Ed Husic's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:05:59+00:00
items: Social Cohesion | Grievance Debate | House debates
items: Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Business | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Chifley Electorate: Coral McLean Awards | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: My First Speech Competition, Universities | Grievance Debate | House debates
items: Gas Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025, Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Middle East | Adjournment | House debates
items: International Relations: Australia and China | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
items: Housing Australia Investment Mandate Amendment (Delivering on Our 2025 Election Commitment) Direction 2025; Consideration | Documents | House debates
items: Eagles RAPS, Simms, Uncle Greg | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Manufacturing Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Future Made in Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Chifley Electorate: Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates

Social Cohesion | Grievance Debate | House debates
type: item
description: There's rightly been a lot of focus in this parliament on the events of 14 December, and there should continue to be. We witnessed 15 of our fellow Australians killed—Jewish Australians...
encoded: There's rightly been a lot of focus in this parliament on the events of 14 December, and there should continue to be. We witnessed 15 of our fellow Australians killed—Jewish Australians targeted because of their faith—a depravity carried out by ISIS inspired terrorists. Their act has written an incredibly dark chapter into our nation's history. The grieving will continue for some time, and, while this occurs, we have another task to pursue. We need to have a clear understanding of how this occurred. What are the lessons we can learn to avoid a repeat of this on Australian soil? This is why I never hesitated in expressing my belief—supporting the member for Macarthur—that a royal commission into this awful, horrific event be undertaken. Besides getting answers and clarity, it can also play an important role in healing and bringing us together. The growth of extremism needs to be confronted regardless of what corner it emerges from. I've been concerned about this for sometime, but it crystallised further in 2019—the year an Australian white supremacist travelled to Christchurch, New Zealand, and killed 51 people on the basis of their religion. That terrorist's acts against people of the Islamic faith was livestreamed over social media. His 74-page manifesto was later used to inspire attacks on a synagogue in Poway, California; a supermarket in El Paso, Texas; a mosque in Baerum, Norway; and another synagogue in Halle, Germany. This was a hateful cancer that spread. When I recently stood on that footbridge at Bondi and looked at the park where Jewish Australians had been celebrating Hanukkah and were targeted for attack, I felt the exact chill I experienced visiting those two mosques in Christchurch. In both cases innocent people were hemmed in, and, with little room for them to escape, tragedy ensued. Again, I supported a royal commission into the events of Bondi because, as I have said before and restate now, whether it's an Islamist or a far-right extremist, anyone …
date: 2026-02-03T12:47:00+00:00

Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Business | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak on the Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) Bill 2025. At first glance, the bill is technical and administrative. It validates certain fees collected by the...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) Bill 2025. At first glance, the bill is technical and administrative. It validates certain fees collected by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC, between 1 July 2011 and 11 March 2025. These include late fees, upfront review fees and fees for special purpose companies. The bill doesn't introduce new changes and it doesn't increase what Australians pay. It simply corrects a technical error in the indexation methodology introduced back in 2011. Over the years, practice on indexation diverged from parliament's intent and this bill fixes that. So, in many respects, the amendment is an integrity measure. It ensures the law reflects what parliament intended and what ASIC has consistently applied in practice. It's administrative in nature, but it matters because it validates ASIC's authority and it ensures consistency in the way that fees are understood. While the bill is technical in nature, it points to something much larger—the authority of ASIC and the value of the work it does every day. ASIC isn't just a bureaucratic body; it's a frontline defender of fairness in our financial services system, and its work touches every Australian—whether you're a small-business owner, a shareholder, a superannuation fund member or simply someone with a bank account. Regulatory watchdogs like ASIC ensure that financial power serves the public interest, not just corporate interest, and that protection is not abstract; it's measured in real enforcement actions. We just need to look at specific cases, and none is more instructive than the action that ASIC took against one of our biggest banks, ANZ. Last year, ASIC determined it would level the largest penalty ever secured against a single entity, penalising ANZ $240 million for a range of actions that ASIC characterised as a betrayal of the trust of Australians. In April 2023, ANZ was assisting the Commonwealth government's Australi…
date: 2026-02-03T18:33:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: Early one morning last December, a rabbi and I stood quietly together on the footbridge overlooking that patch of Bondi that's becoming abominably attached to an awful chapter in our history. We...
encoded: Early one morning last December, a rabbi and I stood quietly together on the footbridge overlooking that patch of Bondi that's becoming abominably attached to an awful chapter in our history. We earlier visited the memorial at Bondi Pavilion. Respecting an old Jewish tradition, I placed a stone amongst the flowers and wreaths. In this tradition, stones endure. They represent a commitment to remember—to remember Matilda, Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Alexander Kleytman, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Tania Tretiak and Tibor Weitzen. We remember you all. While walking towards the footbridge, the rabbi was telling me of the days filled with funerals he'd attended and the grief weighing down his community. Other rabbis and Jewish Australians I've spoken with have told me the same. When I stood next to my friend on that footbridge, it was a cold moment because of what silently crushes your mind and presses on your chest—the realisation that anyone gathered below had so little room to escape the hateful intent that befell them. I keep thinking of Matilda, a 10-year-old. She deserved a life rich with experience, yet she was robbed of this by terrorists fuelled by antisemitic hatred, who targeted her simply because of her faith while celebrating Hanukkah in Bondi. It's chilling. It's wrong on so many levels to every person killed that day. Bondi Beach isn't simply a place for sunburn and surf; its power comes from those waves drawing in the four corners of the globe. It's a magnet for people from all different walks, from both here and other shores, who make their way to that beach, entranced by a natural wonder. It's a place of shared joy. You don't need to feel the itch or heat of Bondi's sand between your toes to know that, when you see Bondi, you think of Australia—laid back, care free, people getting on. For years it's also been the perfect backdrop for Jewish …
date: 2026-01-19T15:19:00+00:00

