Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is the greatest honour of my life to rise before you today as the member for Gorton. The golden wattle above your chair, Deputy Speaker, is a powerful symbol of our country. Golden wattle is our national flower. It reminds us of our connection in this place to flora and fauna, to our lands and our waterways. For our First Peoples, it's a connection tens of thousands of years strong.

I want to begin by acknowledging the lands on which we are gathered, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, the traditional custodians of the Canberra area, and in my own community, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. I pay my respects to elders past and present as well as any First Nations people joining us today. Sixty-five thousand years as the longest continuing culture in the world is something we can all be proud of. I too am proud of our reconciliation journey towards treaty as we walk country together—always was, always will be. I'm also extremely honoured to be the first woman elected to the seat of Gorton and to join such a large group of incredible women in our Labor caucus.

I'd like to begin my thankyous by paying tribute to my predecessor, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor. He was the first ever member for Gorton and, prior to that, the member for Burke. It's an honour to follow in his footsteps, and I'd like to thank him for his mentorship, sage advice and wisdom over the last few months. Brendan can look around the electorate at all he's achieved locally and see his legacy in our community, in Melbourne's west, and around Australia through his contribution to this parliament. Brendan, thank you for your commitment and service to the people of Gorton.

I wouldn't be here without the thousands of hours that hundreds of volunteers from our incredible Labor branches and union movement put into our grassroots campaign. It can be daunting being a new candidate in a federal election, but I was surrounded by a band of warriors that were with me every step of the way. Thousands of doors were knocked, and phone calls were made. There were real conversations with people about real issues.

Callum Rees steered the ship of our amazing campaign team with support from field organiser Amelia Seevia together with Gabriella Dawson, Skye Griffiths, Ian Herbert, Ruby Nunns, Bassel Tallel, Ben Fourniotis, Zeynep Yesilyurt, Corey Perkins, Mem Suleyman, Gamini Perara, Ravi Singh, Sisay Dinku, Matt Pearse, James Maccaron, Tanmay Kabir, Avtar Singh, Simarjeet Singh, Gary Verma, Jared Sheehan and Rhea Verma. There's an even longer list of people who gave their time, energy and heart to our campaign. I am here today because of you—all of you. Thank you for your passion and belief. I also stand on the shoulders of Labor giants: Ian Herbert, Dawn Clark, Hucki Suleyman, Marlene Gorman, Marlene Borg, Lindsay Knight and others—the true believers of Gorton. To the entire Labor team, including Paul Erickson, Jen Light, Steve Staikos and Jett Fogarty: thank you. To Steve Le and Susan Crebbin: thank you.

I'd like to pay tribute to our union movement—in particular, my union, the mighty Transport Workers' Union, and every member of this proud organisation. Thank you to Michael Kaine, Emily McMillan, Sam Lynch and Richard Olsen for all you do to protect the rights of transport workers every day. I'd also like to thank the RTBU and the SDA for their support in my campaign.

To the Prime Minister: it feels like years ago that we had coffee at Sweet Lulus cafe in Keilor and shared stories about how AFL is better than NRL. Thank you for all of your support and for showing us that kindness and care should be at the centre of our leadership. It's an honour to join your Labor team.

To the Deputy Prime Minister, who I welcomed a number of times to the seat of Gorton throughout the campaign: I've been very grateful for your friendship and advice, particularly over the last few months.

I'd like to thank a number of senior colleagues in this room who have mentored me and shown me the ropes. To my dear friend the member for Hawke, who is behind me: thank you. You are incredible. I'll forever appreciate your support, advice and banter. To the member for Ballarat, who launched my campaign: thank you. To my friends the member for Gellibrand, the member for Lalor, the member for Hotham, the member for McEwen, the member for Fraser and Senator Jana Stewart: thank you.

To my state colleagues, including Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, Minister Natalie Suleyman, Luba Grigorovitch, Martha Haylett and Ella George: thank you for helping me navigate this next chapter and beyond. To the Hon. James Merlino: I have learnt so much about leadership and kindness from you. Thank you for your support.

