Anne Aly's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2025-12-11T22:05:15+00:00
items: Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Racial Discrimination Act 1975: 50th Anniversary | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Mills, Mrs Lorraine Patricia | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Small Business | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Multiculturalism | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
items: Antisemitism | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Le Cras, Mr Jack, OAM | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Early Childhood Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Early Childhood Education | Ministerial Statements | House debates
items: Child Care | Questions without Notice | House debates

Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australia's translating and interpreting services have a long history and play a vital role in our community. This bill will establish a new act...
encoded: I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australia's translating and interpreting services have a long history and play a vital role in our community. This bill will establish a new act to provide a clear statutory foundation for these services, reflecting the government's commitment to the work of the Translating and Interpreting Service—TIS National—and the important role it plays in our modern, multicultural Australia. The Australian government began providing translating services in 1947, and interpreting services commenced not long after that. These were introduced to support post World War II migrants. The government recognised then, as it does today, the critical importance of these services to migrants making their new homes in Australia. Since 1947, these services have continued to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the Australian community. In 1973 Australia established the world's first telephone interpreting service, which remains a core component of the services today. The government's translating and interpreting services are now provided by Translating and Interpreting Service, or TIS National, in the Department of Home Affairs. TIS Nation's services facilitate communication between people with limited English proficiency and the agencies and businesses that they rely on for vital services. TIS National operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provides more than 1.3 million interpreting services each year in more than 150 languages. Australia is a diverse, multicultural society with a rich Indigenous heritage and a successful migration story. More than one-quarter of us were born overseas, having migrated from more than 200 countries. The diversity of the Australian population provides us with a variety of languages, beliefs, traditions and cultures, and that is why we have the Multicultural Access and Equity Policy—a key policy ensuring that all Australians, whatever their cultural or linguistic background, are able to access govern…
date: 2025-11-26T10:44:00+00:00

Racial Discrimination Act 1975: 50th Anniversary | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
type: item
description: Says another class of 2016 person sitting next to me, the member for Bruce! One of the very first debates that I got to participate in in this place was the debate to protect section 18C of the...
encoded: Says another class of 2016 person sitting next to me, the member for Bruce! One of the very first debates that I got to participate in in this place was the debate to protect section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to undertake any act that is reasonably likely to 'offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate' a person or a group because of their race, the colour of their skin or where they were born. In a country that prides itself on Australian values—the values of mateship, a fair go and equality—this should not be controversial. It should not be controversial that we take a moment to ensure that we are not offending, humiliating, insulting or intimidating our fellow Australians because of their race, the colour of their skin or where they were born. This should not be controversial. At the time of that debate in 2016 the Attorney-General—appointed by Prime Minister Turnbull at the time—said that people have a right to be bigots, and those opposite mounted an argument against section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. It was an argument that pitted Australian against Australian and rights against rights. They argued that the right to free speech trumped the right to feel safe and trumped the right to live your life without offence, without being humiliated, without being insulted, without feeling like the 'other' and without being made to feel like the lesser. I'm incredibly passionate about this, as is anyone who has been on the receiving end. If you have been on the receiving end of discrimination, if you have been insulted, if you have been humiliated and if you have been offended because of the colour of your skin or because of your race, then you know how deeply it cuts. You know how it carries you. You carry it inside you like a little piece of a broken bone your entire life. You know how much it impacts you. So we went to that debate in 2016, I am proud to say that we won the debate and tha…
date: 2025-10-30T10:40:00+00:00

