Sam Birrell'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: Nicholls Electorate: Agriculture | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Victoria: Bushfires | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Walsh, Brother Peter Doug | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Rural, Regional and Remote Australia: Services | Adjournment | House debates
items: g33.1
items: Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Victoria: Bushfires | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Roads, Veterans | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Gnarly Neighbours | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Aged Care | Motions | House debates
items: Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Hansen Yuncken | Constituency Statements | House debates

Nicholls Electorate: Agriculture | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: It's a very exciting and rewarding time in my electorate of Nicholls in the Goulburn Valley, in the food bowl of Australia, the food bowl of South East Asia, because it's harvest time. Now, the...
encoded: It's a very exciting and rewarding time in my electorate of Nicholls in the Goulburn Valley, in the food bowl of Australia, the food bowl of South East Asia, because it's harvest time. Now, the harvest sort of kicks off in December period with the cherries and then the apricots. As we get into January, we move into the peaches, both the canning varieties and the fresh varieties. At the moment we're right in the middle of the pear harvest, and I would like to just put on the record for those who don't know that the Goulburn Valley grows over 90 per cent of Australia's pears. Soon in March we'll move into the apples—the Fujis, the Pink Ladies, the Royal Galas. People from the Goulburn Valley are very, very proud of the fruit that they grow. A lot of it goes to the fresh market. Some of it still goes to that iconic company called SPC, which has been processing fruit for over 100 years and sending it all around the world so that people can experience the delights of sun-kissed Australian fruit in cans, in snack packs right around the world. There two main things that the fruit of the Goulburn Valley needs to grow. One is the climate, the beautiful sunlight that we get. But the other thing is water. We don't get the rainfall to be able to grow that fruit where it is. The ingenious pioneers of the Goulburn-Murray irrigation system put together a scheme whereby we can put water all around the fertile plains of the Goulburn Valley to provide water for the fruit farms and the dairy farms. At the moment, we have a reduced allocation and that means, because there's a bit less water in the catchments, Hume and Eildon, the farmers don't have access to 100 per cent of their water right. Therefore, what they need to do, is go and buy temporary water from other farmers who might sell it to them. It's a good system. The problem is when that pool of water—what we call the consumptive pool—gets reduced because irresponsible governments come in and buy it and put it in environmental ac…
date: 2026-02-10T16:54:00+00:00

Victoria: Bushfires | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Hear Hear!
encoded: Hear Hear!
date: 2026-02-09T19:14:00+00:00

Victoria: Bushfires | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the: (a) devastating impact of the Victorian bushfire emergencies on regional communities; (b) tireless work of volunteer firefighters and emergency...
encoded: I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the: (a) devastating impact of the Victorian bushfire emergencies on regional communities; (b) tireless work of volunteer firefighters and emergency service personnel who put themselves in danger to keep the community safe; and (c) long-term recovery effort faced by the impacted areas to get back on their feet; (2) notes that the: (a) Victorian State Government is failing to properly manage public land by inadequately carrying out fuel load reducing planned burns which mitigate the bushfire risk; (b) Victorian State Government has not learned the lessons from previous bushfires and is failing to keep people safe; and (c) shutdown of the sustainable native hardwood timber industry in Victoria has limited the capacity to fight bushfires in the state; and (3) urges the Commonwealth Government to: (a) support those who have lost their homes and livelihoods; (b) recognise the need to mitigate the bushfire risk to regional communities through planned burns; (c) ensure Australia has the sovereign capability to fight bushfires; and (d) co-ordinate a national response to bushfire emergencies when they occur. Last month in my electorate, but also, predominantly, in the electorate of the member for Indi, catastrophic bushfires tore through communities, farmland and bushland. In the area of Longwood, which is a small town and a very proud community situated just off the Hume Freeway, the main road between Melbourne and Sydney, a fire started, and the north-westerly winds pushed it into the bushland and farmland. Over 140,000 hectares were burnt, including the communities of Ruffy and Gooram. The Yarroweyah fires also happened on a similar day, in the same heat event, in the north of Victoria. Yarroweyah is just south of the Murray River. Again, strong winds and hot temperatures pushed this bushfire catastrophe along the roadside, destroying some 10 to 12 houses. When you go out and have a look at the situation after the fire has gone th…
date: 2026-02-09T19:09:00+00:00

