Luke Gosling's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:01+00:00
items: Aged Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Egan, Hon. Edward Joseph (Ted), AO | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: International Relations | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Lew Fatt, Mrs Sandra Joan, Lew Fatt, Mr Walter (Benny), OAM, Connell, Mr Edward Francis (Frank), Shaw, Kwementyaye, OAM | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Northern Australia | Ministerial Statements | House debates
items: Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Make Amazon Pay Campaign | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Northern Territory: Cyclones | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Medicare, Solomon Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
items: Tropical Cyclone Fina | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Torres, Mr Michael | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Mental Health Month | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
items: Solomon Electorate: Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence | Statements by Members | House debates
items: United States-Australia Framework for Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Aged Care | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Asche, Dr Leila Valerie, AM, Asche, Hon. Keith John Austin, AC, KC | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates

Aged Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering more well-paid, secure jobs for aged-care workers in Australia, including those in the...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering more well-paid, secure jobs for aged-care workers in Australia, including those in the Northern Territory? And how will these plans help deliver more care to older Australians exactly where they need it?
date: 2026-02-04T15:13:00+00:00

Egan, Hon. Edward Joseph (Ted), AO | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Later this month I will attend the state funeral for Ted Egan AO, a man who embodied the spirit, generosity and storytelling at the heart of the Northern Territory. Through music, writing and his...
encoded: Later this month I will attend the state funeral for Ted Egan AO, a man who embodied the spirit, generosity and storytelling at the heart of the Northern Territory. Through music, writing and his public service, particularly as the Administrator of the Northern Territory, he helped Australians to understand the people and the cultures and the history of the Territory in a way that few others could. Ted gifted me his book Kulilkatimawhich means seeking understanding. It begins with the lyrics of his song 'This Land Australia'. There's a passage that I've always loved: Try to understand This land Australia Take her as she is Her moods, her mysteries Mother of us all Beneath the Southern Cross In her frame of peaceful seas. Ted is urging us to listen, to learn and to respect this remarkable country. Whether he was singing in a beer garden, sharing a yarn or representing the Territory on the national stage, Ted Egan did it with authenticity, great humour and enormous heart. He lived big. My thoughts are with Nerys and the whole Egan family as they grieve the loss of their partner, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and mate.
date: 2026-02-04T13:34:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise enthusiastically, following our prime minister, to speak in strong support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill...
encoded: I rise enthusiastically, following our prime minister, to speak in strong support of the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. As the Prime Minister said, pubs pouring draught beer are made up of communities—communities of people where everyone has a seat. My local, the Buff Club in Stuart Park, is a good example, and I pay tribute to a member of our community there that we lost recently, Harry. I've spoken about Harry in this place in the past, but he passed the week before last, and we raised a glass of draught beer to him. The railway club is another one close to home and has long been a place for true believers to get together and to have a schooner of draught beer. There are many other great establishments and breweries that I'll mention in my electorate, but it is true that for Northern Territorians—and across northern Australia, I would say—this is a welcome measure and a great measure. This measure applies to great brewers such as Darwin's One Mile Brewing Co. and their 4:21 Kolsch and RDO bright ale, as well as Beaver Brewery's Boofhead Lager, which reminds me of a humorous exchange across the dispatch boxes here in the past. I highly recommend all the One Mile beers and the Beaver beers. Visitors to Darwin can also head down to Mitchell Street, where Darwin's Six Tanks Brew Pub makes a fantastic range of beers, draught beers, and you can have a paddle of those craft beers. They'll also apply when you're enjoying multicultural events, such as the fantastic Territory Oktoberfest that was held by Beaver Brewery last year. The Purple Mango brewery at Marrakai in your electorate, Deputy Speaker Scrymgour, is fantastic, as is the Alice Springs Brewing Co., smack bang in Central Australia, where responsible drinking is the order of the day and delicious draught beers are plenty. With my special-envoy-for-the-north hat on, it behoves me to mention the Spinifex brewery in Broome, Western Australi…
date: 2026-02-04T09:23:00+00:00

