Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the address be agreed to.

This month is a special month for my family. My parents are celebrating 40 years of being Australian citizens. There is a beautiful serendipity about today—that I am now standing in this chamber as a member of parliament on the 40th anniversary of my parents' Australian citizenship. This moment here is surreal, in the best way possible—that one could dare to dream this big. For this was an improbable candidacy. Being elected into our federal parliament is a big deal, but it's an even bigger deal for my parents. They fled their homeland, fearful of what might happen to them because of who they were and the values they held. Even after arriving here they continued to carry that fear, not wanting to talk about politics, not wanting to share their views. And here they are, in the public gallery, watching their daughter speak in our federal parliament.

So you can imagine what this means for them: how much they've come to embrace the best of this country—our freedoms to speak out, to hold a faith and to build the life we want, and our responsibilities to those around us so that we may all prosper together. I marvel at how much has changed for my family in just one generation. That is the power of the Australian story, because stories like mine are possible only in countries like Australia. I am the daughter of migrants, a proud Chinese-Lao Australian. I grew up in Cabramatta in south-west Sydney. I'm the product of good public education. And now I'm the federal member for Reid.

I stand here on the land of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and I represent an area that is the land of the Wangal people. Australia is home to the oldest continuing culture in the world, the significance of which should never be diminished. The culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has endured for more than 65,000 years, in all its richness and diversity. They were our first scientists, philosophers, teachers and bakers. They nurtured this land. We ought to celebrate the culture of Australia's First Nations people, acknowledge their rightful place as the traditional and first custodians of this land. We ought to enshrine their voice in our Constitution, and I want to be part of a parliament that does that.

For the sake of future generations, we must do more than pay our respects to their elders past, present and future. We ought to learn from them, continue their care of country and ensure that their culture remains the oldest living culture in the world. First Nations people have gifted us a tradition of custodianship: the idea that we are all here in service of others and must leave this country better than when we found it. When I acknowledge country I'm reminded that I am but a small addition to a long and continuing history. I am a custodian for the present so that future generations may also care for this country.

I stand here as the member for Reid, and I want to acknowledge the members who came before: my predecessor, Dr Fiona Martin, an advocate for improving mental health support; and thank you to former members John Murphy and Mary Eeasson for generously sharing their wisdom with me. To the people of Reid, thank you for trusting me to be your representative. This is a community I love. It's a wonderful microcosm of multicultural Sydney, imbued with the customs of migrants from around the world. They, too, enriched us with cultures and traditions that make our community stronger. I stand in this institution, as their representative, aware of the weight of responsibility, because it is in this institution that decisions are made that have a profound impact on people's lives. I know this not as an intellectual exercise; I know this because decisions made here have recharted the course of my family's story and the stories of so many Australians.

In 1977, then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser developed Australia's first comprehensive refugee policy. He may have been in a different political party to me, but on this I believe he was on the right side of history. He welcomed refugees fleeing Indochina following the Vietnam War, and one year later, in 1978, he welcomed my parents. My family is of Chinese heritage, but my parents were born and raised in Laos. They fled their homeland and were incredibly lucky Australia gave them refuge. When my parents came here, they had limited formal education and spoke very little English. They worked hard in factories, where they were able to find secure work with good conditions. They gave my brother and me the work and education opportunities they never had, and my family was able to thrive here. I went on to have the most incredible career, working in international development in the Asia-Pacific and then in international education.

As I reflect on my family's story—a story shared by so many Australians—I also need to reflect on the journey we as a country have travelled to get to this point, because it wasn't an easy journey. Charting through the decisions that have shaped our country, it's important to remember that for much of our history the path on which we walked was not towards multiculturalism but towards a White Australia policy. It was a path that said there was no place in this country for people like me. It was a path that denied our First Nations people their identity, land and kin. Those decisions were made based on fear and a failure of imagination. But we were able to fulfil the potential and promise of Australia when leaders in this place were driven not by fear but by hope and compassion. They looked around and saw what was and imagined what could be. They imagined a country not weakened by diversity but strengthened by it.

In more recent history, when it looked like fear might again overtake imagination, Prime Minister Bob Hawke said in this place:

One of the great and rare distinctions of Australian political leadership in the last generation has been its bipartisan rejection of race as a factor in immigration policy. This has been a triumph of compassion over prejudice, of reason over fear, and of statesmanship over politics.

It was an appeal to turn to the better angels of our nature, and turn we did. In just over half a century, we have moved from an embrace of a White Australia policy to a country that is now a majority-migrant nation. But what is more remarkable is how this news was received—not with backlash but with a genuine embrace of modern Australia. And there is no better display of that than in our federal parliament.

As I look around the House today, it feels like finally it is starting to live up to its name—a House made up of people who truly reflect and represent the communities in which they live. I believe it was important I put my hand up to stand for Reid, a thriving multicultural and multifaith community, because, as audacious as this dream was—to run for our federal parliament—it has never been more important for someone like me to dream it. I grew up watching Home and Away and Neighbours, but I also grew up with a slight unease, not sure of who I was, not sure if I'd gone to the right schools and acutely aware of the postcode I grew up in—not sure of my place in this country. That's why I think it's important to have someone like me in our federal parliament, not for diversity's sake but because representatives that embody all of the Australian story make our parliament better and our democracy stronger.

I speak about my family's story because it is core to who I am. It's what shaped me and the values I want to bring to our parliament. It also connects me to my community. The men on the factory floor in Silverwater remind me of my dad, who worked in an automotive factory for 35 years. Religious leaders who fled their homelands because of persecution—their stories remind me of my own family fleeing their homeland. Parents talk to me about wanting to give their kids good-quality education. It's the same desire I have for my son and the same desire my parents had for me. When I encounter racism and prejudice, I know firsthand how it corrodes our community and holds Australia back from being the best country we can be. And this is a message I'm going to share with all young Australians: you are not defined by your postcode, the school you went to or where your parents came from; in this country, you are defined by the content of your character and what you want to do for others, where the potential and promise of this nation is only limited by our imagination.

On 21 May this year we faced another key turning point in our nation's history: do we continue on with another decade of inaction on climate change or do we imagine a better future for our kids? It was, again, an appeal to turn to the better angels of our nature, and turn we did. We chose care for country and future generations over fear. In the six short years my son has been alive, he has experienced the consequences of climate change, events described as 'once in a generation' experienced in just a few short years. He has now lived through the 2019-2020 New South Wales bushfire season, a once-in-a-generation event. This year he lived through a once-in-a-generation rain and flooding event and now heatwaves breaking records across Europe, all once-in-a-generation events. Surely we can no longer look at the situation before us and believe this is okay. Surely we cannot say to my son and his generation that what we are doing to address climate is enough. Surely it is time to be audacious dreamers and imagine a better way. It is time for us all to learn from our continent's First Nations people and take on roles as custodians of country. The policies and decisions and values of governments matter. The decisions made today matter for our generation, my son's generation and generations to come.

