I speak for all Australians when I say: we cannot thank you enough. As devastating as fires are, we know that floods are impacting our country too. In December, we saw monsoonal rain across north and north-west Queensland. One man lost his life in f…
date: 2026-01-20T15:16:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
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description: I rise today to add my voice to the messages of condolence for the victims of the antisemitic terror attack we saw in Bondi on 14 December. The community of Eden-Monaro stands with you and will...
encoded: I rise today to add my voice to the messages of condolence for the victims of the antisemitic terror attack we saw in Bondi on 14 December. The community of Eden-Monaro stands with you and will continue to stand with those whose lives were irrevocably changed on that day. No-one should have to endure what happened on that day. There is no place in our country for this kind of hatred, bigotry or extremism that led to these events at Bondi Beach, and my heart breaks for the 15 innocent people who lost their lives that day and for their families, their friends and their communities, who will never stop mourning them. I offer my sincere condolences to the families of Matilda; Boris and Sofia Gurman; Rabbi Eli Schlanger; Edith Brutman; Boris Tetleroyd; Adam Smyth; Marika Pogany; Peter Meagher; Dan Elkayam; Tibor Weitzen; Reuven Morrison; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan; Alexander Kleytman; and Tania Tretiak. Their absence is felt deeply, and we will not forget them. That day, they should have been safe. They should have been celebrating their faith together by the water, enjoying the start of Hanukkah, a holy day on the Jewish calendar, the beginning of an eight-day celebration representing resilience, light and positivity—an ancient tradition in an Australian iconic setting. It should have been a peaceful event, and instead that peace was shattered. This was an attack on our Jewish community and on the Australian way of life. It was an attack on our people and what we hold sacred: our right to gather to celebrate our faith with loved ones wherever we are. In the days following the Bondi attack, I was proud to play a small role, as Minister for Emergency Management, in delivering support to assist victims, their families and small businesses who were impacted on that day. It was the first time that our disaster recovery funding arrangements were activated for a terrorist attack, and I hope it will be the last. But now we must take action when something this abhorrent occurs on our …
date: 2026-01-19T20:24:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I wanted to give you more of a chance.
encoded: I wanted to give you more of a chance.
date: 2025-11-25T18:40:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I'm pleased to speak on this legislation today, which amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to support a pause on indexation of the excise of duty rates and customs duties on...
encoded: I'm pleased to speak on this legislation today, which amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to support a pause on indexation of the excise of duty rates and customs duties on draught beer for two years. The amendments to the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 will take pressure off business when it comes to the price of beer poured in pubs, clubs and other venues and will support small businesses and regional tourism across the country. This is a measured, temporary pause that will help keep operating costs stable for small venues while maintaining the integrity of the broader alcohol excise framework. The measure applies to containers between eight and 48 litres, which are commonly used in pubs and clubs, and containers over 48 litres used in larger hospitality venues. It doesn't apply to bottled or canned beer, spirits or other excisable beverages, which ensures that the policy remains tightly targeted to hospitality operators rather than retailers. Around 75 per cent of those venues are small, family-run businesses that employ local people and support community events, sporting clubs and local charities. This is a cost-of-living measure that will help take pressure off at a really critical time. Cost-of-living pressures have affected pubs, clubs and other licensed venues as they have for the rest of us. These amendments will reduce the pressure for businesses on the price of beer at pubs, clubs and other licensed venues. The venues, in turn, will support other businesses and regional tourism across the country. This is a practical, targeted and responsible measure that supports small business. It helps to protect jobs and it keeps the price of a pint stable for everyday Australians. This decision recognises that local pubs, clubs and breweries are not just businesses but community institutions that bring people together. They provide employment and help regional communities remain strong. I visited a number of pubs and clubs around…
date: 2025-11-25T18:30:00+00:00

Tropical Cyclone Fina | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member from Solomon for the work he has put into preparing his community against Tropical Cyclone Fina. Communities in the Northern Territory are well-placed for Tropical Cyclone...
encoded: I thank the member from Solomon for the work he has put into preparing his community against Tropical Cyclone Fina. Communities in the Northern Territory are well-placed for Tropical Cyclone Fina, which tracked through the Van Diemen Gulf and past Darwin and the Tiwi Islands over the weekend as a category 3 system. I recognise the member for Solomon, the member for Lingiari and the Minister for Indigenous Australians in the other place for their work in providing timely updates and support for their communities. I also acknowledge the hard work of the Northern Territory government, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Defence Forces and our embedded officials from the National Emergency Management Agency who worked so well together to keep local community safe. I was able to visit the Northern Territory yesterday. I joined the chief minister to announce that the Albanese and Finocchiaro governments have activated our disaster recovery funding arrangements in several local government areas. This will ensure immediate relief is provided to individuals and families who have been displaced during the event. It will also support temporary repairs to public infrastructure and long-term reconstruction of damaged roads, bridges and public infrastructure. While I was in Darwin, I had the opportunity to visit the emergency control centre to personally thank those who worked so hard during the event to prepare local communities. Emergency service workers and power and water teams have done an outstanding job and continue to do so as recovery is underway. I also joined the member for Lingiari, the Minister for Indigenous Australians and the chief minister to assess the damage in Wurrumiyanga in the Tiwi Islands. This was one of the areas hardest hit, with downed trees and power lines, as a result of the cyclone. The community there was in good spirits, and it was good to hear from them first and about their experience. The Albanese government, the NT government, local coun…
date: 2025-11-25T14:18:00+00:00