Walsh, Brother Peter Doug | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Last month Brother Doug Walsh was laid to rest in my electorate, in the Kilmore cemetery, a stone's throw from Assumption College, one of the many institutions he graced in his life of service....
encoded: Last month Brother Doug Walsh was laid to rest in my electorate, in the Kilmore cemetery, a stone's throw from Assumption College, one of the many institutions he graced in his life of service. Peter Doug Walsh was born in Werribee, Victoria, in 1937 to Agnes and David Patrick Walsh. He is survived by his twin sister, Maureen. He was educated in the Mallee in regional Victoria and joined the novitiate in 1955 on his way to becoming a Marist brother. He taught across Australia, including in Northam and Subiaco in WA and Traralgon and Kilmore in Victoria. He also founded initiatives to alleviate suffering in the poorer parts of Manila in the Philippines. In later years he worked with St Vincent de Paul in Collingwood and Heidelberg. He was the boarding master at Assumption College in the late 1980s and early 1990s, coinciding with my time there, and he once told me that, though Assumption College boarders were, in his words, a serious handful, he wanted to work with people who were more at risk, hence his move to St Vinnies in Melbourne. Many Assumption boarders would concur that Dougie was the epitome of that hard but fair educator, a throwback to the attitude that discipline is critically important for young people. They occasionally need a serious kick in the backside to understand boundaries. Many a wayward young man from the country at Assumption learnt some tough lessons in life from Dougie, and his example and spirit is perhaps needed in the way we guide young people now. Thanks, Brother Doug, for your life of service as an educator and to those in need. May you rest in peace.
date: 2026-02-09T16:14:00+00:00

Rural, Regional and Remote Australia: Services | Adjournment | House debates
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description: I rise to speak about the important issue of regional funding. Australian governments have a fine tradition of investing in the regions, often partnering with state and local governments to...
encoded: I rise to speak about the important issue of regional funding. Australian governments have a fine tradition of investing in the regions, often partnering with state and local governments to deliver. That's the way it works best. The coalition did it when last in government. I saw it because I'd been a member of that community for a long time. Here are a couple of examples. The Shepparton regional rail project had $320 million from the then-coalition government and a top-up of $11 million after that to help get stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Regional Rail Revival going. What that does is get us from just four return services between Melbourne and Shepparton to nine return services between Melbourne and Shepparton. It's a great partnership between the Victorian government and the federal government, with the federal government coming to stage 3 with 80 per cent of the funding, $320 million. The only problem is that the Victorian government promised to complete it by the end of 2023. I believe we're at the start of 2026, and we're still waiting to see it, but I'm hoping. Another is the Shepparton Foodshare. Shepparton Foodshare is a great organisation. It's a secure base to distribute around 390,000 kilograms of food each year to more than 100 registered emergency relief agencies, schools and other organisations. There's great contribution from the Victorian government and $600 million from the coalition government. The Echuca-Moama bridge has changed lives and changed the economy in the cross-border town of Echuca-Moama. It's a $323 million project, jointly funded by the Australian, Victorian and New South Wales governments. The Australian government contribution was $125 million. Joint funding is critical to getting projects built, but, tragically, the Albanese government is letting regional Australia down. The projects that need their support keep piling up. I'll give an example of some of them. The Kilmore Bypass and link road upgrades desperately need funding. I made a …
date: 2026-02-09T19:30:00+00:00

