Julian Leeser's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:02+00:00
items: Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
items: g26.2
items: Australia Day Awards and Honours | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Sydney Youth Musical Theatre | Statements by Members | House debates
items: International Relations: Australia and Iran | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Antisemitism | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
items: Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Berowra Electorate: Medicare | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Horne, Ms Nancy Irene Oakley (Nan) | Statements by Members | House debates
items: g23.1
items: Youth Voice in Parliament | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Brain Cancer | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates

Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: It's an honour to follow Minister King in her contribution and the member for McPherson, who not only worked with Luch as a parliamentarian but as an attendant as well. There have been so many...
encoded: It's an honour to follow Minister King in her contribution and the member for McPherson, who not only worked with Luch as a parliamentarian but as an attendant as well. There have been so many beautiful speeches made in this debate, and I agree with the minister that Luch is the sort of person that we would have had a series of speeches for had he lived to retire; he'd have had a particular retirement farewell speech. Luch is one of those people that is so vital to the character of an institution like this. One of the things that he didn't do towards the end, because I think the parliament had dispensed with it, was this. In the first two terms that I was here in my 10 years of service, Luch would greet you at the airport on a Sunday evening. Like a barista knowing your coffee order, he would remember what time your car was going to pick you up and where it was going to pick you up the next morning. He brought a great smile, and, after a flight that could sometimes be unpleasant, he was a wonderful person greeting you and bringing the good humour that he brought to all of the work that he did. My office is opposite Zoe McKenzie's, the member for Flinders's, and in her office window she had a beautiful picture of her and Luch, when the parliament resumed in January for those important sittings to deal with the aftermath of Bondi, and I said, 'That's a beautiful picture of you and Luch in your office window.' And then she told me that Luch had passed, and, like so many, we just couldn't believe it—that somebody who's been so vital to this place, who's been so important for the good humour of this place, had. Some days in politics you have days where the highs are very high, and other days you have days where the lows are very low, and Luch was always there to inspire, to welcome, to greet—to just remind you, with his good humour and good nature, of the importance of the service role that you're giving here. To those of us in partisan politics, it's often hard to imagi…
date: 2026-02-05T12:53:00+00:00

g26.2
type: item
title: Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025, Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
description: I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. These are the bills which establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, known as ATEC. Let me say at the very outset that these bills are very troubling. They establish a new regulator for an overregulated sector. They fail to articulate a clear vision for tertiary education in Australia but, at the same time, they tie it to inappropriate objectives. They don't deal properly with the independent or vocational and technical education centres and their links with universities. They are replete with problems of a technical or operational nature, and they've been criticised across the board. It's a turgid technocrats' policy that entrenches more bureaucracy. Labor loves to write its own hagiographies and they love to talk about education. When they go to write the next chapter of their own history, I fear these bills will be an unfortunate footnote. They are, to put it bluntly, not what Australia needs right now. I want to start at the top with the policy objective. The Universities Accord started with the point that the roadmap for Australian universities needs to start with a vision and a shared objective. That's unobjectionable as a statement of general principle. Of course, if you're going to embark on reform, you should have a sense of where you're going. But the accord process then made two extraordinary leaps. First, it produced an objective for the tertiary education sector as a whole. I pause here to make this critical point. The higher education sector is more than just about our public universities. In fact, public universities make up only around 20 per cent of the higher education providers in Australia, and the tertiary education sector, which includes both higher and vocational education, is broader still. There are 4.86 millio…
date: 2026-02-05T11:48:00+00:00

