John Alexander's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2022-07-06T23:05:41+00:00
items: Commonwealth Integrity Commission | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
items: Fuel | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
items: Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Bennelong Electorate: Christian Community Aid | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Genocide | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Juvenile Arthritis | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Global Polio Eradication Initiative | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Youthsafe | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Bennelong Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
items: Schools | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Stryder Community Transport Services | Statements by Members | House debates
items: HIV/AIDS | Motions | House debates
items: Infrastructure Funding | Motions | House debates
items: Bennelong Electorate: Events | Adjournment | House debates
items: Climate Change | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Climate Change | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Bennelong Electorate: Schools | Constituency Statements | House debates

Commonwealth Integrity Commission | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for Indi for bringing this forward and my colleague. A properly working parliament requires trust, honesty and integrity. It is clear that our standing in the public has taken...
encoded: I thank the member for Indi for bringing this forward and my colleague. A properly working parliament requires trust, honesty and integrity. It is clear that our standing in the public has taken a bashing, because these key attributes are in question. Between the scandals that have plagued all governments over the past few decades and the chaos that people see in question time and on the news, public faith in our parliamentary institutions is very low. We need a federal ICAC so we can take action, take the first step, to regain the respect of Australians, who need to have confidence that we are all acting with the integrity and honesty that they rightly expect of us. This sitting fortnight we have seen many members give their valedictory speeches, and a common theme has been the need for bipartisanship. Bipartisanship is necessary for many of our dealings but it is especially important on this issue. We need our leaders and parties to come together on this issue, because a solution will need to outlive a three-year parliament and will need to outlive governments. For too long this has been a political football, each side happier to score political points than to get the job done. The government has proposed a bill but has not accepted debate on it. The opposition hasn't even offered its own version or been willing to do anything constructive, relying simply on criticising the government's bill. None of this is productive. This needs goodwill between the two parties. We must stop bashing heads and instead put our heads together to work our way forward. This is too important to play politics with, because we've seen what happens around the world when people lose trust in their elected representatives. So let's form a team. A team is a group of people who come together with a common goal. Let's form a team to represent Australians, to ensure honesty and integrity as the foundations for those who represent us and those who seek to lead.
date: 2022-02-17T12:07:00+00:00

Fuel | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: I'd like to thank the members for Kennedy and Clark for bringing this debate forward today. Fuel security has always been important, but these are probably the most fraught times for this since...
encoded: I'd like to thank the members for Kennedy and Clark for bringing this debate forward today. Fuel security has always been important, but these are probably the most fraught times for this since the seventies. Aside from the more protectionist nature of trade today and the implications on tariffs at international borders, the pandemic has tightened supply lines, and a single container ship wedged in the Suez has shown us how dependent global trade is on a few small choke-points. This debate really does matter. It also couldn't be more timely. On the weekend, I saw fuel at $2.28 in Sydney. Clearly, fuel shocks are real. While I don't agree with all of the protectionist measures in this motion, there are certainly some elements which are critical and should be addressed immediately by the government. The call to stockpile six months fuel supply is vital to ensure we can keep moving, even in a crisis. I am pleased to see that the government is acting on this. We are securing a baseline level of key transport fuels to be kept onshore to act as a buffer against supply shocks through the implementation of a minimum stockholding obligation. This will see a 40 per cent increase in our local diesel stocks. But, when prices stabilise again, we must invest in fuels to ensure that we have domestic storage. Beyond the need for storage, sovereign manufacturing capabilities are also essential, which is why the government is ensuring that we have access to the fuel we need to keep Australia moving. We have already locked in Australia's refining capacity and its 1,250 employees through the landmark Fuel Security Act. This means that the Ampol refinery in Brisbane and the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong will both remain in operation until at least mid 2027. In fact, the Viva Energy refinery at Geelong in Victoria has extended this commitment until 30 June 2028, one year more than the minimum required period under the Fuel Security Act 2021. Locking in our refineries is a matter of nat…
date: 2022-02-14T18:33:00+00:00

Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
type: item
description: And he is not a bad tennis player either! He tells me his golf is something special! I rise here today to speak as a result of a strange series of events and a great number of people who have...
encoded: And he is not a bad tennis player either! He tells me his golf is something special! I rise here today to speak as a result of a strange series of events and a great number of people who have initiated, cajoled, encouraged, mentored and worked with me to win back Bennelong, hold it through five campaigns and engage in work to address challenges where answers must be found. I've often been asked what the difference is between my first career as a tennis player and this. My quick response is that the game of tennis starts at love all. Ponder that. In my time on the tour, tennis went open, allowing the professionals entry into the grand slams, and the tour events became prize money tournaments rewarding performance regardless of reputation or standing. The equitable breakdown was initiated unselfishly by Ken Rosewall, who was then the king of the pros. The best events welcomed the best players, and tennis became a performance based profession with an equitable distribution of funds—a meritocracy in its purest form. Tennis since that time has grown and prospered beyond the wildest expectations. If our arena in this chamber had the same basis for meritocracy and fairness and a true contest of vision and ideas, imagine what could be achieved. I was attracted to enter the political world after conversations with Brendan Nelson and John Howard, who were both keen to attract people with real life experience who could contribute to the development of policy. My summation of their advice was that a party should only win office on the basis of the policies, plans and vision they present and that governments should only hold on to office on delivering on those undertakings. The year 2010 was good for the coalition, and I was one of many to win a seat in parliament. I was delighted to find I had some 80-plus new friends with a common thread uniting us. We formed friendships quickly, and these bonds have endured. I became besties with the Wyatts—Ken Wyatt and Wyatt Roy—even though…
date: 2022-02-10T09:50:00+00:00

Commonwealth Integrity Commission | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
type: item
description: I would just like to add some comments to those of the member for Indi. If we were to enter a period of debate on this issue, we might be here in another 20 years, as we have been on climate...
encoded: I would just like to add some comments to those of the member for Indi. If we were to enter a period of debate on this issue, we might be here in another 20 years, as we have been on climate change. I would suggest that we act like mature adults, enter a room—we both have our positions—and start working through this document line by line until we have a resolution together. We should work together across this great divide to do well for the Australian people because the one thing they want of the people in this place is integrity, and our stocks are not high in that department at this time.
date: 2021-12-02T10:43:00+00:00

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Not likely! Thank you to those opposite for bringing this matter forward. The cost of living is critically important to everyone across Australia, and we're delighted to be talking about it....
encoded: Not likely! Thank you to those opposite for bringing this matter forward. The cost of living is critically important to everyone across Australia, and we're delighted to be talking about it. Unfortunately, this motion lacks context. It's a broader problem with MPIs; the need to keep things pithy and one sentence provides little space for exposition. But, in this, as in everything, context is key. The last few years have been tough—very tough. While the pandemic started as a health crisis, it has rapidly spread to be an economic one. Economies have been hit either way, and movement restrictions, initially, had the same detrimental effect on spending, which led to chaos in the countries who let this virus rip. But the last two years have also shown us that, by taking the pandemic seriously, locking down our borders and using public health initiatives from mask mandates to lockdowns, we have kept disruption to a minimum. Each time we come out of lockdown, we spend like sailors on shore leave. A quick look at the economic data shows that, for every dip during a lockdown, there is huge growth that follows. That is the story of today's national account figures: there is certainly a dip, but the strong expectation is that the next quarter will see large amounts of growth. As the Treasurer reminded us today, the economy is recovering strongly, and this is particularly clear to see in the labour markets. Those who were working at the end of the last century will remember the high levels of unemployment during the last recessions, in the eighties and the nineties. These have been avoided this time thanks to a huge amount of investment and support from the federal government. Our payments—JobSaver, JobSeeker and more—have kept our unemployment low and supported thousands of Australians when they have needed their government to step up. Since the start of September, 350,000 jobs have come back, and job ads are more than 30 per cent higher than they were at the start of the pand…
date: 2021-12-01T16:08:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate: Christian Community Aid | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: This year, 2021, has been a challenging year, to say the least. This Christmas is sure to be difficult for those doing it tough, which is why it is more important than ever to think of those who...
encoded: This year, 2021, has been a challenging year, to say the least. This Christmas is sure to be difficult for those doing it tough, which is why it is more important than ever to think of those who are less fortunate than us. There are wonderful and selfless people in every community who are looking out for others at this time, but I would like to highlight just one organisation in Bennelong. Christian Community Aid, or CCA for short, works in the greater Eastwood area to ensure locals have what they need throughout the year. They offer food services, English services and activities for the isolated and the elderly. Through the pandemic, as local needs have become more pressing, CCA have stepped up and done incredible work to ensure that no-one is left behind. At Christmas time they organise hamper deliveries for locals, and I am delighted to say I will be joining them to assist with the packing in the next few weeks. When I'm there, I will also be congratulating them on a federal grant they received recently of $20,000 to go towards an adventure play space for children from disadvantaged families. Thank you to Heather Pinto and her dedicated team at CCA for making sure nobody is left behind this Christmas, and thank you to everyone out there who may also be looking out for others at Christmas.
date: 2021-12-01T13:52:00+00:00