There are two friends I'd love to acknowledge that are very dear to me. They are Sam Lynch and Martha Haylett, who are here today with their beautiful son, Liam. Thank you for helping me through the imposter syndrome, for helping me see that people like me, who don't fit the traditional mould of a federal candidate, could dream of serving their community by running for parliament. You're two of the sharpest minds of our country, and I am in awe of both of you. I wouldn't be here without you, and your friendship means more to me than you'll ever know.

Finally, and most importantly, I'd like to thank the people of Gorton. Thank you for putting your trust in me. Please know—every day and with every decision—I'll be working to represent you, your family and our community, whether or not you voted for me.

I am the way I am, and I am Labor, because of my family and my community. My girlfriends, many of whom are here today, have been there with me through some of toughest, scariest, nerve-racking, life-altering times in my life. They've also danced with me through some of the best. You have been an incredible source of support and an incredible reminder of how much female friendships are the very best gift. There's a reason I had seven bridesmaids at my wedding. To my wonderful in-laws, Maria and Paul Paduano, to Stephanie and Ross Dyson and to my beautiful nieces Sierra and Grace: I couldn't ask for a more supportive family to marry into. To my cousins Cassandra and Penelope Jordan: you are like sisters to me.

When this opportunity came up, I asked my husband, Chris Paduano, if this was a good idea. His reply was: 'Of course it is. Say yes and we'll work out the details later. You can do this, and we can do this.' We met at a 21st birthday party after a few beers on a rainy night in the Keilor Hotel in the north of the Gorton electorate and, fittingly, nearly 10 years later, we spent our first wedding anniversary at the Caroline Springs Scout Centre, talking to voters on pre-poll, also in the rain. Chris, you have been on board with this idea from the very first second it became a possibility. You are the love of my life and I cannot thank you enough.

My parents are rail professionals and are both examples of passionate, hardworking Australians who inspired us to dream big. Politics was always part of our upbringing, unavoidable given my parents met at an anti-uranium mining rally while at Monash University on a protest bike ride to this very place. My dad is a railway signalling engineer who would often take my sisters and I to look at rail level crossings as kids. Through him we learnt the importance of rail transport infrastructure and planning for the growth of Melbourne. It also meant, while my friends were at home watching Round the Twist, I was learning the difference between standard and broad-gauge rail tracks.

I also need to pay tribute to the women in my family. I am the granddaughter, the daughter and the sister of fierce women. My grandmother Jean Lynette Steele raised six kids and was a Melbourne based school teacher who did her time in the Australian Women's Land Army when the Second World War broke out. My mother, Prue Jordan, was one of the first women to work on the Melbourne underground rail loop, these days known as the city loop, at a time when the railways were dominated by men. My oldest sister Emily continues that legacy as an amazing infrastructure lawyer, working on some of Melbourne's major transport projects. I'm excited that she has recently become a new mother to her son, James.

Anyone who has one will know that big sisters are special. They inspire, they mentor and they ground you, which brings me to my other sister, Clara Jordan-Baird. Clara is the reason I have the courage to put my hand up for public office. She is one of the reasons I am here today as the member for Gorton. Clara spoke a mile a minute and had a relentless optimism about politics and the western suburbs of Melbourne. When I was a teenager, I started working in hospitality for a local burger joint. My employer strongly encouraged me into signing up for a traineeship that they said justified my low wages. Protecting the rights of and supporting young people is something close to my heart and one of the reasons I joined the Australian Labor Party. Clara felt the same and campaigned to protect the rights of interns and for quality paid internships as national policy director of interns Australia. She campaigned against the Youth Jobs PaTH program set up by the then federal Liberal government. This program meant that employers could disguise entry level jobs such as cafe staff and shop assistants as 'internships' and pay below minimum wage. Together we joined Young Labor and supported candidates and members in state and federal campaigns, knocking on doors, winning hearts and minds. Some members of this place knew Clara, and she loved the time in Canberra as she worked for my friend the member for Gellibrand. After a stint as an associate in the Supreme Court she went on to become a property lawyer, paving the way for housing estates to be built in Melbourne's western suburbs. As the younger sister, I was in awe of my sister Clara; she was my other half, so when she passed away suddenly in her workplace in 2017 at just 28 years old, my family and I were absolutely devastated. Her memorial filled the Victorian Trades Hall with family and friends, many of whom are here today. So big and profound was her contribution to the west, there is a street named after her in Mount Atkinson, Clara Avenue, fittingly right in the heart of the Gorton electorate.