Good governments change lives. I know because they changed mine. Former Prime Minister Paul Keating said education provided the keys to the kingdom because it unlocks opportunities for all. I was fortunate enough to have teachers who not only guided me through my academic life but also taught me about life outside the classroom—teachers like Craig Cantor, who volunteered to take six year 8 kids camping. It was the first time I'd pitched a tent and slept under the stars, and I loved it. My history teacher, Frank Federico, taught me that progress, while not always linear or guaranteed, was possible if there were enough brave people willing to stand up for what's right. I didn't just get an academic education; I got an education in life. And that is the power of education.

But we have lost sight of that in our current education system. We have failed to value our teachers. After 2½ years of COVID, our teachers are exhausted, and yet we've never asked more of them. We need to radically overhaul the administrative burden we place on our teachers. They should have more time doing what they love: teaching. We need to value them and finally pay them what they are worth. Sometimes we have even failed to provide our students with the most basic infrastructure. There is a school in my electorate where the toilets are so terrible students elect to drink less water to avoid going. There is a community in my electorate who have waited so long for a promised high school the kids are now at university. Our concept of education, too, needs an update. It doesn't start in kindergarten. We should instead think about education as starting from birth. Our early childhood educators are as vital to educating our kids as our primary and high school teachers and university lecturers are.

We have allowed our university and TAFE sectors to languish, and, worse still, the previous government actively undermined tertiary education. They oversaw the most job losses the sector has ever seen—estimates of around 12,000 jobs lost in the higher education sector because of the pandemic. And the sad irony is that it was our university researchers we relied on to help us manage the pandemic: epidemiologists, virologists, public health experts. But it's not just applied research that matters. We also need research in our arts, mathematics and basic science to be valued, because they provide the essential foundations for all future applications. If we can get this right, there is a kingdom that awaits us all, one made up of highly skilled and fulfilling jobs, an economy that is productive and makes the most of our talents and where imagination is valued.

My parents were laser focused on ensuring my brother and I had a good education. They had to be, because their life in Australia was precarious—they did not have the comfort of being able to fail. We were lucky, though, because we had two communities supporting us. The Chinese-Lao-Australian community were like my big extended family, because I always had a collection of aunts and uncles watching over me. It's a resilient community, too. We've had to be, because we've spent two generations searching for a place to call home, and now we've finally found it.

The second community who supported us was the mighty trade union movement. When my dad was injured at work, it was his union that stepped in to help negotiate a new role that would accommodate his injury. When the company my mum worked for went insolvent, it was her union that stepped in to make sure she got her entitlements. I want to thank the union movement. You stood by my parents when they came to this country, just as you stand with all working people who want a better life. I acknowledge and thank all the union representatives present in the gallery here tonight.

During the campaign I had the great privilege of meeting dedicated people who work to make our local area a community. I met Vicki Liubinskas, who started Let's Get Going because she wanted to ensure that adults with disabilities were able to exercise in a fun and safe way. I met Paula Nicolas from St Merkorious Charity. She gives people who are homeless dignity and respect by inviting them in for a hot meal and fellowship. I met the Wentworth Point Residents Action Group—a group of determined locals who got together to make their voices heard and advocate for local infrastructure in their community. These are people in Reid who looked around at what was and imagined what could be. They imagined a community where we were supporting each other, and I am inspired by their example and am determined to continue their good work.

Throughout my campaign I had the support of volunteers who were committed to creating a better future for this country. They stood beside me and made me believe it was possible. They were my campaign community. It's thanks to them that I am the federal member for Reid.

I want to pay tribute to the Australian Labor Party, a movement I joined when I was young and idealistic. I am older now but no less idealistic. To Kevin Rudd, Maxine McKew, Jason Li and Linda Voltz, thanks for the frequent special guest appearances on the campaign trail. There are many in this House I have admired for so long. That I now get to call you colleagues and friends brings me sheer delight. I want to thank the members for Watson, McMahon, Greenway, Chifley, Sydney, Kingsford Smith and Cowan for your support throughout the campaign. Thank you to Senators O'Neill and Sheldon for your generous help. To Senator Wong, thank you—not just for your guidance but for the leading example you have provided to me and so many others. And to my old boss, the member for Blaxland, you bring a level of decency, respect and empathy that I hope to emulate. To the Prime Minister, thank you for bringing compassion back into fashion.

The audacity of this dream was only possible because of three people. They believed in me long before I believed in myself: Jodi McKay, Kirsten Andrews and Dom Ofner. To the campaign team—Mitch Wright, Emma Ross, Ed Saloman, Louise Tran, Jacqueline Price, Phillip Kim, John McManus and LJ Margeit—you were the engine room of this campaign, making it all possible. To Greg and Felicity Davis, Karen Pensabene, Kym Ralley, Jacqui Thorburn, Tom Hore and Susan Yates, thank you for looking out for me and for your continuing support. To all the wonderful women associated with Asian Women at Work, particularly their drumming group and the Sydney Chinese Drum Art Troupe, thank you for helping me connect with my community. To all my Labor family in local government, our mayors and councillors, and to all the branch secretaries, presidents, local branch members and volunteers, you kept the light on the hill shining brightly. I will carry that passion for a better tomorrow with me every day.

I'm lucky to have an incredible family. My brother, Law; sister-in-law, Sharon; and niece, Haegan: it has been such a comfort knowing you are always there for us. To my parents-in-law, Shounan and Jian: thank you for your continuing support and love. To my parents, Phet and Syphan: for the sacrifices you have made, the love you give and the inspiration you have provided, thank you. To the two people who have been my biggest cheerleaders in life, my husband, Rui; and my son, Max: you are my reason for being, and I love you both.

I want to dedicate my first speech to my ama, my maternal grandmother. She was the most remarkable woman. Ama was a widower and a single mother of eight. She had to uproot her life twice, first from China to Laos and then from Laos to Australia. I think about her often because so much of her life happened to her. She had very few choices. She didn't get to choose a career or even where to live. The last photo I have with her is on the dance floor at my wedding in Laos. Ama stayed on in Laos after the wedding, choosing to spend her final years there. It was one of the few choices she had an opportunity to make. It's because of her and the sacrifices she has made that my life was possible, where a world of opportunities has been unlocked for me. I have been able to make choices about what I want to study and what career I want to pursue, and the choice to stand for parliament. While we still have some ways to go before we achieve gender equality, when I think about how different my life is compared to Ama's, I know we're on the right path. If my ama were with us today, I think she would have been astounded but very proud too.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Swan, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech. I ask the House to extend her the usual courtesies.

Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Congratulations on your election as the Speaker for the 47th Parliament.

