Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Deakin may not have realised that in May this year the Australian people voted for change. They voted for a government that would finally put people first and build a better future for our nation, much better than the one that those opposite left behind. When the previous government left office, the vital services and supports Australians built for vulnerable people were in an absolute mess. In my previous role as a staffer, I saw just how much our community was suffering due to the nine years of neglect from the previous government. Our Public Service had been gutted and contracted out. This has decimated the morale of public servants and had a devastating effect on delivering the services that all Australians will need at some point in their lives.

Since the election in May, people in my community have said that they felt absolute relief when the Albanese government was sworn in, relief that they now have a government that cares, a government that listens, a government that makes them feel safe. Most importantly, they have said that the adults are back in charge. This Labor government is working hard to make our communities and our country a better place. This is a government that cares about people. It cares about our planet and it cares about our economy and jobs.

From speaking with my colleagues in recent months I know all of our offices have been inundated with people who need things fixed—and urgently. Many of them have told us that they had completely given up seeking help under the previous government. Since the election, my staff and I have processed over 1,000 meeting requests and invitations and helped more than 2,000 members of our community to get the support, services and assistance that they require. We have been inundated with people trying to resolve urgent care requirements under the NDIS, to progress Centrelink applications and to resolve year-long delays in their visa inquiries.

When Labor was first elected, there were one million backlogged visa applications. That's one million people who were awaiting the knowledge that they could come or stay in this country, build a family here or visit their loved ones. That's one million people who the previous government was unable to help or who it was simply uninterested in helping.

Then there were the passport delays. All of us in this place will know the impact that passport delays have had on our communities. We have all heard the stories of locals having their family visits postponed or cancelled, having holidays delayed and, of course, being tragically unable to leave the country in time to visit a loved one before they passed. My staff have worked tirelessly and productively with the offices of the minister for immigration and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, making representations on behalf of many local constituents who have family members desperately waiting to come and visit them, especially after such a long time apart due to COVID.

I would like to congratulate the minister for immigration, who last week announced that the Albanese-Labor government has cleared almost one-quarter of the backlogged visa applications that we inherited, and he hopes to clear 40 per cent of them by the end of the year. There are still a lot, but at least we are working our way through them. I would also like to thank the minister's staff for their help in assisting so many of my constituents. I know they are very grateful when we get good results.

I would also like to take a moment to thank my staff and the ministerial staff in this building for their tireless work in helping our community in the six months since my election. You have all done an amazing job in this busy, busy Labor government.

In addition, we have been busy legislating the mandate that was given to us by the Australian people. Since being elected just six months ago, we have passed historic legislation, putting the care back into aged care. We are working hard to repair the system after nine years of neglect by those opposite. We have also legislated our climate targets and brought Australia back onto the world stage to help deliver a cleaner and greener future to tackle climate change.

We are delivering on our commitment to provide Australians with cheaper medicines and 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave and to repeal the cruel cashless welfare card. I know many in my community are particularly excited for us to deliver on our A Future Made in Australia plan, ensuring regional Australia is at the forefront of manufacturing and helping to build our clean energy future. That's not all: we are currently debating legislation on secure jobs, better pay, cheaper child care, safer workplaces for women and a national anti-corruption commission. I am so proud of the first six months of this government, and I can't wait to see the better future we are building.

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