Chifley Electorate: Coral McLean Awards | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I want to let the parliament know about the incredible success of the 14th annual Chifley Coral McLean Awards, a celebration of women whose compassion, leadership and strength continue to shape...
encoded: I want to let the parliament know about the incredible success of the 14th annual Chifley Coral McLean Awards, a celebration of women whose compassion, leadership and strength continue to shape our community for the better. We also took the opportunity to raise funds for a local women's group, Community in Fellowship Together. I wanted to give a special shout-out to our terrific guest speaker this year, journalist and radio presenter Chris Bath, who proved to be one of the most entertaining speakers we've had in a while—other than, say, the member for Riverina. Her warmth and wisdom truly struck a chord with everyone in the room. Each year, the awards honour the legacy of Coral McLean. Coral was a woman who dedicated her life to social justice, reconciliation and community service. It was estimated that she devoted 100,000 hours of her time to people in our area. Even when she moved out of Mount Druitt and was up on the Central Coast, her door would be open to people who would travel to her in an hour of need, and she would be there for them. She was a tremendous Australian. This year's recipients, especially the Coral McLean Award winner Sister Carlene Allen, could not have embodied Coral McLean's spirit more. For nearly two decades, Sister Carlene supported women, families and vulnerable locals through her work at Holy Family Parish. She's a true pillar of compassion in Mount Druitt and the surrounding suburbs. We also recognised Chifley Woman of the Year, Hanna Shamoka, and Chifley Young Woman of the Year, Aarushi Duggal. The MP Recognition Award went to Learning Ground's Cassandra Jackson. Each of these women gives so much of themselves, from supporting vulnerable families to uplifting and inspiring young people, building bridges across cultures, generations and communities. Their stories remind us of something deeply important—that strong communities are built by people who care, people who show up and people who quietly change lives every single day. Our winne…
date: 2025-11-25T17:04:00+00:00

My First Speech Competition, Universities | Grievance Debate | House debates
type: item
description: I begin not with grievance but with inspiration, because today I had the pleasure of meeting Jamison Dustin, a bright year 12 student from the Chifley electorate, and his mum, Cheryl. Both of...
encoded: I begin not with grievance but with inspiration, because today I had the pleasure of meeting Jamison Dustin, a bright year 12 student from the Chifley electorate, and his mum, Cheryl. Both of them sit behind me, but Cheryl in particular is rightly proud of her boy. Jamison was the award recipient of My First Speech with the Speaker. I want to read his speech into the chamber and basically seize every credit for all of his hard work in doing so. It showcases thoughtful young leaders we have in Western Sydney and the issues that they want to bring to light. This is the speech that he has submitted to the Speaker: 'Mr Speaker, Australia's education system is failing its students, and the problem stretches beyond exams. When I say 'education', I'm not just referring to textbooks, curriculums and syllabi. Rather, I define education as the holistic development of individuals, something that I believe is often overlooked within Australian schools in exchange for a focus on academic achievement. And, whilst countries like Sweden integrate life readiness skills with strong academic standards, Australian NAPLAN results indicate that 33 per cent of students are not even meeting the baseline expectations in numeracy and literacy. Whilst I acknowledge the importance of academics as a year 12 student, I'm currently surrounded by peers who are constantly stressed about the HSC, stressed about what ATAR they'll receive and stressed about failing to meet expectations. Mr Speaker, I believe that a student is more than their marks. This chamber cannot ignore the evident effects of failing to address educational development beyond teaching students maths and Shakespeare. One such avenue for a better system is the implementation of a financial literacy program. Research from the University of Newcastle has found that "greater financial literacy leads to better life satisfaction". Moreover, ASIC reports that people experiencing financial challenges are twice as likely to be experiencing …
date: 2025-11-25T12:40:00+00:00