Racial Discrimination Act 1975: 50th Anniversary | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
type: item
description: With the launch of the Office for Multicultural Affairs we now have a means to truly drive a cohesive and renewed approach to multiculturalism that fits in with our modern multicultural...
encoded: With the launch of the Office for Multicultural Affairs we now have a means to truly drive a cohesive and renewed approach to multiculturalism that fits in with our modern multicultural Australia. It's an opportunity not only to celebrate the richness of our diversity—the member for Moreton spoke so eloquently on what that means. She spoke about how we move beyond celebration and how we move beyond the valuing of food—as long as it tastes like chicken!—colours and festivities to valuing and acknowledging multiculturalism as a fundamental aspect of who we are. Multiculturalism is the mainstream. It's not a semicolon-and. It's not a postscript. It's not a nice-to-have. It's not an afterthought. It is Australia and it is Australians. Today it is woven into the social and cultural fabric of a modern Australia, from Lunar New Year to Eid or Diwali or Rosh Hashana. These events are celebrated in small towns and big cities from coast to coast. For 50 years, time and time again, the Racial Discrimination Act has helped us strengthen our multiculturalism and strengthen our identity as a multicultural nation. The act has made enormous strides in improving racial equality, including shining a spotlight on wage theft of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and invalidating laws that discriminated against First Nations land rights. It also set the foundation for future antidiscrimination protections on age, sex and disability. In that regard it was quite revolutionary—a watershed moment in Australia's history. Unfortunately there are still those who are made to defend their very presence and belonging in Australia, which harms not only those directly involved but also our whole society. I want to go back to my first term in parliament—elected in 2016.
date: 2025-10-30T10:40:00+00:00

Racial Discrimination Act 1975: 50th Anniversary | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
type: item
description: I congratulate the member for Moreton on her excellent contribution on this occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Racial Discrimination Act. It is, indeed, an honour to serve with her in this...
encoded: I congratulate the member for Moreton on her excellent contribution on this occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Racial Discrimination Act. It is, indeed, an honour to serve with her in this parliament. As the member for Moreton mentioned, today we mark the 50th anniversary of the RDA, or the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. It was the first law to recognise and protect the right of everyone in Australia to be free from discrimination based on race. Fifty years on, Australians take great pride in our free and democratic country, where all of us have the right to live without fear of discrimination and free from acts of intimidation and violence on the basis of race, ethnicity or cultural heritage. Modern Australia is a migrant nation. It is who we are. The Racial Discrimination Act underscores and protects this vital part of this proud nation. Our multicultural success belongs to all Australians, every single one of them, no matter where you came from, no matter where your parents came from and no matter how you came to be here. Half of all Australians were born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. My story is one of those stories. I'm an Australian, but I'm also a migrant. At the age of two, my family chose Australia, settling in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. We quickly became a part of our local community. We had neighbours from Britain and New Zealand, but also from China, Greece and the former Yugoslavia. My Australia is defined by my childhood, in the suburbs where we would gather under the hot sun to play a game of legendary Aussie driveway cricket. We improvised wickets out of garbage cans, pausing only intermittently to move the wicket to allow cars to pass by. There we played for hours under the hot sun, on the hot tarmac, interrupted only by the cry of parents standing on the front porch letting us know that it was time to come inside for dinner. And as each child's name was called out into the dusky sky, a different accent could be made out…
date: 2025-10-30T10:40:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: It certainly does. They also told me that the instant asset write-off and the extension of the write-off helps them to manage those challenges of daily cash flow. An example is the Indian grocer...
encoded: It certainly does. They also told me that the instant asset write-off and the extension of the write-off helps them to manage those challenges of daily cash flow. An example is the Indian grocer who buys a freezer so that their business can not just expand but also diversify and start selling naan breads that people can take home and cook at home. If anyone has not tried them yet, I highly recommend them. For small businesses needing to repair or replace items in order to continue to operate safely or efficiently, the write-off allows them to claim the full deduction immediately. That then eases the financial pressure to maintain day-to-day operations—for example, you might have a small manufacturer replace some machinery in order to avoid production stoppages. For small businesses wanting or needing to modernise, the ability to upgrade technology or equipment can improve efficiency, reduce costs and indeed enhance competitiveness. For startups and new small businesses, the write-off provides immediate financial relief, helping new businesses invest without having to build up profits. An example would be a startup online retailer buying storage equipment or a young photographer, who is embarking on a career as a sole trader, going out and buying a new professional camera and lens. The expansion of the write-offs gives them the ability to buy what they need today. The items might be small in nature, but, when we look at small businesses, the diversity of small businesses, the breadth of small businesses and the fact that a large number of small businesses are indeed sole traders who do not operate from a physical premises, the instant asset write-off—though it can provide for small items—can actually make a humungous difference to these small businesses. And I don't think we should be dismissing the impact that the instant asset write-off has for the small businesses that, often, we don't think about. I'm going to be very honest here and say that we don't think about…
date: 2025-10-08T16:38:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025. Whilst I support the bill in its entirety, it would be natural for me to focus on...
encoded: I rise in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025. Whilst I support the bill in its entirety, it would be natural for me to focus on a part that is particularly important to my portfolio of small business, which is schedule 7. Schedule 7 extends the $20,000 instant asset write-off until 30 June 2026 for eligible businesses. What this measure does is make a real difference to 2.6 million small businesses in Australia. That includes 1.5 million small businesses that are sole traders and who are also benefitting and have also benefitted from our government's tax cuts. As everyone in here knows—because I hear it head said often enough that people support small business in this House—small business owners are out there every day, and they're working hard. They're working hard to fulfil their dreams. They are your Indian grocer. They are the place you go to to get your eyebrows threaded. They are where you get your Vietnamese pancakes. They are the translators and interpreters who operate with an ABN. They fix your cars. They cut your hair. They cater your birthday parties. They resole your shoes. They help you with your tax returns. An example of a small business is My Aunt's Handmade Noodles, which I visited the other day with the member for Reid and the local mayor in her electorate. This is a family owned business, run by a formidable mother and daughter duo, and they craft these handmade noodles using time honoured techniques. The passion and care that My Aunt's Handmade Noodles brings to each and every bowl of these perfectly chewy and flavoured noodles is a level of dedication that I see in the small businesses that I visit and that I meet with right across the country. The Albanese government is backing small businesses just like My Aunt's Handmade Noodles to ensure that they have the support that they need to thrive, because we know that not only are they building a better life for themselves and for t…
date: 2025-10-08T16:38:00+00:00

Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I want to thank the member for Lalor and Chief Government Whip, who is an absolute champion for her diverse community. I am incredibly proud to be a member of a government where a child with a...
encoded: I want to thank the member for Lalor and Chief Government Whip, who is an absolute champion for her diverse community. I am incredibly proud to be a member of a government where a child with a name like Ryan, or Soon, or Ng, or Ambihaipahar, or Abdo, or Smith, or France, or Albanese can look at this parliament and say, 'I belong there'; a part of a government that has a vision of an Australia based on fairness and equality, where everyone—no matter who you are, who your parents are or where you were born—feels valued. But we know that our social cohesion is fragile. As long as we treat people with a gritted-teeth tolerance instead of mutual respect, our social cohesion will remain fragile. This Albanese Labor government governs for all, because we believe that every Australian, whatever their race or religion, wherever they or their parents were born, should be able to feel safe and at home, without prejudice or discrimination. This should not be a partisan issue. Over this week I've spoken to members of our Indian diaspora and they've told me that they did not feel safe—and they did not feel secure—after the rallies that we saw on Sunday. They've also told me that comments by some political leaders have exacerbated their fear and shattered their sense of security. To Indian Australians, this is our message: you do not have to justify your belonging in this country. We know you. We value you. We thank you for everything you have contributed to Australia—to communities, to charities, to business, to politics, to our medical profession and to our economy. We stand with you as we always have. When the immigration of Lebanese Australians was described as a mistake, that was wrong. When the African Australian community were unfairly stereotyped, that was wrong. When the Chinese Australian community were accused of being spies, that was wrong. And the scapegoating of Indian communities, designed to undermine their sense of safety and belonging, is wrong. Every member of t…
date: 2025-09-04T14:43:00+00:00