Grief can be paralysing, raw. Some days it is truly debilitating. Many people in this place will know what that feels like. But after some time has passed, grief can sometimes be motivating, and for me it crystallised what's important—to me, to my family and to my community. For those who knew her, Clara's determination and drive for positive change was contagious, and she lit that spark and determination in me as well.

My career isn't as linear as many of my colleagues in this place. I studied science and majored in neuroscience, and I have a background in education, public transport and water policy. As diverse as my career has been, one thing has remained a constant: my connection to the western suburbs. It's where I live and where I've played Aussie Rules for the Western Spurs and West Footscray Roosters. It's where my family lives and where Chris and I are excited to start our own family one day. We're not alone in this ambition. Gorton is one of the fastest growing electorates in the country. Close to 50 babies are born a week in the City of Melton alone. We need to plan ahead for our growing outer suburbs by ensuring adequate infrastructure and services before houses are built. Planning for GP clinics, businesses, child care, schools, train stations, proper roads and freeways for our new suburbs is vital. One of the keys to building this is the Melbourne Airport rail link, which paves the way for the electrification of the Melton train line. These upgrades are essential for preparing for the growth of the west, and I am so proud the federal Labor government has committed to making Sunshine superhub a reality.

As communities like mine continue to grow, and grow fast, infrastructure must keep up. We also need to plan in a way that takes climate change into account and an evolving flood plain so we can build more houses without flooding others. Better planning also means getting the basics right—simple things like building roads wide enough for more than one car in our brand-new housing estates. Planning new housing estates is a huge issue in my electorate. It's why we need to look at clear enforceable standards for the new estates and we need to hold developers to account—no more families spending their life savings on broken promises when they were sold another picture. The path to homeownership is hard enough.

Another reason I am proudly Labor is Medicare. We are lucky to have one of the best healthcare systems in the world—a system conceptualised, built and strengthened by Labor. It's no secret that our Medicare card is the colours of golden wattle: yellow and green. Medicare is one of the reasons we live in the best country in the world. I had the honour of volunteering at the wonderful Royal Children's Hospital in Parkville for a number of years. I supported the music and play therapists on the wards as children were undergoing treatment for some of the most serious medical conditions imaginable. I sat with parents and children through some of the hardest, most anxious times of their lives and helped give kids a chance to play and let them feel like they were just like other kids, to help them find laughter and light in moments of stress and hard conversations. I saw firsthand how our world-class healthcare system supports Victorian families during some incredibly difficult times.

At the same time we must recognise an inescapable truth: people in my community in the west do not have the same health outcomes as they do in the eastern suburbs of the same city, let alone in rural and regional areas. This is simply unacceptable. The need is clear: we need to make health care more accessible. When people are struggling to pay the bills, they'll put off seeing a GP and pay for groceries instead. I am so proud of Labor's commitments to further strengthen Medicare, in particular expanding the number of urgent care clinics and boosting women's health services, but I'll continue to fight for more bulk-billed GPs, specialists, hospitals and outpatient services that are accessible to those in my electorate. Gorton is one of the youngest electorates in the country, with a median age of 35. High-quality early childhood education, schools, TAFE and universities are imperative. I was so pleased when the Albanese government announced they would be fully funding every single public school in Australia. A good education, a good school or a good teacher is transformative, and it shouldn't matter what postcode you live in or what your bank balance is; every Australian deserves that opportunity.

