Anne Aly's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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...
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 government programs and services. This, in turn, means they can fully participate and contribute to our society. The services that TIS National provide are vital in upholding this commitment to Australians. Beyond helping us achieve access and equity outcomes, the government's translation and interpreting services also play a vital role in supporting social cohesion in our multicultural nation. Australia's multicultural diversity is fundamental to the character of our nation—it is who we are—and all Australians have an equal right to participate in the social, political and economic life of our country. However, this often isn't always the experience of diverse Australians, and this is why the government recently established an Office for Multicultural Affairs and elevated to cabinet for the very first time the standalone position of Minister for Multicultural Affairs. The government's translating and interpreting services play a vital role in supporting a multicultural Australia. Over the years, new migrants and humanitarian entrants have relied on these services to engage with the community and build their lives as full participants in Australian society. Services like this help new Australians navigate the complexity of our country and access essential support. They make it easier for people to engage with government and community services. For patients, these services can mean better access to health care, and the ability to explain their symptoms in their own language and receive the care they need. During the height of the COVID pandemic, translating and interpreting services were absolutely vital. For families with limited English, a simple call to TIS number 131 450 meant they were able access life-saving information on where to get vaccinated, how to stay safe and the latest health advice when they needed it most. Day-to-day, we know that TIS National provides an invaluable service, with its free interpreting service available to all parliamentarians, ensuring that their constituents are able to access assistance and support from their representatives regardless of their English ability. Ultimately, the government's translating and interpreting services help us to harness the economic and social benefits of our diversity and build a more productive and socially cohesive Australia for all of us. This bill does not seek to change the way in which the services of TIS National or provided or funded. It will simply provide a clear legislative framework for the services, providing certainty and ensuring their continued availability to support our community into the future. To achieve this, this bill will establish express legislative functions for TIS National, as functions of the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. These functions include the provision of translating and interpreting services to government departments, across all levels of government, and private sector entities to facilitate communication by and with people with limited English language proficiency, including visa holders and newly settled migrants. The functions also enable the operation of TIS National's 24/7 phone interpreting service, which supports calls to triple 0 emergency services. Further, the functions will enable the development, training and support of translators and interpreters, and ensure ongoing powers to enter into contracts and arrangements to provide these services. The bill also includes provisions to make clear that arrangements entered into before commencement of the legislation, including those arrangements that continue to be in force when the legislation commences, will continue to have effect. This appropriately ensures that established arrangements are able to be maintained and provides certainty for all parties—and reinforces that the purpose of this legislation is to provide a statutory framework for existing, longstanding functions and services provided by TIS National. The bill will also provide a power for the minister to make rules—a disallowable legislative instrument—to prescribe matters required or permitted by the proposed act, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the act. This will enable the minister to specify further functions to support and sustain TIS National's operations and important role in the provision of translating and interpreting services for the Australian community, into the future. The bill sends a strong signal about the government's commitment to a united and prosperous multicultural Australia. I commend this bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned.
Racial Discrimination Act 1975: 50th Anniversary | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
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...
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 that section 18 remains a vital part of the Racial Discrimination Act. As I said in my first speech in this place, I will fight for every person's rights. I will fight for the right of free speech for every Australian. But I will not stand by and watch others get brow beaten into accepting second-class citizenship because of the colour of their skin. This government believes in the right of all people to be protected from bigotry, from vilification, from discrimination and from hate. We will continue to foster respect, belonging, understanding and inclusion, and we will continue to create real change in the lives of Australians. Because while the Racial Discrimination Act has guided us for 50 years, we need to make sure we have the right measures in place to protect multiculturalism in Australia for the next 50.
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...
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.
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...
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—Greek, Italian, English, Irish, Indian, Swedish, Chinese, Arabic, Australian. Nobody made fun of each other's strange names or the funny way our mothers or fathers would call out for us. Under this 48th Parliament, our House of Representatives is the most diverse it has been in the history of this nation—and it is richer because of it. At the 2025 election, Australians across the nation voted overwhelmingly for a parliament that looked like the community it represents. A study by the Scanlon Foundation earlier this month found that 83 per cent of Australians think that multiculturalism is good for our country, and they're right. The Albanese Labor government unequivocally stands for multiculturalism reflecting our national identity. I am honoured to be appointed as the first standalone cabinet Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Honourable members: Hear, hear! An honourable member: You're a fantastic minister, too. Thank you to my colleagues for their interjections there.
Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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...
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 our translators and interpreters as small businesses yet they operate with ABNs. We don't think about those small businesses for whom a relatively small piece of equipment is actually essential to them being able to establish their business, start up their business, grow their business or continue their business. For that reason, this measure supports fairness, because big corporations can more easily absorb shocks. They can more easily access finance and they can more easily take advantage of complex depreciation systems. Small businesses don't necessarily have that luxury. They don't have the luxury of being able to wait years to recover a cost through depreciation. They don't have big reserves to dip into when something breaks or needs repair or replacement. The instant asset write-off lets small businesses reinvest and expand and employ people in their local communities. It's the difference between putting off an upgrade and improving businesses today. And I know, from speaking to business owners right across Australia, that this is one of the most impactful ways that we can back small businesses and help them through. But I also know that this doesn't fix every problem for every small business and that there is more to do. Another issue I hear about among small businesses wherever I go is about red tape. I know it's a bit of a motherhood statement, red tape, so I've charged the small businesses that I meet with to actually give me some examples of what red tape means. Inevitably and consistently, what small businesses come back to me with is that red tape is a kind of shorthand for the fact that small businesses have to navigate three levels of government, often all at once. It can be confusing. It can be time-consuming. Sometimes they have to apply more than once or more than twice for permits and so forth. That's what I'm hearing from small businesses everywhere, and that's something that we want to tackle as well. The National Small Business Strategy outlines how governments will work together. That is the key here: governments working together to support small businesses by removing some of the complexities, making it easier for them to operate and creating environments in which they can operate and therefore thrive. We are working with state governments to basically cut the clutter for small businesses—actively working and looking, together, for ways to reduce or eliminate this red tape or these layers and layers of compliance, without reducing or impacting quality. It's a big job and it is ongoing, but the enthusiasm of all the ministers from the different jurisdictions is inspiring. I would like to thank them and commend them for their passion for supporting small businesses in line with the federal government's own passion for supporting small businesses. We are also working to level the playing field for small businesses, ensuring that the power imbalances that they face when dealing with larger businesses are addressed, recognising that they often lack market power as well, and increasing the pressure on large businesses with poor payment practices by highlighting the best and worst payment performers and strengthening communication challenges to promote prompt payment as an environment, social and governance obligation. In closing—small business is big business. That's what it is. There are over 2 million small businesses around Australia. They employ over 5 million Australians, and 1.5 million of those are sole traders. If we don't back in small businesses, it means that we're also not backing in communities. It also means that we're not backing in economies where small businesses form the backbone of those economies. We understand that small business is at the heart of community and that small business isn't just about the economy; it's about people: the people who run small businesses every day, the people who dedicate their blood, sweat and tears to growing a business not for themselves but as a legacy, often for their families, and so that they can contribute. We recognise, I might add, as Minister for Multicultural Affairs as well, that over 30 per cent of small businesses are started by migrants. In my state of Western Australia 40 per cent of small businesses are started by migrants. In extending the $20,000 instant asset write-off, we're not just supporting businesses but also backing people: people who take risks, people who work long hours and people who keep local economies alive. Labor will always stand with them because we know and understand that every piece of equipment, every tool and every shopfront opened represents something bigger. It represents confidence and the chance to build a better future. That's what this measure delivers, and that's what this government delivers.
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...