Mills, Mrs Lorraine Patricia | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I want to pay tribute today to an extraordinary woman in my electorate, Lorraine Mills. Lorraine will probably be horrified I'm mentioning her, but that's who Lorraine is. She's humble and...
encoded: I want to pay tribute today to an extraordinary woman in my electorate, Lorraine Mills. Lorraine will probably be horrified I'm mentioning her, but that's who Lorraine is. She's humble and practical, never seeking the spotlight. When I told her that I wanted to acknowledge her, she said, 'But I haven't done anything like jump out of a plane or fight a bushfire.' But that's exactly why I speak today, because Lorraine has spent more than three decades serving her community in quiet, generous ways—a true unsung hero of Cowan. I first met Lorraine in 2017, and she struck me as fresh, energetic, funny, smart and never afraid to speak her mind. When a local paper stopped delivering hard copies in her suburb, Lorraine instantly thought of older residents who would be left behind. She came to my office every week, filled her car boot with newspapers and made sure that those residents didn't miss out—no fuss, no fanfare, just Lorraine being Lorraine. One of the greatest contributions that she has made has been as a justice of the peace. For more than 30 years, she has certified countless documents. She's supported police, hospitals, courts and families, taking calls at all hours of the day—even at two in the morning. For 15 years she even ran a JP desk at Newpark Shopping Centre, come rain, hail or shine. Lorraine is beloved by police officers, whom she affectionately calls 'her coppers'. Lorraine's service follows a family tradition; she was inspired by her father, Max, who was awarded an Order of Australia. Unfortunately, health and age has required that Lorraine step back from her active—really active—work across Cowan. Her remarkable chapter of service is ending, but her impact endures. Lorraine Mills is loyal, fierce, funny and kind. Lorraine: on behalf of all of Cowan, a huge thank you for your decades of service and selflessness. In true Lorraine style, I will finish my speech as she so often finished her letters to me—with words of encouragement. Lorraine, you are lo…
date: 2025-09-03T10:02:00+00:00

Small Business | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I want to thank the member for Reid for her question. I know the member for Reid is a very strong advocate for small businesses in her local community, and, when I speak to the member for Reid,...
encoded: I want to thank the member for Reid for her question. I know the member for Reid is a very strong advocate for small businesses in her local community, and, when I speak to the member for Reid, she often mentions to me the delicious noodles at My Aunt's Handmade Noodles, a small business in Burwood. I'm looking forward to also visiting My Aunt's Handmade Noodles with the member for Reid when I'm next in her electorate. The Albanese Labor government has the back of small businesses because small businesses are the backbone of communities right across Australia. I'm pleased to say that there are over 800,000 new small businesses since the Albanese government came into office in 2022, and that number keeps growing week by week. That's a good thing because small businesses contribute around $600 billion to our economy each year and they support more than five million jobs. To ensure small businesses grow and prosper, we've delivered over $2 billion in practical and targeted supports, focusing on three key priority areas that are outlined in Australia's very first National Small Business Strategy. Those three key priority areas are easing the pressure, supporting growth and leveling the playing field. In easing the pressure, we've extended the energy bill relief. We've paused indexation on the draft beer excise, supporting the hospitality industry and also those who drink beer, and extended the $20,000 instant asset write-off so that businesses can buy the things that they need to grow and to thrive. We've got $25.8 million in mental health and financial wellbeing supports for small business—something that's proven to be very successful in helping small businesses to sustain. In supporting small businesses to grow, under that priority area, we are helping to build a skilled workforce through our free TAFE and through reducing HECS debt, providing small businesses with access to the skills and trade workforce that they need. We've provided over $60 million for digital sup…
date: 2025-09-02T15:02:00+00:00