Gas Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Thanks to the member for Bradfield for this resolution—I agree. Australians deserve a gas market that's predictable, reliable, affordable and transparent, not a radical proposition. Right...
encoded: Thanks to the member for Bradfield for this resolution—I agree. Australians deserve a gas market that's predictable, reliable, affordable and transparent, not a radical proposition. Right now, our gas system defies even the gravity of basic economic logic. The consequences of this are felt in households, factories and businesses across the country. We face a projected seasonal gas shortfall by 2028, not because we don't have enough gas but because the gas that comes from beneath Australian soil is prioritised for customers offshore rather than customers onshore. Pre-pandemic gas prices sat at around $3 or $4 per gigajoule; today they're at around $10.30. When I said that our gas prices defy the gravity of conventional economics, I meant this: domestic gas demand has actually fallen. Supply has sustained but been shunted off overseas. That's why falling demand hasn't been reflected in prices. The market is fundamentally distorted. Over decades, governments have entrenched this, largely by inaction, hoping the problem would go away. I'm proud though to say that, in the last term, this government was the first to have the guts to tackle this, even with the active resistance of the coalition. In late 2022, the government capped prices at $12 per gigajoule despite warnings from exporters and foreign buyers, who predicted the worst. Those predictions soured. We stepped in at a moment of crisis, and we were right to do so. Access to stable, affordable gas is not an industrial preference; it's a sovereign capability necessity. It'll be essential to the transition to net zero. Predictable voices will tell you, 'All we need is more supply.' That's misleading. We need supply at the right prices, and we need contracts that are fair. Manufacturers often tell me they're unable to get contracts longer than 12 months because of the profiteering obsession of gas companies holding out to ramp up prices beyond the contract period. This is intolerable. Tinkering at the edges is not eno…
date: 2025-11-24T10:39:00+00:00

Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: They forgot Mamdani.
encoded: They forgot Mamdani.
date: 2025-11-06T14:44:00+00:00

Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: You're going to tell us.
encoded: You're going to tell us.
date: 2025-11-05T15:46:00+00:00

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Thanks, Deputy Speaker Young. It's great to see you again. You're working very hard for that role today, I might add, sir. I also want to commend my friend the member for Adelaide, who referred...
encoded: Thanks, Deputy Speaker Young. It's great to see you again. You're working very hard for that role today, I might add, sir. I also want to commend my friend the member for Adelaide, who referred to a regulator as a superhero. I think you referred to the AER as superheros—that's maybe the first time in the parliament that regulators have been spoken about so effusively, so well done, Mr Georganas. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2025, because I think it is important for the Australian Energy Regulator, particularly at this point in time, that we give them the independence, the efficiency and the resources that they need. As to independence, while the AER have been under the umbrella of the ACCC, it does not suggest for one moment that the ACCC has impeded their ability to do their job. But this will give the AER the ability to progress the work that it is doing in a very important space and allow it to act decisively and transparently in the interests of households and businesses, who depend on affordable energy. When it comes to our gas and electricity, Australians deserve a fair deal, and it is important that we have a regulator that's oversighting that. The AER, as I indicated, long operated as a part of the ACCC, a structure that made sense 20 years ago. But, really, times have changed, and it doesn't remain the case that it makes sense today. The AER regulates billions of dollars in network revenue and oversees hundreds of energy market participants yet still relies on the ACCC for staff and resourcing. We want the bill to address this, and that's what it does. It separates the regulators; it makes the AER a fully independent Commonwealth entity with its own staff, its own budget and its own governance. It will be able to make decisions faster, cleaner and more efficiently, respond to market circumstances and enforce rules in real time. It's one of the three bodies overseei…
date: 2025-11-03T17:22:00+00:00

Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: If you've been in place long enough, what's old is new again. It should not be particularly surprising that from time to time governments of both political colours will determine that there is a...
encoded: If you've been in place long enough, what's old is new again. It should not be particularly surprising that from time to time governments of both political colours will determine that there is a point at which we are going to attack red tape. I remember my friend the former member for Kooyong being very energetic, doing his red tape 'bonfire of the vanities' routine in times past. Only Josh Frydenberg could get a lot of media coverage pushing for red tape reduction. He did a very good job on it. We swore that we would cut it back. I liken this process to weeding—you do one cut and then you have to come back again, months or years later, to attend to the growth of red tape. For bringing this on, I hold to account Ezra Klein, the US writer who has written the book Abundance, which I have in my Audible list of books to listen to on my drive to Canberra. I haven't quite got to it yet, but apparently he's made some sort of impact. Now it's the thing for us to reimagine red tape reduction, and that's what we're doing. But it is about getting the balance right on red tape reduction, because one person's cut to red tape is another person's cut to protections and to systems that have been put in place in response to issues that the public have raised. Do I think it's a bad thing for governments to cut red tape? Of course not. I think it's important that we always find efficiencies in the way that we do things, efficiencies that will improve the way we use the resources required to get things done and the speed at which we provide services to the general public. I think it's always important that the public sector in particular rethink its approach to getting things done, and it doesn't matter which side of politics is in government. If I may put it in rather stark terms, in many respects the Public Service sees the political parties as renters: at a certain point in time they occupy a bit of real estate, but the systems will always go on and will always stay the same. It is …
date: 2025-11-03T12:54:00+00:00

Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025, Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: We debate a lot of things in this place. We move new legislation that becomes law and we set up new institutions. Understandably, there is sometimes confusion or not necessarily an appreciation...
encoded: We debate a lot of things in this place. We move new legislation that becomes law and we set up new institutions. Understandably, there is sometimes confusion or not necessarily an appreciation of the significance of the moment, but I think this bill represents an important long-term contribution to the better health of the nation. We have said, through the course of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, that we would learn a lot of lessons. Now it's time to back that up with hard evidence. I would submit to the House that this is one of those cases that demonstrates just that. We've moved beyond the talk, and we're setting in place something that has been called for for nearly 40 years. The reality is that many people recognised we needed such a centre to help us with moments in time where there were threats to public health at a large scale and that we needed a coordinating body that could best inform and draw together efforts to combat those moments in time where public health was under threat. Clearly, having something like the Australian Centre for Disease Control is one of those investments in the long-term health of the nation. It will be an independent, non-corporate Commonwealth entity, with the bill establishing the roles, the powers, the functions and the duty of the agency and its director-general. It was a commitment made by former shadow health minister Chris Bowen that then continued to be championed by the now Minister for Health, Mark Butler. I think it's an important and enduring part of our long-term public health architecture. An interim CDC was established in January last year, and this bill will bring to life what's required, particularly in transferring public health responsibilities to the director-general of the CDC and for the Biosecurity Act, the National Health Security Act and the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Act. It will have a number of other important functions to be embedded in this CDC. The CDC idea was brought to t…
date: 2025-10-27T11:53:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: There are two central ingredients in our financial system. One is obvious, and the other one Labor recognises as equally important. Obviously the first one is money, but the other necessary,...
encoded: There are two central ingredients in our financial system. One is obvious, and the other one Labor recognises as equally important. Obviously the first one is money, but the other necessary, vital ingredient is trust. Australians should be able to trust their financial system and know when they save, invest or seek help that they're dealing with institutions that will act with integrity. I know that there's a bit of a trend at the moment. We're going through our normal cycle of focusing on red tape and reducing regulation. I understand that we have to go through these phases, and we'll go through it, no doubt. But, when it comes to the financial system, regulations are there for a very important reason—the reasons I mentioned before, not the least of which is to underscore, reinforce and support trust in the system. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025, as my colleagues have reflected, covers a number of areas that will be of great interest to Australians, but one of the big areas in here will be around improving the frequency of assessments of how our regulators are performing and supporting their work in maintaining that trust, that vital ingredient that I mentioned earlier, specifically delivering more comprehensive reviews of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. This will help deliver more considered recommendations that are impossible under their current review cycle. It's designed to improve the effectiveness of our financial system regulations. It is exceptionally important. Trust itself, in our financial system, isn't a given; it's got to be earned, and it's got to be continually protected. I have to say that, like many people in the public, I was simply staggered to see ANZ fined a record $240 million in penalties after admitting to widespread long-standing misconduct that affected tens of thousands of Australians. This was the largest p…
date: 2025-10-08T12:53:00+00:00