Genocide | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Thank you to my friend and colleague the member for North Sydney for bringing forward this important motion. The word 'genocide' is a terrifying one. It is the chilling finality of homicide but...
encoded: Thank you to my friend and colleague the member for North Sydney for bringing forward this important motion. The word 'genocide' is a terrifying one. It is the chilling finality of homicide but on a mass scale—not killing one person, but killing one race, one ethnicity. The concept is as horrifying as it is unimaginable. That genocide exists at all is tragic. That we saw so many in the last century on so many different continents and in so many disparate situations is truly frightening. Some genocides are organised—the Germans. Some are chaotic and opportunistic—Rwanda. Destroying a race is nearly impossible and, thankfully, all genocides fail in that goal. Genocide leaves deep scars in communities. It is not just the loss of the victims, the empty seats at the dinner tables and children growing up as orphans. It's also the deep psychological cuts and the branding aimed to dehumanise before the killing starts. The effects of this dehumanisation live on for decades to come. What can we do? You can't fix it or undo a genocide. You can't bring people back from the dead. Genocide leaves a legacy that can never be forgotten and will mark a people for centuries. Perpetrators can apologise. But what apology can compensate for the lives of millions lost? There is only one thing that can be done; we can discuss. There can be no healing without acknowledgment. The Jewish will never forgive and they will never forget, but they can start to heal at memorials around the world, including in Germany, where they can air their grievances, mourn openly, and continue a discourse with their former persecutors. The Armenians, similarly, will never forgive or forget the atrocities that were visited upon them in the fading light of the Ottoman Empire. There is nowhere they can mourn, no place to discuss, because the genocide is not acknowledged by the descendants of the perpetrators or by many countries around the world. There are tens of thousands of Armenians in Australia. We have one o…
date: 2021-11-29T18:26:00+00:00

Juvenile Arthritis | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: I second the motion. Thank you to my friend and colleague the member for Macarthur for bringing forward this important motion today. As he often does, he reminds us that there are good people on...
encoded: I second the motion. Thank you to my friend and colleague the member for Macarthur for bringing forward this important motion today. As he often does, he reminds us that there are good people on both sides. Juvenile arthritis is a serious, incurable, debilitating autoimmune disease affecting an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 children and adolescents in Australia. For a condition with such a high prevalence, there is an incredible lack of awareness of this condition. For example, today I learned that shorthand for juvenile arthritis is JA, something I feel I should have known sooner! The condition is debilitating but also unpredictable: mornings without flare-ups are no guarantee of a pain-free afternoon. And when the condition does flare up, the excruciating pain can leave people unable to walk, move and, importantly, play and socialise. At this age particularly, even temporary disability can leave lasting stigma and depression. With effects like this it would be logical to think that juvenile arthritis would be better known, and yet despite the prevalence being similar to childhood diabetes and epilepsy, and around six times more common than cystic fibrosis, there is hardly any political or community awareness of juvenile arthritis. Thankfully, there is some movement by the government to address this condition. In 2018 the government commissioned the National Strategic Action Plan for Arthritis, which is an evidence-informed blueprint to guide national efforts to improve the health-care-related quality of life for people living with arthritis, including children living with juvenile arthritis. The action plan was released in 2019 and implementation funding of $4 million has been provided to date, focusing on consumer awareness-raising, educational activities and health professional education and training for arthritis. In regard to juvenile arthritis specifically, activity being implemented under the action plan includes development and dissemination of guidance on cons…
date: 2021-11-29T17:55:00+00:00