Multiculturalism | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the wonderful member for Barton for her question and I welcome her to this place. She has already made an incredible contribution, and I know that she will continue to make an incredible...
encoded: I thank the wonderful member for Barton for her question and I welcome her to this place. She has already made an incredible contribution, and I know that she will continue to make an incredible contribution while she's here. For the first time, Australia has a standalone minister for multicultural affairs in cabinet, and I must say I'm incredibly humbled to be appointed to this position and I'm excited to have launched the new office for multicultural affairs. If I may, I'd like to take a moment to just reflect on the composition of this parliament here today, one that is beginning to reflect modern Australia and one that is very different from the one I delivered my first speech to in 2016. In this 48th Parliament we have the most multiculturally diverse government this nation has ever seen. Across the chamber we now see representatives with diverse heritage, just like Australia and the communities we represent. The anti-immigration protests on the weekend highlight, however, that questions of belonging and inclusion linger despite our successes. This government stands with all Australians, no matter where they were born, against those who seek to divide us and intimidate migrant communities. I want to be clear and unequivocal: targeting specific ethnic groups, like the wave of anti-Indian sentiment that we saw over the weekend, is racism—full stop. There is no excuse, no nuance, no justification. No-one in Australia should have to justify their belonging in this country, and this Albanese Labor government believes that every Australian, whatever their race or religion, wherever they or their parents were born, should be able to feel safe and at home in any community, without prejudice and without discrimination. Multiculturalism isn't just about a celebration of festivals and food; it is about ensuring everyone is empowered to participate in this democracy. That's why we continue to support the important work of our special envoys to combat Islamophobia and antis…
date: 2025-09-01T14:30:00+00:00

Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
type: item
description: It's the greatest honour of my life to serve as the member for Cowan, and I want to take a moment to thank the people of Cowan for once again placing their trust in me. Every day, I carry that...
encoded: It's the greatest honour of my life to serve as the member for Cowan, and I want to take a moment to thank the people of Cowan for once again placing their trust in me. Every day, I carry that responsibility with both pride and humility. I stood for election way back in 2016 because I believe in fairness, in opportunity and in building a community where everyone belongs, and over the past years I've worked every single day to deliver on those values in Cowan and in Canberra. When I was first elected in 2016, I vowed to be a strong voice for our diverse and hardworking community. Nearly a decade later, I'm still here, and that principle still guides me. From Greenwood to Ballajura, from Westminster to Landsdale, Balga, Darch, Warwick, Nollamara, Alexander Heights, Marangaroo, Wangara, Madeley, Hamersley, Koondoola, Malaga, Dianella and Stirling, the Cowan community reflects the very best of Australia: resilient families, proud business owners, generous volunteers and people from every walk of life who look out for one another. Together we've secured investment in safer roads, new cultural facilities, school upgrades and sporting infrastructure. Together we've built stronger communities—places where young people have opportunities, where seniors can retire with dignity and where families can thrive. As a minister, I've had the opportunity to help deliver national reforms in early childhood education, in youth engagement, and now in my new portfolios: small business, international development and multicultural affairs. As we went into the recent election, the Albanese Labor government made commitments to the constituents of Cowan—not just promises, but plans, backed by real funding, to deliver for our community. We're upgrading the Girrawheen community hub, transforming it into a modern and welcoming space for families and community groups that provides opportunities for gatherings, education, community programs and services. I take this opportunity to thank the City o…
date: 2025-08-28T12:43:00+00:00

Antisemitism | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: I do just want to take a moment to thank the member for bringing this MPI and for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. With respect, though, this, of course, is not the first time,...
encoded: I do just want to take a moment to thank the member for bringing this MPI and for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. With respect, though, this, of course, is not the first time, and, sadly, I imagine it's not the last time that we will be speaking about antisemitism as well as other forms of racism in this place. In fact, I am reminded of one of my very first debates when I was first elected to this House in 2016. For the new members on both this side and opposite, I thought I might remind people that that was the debate on the removal of section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act. I'll remind those opposite, who were in government at the time, that they argued that people have a right to be bigots. I'll remind those opposite that they argued that offence was taken, not given. Some of the members who argued that back in 2016 are still in this House today—whether or not they continue to hold those views, I don't know. It was this side of the House, the Labor members, including many who sit here with me today, who stood against their attempts to water down the very mechanism that today affords Australians protection against the serious harms and effects of racism, bigotry and antisemitism. It was us who stood up against the removal of section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act. We did that, and we stopped them from watering down those laws. I'm also reminded that not long after that debate, something happened, and it's seared in my memory because not long after that both sides came together to condemn the hate speech of a particular senator. I know the member for Berowra and shadow Attorney-General remembers that. We stood together to condemn the hate speech of a particular senator, which I won't repeat, and I won't repeat his name because he's not deserving of that. That was deeply offensive, not just to Jewish Australians but to anybody who has in their lives been a target of hate. That moment is seared in my memory because, as a new member o…
date: 2025-08-27T15:32:00+00:00