International Relations | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister inform the House about his recent visit to Timor-Leste and explain why building our partnerships, Australia's partnerships, in our...
encoded: My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister inform the House about his recent visit to Timor-Leste and explain why building our partnerships, Australia's partnerships, in our region is so important?
date: 2026-02-03T15:39:00+00:00

Lew Fatt, Mrs Sandra Joan, Lew Fatt, Mr Walter (Benny), OAM, Connell, Mr Edward Francis (Frank), Shaw, Kwementyaye, OAM | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: I rise to recognise some great Territorians who have passed in recent weeks. My Darwin neighbours, Territory legends Benny and Sandra Lew Fatt, husband and wife, passed away weeks apart, Sandra...
encoded: I rise to recognise some great Territorians who have passed in recent weeks. My Darwin neighbours, Territory legends Benny and Sandra Lew Fatt, husband and wife, passed away weeks apart, Sandra on 14 December and Benny last week. Sandra was a legend of the Darwin travel industry. For over 50 years, she was renowned for her service to fellow Territorians and formed lifelong relationships with her customers. Benny was an AFL legend, particularly of the Nightcliff Tigers footy club. He was inducted into the hall of fame in 2012. For Benny's dedication to AFL football and the broader Darwin community, he received the Order of Australia Medal in 2019. Also recently, in Fannie Bay, Edward Francis 'Frank' Connell passed. He was a Vietnam veteran. I presented Frank with an Australian flag on Australia Day to thank him for his service to our nation. He passed away peacefully the following morning. Last week, Kwementyaye Shaw was laid to rest in Alice Springs. Also an Army veteran of Malaya and Vietnam, his life story is an inspiring one of courage, service and progress for Aboriginal people. Improving the lives of his fellow First Nations people in Central Australia, he was instrumental in starting Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and was an absolute legend.
date: 2026-02-03T13:37:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
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description: I join with all members of parliament, and all the Territorians that I am fortunate to represent with my colleagues the member for Lingiari and the NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy, to express our...
encoded: I join with all members of parliament, and all the Territorians that I am fortunate to represent with my colleagues the member for Lingiari and the NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy, to express our sympathies to the family and friends of those murdered—those 15 Australians who were killed—and to all of those who were injured in the horrific ISIS-inspired antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi. This was an attack on Jewish Australians, which means that it was an attack on all Territorians and all Australians. This is about all of us, and all of us have a responsibility to act. In the days after the massacre, I visited Bondi to pass on the solidarity of Territorians and to thank first responders. I also visited and thanked members, veterans and volunteers at the North Bondi RSL. That is something that I did personally, to thank not only them but also people that were there, from government and non-government organisations, who were actively supporting members of the community, right there and then, out of the North Bondi RSL club. During and after the terrorist attack at Bondi, the doors of the North Bondi RSL club stayed open. Veterans, staff and volunteers moved quickly to help, providing first aid to the injured, giving refuge to people fleeing the shooting and supporting the police, ambulance officers and others working at the scene. The kitchen at the RSL stayed open as well. They were pumping out pizzas and making sure that first responders were fed late into the night. This was local veterans and RSL volunteers backing their local civilian community in a moment of real fear and trauma, and they have continued to do that work in the days and weeks since. Quite organically, the North Bondi RSL became—they established—a support coordination hub. I attended a multi-agency coordination meeting there with Matt Thistlethwaite, the member for Kingsford Smith, alongside New South Wales government agencies and members of national NGOs—including social workers who were opera…
date: 2026-01-19T20:11:00+00:00