g33.1
type: item
title: Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025, Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
description: I, too, rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and...
encoded: I, too, rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. I acknowledge the support for the principle of ATEC in the university sector, but, given the flaws, omissions and governance issues in this legislation, I have reservations about a further bureaucracy in the tertiary sector and the way that that bureaucracy would be structured and operate. The Nationals and the coalition believe in less regulation and less red tape, not more of it. The combination of additional regulation and duplication, or regulatory overlap, is even less desirable. I also have concerns about the lack of regional representation on the commission. This is a great concern, and it goes against the recommendations of the accord report for the ATEC board to include several further commissioners, including an equity commissioner and a regional education commissioner. There are also concerns around the lack of independence in ATEC. ATEC will prepare reports and provide advice and recommendations if requested by the minister, and the minister will dictate what it should be providing advice on. The bills enshrine a national tertiary education objective for which ATEC must have regard—among other things, driving a national, economic and social development and environmental sustainability, as recommended in the report. ATEC, around these parameters, will negotiate new tailored mission based compacts. What are those missions, and on what basis are they driving national, economic and social development and environmental sustainability? Those things, and how to achieve those aspects in our country—and what those aspects even are—are highly contested, including in this place. I would hate to see the tertiary sector, via a commission, be the instrument through which a minister of the day directs it to try and drive a certain type of ideolo…
date: 2026-02-09T12:26:00+00:00

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Let's have a think about what has happened this week as a result of inflationary pressure—the uptick in the inflation numbers. Interest rates have risen. What does that mean for people? It...
encoded: Let's have a think about what has happened this week as a result of inflationary pressure—the uptick in the inflation numbers. Interest rates have risen. What does that mean for people? It means their mortgage repayments have risen, and it means the cost-of-living crisis just got a lot worse. That's a serious problem for people out there who live in the real world—not in the chamber, where sometimes people are more interested in talking about political games than what actually matters to people. There's a lot of duck and spin in parliament this week about why this has happened, but I want to put some points together and try and link them logically; try and follow with me. Firstly, the government's failing energy policy is putting the retail cost of energy power up. It's going up because the policy's a dud. It's based on ideology, not reality—and if you want to know that, talk to RepuTex. In an attempt to paper over this failure, with sleight of hand the government gives out energy rebates—one of a very great number of government spending measures by this Labor government that thinks fiscal responsibility is an optional extra. The Treasurer thinks: 'That's okay; we'll give out energy rebates and that will reduce the headline rate of inflation. No-one will notice and everything will be rosy for the economy.' The issue for the Treasurer is the RBA are a bit smarter than that, and they take into account the trimmed mean inflation number as well; therefore, interest rates have gone up. Before people talk about criticising us about the rebates: we wouldn't have had such a ham-fisted energy policy that increased prices in the first place. What does this mean? It means it's getting more expensive to get a mortgage. If you're already paying one off you're paying a lot more, and the cost-of-living crisis is now affecting you even more than it was. If you aspire to buy a house, it just got a lot harder because you're going to need a lot more in your repayments. Not only is tha…
date: 2026-02-04T16:40:00+00:00

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: It's $7 in the Hunter.
encoded: It's $7 in the Hunter.
date: 2026-02-04T16:31:00+00:00

Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I, too, rise to speak on the Copyright Amendment Bill 2025. By its nature, it's a rather uncontroversial bill. As the member for Deakin said, it's supported across the chamber. It makes a lot of...
encoded: I, too, rise to speak on the Copyright Amendment Bill 2025. By its nature, it's a rather uncontroversial bill. As the member for Deakin said, it's supported across the chamber. It makes a lot of technical changes. These reforms are the result of several years of consultation, roundtables and review work commissioned by the government in 2023. I just want to say that I and a lot of us are strong supporters of copyright. Creators—whether they're artists, musicians, writers or photographers—should be paid for the reproduction or use of their works and should be acknowledged for those things. Copyright has become very topical in the last 10 to 15 years. My own artistic endeavour is music, and when I was a wannabe rock star, back in the day, I was in a band called The Hunted and I co-wrote a song called 'The Ballad of the Aimless Artist'. I always want to make sure that the ideas that I put forward are protected in some way. It's interesting to see the way the music industry has evolved, particularly with a number of claims. One famous one was by the American guitarist Joe Satriani, who had a piece of music called 'If I Could Fly'. The melody is remarkably similar to Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida', and, when that was challenged, it was settled out of court. Of course, there's also the famous Australian example of the Men at Work song 'Down Under' and 'Kookaburra' about the Kookaburra who sits in an old gum tree. It's become something that courts and, indeed, legislatures across the world and in our own country have had to grapple with. What is an original idea? When has someone else used it, even if they didn't mean to breach the copyright? If the idea existed and then someone else gains from it, there does need to be some clarification and restitution for that artistic idea. I've also had a keen interest in looking at this bill through a regional lens, particularly as there are a lot of implications for distance learning. The Copyright Amendment Bill 2025 amends the Copyrigh…
date: 2026-02-03T17:37:00+00:00

Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How many Australians received the $275 reduction in their energy bill that Labor promised by the end of last year?
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How many Australians received the $275 reduction in their energy bill that Labor promised by the end of last year?
date: 2026-02-03T15:37:00+00:00

Victoria: Bushfires | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Earlier last month large areas of my electorate and the member for Indi's electorate were ravaged by bushfire. Fires that started around the Longwood area were pushed by a north-westerly into...
encoded: Earlier last month large areas of my electorate and the member for Indi's electorate were ravaged by bushfire. Fires that started around the Longwood area were pushed by a north-westerly into farmland and bushland, devastating more than 140,000 hectares. In addition, there were fires up in the north of my electorate in a place called Yarroweyah. Many houses have been lost. Many businesses have been affected, including farms. The iconic Fowles Winery has lost vineyards, and farmers have been forced to go out there with their rifles and put down livestock. I want to give a big shout-out to the state member for Euroa, my National Party colleague Annabelle Cleeland, who has gone above and beyond to help her community with fodder drives and other support. The member for Indi and I met with the Strathbogie Shire Council, which is the council that was most affected. They are saying, 'We have had so much infrastructure damage and we have such a small rate base; how are we going to build it back?' I thank the Minister for Emergency Management for coming to visit with them, but the issue we have is the Strathbogie shire is still awaiting funding for infrastructure that was damaged in the 2022 floods—namely, Kirwans bridge. They're worried that they're not going to get the government support to fix the infrastructure that they've lost in this natural disaster. I ask the Minister for Emergency Management and Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories to come to the party and help the Strathbogie Shire Council.
date: 2026-02-03T13:45:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
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description: Sunday 14 December 2025 will go down as a day of tragedy and infamy for our nation. It was a day when thousands of people who were peacefully and gracefully celebrating the festival of Hanukkah...
encoded: Sunday 14 December 2025 will go down as a day of tragedy and infamy for our nation. It was a day when thousands of people who were peacefully and gracefully celebrating the festival of Hanukkah were attacked—attacked for being Jewish. Fifteen of them—not them, but fifteen of us—were killed. It's hard to find words to describe how despicable, cowardly and evil this act and the people who perpetrated it are. Aussies at a beach, embracing faith—epitomised by Matilda, a 10-year-old with so much good in her, so much potential and with so much to offer our community—were cut down by hatred and an ideology with nothing to offer. The Jewish community has got a proud history in my electorate, in Shepparton and in the Goulburn Valley. As refugees and migrants coming over many years, they've set up the fruit farms, the dairy farms and—most famously—the packing technologies that drove those industries forward. There was a synagogue; it's no longer there, but there's a memorial stone on Poplar Avenue in Shepparton where the synagogue was. After the terrible events in Bondi, the Shepparton Interfaith Network, a group of all faiths—Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Jewish people—all gathered for a candlelight vigil and to talk about the way that faiths have been able to exist together in the Goulburn Valley in a peaceful way. There was no radicalisation, just faith in a culture that says, 'We respect your right to your faith as long as you respect ours.' It's a culture that's eroding in parts of Australia. So where to from here? What are the norms in our society, and what do we want them to be? Do we have the courage to call out the antisemitism in our nation—wherever it resides? Examples of where it resides were articulated so well earlier today by the Member for Berowra. A precious part of our Australian community was attacked in December, and we need to have their backs and give them the support they need. My heart goes out to those whose lives were cut short and the families…
date: 2026-01-19T18:18:00+00:00