Le Cras, Mr Jack, OAM | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: It's wonderful to see you in the chair, Deputy Speaker Mascarenhas. I would like to pay tribute to a remarkable Australian, a true local legend and someone who has dedicated nearly a century of...
encoded: It's wonderful to see you in the chair, Deputy Speaker Mascarenhas. I would like to pay tribute to a remarkable Australian, a true local legend and someone who has dedicated nearly a century of his life to service both to his country and to our community. I'm speaking, of course, of Jack Le Cras. Jack Le Cras is one of the few living Australians who served in the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War, and, at just 19 years old, he was on board the USS Missouri when the Japan formally surrendered in 1945, making him one of the few Australians to witness the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. But Jack's service didn't end there. After the war, he continued to serve, playing a key role in the recovery of prisoners of war in Japan. He's shared stories, some solemn and others full of that characteristic Jack Le Cras humour—like the time he and 47 fellow sailors, each with just two bullets and no water, were sent on foot to secure a Japanese town, only to arrive and find the Americans had already been there for days with bulldozers and trucks. So they put their rivals down in a local shop and spent two hours sightseeing instead. That's Jack—humble, resilient and always with a twinkle in his eye. Jack has also been a driving force behind commemorative services in Cowan for as long as I'd been the member. Every year, he's coordinating, leading, honouring the fallen and reminding all of us why these moments matter. This year, both the City of Wanneroo and the City of Stirling have rightly recognised Jack for his extraordinary contributions. What's Happening magazine, which is a City of Wanneroo local publication, features his story on the front cover. I must say, when I received my copy of What's Happening, the first thing I did was ring Jack Le Cras and say, 'Hey, great photo of the front of What's Happening.' And the City of Stirling hosted a morning tea in Jack's honour. Jack was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, a timely and fitt…
date: 2025-07-30T10:26:00+00:00

Small Business | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: Though I repeated it three times, I'll repeat it again. There are 800,000 more small businesses since this government took office in 2022. In our first term, we set our priorities for small...
encoded: Though I repeated it three times, I'll repeat it again. There are 800,000 more small businesses since this government took office in 2022. In our first term, we set our priorities for small business, and they were to help them grow and to give them a level playing field. I'll remind the House again, as I mentioned yesterday, that last week I convened our very first small-business roundtable to feed into our reform agenda. I will continue listening to small businesses right across Australia, across the width and breadth of the diverse sectors they represent. The Albanese Labor government backs small business. Have a look at the members behind me. Small businesses operate in every single city and every single town across Australia, including in the outer suburbs, represented here on this side of the House. We will continue with our agenda to back small business, because small business backs Australia.
date: 2025-07-29T14:42:00+00:00

Small Business | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member opposite for his question, because it gives me an opportunity to really talk about small business—something that I'm passionate about and something that the members on...
encoded: I thank the member opposite for his question, because it gives me an opportunity to really talk about small business—something that I'm passionate about and something that the members on this side of the House are all passionate about as well. As I said yesterday, small businesses operate right across the country. They are everyone from your local Indian grocer to your hairdresser and the place that you go to get your lunch. I'm pleased to report that, since we took office, since this Albanese Labor government took office in 2022, there are 800,000 more new small businesses operating right across Australia. They comprise female led businesses—around 35 per cent are female led—and 40 per cent on average are led by migrants, people who are aspirational, who come to this country and who see starting up a small business as a way of making a life for themselves and for their families. Small businesses employ more than five million Australians, and they contribute more than $590 billion to our nation's economy every single year. I'll remind the member opposite that this is the government that, last term, introduced the very first National Small Business Strategy, which guides the ways in which we will work with state and local governments to address those issues for small business.
date: 2025-07-29T14:42:00+00:00