Global Polio Eradication Initiative | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for Higgins for bringing forward this motion on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. I have spoken a few times lately on medical treatments that are bringing an end to...
encoded: I thank the member for Higgins for bringing forward this motion on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. I have spoken a few times lately on medical treatments that are bringing an end to debilitating conditions. It might be a COVID thing with this endlessly ongoing disease, but it's nice to look around and see that we aren't victims to diseases and we have some agency against them. It takes time and effort, but eventually, with enough people focusing on one condition, we can consign it to the history books. Polio is one such story. Less than 100 years ago it was so prevalent that the president of the most powerful industrialised country in the world could have it. In prewar generations, polio was rife in Australia, with thousands of children suffering. Even when I was at school, one of my mates, Barry Mulligan, had polio and could only get around with the help of calipers and crutches. But while it was endemic in the thirties, in Australia our final case of polio was caught in 1972. Since then it has hardly been visible. Australia was declared polio free in 2000, at the same time as the whole of the western Pacific. The western Pacific point is important. As a rich country, we often have health outcomes that are better than the poorer countries around us, but eradicating polio is not about eradicating it in rich countries; it is about ensuring that it is consigned to history everywhere. That Australia was declared polio free at the same time as the western Pacific is very important. This excellent news has been continued across the world. As this motion says, in August 2020 the entire African continent was declared polio free and, around the world, polio is 99 per cent eradicated. How have we got there? Together. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has brought together organisations like Rotary International, the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund as well as the private sector to bring polio to heel. When…
date: 2021-11-29T17:18:00+00:00

Youthsafe | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: A few years ago I was contacted by a local charity called Youthsafe. They do good work in the community to prevent unintended injury to young people. They take a holistic and wideranging view of...
encoded: A few years ago I was contacted by a local charity called Youthsafe. They do good work in the community to prevent unintended injury to young people. They take a holistic and wideranging view of safety, focusing on everything from road safety to risk-taking behaviour and highlighting the main causes of harm in teenagers and young people. Their chief executive, Warren Johnson, works tirelessly and intelligently to get their messages out there and to help save lives and livelihoods. But they had a problem relating to designated gift recipient status. DGR is common in Australian charities, and many charities use it to incentivise donations that people can claim back at the end of the financial year. We also know that many charities don't get it. We expect to claim back money donated to a health charity, but not a political donation. But we don't often think about what separates the two. Some types of charities automatically get DGR—educational institutions and fire and emergency services, for example. If you don't fit inside these groups, often for fairly arbitrary reasons, you need to apply to the minister for special acceptance. Youthsafe fell into this category. Interestingly, Youthsafe don't need DGR to attract donations. At the time, they raised very little money from donations and weren't seeking to change this model. Instead, they wanted to apply for grants, which is where the story gets interesting. Many grants are only applicable to charities with DGR status, as if DGR status confers legitimacy on a charity. Without DGR, Youthsafe couldn't apply for grants and were staring into a financial abyss. I'm delighted to say that we were able to get DGR status for Youthsafe. But it wasn't easy. It took four years, six ministers and a lot of lobbying. Treasury doesn't like to give DGR status easily, as it can be a drain on taxpayers. That's an understandable concern, but not one that applies here. We need to create an indicator for a charity's legitimacy that is not al…
date: 2021-11-25T10:15:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: It is a wonderful time of the year. Christmas is approaching. Lights are starting to appear outside homes. Christmas shopping is imminent. It has only been six weeks since decorations appeared in...
encoded: It is a wonderful time of the year. Christmas is approaching. Lights are starting to appear outside homes. Christmas shopping is imminent. It has only been six weeks since decorations appeared in the shopping centres! Most years we look at each other and think, 'Where did the year go?' Lockdowns have blended into lockdowns. Homeschooling has drudged on, and well-intentioned sourdough starters have been in the fridge now for so long they are becoming sentient and have started to look to move out! Einstein told us decades ago that time is an illusion, but only in the last two years has this proven to be our experience. So we come to the end of this year with a relieved sigh and optimism for the future. It's worth remembering that in November last year we felt similarly, before Christmas and New Year's were upturned by the Northern Beaches outbreak. While Bennelong wasn't locked down, the implications of gathering restrictions affected the Christmas plans of many in my electorate, especially the many large local families looking forward to their traditional gatherings. Thankfully, this year, our optimism is supported by data. Our vaccine rollout, after an admittedly slow start, fired up in the second half of the year, and now the nation is 86 per cent double vaccinated, and New South Wales is trickling towards 95 per cent single vaccinated. In Ryde, we have 93 per cent fully covered, which is an incredible figure. We couldn't have gotten here without an incredible amount of work from our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and everyone else who helped roll out the jab and manned our emergency departments and COVID wards during our biggest outbreak this year. Thank you to everyone who played their part in keeping us safe, and, of course, thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeves to get the jab. We're opening shops, opening borders and reducing restrictions purely thanks to the huge numbers of people who have come out to get their jabs, so thank you. This means Christma…
date: 2021-11-25T16:45:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Congratulations on obtaining this high office. I'm sure you will do this place proud.
encoded: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Congratulations on obtaining this high office. I'm sure you will do this place proud.
date: 2021-11-25T16:45:00+00:00