I stand on the lands of the Ngunnawal people and the Ngambri people to speak about my community of Swan, which sits on the lands of the Boorloo people of the Wajuk Noongar nation. Swan is surrounded by the Derbal Yaragan, the Swan River, and by the Djarlgarra Bilya, the Canning River. It is stunning country. The legend is that the river was created by giant serpents, who also created boodjar, moort and katitjin, meaning 'country', 'family' and 'knowledge'. It's astounding that we have the oldest continuous culture right here. Australia's connection to country, family and knowledge will be critical to help us navigate our future.

Building cubbyhouses in the bush and chasing lizards in the red dirt—that's how I grew up. I was born in Kalgoorlie and grew up in Kambalda, a nickel mining town. My dad, Joe, was a metalworker. My mum, Ethel, was a lollipop lady and kindergarten cleaner. Kambalda had the best of everything. Nearly everyone's parents were employed at the mine. It was a highly skilled and multicultural workforce. We had magnificent gum trees that traversed our front yards. For school camp fundraisers we helped rehabilitate mines and planted trees. Mr Woolard, the environment manager, taught us that once you dug up the minerals you put the topsoil back and you healed the land again. The calibre of teachers was phenomenal—in particular, Elaine Wilson and principal Anthony Beatty. They fostered curiosity, play, respect and a love of learning. In fact, my primary school teacher, Mrs Wilson, was my childhood role model. This smart, compassionate woman taught us about our world, the environment, self-belief and, most importantly, that one person can make a difference. Educators lay foundations for kids that are critical. Thank you for the tireless work you do.

My story—my Australian story—would not be possible if it was not for a federal Labor government. When my Goan Indian parents went to the embassy in Kenya they said to my dad: 'You have the right skills, but you're the wrong colour.' This of course was because we still had the white Australia policy in place. My parents came to Australia after Gough Whitlam dismantled the last parts of the white Australia policy. This story taught me two things: politics is personal and politics can transform lives.

Having a dad who is a fitter and turner meant that I got to get on the tools from a young age. Knowing how to fix a leaky tap or change a car tyre are useful lifelong skills. I also loved science and maths, so for me it was natural to study science and engineering at uni. Now, I want the number of women working in science, technology, engineering and maths to grow, and this starts in childhood. Give girls Lego to build those building blocks, hand a girl a spanner, and encourage them to use a telescope to reach for the stars.

Curtin University, in the heart of Swan, is where I studied chemistry and chemical engineering. I loved Curtin. Like you do in the country, you get involved in community, and for me that was through the Curtin Student Guild and the National Union of Students. While Kambalda taught me that one person can make a difference, the union movement taught me that, collectively, we can achieve so much more together. My National Labor Students comrades taught me about inclusion, fairness, equality and what leadership looks like. These are skills that I used in corporate Australia, because empowering others to achieve their full potential is something that we should all be striving to do.

This time taught me that unions and bosses don't have to always fight. Often the guild and the university's goals aligned. Yes, the Vice-Chancellor and I disagreed on some things, but when we worked together we achieved better outcomes. In fact, in a sign of the strength of this relationship, Patrick Gorman's Curtin Student Guild ended up naming a bar after Vice-Chancellor Lance Twomey. Despite the dizzying heights Lance had reached in his academic world, he explained that this would have been his dad's proudest moment.

Following on from this, I'm excited about the prospect of businesses, universities, governments, education providers and unions coming together through the Jobs and Skills Australia body. Together, we can solve the wicked problems of our time. I'd also like to extend this willingness to collaborate to my colleagues across the floor. Let's imagine Australia in the year 2100 and create a legacy that future generations can be proud of.

Steelcap boots on a mine site: that's how I started my career. A resources job is a typical career for those that live in Swan. My boss, Tim McDougall, had faith in me and helped build my foundational skills. I relished the opportunity to work with operators and tradies—though times have changed. My dad is from a generation of tradies who have fewer than 10 fingers; my dad has 9½. Growing up, I remember reports of rockfalls underground. Kids would wonder, 'Did my dad get hurt or, worse, did he die?' The mining industry has worked hard to change the safety culture. This has in part been due to community expectations, union power and a recognition that a safe workforce is a productive workforce. Safety trainers know that they are being effective when work practices are actually being practised at home, not just in the workplace. Another indicator of success is seeing that the least powerful person is empowered to speak up. As a graduate engineer on a construction site, I remember calling out an unsafe practice. The maintenance manager, Suresh Vadnagra, backed me and supported my concerns. At another time, this would not have been the norm. This culture shift took decades, and the mining industry still has more work to do, but I have all my fingers, unlike my dad.

In all workplaces, everyone has the right to go to work and come home safely. All workers deserve to have a workplace that is free from bullying and sexual harassment. I didn't experience too much sexism on site, but there were some pockets. Others have told me that politics is a blood sport and a Kalgoorlie girl who has made it in mining should be able to hack it in parliament. It should not matter whether your workplace is a bar, a mine site or a parliament. Across Australia, we need to clean up our act. To the brave women and men who participated in the Set the standard review: thank you. Please know that speaking up mattered and will make a difference. I sincerely hope that the pace of cultural change can be fast-tracked. To the 47th parliament: we have a choice to raise the bar and create a new culture. Workplace culture can change. The people of Swan expect this. The people of Australia expect this.

Twelve years ago, I landed a dream job working in climate change. My colleagues Brian Innes and Harriet Kater took a punt on me. I combined my interpersonal skills and technical skills to help ASX 200 companies with their decarbonisation journeys. It was an exciting space to work in, but the policy environment was tough during the climate wars.

During my career the greatest emissions reductions were achieved when there was a Labor government in power. It was a time when economists, scientists and politicians worked together to solve wicked problems. After a decade of government inaction, some companies' investors began to lead the way again. I am proud of the track record in the west. At Goldfields the Agnew mine site meets 85 per cent of its energy needs from wind, solar and battery storage. Companies—such as Wesfarmers, BHP, Rio Tinto and Northern Star—who I've worked with have committed to net zero emissions. We have FMG investing in future energy with hydrogen.

While I am proud of some parts of the resource sector, I must stress that this is not uniform. Smart companies are looking at their climate risks and opportunities over the next three decades. This includes looking at value chains and scope 3 emissions. For us to achieve our goal of well below two degrees of warming, we need all sectors of the economy to pull their weight.

It's important that we paint a picture of what our decarbonised future looks like: jobs, jobs and jobs, and not just any jobs—good jobs, secure jobs, jobs that our kids can be proud of, jobs that will exist in the year 2100. Australia is rich in critical minerals that need to be used to build batteries, wind turbines and solar panels. We can rewire the nation and also power Australia for the future. We can become a renewable energy superpower. Australia needs to increase diversification, commercialisation and sophistication of our industry capability. In WA we need to build beyond the resources boom and make our economy more resilient. We can do this by increasing our advanced manufacturing capability. We are a smart country. We have a history of innovation and ingenuity, particularly against the backdrop of harsh remote conditions.