Middle East | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: Let me state this clearly and unambiguously at the start of this contribution: Hamas is a terrorist organisation; what it did on 7 October 2023 was an abomination; Hamas should be held to account...
encoded: Let me state this clearly and unambiguously at the start of this contribution: Hamas is a terrorist organisation; what it did on 7 October 2023 was an abomination; Hamas should be held to account for its actions; and all Israelis taken hostage by Hamas must be released immediately. I also want to state clearly and unambiguously that innocent Palestinians should be protected; they should not be targeted by actions in Gaza. I made comments like this in this House back in October 2023, and I've expressed similarly repeatedly since the horrific events of October 7. Since then, I've stressed we should be conscious of the humanity of others. My stance has been utterly constant and steadfast, but it's gotten stronger and stronger as I've witnessed the suffering of the innocent and the starvation of kids. Starvation shouldn't be used as a weapon against civilians. Civilians, aid workers and journalists should be off limits. It's just wrong, and we can't turn away from that. This has remained the case, even as the supporters of a foreign government here and abroad have consistently sought to deny, deflect or outright misrepresent my position and those who share my views about preserving and protecting innocent life. They do that because it's easier than confronting the morally challenging reality that 63,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Netanyahu government actions since October 2023. Nearly 70 per cent of those killed are women and children, and there are more child amputees and orphans in Gaza per capita than anywhere else in the world. I think it's important for the parliament to note that the ICJ, the International Court of Justice, believes it's plausible that the acts of the Netanyahu government could amount to genocide. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide requires countries, including ours, to take steps to prevent genocide, not just punish it. The Netanyahu government is planning to seize and control entirely G…
date: 2025-09-03T19:44:00+00:00

International Relations: Australia and China | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I love how Dan Andrews lives rent-free in your heads!
encoded: I love how Dan Andrews lives rent-free in your heads!
date: 2025-09-03T14:29:00+00:00

Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
type: item
description: Congratulations, Deputy Speaker Aldred, on your appointment to the Speaker's panel and on your election, for the first time, to this place. I have to say it's my 15th year of having the honour of...
encoded: Congratulations, Deputy Speaker Aldred, on your appointment to the Speaker's panel and on your election, for the first time, to this place. I have to say it's my 15th year of having the honour of representing my part of Western Sydney, the electorate of Chifley. I never expected to be elected. I'd had a tilt before and not been successful. As I've explained to people, when the opportunity came round, it was akin to stepping on the wrong end of a rake: it came very suddenly, very quickly. And I didn't know what had happened for me to be put in the position of being preselected and then selected to represent the party I've loved since my teenage years and joined in that time. Having grown up in my part of Western Sydney, I've always taken this job incredibly seriously. It's not been about checking off a list of things that need to get done for the sake of being able to rattle those off. I've always taken the view that my part of Western Sydney has been told long enough that it should wait its turn, that the folks I represent, salt of the earth people in Western Sydney, based in Mount Druitt, should wait a bit longer to get what they need. I saw the needs that they had were great and that they needed to get those things that would make their life easier and, more importantly, that they could use to deliver for their kids, to build better neighbourhoods and to oversee the personal challenges they have in their life, in our area, so they can have a much better quality of life. I've seen tremendous contributions in my area. We recognise them every year—for instance, in the Coral McLean Awards, named after Coral, who, it was estimated, dedicated over 100,000 hours of her personal time, out of the Holy Family Parish in Emerton, to help people at all hours of the day. In fact, when she moved out of our area to the Central Coast, we were told stories by her children of people knocking on her door late at night who'd driven from our part of Western Sydney to the Central Coast …
date: 2025-09-02T18:22:00+00:00

