Trish Cook (Bullwinkel, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we approach the end of 2025, I rise to reflect on a year that has been defined not by talk but by action, a year when the Albanese Labor government has rolled up its sleeves and delivered real tangible changes for the people of Bullwinkel and for families right across Australia. When I joined this government I did so with a simple goal: to get things done. Looking back on the last 12 months, I am incredibly proud to say that is exactly what we are doing. This year we have tackled the cost of living head on, not with band-aid solutions but with structural reforms in every portfolio that are making life easier for everyday Australians.

We know that education is the key to opportunity, but, for too long, student debt has been a burden weighing down our younger generations. That's why I'm so proud that, this year, we cut student debt by 20 per cent. That's affecting over 13,000 students in Bullwinkel alone. For the students in my electorate, whether they are studying at our new hubs in our regions or commuting into the city, this is a massive weight off their shoulders. It means that three million Australians are now seeing their debts reduced, making it that little bit easier to save for a home deposit or start a family.

We have also moved to secure the future of Australian workers through our payday super reforms, with a simple principle: if you work the hours, you should get paid the super not in three months time but on payday. By passing legislation to protect payday super, we've stopped billions of dollars in unpaid super from slipping through the cracks and ensured that every hour of hard work today counts towards a dignified retirement tomorrow.

This government has also shown that it can lead with both economic responsibility and deep compassion. There is no better example of this than Baby Priya's law. No parent should have to worry about their financial security while grieving the loss of a child. By amending the Fair Work Act to ensure that employer funded paid parental leave cannot be cancelled if a child is stillborn or passes away, we have corrected a heartbreaking injustice.

In health, we have continued our mission to strengthen Medicare, the bedrock of our society. We have made medicines cheaper, easing the squeeze on household budgets at the pharmacy counter, and we are seeing the results of our historic investment in bulk-billing with the Medicare urgent care clinics. In Bullwinkel, we look forward to opening a Medicare clinic in Mundaring in the very near future.

But I want to save a special mention for the reforms that I believe will stand as a defining legacy of this term. We are moving into the grand finale of the parliamentary year with our historic environmental protections soon to pass. I have to say that, being in this chamber and sitting in the last sitting, passing the reforms through the lower house was one of the proudest moments I've have had since joining this place. I was reminded of why I put my hand up for this job. I joined the Labor Party to be part of the solution, to push through the noise and to deliver reforms that matter. Our Albanese Labor government is doing just that, and we have the grit to continue to deliver.

Finally, I want to say some thankyous to my team, particularly Amira Nunn, who has accompanied me to Canberra on all these occasions and has helped me with the organised chaos that is life as a new MP. Thank you to my team back home, who have finally been shifting into my electorate office six months after I was announced. I can finally take some of that stuff out of the car and put it at a permanent desk.

I also want to thank the people of Bullwinkel for electing me to this position to be the voice for them—for the people in the foothills, the hills and the regional areas. We have cut debt, protected super, supported grieving families, strengthened Medicare and fought tooth and nail for our environment. Now we're getting on with the job, and I can promise the people of Bullwinkel that, in 2026, we won't be slowing down. Thank you.