Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet for this parliament, the Ngunnawal people, which is of course part of the electorate that I am so proud to represent in this place, and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging. It was particularly moving to see Aunty Violet Sheridan do the welcome to country for the opening of parliament this term. It was really wonderful to see her, as someone I know and am often with at events, have that honour this time. We share this continent with the world's oldest continuing culture—more than 60,000 years of custodianship and of deep connection to country, land that always was and always will be Aboriginal land. 'Canberra', of course, comes from a word meaning 'meeting place', a fitting description for a place which for millennia has brought together Indigenous nations and today brings together the representatives in our democracy.

I was born and raised here in Canberra, and it is an immense privilege to have been re-elected by my community to represent them in the 48th Parliament. On 3 May, Canberrans once again rejected the politics of hate and division, they rejected fear campaigns, they rejected relentless attacks on public servants and they rejected the tired, cynical attempts to diminish this city. As a proud Canberran, I was heartened to see the rest of the nation reject those attacks too, resoundingly, and to see my Labor team and my prime minister defend our city and the hardworking people that live here, not just here in our city but in the national conversation. Canberra is a special place. We have five university campuses in my electorate. The federal government is a major employer. We have an incredible small-business community that makes our city the vibrant and wonderful place that it is. For many years, Canberrans have punched above our weight on the national and international stage.

I want to focus for a minute on the Public Service. The men and women who make up our APS are dedicated, hardworking, professional people. The work of the APS is the solid foundation that we use to build the future prosperity of the nation. It is work that confronts the challenges we face as a nation, from climate change to health care to infrastructure to social security. It requires long and tiring work hours, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of what Australia and Australians need as a nation and as a people. As the term suggests, these people are servants of the public. They are people whose motivation to go to work every day is the national interest, and that is something that, as a Canberran, I have a deep respect for.

Canberrans know, probably more than most, the value of an empowered APS in delivering the policy outcomes that create a better future for all Australians and are a key part of a well-functioning democracy. I saw it in my father's career in the Public Service, and I was fortunate that he taught me about the principles of frank and fearless advice and how important that was to getting the best policy outcomes for Australia. In my own career, including as a public servant in Treasury, I was also able to see that work firsthand and work with some of the most professional and dedicated people I will ever have the privilege to work with.

That is why it is so enraging to see the politics of Canberra-bashing wielded by those opposite. While in office, those opposite gutted the APS in what could only be seen as an attitude of contempt for those who work in it. We saw huge amounts of outsourcing, arbitrary employment caps designed for political pointscoring, wage freezes, and speeches by the former prime minister that completely misunderstood the purpose and mission of the APS—or, more likely, misrepresented what he knew was the hardworking and important role they play, as anyone who has served as a minister or of course prime minister would know from working directly with those people.

When Labor returned to power in 2022 we set about rebuilding a greatly diminished APS, and the response of those opposite was as expected. For the last term we saw Trumpian attacks on public servants, culminating in the election threat to sack 41,000 Canberra based public servants and end flexible work. Thankfully, Australians understood the dire consequences there would have been, not just for those who would have lost their jobs but also for the services that Australians rely on. Given that election result and the fact that our government openly rejected this, I hope we can move on from this cheap politics of Canberra-bashing that had no basis in actual outcomes for the Australian people but was based on a cheap political idea that attacking our city is popular elsewhere. I hope we can put that to bed and move on from it, because I've been incredibly proud of the way our prime minister, our government and my ACT colleague Senator Katy Gallagher, who has ministerial responsibility for the APS, have stood up to defend those hardworking people.

On 3 May Australians voted for a government that, over the previous three years, had delivered stability, decency and vision—a government that understands the lives, hopes and needs of everyday Australians. Australians told us clearly what they wanted to see: help with the cost of living, serious action on climate change, action on housing so that more people can have a roof over their head and own their own homes, free health care and affordable medicines, cheaper early childhood education and care, fully funded public schools, a fairer deal on student debt, Australia's global reputation restored, and the ability to earn more and keep more of what they earn. The Albanese Labor government delivered on these priorities and will continue to deliver for the Australian people in the 48th Parliament.