Schools | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: As we approach December, 'tis the season for school graduation ceremonies. Thirteen long years of school are coming to an end, and it's time for celebration and recognition of achievements,...
encoded: As we approach December, 'tis the season for school graduation ceremonies. Thirteen long years of school are coming to an end, and it's time for celebration and recognition of achievements, particularly after these last two unprecedented years. Like most people in this chamber, I would normally attend many of these ceremonies. I would get to present awards and sometimes say a few words to the leaving students, passing on my congratulations for hanging on in school longer than I did. But, of course, this year is not a normal year, which is something we definitely don't need to remind the graduating class of 2021 of. I cannot begin to comprehend the challenges they have must faced learning without classrooms, studying without friends and finishing without celebrations. It is to their great credit that these students have persevered throughout this year, and in many cases excelled, so I would like to congratulate all the students of Bennelong, especially in my absence. Well done for surviving another strange year without your friends, teachers and routines. Thank you to all the teachers who have had to adapt in tough circumstances and continued to stay upbeat and positive. Most importantly, congratulations to all those leaving school this year. Well done on keeping your heads through the last two bizarre and unpredictable years, and good luck for whatever next year and beyond has for you.
date: 2021-11-24T13:41:00+00:00

Stryder Community Transport Services | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: It was an absolute pleasure to visit local Bennelong community transport provider Stryder last Friday. Stryder has just purchased a new Toyota commuter van through a Stronger Communities Program...
encoded: It was an absolute pleasure to visit local Bennelong community transport provider Stryder last Friday. Stryder has just purchased a new Toyota commuter van through a Stronger Communities Program round 6 grant. It was gratifying to see the benefit this grant has created. I sat in the driver's seat, inhaled the brand-new-car smell we're all familiar with and love, and nearly drove the van right out of the depot to give it a little test drive. It took Stryder board member Craig Chung and CEO Virginia Coy all their creative nous to talk me out of the van. It hadn't been run in and couldn't be taken to full revs, so what the— Craig and Virginia said COVID had impacted the organisation severely, as vulnerable people were not able to use community transport services, and this made them even more isolated and vulnerable. It has been a difficult time. Now that most people are vaccinated and being COVID-safe, Stryder are as busy as ever. Without the new van, they may not have been able to satisfy demand. Stryder is named after the City of Ryde and 'striding'—to go forward with purpose. It's a wonderfully apt name. Well done, Stryder—from Craig Chung and the board to Virginia Coy and her staff and their generous volunteers. Thank you for your service.
date: 2021-11-22T16:42:00+00:00

HIV/AIDS | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for Higgins for bringing forward this debate today. I speak about medical marvels a lot in this chamber. Representing the innovation capital of Australia makes that an easy...
encoded: I thank the member for Higgins for bringing forward this debate today. I speak about medical marvels a lot in this chamber. Representing the innovation capital of Australia makes that an easy thing to do. Local companies are vaccinating us against COVID and other diseases, curing heart conditions and consigning many deadly diseases to history. It's an incredibly exciting time to be alive, and it's the best part of Australia to represent. One of the areas we have had stupendous improvements in is the area of AIDS. Not long ago HIV/AIDS was terrifying. It seemed to strike without warning, taking healthy young people rapidly. There was no cure. The grim reaper ads are still a vivid reminder of the fear of those days. It was all the more shocking because its victims—young people, healthy people, people with their whole lives ahead of them—were taken by this insidious disease. Everybody knew someone who was affected. Tackling this disease took incredible resources, vigilance and teamwork. By working together, the world dragged this disease into the light. In 30 years it has gone from a disease that people will die from to one you might die with in many years time. Looking at where we were with it in the eighties, it is miraculous that we have come this far this quickly. Now, in Australia, we have the results to show for all our hard work. Overall HIV transmissions continue their long-term trend of decrease in Australia. In 2019, 90 per cent of the 29,045 people suspected to be living with HIV in Australia have been tested and diagnosed with HIV. Of those diagnosed, 91 per cent were on treatment and, of those on treatment, 97 per cent had an undetectable viral load. Because working on this requires a global push, the UN has become involved and set ambitious targets to fight HIV. They have created a high-level task force which has set the following targets to reduce annual new HIV infections to under 370,000 and annual AIDS related deaths to under 250,000 by 2025, ending p…
date: 2021-11-22T13:01:00+00:00