Roads, Veterans | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: In the Nationals we often talk about bringing common sense to Canberra, and I can tell you that this is needed more than ever. The Albanese government doesn't seem to get regional Australia....
encoded: In the Nationals we often talk about bringing common sense to Canberra, and I can tell you that this is needed more than ever. The Albanese government doesn't seem to get regional Australia. They're trying to get farmers to pay for biosecurity, trying to tax unrealised capital gains in the superannuation accounts of farmers and small businesses, and threatening the viability of small pharmacies, which are often the only frontline health services in regional towns. Those attempts all failed, but the backflips are continuing. In another win for common sense, the proposal to drop the default speed on unsigned country roads to 70 kilometres an hour has been dumped. This was a bad idea created in Canberra without any understanding of how regional communities actually live, work and travel. It ignored the realities of regional life: long distances, freight, farm work, emergency services and families who simply can't afford to lose more time on the road. It was an idea so bad there was not only pushback from regional communities; regional Labor members didn't want it either. Instead of wasting resources on silly ideas, the government must invest in money to repair and maintain our roads. Regional drivers are fed up with dodging potholes, repairing busted wheels and slowing down at roadworks only to see them washed out after a couple of months. The second backflip, another win for common sense, came with Labor abandoning its attempt to weaken the integrity of the Defence honours and awards appeals system. I want to pay tribute to my colleague the member for Gippsland, a champion of veterans, for leading the campaign against those changes. Veterans who contacted me were worried, frustrated and feeling overlooked, and these changes would have stripped rights away from the very people who have served our nation. There are a number of people who wouldn't have received much-deserved awards had these changes been in place for some years. Thankfully, they're not going to be in pla…
date: 2025-11-27T10:18:00+00:00

Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I too rise to speak on the Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025. This bill will insert a new section into the Migration Act 1958 that authorises the secretary of the...
encoded: I too rise to speak on the Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025. This bill will insert a new section into the Migration Act 1958 that authorises the secretary of the Department of Home Affairs to publish a public register containing the details of employee sponsorship of skilled migrants. The bill title attempts to link this register to combating migrant exploitation. I have no issue with combating migrant exploitation or the exploitation of any workers. But particularly vulnerable people who are coming from overseas to work in our industries need to be protected. That is something that is believed on that side of the House and it is something that is believed on this side of the House. I have worked in horticultural industries for a great many years and I have seen a lot of good work on both sides from good people who want to make sure that the people who come from overseas to work in our industries are protected. I'm confident in saying many farmers and businesses in my electorate of Nicholls who welcome migrant workers feel exactly the same way. Skilled migration, whether temporary or permanent, has always been about benefiting both sides of the equation. Farms and businesses facing critical workforce shortages are able to access skills and labour, and migrants are able to access jobs, be paid a fair wage and work under fair employment conditions. We have history of this. This is basically what built the electorate I now represent. Anytime anyone turned up in Australia, even before World War II, from the Albanian community, where were they sent? They were sent to where there was requirement for what was then unskilled labour. Those people often came to the Goulburn Valley, which was a burgeoning irrigation district that had a lot of dairy farms, a lot of fruit orchards. After the war, people from the United Kingdom, southern Europe, the subcontinent, the Middle East and now from Africa and parts of Asia have been welcomed in the Goulbur…
date: 2025-11-26T18:59:00+00:00

