Scott Buchholz'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: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Interest Rates | Adjournment | House debates
items: Perth: Attack | Motions | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Apprenticeships | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Employment: Construction Industry | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Housing | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Building and Construction Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Labor Government | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Wright Electorate: Energy | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Freedom of Information | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Taxation | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
items: Labor Government | Constituency Statements | House debates

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to offer my support for the freezing of excise taxes on draught beer, an election commitment that we made during the last election. It's now time to action it. I want to acknowledge the...
encoded: I rise to offer my support for the freezing of excise taxes on draught beer, an election commitment that we made during the last election. It's now time to action it. I want to acknowledge the amazing work done by the Australian Hotels Association in lobbying and advocating for this outcome—the work conducted by Steve Ferguson, the amount of kilometres he walks in these corridors to get these outcomes on behalf of his membership, coupled with my Queensland AHA president, Richard Deery, from the Story Bridge Hotel. He is an amazing Australian who run some significant events there at the hotel tucked underneath the Story Bridge in Brisbane. There is also their CEO for Queensland, Bernie Hogan, a tireless advocate. Interestingly enough, the way this excise is calculated is that there's no cap on it. It would have just kept on going up and up and up and up. In fact, the only way, without government intervention, that the excise would have stopped was if there were no pub left in Australia for the excise to be applied to. It was done originally to keep it in line with inflation, but, unfortunately, the cost of doing business in Australia under this government outstrips the inflationary pressures. There are the cost increases in insurance, labour and energy. Food is up 16 per cent for those pubs with kitchens. This alcohol tax will raise around $8 million per year. The cost to freeze the excise altogether is going to be about $90 million over the forward estimates, but that's only less than two per cent of what the actual receipts are. More important is what this industry does for Australia. Broaden your mind for a moment and think about the jobs, the economic benefit and the multiplier that goes around the economy. The alcohol industry directly supports the employment of around 176,000 full-time-equivalent jobs. The alcohol manufacturing industry employs about 22½ thousand. Now, in my great state of Queensland, we've got two big breweries up there—XXXX and CUB through th…
date: 2026-02-04T09:31:00+00:00

Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: Australia Day is a day that reflects who we are as a nation: resilient, generous, hardworking and community minded. Like many Australians, I spent the day with local families, volunteers and...
encoded: Australia Day is a day that reflects who we are as a nation: resilient, generous, hardworking and community minded. Like many Australians, I spent the day with local families, volunteers and community leaders, all celebrating what makes our part of Queensland very special. I began Australia Day at the Kalbar community breakfast awards, a wonderful local tradition that brings people together—local families, farmers, business owners, young people and volunteers. I acknowledge Wilson Neuendorf for his leadership in those awards. It was an honour to recognise some of our outstanding locals. The Young Achiever went to Gabriella Stokes, a wonderful example of leadership and service. The Young Farmer went to Ben Neuendorf, representing the future of Australian agriculture. Farm Innovation went to Rieck Farming, showing how tradition and innovation now walk hand in hand. The Best Business went to Emporium, supporting local jobs in our main street. The Community Leader award went to Phil Ortlipp, a dedicated police officer and a community champion. And a very special award went to Ray Parker from Aratula, recognised for a lifetime of service and community spirit. These are the people who quietly keep our region strong. Later in the day I attended a citizenship ceremony and Scenic Rim Australia Day Awards in Beaudesert. We welcomed 71 new citizens. It's always a powerful reminder how fortunate we are to live in this country. I congratulate this year's Scenic Rim awards recipients. Citizen of the Year 16-30 went to Izzabella Lower. Citizen of the Year 31-65 went to Jenny Jenner and Kane Lutter. Citizen of the Year 65+ went to Phil Rankin. The Community Event of the Year went to Boonah State High School's paddock-to-plate function. And the Community Spirit award went to Beaudesert Hospital Auxiliary. The Mayor's Award went to Kay Tommerup. Each of these awardees represent service, generosity and commitment to others. I also wish to acknowledge members of our electorate recognis…
date: 2026-02-03T16:30:00+00:00