Infrastructure Funding | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: Thank you to the member for Lalor for bringing this motion to the chamber. We're colleagues on the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, and I know we share a real interest...
encoded: Thank you to the member for Lalor for bringing this motion to the chamber. We're colleagues on the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, and I know we share a real interest in this area. The member would know from the hearings she has attended with me that I have serious concerns about how infrastructure is funded and planned. We missed the opportunity to look at it long term and to provide certainty to industry and the community. More regrettably, we allow speculators and camp followers to make away with millions of dollars in uplift that should, by rights, belong to the taxpayer who funded the infrastructure that gave them this uplift. There were many concerns that I had in 2010 and, as I look to leave this place, these concerns, unfortunately, remain. So while I have concerns that we are not reaching our full potential in providing as much transformational infrastructure as we should, I can't agree entirely with the idea that infrastructure has been neglected. The numbers are pretty staggering. Since 2013-14, we have committed a total of $175 billion in infrastructure across our nation, with over 700 projects delivered or under construction. Investment across our infrastructure pipeline has averaged over $8 billion per year since 2013-14. The Australian government have spent over $12 billion on land transport infrastructure investment in the 2020-21 financial year. We are investing $110 billion over 10 years into the land transport infrastructure investment pipeline. The expenditure this year is forecast to be even higher, at more than $14 billion. Together, these investments form part of the Australian government's economic recovery plan and will secure Australia's world-leading economic recovery by delivering nation-building infrastructure projects, meeting our national freight challenge, and getting Australians home sooner and safer. Areas of growth need jobs to make them sustainable, and infrastructure provision is a great way to create …
date: 2021-11-22T12:35:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate: Events | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: Over the last 10 years in representing Bennelong, I've started a number of initiatives designed to bring the community together. They've been huge successes in the past, but the last 18 months...
encoded: Over the last 10 years in representing Bennelong, I've started a number of initiatives designed to bring the community together. They've been huge successes in the past, but the last 18 months has caused disruption to them, as the last 18 months has caused disruption to many things. But I'm pleased to announce that there are a number of local initiatives starting back up as we all start to re-open and look to the future. The Bennelong Table Tennis Cup is something I'm incredibly proud of. First devised in 2010 as a way of bridging multicultural divides in schools through sport, we provided free table tennis tables to all schools through the generosity of a local company, Hyundai, and, in 2019, we replaced any tables that had not survived the arduous needs of schools and their sporting infrastructure. Last year, the competition was sadly cancelled. This year, again, we have not been able to bring all the schools together in one place for the big event, so we're taking the lessons of 2021 and adapting the event so that students can still take part. This year, I'm encouraging schools to do an in-house event, and, when permitted, I'll be delighted to come to your school and present certificates to the winners and all those who participate. The Bennelong Village Business campaign has similarly had a hiatus for the last two years, as promoting local businesses has been hard while they have all been shut. But now we are coming back with a vengeance. This shop local campaign started back in 2010 when I received a lot of feedback that the small shopping areas around Bennelong weren't bouncing back as well from the GFC as larger shopping centres were. It's fair to say that exactly the same can be said today, as many of the local shops are struggling with the bills after many months of lockdown. The rush of business as we re-open will be a huge benefit to many, but we still must encourage everyone to shop at our local businesses whenever possible. I'm in discussions with local…
date: 2021-10-28T12:56:00+00:00