We are lucky to live in Australia. Our democracy is robust, our elections are fair and our independent Australian Electoral Commission is one of the best in the world. We should be immensely proud of the system we have built, a system that delivers stability, integrity and a voice for every citizen. Our elections are well run, transparent and trusted—a credit to the professionalism of the AEC. Of course, no system is perfect, and there are always improvements that can be made. But the 2025 federal election once again showed why Australia's democracy is among the strongest and most inclusive in the world. Our system of compulsory and preferential voting is unique and powerful. It ensures broad participation and real representation, and we must never allow it to be undermined.

I should say that while my Labor values are fundamentally part of who I am and will always motivate me, my first love is democracy, and my first political lesson from my mother was that you should never take for granted your right to vote. We continue to see people around the world dying for that very right. I think it is something that we must cherish and always take the opportunity to engage in as much as we can. When I'm out talking to Canberrans and campaigning, I'd rather hear someone say to me that they are supporting someone else or that they want to see me or my party doing something differently than hear someone express a total disinterest or disengagement with politics. It is so important that we stay engaged in order to maintain that strong democracy. I'm particularly pleased about and looking forward to serving on the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in this 48th Parliament and to do my part in protecting and strengthening our democracy for future elections.

My own re-election campaign here in Canberra was a massive grassroots effort as it always is. Our campaign team was made up of committed volunteers, mostly from Labor Party members, who did everything from erecting roadside corflutes, doorknocking and assembling booth kits to standing on pre-poll for countless hours, always with a smile on their face. I really want to thank them for their efforts from the bottom of my heart.

I'm always hesitant to start naming people because you will leave someone off, and I probably didn't actually see the work that many people were doing behind the scenes, putting in countless hours doing things like putting the signs out at night. But I particularly want to thank a few volunteers who showed up to pretty much every doorknock across almost all of the suburbs in my electorate, including Oksana Melnyk, Anne Baly and Julia Raine. I also want to acknowledge Janaline Oh, Labor's formidable second Senate candidate, who was doorknocking at not only all of my doorknocks but also those for our other ACT candidates. Her commitment to our cause was an inspiration, and I'm so grateful for the time that she gave to my campaign.

With over 32 booths on polling day, it took essentially an army of volunteers to man those booths and spread the Labor message. I want to thank everyone who helped out on that day, particularly the booth captains of whom there are far too many to name. I want to thank my core team: Hamish; Rad Miller; Grace; Andrew; India; my volunteers Fran and Karen, who came out of retirement to help out on the election campaign; and Tina, who always takes time off work to come and volunteer in the lead-up to polling day. I couldn't do it without you guys. You're absolutely amazing, and I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful team around me.

I also want to thank the Labor Environment Action Network for the faith they placed in me when naming me as one of their LEAN champions in recognition of the importance of having people within our Labor caucus speaking up on environment and climate matters. It was really helpful for me, with the grassroots campaigning that the ACT region LEAN team did for me as well as the national efforts around that. Campaigns are run by people, but they also require money. I want to thank the many Canberrans and Labor Party members who donated generously to my campaign. I'm very grateful.

To my community who put their faith in me at the ballot box: I will not let you down and I pledge to work every day to represent you as best as I can in this place. Thank you for placing your trust in me. For those who didn't support me at the election, I want you to know that I am equally here to listen to you and understand the changes that you want to see and also to represent you in this place.

Even before this parliament convened, key policy changes began from 1 July. Paid parental leave was extended to 24 weeks, with superannuation now paid on that leave. This is something that will make a huge difference for so many families around Australia. Also from 1 July, every household and business began receiving energy bill relief. We slashed the price of home batteries to help lower household emissions and energy bills at the same time. Apprentice tradies who will be building Australia's homes became eligible for a $10,000 bonus. An extra $1.8 billion flowed into hospitals, including here in Canberra. Paid prac placements began for nursing, teaching, social work and midwifery students. The superannuation guarantee increased to 12 per cent, and millions of minimum wage and award wage workers got a 3.5 per cent pay rise. These are true Labor reforms to improve the lives of Australians.