Housing Australia Investment Mandate Amendment (Delivering on Our 2025 Election Commitment) Direction 2025; Consideration | Documents | House debates
type: item
description: Anyone in Sydney in the last week or so who thinks a lot about housing would have been absolutely perplexed with some of the reactions to boost housing supply in Sydney, especially the reaction...
encoded: Anyone in Sydney in the last week or so who thinks a lot about housing would have been absolutely perplexed with some of the reactions to boost housing supply in Sydney, especially the reaction of Woollahra council to the New South Wales government's proposal to build higher density homes close to the city but with infrastructure to be built alongside it. We had the Woollahra council reject that proposition of higher density homes being built in Woollahra. As someone from Western Sydney who has grown up and seen fields transformed into rows and rows of mortar and rooftop tiles continually, we would love the idea that you would have infrastructure built at the same time as housing, because I've got to tell you that that hasn't happened for quite some time. Full credit to the Minns government for coming up with the idea that they would provide that in there. In our neck of the woods, we're still waiting for the completion of the missing link of the metro, while all these homes get built and there is no infrastructure, yet Woollahra council seem to have walked into a stable full of gift horses and made sure they didn't miss the opportunity to smack each one of them in the mouth by rejecting a plan that would build infrastructure and homes in a city where we do need to find places where we can get the critical workers that are important to cities. The nurses, the teachers, the cleaners, the mechanics—all the people who help modern cities function but who are being pushed to the furthest fringes of the city and made to travel at the weirdest hours of the day just to start their shifts, after having travelled probably over two hours to get to work—we've got to be able to have homes for those folks, who make sure our cities run, and ensure that they're built in the face of nimbyism, which certainly is the case for the Woollahra council decision, and we've got to think laterally about how to address supply. I'm proud to be part of a government that's doing just that. We all…
date: 2025-09-01T12:33:00+00:00

Eagles RAPS, Simms, Uncle Greg | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I'd like to recognise the phenomenal work of Sally Wynd, who set up Doonside's Eagles RAPS. Nearly 30 years ago, spurred by tragedy, Sally and husband Marten determined to make a difference for...
encoded: I'd like to recognise the phenomenal work of Sally Wynd, who set up Doonside's Eagles RAPS. Nearly 30 years ago, spurred by tragedy, Sally and husband Marten determined to make a difference for young people in Doonside and beyond. They always believe in the ability of our young people, even if others won't. With no formal background in youth work, Sally started Eagles RAPS as a place young people could turn to for help, and a vision grew. Eagles RAPS began training young people to grow their skills and ambitions, developing great links with major firms such as Amazon Web Services. Eagles RAPS has supported so many young people—I love attending their graduation ceremonies and seeing the pride in the faces of the graduates' parents. It's said that Sally is retired, yet 'retiring' is never a word I'd associate with Sally. I'd like the House to know that Sally Wynd has been instrumental in changing lives and delivering hope to young people in Doonside. This is going to be hard to talk about because this person meant a great deal to me personally and to our community—the late Uncle Greg Simms, community leader, activist, storyteller and cultural educator. Born in 1949, he fashioned deep, tight and enduring ties to Western Sydney through ancestral links to the Gundungurra of the Blue Mountains and the Gadigal of the Dharug nation. Quiet, humble, modest, often with a cheeky glint in his eyes but never to be mistaken, he was a force of nature. He always directed that force to help others—always busy, always working. At every event in every corner of our region, Uncle Greg would be there, and then he'd be there for others in their time of need, especially young people who'd given up hope that anyone would be there to help them. Never bitter and never angry, he was full of faith in his fellow person. He strove for reconciliation; a regular face at the Mount Druitt and District Reconciliation Walk, he often reminded us, 'Piano sounds best when the black and white keys play tog…
date: 2025-08-25T10:56:00+00:00