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 their families, but they are also building a better future for Australia. They employ locals. They train apprentices. They give young people jobs, and they keep regional communities alive. They sponsor local sports clubs, and they donate to school raffles as well. They are not just the engine room of the economy, as is often said; they are also often the beating hearts of communities. That's why our government developed Australia's very first National Small Business Strategy. You would think that an intimate understanding of small business would necessitate a strategy that brings together all levels of government to look at how we can collectively support small businesses to grow and to thrive. You would think that this is something that would have been done a very long time ago, but, in fact, this was done by this government, the very first National Small Business Strategy, bringing together different levels of government and focusing on three key areas: levelling the playing field for small businesses, easing the pressure on small businesses and supporting small businesses to grow. The extension of the instant asset write-off is a really key part of our commitment under this national strategy. What it means is that small businesses with an aggregate annual turnover of less than $10 million will continue to be able to immediately deduct eligible assets costing less than $20,000. That's $20,000 per asset, not just once but right across the business. Let's have a look at what that means. What that means is that restaurants, cafes, grocers, hairdressers, tradies, accountants and small retailers can actually start to buy the equipment that they need today to keep their businesses going, today and into tomorrow. No matter where I go, when I speak to small businesses, the one thing that constantly comes up is how important the instant asset write-off is in helping them grow and modernise and the extension of the instant asset write-off, giving these businesses the confidence to plan, to budget and to invest as well. For small businesses looking to grow, the instant asset write-off frees up cash flow so that they can purchase new equipment that allows them to expand their operations or open new locations. At a recent roundtable that I attended in the member for Swan's electorate, in Belmont, a group of small businesses there told me that managing cash flow was one of their biggest daily challenges. Really, that makes sense, doesn't it?
Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
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...
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 this Labor government stands by the communities that they represent, and we will always call out attempts to divide us because it is by calling them out that we will strengthen our social cohesion.
Mills, Mrs Lorraine Patricia | Constituency Statements | House debates
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...
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 loved, you are appreciated and you will never be forgotten.
Small Business | Questions without Notice | House debates
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,...
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 supports through the Cyber Wardens programs, digital solutions, the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service, cyber health checks, reducing red tape and boosting competition. We're levelling the playing field by strengthening the ACCC enforcement of the franchising code and tackling unfair contract terms, to protect small businesses. And we're taking action against illegal phoenixing conduct, especially in the construction industry. Small business, as I mentioned, is one of the key backbones of our communities and is represented right across Australia here. We'll continue to back them, because they back Australians.
Multiculturalism | Questions without Notice | House debates
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...
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 antisemitism, and that's why we have an office of multicultural affairs. Multiculturalism shouldn't be a policy that's tucked away somewhere in a file. It is about the character of modern Australia. It is about our modern identity, both in this nation and in our region. It should be about enabling fairness, respect and inclusion. That's how this Albanese Labor government sees a multicultural Australia, and that is what we aspire to do.
Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
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...
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 of Wanneroo for all they have done to get this project up and running. We're supporting multicultural and faith communities across Cowan, including the Vaishnav Sangh of WA, to build new cultural centres that will provide a range of activities, including Gujarati language teaching; Vaishnava art, dance and music activities; the celebration of festivals; vegetarian cooking classes; and the provision of vegetarian meals for the wider community. We're strengthening the capacity of the iconic Mirrabooka Mosque to continue serving the local Muslim community—delivering upgrades to the mosque itself and creating a new space for educational programs, social events and broader community engagement activities. I again pay heed to the mosque organising committee and to Sister Fatima and Sheikh Mohammed for their work in creating a space at the mosque for the community. We're supporting the Macedonian community, a large part of Cowan, to mark their 40th anniversary—what a milestone—and the Perth North Tamil School, to support the community language school and to commemorate three decades of fostering cultural diversity, language learning and engagement in the community. We're also investing in the Multicultural Services Centre in Mirrabooka, providing funding for the construction of a second storey that will host a range of activities, including upskilling workshops for women from multicultural backgrounds, visual arts