I was proud to work on the Victorian secondary school policy reforms in the applied learning space, bringing the former VCAL into the VCE. These reforms are about giving vocational skills the same respect and recognition as academic ones and ensuring we have the skilled workforce to build Australia's future. My husband, Chris, is a mature aged electrical apprentice now in his second year. He was able to make that career change later in life as a result of Labor's free TAFE. Last year, TAFE was legislated to be made free permanently by the Labor government. That's what young people and families in the western suburbs want—high-quality apprenticeships and schools that lead to good jobs, close to home.

The ideas I've talked about today, ensuring our outer suburbs have the infrastructure, health care and education they need, are the core values of our Labor Party and as Australians. We, on this side of the house, are ambitious about our future. We believe that everyone deserves care and compassion, not just those of the deepest pockets or the loudest voices. Together, we look out for each other and ensure no-one is left behind. It's the reason so many new Australians choose to make our nation their home. I'm proud to represent a wonderfully diverse, multicultural community. Our country's history is the story of migrants. It's in our national anthem:

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share;

My ancestors came over here by boat from Scotland and England just over 100 years ago. Like so many, they came seeking opportunity, and like so many since, they helped build the nation we're proud to call home today. Migrants are the backbone of our community and our economy. Today, I want to share three local stories from people I met during the campaign that bring that to life.

Aasta is a teenager who is currently working at her family's automotive business in Ravenhall, next to Caroline Springs. She is from the Sikh community and is one of the only women in her automotive management class at TAFE. She's learning the skills to one day take the reins and continue the family business. Diana runs a wonderful cafe in the heart of Keilor village with her husband, Ahmad. Originally from Lebanon, they moved around the world before finding their home in Australia seven years ago. Together, they've poured everything into their cafe, building not just a business but a place of connection. Joe is an older Maltese man I met while doorknocking in Burnside. He left behind war and hardship and made a new life for himself and his family in Melbourne's west, whilst serving our country in the army.

Aasta, Diana, Ahmad and Joe—each of their stories shares a common thread. Each one is hardworking, generous and looks after their neighbours. They should all be role models to us here in this place, because we live in the best country in the world. We should be proud of that. We must protect that. The connotations of the word 'patriotism' has changed a lot in the last few decades. Today, the word is too often used as a way to divide and exclude. I believe we can express the love of our country in many different ways. Members in this place will recognise it in the local citizenship ceremonies we have the honour of attending. The energy in that room is magic—the joy, the connection and the immense pride felt by families starting a new chapter. In those moments, we see an inclusive kind of patriotism—one that recognises diversity and unity of our modern Australia. We see it in other ways too. We see it in the volunteers who give up their weekends to run sausage sizzles, pack food hampers or coach the local footy team. We see it in our nurses, doctors and ambos, who show up day in and day out to care for their communities. We see it in our teachers and educators, who know that learning is life changing. We see it in our bus drivers, truck drivers and airline workers—those hardworking Australians that quite literally keep our country moving. We see it in the actions of everyday Australians—people who are fundamentally decent and hopeful about our future.

On that note, I return to the golden wattle above your chair. I wear a bottle brooch, as well, on my lapel in this chamber. Like our First Australians, the wattle tree has been here for thousands of years. It is a symbol of strength, survival and renewal, much like our country's story. Like the wattle, our nation's strength comes from the deep connections we share across communities, cultures and generations. It reminds us that no matter the challenges we face, we can only grow stronger together. We should be proud to love our country as progressive patriots. As her favourite bloom, wattle also reminds me of Clara. Clara rhymes with Sarah. Like me, she loved our nation profoundly and believed deeply in our democratic institutions. I remember early on in my career asking for her advice. She told me, 'Go where the work is interesting.' Now I know what she really meant was, 'Go where you can make a difference.' So here I am, and I can't wait to get started.

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