Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to express my profound thanks to the people of the electorate of Flinders for re-electing me to represent them in the Australian parliament on 3 May. The election in Flinders was hard fought, with seven candidates representing the Liberal Party—that's me—the Labor Party, the Greens, One Nation, Climate 200 and the Trumpet of Patriots, although the Trumpet of Patriots candidate gave up his commission when he realised his preferences were going to the Climate 200 candidate. I thank the good folk of Flinders for their trust—47,375 constituents put a '1' next to my mine.

The second-highest number of primary votes, 25,622, went to the Australian Labor Party candidate, Sarah Race, who has continued to pursue her passion for democracy as an electorate officer of Senator Jana Stewart, based in Reservoir. I worked with Sarah for years as she served on the Mornington Peninsula council, pursuing her passion for gender and Indigenous causes, and I trust she will continue to have an impact in that domain through her work with the good senator. I take a moment here to recognise her and her campaign companion in chief, member of the Victorian Legislative Council Tom McIntosh, who both acted in good grace, passion and honesty through the campaign and most especially through the prepoll period. I recognise and thank all other candidates for their participation in the election: Mike Brown of One Nation, Jason Smart of the Trumpets, later an Independent, Adam Frogley of Heidelberg for the Greens, Joseph Toscano of Brunswick, spokesperson of the Anarchist Media Institute, and Ben Smith as the Climate 200 funded candidate.

Flinders is without a doubt the most beautiful electorate in the country. Her residents are defined by their entrepreneurial spirit, volunteerism and community concern for one another. She should be hard fought over and hard won, and she was indeed this time.

Flinders is regularly characterised as an electorate which always votes for the more conservative side of politics, but this is a false representation. It should be remembered that Flinders has had at least two ALP members in the past, with the election of Bob Chynoweth from March 1983 to December 1984 and Keith Ewert between October 1952 and May 1954. Similarly, the state seat of Nepean, which, unlike the state seats of Hastings and Mornington, has always fallen entirely within the borders of the federal seat of Flinders, was the state Labor government's most marginal seat between 2018 and 2022, held by a margin of just 0.9 per cent or 767 votes. So, when the good folk of Flinders make a decision between left and right at the ballot box, it is fair to say that they do so with experience of both sides of government.

They have less experience, however, with the candidates who today comprise part of the crossbench in this place, formed and funded by the Climate 200 movement. There were 24,406 electors who voted for this movement in Flinders this time and, as a result of the creative deals done with the anarchist candidate, the Greens candidate, the Trumpet of Patriots and, indeed, attempted with One Nation, the Climate 200 candidate moved into second place, despite coming third in primary votes. This was a tactic pursued by the Climate 200 camp around the country, and its success in some seats is a stark message to those of us who represent the parties of government and who defend the integrity of our electoral system.

It is only the parties of government which can implement their promises to an electorate. It is only the parties of government which get to form government, to make the policy which drives this nation and to hold the elected government to account for their decisions and the expenditure of taxpayers' money. It is only the parties of government which understand the difficulty inherent in governing—the need for consultation, negotiation and compromise to reach the best possible outcome for the nation. It is, indeed, when the parties of government collaborate that Australia gets much of its best public policy, as evidenced this week with the passing of legislation earlier today on education relating to early learning and childcare safety.

A $2 million campaign in Flinders, one of the highest-spending anywhere in the country, not only introduced American-style campaigning and cash into our electorate but also sought to deceive the people of Flinders in terms of what a crossbench candidate can achieve. Let it be stated clearly here for the record that a crossbench candidate cannot 'save' a local hospital which is wholly regulated and owned by the state government. A crossbench candidate cannot ban jet skis off the coast of the Mornington Peninsula. A crossbench candidate cannot change parking practices alongside a small local public primary school. Our electorate was vastly misled by a Climate 200 candidate making promises he could never keep, confusing the competence of Canberra with council and state governments alike and, in doing so, increasing the likelihood that those governments will continue to ignore the needs of our local community, a dangerous development as we approach the state election at the end of next year with potentially critical repercussions for our residents.