exhibitions for emerging artists, community storytelling, poetry and related activities. I also thank the Multicultural Services Centre, with whom I've had a long relationship, for the work they do in servicing the multicultural communities in Cowan. We're also protecting our local environment, something I know many Cowan residents are incredibly passionate about. We're backing in the City of Wanneroo's biodiversity plan, investing in environmental upgrades in Ballajura, and supporting Native Animal Rescue so they can continue protecting and rehabilitating our most vulnerable fauna. Having visited Native Animal Rescue several times, I am in absolute awe of what they do and the contributions they make to our community through their rescue efforts. If anyone in Cowan hasn't visited them yet, I guarantee you will not regret it. Our support for the people of Cowan extends well beyond election commitments, with a range of grants helping our community to thrive. Through the Stronger Communities Program, the Albanese government is delivering for community groups, supporting everything from sporting clubs and multicultural services to youth programs and environmental initiatives. Our Volunteer Grants program has provided funding to 17 community groups in Cowan, including family centres, sporting organisations and toy libraries—ensuring our dedicated volunteers can continue their invaluable work. At this point, I also have to thank the members of the Cowan community who form the committees that decide on the allocation of grants based on community need. They themselves are providing a very valuable volunteer service to Cowan, in ensuring that the needs of the Cowan community are met and reflected in the way these grants are delivered. All of these investments reflect essentially who we are in Cowan. We're diverse, we're inclusive and we're committed to protecting our environment for generations to come. But our government is not only delivering for Cowan. As much as I am proud of the fact that we're delivering for Cowan, we are also delivering for communities right across Australia so that no-one is held back and no-one is left behind. We are providing cost-of-living relief with tax cuts that mean every Australian taxpayer gets to keep more of what they earn. From 1 October this year, everyone in Cowan and across the country will be able to buy their first home with just a five per cent deposit. This is going to cut years off the time it takes to save for a deposit, helping people into their own homes sooner. I know that in places that are still growing, like Lansdale and Darch, there are still many people who are moving into those areas, building their first home, getting the keys to their first home, being able to move into their first home. It's a real milestone in people's lives, particularly in the lives of young people, so I know that this five per cent deposit scheme is going to benefit so many people. I encourage people to come and move into Cowan. Come and build in Cowan—it's a great place to live and we have a beautiful community culture there as well. We're investing in education, ensuring that every child has the absolute best start in life. We're creating jobs and building skills for the future with more apprentices and apprenticeships, free TAFE places. I know at the Balga TAFE that's situated in Cowin it has been an absolutely positive experience for those who have chosen to undertake a free TAFE course and who have developed their education and their skills through that initiative. We're investing in clean energy and healthcare jobs, strengthening Medicare, making medicines even cheaper and expanding access to medicines through the PBS, while opening more urgent care clinics. We already have one in Morley—the Ruddock Road urgent care clinic. I must tell the House that during the election, when I was out doorknocking about our commitment to also open a new urgent care clinic in Mirrabooka, every single person I spoke to had a positive experience to relate to me about the urgent care clinic in Morley, and was over the moon to know that this Albanese Labor government would deliver another urgent care clinic for them in Mirrabooka. We're also improving access to GPs and restoring our health system after a decade of cuts. These are not just abstract policies. I hear the member opposite let out a deep sigh—they're not just abstract policies. Each and every one of us in this place can tell you the stories that are relayed to them through their offices when they are out doorknocking, or doing meet-your-member events or having coffee catch up with their local communities about the positive impact that Albanese Labor government policies have had on them. Whether through access to cheaper medicines, being able to visit an urgent care clinic and get the care they need when they need it, or in the tax cuts and getting wages moving again, these are things that are actually making a real difference to the everyday lives of individuals and families in Cowan. They make a difference. They make a difference when a single mum manages to fill a script at the pharmacy. They make a difference when a young couple can finally buy their first home and celebrate getting those keys in their hands. They make a difference when a small business can take on an apprentice. As I look ahead, my vision for Cowan is clear. I want our community to be a place where families feel secure and supported. I want our community to be a place where every child gets the very best start in life, no matter their background, where they were born or where their parents were born. I want our committee to be a place where small businesses and job creators have the backing that they need to succeed. At this point, if I may, I'll just take a moment of indulgence to mention some of the great new small businesses that are opening up in the very heart of Cowan, in Westminster at the Stirling Central Shopping Centre, where my office is located. We already have the wonderful Fariha Beauty, which looks after not just my hair but the hair of everyone in my office as well. I'll just give a