We saw disruptions to supply chains with COVID and natural disasters and the war. We need to be able to make things in Australia again. In the west we have the potential to become a battery powerhouse. Humour the engineer within me. To build a battery it takes six steps: you mine the raw materials, you then process the minerals, you then manufacture the battery cells, you assemble it, you install it and then you maintain it. In Australia we're on track to do all of these steps except the manufacturing of cells. This is the value-add step. We can build advanced manufacturing capability. Cathodes and anodes can be built in the west, and once we do this we can look at the full life cycle and recycle components. We can invest in building this capability through our National Reconstruction Fund. When WA is strong, Australia is strong.

Let's remember what is at stake. Australia has been taking a battering. We've had parts of Sydney flooded four times in 18 months. Brisbane has experienced multiple catastrophic floods. We had the 2020 Black Summer bushfires. In my home state we've seen fires in Baldivis, Waterloo, the Great Southern region and Denmark. With climate change we will see an increase in the frequency and intensity of these events. We can't call these natural disasters anymore. Humankind has had a role to play. These are unnatural disasters.

My friend Steven Goldfinch has worked in disaster management for decades. He explained to me that when we look at disasters people often assess devastation in terms of lives lost. Equally important is understanding how long it takes to rebuild the lives of those affected. Many tired Australians are currently living that reality right now. It's clear that we're at a stage where both climate adaptation and mitigation are required. But the less we mitigate the more costly it will be for us to adapt.

I know that Australian people step up in disasters. We support each other. We show resilience. But, just like an elastic band, we should not stretch them to breaking point.

It is critical that we get this transition right and that regional Australia has pathways to secure, well-paid jobs. You see, I've been the daughter of a fitter and turner who was made redundant after 19 years of loyal service. This was because the nickel price tanked. At 56, my dad was shattered physically and mentally. My dad became the breadwinner of his family at 16 and helped bring up his six brothers and sisters. My dad is a strong man, tough as nails, but losing his job broke my dad. It was worse than losing a finger. This was his identity. I hadn't seen my dad cry until then. Dad would say, 'I'm sorry I have failed you.' Dad, you didn't fail me; the system failed us.

In the climate action space we talk about stranded assets. These are assets that have been prematurely written off. My dad felt like he had been written off. If we are not careful, we will not only have stranded assets; we will have stranded people too. Investment markets move quickly. I know that firsthand. A disruptive exit out of carbon-intensive industries will hurt Australia, so, yes, I want strong action on climate change, but I also want a just and orderly transition. I'm a proud country girl who lives in the city, in the heart of Swan. We can get the transition right for regional and metropolitan Australia. Let's create jobs for the future. Climate action is good for people, the community, the environment and the economy. The triple bottom line is now core business. We've had the climate election. The climate war is over. Climate ambition is back!

Now, who would guess that someone like me would be elected as the member for Swan? I stand here as the child of Goan Indian parents, a Kalgoorlie girl, a Swan local, a mum, a lady with an unusual first name and a long surname, a climate change specialist, an engineer. I'd like to shout out to the STEM professionals. You have been some of the rock stars of our time—whether that be medical scientists developing vaccines, tech experts helping us stay virtually connected or engineers helping keep the lights on. Evidence based decision-making will help steer our country in the right direction. There is a place for STEM professionals in all decision-making bodies, including our federal parliament. We use systems thinking, love root cause analysis and problem-solving, obsess over efficiencies and have a continuous improvement mindset. I hope to use these skills to unleash the potential of our nation.

Swan is rich in diversity. Forty-five per cent of people in Swan were born overseas, and nearly two-thirds of people in Swan have one or more parents born overseas. I am proudly Australian with Goan Indian heritage. This is the most multicultural parliament we've had in history. This is what modern Australia looks like—well, almost. This is not the high-water mark. The public have spoken. They want to see a parliament that reflects their community. Multicultural Australia can make a tremendous contribution to our society. Let's think about it: why would someone rip themselves away from their family and friends and move to another country? This lies in boodjar, moort and katitjin, meaning country, family and knowledge: having a beautiful land with a good job to put food on the table and a roof over your head, and having access to universal health care and access to education. To multicultural Australia: you belong here.

But we have more work to do, especially for our First Nations people. Those with power and privilege must use that to dismantle casual and institutional racism. It's about a fair go. As Kay Miller, an old family friend, would say: 'Love, our blood's the same colour on the inside.' Implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart will be an important step to do this. We need voice, treaty and truth telling.

Multicultural Australia is a shared story. When my dad came to Australia he came across alone. He worked at Mount Charlotte in Kalgoorlie for a bloke called Bob Martain. When mum and my sister rocked up to Kal, there was nowhere for them to stay. Accommodation was only for single men, not families. Dad's boss, Bob, saw the worry in my dad's eyes and quizzed him. Dad explained the situation. Bob was like: 'No worries. They can stay with me and Sally.' Not only did this act form a lifelong friendship—their daughter Debbie is my godmother—but this generous act also inextricably tied us to Australia forever. It showed us how belonging and inclusion builds a new home. It's called mateship. The day before the election, I cried with anticipation at the prospect of the Murugappan family being reunited with their Biloela family. This spirit lives strong today.

I'd like to begin thankyous by acknowledging the former member for Swan, Stephen Irons, including his work with the forgotten Australians and his bipartisan support for the Rudd government's migrant children apology.

Success in Swan is not something that I own. It's an achievement that's been carried by hundreds of volunteers and supporters who gave their time and/or money. Together, we knocked on 45,000 doors. We had people of different faiths, genders, sexualities and ages. To all the volunteers, thank you—including Christine Miller, Roslyn Hackshaw, Adam Dusty, Ali Rad, Alison McIntyre, Antoine Girardeau, Anne Sippe, Brendan Jackson, Bridie O'Neill, Dani Simatos, Daniel Roden, Diane Mulroy, Francine Allen, Gabrielle Newman, Georgina Wilson, Helen Creed, Jillian Ferguson, John Eaton, Julie Rose, Lewis Chiat, Linda Pickering, Margaret O'Donnell, Mitchell Affleck, Rebecca Thompson, Ros Silberstein, Trish Harris and Warwick Boardman. There were a lot of volunteers—and there were more.

To my campaign team: you are incredibly talented. Thank you to Sally Talbot, Dennis Liddelow, Darcy Gunning, Klara Andric, Jaime Page, Sam Pirie, Catherine Whitely, Shudia Forgol, Nicki Slevin, Zoe Carter, Tom Wulff, Claudia Bakitch, David Scaife, Brock Oswald, Kirsti Gorringe, Bec Misich, Alannah Clohesey and Phil O'Donoghue. You ran a fun, positive and well-coordinated campaign. Also, thanks to my supporters Faz Pollard, Ah Hong Lai, Peter Mann, Raj Selvendra and Daniel Smith.