Manufacturing Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: Thanks to the member for Boothby for the question. She knows the importance of manufacturing to our economic and national security. Making more things here will ensure that we can stand on our...
encoded: Thanks to the member for Boothby for the question. She knows the importance of manufacturing to our economic and national security. Making more things here will ensure that we can stand on our own two feet and weather shocks in the global economy. Ensuring Australia is a country that makes things has been a central priority of the Albanese government, which is why we stepped up to back the Whyalla Steelworks, which makes 75 per cent of structural steel in this country, going into defence, construction and infrastructure. What's good for Whyalla is good for Australia. It's important to keep making aluminium in Australia, which is why we have a long-term, $2 billion plan to do just that. We need to invest in new, smarter, more efficient ways to make steel and aluminium, which is why we have another $750 million invested to do just that. We're helping exporters by investing millions to promote our Australian Made brand in new and traditional markets overseas. Our $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund has seen nearly half-a-billion out the door over the last few months, backing firms to make more here, from heavy mining equipment to cutting-edge quantum technology, standing shoulder to shoulder with Aussie blue-collar workers and Aussie manufacturing and sticking together to forge our own future in the face of an uncertain time. I'm asked about risks. Those opposite had three years to come up with any plan that would show that they could back Australian manufacturing, and they have absolutely nothing to show. The coalition have no plans, because they don't care. They are good at pointing out problems but never there with a solution. On everything our government put forward to back Aussie manufacturing, the coalition said no. They were just nasty and negative. Why? Because it makes it easier to cut investments in Aussie manufacturing, because they don't have the guts to tell workers now what they will cut. We build; they cut. They also want these cuts to fund a $600 b…
date: 2025-03-25T15:19:00+00:00

Future Made in Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: You should get ready for it! Thanks to the member for Gilmore for not only the question but backing manufacturing, particularly in our regions. We have been focused on rebuilding manufacturing...
encoded: You should get ready for it! Thanks to the member for Gilmore for not only the question but backing manufacturing, particularly in our regions. We have been focused on rebuilding manufacturing capability for a host of reasons. One, Australians want their country to be a nation that makes things. Two, strong economies have to have strong manufacturing capability. Manufacturing makes secure, well-paying jobs—very important to the nation. The other critical issue is that rebuilding manufacturing capability is important in our national, economic and strategic interest. We need to be able to stand on our own two feet and not be dependent on broken and concentrated supply chains, only relying on a handful of nations for the things that are really important to our country. That's why we stood up the National Reconstruction Fund. That's why, recently, we stood up the $2 billion investment plan to work with aluminium smelters to give a sustainable long-term future to regional blue-collar communities to make aluminium. Importantly, the other big step happened last night when the Senate passed our production tax credits—particularly important for critical minerals processing, as the Minister for Resources has outlined. I give credit to the Minister for Resources and the Treasurer for their support on these important initiatives that are really critical for the long-term good of the country. But we need to make sure that local supply chains are there to make sure we've got the things we need as we make the transition to net zero. I'm asked about alternative plans. Where are they? They've spent, the coalition, three years—and no plans and no policies, no costed policies in particular. Frankly, the reason they have no plans is they have no care. They don't care to put forward what they think is important in the national interest. Their plan comes in one word: 'No.' When we asked them if they would support the National Reconstruction Fund: 'No.' When we asked them to support the $…
date: 2025-02-11T14:30:00+00:00

Chifley Electorate: Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I think a lot of us know that no-one ever leads a perfect life. Everyone has challenges from time to time. Some people have them more than others. It's not always the case that there'll be people...
encoded: I think a lot of us know that no-one ever leads a perfect life. Everyone has challenges from time to time. Some people have them more than others. It's not always the case that there'll be people there, necessarily, in your immediate circle of family and friends that can help. The great thing about my community in Chifley is that I get to see a lot of people step up to help those who, in a time of need, just need a bit of guidance. Two of those people in my area are Sally and Marten Wynd. Back in the late nineties, with only 50 bucks, they started a mob called Eagles RAPS in Doonside. This has helped people, particularly young people, who just need a hand and someone to talk to and learn new skills from. Sometimes they've had trouble in school and problems in being able to get along. They receive that support through Eagles RAPS and, in particular, learn new skills that they can put to work to get a job and open up new opportunity to get a better life. In December, I got to see the graduation of a number of students from Eagles RAPS and the work that they've done with Amazon Web Services to learn digital skills that are in high demand. It's a great partnership between Eagles RAPS and Amazon. I mention this because it was terrific to see Sally and Marten be recognised through the awarding of Order of Australia medals reflecting their community service. It is a just and fitting tribute to a pair that have done tremendous work in our area. The biggest thing I want to say to them is: thank you for believing in the young people of Doonside and the western suburbs and for making sure that they have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. During the Australia Day ceremonies that occurred in our area, particularly in Blacktown City Council's area, a number of people were recognised. In particular, in the awards that were celebrated, the Mount Druitt Family Science Fun Day, organised by MECA, took out the prize for community event of the year. I saw it firsthand, and it is a…
date: 2025-02-06T09:57:00+00:00