Interest Rates | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: Before I make a contribution, today in the House the Prime Minister advised the House that absent would be the member for Blair. This is the first opportunity I've had to get to my feet to offer...
encoded: Before I make a contribution, today in the House the Prime Minister advised the House that absent would be the member for Blair. This is the first opportunity I've had to get to my feet to offer my thoughts and prayers to him and his family as they navigate the waters ahead. He and I have been adversaries and neighbours from across the political divide, and I know him to be a good man. My thoughts are with him. That aside, Labor are failing the Australian public. Shayne, if you're watching, you'll know that this is all true. I can see him firing up right now. Australians are poorer today as a result of the RBA's announcement to shift rates from 3.6 per cent to 3.85 per cent. There are so many people in Australia that will take the position that they don't own a house—'I don't have a mortgage, so the rate rise doesn't really affect me.' But can I tell you it does? It affects everyone because any business that's got an overdraft—and we come from a party of business; we come from a party that understands what it means to balance the books. We bet our lot. We bet our family home with a bank to say that we think we can get out the other side of this. I know businesses in my electorate—my farming businesses, my coffee shops—have overdrafts. When their cost of business goes up, so does the cost of their production, so does the cost that gets pushed onto the consumers. That is, for those who can. Some of the larger ones that will deal with the larger retailers will make the argument that they can't push those costs on and they'll absorb it. But, to use the basic principles of business, you calculate your costs and you push them on. So today's rate rise means that everyone is going to be poorer as a result of the RBA's decision. I remember being in grade 9. We had to debate, in an economics class, which was more important: fiscal or monetary policy. The lecturer or the teacher was trying to establish that you had a complete understanding of both policy settings. What's avoid…
date: 2026-02-03T19:50:00+00:00

Perth: Attack | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: And safe.
encoded: And safe.
date: 2026-02-03T17:38:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
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description: My fellow Australians, my sincere condolences go to those that are affected by the antisemitic terrorist attack that happened on our shores that has ingrained itself—a scar on our landscape...
encoded: My fellow Australians, my sincere condolences go to those that are affected by the antisemitic terrorist attack that happened on our shores that has ingrained itself—a scar on our landscape that history will remember. I represent, and offer my condolences on behalf of, all of the people of Wright. I cannot fathom the amount of pain that those people endured on that given day. I want to acknowledge and associate myself with some of the comments that have been made in this House today from both sides of the chamber. The contributions have been genuine; the contributions have been heartfelt, and, to some extent, enlightening. The contributions that we make today condemn the atrocity which stole the lives of those victims of the terror attack. It was an act of terrorism that deliberately targeted the Australian Jewish community, gathering to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. I want to acknowledge the courage, composure and quick action of all those police officers, first responders and healthcare workers whose dedication and skills saved lives. I also want to acknowledge the trauma of the men and women who were injured physically and psychologically, including those who witnessed the horror. I wish to express Australia's deep admiration for those heroes of Bondi, the everyday people who showed extraordinary bravery and unselfishness, including those who were wounded and killed. Some of the contributions I heard today moved me. There was a comment from the other side where they said, 'Antisemitism is anti civilisation,' and then additional comments that it was anti-Australian. It is anti-Australian. This is not the country we want for the next generation. It's not the country we want for our children. I want to acknowledge the contribution made by the Leader of the Opposition, where she said: Antisemitic hate fuelled the terrorists on 14 December, but it came out of the shadows in October 2023. It walked our streets. It marched over our bridges. It took over our lan…
date: 2026-01-19T19:00:00+00:00

Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Electricity prices are going up, and, when they go up, two things happen. The first thing is you'll pay more for your product because the manufacturing cost, the cost of doing business, has gone...
encoded: Electricity prices are going up, and, when they go up, two things happen. The first thing is you'll pay more for your product because the manufacturing cost, the cost of doing business, has gone up 40 per cent from when this government first came into power. When electricity prices go up 40 per cent, business has got two choices: absorb the cost or pass it on. If it's getting passed on, you in the gallery will pay more for your product. The other thing that happens when electricity prices go up is that our debt gets bigger. We're screaming towards a trillion dollars worth of debt and we're pushing that debt onto the next generation of Australians, who are going to have to pay it. In my electorate, the largest contributor to GDP is agriculture. For packing sheds that pack and value-add to the likes of corn, onions, cauliflower, cabbages, broccolini and various other vegetables, when their energy costs increase 40 per cent, they've two choices. They can put it onto their cost of the product, which has got an inflationary effect for you, or they can go broke. There are more businesses going broke today under this government than there has been. When my growers and irrigators water their crop, they're water intensive. Their costs go up 40 per cent. They're not going to be here under this government.
date: 2025-11-25T13:51:00+00:00

Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the Speaker for his contribution in assisting the House. This bill is comparable with the human rights and freedoms declared in the international instrument listed. Mr Speaker, in the...
encoded: I thank the Speaker for his contribution in assisting the House. This bill is comparable with the human rights and freedoms declared in the international instrument listed. Mr Speaker, in the absence of our illustrious speaker, I think we just need to let this one go through to the House. Debate adjourned.
date: 2025-11-05T09:19:00+00:00

Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise on behalf of the shadow minister for veterans' affairs. He's been detained in getting to the chamber, but I'm sure he is on his way as we speak. Absolutely! I'll share with the room that...
encoded: I rise on behalf of the shadow minister for veterans' affairs. He's been detained in getting to the chamber, but I'm sure he is on his way as we speak. Absolutely! I'll share with the room that I'm of the opinion that the shadow minister has very strong opinions on the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025 and is keen to get to his feet and offer his comments. I think those concerns were around—is this the tribunal one? It may be the bill that affects the tribunal's decision to—
date: 2025-11-05T09:19:00+00:00

VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: The VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025 is an uncontroversial bill. It's a bill on which I've worked closely with the minister. The minister's office has provided briefings with...
encoded: The VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025 is an uncontroversial bill. It's a bill on which I've worked closely with the minister. The minister's office has provided briefings with the department. The bill seeks to remedy an oversight in the original bill, which was introduced in 2017. There's a degree of retrospectivity within the bill. It seeks to offer protection to around 200,000 registered training organisations that, when applying for student loans for their vocational students, inadvertently picked up their tax file number. It would have been prudent to ensure that that tax file number was then no longer viewed by the provider. This anomaly was subsequently picked up by the department in a review. As a result, I want to offer my thanks to the department for the work that they have done in getting to the bottom of what was an oversight. It was picked up in a standard review, and, as a result, the extra funding that was required to address the anomaly has been borne within an internal machination of the department. In seeking stakeholder engagement with a number of people who were affected, all are of the same opinion—none of them share any great concern. This is in essence, as I said, an uncontroversial bill. The government are to be offered the due compliment that they deserve for the way that they have worked cooperatively in this space to fix an anomaly. I notice that the bill has been referred to the Federation Chamber, where the minister will offer his kind remarks and, I dare say, acknowledge the department for finding the oversight. Debate adjourned.
date: 2025-11-05T09:16:00+00:00

Apprenticeships | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I rise today to call out this government's failure on employer incentives for apprentices. From January, Labor will slash employer incentives for apprentices from $5,000 to $4,000 per apprentice....
encoded: I rise today to call out this government's failure on employer incentives for apprentices. From January, Labor will slash employer incentives for apprentices from $5,000 to $4,000 per apprentice. That's a thousand dollars less support for every small business that is doing the right thing by training the next generation, giving young Australians a start and keeping our economy moving. Without skilled workers we can't build homes, we can't keep the lights on and we can't maintain the roads, the hospitals or the infrastructure that makes our country work. Yet, at the very moment when Australia's skills pipeline is on life support, the Albanese Labor government has decided to pull the plug. It may not sound like much to those sitting on the other side of the chamber, but, to a small-business owner trying to keep the doors open, every single dollar counts. At a time when almost 15,000 businesses have gone broke under Labor's watch in the last year alone, this decision is not just short-sighted; it's reckless. When the coalition was in government, the apprentice system was strong. We saw record highs of over 428,000 Australians in training, confidence was high, businesses were hiring, and apprentices were coming through the system in record numbers. But today, under Labor, there are 107,000 fewer apprentices training in the system. That is 107,000 fewer young Australians learning a trade. That's not just a statistic; that's tens of thousands of careers that'll never be started and small businesses that will never grow. The reality is that wages are going up and the costs of business are going up, especially energy costs. Compliance is getting harder, red tape is getting thicker and small-business owners are being pushed to the limit. The only thing going down under Labor is the support for employers who take on the apprentices. It's madness. Labor decision shows a government completely out of touch with the reality facing businesses and tradies on the ground today. Their…
date: 2025-11-04T16:17:00+00:00