Northern Australia | Ministerial Statements | House debates
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description: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I do appreciate that short recess as I was coming from the other chamber. It's an absolute privilege to be speaking in the Federation Chamber this afternoon about...
encoded: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I do appreciate that short recess as I was coming from the other chamber. It's an absolute privilege to be speaking in the Federation Chamber this afternoon about northern Australia, something very close to my heart, obviously, representing the people of Darwin and Palmerston and Territorians in our federal parliament. I was particularly proud of Territorians over the weekend, when Cyclone Fina came through from the east, moving across the Top End and now down to WA. Monday, when we started the clean-up, was the day when there were statements on northern Australia, and I couldn't be here, and I appreciate the opportunity to make some comments now. Cyclone Fina and the damage and disruption created is indeed a timely reminder of the extra challenges faced by people and communities right across the north of Australia. It's very heartening to hear about the progress being made through the Northern Australia Action Plan's first annual progress report. To see that progress on the ground is important and is part of my job as the special envoy for northern Australia. The work being done is strengthening an already resilient north; people living in the north of Australia are generally resilient. But it's also providing many further opportunities for the development of industries and infrastructure, and I want to go through those in a bit of detail. The work addressing critical issues such as housing availability in the north and enabling greater First Nations economic self-determination and progress is only made possible through collaboration. So it was good to hear from the minister, the member for Brand, about the decision to extend the life of the NAIF, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund. That 10-year extension of the NAIF will mean that it can continue to invest in projects right across the north, well beyond the current investment deadline of 30 June next year. That will reassure communities and stakeholders in the north, many of whom…
date: 2025-11-26T17:17:00+00:00

Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: The interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was released in 2022, and it contained recommendations that were deemed most urgent. We got after those recommendations...
encoded: The interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was released in 2022, and it contained recommendations that were deemed most urgent. We got after those recommendations and acted on them all. We legislated the VETS Act in order to simplify and harmonise the veteran compensation system. We know from the royal commission that this was very important. There was broad agreement in the veteran community about how important and necessary a change in the system was. In the handing down of its report, the commission observed that the current system, at that time, of veterans entitlements was so complicated as to adversely affect the mental health of some veterans and their families. That had been, in the past, a common refrain from veterans—that they were very frustrated, angry and confused about how long it was taking, because there weren't enough people in the Department of Veterans' Affairs to get through all the claims that were in there. But it was also a fact that people had served under different pieces of legislation. Calls to address that complexity have indeed been longstanding. There was the VEA, the MRCA, the DRCA—depending on which period of the past that the individual served in. The VETS Act reduced those three acts down to one. Under revised arrangements, the VEA and the DRCA will continue in a limited form to support that single-act model that we're moving towards but will be closed to new claims for compensation and rehabilitation from 1 July 2026, from Territory Day next year. There have been many enhancements that have been shaped by feedback from the veteran community across several consultation periods. I think it's important to note that the commencement date of the single act of 1 July next year ensures that the veteran community is well informed about the changes and what it means for them. As with any new act, of course, there are various technical amendments that are required, and the miscellaneous measures and amendment…
date: 2025-11-26T17:01:00+00:00

Make Amazon Pay Campaign | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: This is a message for Territorians and for all Australians: think before you click this Black Friday. Bernie Smith from the SDA said it so well: 'We don't work, in Australia, according to an...
encoded: This is a message for Territorians and for all Australians: think before you click this Black Friday. Bernie Smith from the SDA said it so well: 'We don't work, in Australia, according to an algorithm; we work according to Australian legislation, Australian labour standards and Australian ideas of fairness. We want to make Amazon pay fair wages, we want Amazon to pay superannuation, and we want to make Amazon pay their taxes.' Amazon has shown repeatedly around the world that it doesn't respect the rights of working people. In Australia, Amazon continues to try and deny their workers a voice at work. Sometimes it seems that Amazon want to treat their humans, their workers, like they're robots. Digital surveillance of workers and consumers alike is also a serious problem. We must ensure that Australian workers' and consumers' rights are respected. Make Amazon Pay is a call to defend the basic principles of fairness, transparency, accountability, democracy and respect for local laws—our laws. It's time to make clear that no corporation, no matter how large or powerful, stands above our laws or the rights of workers. Finally, I say shop local, keep money in Australia, keep money in the Territory.
date: 2025-11-26T13:46:00+00:00

Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I thank those who have acknowledged me and others in the parliament who have served in our Australian Defence Force. Across the parliament and across the chambers, we support our men and women in...
encoded: I thank those who have acknowledged me and others in the parliament who have served in our Australian Defence Force. Across the parliament and across the chambers, we support our men and women in uniform and the sacrifices they and their families have made. We want to make sure that they get the best possible deal. As the Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia, I have the enormous privilege to meet with defence members and veterans across this country. And, as a fourth-generation veteran, I am proud of the contribution that my family has made to the defence of our country. Every day I talk to veterans and share their achievements and assist them with any challenges. I concur with the contributions of so many who have pointed out the fact that veterans are incredibly capable people and vital to the future of our nation and to upholding the sovereignty of our nation. I only have to think back to Darwin on the weekend, when veteran mates across our city played a helpful, calming role. Those in the emergency services obviously also played an active role. But the veterans who are walking the streets with a chainsaw, helping out their neighbours, are just one small example of how vital veterans are in our communities. That's what the ADF does. It provides Australian citizens with the opportunity to be trained up in one of our services, to manage risk, to lead under arduous conditions and to defend our homeland and our interests overseas. Every defence member, having made that solemn and sacred commitment to the nation and to the Australian people, should feel safe in the knowledge that, whatever may happen in their service, they and their families will be looked after and, indeed, acknowledged by a grateful nation. It is our nation's duty to empower and support the mental health and wellbeing of our defence and veteran community. There is an expectation from the Australian people that they will be looked after. I lobbied hard with the minister…
date: 2025-11-26T13:25:00+00:00

Northern Territory: Cyclones | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: Darwin and Palmerston and much of the Top End were buffeted by Cyclone Fina on the weekend, with Territory resilience and spirit shining through once again. I give a big shout-out to all the...
encoded: Darwin and Palmerston and much of the Top End were buffeted by Cyclone Fina on the weekend, with Territory resilience and spirit shining through once again. I give a big shout-out to all the people of the Solomon electorate, those living in Darwin and Palmerston, but also to all Territorians across the Top End for their work to prepare ahead of Cyclone Fina and in its aftermath. I want to thank all the first responders, everyone working in our hospitals and everyone who assisted. That work continues—to clear the roads and to get the lights back on. Power has been restored to many homes, but many suburbs are still without power. People needing urgent assistance should visit the welfare recovery centre at the Marrara Indoor Stadium. The Albanese government, in partnership with the Northern Territory government, has activated disaster recovery assistance. As the Minister for Emergency Management said today in question time, in order to facilitate the recovery process, financial assistance has been made available under the disaster recovery funding arrangements, the DRFA, to provide immediate relief to individuals and families that have been displaced by Cyclone Fina and any flooding. Further information is available on the Secure NT website, or call the Cyclone Fina hotline on 1800888901 between 7 am and 7 pm daily, and, after that, normal emergency numbers if you need assistance. Witnessing the response of Territorians reminded me once again of the stories of bravery and fortitude that were shared at the Cyclone Tracy 50th anniversary commemorative event that we held in Darwin, with the Prime Minister and the Governor-General in attendance, on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day last year. The organisers of that event, Remembering Cyclone Tracy, brought together many of the survivors to reconnect, to remember and to reflect on the time when we lost at least 66 lives and more than 70 per cent of Darwin's buildings were destroyed. It was Australia's worst peacetime disas…
date: 2025-11-25T16:45:00+00:00