Thanks to my federal colleagues, including Senator Louise Pratt; the member for Perth, Patrick Gorman; and every Labor shadow minister—and now minister—who campaigned for our cause in Swan. Also, thanks to Senator Sue Lines, who has become the first female Labor President of the Senate. Thanks to my state colleagues Cassie Rowe, Geoff Baker, Hannah Beazley, Stephen Price, Bill Johnson, Stephen Dawson, Dr Jags, and Premier Mark McGowan. To our national secretary, Paul Erickson; our former state secretary, Tim Picton; our current state secretary, Ellie Whitaker; Henny Smith; and the WA Labor team—you ran an incredible campaign.

Thanks to the union movement, including Steve McCartney, Alex Cassie, the AMWU, Wayne Woods and the ASU, the CPSU, the CFMEU, the HSU, Owen Whittle, and Unions WA.

To my mum and dad: you sacrificed everything to come to Australia to give me and my sister Cleta a better life. Thank you for your belief in Australia. To my in-laws, Geoff and Jenny and Aunty Carole and friends: thank you. It takes a village to raise a child, and I love our village. To my husband, Sam: thank you for your unwavering support. Our story is a Swan story. We fell in love at Curtin, we travelled the world and we felt as though we'd won the lotto when we landed our home at East Vic Park. You are my rock. Thank you for stepping up and being a fantastic lead parent. Lead parenting is harder than being an MP. To my children, Lincoln and Felicity: I want you to know that I love you so much and that saying yes to becoming a FIFO mum was really hard, but I want a better future for all Australians and for all children, including you. I hope to make you proud. I hope to make the people of Swan proud. To Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: thank you for bringing us together and being a prime minister that I, my children and my electorate can believe in. Finally, to the people of Swan: thank you for putting your trust in me and Labor. I am so humbled and honoured. We will build a fair, just, prosperous nation on a livable planet. This government will be the spark that leaves the light on for the whole of Australia. We will make tomorrow better.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Casey, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech, and I ask the House to extend to them the usual courtesies.

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no greater honour, privilege or responsibility than representing your community and your family's home in federal parliament. Casey has been my family's home since 1953, when Antonino and Grazia Violi and their six children travelled halfway around the world, leaving behind their family and the safety of the known in search of a better life in Australia. They settled in the small country town of Silvan and established a farm to support their family. I often reflect on my grandparents' story and try to imagine the courage and sacrifice it would have taken to make that journey and the hardships that they endured. It is a perspective that inspires me when I face challenges and reminds me not only to be grateful for my life but of the responsibility that I have to improve the lives of future generations—for my children, Lewis and Georgie, and now for Casey and the nation.

I do not believe Nonno and Nonna could have imagined a world in which their grandson would be the federal member of parliament representing their new home. It is an example of the extraordinary democracy we have in Australia that anyone, regardless of background, can become a member of parliament. My family's stories have shaped the person that I am today and the deep love and connection that I have to the seat of Casey. I have been blessed to grow up in Yarra Glen and buy our family home in Lilydale, surrounded by a community that supported me.

When my parents separated, money was tight. While, financially, we went without, we were not short of love and support from our extended family and community. I still remember fondly receiving Sunday afternoon bread donations organised through our local church and the anticipation of whether that delivery would include sweet rolls. When they did, I do not think that a treat has ever tasted better. Spending time during the campaign packing hampers with local charity the Philanthropic Collective served as a potent reminder of the responsibility I hold now as the member for Casey to support our local charity and community organisations who support those in need.

Being a teenager is challenging at the best of times. Navigating my parents' divorce and a challenging financial situation left me carrying wounds that took me years to realise I had and to heal. Looking back, I do not know where I would be today if not for the safe place I found through sport at the Healesville Cricket Club and the Mooroolbark Soccer Club. They were my refuge, where I could feel secure and find myself. In many of the communities of Casey, our sporting clubs are the heart of the town, providing a safe place and refuge for young men and women. It has been heartwarming to visit so many clubs, to see that strong community spirit and to have clubs actively driving mental health and wellness programs within their membership. There are too many stories to share here in this place about the amazing and special communities of Casey. It is these experiences that drive me every day to make sure I am a strong voice working for our community. Serving our community is the heart of my responsibility as an MP, and it is a responsibility I will hold in the esteem it deserves.

If sport was my sanctuary, then education was the foundation to create a life for myself and my family. I was fortunate that Mum sacrificed so I could receive a great education at Mount Lilydale Mercy College. That education provided me with the opportunity to study at university and was the pathway to starting my career at Yarra Valley Snack Foods. That experience underpins my belief that the crucial element in order to lift people out of poverty and build a better life for themselves and their communities is a strong education system—a system focused on delivering tangible education outcomes for students to set them up for long-term success and to provide parents with choice in their children's education. Over the last 20 years, governments have invested billions in education, with results going backwards. This is unacceptable, not only on a societal level but, most importantly, at the individual level. A robust education system focused on educational outcomes and opportunities is the foundation of our society and of the individual. It needs to be the priority of government policy on education.

My primary responsibility in this House is to make sure we are making the right decisions for the future so that the communities of Casey and the nation continue to thrive and support each other. My belief, born out of my lived experience, is that a strong economy underpins a strong society. With both these elements, anything is possible. A secure economy is not just about delivering a balanced budget or economic growth—although these things are very important. It is also about creating safety and opportunity for all. It allows governments to invest in the services that support Australians: child care, health, education, defence, aged care and many other needs for the betterment and protection of society. A secure economy will play a vital role in our journey to net zero, and we must protect society's most vulnerable by ensuring that our energy system is secure, reliable and affordable.

To sustainably deliver these programs, we need to acknowledge that the economy faces significant structural fiscal challenges that we cannot, as leaders, pass on to future generations. We need to undertake genuine, comprehensive and systematic reviews of both our tax system and our federation. These reviews need to ensure that we are driving efficiency in our spending and government responsibilities while minimising the tax burden on Australians. These reviews cannot rule anything out before they start. They will need to form the basis of a national conversation on our direction as a country and how we tackle the challenges we face.

There are moments in your life that define the person you become. For me, that moment was 7 February 2009, Black Saturday. It was the moment I went from being a carefree young man, living as if I would live forever, to understanding that the most precious gifts we have are life and time. The difference between Rachel and me being here today and being victims 174 and 175 was a matter of seconds and metres. Our story of Black Saturday is a story thousands of people who survived that day would understand. Why did we survive and not others? Words cannot do justice to how your view of the world changes when at 24 you stare death in the face and believe your life is over. You realise what is important: time with our loved ones, time to make a difference, time to make an impact. By putting my hand up to serve the communities of Casey and the nation, I am trading time with my loved ones. This knowledge drives me every day in this role to take the tough decisions required to ensure that as a nation and in Casey we prosper, now and into the future.