But that this can happen is, in fact, our source of shame. We have allowed Australian civics education to reach its lowest level in two decades. In February of this year, the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority found that the 2024 assessment revealed that, at years 6 and 10, the percentage of students achieving the 'proficient' standard had declined significantly compared to the previous cycle. In fact, ACARA chairman Derek Scott warned us all:

… this is the lowest percentage of students achieving the proficient standard at either year level since the assessment began.

ACARA found that just 28 per cent of year 10 students met the proficiency standards, compared to 38 per cent when the last test was taken, in 2019. Students in year 6 had also declined 10 points in terms of proficiency—from 53 per cent in 2019 to 43 per cent rated 'proficient' in 2024. This is why I spend so much time delivering what I refer to as 'democracy class' in my electorate. I thank Crib Point Primary School, Rosebud Primary School, Somerville Primary School, Tootgarook Primary School, Mount Eliza Primary School, Somerville Secondary College, Hastings Primary School, Woodleigh School, Sorrento Primary School and Benton Junior College, who have all had me in to deliver a version of 'democracy class'—even in French, as I did at Peninsula Grammar, just for fun!

I find that, in every 'democracy class', children respond with enthusiasm and curiosity, keen to understand how we make decisions that will affect their future. I thank the students of Benton Junior College who last week quizzed me on e-bike laws, electric scooters and road rules, as well as public transport, the education system, social media and generative AI. We need to maintain this level of inquiry from grade 6 through to university and beyond. Australia's democracy is one of the best in the world but will only remain so with an informed voter base.

To that end, civics education is essential to ensure young and older Australians alike understand basic concepts about Australian democracy and institutions. Not only does it help them to make sensible decisions in terms of electing candidates of competence when it comes to fulfilling their functions of parliament and executive office; it also will defend them against foreign interference, extremism, conspiracy theories and misinformation when it comes to public debate. I am so grateful to the Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, for offering me the opportunity to apply myself to education policy and, within it, civics education through the role of shadow assistant minister for education.

The differences between Labor and Liberal were stark in terms of commitment to meeting the needs of my community of Flinders at the last election. The ALP made commitments of some $3 million, and I thank them for these investments and hope the government will in fact fulfil them, even though they were not successful in Flinders. The Liberal Party I represent made almost $1 billion worth of commitments to the people of Flinders, including new change facilities for girls at Crib Point and Sorrento football and netball clubs, wellness and mental health support to our veterans through the Rosebud RSL, an extension of the Mornington Peninsula Trail, the fixing of the roof at the Somerville Scout Hall and improved public transport through the electrification of the Baxter rail. The 25c reduction in excise duty would have been game changing in my electorate, where 83 per cent of our terrain has no access to public transport.

These commitments build upon the billions of dollars of investment which the coalition has made in Flinders over the last five years, including road safety and pedestrian improvements on the Nepean Highway in Mount Martha and in Balnarring; the building of the Bays Comprehensive Cancer Centre and the clinical trials hub in Rosebud; mental health support through increased headspace centres, the Jimmy's Wellness Centre, Kindred Clubhouse and the Rosebud Youth Hub; and the redevelopment of HMAS Cerberus.

I recognise the frustration of my constituents that the election result denies my community immediate access to these improvements, which were carefully costed and included in the plans of a future coalition government, but I can assure them I am doing everything in my power to see these commitments funded and, the week after the election result was known, I met with the shire and our local state MPs to look at alternative sources of funding. I've also written to all relevant ministers in the Australian government, seeking their support for these critical investments in our community infrastructure. I've met with all the groups who would've benefited from these commitments, to map out future collective campaigning activity to keep these projects front of mind. Together, we will keep fighting.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to keep fighting for my community, and I recognise that many of my colleagues from the last parliament are no longer here to fight for theirs. We have lost a depth of talent from our parliamentary benches—the likes of David Coleman, James Stevens, Bridget Archer, Jenny Ware, Peter Dutton, Luke Howarth, Ross Vasta, Bert van Manen and, indeed, my best friend in this place, Keith Wolahan, the former member for Menzies. I have deep respect for so many of my colleagues in this place, both on the left and right of the dispatch box, but my esteem for the former member for Menzies was without par. And I can say, by the way in which members of this place of all political persuasions have made comment to me, his competence and potential impact in this place was recognised by all. Without wishing too much ill will on the current member for Menzies in but his second parliamentary week in the role, I hope you enjoy an effective but short-lived experience in this place, for both my party and our country needs my best friend back.