Australia Day Awards and Honours | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I want to acknowledge the local recipients from the Berowra electorate in the Australia Day Honours List. Jan Childs was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the...
encoded: I want to acknowledge the local recipients from the Berowra electorate in the Australia Day Honours List. Jan Childs was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the community of Berowra. Her contribution showed sustained, hands-on work for many years, particularly through the Berowra Rotary Club—which she led in the annual arts and crafts exhibition that celebrates local creativity and raises funds for good causes—and amazing contributions through girl-guiding through the Trefoil Guild and Girl Guides in Berowra, leaving a lasting mark on our community. Tony Morgan, whom I know through his work with the church communities in Hornsby, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service in insurance. His career is a rare combination of technical excellence, professional leadership and a commitment to developing the next generation. He spent decades helping individuals and businesses recover after some of the worst days they'll face. Within the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance he made an extraordinary contribution to professional standards and education, including long-term development of the diploma of loss adjusting. Tom Parker is a legendary greenskeeper. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to sport. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— The legendary Tom Parker is not a household name, but he is someone from whose work we have all benefited. Tom Parker was, for 20 years, the head curator at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for helping maintain one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world. That stewardship requires knowledge, judgement and an uncompromising commitment to standards, and that's what Tom always provides. I know his family, especially his wife, Teresa, and his son, Jack, would be taking a full measure of pride in his award. The late Stuart Pittendrigh was recognised for service to h…
date: 2026-02-04T10:31:00+00:00

Sydney Youth Musical Theatre | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: The Berowra electorate is home to some extraordinary young performing talent, and that talent will be on display at the Sydney Youth Musical Theatre's production of 9-5, which will be running...
encoded: The Berowra electorate is home to some extraordinary young performing talent, and that talent will be on display at the Sydney Youth Musical Theatre's production of 9-5, which will be running from 7-15 February at the Glenn Street Theatre. The SYMT's production will have lots of Dolly Parton's wonderful and famous songs. SYMT provides not only a place for entertainment for people but also a very important training ground for young artists and musicians. People go on to study at NIDA, WAAPA, the VCA and become recipients the Helpmann and Rob Guest awards. Some of the people involved in this production include director Adam Haynes, music director Jono Simpson, choreographer Caitlin Dennis, assistant director Lachie Donlevy and assistant choreographer Bella Speranza. The incredible president of the SYMT and production manager is Chrissy Stimson. The cast includes Erin Pacholke, Danijela Novakovic, Jessica Bate, Nathanael Sherlock, Liz Grant, Aiden Hall, Sascha Masjuk, Eliza Pascoe, Hayley Mathie, Chloe Gardener, Harry Little, Karl Willison and Alex White. I got the privilege of seeing some of the rehearsals over the summer, and I encourage everyone in the electorate—indeed, everyone in the parliament—to buy a ticket to see this fantastic production by some outstanding young Australian musicians, actors and performers in the Sydney Youth Musical Theatre's production of 9-5.
date: 2026-02-04T13:58:00+00:00

International Relations: Australia and Iran | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: on indulgence—Can I associate the coalition with the remarks of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Iranian regime is a criminal regime that commits human rights abuses against its own people,...
encoded: on indulgence—Can I associate the coalition with the remarks of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Iranian regime is a criminal regime that commits human rights abuses against its own people, as we have been seeing, and they export terror and violence abroad, as we have suffered in our own country. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the government in the condemnation of the Iranian regime, in the support for those people seeking to change the regime and with the Persian community in this country.
date: 2026-01-20T15:28:00+00:00

Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: On relevance: my question was not about the other things the Prime Minister was doing but about why he argued against a royal commission.
encoded: On relevance: my question was not about the other things the Prime Minister was doing but about why he argued against a royal commission.
date: 2026-01-20T15:05:00+00:00

Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, if a Commonwealth royal commission is such a good idea, why did you spend 25 days arguing against it?
encoded: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, if a Commonwealth royal commission is such a good idea, why did you spend 25 days arguing against it?
date: 2026-01-20T15:05:00+00:00

Antisemitism | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, New South Wales Labor Premier Chris Minns has said sorry to the Jewish community for his handling of the antisemitism crisis that led to the...
encoded: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, New South Wales Labor Premier Chris Minns has said sorry to the Jewish community for his handling of the antisemitism crisis that led to the murder of 15 people at Bondi. The Jewish community wants to hear their Prime Minister say sorry. For the third time: why won't you say sorry too?
date: 2026-01-20T14:49:00+00:00