Medicare, Solomon Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
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description: Labor created Medicare, and now this once-in-a-generation change to bulk-billing will mean that more Territorians can see a doctor for free with no out-of-pocket expenses. That's right;...
encoded: Labor created Medicare, and now this once-in-a-generation change to bulk-billing will mean that more Territorians can see a doctor for free with no out-of-pocket expenses. That's right; bulk-billing is back, baby! I visited the Top End Medical Centre in Casuarina, and they confirmed that Territorians are appreciating the assistance with the cost of living through access to a GP for free in their clinics. Dr Marilou Capati, from Top End Medical Centre—which has four clinics across Darwin and Palmerston, in my electorate—said: We are proud to return to full bulk-billing, giving our patients in Casuarina and across Darwin access to essential healthcare without worrying about out-of-pocket costs. Our team is committed to providing high-quality care to our community, and these reforms will help clinics like ours remain sustainable while meeting growing demand. More people in Darwin and Palmerston can now see a GP with no out-of-pocket costs. More than 20 GP practices in Darwin and Palmerston, in my electorate, have registered to become fully bulk-billing clinics from 1 November as part of the Albanese Labor government's historic $8.5 billion investment in Medicare. Our Medicare investment represents the largest single boost to Medicare in more than 40 years. We are delivering on the promise of more bulk-billing and more doctors. We are also investing in hundreds of nursing scholarships and thousands more doctors in the largest GP training program in Australia's history—including in my electorate, with positions at the new CDU medical school. Since we tripled the investment in bulk-billing we have seen a turnaround in bulk-billing rates in the Northern Territory, with a 10 per cent increase from 71.5 per cent to 78.6 per cent—or around 89,000 additional visits. That's a big deal. Our investment in bulk-billing for all Australians is part of our commitment to strengthen Medicare. Labor created Medicare and the Albanese government will always strengthen Medicare. Our govern…
date: 2025-11-25T19:55:00+00:00

Tropical Cyclone Fina | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management. What is our Albanese Labor government doing to support our Northern Territory communities following the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Fina,...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management. What is our Albanese Labor government doing to support our Northern Territory communities following the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Fina, and how is the government helping to prepare the rest of the nation for similar events during this upcoming high-risk weather season?
date: 2025-11-25T14:18:00+00:00

Torres, Mr Michael | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: I want Australians to know about a Darwin local, Michael Torres, who was honoured at the national counsellors conference in Adelaide, where he received not one but two national awards. Michael...
encoded: I want Australians to know about a Darwin local, Michael Torres, who was honoured at the national counsellors conference in Adelaide, where he received not one but two national awards. Michael was named Indigenous counsellor of the year and Counsellor of the Year 2025 by the Australian Counselling Association, which represents more than 20,000 practitioners across the country. Michael has worked in counselling and healing spaces for over two decades, including at the Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Shelter and through his work with the Indigenous Men's Healing Shed. His work focuses on trauma informed care, cultural sensitivity and mental health advocacy for Indigenous men and First Nations people in general. Michael's story shows the power of community based healing and the importance of culturally grounded services that reflect and respect the people that we serve. Michael shows us that true excellence in counselling lies in lived in experience, deep care and long-term commitment to others. I congratulate Michael for this well deserved national recognition and thank him for his lasting contribution to the health and wellbeing of our entire community. And, obviously, after Tropical Cyclone Fina over the weekend and the last couple of days, I give a big shout-out to everyone there helping others through difficult times.
date: 2025-11-25T13:44:00+00:00

Mental Health Month | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
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description: Last month was National Mental Health Month. The theme of the month was 'Building Resilience: Communities and Connections'. I've got a fair bit to reflect on in this area for my own electorate,...
encoded: Last month was National Mental Health Month. The theme of the month was 'Building Resilience: Communities and Connections'. I've got a fair bit to reflect on in this area for my own electorate, which includes Darwin and Palmerston. I have the privilege to serve Territorians along with, across the Territory, my colleagues the member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour, and the minister, Malarndirri McCarthy. They are doing important work in this area as well. I want to acknowledge their work upfront. We have the aim in the Territory, working federally with all stakeholders, of improving mental health for all Territorians. I particularly want to thank some of my colleagues, including the member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi, the Special Envoy for Men's Health, who made the trek up to Solomon. We had great meetings with a range of stakeholders that are focused on men's health and male health, including, of course, young men and boys. Dan's appointment as the Special Envoy for Men's Health underlines how our government is giving this the attention that it needs, and he is doing a sterling job. Many would have seen him shave off his voluptuous beard to raise money for charity for men's health related works. I congratulate him for everything that he's doing in that special envoy role. His message is the message of all of us, including the fantastic member for Spence, who also does great work in Adelaide, in the north of Adelaide and in South Australia generally in men's health. We do need to break down unhealthy masculine stereotypes of stoicism and bravado to encourage young men to access services and seek help when required. This is particular important for mental health. Often we see great examples of men reaching out for mental health support, showing that getting that assistance is actually strength. In Darwin, we joined a men's health roundtable, which really highlighted all the fantastic things that a whole range of stakeholders are doing in the Territory. We talked about h…
date: 2025-11-05T18:54:00+00:00