I recognise, as I have said elsewhere, we have much to do, as a political cause, to regain the trust of the Australian people not just in Menzies, but across the nation—and especially in our metropolitan centres. As the Leader of the Opposition said so clearly in her first address to the nation via the National Press Club:

Over two elections, the Coalition has lost 33 seats in the House of Representatives.

We've lost 8 seats in the Senate.

Our primary vote has fallen by more than 9 per cent in the House.

Our two-party preferred vote is down more than 6 per cent.

And now we hold just 2 of 43 inner metro seats, and 7 of 45 outer metro seats.

When I first worked in this building, during the era of the Howard government, we held 80 seats compared with today's 43, and the number of women in our party room was double the number we have today. We have much work to do to regain the trust of the Australian voting public.

Much has changed since the time when I first worked in this building. Housing now costs roughly 16 times the average annual income, putting the dream of homeownership, on which the Australian social and economic contract is founded, beyond reach. Homelessness now numbers more than 120,000 compared to 95,000 at the turn of the century. Manufacturing no longer employs well over a million Australians; we have become a services oriented economy. Media is now known as 'legacy' if it is radio, television or newspapers. It is no longer the source of knowledge of current affairs, with the last University of Canberra media report finding that 50 per cent of people get their news from largely untested social media sources and more than 25 per cent rely only on social media for news. Indeed, back at the turn of the century, there were no such things as smartphones, Facebook, Instagram or even YouTube. The way Australians live and the premises on which their aspirations are built are affected by broad behavioural and cultural developments driven by technology.

In my maiden speech, I spoke of the differences between my childhood and that of my stepchildren. We would wait for Countdown and haggle over what was for dinner. Today children watch what they want when they want. A family of means will see each child order their own Uber Eats for dinner. And just when you thought things had got wild, someone went and invented ChatGPT.

In my maiden speech I spoke of what felt like 'old person foreboding' at the time. I said:

Everyone here should be concerned for a generation which will one day take its place on these green leather benches without having read The Lord of the Flies, 1984, If This is a Man and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Today, our children search out plot summaries and analysis in seconds on ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Mistral—that's if they don't go straight for the movie version on Netflix!

We are at a time of vast and dynamic digital change, and it is having a huge impact on the cultural settings which guide Australian's aspirations and decision-making. It is an exciting time, but it is also a frightening time. Two years ago, having carefully cajoled the education minister into referring an inquiry into the use of generative AI in the Australian education system to the House of Representatives education committee, I asked every witness: 'What skills do we need to make sure we include in the human operating model going forward? We don't want to wash something out in the haste to generative AI without knowing what we're doing.'

A very humbling response came from Dr Michael Kollo, Chief Executive Officer of Evolved Reasoning, who explained that if we were sitting here 150 to 200 years ago, we would be talking about soil concentration, harvest and agricultural topics relating to most of what we did, and 80 per cent of the workforce was out in the fields. Those were the critical components of the human operating model, an understanding of the weather and its impact on seeds growing in the earth. Education is derivative of the human need to survive, first and foremost. The skills we need are ones for young people to survive and find purpose.

I also asked most witnesses if they could choose between sending their adolescent children to prompt engineering school or law school, which would they choose? Most responded they were relieved their children were still in preschool.

I was very grateful for the last term of parliament, albeit frustrated by opposition, and I did not waste a moment in seeking to solve the problems I highlighted in my maiden speech, especially when it concerns the negative aspects of technology. In that speech, I discussed the impact social media was having on young people, and specifically that today's adolescents, connected 24/7 to devices, addled by algorithms and autoplay, were showing signs of stress and, indeed, in some cases, distress. I cited what we were seeing more frequently coming out of Melbourne's eternal COVID-19 lockdown, which was self-control difficulties, impulsivity, family conflict, sleep disturbance, inactivity, concentration impairment and poor language development.