Antisemitism | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: Point of order, Mr Speaker, on relevance: the Prime Minister wasn't asked about the history of antisemitism in Australia; he was asked whether he apologised for his government's failures to do...
encoded: Point of order, Mr Speaker, on relevance: the Prime Minister wasn't asked about the history of antisemitism in Australia; he was asked whether he apologised for his government's failures to do enough to deal with the antisemitism.
date: 2026-01-20T14:35:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Yesterday I stood here and said that the Bondi terrorist attack represented a moment of choice—a choice about the type of country we are and the type of people we want to be, a choice about...
encoded: Yesterday I stood here and said that the Bondi terrorist attack represented a moment of choice—a choice about the type of country we are and the type of people we want to be, a choice about whether we stay in the political cul-de-sac that we've been in for over 800 days or, instead, tackle the sources and causes of antisemitism in this country, a choice about whether to continue to treat antisemitism as just another political issue or to treat it as the moral and cultural problem it is, a choice made by people in this place about whether to drag heels or to deal with the issue with priority, alacrity and zealous determination, a choice by each member of this place about whether to change. The sad reality is that if we don't change then Bondi won't have changed anything. Until recently Australia had an exceptional and unique story to tell about its Jewish community. Jews have been part of the story of Australia since the First Fleet. Australia came to be seen as a unique place good to the Jews. In turn, Jewish Australians have contributed to their country—famous names, like Monash, Isaacs, Lowy and Jessica Fox, and everyday people, with acts of service and gratitude that come from people living lives of peace and security. The grief from Bondi is twofold: it's not just the innocence lost, the families broken and the children scared and afraid; it's also the loss of the precious truth that Australia is good to Jews and the bitter sense that Bondi was predictable—we were warned. There were 800 days of warning signs between October 7 and 14 December, starting on 8 October in Sydney with the public rally where the day of kidnapping, murder, rape and torture of Jews was called 'a day of pride' and 'a day of victory', and exemplified in the occupation of the opera house the next day with chants of 'gas the Jews'; in the incidents where people drove around Melbourne looking for Jews to kill; in the countless acts of graffiti in our capital cities calling for Jews to be gass…
date: 2026-01-20T11:47:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: Today we gather to remember the victims, to support the injured, to comfort the mourners and to praise the heroes. We gather to reflect on the choices before us as a country. As a...
encoded: Today we gather to remember the victims, to support the injured, to comfort the mourners and to praise the heroes. We gather to reflect on the choices before us as a country. As a sixth-generation Jewish Australian I have always felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what this country has given my community. Jewish and Australian stories are deeply intertwined. My grandfather Sam served in the Australian Army in World War II. He was taken as a prisoner to the Thai-Burma railway. In that terrible place he drew strength from the freedom of the Australia he loved. Every week, no matter where the Australians held camp, Jewish services were held. Even in the horrors of the Changi prison camp, a place was consecrated as a synagogue. It's why, when my first child, my son whom I love, was born, I wrote: I want James to understand the particular perspective that comes from being a Jewish Australian, a religious minority that never numbered more than one per cent of this country, in a land which almost uniquely in human history has been good to the Jewish people. That same concept was so beautifully encapsulated by the wonderful words of the Deputy Prime Minister earlier today. There's much I grieve for today: the innocence lost at Bondi, the survivors of Bondi and the things they cannot unsee, the synagogues torched, the Jewish artists doxxed and frozen out, the university students harassed, the small businesses shut down—all of this pains me. But it is the loss of the truth that Australian is good to Jewish people that crushes me. The loss of this idea is felt by every Jewish Australian, particularly when we see our children confused and scared about what is happening in this country. Bondi alone did not do this, but it has been accelerating in the 800 days between the Hamas attack on Israel and the Bondi attack—800 days of failure across our national life. The feeling in the Jewish community right now is visceral. It's of disappointment, of anger and of betrayal. The …
date: 2026-01-19T10:29:00+00:00

Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I move the amendment as circulated in my name: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the...
encoded: I move the amendment as circulated in my name: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that: (1) the Coalition has been an unwavering supporter of the Australian screen industry for decades, and is responsible for: (a) establishing the producer offset, the location offset, the digital and visual effect production offset—which have underpinned support for the sector for almost two decades; (b) introducing the location incentive, which attracted billions of dollars of investment into Australia in the film industry; (c) providing in excess of $100 million in financial supports to the Australian screen production industry throughout the Covid pandemic; and (d) first proposing an Australian content guarantee for streamers in February 2022; and (2) after almost four years of inaction, the Government has asked that this Bill be passed in just four sitting days, having taken the industry by surprise and despite significant concerns about potential unintended consequences". This amendment relates to prominence, with 'prominence' meaning that Australian content is actually accessible to those who wish to watch it. It means it's easily found, visible and discoverable so that viewers can effortlessly choose Australian content if they want to. I've spoken to people in the sector and I know that this is a real issue for them. In the old days, prominence was built into the content requirement. Prominence and local content were a package deal. You couldn't have one without the other. The subscription video-on-demand model breaks that link. Just because you commission an Australian show doesn't mean it will be easily found. No-one wants that outcome. Streamers don't want that outcome. Streamers say they don't do this; the commercial imperative is otherwise. Overwhelmingly, the streamers I've spoken to say that they do the right thing. They say that, if they're goi…
date: 2025-11-25T13:15:00+00:00

Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025, a very important and long-overdue...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025, a very important and long-overdue bill. I move the amendment circulated in my name: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that: the Coalition has been an unwavering supporter of the Australian screen industry for decades, and is responsible for: establishing the producer offset, the location offset, and the digital and visual effect production offset, which have underpinned support for the sector for almost two decades; introducing the location incentive, which attracted billions of dollars of investment into Australia in the film industry; providing in excess of $100 million in financial supports to the Australian screen production industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; and first proposing an Australian content guarantee for streamers in February 2022; and after almost four years of inaction, the Government has asked that this bill be passed in just four sitting days, having taken the industry by surprise and despite significant concerns about potential unintended consequences". Speaker, I want to start by directing my comments, through you, not just to those in the chamber, those in the gallery or those who are reading the Hansard for posterity but to the Australian screen industry—the producers, writers, actors, directors, camera men and women, sound engineers, postproduction specialists, set decorators, storyboard artists, costume designers, hairstylists, editors, musicians, animators, drivers, caterers, agents, publicists and everyone else who derives their living and their entertainment from the Australian screen industry. I want to say that we back you. The coalition supports you. We want your industry not just to survive but to thrive. The coalition is the party of small busines…
date: 2025-11-25T12:18:00+00:00

Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Thanks.
encoded: Thanks.
date: 2025-11-25T12:01:00+00:00

Berowra Electorate: Medicare | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: When the Prime Minister declared that you'd only need your Medicare card, not your credit card, he told one of the greatest untruths in Australian politics. Australians are entitled to expect...
encoded: When the Prime Minister declared that you'd only need your Medicare card, not your credit card, he told one of the greatest untruths in Australian politics. Australians are entitled to expect that, when the Albanese government pledge to help their household budgets, they'll actually follow through. Whether they're the household budgets of parents with sick children or older Australians, they're all stretched to breaking point, and the cost of seeing a GP is an added pressure families simply can't absorb. The facts are clear. Out-of-pocket GP costs have blown out to over $50 on average nationwide. That's an eight per cent jump in over one year. Bulk-billing rates have collapsed across the country. Under the coalition, the bulk-billing rate in my electorate of Berowra was over 90 per cent. Under Labor, this has fallen to just under 82 per cent. That's almost 17,000 people in my community who are now having to pay a fee to see their doctor because of the Albanese government's failed policies. What's this led to? Australians are avoiding 10,000 GP visits every single day, with 930,956 fewer services given in the last quarter alone. That's more than a policy failure; it's a broken promise from this Prime Minister. On over 70 occasions, Mr Albanese said that 'under Labor all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card'. But the reality on the ground tells a very different story. Let me tell you what Australians from my electorate are saying. They show up with their Medicare card and are hit with enormous gap fees. One pensioner was charged $211 for a single appointment. Another paid $44.66 for a telehealth call lasting barely three minutes. One person seeing a psychologist now faces a reduced rebate and must pay $275 per session. Another's had to cancel their mental health sessions entirely because their clinician was forced to introduce a gap fee to keep their doors open. A concession card holder is paying $109 a visit. And even last Monday, when I attended…
date: 2025-11-24T10:36:00+00:00