Gnarly Neighbours | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: I make this 90-second statement today as part of Gnarly Neighbours' Gnarly90 campaign, which raises awareness of youth mental health and encourages everyone to take action. The campaign, run by...
encoded: I make this 90-second statement today as part of Gnarly Neighbours' Gnarly90 campaign, which raises awareness of youth mental health and encourages everyone to take action. The campaign, run by Jayden Sheridan of Seymour, from my electorate, invites people to get involved in their own way with 90 minutes, 90 actions, 90 skate tricks or even just 90 seconds to support young people and show they are not alone. Jayden grew up without stability or support, and he built Gnarly Neighbours so that young people today don't have to face the same struggles he did. Gnarly Neighbours gives kids a safe place to go—a place where they can learn to skate, be creative, talk to mentors and feel part of the community. Their neighbourhood space in Seymour includes a cafe, a print shop, a skates store and an indoor skate park, with every dollar going straight back to free youth programs. They also run an employment program that gives young people real jobs, real skills and the confidence that they can build a life for themselves. Disconnection and isolation put young people at serious risk, and suicide is now the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 24. That's why supporting programs like Gnarly Neighbours matters. They create safe spaces where young people can grow, connect and find their way. I sincerely thank Jayden Sheridan and the whole Gnarly Neighbours team for their incredible work. Their dedication gives young people belonging, opportunity and a chance to thrive.
date: 2025-11-26T13:42:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: She's a wonderful saxophone player, and our coalition will not be torn apart, Member for Wannon. We need to raise more than just a glass to the brewers. The Australian beer industry generates $16...
encoded: She's a wonderful saxophone player, and our coalition will not be torn apart, Member for Wannon. We need to raise more than just a glass to the brewers. The Australian beer industry generates $16 billion a year for Australia's economy and supports nearly 176,000 jobs. Of those jobs, 126,300 are in hospitality. This bill is important, and we support it, because beer is a good part of Australia's culture. When Mick Dundee was in a bar in New York, an American came up and said, 'Hey, what's going down?' His reply was: 'Oh, yeah, mate. I'm just blowing the froth off a couple.' There are people blowing the froth off a couple all around Australia and, as much as that's a fun thing to do, it generates economic activity for a lot of people and for a lot of industries. But I think we can do more to help industry generally. For the farming industries that supply to the brewing industry, the people who are supplying infrastructure such as Furphy tanks to the industry and the people who are out there marketing and selling the beer, we can do more to help them. We should do that by reviewing how we tax alcohol in general, whether it's fair and whether there are unintended consequences, and what we can do to stimulate Australia's art scene, and get back to more socialisation—from before the pandemic, back in the old days—stimulate the industry and particularly stimulate the hospitality industry, because those jobs, those people and those businesses are hugely important to Australia's economy and culture.
date: 2025-11-25T16:18:00+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 rise to speak on the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. From the outset, I make it clear that the beer relief offered by these bills is a bit of a...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. From the outset, I make it clear that the beer relief offered by these bills is a bit of a 'Furphy', but it is very important; I'll come back to that shortly. I love a beer, like many Australians. Indeed, I co-chair the Parliamentary Friends of Brewing group with my good friend the member for Cunningham. We co-hosted a Parliamentary Friends of Brewing event this week. But beer isn't all about consumption; beer is good for the economy. The Australian brewing industry spends around $500 million on domestically sourced agricultural ingredients such as barley and hops. A lot of that barley is grown in my electorate of Nicholls. Some of the hops is grown in Tasmania, and a lot of it's grown in the electorate of Indi, around the Mansfield area. Agriculture is at the heart of the beer supply chain, and around five per cent of all beer is made in Australia for local consumption with wholly Australian beer supply chains. We did a brewers tour of Nicholls, and I was honoured to have people—among them the member for Casey, the member for Monash and some Victorian parliamentarians—come and visit a barley grower in a place called Dookie, the Shepparton Brewery and, very importantly, J Furphy & Sons, which makes the tanks that a lot of beer is brewed in around Australia. J Furphy & Sons has been manufacturing in Australia since 1864 and is one of Australia's oldest continuously operating family businesses. Furphy water carts are world famous, and the tank ends are highly collectible. Consistently embossed on the tank ends is a little poem: Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Till your good is better and your better best. In many ways that reflects the endeavour and entrepreneurial spirit that took root across the region as one of the world's greatest irrigation schemes breathed new life into the Goulburn and Murray valleys. The Furphy water cart also gave rise to the term 'furphy'…
date: 2025-11-25T16:18:00+00:00

