Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion from the member for Casey, because artificial intelligence is no longer coming; it's already here. It's in our homes, our schools, our workplaces and, yes, even the way our kids are doing their homework. AI is developing fast, and, if we don't get serious about it—really serious—then Australia risks being left well behind. The opportunities in front of us are massive. This technology can lift productivity, streamline services and spark new industries. Across electorates like mine, in the northern Gold Coast, we know what it means to adapt, to innovate and to get on with the job when change arrives. Our part of the world doesn't sit back and wait for government to catch up, but that's exactly the problem. While Australians and their communities are moving ahead, this Labor government is stuck at the lights, looking in the rear-vision mirror. We've had talkfests. We've had discussion papers. But what we haven't had is a real plan and real action.

While other nations are investing in digital infrastructure, AI education and industry partnerships, Labor is still forming committees. Let's be honest. When the Prime Minister was asked about ChatGPT, he looked like he thought it was a breakfast cereal. You cannot lead a country through a digital revolution when you don't understand the tools that are at the centre of it. Labor says it wants to deliver efficiencies through AI. How about starting with the basics, like getting Centrelink to pick up the phone or stopping the delays in Medicare processing that are frustrating Australians right across the country? They talk a big game on innovation, but what have they actually done—raised energy costs, floated new taxes, throttled business confidence. You can't run a modern economy, let alone an AI economy, on uncertainty and ideology. You need reliability, affordability and a government that backs people to have a go. Under Labor, we've seen the opposite. Energy bills are up, red tape is up and confidence is down—and there is a digital agenda that moves slower than a buffering livestream. I support this motion because I support technology that works for people, not the other way around.

We on this side believe AI should be used to make life easier, not more bureaucratic. We believe government should use these tools to serve Australians better, not create another excuse for inaction. And we believe in backing Australians with the skills and infrastructure to compete not just here but on the global stage. That means building a workforce that's ready and making sure the next generation of Australians can work with AI, not be replaced by it. And it means writing laws that protect our privacy and values without strangling the innovation that drives opportunity.

Australia is full of smart, capable and forward-looking people—people who run small businesses, raise families, employ apprentices and back themselves. They know how to work hard and how to adapt. But what they need and deserve is a government that will back them to succeed in an ever-changing world. Right now, they're not getting that. Instead of leading from the front, this Labor government is doing what it always does: try to wrap everything up in red tape and hope someone else figures it out. The AI revolution won't wait for Labor to catch up; it's already here. I want to see an Australia where AI helps reduce pressure on teachers, improves diagnosis in our health system and lets small businesses focus on growth, not red tape. I want to see public services become more efficient, not more robotic, and I want to see Australia as a leader in ethical, practical and locally driven AI. But we won't get there with a government stuck in the past.

I commend this motion moved by my good friend the member for Casey, and I say to the government: stop dithering, stop delaying and start delivering. The future won't wait, and neither will Australians.

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