shoutout to Fariha and Ibrahim—congratulations on the birth of your second son, Noor. We have the new banh mi place that's opened. We have a kebab shop that sells, I have to say, probably the best kebabs in Western Australia. We have an award-winning bakery, and we have several new hawkers, markets and shops that have opened up in the shopping centre. Having moved into the shopping centre before all of these new businesses came on board, I have to say that bringing the new businesses into the shopping centre has created an entirely different feel for the community. We now have people coming in to the shopping centre, occupying the spaces and getting together. When I walk through the shopping centre, I see people sitting down, like mums having a cup of coffee with their kids and older Cowan residents who have just finished their shopping sitting down to morning tea with friends. These are the social connections that are ever so important, but it feels like, in the age of digital connection, smartphones and social media are tearing away at the social fabric of who we are. The importance of small business cannot be underestimated and cannot be understated not just in the economic benefits that they bring but in the social benefits that they bring to the Cowan community as well. I want Cowan and, indeed, Australia to strengthen and ground our identity as a country that embraces inclusivity and that upholds the values that unite us—the values of respect, equality, compassion and fairness. I don't think you can deny that they are what every parent wants for their child, every family wants for themselves and every individual aspires to. They aspire to fairness, equality, compassion and mutual respect. When I think about the Australia that I know, I think about growing up playing cricket on the streets of the suburbs of Western Sydney. I think about those days when nobody cared where you were from and nobody cared that my skin gradually got darker and darker and blacker and blacker over summer as we stood out there on the hot tarmac—legends of Aussie driveway cricket. As the sun went down, each of our mums would come out and yell out our names for dinner. They each had a different accent, whether Greek, Italian, English, Irish, New Zealand or Egyptian. None of us kids cared. As long as you could chuck a ball, stand with your legs hip width apart and yell out, 'Howzat?' you were one of us. That's the Australia that I know, that's the Australia that I remember and that's the Australia that we can be—an Australia where we all belong because we know that we all share the same values. I want to take these last few moments to once again thank the people of Cowan. I remember my very first election campaign when I first got elected to this place. As a newbie to politics, I had no idea what running an election campaign meant. I had absolutely no idea. I remember on the day before the election sitting around with these volunteers who to me were strangers. I'd never met them before running for office. I was in absolute awe that these were people that didn't know me but had given up so much of their time, put their faith in me and believed in me even at times when I didn't believe in myself. And so I stand here, almost a decade later—trust me; I didn't think I was going to be here that long—and I'm still in awe of the people of Cowan and how they continue to put their faith in me. It is not something that I take lightly, and it is not something that I take for granted. Every day that I have been here, I have raised the issues that matter the most to the people who have sent me here, the people of Cowan. And every day that I am here I'll continue to do so because—as I began my speech so I end my speech here today—there is no higher honour than representing Cowan in this federal parliament. Debate adjourned.
Antisemitism | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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,...
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 of parliament at that time, as a person of colour and as a Muslim, it showed that we are stronger when we take a bipartisan stance against antisemitism and hatred—when we stand together. It showed me, as a new person in this place, that there are things that are above politics, and it confirmed to me that racism and hatred should never, ever be weaponised for political ends and that we can rise above that in this place. We saw a glimpse of that yesterday afternoon again, when the Leader of the Opposition associated her comments with the Prime Minister's remarks, particularly with regard to our moves to list the IRCG as a terrorist organisation and the swift actions that we took when those revelations were made yesterday. We saw a glimpse of it yesterday; sadly, it didn't last. The Prime Minister today in question time outlined the actions that this government has taken with regard to combating and addressing rising antisemitism. But it's worth repeating them, particularly now, and it's worth in particular repeating the Prime Minister's mention of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. I want to take a moment to thank Jillian Segal for the collaborative way in which she has worked, not just with me but with other relevant ministers in her role as the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. Some of the other things that were mentioned by the Prime Minister and are worth repeating include that we are working with state attorneys-general to establish a national database to track antisemitic crime and other antisemitic incidences and behaviours. We need to know what we're dealing with here. I will say also that, whilst there has been a surge in antisemitism, antisemitism, as Jillian Segal often repeats to me, is an ancient hatred. Unfortunately, in this country we have seen sporadic increases in antisemitism and other forms of hatred throughout history. What is important is that we deal with them. What is important is not just that we set up the structures to respond to acts of antisemitism but that we set up strong foundations and structures to ensure it