Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We all know Australians have endless names for beer—a frothy, a cold one, a schooner, a pint, a middy, a jug, a stubby, a tinny, a longneck, a pony, a coldie, a bevvy or a brew. And, for many, it's simply, 'I'll have the usual, thanks.' Whatever we call it, every Australian knows this. A beer at the local isn't just about the drink; it's about the place, it's about the people and it's about the community. That's why I rise today to speak on a measure that is practical, targeted and responsible, a measure that supports small business, protects local jobs and keeps the price of every beer—schooner, pot and middy—stable for the next couple of years for everyday Australians. I speak about the Albanese Labor government's two-year pause on the indexation of the draught beer excise and excise equivalent customs duties which commenced on 1 August this year. This might sound like a technical tax change—and, yes, excise indexation is rarely the stuff of headlines—but what this pause represents is so much more than a line item in the budget. It is a recognition of the cultural, social and economic role that pubs, clubs and breweries play in communities across the country, especially in regional communities like mine.

To understand why this matters, I have to take the House back to the beginning of the year, when severe storms ripped through the Hunter region and the lower north coast. The damage was heartbreaking—homes ruined, farms under water, roads washed out, businesses forced to close and thousands of people without power, communications, or certainty. People were frightened. They were exhausted. They were not alone, though, because, as we always do in the Hunter, we showed up for one another. Neighbours checked in on neighbours. Food appeared where it was needed. Generators were shared. Warm showers were offered. Meals were cooked for strangers. Comfort was given freely. In those difficult days, something else became unmistakably clear. Our pubs and clubs once again became the beating heart of our community. When people needed warmth, they went to the pub. When they needed the latest information, they went to the pub. When they needed a meal, a phone charged or a friendly face, they went to the pub. In town after town, these venues transformed from watering holes into community hubs.

One in particular, was the Beresfield Tavern, located right in the heart of Paterson. Karla and her hardworking team at the tavern rolled up their sleeves and cooked 250 hot breakfasts each morning for locals who, at that point, had no power, no food and no phone service. They didn't ask for recognition. They didn't wait for instruction. They simply saw the community in need and stepped up, like so many small, family-run venues do time and time again. That morning, the Beresfield Tavern was far more than a pub; it was a refuge, a community kitchen and a safe haven. It became exactly what pubs across Australia have always been—a gathering place for families, sporting teams, old mates and new friends, a place where milestones are celebrated and tears are sometimes shared, a place where darts are thrown, pool balls are sunk and yarns are spun and, when the tap beer flows, a place bringing just a small piece of comfort in difficult times. Right across my electorate of Paterson, those stories were repeated time and time again. A problem shared is often a problem halved at the pub.

That's precisely why this policy really does matter. Let me be perfectly clear. For the next two years, the cost of purchasing a keg of beer is not going up—no automatic indexation, no extra tax pressure and no surprise increases for pubs, clubs or breweries. This pause gives small-business owners what they have been calling for—certainty and cost stability. It supports Australian brewers, especially small and independent ones. It helps local venues keep their doors open. It helps keep the price of a beer stable for the everyday Australian who is enjoying one at their local. It's not a handout; it's not special treatment. It is a balanced, responsible pause that maintains the integrity of our excise system while providing genuine relief to a sector that employs thousands.

In Paterson alone, we have around 340 licensed venues that will benefit from this policy. Three-quarters of them are small, family run businesses, the sorts that sponsor junior footy teams, host raffles, take on apprentices and put their profits straight back into their communities. We all know that, at this time of the year, the ham raffle is a very, very special thing.

Across Australia, around 160,000 Australians rely on this sector. These workers are not abstract statistics. They are bartenders, chefs, delivery drivers, cleaners, managers, brewery technicians—hardworking people with families and bills and stories of their own. I know this because I was one of them at one point. At 18, I worked in what was then known as the Brewery at Queens Wharf in Newcastle. We used to brew our own beer there. Bruce was the brewer. We had these magnificent, tall, copper brewing stills. The beers came in pints and half pints. It was a legendary place. My sister got me the job, although I was too embarrassed to tell anyone that I was the boss's sister. We kept that under wraps for quite a while. In fact, my grandmother's family, the Sharpes, ran the Hinton hotel as well, so, while I won't claim to be from long lines of publicans, I do have a touch of it in my veins. I also wore out the carpet at the Commercial Hotel in Morpeth, where my sister had the very first restaurant for quite a while. I worked for her while I was at school. So there's plenty of understanding in my family about this industry.

In Paterson, we have a proud craft brewing tradition as well: the Dusty Miner Craft Brewery, Maltnhops Brewhaus, the River Port Brewing Company and, of course, Murray's Craft Brewing. These businesses are part of our local identity, our regional economy and our tourism sector. They stand to benefit from this measure, just like our pubs and clubs, because, when a pub stays open, a community stays connected. When a club remains affordable, families stay included. When a brewery survives, local jobs endure.

As we move into this festive season—a time defined by connection, gratitude and community—I want to acknowledge the enormous contribution of our pubs, clubs and breweries and how they knit that social fabric of Paterson together. They will host Christmas lunches, end-of-year parties, charity raffles, community events and New Year's Eve celebrations. They will help shape the memories that carry us forward into another year.

To every publican, every brewer, every hospitality worker, every cleaner, every supplier and every small-business owner in Paterson: thank you. Be kind to those people, even if the queues are deep at the pub. It's a time of the year when we all just need to remember that civility costs nothing. To those people who work in that sector: thank you for your resilience, your generosity, your commitment to your community and, occasionally, the terrific jokes—and, especially in the hard times, thank you for just being there. To all of the people of Paterson and to all Australians—I wish you a very merry Christmas, happy holidays and a safe, joyful and restorative new year. May your days be filled with kindness, connection and community—and, yes, perhaps a cold, responsibly enjoyed beer at your local. I'll say cheers to that.

See this speech in context