Solomon Electorate: Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Everyone has a role to play in ending domestic, family and sexual violence in our homes, workplaces and communities. Last week, hundreds of Territorians came together in the Darwin CBD to march...
encoded: Everyone has a role to play in ending domestic, family and sexual violence in our homes, workplaces and communities. Last week, hundreds of Territorians came together in the Darwin CBD to march and 'reclaim the night', standing shoulder to shoulder for safety, respect and equality. Their voices were joined by those of survivors and advocates, whose courage reminds us that real change begins when people speak out and stand together. Among the speakers was Schyler Kennedy, who shared her story with remarkable honesty and strength, reflecting the resilience of those rebuilding their lives with dignity and hope. Events like Reclaim the Night and National Survivors' Day, which we recently hosted in Darwin, remind us of our shared responsibility to replace silence with compassion and shame with understanding. In my own office we're developing a domestic and family violence action plan, a DVAP, as part of No More's campaign to establish 90 plans in 90 days, honouring the more than 90 women in the Northern Territory who have been lost to family violence since 2000. Together we can take a stand to end all forms of violence, and I call on everyone to do just that.
date: 2025-11-05T13:46:00+00:00

United States-Australia Framework for Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths | Private Members' Business | House debates
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description: I have spoken previously in this place about Arafura's nation-building Nolans project in the Northern Territory. It is the largest and longest live resource project in the Northern Territory...
encoded: I have spoken previously in this place about Arafura's nation-building Nolans project in the Northern Territory. It is the largest and longest live resource project in the Northern Territory ever. The Nolans project has the power to transform Australia's rare earths sector, establishing the Northern Territory as an essential processing and logistics hub through vital collaboration between government, industry and, importantly, local communities. It will open up logistics chains and develop the local businesses required to provide critical support and benefit neighbouring minerals projects in that region north of Alice Springs. The Australian government has invested in the Nolans project with support from Export Finance Australia; the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, the NAIF; and the NRFC, the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. The project will deliver over 600 construction jobs and a further 350 long-term operational roles. Arafura is a great example that Australia is home to some of the most valuable deposits of critical minerals and rare earths in the world—almost the whole periodic table, as the Prime Minster likes to remind us. Critical minerals are critical to the world's transition to net zero, including for batteries, wind turbines and solar panels. Rare earths are essential for high-tech manufacturing and defence, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, data centres and clean energy. We've known for some time that our critical minerals are in demand, and we've been working to secure Australia's interest and create diverse resilient and sustainable critical minerals supply chains that reduce market concentration. The United States-Australia Framework for Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths—otherwise known as the framework—which was announced during the visit to the United States last month by the PM and the Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, will take this cooperation forward with …
date: 2025-11-03T12:28:00+00:00