Small Business | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for McEwen for his question and welcome him back to this place to continue serving the people of McEwen. Small businesses are in every town and every city, right across the...
encoded: I thank the member for McEwen for his question and welcome him back to this place to continue serving the people of McEwen. Small businesses are in every town and every city, right across the country. They're your local Indian grocer, your hairdresser, your carer, your cleaner, your dentist, your sparky, your caterer and the place you go to get your best kebabs or banh mi. They're not just the engine room of our economy; they are indeed the heart of our communities. They sponsor kids' sporting teams, they support local jobs and they help communities recover from disasters. I'm pleased to report to the House that, since we first came into office in 2022, under this Albanese Labor government there are now more than 800,000 new small businesses. They employ more than five million people. They contribute more than $590 billion to our economy. In our first term, we set out the key priorities for small business. To ease the pressure on them, to support small businesses to grow and to level the playing field, we delivered over $2 billion in targeted supports for small businesses, and we released the very first National Small Business Strategy. We extended the instant asset write-off, and we provided energy bill relief to small businesses. This term we're going to continue to build on that record. We're going to further extend the instant asset write-off so that small businesses can invest in the equipment that they need to sustain and to grow. We've committed to tax cuts that will benefit 1½ million sole traders, and we'll continue to work with states and territories to implement the small business strategy. I want to report to the House that last week I hosted a small business economic roundtable here at Parliament House. I charged those present to be bold and assertive in the recommendations that they will give us, to help us guide our reform agenda. I asked them to consider and to bring forth ideas and solutions for both incremental and structural change to ensure that …
date: 2025-07-28T15:02:00+00:00

Early Childhood Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the wonderful member for Corangamite for her question. The member for Corangamite has demonstrated her commitment to children and families in her electorate by backing in every single one...
encoded: I thank the wonderful member for Corangamite for her question. The member for Corangamite has demonstrated her commitment to children and families in her electorate by backing in every single one of our cost-of-living measures, whether that's on health, whether that's on tax relief or whether, indeed, that's on early childhood and care. In our first term of government we've made progress towards our vision of a simple, affordable and accessible early childhood education and care system. On affordability: our cheaper child care reduced the out-of-pocket costs for early childhood education and care by 17 per cent when it was first introduced. That means that a family on $120,000 is $2,768 better off because of this government. We're building on that by putting in fee caps as well. On workforce: workforce, of course, underpins the reforms we want to make in early childhood education and care. We introduced reforms to stabilise and grow the workforce. Our 15 per cent pay rise, I'm pleased to say, now has applications that cover around 80 per cent of the early childhood education workforce. And we have a $72 million workforce package, as well as our fee-free TAFE, helping to grow that sector. Because of these actions, we now have 41,900 more educators in the sector. But it doesn't stop there. Recently, we changed the Liberals' prohibitive activity test, replacing that with a three-day guarantee of subsidised care. That means 70,000 families will save $1,370 in the first year alone. And we've dedicated $1 billion to grow early childhood education services in areas where they're needed, including rural, regional and outer suburbs, to be run by high-quality not-for-profit service providers. But we know there's more to do, and that is why we have commissioned a service delivery price to inform our future reform. I'm asked about risks. Well, today the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods confirms that around two-thirds of all Australians, led by single-parent families a…
date: 2025-03-27T14:47:00+00:00