Horne, Ms Nancy Irene Oakley (Nan) | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: The Berowra electorate is what it is today because of the people who dedicate their lives to making it a better place to live. Nan Horne is one of them, and next week she celebrates her 100th...
encoded: The Berowra electorate is what it is today because of the people who dedicate their lives to making it a better place to live. Nan Horne is one of them, and next week she celebrates her 100th birthday. Born in Albany in 1925, she grew up near Cranbrook, Western Australia. A scholarship took her to Albany High, where she found her passion for teaching—a profession which she pursued until her retirement in 1980. In 1962, Nan and her husband, Ray, moved to Cherrybrook. In the eighties, a meeting about what is now Greenway Park drew Nan into the progress association and then public life. When parents needed early learning, she also led the effort in 1987 to establish the Cherrybrook Community Pre-School. That same year, Nan was elected to Hornsby Shire Council. For the next 21 years, Nan guided a place of dirt roads and green-belt paddocks into a thriving suburb for families, with open space and amenities the community needed. During her time on council, Nan was the first and is still the only woman elected President or Mayor of Hornsby Shire Council. Nan carries a strong local story through her husband's family connection to Samuel Henry Horne, the ex-convict turned hero-policeman after whom Hornsby is named. Nan's legacy is still visible today, from Cherrybrook preschool to Greenway Park. Public life is never easy, but Nan Horne made such a difference to our community. Happy 100th birthday, Nan. Our community is the great place to live, the great place that we love, because of your legacy.
date: 2025-11-05T13:51:00+00:00

g23.1
type: item
title: Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
description: I rise to speak on the government's latest attempt to rewrite the approvals framework that underpins jobs, investment and certainty in our economy. In 2024, I had the honour to deliver the...
encoded: I rise to speak on the government's latest attempt to rewrite the approvals framework that underpins jobs, investment and certainty in our economy. In 2024, I had the honour to deliver the Garfield Barwick oration. Barwick is a hero of mine, a former member of this House, former Liberal attorney-general, former chief justice of Australia and the founding president of the Australian Conservation Foundation. In my address, I spoke about Barwick's approach to the environment, which was balanced, prudent and realist. Recognising the complexities of modern life and the demand for raw materials, it envisaged that advanced development and conservation could exist peaceably. When Barwick was president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, he commended the foundation at that time for doing a great deal to introduce a sense of balance into the consideration of the protection of the environment. Explaining what he meant by 'balance' in 1970, he said, 'We realise this generation must have access to resources and must use the technologies which are available to make the life of the ordinary man better, but resources can be used and technologies employed without doing avoidable damage to the environment.' This balance is what the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 should be about, but unfortunately it's not, and it gets the balance wrong. This bill doesn't make small changes or amendments. It's almost 1,500 pages of legislation and explanatory materials that reaches into every corner of the economy that builds, digs, grows and manufactures. It will determine whether projects are approved in months or in years. It will determine whether capital comes here or goes somewhere else. It will determine whether Australians get a system that's workable and provides certainty to the private sector or one that is slower and more complex. What has the Albanese government chosen to do with something that's this significant? We heard the Prime Minister say it just then. They want to …
date: 2025-11-05T11:42:00+00:00