doesn't happen again. That requires us to really tackle the fragility of our social cohesion in this country. I've long lamented the fact that there is a kind of gritted-teeth tolerance of difference in our nation, whether that is cultural and linguistic difference, whether it's a difference of race or whether, indeed, it's a difference of faith. We live in a pluralistic nation. Religious pluralism is inherent in our Constitution as well. And yet those of us who have been the recipients of hatred because of our faith or because of the colour of our skin or because of our background know too well that it is a very, very fragile tolerance that we have to live with. I hear the passion in the member for Berowra and shadow Attorney-General's voice, and I feel that passion too. We should not have to bear the burden of consistently having to stand up and educate people of the impacts of racism on our lives. The Prime Minister also mentioned today our landmark legislation to ban the Nazi salute and the public display of Nazi symbols and, indeed, symbols of any terrorist organisation in Australia. That came into effect in January 2024. We've also criminalised doxxing. In terms of other measures that we have taken, we have provided more than $57 million to improve safety and security at Jewish community sites, including schools and synagogues. It's with great sadness that I say that we had to do this. People in this country should be able to freely worship and freely congregate in their faith communities and in their places of worship without having to worry about their security. But, sadly, we are in a position now where we have to harden schools, synagogues, temples, mosques and community centres against people who would be perpetrators of hatred and violence. We provided $25 million to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry for improved safety and security at Jewish sites across the country, including, as I mentioned, schools, preschools, synagogues and faith based community centres. We provided $32½ million to ECAJ for security measures in response to increased violence towards Australia's Jewish community; a grant of $250,000 towards the replacement and restoration of Torah scrolls housed in the Adass Israel synagogue; and $8½ million to upgrade the Sydney Jewish Museum, and that funding will go towards the Centre of Jewish Life and Tolerance. It's with a heavy heart that I stand here and speak about this. There was a time when I thought that I would not have to do so again in this place and when I thought that we had come together in our condemnation of hatred, bigotry and racism in all its forms. That burden of having to consistently stand up against racism and hatred continues to fall on our shoulders. But I will end on this: the responsibility for strengthening our social cohesion in this country and for ensuring that generations of Australians in the future do not have to deal with a fragile social cohesion that is so subject to periodic ruptures, whether it be because of things that are happening overseas or things that are happening domestically, lies on all our shoulders. It lies on the shoulders of every single member in this place by way of how we model behaviour to those people who are watching. But it also falls on the shoulders of every single Australian. Hatred, racism and antisemitism are not things that we can handle alone. They have to be things that every Australian commits to combating. We commit to this for a better future for our children, for a better future for our nation and for an Australia that truly is the most successful multicultural nation in the world.
Le Cras, Mr Jack, OAM | Constituency Statements | House debates
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...
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 fitting recognition for a life of dedication, service and community spirit. Sadly, in September, Jack's going to retire from organising all these commemorative events, and he will be sadly missed. But he's marking his 99th birthday and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II—two huge milestones for Jack. On behalf of the people of Cowan—and I speak for each and every person in Cowan—thank you, Jack, for your service, for your leadership and for the legacy that you're leaving. Jack's story is one that deserves to be told again and again and again, not just because it's remarkable but because it reflects the best of who we are as Australians.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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...
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 small businesses are considered not as an afterthought but as being at the heart of our decision-making—as one of the participants put it, 'built in, not bolted on'. I've heard from small businesses and their representatives across a diversity of sectors: manufacturing, hospitality, building, farming and retail. Although they're diverse, their message is loud and clear: small businesses matter, economically and socially. They are the keys that unlock a future made in Australia, for Australia and by Australians. This government will continue to back them, just as they back Australia.
Early Childhood Education | Questions without Notice | House debates
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...
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 and middle-income families, have gained up to $2½ thousand through our tax cuts, child care and parental leave since the Albanese Labor government came into office. That's real money—real money into the pockets of families—and that is how you do cost-of-living relief. That is how you do it. And this is how you risk it: you risk it by voting for an opposition that has no vision, no plan and no policy. While we're reforming education to build a better future for the next generation, the opposition want to keep the next generation paying for their $600 billion nuclear fantasy. (Time expired)
Early Childhood Education | Ministerial Statements | House debates
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...