Employment: Construction Industry | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: If we want to understand the depth of the Australian skills crisis, imagine trying to build a house, but before the first brick can be laid, before a single frame goes up, you need people. You...
encoded: If we want to understand the depth of the Australian skills crisis, imagine trying to build a house, but before the first brick can be laid, before a single frame goes up, you need people. You need skilled people. You need builders, electricians, plumbers, tilers, carpenters, glaziers and roofers. According to the Housing Industry Association of Australia, we're short 83,000 construction tradies. But a house doesn't just sit on an island; it sits on a street. To reach that house, you first need to lay the road, along with the pipes, the power lines, the water and the telecommunications. The Civil Contractors Federation has reported on an ongoing shortage around 197,000 public infrastructure workers, and to design those roads and bridges, and to plan the delivery and infrastructure our nation relies on, you need engineers. By 2040 Australia is on track to be short 200 thousand engineers. From the ground up, from rubble to the skyline, the skill shortage is biting hard, and it's biting under Labor. When the coalition left office there were 428,000 apprentices and trainees across the country. Today, that number has plummeted by 107,000. Every shortage adds to cost and to delays, and puts the dream of homeownership further out of reach. It's time to rebuild our apprenticeship pipeline, back our tradies and give young Australians the chance to build our future—a future that they deserve.
date: 2025-11-04T13:33:00+00:00

Housing | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: We didn't have a problem.
encoded: We didn't have a problem.
date: 2025-11-03T14:54:00+00:00

Building and Construction Industry | Private Members' Business | House debates
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description: I move: That this House: (1) notes: (a) the National Centre for Vocational Education Research advises that there are 320,830 active apprentices and trainees in training, representing a drop of...
encoded: I move: That this House: (1) notes: (a) the National Centre for Vocational Education Research advises that there are 320,830 active apprentices and trainees in training, representing a drop of 107,320 apprentices and trainees in training compared to when the Opposition was last in office; (b) that new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released in September 2025 shows Australia's building approvals are collapsing, with total dwelling approvals down by 8.2 per cent and private sector apartment approvals down by 22 per cent; and (c) the critical link between the collapse in apprentice and trainee numbers and the shortage of skilled workers needed to address Australia's growing housing crisis, with fewer tradespeople available to build the homes Australians desperately need; (2) recognises that the housing crisis is being compounded by this failure in skills and training, leading to higher costs, longer delays, and fewer Australians able to achieve the dream of home ownership; (3) condemns the Government for failing to ensure an adequate pipeline of skilled workers to meet Australia's needs, and for overseeing a collapse in both apprentice numbers and housing approvals at a time when the nation can least afford it; and (4) calls on the Government to take immediate and urgent action to: (a) rebuild apprentice and trainee numbers across the economy, particularly in construction and housing trades; (b) work with industry and employers to support real pathways into skills and training; and (c) develop a credible strategy to ensure Australia has the skilled workforce required to meet current and future housing demand. I move this motion out of deep, deep concern for the sector, deep concern for our young people, concern for our tradies, concern for the employers and concern for the future of the skills pipeline for this country, because, under this government, we're watching a collapse of Australian apprenticeships and trainees that we have never seen in our hist…
date: 2025-10-27T12:36:00+00:00

Labor Government | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Labor is failing. Labor is failing Australians. It's failing on energy. It's failing on the economy and it's failing our next generation. Energy prices are up 32 per cent. We were told that, when...
encoded: Labor is failing. Labor is failing Australians. It's failing on energy. It's failing on the economy and it's failing our next generation. Energy prices are up 32 per cent. We were told that, when the wind blew and then the sun shone, everything was going to be for free. You're paying 32 per cent more. When it comes to the economy, government spending is growing four times the rate of the growth of the economy. That means that, for each of you in the gallery today, by the time question time concludes, you'll owe more money by the time you walk out than when you walked in. For the next generation, when we left office, there were 428,000 apprentices and trainees in the system. Today there are a hundred thousand less. Shame! The coalition is united and fighting for all Australians. It's united in fighting Labor. It's united, and, under the coalition, we will deliver cheaper energy, a stronger economy and a brighter future for the next generation of all Australians. In conclusion I want to acknowledge my mother, who's sitting in the gallery today, Veronica. She's 82, has travelled all the way down from Boonah and just had a cup of tea with the Speaker. I love you, Mum. Thank you for making the effort to come down.
date: 2025-10-09T13:54:00+00:00