At this point, I want to acknowledge and thank the most important people in my life: my wife, Rachel, and my children, Lewis and Georgie. Rachel, I know I would not be here today without you. You are the love of my life and my best friend. Your kind heart and care for others never cease to amaze me. You inspire me to be better every day. Thank you for supporting me to chase this dream. I couldn't do this journey called life without you. Lewis and Georgie, I love you both more than you can know. I will carry you both, and your generation, in this House to ensure that we make the right decisions to allow you and your generation to flourish and chase the Australian dream like so many generations before you.

From one of the darkest days in our community came anguish, despair and heartache. It created wounds that have never healed and will never heal. However, from this darkness rose a community spirit of love and generosity that is often found at the fabric of our nation. Not only locals but the entire country rallied around our communities in Casey and Victoria impacted by the fires. I had the privilege of being part of this community spirit as we rallied to support each other in the days, months and years afterwards. This community spirit was called upon again in June 2021 when storms devastated the Dandenongs and large parts of Casey. While we were fortunate that no lives were lost, the storms destroyed many homes that have still not been rebuilt, and they left residents without power and communications for weeks and months. The recovery from the storms continues, and I stand with our community as we rebuild.

In Casey, we need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to be prepared for these disasters when they come again. We have started this process through our partnership with Yarra Ranges Council to deliver the resilience project. However, we can and must do more. This includes communications resilience—so vital in an emergency and in everyday living. In the 21st century, reliable communications are an essential service and must be treated as such. As we undergo a digital revolution, new technologies such as satellite communications open up the possibility that every Australian, regardless of location, can access phone and internet. We must invest in technology to provide reliable access, for the safety of our citizens. A working phone line can be the difference between life and death.

Investment in satellite technology for regional and rural communities can also play a vital role in delivering productivity gains to the economy as the digital economy continues to grow and flourish. Having worked for the last three years in the digital economy, I understand the exciting opportunities that can be unlocked as we continue to embrace new technology. The digital economy creates new industries and jobs in its own right. But the true benefit of our transformation is the productivity gains that flow for all industries in the economy. It will allow tradies to more efficiently quote and invoice work. It will allow a farmer to monitor their crops with drones. These technologies not only unlock productivity growth but enable workers and small-business owners to chase their dream and, importantly, spend more time with their families.

While there are exciting opportunities as we transform into a digital economy, it creates significant risk for us as a nation—a risk that lawmakers have an obligation to mitigate through investing in our cybersecurity capabilities. This will be a challenge for all of government, as the pace of change in technology is not in sync with traditional government decision-making. We need to be agile and flexible.

Having spent my career working in and with small business, I want to provide a voice in this place for small business. They truly are the engine room of the economy. Small business makes up 97 per cent of all businesses in Australia and employs 4.7 million people. Every large business was once a small business driving innovation, creating new products, unlocking new markets and new jobs. Small business creates opportunity and freedom for those prepared to risk their financial security to chase a dream.

We must acknowledge and recognise that big business will naturally support regulation and red tape which stifles small business, to the detriment of competition. As a Liberal I instinctively support free markets and the benefits they bring to the economy and the nation. However, we must acknowledge the risk of dominant players in a market, which is detrimental to all Australians. For Australia to continue to prosper as a nation, we need to ensure our legislation supports the growth of small businesses and the digital economy.

The reality is that I would not be standing here today without the support of so many people. Mum, one of my biggest regrets in life is that, until I became a father, I did not appreciate what you did for us. Thank you for your strength over so many years. I love you. I also thank my stepdad, Gordon, for the support you've provided to mum and to our family over so many years. I thank and acknowledge my brothers and sisters James, Emile, Michaela and Matthew, and their partners, and my stepbrothers and stepsisters David, Sarah and Jess, and their partners. To my uncle, Sam Violi, the man responsible for my love of the Collingwood Football Club—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, too late! He taught me what being a practical Liberal is all about. To my Aunty Vicki and cousins Anthony, Vicki, Dom, Teresa, Maree, Francis and Mus, thank you for your ongoing support. To my favourite mother-in-law, Cheryl, thank you for always being there for us and supporting us through this journey. And to my aunt and uncle, Kerri and Barry, you're not only aunt and uncle to Rachel but fantastic campaign people as well. I also acknowledge my friend and mentor who is no longer with us, Fiona Ogilvey O'Donnell.

I've been fortunate as a lifelong resident of Casey and a volunteer with the Liberal Party to have a great example to follow in my friend and predecessor, Tony Smith. Not only does Tony leave behind an incredible legacy as the member for Casey but his time as Speaker is also a towering example of the integrity required and expected of a member of parliament. The example set by Tony both in Casey and in this House is one I am proud to follow and determined to match. To the Casey FEC, led by my campaign chair, Alister Osborn, thank you for trusting me to represent you and for supporting me during the campaign. I thank Bryan and Maria McCarthy, also from the campaign team, for their support not only during the campaign but also in all my time in the Liberal Party—I'm so glad you're here today. To Ben Zerbe, Paul Molluso, Michael McKinell, Gareth Ward, Florence Lindhouse, Tom Sterium and Rocky Pitasi, thank you for your support during the campaign. I give thanks to my state colleagues Catherine Burnett Wake; Bridget Vallence and her husband, Ben; Cindy McLeish; and David Hodgett. I also thank my friends Frank Greenstein, Holly Byrne, Sean Armistead, Nick Thodos, Senator Jane Hume, Senator James Paterson and Josh Frydenberg for their support.

Thank you to my colleagues for the warm welcome, and to those ministers at the time who came and supported me during the campaign. To my friends and new Victorian colleagues Zoe McKenzie and Keith Wolahan, it is a unique journey stepping into the shoes of such well respected and long-serving Liberal members, as we did. I was honoured to be able to share the campaign with you both, and I look forward to our next chapter in this House together.

As a nation, we face significant challenges, but what nation throughout history has not? As a nation, we like all nations have significant opportunities. The question for us is: will we let circumstances define our future or will we define our future? When my time representing the people of Casey ends I hope to be remembered as a member who stayed connected to and delivered for his community, someone who recognised the central challenges we have as a nation and who played a constructive role in solving them for current and future generations. I want to be a member who pursues his convictions without wavering while adjusting course when circumstances dictate. I want to be a leader who trusts individuals to make choices in their own lives. I want to be a member who upholds the dignity and honour of the role I am so privileged to hold.

Mr Speaker and members of the House, I thank you for your indulgence. In finishing, I take the instructions of Roman Emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, who 2,000 years ago confided to his personal diary: 'Waste no more time talking about what a good politician should do. Just be one.'

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Goldstein, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech and I ask the House to extend to them the usual courtesies.

Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the House for the opportunity to make this speech on the first day of our 47th Parliament, and thank you to the people of Goldstein. Thank you to those in our community who lifted me up. Without you I wouldn't be standing here.