Early Childhood Education | Ministerial Statements | House debates
type: item
description: by leave—I present a copy of my ministerial statement. The Albanese government recognises the transformative benefits of early childhood education and care for children and families and for...
encoded: by leave—I present a copy of my ministerial statement. The Albanese government recognises the transformative benefits of early childhood education and care for children and families and for our nation. That's why we are working to build a universal early childhood education and care system that is accessible for families no matter what your circumstances or background. I'm very proud of our record in early childhood education and care, of our work to build a quality universal system that is accessible, affordable and simple. Our Cheaper Child Care reforms made early learning affordable for more than one million Australian families by cutting out-of-pocket costs. Cheaper Child Care cut the cost of early learning by more than 17 per cent when it was first introduced, with the average family using childcare around $4,400 better off. We know that we can't reach our vision for universal early childhood education and care without a strong and sustainable workforce. That's why we are delivering a historic 15 per cent wage increase for early childhood workers to retain and attract our early childhood education workforce. We're also boosting this vital and dedicated workforce through our successful fee-free TAFE program. As a result of Labor's reforms, there are over 1,100 new services since we came to government, 30 per cent of which are outside of major cities. There are 42,000 more educators and, most importantly, there are additional 97,000 more children in early childhood education and care. But we want even more children to access and have access to high-quality early childhood education and care. Because we believe that every child has the right to get the best possible start in life, we've abolished the Liberals' prohibitive-activity test and replaced it with a three-day guarantee so children don't start school behind. The three-day guarantee will replace the current activity test from January 2026 with guaranteed eligibility for three days a week of subsidised early…
date: 2025-03-27T11:57:00+00:00

Early Childhood Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for Aston for her question. She's such a passionate advocate for children and families in Aston. And, like all the members on this side of the House, the member for Aston has...
encoded: I thank the member for Aston for her question. She's such a passionate advocate for children and families in Aston. And, like all the members on this side of the House, the member for Aston has continuously voted to support the families and the children in her electorate through cost-of-living measures that those opposite failed to vote for. It demonstrates just how much she really cares for families and children in Aston. When we came into office, we inherited an early childhood education and care sector that was in crisis. It really was in crisis. They couldn't find workers. There were all sorts of issues, particularly around the workforce. And it was expensive; the price kept on going up for parents. And we've made progress on reform. We've made significant progress on reform towards a quality, universal early childhood education and care service that works for every single Australian child, informed by our ACCC inquiry and by our PC inquiry. Since our coming into government, there are now around 42,000 more educators in the sector,1,189 more services in the sector, 30 per cent of which are outside of major cities, and around 97,000 more children in early childhood education and care. Our cheaper child care reforms decreased the out-of-pocket costs by 17 per cent when they were first introduced. Now, that means an average family is $4,400 better off. We're building on that, of course, by capping fee increases as part of our worker wage rise. Recently, we introduced our three-day guarantee, scrapping the Liberals' prohibitive activity test. That means 70,000 families will save $1,370 a year. Now, our reform rests on retaining and building a strong workforce. That's why we have a policy for fee-free TAFE. That's why we increased the wages of early childhood educators. But our reform does not stop there. We know there's more to do. We've got $1 billion set aside to build early childhood education and care services where they're needed, and a service delivery price w…
date: 2025-03-26T14:47:00+00:00

Child Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: Today, we saw the opposition again vote against a cost-of-living measure. What they voted against today is 70,000 families saving $1,370. That's what they voted against. They voted against more...
encoded: Today, we saw the opposition again vote against a cost-of-living measure. What they voted against today is 70,000 families saving $1,370. That's what they voted against. They voted against more children, particularly children from disadvantaged families, getting access to those transformative benefits of early childhood education and care. They voted against more women being able to get back to work. They voted against low-income families accessing affordable early learning. They voted against aspiration and they voted against the future because they have no plan, no vision and no policy for early childhood education and care. Instead, they want to take us back to the days of high early childhood education and care fees and back to the days of low wages for early childhood education workers. They have no plan for the future, only a plan for bosses to get longer lunches and a plan for $350 billion worth of cuts. Australians know. Today, Australians saw just what those opposite stand for.
date: 2025-02-13T14:18:00+00:00