Aged Care | Private Members' Business | House debates
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description: Over the weekend Labor's once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care kicked off. It's been a long journey to get here, working closely with older people, their families, carers and the industry to...
encoded: Over the weekend Labor's once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care kicked off. It's been a long journey to get here, working closely with older people, their families, carers and the industry to build a system that we can all be very proud of. The new act is a huge step in the transformation to deliver rights based, dignified age care for every older Australian, those senior Australians that we owe so much to. We're putting older Australians at the centre of their care and decision-making, building a high-quality, respectful and sustainable system. For the first time, the act's statement of rights makes sure that older people can make their own decisions about their own life and have their decisions not just accepted but respected. From bigger budgets to separate streams for home modifications and assistive technology, the new program will deliver more high-quality care to older Australians. These reforms build on the work we've done in our first term and show that we are absolutely committed to fixing the aged-care crisis and that we are committed to seeing it through. We have already mandated 24/7 registered nursing, delivering more care minutes for older Australians, and there is now a registered nurse onsite in aged care more than 99 per cent of the time, delivering more direct care for over 250,000 senior Australians in aged-care homes. That's 7.1 million additional minutes of care, every single day, compared to when those opposite were in government. We have already invested $17.7 billion towards increasing the wages of aged-care workers. Our government values the critical role workers play in the sector, and we want those willing to join the sector to stay, and to be able to afford to stay, to help deliver the care that older Australians deserve. Most importantly, we've improved the standard of care. In December 2023, only 54 per cent of aged-care homes had an overall star rating of four or five stars—that is, a good or an excellent level of care. Today, 79 p…
date: 2025-11-03T11:23:00+00:00

Asche, Dr Leila Valerie, AM, Asche, Hon. Keith John Austin, AC, KC | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: I welcome the announcement that the late Dr Valerie Asche AM is the first Territory woman to have a suburb named after her in her own right. Dr Asche was a respected microbiologist and...
encoded: I welcome the announcement that the late Dr Valerie Asche AM is the first Territory woman to have a suburb named after her in her own right. Dr Asche was a respected microbiologist and researcher, publishing over 40 papers and leading significant research on Northern Territory relevant diseases. Dr Asche passed away in 2019. This suburb naming recognises and honours her legacy within science and research and in community service. Valerie's husband, the Hon. Austin Asche AC, KC, passed away earlier this year. Austin had a similar life of service and achievement, recording what they call the 'Territory trifecta' of the Administrator, the Chief Justice and the Emeritus Chancellor at Charles Darwin University. I also note that Austin was a World War II veteran who served with the RAAF. For this year's CDU annual Austin Asche oration we had the wonderful Lydia Khalil as the distinguished speaker on democracy and its discontents. Her oration explored how digital polarisation, disinformation and rising extremism are reshaping democratic systems in our country. I offer my best regards to Valerie and Austin's children, Wendy and Harry, and their family and friends.
date: 2025-11-03T13:47:00+00:00

Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I rise to speak in strong support of the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025. I do so mindful of the gravity of decisions that we entrust to our defence...
encoded: I rise to speak in strong support of the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025. I do so mindful of the gravity of decisions that we entrust to our defence organisation and the Australian Defence Force, and respectful of the responsibility the parliament bears to provide both oversight and confidence on behalf of the Australian people. A democracy must balance transparency and secrecy, and it must provide information security. Some of the contributions yesterday went to the genesis or the idea of this Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence, and, of course, success has many fathers. There were many names mentioned yesterday, but I acknowledge all those who worked in a bipartisan way to get this idea of a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence to where we are today. I hope that bipartisan action, which is characterised in the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security continues on into this committee on defence. In a Westminster-style democracy such as ours, one of the foundational principles is that those who wield power must also be subject to scrutiny and accountability. As the government's second reading speech on the predecessor bill noted: … parliament plays a crucial role … by scrutinising and debating the decisions by executive government and the implementation of them by departments and agencies. At the same time, the very nature of defence work demands that certain information remains protected—operational details, intelligence methods, capability vulnerabilities and the like. These cannot always be publicly aired, for good reasons. The explanatory memorandum tells us that the existing oversight and accountability mechanisms for the Defence portfolio were found to be 'inadequate in balancing accountability and transparency and national security considerations'. That was from the inquiry of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. This standing committee called for the implementati…
date: 2025-10-30T11:01:00+00:00