I want to acknowledge our First Peoples and pay my respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and to the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nation, on whose unceded lands Goldstein sits.

In this, my first speech to the parliament, I want to state my support, after consultation with the Boonwurrung people, for a First Nations voice in the Constitution. The voice for the First Peoples will create a direct line of communication to and with this parliament and is a crucial step towards self-determination. I am hopeful and honoured to be able to contribute to the establishment of a voice for the First Peoples, a legacy that this parliament can build.

Yet there is more that we must do. The legacy of the 47th Parliament must include climate action for the long-term future of our country, greater integrity, safety and empowerment for women and girls. These are the concerns of our nation. A few days ago one of these concerns was brought into sharp focus with the release of the State of the environment report. Our country is burning and flooding. Our water is polluting, our trees dwindling. Our very earth is wasting away. But the report gives us a path back which includes First Nations people, the first guardians of country. It's time to act.

My job now will be to hold the government to account for dramatically improved climate policy and targets, backed by the best science that we have—a timely, planned and just transition to renewable energy. The government's carbon emission target, 43 per cent by 2030, must be enshrined in law as a floor, not a ceiling. We must have clear mechanisms to keep all of us, each of us, accountable to achieving net zero by 2050, if not before. Even 2040 would not be a moment too soon. This will give certainty to business and, if we are swift and purposeful, will help keep the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

I would say that I appreciate the good faith the government has demonstrated to date in making changes to improve the legislation. So far, so good. This kind of collaboration is what the Goldstein community wants, and it's one of the fundamental reasons that I stand here in this parliament.

The State of the environment report tells us we must not delay. The facts are before us. Ending the climate wars requires courage and ambition beyond politics. Deception, fear and division must end. We have an opportunity in this parliament to go forward and to go forward together.

I stand here today because of the life I've led so far and the impact of my experiences, the things I've seen, the people I've met, the stories I've heard and told, and a desire to contribute. The release last week of the State of the environment report made it clear to me, and I know for all of us, that we must act urgently and effectively to save our lands and our planet.

I grew up in Tassie, but I was born in Essendon. Unlike the member for Casey, I'm an Essendon supporter, thanks to dad, who played for the Bombers at the time. My father, also a teacher, instilled in me a deep ethical framework and competitive determination befitting a footballer's kid. My mother, a hairdresser and then a social worker—who supported women escaping domestic violence and later worked in Indigenous communities and in the Middle East—gave me empathy and, I think, strength in adversity.

My father's experiences as a state Labor candidate in Tasmania put me off party politics for life—sorry! It was a murky mess of factionalism and dark political tactics—casting no aspersions! Just as my mother taught me to listen and to feel, my father has always pushed me to push myself and to strive to have impact. I'm here from our community, but also because of my family—Rowan, my husband, and our children, Arkie and Pearl—who, when we talked as a family about me standing for election, said: 'You have to do something for us, Mum. Someone has to do something for us.' Rowan, initially not keen because politics can be a nasty business, especially for women, has been so inspired by the community around us and the movement that we all created together. Like his own work in international development, it was a community working together for good. So many Australians do that—volunteering at the surf lifesaving club, running the canteen at the local school, reading in classrooms, coaching junior sport, cooking the barbecue at Bunnings, those who dropped off food packs to strangers during our many Melbourne lockdowns, and the people who share their houses after floods and fires. Our parliament can and should reflect that sense of community and the concerns of our communities across our diverse nation.

In late 2013 I landed, on a military cargo plane, in the devastated Tacloban City after the superstorm Typhoon Haiyan had swept across the central Philippines. As a journalist and foreign correspondent, I have seen all manner of climate related disasters. Nothing before or since compares to those scenes in Tacloban, flattened by a storm surge that destroyed 90 per cent of the city—bodies in the streets, cars in trees, giant boats atop buildings and, amid the rubble, the shattered lives of residents. This event was a turning point for me, a realisation of the impact climate change, and its increasingly unmanageable weather events, would have on communities.

It is not the only reference point. I have waded through floods in northern New South Wales, Thailand and elsewhere in South-East Asia; seen the melting permafrost in the arctic and the animals and people scrabbling for survival as the environment morphs right under their feet; and reported on the aftermath of cyclones in the Pacific, hurricanes in the US, bushfires in Australia and California.

In late 2019 I met former Australian fire chief Greg Mullins on the fireground amid bushfires in California. He and others had spent months making calls and writing letters trying to get a meeting with the former government to warn them to prepare for a black summer ahead. They were ignored. During that summer of 2019-20, like all Australians, I watched horrified as those predicted fires came, changing communities forever, killing and displacing billions of animals and burning through our precious landscape. Enough waiting. Enough obfuscating. The impacts of these floods, fires and storms have become too much, too frequent to continue to do too little.

I especially want to thank my family for supporting me as I stand here today wanting to do more. Rowan, Arkie and Pearl, the three of you know better than anyone that I am innately an introvert—happiest just pottering in the garden or having a quiet swim in the ocean and being with my family—but you also know why we must do this together. It's because it's time to be fierce and to be brave, to represent community, to make hard decisions, yet to lead with optimism. Be the change you want to see—that's what we tell our children. Remember, Arkie, when Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement in 2017? You said to me: 'No one is doing anything. It'll be too late. Why isn't anyone doing anything?' As a parent, it was a helpless moment. I remember saying, 'I can't do anything about that.' Well, now is my chance.

It's our chance to do something about climate, about transforming our economy amid a huge opportunity—a renewables revolution—and about restoring public trust in leadership. It's about grasping this opportunity that a pandemic delivered us. The pandemic has had and continues to have so many terrible impacts, but it's also reminded us what community is about and what we can achieve when we come together.

This is what the people of Goldstein have realised, and that's why our community has propelled an Independent candidate into this House. A movement mobilised to put me in this seat in this place—a movement that wants reasoned discussion and collaboration to solve the big challenges of our time.

An honourable member: Hear, hear!

I acknowledge my fellow community independents and their communities. We've been put in these seats for similar reasons by people who want honesty, sincerity and guts from their representatives.

Back in the days before I was a foreign correspondent, I was a rural journalist and a presenter of The Country Hour on the ABC. The ABC, by the way, is a critical service that connects Australians in good times and in crises and must be funded to reflect its value to communities across the nation—as a teller of Australian stories, as a connection between us and the world and as an emergency broadcaster. I grew up as a horsey kid in Tassie, so being a rural reporter stomping around on farms was a natural fit for me.

That was when I met the energetic whirlwind Cathy McGowan. She was involved with Australian Women in Agriculture, and we met on a study trip to the US that ended with a major conference in Washington, DC. I was in my mid-20s, and it was my first trip overseas. Years later, after several foreign postings, when I returned from four years in Washington covering the Trump presidency, Cathy sent me a note: 'I think you'd make a great MP.' In Cathy's first speech in 2013, she introduced this place to Voices for Indi and to the power of a rural community to 'reinvent itself'. Those were her exact words. Now it's urban Goldstein's time for reinvention through its own Voices movement.