Youth Voice in Parliament | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: It's not every day that you get a wonderful idea from a young person in your electorate that is a reminder that you're never too young to make a difference. That's what happened to me recently...
encoded: It's not every day that you get a wonderful idea from a young person in your electorate that is a reminder that you're never too young to make a difference. That's what happened to me recently when Ashleigh Dewhurst, a year 4 student from Pennant Hills Public School, reached out to me with a thoughtful and practical proposal to address some of the challenges young people face in schools. Ashleigh explained that many young people feel too shy, embarrassed and afraid to speak up about the worries on their mind. They might not want to tell a teacher face to face. They might worry that their friends will think they're different. They might not have the words to explain what they're feeling, or they might think that their concerns don't matter. Ashleigh wanted to change this. Her idea is simple, inexpensive and powerful. It's the concept of a letterbox in schools. Students can write down their worries, or draw a picture, if that's easier, and place it in the letterbox. The principal then collects the notes, shares them with the student's teacher and makes sure those concerns are taken seriously. Ashleigh gave me some examples. The student might be anxious about an upcoming maths test, they might be feeling left out on the playground, or they might be struggling and don't know what to do. Her idea also brings our community together. I've been speaking to some of our local men's sheds about helping build these letterboxes so that they can be rolled out across our community. Ashley is here today in the parliament with her family: brother, Miles, and parents, Blair and Erin. They'd been meeting earlier today with the new CEO of Lifeline, Graham Strong, who's also in the chamber, and Emma Carr from Lifeline, to talk about the inspiring proposal. What I love about Ashleigh's proposal is that it's not just practical but it's wise. We often talk about the importance of student wellbeing and mental health. Ashleigh's proposal provides an appropriate way for people who might be to…
date: 2025-10-29T10:49:00+00:00

Brain Cancer | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Today I met with Philippa Ryan, who told me the story of her husband, John. John was an award-winning builder working across residential and commercial construction and a local in our community....
encoded: Today I met with Philippa Ryan, who told me the story of her husband, John. John was an award-winning builder working across residential and commercial construction and a local in our community. Only recently retired, John love golf and, more than anything, he loved his family. John was a husband, a father of three and a grandfather to seven. Last year, John passed away from glioblastoma, after being diagnosed only four months earlier. John's story was devastating to hear, and I thank Philippa for taking the time to share and acknowledge him today. Brain tumours don't discriminate; they can impact anyone at any age. In my own family, my grandmother Ruth died of a brain tumour at 49. The survival rates is confronting—just 22 per cent, and for glioblastoma it's only five per cent. Each year 1,528 Australians die from brain cancer and another 1,896 are diagnosed. This should concern each and every one of us. If we're serious about changing outcomes, we need to do more to support patients, families and research. In Berowra we have dozens of families who have lived through or are currently going through the devastation of brain tumour diagnosis. That's why the Brain Tumour Alliance and its wonderful event Head to the Hill are so important today. I want to acknowledge others in my community—in particular, Ben Murray, Christine Whittall and Danielle Ballantine—who, along with Philippa, shared stories with me and helped me bring awareness of this important issue to the parliament today. Your message is being heard, and I'll continue to advocate on your behalf and on behalf of other families across the Berowra community.
date: 2025-10-28T13:46:00+00:00

Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak on the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. This bill does four things: first, it deals with issues in the international education sector;...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. This bill does four things: first, it deals with issues in the international education sector; second, it lifts the caps on Commonwealth supported places for Indigenous medical students; third, it gives new powers to TEQSA to regulate the delivery of higher education on offshore campuses; and, fourth, it introduces powers to compulsorily obtain and publish information in relation to pricing and service delivery in child care. There are also some other technical amendments. In a sense, this is a bill that bookends the education system. It deals with education in the very early stages of life—in the early childhood education and care sector—as well as in the higher education field. It's arguably quite targeted in that respect. But education is a journey that continues through life. When you make changes to one part of the system, there are always downstream consequences. So, when we talk about changes to the early childhood education and care sector, we should also necessarily be talking about the downstream impacts on schools and eventually on vocational and higher education. When you talk about changes that have downstream impacts across our education system, you're talking about millions of Australian students, from very young children through to adult learners and their families. This is the systemic viewpoint that's necessary for this sort of bill, and it would be remiss of me not to put these changes in a broader context. So I want to take the opportunity to say a few words about the education system more generally so that there's a proper understanding of this bill in its context, because one of the most profound shifts in our country in the last 30 years has been in the way in which we educate children. There are major demographic changes that have altered the shape of our country. These are grand demographic, cultural and lifestyle shifts which have really only be…
date: 2025-10-28T12:29:00+00:00