Climate Change | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: It's a little sad to see the opposition's desire to maintain the climate wars. We've had inaction bred by division for nearly a decade and a half. It has cost leaders on both sides their jobs and...
encoded: It's a little sad to see the opposition's desire to maintain the climate wars. We've had inaction bred by division for nearly a decade and a half. It has cost leaders on both sides their jobs and led to a more disruptive political climate. For the first time in a long time, we now have city MPs like me and the assistant minister agreeing with country MPs. Together we can get this done, but those opposite have sought to revisit a divisive past. It's time we came together so we can stop this constant and non-productive bickering and finally take some action. Australia will achieve net zero emissions by 2050. We all should celebrate. Perhaps more importantly, we're going to get there by empowering people, if you will excuse the pun. Australia already has the highest rate of rooftop solar in the world. And, if you could see the weather in Bennelong today, you would see why so many people are putting solar panels on their roofs that energy companies are slashing the feed-in tariffs and working out ways to stop it flooding the system on hot days. This is a good problem! The Prime Minister talks about technology as our way through, and this could sound aspirational if it wasn't for our incredible track record in developing breakthrough technologies, especially in this area. The CSIRO in my electorate, just across the border, also in West Lindfield, is home to some incredible advances in solar panel technology. These breakthroughs have led the world, and we look likely to continue setting the pace in solar technology. Hyundai in my electorate was home to Australia's first public hydrogen-filling station, and I believe there are plans to increase this capability rapidly. EVs and hydrogen vehicles are firmly rooted in the Australian market and are growing at an exponential rate. We're also making wave breakthroughs in other fields—renewable energy. For the last few months, a large artificial blowhole has been sitting in the water off King Island, a prototype for a new type of…
date: 2021-10-28T16:27:00+00:00

Climate Change | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: In great news for the country and the planet, Australia has now a target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Our Prime Minister will be able to go to Glasgow confident that we're doing...
encoded: In great news for the country and the planet, Australia has now a target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Our Prime Minister will be able to go to Glasgow confident that we're doing our part to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today. With this commitment and this plan, we know we can achieve what we set out to do. As with everything else, there's a lot of interest about this in Bennelong. I have met multiple times with local groups, including the Bennelong Climate Action Group, Christians Together for Climate Bennelong and Citizens Climate Bennelong. I trust they will all welcome this announcement and this commitment. We will get there sooner. All across Bennelong, more and more homes are going solar, electric car numbers are on the rise—Hyundai, which is headquartered in Bennelong are world leaders in hybrid electric and hydrogen powered vehicles—and businesses across Bennelong are cashing in on the opportunities offered by this new direction. I have had faith in our ability to develop green technologies to increase the speed of our decarbonisation ever since the CSIRO developed more efficient solar panels at a site just down the road from my office. Australia has been at the cutting edge; I know of successful testing of new wave-swell technology that has just been proven in Bass Strait, and I'm sure that there are more exciting breakthroughs to come through. The future is green and the future is exciting. (Time expired)
date: 2021-10-27T13:44:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate: Schools | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: This week, the state of New South Wales has reached another COVID landmark, and the parents of Bennelong have all breathed a collective sigh of relief. School is back. Bennelong is blessed with...
encoded: This week, the state of New South Wales has reached another COVID landmark, and the parents of Bennelong have all breathed a collective sigh of relief. School is back. Bennelong is blessed with some of the best schools in Australia. We've got great public schools and the cream of the Catholic schools. We have schools that predate Federation, like Ryde Public School, and schools that are brand new, like Smalls Road Public School. We have specialist schools, like the wonderful Karonga, and giant schools, like the soon-to-be-opened Meadowbank K-12 school. From Carlingford—at the top of the electorate—to Gladesville, our schools are hitting above their weight. Of course, we've got great parents too. But with thousands already working remotely, homeschooling has been an extra element that has stretched the time, capabilities and bandwidths of everyone. This return to school has been long overdue for many. This doesn't just come as a relief to parents; for many students the past two years have been the longest and toughest they can remember. School isn't just a place of learning; it's also a place for making friends and socialising. Chats on Zoom aren't the same as chats in the playground and, especially in the later years of high school, many of the social aspects of school, like graduation and formals, are things that can't be recreated virtually. Children's mental health has also been suffering, which is a heartbreaking thought for any parent. School can be a stressful time, but the traditional stress release valves of friendship and play have been missing for many months. I sincerely hope that the return to face-to-face schooling will see a return to lower levels of stress and other mental health concerns in the coming months and years. It's clear that there will be ongoing challenges. We know that a number of schools have already been closed for deep cleaning following positive cases since schools partially opened last week. This will continue to happen as we learn t…
date: 2021-10-26T16:09:00+00:00