The mission of Labor governments has always been one of fairness, of a society where, as the Prime Minister says, no-one is held back and no-one is left behind. We are the party that created and will always strengthen Medicare, we are the party that stands up for our environment and for climate justice and we are the party that established the NDIS and paid parental leave. We will continue to deliver on these things in this term.

I now want to turn to some of the issues that my constituents have been raising most with me since the election and in the lead-up to the election. I want to begin by speaking about the situation in the Middle East. The people of Gaza are starving. The humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip is beyond comprehension. As the Prime Minister has said, it has exceeded the world's worst fears of what could happen there. We see the photos of starving children and hear the reports of doctors collapsing from hunger. We watch the videos of desperate people scrambling for the tiniest scraps of food, dodging gunfire to do so. Just yesterday we saw another hospital bombed and more journalists killed in what has been the deadliest conflict on record for the press.

UN agencies have warned that the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out. The famine is not the result of natural disasters or drought. It is not an unavoidable tragedy. It is a man-made catastrophe. It is a calculated, deliberate starvation of a civilian population that has endured relentless war for nearly two decades. We cannot let this go on. Using starvation as a weapon of war is horrendous and clearly a breach of international law, as is the bombing of hospitals and relentless killing of innocent people.

I welcome Australia's decision to recognise a state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly. It is so important. It is a clear and principled statement and something that many people, including me, have advocated for for a long time. It is a recognition that the Palestinian people are entitled to dignity, to safety and to statehood. Of course, it doesn't address the current situation that is going on in Gaza. The fear that many are expressing to me is that, as the Foreign minister has said, there's a risk that there will be no Gaza left to recognise. But it is an important step in creating that international momentum. Our prime minister has been subject to personal attacks from the Prime Minister of Israel for taking this position. The Israeli prime minister has claimed that our prime minister is weak. But I thought the Leader of the House said it best when he said that strength is not measured by the number of people you can blow up or children you can starve. True strength is measured in the pursuit of peace. True strength is measured in protecting the innocent, in committing to uphold international law and in having the courage to stand on the side of humanity.

I am proud of what our government has been doing in this regard. We have been calling for a ceasefire, we have been calling for aid to flow into Gaza and we have contributed significant aid. We have been calling on Israel to respect international law, and we will continue to do so. I hear my community and their deep distress about what is going on in Gaza. I have been engaging with people all of this time, particularly with the Canberra Palestinian community, with organisations like APAN and with any constituents, because I understand their desperation about wanting to see an end to this and the powerlessness that they feel when they see this happen. They just want to stop the killing and destruction. What I do reject when I hear it from my constituents is that our government is doing nothing, because we are not. We have been speaking very strongly on this. There is incredible work that is going on behind the scenes by the Foreign minister, the Prime Minister and others. I also want you to know that, as your representative, this is something that I am focusing on very much and constantly raising in discussions around this. We do want to see an end to what is happening there—this terrible situation. It would dehumanise us all if we were to stand by and see what is continuing to happen in Gaza.

The government is taking real, responsible action to protect nature and secure the economy of the future. We are reforming Australia's outdated and broken environmental laws—laws that don't work for the environment, for business or for communities. We're responding to the Samuel review with our Nature Positive Plan, backed by serious investment, and we're getting on with delivering it. I've been really pleased, since the election, to see the momentum with which we are working towards delivering reform of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This is something that my constituents raise with me constantly. It is something that I have focused my advocacy on for the whole time I've been in parliament, since 2019. It is critical that we get this right, and I was pleased to see that, as part of the roundtable last week, this priority was emphasised again. We need strong laws that protect nature and protect the environment but also are going to make it more efficient for projects to be approved in a way that is more fitting for these decisions. So I want to say to my electorate: I am raising those concerns that you raised with me, and I will continue to do so.

When we choose fairness over division, compassion over cruelty and responsibility over denial, we build a better future for all Australians. That is the mission of this Labor government, and it is why I sought election, why I am honoured to serve in this place and why I will continue to work every single day for the people of Canberra and for our common future, because ours is a nation built on the principle that no-one should be held back and no-one should be left behind. I'm so proud to be part of a government that will always strive to achieve this goal.

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