I thank the former leader and the former deputy leader, who is now the Leader of the Liberal Party, for trusting me on the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society, which examined in detail the damage which some social media platforms have brought to young minds and young lives in Australia. We took evidence across Australian society and heard from sectoral experts, both those involved in the development of social media channels and those who have held them to account, like Frances Haugen, the Meta whistleblower, who accepted my invitation to come to Flinders in March of last year to talk through digital engagement with local secondary school students.

The coalition played a leading role in driving the conclusions of that inquiry and the legislation which followed, which will see the most damaging platforms reject accounts for all Australian profiles of under-16-year-olds from the end of this year. It has also spurred action in terms of more responsible social media, with Meta launching Instagram teen accounts within months of the committee's report being finalised. Instagram teen accounts automatically transitions 13- to 17-year-olds to the new, safer platform, and, in a recent conversation with me, TikTok confirmed that they removed 800,000 young people under 13 years of age from their platform in Australia last year. We know the platforms already have the wherewithal both to design safer platforms and to remove participants under a certain age without recourse to proof-of-age or ID mechanisms.

Little did I realise what a revolution Australia had inspired in terms of social media regulation until I found myself sought after by both the OECD and the president's advisers on a recent trip to France. France, like Australia, has shown deep interest in regulating the negative impacts of screens and digital media on young people and is working with the UK on possible shared measures. It's looking at ways of leading legislation at the European level to build greater protections for young people.

But more importantly is what I heard from the year 6 students at Benton Junior College last week, when I asked them what they thought of the reform. Long gone is the backchat. Half of the students put their hands up and explained to me exactly why it was necessary—to minimise bullying and screen addiction, and improve levels of concentration. This time there was no pushback, and even young people know we're doing them a favour. I'm very proud to have worked with my dear colleague and friend the member for Fisher on this reform. Our drive was sustained by sharing roles on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and our fundamental understanding that social media is not only a danger to the mental health of young people but also a vector for extremism and foreign interference.

This term of parliament I will be pursuing many of these issues through the prism of education, early learning and mental health—all related to my key pursuits in the 47th Parliament but now directed to ensuring that this government, that seems to have missed the memo that only 34 per cent of people voted for their return, spends Australian tax dollars wisely and makes adequate fit-for-purpose policy to ensure Australia's safety and prosperity through the lens of these portfolios and my committee contributions. But, above all, I will be in here every day fighting for the good folk of Flinders so that our needs, our perspective, our passions and our purpose are understood by those who make decisions on behalf of the government and whom form plans and policies for the opposition.

To finish, I save the best for last. My thanks goes to those who stood by me throughout our campaign whose hard voluntary work means I get to stand here and fight for Flinders—my FEC and campaign team led by Georgie and Richard; Di; Phil; Marg and Marshall; our volunteer coordinator, Deb, sustained by Bill and Archie; the ever-present Gordon; Chris; Mike; Greg; Chrestyna; Zahra; Rika; Jackie; Sue; Simone; Germaine; Suzie; John; Henry; Finn; Kate; Anthea and Peter; Amanda; Donna; Tim and Corinne; Peter and Kay; Di and Arthur; Cynthia and Andrew; Eithne; Judy; Mattie; Pam and Peter; Rob; Bryan and Carole; David and Tom; Greg and Paula; Rob; Scarlett and Freddie; Jess and Sam; Angus; Robert and Denise; Peter, the patron saint of the peninsula; Elizabeth; Gerry; Jane; Sam; and Sue and the Camp clan, among so many others.

And I most especially thank my remarkable electorate and policy team: Julia, Katie, Rocco, Conor, Matthew and, of course, the mighty Unity Paterson. I express my gratitude to our two sensational state MPs: Chris Crewther, who represents the state seat of Mornington—preceded by his great predecessor who I noticed is with us in the gallery tonight—and Sam Groth, who represents the state seat of Nepean, and our vibrant SECs of Hastings, Nepean and Mornington.

As the teal movement intentionally muddied the waters between Commonwealth and state, all of us standing strongly together shows how well we work to get things done across constitutional boundaries for our community.

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