Wright Electorate: Energy | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: This weekend, when I return back to my electorate, I'll have the great pleasure of being part of the opening ceremony at the Beaudesert Show. Located in the middle of my electorate, Beaudesert is...
encoded: This weekend, when I return back to my electorate, I'll have the great pleasure of being part of the opening ceremony at the Beaudesert Show. Located in the middle of my electorate, Beaudesert is probably one of the larger communities. It's a great day out. There's cattle, transport, agriculture, show bags. Kids bring their photos to exhibit. There are honey producers, and the ladies bake. It's a typical outback regional show. What won't be typical about it this year will be the conversations I'll have with the people I represent. I'm confronted by it time and time again when they ask me: 'What are you doing about electricity prices? Why aren't you holding those guys on the other side of the chamber down there in Canberra to account? We were told that electricity prices were going to be cheaper.' And I'll have to apologise to them, because I know it's hurting their family budgets. I know that electricity prices have gone up 39 per cent, and I know that only 40 per cent of the retail market goes to households. The remaining 60 per cent of energy production goes into the manufacturing sector; that's the cost of fertilisers and the cost of tractors. When you go into Woolworths and you buy items on the shelf, like a tin of baked beans or a frozen food product, everything has a component of electricity tied to it. That has had an inflationary pressure on our economy which has inhibited the Reserve Bank and led to their decisions to not give rate relief as quickly as they would have otherwise. There is not an original farm in my electorate—of which the largest contributor to GDP is agriculture—that still does not have a windmill on it. Southern Cross Windmills are celebrating 150 years here in Australia. They're situated in my electorate. So I won't be told by the richest postcodes in our country that we need to have an environmental conscience, that we need to be doing more to accept renewables. We are the early adopters of renewables and, when those windmills collapsed,…
date: 2025-09-04T09:42:00+00:00

Freedom of Information | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: It's always a privilege to be able to make a contribution to the matter of public importance. I thank those that have made a contribution to this debate. Any time we have a conversation about...
encoded: It's always a privilege to be able to make a contribution to the matter of public importance. I thank those that have made a contribution to this debate. Any time we have a conversation about transparency and openness it's a good thing for the Australian public, and I am happy to be able to engage in this debate. I have taken away a couple of points from the debate that I want to share with the room—in light of thanking those members who have made a contribution. We, as an opposition, need to make sure that we keep a light on the government. We need to make sure that the overwhelming numbers within the Australian Labor Party that exist in this chamber, which were so overwhelming and celebrated as a great victory—I think it was Lord Acton who once said: Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I think that was back in 1887. It has stood fast for that amount of time. With the numbers that are in this place, it is incumbent upon us, as an opposition, to shine a light when the light cannot get in. I come to the dispatch box on behalf of our fourth estate, who are raising this discussion, this matter of public importance, as a real concern. If those members in this house are genuine, they will have the conversation with the people who wrote their speaking points to revisit this. In opposition, Labor promised to shine a light on politics and bring back accountability, but now it's rolling out the biggest attack on freedom of information that we have seen as a country in 15 years. The Albanese government wants to introduce what the previous speaker has referred to as a 'truth tax', charging fees on an FOI request that should be made public. I thought the previous speaker made a very valid and salient point about vexatious freedom of information requests, particularly if they were made by an anonymous party. I would agree. If they're anonymous, they're not going to put their name to it and we don't know what it's for, I wouldn't be giving them any cred…
date: 2025-09-02T16:29:00+00:00

Freedom of Information | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Same bloke.
encoded: Same bloke.
date: 2025-09-02T16:08:00+00:00