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 education for children who need it. We are also establishing a $1 billion building early childhood education fund and, through the fund, around 160 centres will be built and expanded in areas of need, including in the regions and outer suburbs. The fund will increase the availability of early childhood education and care for Australian families across the country delivered by quality not-for-profit providers. As we continue to build the universal early childhood education and care system, we continue to ensure that children receive high-quality care with child safety and wellbeing at the core. As we build the universal system that our children deserve and that meets the needs of families, nothing is more important than making sure children are receiving high-quality early childhood education and care. Overwhelmingly, this is the case, with our children well looked after by dedicated professionals who care deeply about safety, child development and early education. However, there are a small number of providers who are consistently and persistently failing to provide quality care and a safe environment. There is no room for this kind of behaviour in the early childhood education sector, and if you are persistently failing to meet minimum quality standards in delivering safe early childhood education and care, you should not have access to government funding and you should not be providing care. Now, while there are only a very small number of providers in the sector not behaving in line with our expectations, when it comes to child's safety, even one dodgy provider is too many. So today we are acting swiftly and decisively and we are sending a clear message to that small number of unscrupulous providers that, if you fail to provide quality care and a safe environment for children, you do not belong in early childhood education and care. While state and territory governments remain responsible for ensuring services in their jurisdictions are operating within the National Quality Framework, the Albanese Labor government will continue to use our significant investment in the early childhood education sector as a lever to strengthen quality and integrity. Today I can announce that we can look to better leverage Commonwealth funding to drive quality and integrity in the early childhood education and care sector. We will work with the sector on the development of changes and how they could be implemented so that if a service provider persistently isn't meeting quality standards or has gross and egregious breaches under the education and care services national law, they will be prevented from opening new childcare subsidy approved services. Also, compliance action can be taken against providers that persistently fail to meet quality standards or repetitively breach the education and care services national law, including the possibility of cutting off access to government subsidies in serious cases. We are putting a stop to providers that put profit ahead of the children they care for. We also want to ensure our wonderful early childhood educators and teachers are not being taken advantage of by the small number of providers who are doing the wrong thing, and we will look to strengthen our powers to crack down on dodgy providers that pose an integrity risk. We expect staff to be fairly compensated for the valuable work they do and we will take action against any provider that is not fairly paying their staff. We will make paying staff correctly and on time a condition of services to access childcare subsidy funding. We will also look to strengthen our powers to crack down on dodgy providers that pose an integrity risk to the childcare subsidy system. This includes conducting checks at childcare subsidy approved early childhood education and care services to confirm that children they are claiming funding for are actually attending the service. We'll give authorised officers more powers to be able to do their job by allowing them to perform spot checks and unannounced visits to detect fraud and non-compliance. Unfortunately, we know that when a dodgy operator is detected and removed from one part of the national care economy they sometimes pop up as an operator in another care sector. To stamp this out, we'll investigate stronger cross-sector banning order arrangements to stop people who have breached safety and quality standards in one part of the care economy from opening a new service in any of the other care sectors. We will commence consultation immediately with state and territory governments, regulatory authorities and the sector to work through the policy detail to ensure that these measures are appropriately designed and targeted to meet the objective of removing the small number of bad providers while we continue to support growth in the sector and support families. The early childhood education sector is important for children, it's an essential service for families and it's vital to our economy. The Albanese government will do everything in our power to protect children, to improve quality in the sector and to ensure that the workforce is supported. The Commonwealth is committed to do our bit with the levers that are available to us, and I expect state and territory governments to uphold their regulatory responsibilities in ensuring that providers and services in their jurisdictions comply with the National Quality Framework. Last week, I wrote to the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, ACECQA, and requested that they provide urgent advice to all education ministers on what can be done to strengthen the National Quality Framework. This advice will build on ACECQA's comprehensive child safety review, commissioned by the Minister for Education Jason Clare and myself in 2023. In February last year, education ministers agreed in principle to all recommendations under that review, acknowledging that some fall outside of the remit of education. All actions are on track, including the National Model Code and guidelines which were released last year to embed child-safe practices around the use of electronic devices. From September this year, important regulatory changes will come into effect, including a reduction in notification timeframes for reporting incidences or allegations of physical or sexual abuse from seven days to 24 hours and a new requirement for services to have policies and procedures relating to the safe use of digital technologies including the use of CCTV. We'll continue to work with states and territories, the early childhood education sector and families as we undertake our significant reforms in this vital sector. This work will be informed by expert advice and the recent and comprehensive reviews that we have commissioned, including from the ACCC, the Productivity Commission and ACECQA. Finally, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the wonderful, talented and dedicated professionals who educate and care for children right across Australia. Thank you for the important work that you do; you are changing lives. You are changing the lives of children every day, and nothing could be more important.
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...
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 which will help us underpin future reform. But I'm asked about threats. Let us start with the fact that the opposition has absolutely no plan, no vision and no policy for early childhood education and care. Instead, it has a plan—a secret plan—to cut essential services. We want to build; they want to cut. (Time expired)
Child Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
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...
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.