For more than 100 years, Balaclava, now the electorate of Goldstein, had voted for men from the conservative side of politics, but in 2022 Goldstein found its Independent voice—a woman, at that! You'll note that I'm not wearing teal tonight. Purple and white were the colours worn by suffragists like Vida Goldstein, after whom Goldstein is named. Vida was a peace advocate, an activist, a politician and—as owner and editor of Woman's Spherea journalist, like myself. She was the first woman in the Western world to stand for a national parliament. Vida Goldstein also rejected party politics. 'I ask you to vote for me because I'm not a member of a political party,' she told voters early last century. She said:

Study has convinced me that party government is a system that is entirely out of date … It is a cumbersome, unbusinesslike method of running the country …

Vida, unfortunately, made five unsuccessful attempts to get elected to the House and the Senate, and it took Australia 40 years from Federation to elect—finally—a woman to federal parliament. In this, our 47th Parliament, women make up about 40 per cent, the highest proportion on record. That includes 19 first-term MPs. I am one, as the new member for Goldstein, in Vida's name.

I'd like to take a moment to recognise Tim Wilson, my predecessor, for his six years of service to our community, which threads through bayside Melbourne from Elsternwick to Beaumaris and inland into Cheltenham, Bentleigh, Highett, Gardenvale, Ormond, McKinnon, Glen Huntly and Caulfield South. Our community is diverse, culturally and religiously varied, established, and highly educated in parts, with green parks, a blue bay, old and young using our magic bush trails, all kinds of footy, netball, cricket and cyclists—a lot of lycra!

But we're not a community devoid of problems. Goldstein has housing stress and homelessness, small businesses struggling to recover from the pandemic, people struggling to navigate aged care and the NDIS, and serious youth mental health issues. Yet, it's a place where you'll find the Chatty Cafe Scheme, which brings people together to simply have a sandwich and a cup of tea and talk. You'll find lifesaving clubs and bay swimmers, from Brighton to Black Rock to Beaumaris, who choose to swim in the freezing waters of Bayside Melbourne, even on dark winter mornings, for health and connection. You'll find a group of people looking to secure hope for the future.

The very first member for Goldstein, Ian Macphee, a longstanding member of the Liberal Party, generously endorsed me during my campaign. In his own first speech, Ian Macphee said he would:

… endeavour to serve all constituents to the best of my ability and to make here a contribution to national policy formation.

At the time, he said:

It seems to be a fact of life that parliamentarians, the principal lawmakers, are not held in high regard by those whom they serve.

…   …   …

I anticipate that during my political life expectancy in this Parliament, the Parliament's greatest problem may well be to raise its own standing in the eyes of the community …

We're still not there. In fact, I would contend that the situation has worsened since Ian framed that speech. But it's also my goal—and the goal of all of us in this parliament, I believe—to behave and to deliver in a way that makes our nation proud.

Along with my deep concerns about the lack of action on climate sit my observations about the fragmentation of truth and trust, and the danger that poses to our democracy and the future of our communities and our children. Authoritarianism, populism, disinformation and vast conspiracy theories have flourished in recent years in a volatile world. Social media has been used by Donald Trump and others like him to sow doubt on the integrity of elections. As we've heard in the evidence about the shocking events of 6 January 2021, those who stormed the US Capitol thought they were protecting democracy. Instead, they were deceived and manipulated.

Without trust in policy and leadership, without integrity and good governance, we cannot function as a society. When facts become just a matter of opinion, we have a problem. It is our responsibility in this parliament to rebuild that trust. I would suggest that my former colleagues in the press could also reflect on their own behaviour.

To be honest, I had little interest in becoming a politician. After years of covering politics, I knew what it was. When my old university friend Angela Pippos called me last year and said, 'Are you sitting down?' and asked if I would be interested in running for parliament with the support of community group Voices of Goldstein, my first response was, 'No way!' Yet here I am. I thank the Voices of Goldstein for their trust.

I didn't take the regular pathway to politics. I have never signed up to a party or a particular ideology. When you've spent your life as a journalist, you create distance from the parties, and I've always been a swinging voter. I've spent much of my career so far talking to people with very different political views to mine. I've learnt to consider how people are affected very differently by events and circumstances. While over the years I've voted according to leadership, ethos and policies, it was only when the idea of running as an Independent was presented to me as a realistic option that I thought, 'This is a way of actually stepping in, stepping up to the table and having an impact, without having to pick a side.'

This community crossbench, I believe, is ready to work with government to make change. Our communities said this is what matters: climate, integrity, gender equality, and safety for women and girls. There's more: fixing health care, aged care and the NDIS; humane refugee policies; tax reform; and affordable housing. We must return to collaborative politics to make these changes, and it must happen now, because, while all of our futures are at stake, it's our young people who will pay the price for continued inaction, continued self-interest and the continued absence of vision.

To our young people, our kids, our babies: I'm sorry. I'm sorry that your generation is going to pay the price for the failure of those who have come before you, for failing to make the government take the action we need to futureproof our nation and the globe from the devastating impact of climate change on your lives and those of your children. I know that, when you see things like the latest, shocking State of the environment report, you ask, 'Why aren't we reacting? Who's going to make the hard decisions?'

With all of this in mind, I step into this place, into the room where it happens, with determination but also with optimism, with the opportunity to look forward to what we can achieve. Australia has a chance to lead and to take our place in the world as a nation of innovation. In doing so, we must implement an effective integrity system: an anticorruption commission, transparency of political donations and ministerial diaries, whistleblower protection and truth in political advertising.

And we must hold the government to account on the safety and economic empowerment of women and girls. We must value the care economy to revalue the contribution that women make. Let us shift the focus from hard infrastructure, like roads and bridges, to hospitals and schools and give women and girls their best opportunity to participate in the economy, taking into account their multiple competing priorities. Higher productivity is critical and timely. Universal, cheap and flexible child care is central to this to cater for women working fragmented shifts.

Independents have a special place in this parliament. Unfettered by party lines, we can and will speak up. We have a special role in our communities as listeners and then as a direct voice in this place. If we as leaders don't listen, learn and carry our communities forward with us, we will see more people vulnerable to disinformation, to conspiracy. We must provide policy, stability, hope, and a road map to follow.

During my campaign I borrowed a phrase, its origins with the Jewish elder Hillel, later adapted by JFK: 'If not us, who? If not now, when?' Our when is now. It starts today. It's time to act. Thank you, Goldstein, for your trust, and I ask you and all Australians to hold me to account.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think it's fair to say those were four extraordinary speeches from thoroughly decent individuals, and it augurs very well for the 47th Parliament. I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

Question agreed to.

House adjourned at 19:49