Eden-Monaro Electorate: Awards and Honours | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: Volunteers are the heart of regional communities, and I'm really proud to stand here today to congratulate the outstanding Eden-Monaro volunteers who were recognised in the 2025 southern inland...
encoded: Volunteers are the heart of regional communities, and I'm really proud to stand here today to congratulate the outstanding Eden-Monaro volunteers who were recognised in the 2025 southern inland and South Coast volunteer of the year awards. In southern inland, volunteer and adult volunteer of the year, Abby McPherson, from the Michelago RFS—of whom she is the RFS captain—was recognised for her leadership, innovation and dedication to community safety. The senior volunteer of the year was Adolf Franko for 14 years of service with the Snowy River and alpine search and rescue, marine rescue and Berridale RFS. The volunteer team of the year was the Terry Campese Foundation youth mentoring Tonga team, for supporting at-risk youth through community service and international outreach. For the South Coast awards, volunteer and senior volunteer of the year went to Maree O'Neill for her tireless work across numerous Eden community organisations. Adult volunteer of the year went to Samarah McGovern for 20 years of dedication to the debutante ball tradition in Merimbula. To all recipients: thank you so much. Your service and leadership continue to inspire us all. I'd like to congratulate Doug Palmer on being awarded life membership of the Bungendore rural fire brigade, after 27 years of dedicated service. Doug joined the RFS in September 1988 and has since received the National Medal, the National Emergency Medal and the 2019-20 bushfires clasp, the RFS Long Service Medal and the Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation. Between 2005 and 2018 Doug served in a variety of roles, including as deputy captain, senior and captain. Over the years Doug attended more than 552 call-outs, undoubtedly saving countless lives, homes and our beautiful countryside. People like Doug are the cornerstone of our community, and I congratulate him on a well-deserved achievement. In the 2025 New South Wales Tourism Awards, Eden-Monaro stood out. We had finalists across a number of categories, including t…
date: 2025-11-05T10:14:00+00:00

Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: God! While those opposite are trying to work out which side of history they want to be on, we are talking about regional families and looking at how we can ease the cost of living. They're...
encoded: God! While those opposite are trying to work out which side of history they want to be on, we are talking about regional families and looking at how we can ease the cost of living. They're already upset, as I said, because we've doubled Roads to Recovery, whereas they sat idly by and did nothing when local councils asked for more money. What they did was freeze financial assistance grants, which took a billion dollars from local councils in all of our communities. I want to remind them of what they did when it came to the supermarket code of conduct: they introduced a voluntary code. That was great for our farmers, wasn't it? 'Let's ask the supermarkets if they'll be nicer to farmers.' Were they? No. On this side of the House, we said, 'That's not good enough; we're going to introduce a mandatory code.' But what did those opposite do? Did they vote for a mandatory code of conduct to protect farmers? No, you didn't. You wanted to leave the supermarkets to let rip and do whatever they wanted to farmers and other primary producers. On this side of the House, we said, 'Not good enough—we are going to protect farmers and small businesses with a mandatory code of conduct with multimillion-dollar penalties for those who breach it.' On big business versus farmers and families, I know who I stood with: I stood with farmers and families. I made sure there was a mandatory code of conduct to protect people. We are investing in people, in skills and training and in services. These are the investments that regional communities are calling for, and that's exactly what we are doing. We delivered prac payments because we know it's important to support people when they are training to deliver services in our regions. Our Cheaper Home Batteries Program has been so incredibly important. Ray from Braidwood in my electorate got in touch. He said his home battery system has already lowered his electricity bill. In the first month since he installed his battery, his bill dropped to $22—22 …
date: 2025-11-05T15:26:00+00:00

Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: It is really important. Those opposite could have incentivised GPs to go into our regions, but did they do it? No. Instead it look a Labor government to do that. On this side of the chamber,...
encoded: It is really important. Those opposite could have incentivised GPs to go into our regions, but did they do it? No. Instead it look a Labor government to do that. On this side of the chamber, we've made the largest investment in health care in our regions ever, with 90 urgent care clinics around the country, 31 of which are already delivered in our regions. We're investing in rural medical schools to help ensure more medical students can train and live in regional and rural communities, because we know, and the data tells us, that if they train in our regions they'll stay in our regions. There's a $90 million investment to help address healthcare shortages right across our regions. We are providing incentives for doctors and nurse practitioners by waiving their HECS fees, as I said. Speaking of HECS, how are we helping more people to earn more and keep more of what they earn? Well, we're giving students across our regions a 20 per cent reduction in their HECS bills and we're making sure that more people are eligible for tax cuts than ever before—14 million taxpayers across our communities. Why do we want more people in our regions to keep more of the money they earn? It's because when they do they go and support local small businesses, which is incredibly important.
date: 2025-11-05T15:26:00+00:00