Taxation | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Australians know that, when Labor run out of their own money, they'll come looking for yours. Labor's so-called economic talkfest was nothing but a fizzer—hand picked participants trotted...
encoded: Australians know that, when Labor run out of their own money, they'll come looking for yours. Labor's so-called economic talkfest was nothing but a fizzer—hand picked participants trotted out while real Australians continue to suffer. But here's the reality. We've got the lowest productivity rates in 60 years and electricity prices are out of control. The talkfest came up with a whole new bucket of taxes—starting with the unrealised capital gains tax—with leaked documents from Treasury saying that taxes had to go up. A plan to increase the GST was discussed—and the spare bedroom tax, an increase on fringe benefits, an increase on capital gains and abolishing negative gearing. And Labor loves the death tax. They're going to disguise all of this as an intergenerational fairness tax. You watch; before this afternoon you'll see them introduce a fairness tax, a truth tax. They've racked up the highest levels of spending since 1989. They've failed on productivity, they've failed on energy and they've failed to spend responsibly. People ask, 'How could they have done that?' The Department of Defence annual report states that there are 120 fewer personnel than there were 12 months ago. Accordingly, the bureaucracy has gone up—wait for it—by 1,700 people. You've got a spending problem. (Time expired)
date: 2025-09-02T13:57:00+00:00

Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
type: item
description: In 2010, the electorate of Wright was first formed as a byproduct of a redistribution. I am the inaugural member for the seat of Wright, and it is a privilege. I feel immensely proud to be able...
encoded: In 2010, the electorate of Wright was first formed as a byproduct of a redistribution. I am the inaugural member for the seat of Wright, and it is a privilege. I feel immensely proud to be able to represent the good people of Wright. This is the fifth time I have been returned to this amazing building to be their voice, to carry their concerns, to come and lobby for the infrastructure that's required and to speak with our ministers and departments down here about the reduction of red tape for businesses so that mums and dads and families can end up with more money in their pockets and so that businesses can become more profitable. This year, it is more likely that we will have another redistribution. The average electorate size is around 100,000 to 120,000. I am at over 140,000 people, and my next-door neighbour of Blair is very similar. I see the member for Forde in the room. Are you over as well? 135,000, for the benefit of Hansard. So it is very likely that our boundaries will not look the same in a future redistribution, but we will work actively with the Australian Electoral Commission to secure what hopefully is the best for our local communities. Our regions are growing. In terms of numbers, they are expanding, and with that come growing pains. The communities of Yarrabilba, Plainland and other communities right across my electorate are experiencing urban sprawl, as we're located just on the outskirts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. As the entry points into the housing market are becoming more and more difficult, people are choosing to come and live in the regions and commute a little further because it makes sense from a price point perspective. There's another cohort as well. Those who have lived in the cities all their lives are taking the opportunity to downsize, cash out of high-value properties, come and buy a property, which is often superior with regard to its age, in my region and seek to retire. It is an absolutely picturesque region, from the Gold …
date: 2025-08-27T16:33:00+00:00

Labor Government | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: It was once said by a prime minister in this chamber that if it's free it just means that somebody else is paying for it. Too many times we see this government failing Australians by giving away...
encoded: It was once said by a prime minister in this chamber that if it's free it just means that somebody else is paying for it. Too many times we see this government failing Australians by giving away sugar hits—the sugar hits to disguise the failures of their policy settings. Australians can see right through them. Since coming to office, this government has proven one thing: they can manage neither the truth nor the economy. When it comes to sugar hits, those on the other side lead the charge with quick fixes to cover up their failures. We were told that there'd be a $275 reduction in electricity prices but, instead, we've seen a 32 per cent increase. We get a sugar hit. We get a rebate or something that comes down from the government. In fact, we've had two of them. We give sugar hits to the billionaires who go out and invest them in failed hydrogen projects right around the country. It's a sugar hit, but who's paying for it? Where is the money coming from when there's a sugar hit to the bureaucracy of an extra 77,000 bureaucrats? We gave sugar hits out to the HECS students. My daughters were great recipients there. If you're receiving the sugar, it's pretty good. It was a good policy for them, but it's not a good policy for those who have to pay it back. There's an extra $32,000 of extra debt that has to be paid back dumped onto every household. That's an extra $2,000 in interest since these guys walked through the door. It's a bitter pill to swallow. I'd also encourage those on the other side, particularly the new Labor members: don't trust the speaking points that Labor give you. Don't trust them. Can I suggest that to you, as new members, particularly in the skills and training sector. The pre-eminent research body that captures the data for skills and apprenticeships is the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. When we left office, there were over 412,000 skilled apprentices in the workforce. Today, there are 100,000 fewer. These guys are failing the …
date: 2025-08-27T09:55:00+00:00