Aged Care | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: I move: That this House: (1) notes the failure of the Government to deliver adequate aged care beds, with only 802 new residential aged care beds despite an annual need for more than 10,000 new...
encoded: I move: That this House: (1) notes the failure of the Government to deliver adequate aged care beds, with only 802 new residential aged care beds despite an annual need for more than 10,000 new beds; (2) condemns the Government for forcing older Australians to remain in hospital beds with no medical need, leaving them 'effectively homeless' due to a severe shortage of aged care placements, at the expense of other patients needing urgent care; (3) acknowledges the serious warnings from state health ministers, including from New South Wales and South Australian ministers, that this failure is blocking hospital beds, contributing to bed block in emergency departments, cancelled surgeries, and gridlock across public hospital systems; and (4) further notes that the Government claims to be investing in aged care but the current approach is clearly failing older Australians, hospital staff and patients, and demonstrates yet another example of the Government announcing big promises without delivering the necessary outcomes. The Albanese government's lack of investment in residential aged care has been laid bare. Residential aged care supply increased by just 578 beds in 2024-25, less than one-tenth of the 10,600 additional places needed per year to meet demand as projected by the department. The Boxwell & Co analysis confirms that Australia's aged-care supply crisis has reached a critical tipping point, with occupancy levels hitting 94.4 per cent and full capacity projected within three years. Three states—New South Wales, WA and Tasmania—have had no growth at all; in fact, they went backwards. They have had a net decrease in aged-care beds thanks to Labor. Already, the failure of the Albanese government to open new beds is leaving elderly people stranded in hospitals when they should be recuperating and staying in an aged-care bed. The state and territory leaders held an emergency meeting last week on aged-care beds and hospitals. The Queensland and Tasmanian premiers spec…
date: 2025-11-24T17:11:00+00:00

Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Straight to the pool room!
encoded: Straight to the pool room!
date: 2025-11-24T16:43:00+00:00

Hansen Yuncken | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I'd like to send my warmest congratulations to the incredible team at Hansen Yuncken on 100 years of continuous building excellence in Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley. For a century, Hansen...
encoded: I'd like to send my warmest congratulations to the incredible team at Hansen Yuncken on 100 years of continuous building excellence in Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley. For a century, Hansen Yuncken has bee more than just a construction company. Founded by Lauritz Hansen and Otto Yuncken with a simple handshake, the company has been a vital part of our community, shaping the places where we live, work, learn and come together. From early projects with Ardmona and Kyabram cannery to modern facilities like the Greater Shepparton Secondary College, All Saints Anglican School and the Goulburn Valley hospital accommodation project, their work has left a lasting mark on our region. Equally important is the ongoing commitment to the people of Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley. Employing local tradies, supporting local suppliers and fostering opportunities for young apprentices has strengthened our community and ensured that skills and expertise stay in our region. It's always a delight to see Hansen Yuncken signs when you drive past a building site, because you know local tradies are being employed, local businesses are being supported and our community is benefiting. The company is now visible across Australia, where you will find their projects at the centre of everyday life, from universities and schools to iconic arts precincts, commercial and industrial buildings and public buildings for Defence and the Australian Tax Office. This century is not only a celebration of past achievements but also a recognition of the values that have guided Hansen Yuncken's journey: trust, excellence and connection to the local community. On behalf of all the residents of Nicholls, I want to acknowledge the generations of Hansen and Yuncken families and the countless staff past and present who have contributed to their remarkable legacy across Shepparton, the Goulburn Valley and now, indeed, Australia. Congratulations on 100 years of success, service, commitment and making sure local …
date: 2025-11-05T10:06:00+00:00