Kristy McBain's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
It's with great sadness that I rise here today to pay my condolences to our Luch. No-one in this place does their job alone, especially in Parliament House. Some of us are lucky enough to spend...
It's with great sadness that I rise here today to pay my condolences to our Luch. No-one in this place does their job alone, especially in Parliament House. Some of us are lucky enough to spend enough time in this place to get to know a lot of people behind the scenes—and I say 'behind the scenes' but, for all of us, Luke stood out. He was someone who had the heart and soul of our parliament really close to his heart. He was ever the professional. He carried out his role with pride and with really good humour, and he was a big personality. He was a friendly face who cared deeply. When I learned of his passing, it came as a shock, and I know it came as a shock to many people across this parliament—both elected officials and all of the people who work in this building. He was someone who was so full of life—Luch Jonceski from Jerrabomberra. He served parliament and its members for four decades, always with a smile on his face and always bringing a bit of fun and humour to a place that can be short on it a lot of the time. He'd offer you water and he'd say, 'It's on the House.' He'd greet me every single sitting day with, 'How's my local member today?' He'd sneak in a chocolate, and he'd do so from within the sleeve of his coat, and he'd always chat to me about his beloved Queanbeyan City Football Club. He'd ask for his birthday card and his Christmas cards to be delivered personally, and I always obliged. It's been really interesting talking to so many other people across this building, because everyone has a personal story or a connection with Luch just like that. There was his daily quip to the Speaker of the House at the opening of parliament every day: 'Let's do this, Mr Speaker.' He was comfortable speaking with prime ministers, with opposition leaders and with members from all political persuasions, and he helped each and every person in this building. His work here was diligent. He was diligent in his job because he had a deep respect for the institution that he served and he had an existential belief in the proper running of our democracy. Luch, it was a privilege to be your local member. It's something I'll always cherish. A couple of weeks ago, in that extraordinary sitting of parliament, I'm sure I wasn't alone when I came in and was looking around and found it quite weird that he wasn't actually in the chamber. And I'm sure it's going to be a habit that's hard to shake for many of us, because Luch was the very best of us. He was a friend to a lot of people. He was a genuinely good man. He cared for others, and he's going to be really missed in this place. My sincere condolences to his family and friends and to the many members of the Macedonian community, of which Luch was a really, really proud member. These halls will not be the same without you, but we are forever indebted to your memory. Vale, Luch.
Uttley, Darcy, Eden-Monaro Electorate: Community Events, Terry Campese Foundation | Constituency Statements | House debates
I rise to congratulate eight-year-old Darcy Uttley from Googong who is a true local hero. Darcy is a scout, and he's been raising money to buy bedding and shelter for the homeless in our...
I rise to congratulate eight-year-old Darcy Uttley from Googong who is a true local hero. Darcy is a scout, and he's been raising money to buy bedding and shelter for the homeless in our community to earn his Creating a Better World badge. His amazing fundraising efforts have earned him the Australia Day Hero 2026 Young Person of the Year Award by the national charity Backpack Bed for Homeless. The charity gives out awards every year, but, this Australia Day, Darcy was the only person to receive this honour. Other awards went to organisations such as schools and businesses. Darcy raised over $2,000 for the charity by selling Play-Doh and holding lolly guessing competitions. The amount raised equated to 15 backpack beds for the homeless in the area, which have been distributed by the Salvation Army. Backpack Bed for Homeless founder and CEO, Tony Clark, said, 'Darcy's amazing fundraising efforts have resulted in almost $50,000 in taxpayer savings for the Canberra and Queanbeyan communities.' These backpack beds are a great comfort for people that are living on the streets or sleeping rough and have helped to improve the dignity, health, sleep and warmth for people across our communities. It is an honour to have young constituents like Darcy in the electorate of Eden-Monaro, so a big congratulations to Darcy. I'd like to give a plug to one of my favourite times of the year. Country shows have kicked off right across the mighty Eden-Monaro. We're in the midst of the 2026 country show season, which kicked off with Pambula and Candelo in January and will continue with the Nimmitabel show this weekend. Country shows and ag field days are much more than a great day out; they are the heart of regional communities. I want to encourage everyone in this place to take your families and to support a country show. In fact, if any members of parliament are here for the weekend, Nimmitabel is only an hour and a half down the road, so come down and have a look. You can get a full list of New South Wales country shows on the AgShows NSW website. There will be shows across Eden-Monaro in February and March, including the 150th anniversary of the Bega Show at the end of February this year. Showgrounds are always buzzing with competitors, volunteers, judges, sponsors, families and communities coming together to celebrate the very best of regional life. So, from Cobargo to Bega, Goulburn to Bombala, I'd love to see you there. Finally, I'll give a quick shout out to the Terry Campese Foundation. The former Raiders captain and New South Wales and Australian representative created a foundation to mentor youth at risk in our local community. It's major fundraiser every year is a Special Forces challenge, which ADF personnel do in their private time. About a dozen recruits have already raised over $200,000 to support youth at risk. Last year, they built a school in Tonga with those youth. I look forward to seeing what the foundation will do this year. (Time expired)
Rural, Regional and Remote Australia | Questions without Notice | House debates
I know! They hate it. But it's good work for all of us; we believe in Medicare on this side of the House. We believe in Medicare not only for the cities but for all the regional areas too. The...
I know! They hate it. But it's good work for all of us; we believe in Medicare on this side of the House. We believe in Medicare not only for the cities but for all the regional areas too. The other thing we did was increase Roads to Recovery funding to $1 billion a year, and 85 per cent of that is going to regional councils. On this side of the House, 24 members represent regional areas. (Time expired)
As I said, PBS medicines are now $25 or less thanks to our investment in Medicare, saving Australians over $200 million a year. The last time they were that price was in 2004. Silverchair were...
As I said, PBS medicines are now $25 or less thanks to our investment in Medicare, saving Australians over $200 million a year. The last time they were that price was in 2004. Silverchair were still together as a band—and so were the coalition! Our Medicare urgent care clinics have been a game changer for health care in our regions. There are now 122 urgent care clinics that have opened across the country, and 39 of those have been in regional, rural and remote areas. Last weekend, the latest Medicare urgent care clinic opened in Bega, in Eden-Monaro. No appointment is needed. Patients can walk in. It's all bulk-billed. Chloe from Tura Beach said: 'Excellent doctor with detailed care. Not a long wait. So easy and a relief to receive treatment promptly on the weekend without a visit to the emergency department.' Isn't that a good news story?
I thank the member for Lingiari for her question. If we want to see what delivery in regional and remote Australia looks like, we need look no further than the member for Lingiari. She does such...
I thank the member for Lingiari for her question. If we want to see what delivery in regional and remote Australia looks like, we need look no further than the member for Lingiari. She does such an amazing job representing her communities, and our thoughts are with communities that may be impacted by the Daly River flood, which is coming soon. I'm proud to be part of a government that's delivering for our regions. We're investing billions of dollars in remote, rural and regional Australia whilst those opposite are investing in self-interest. Just yesterday I joined colleagues to announce the Regional and Remote Airport Support Program, providing financial relief to regional councils who were impacted when Rex Airlines went into voluntary administration—and while those opposite were exercising voluntary self-destruction. We are delivering in programs across all portfolios to help regional Australians with health, with housing and with education, from home batteries to cheaper child care to more home-care packages. We're delivering $10,000 payments to assist housing apprentices with cost-of-living pressures while ensuring Australia gets the workforce it needs to build more homes across our country. We've waived HECS debts for doctors and nurse practitioners working in our regional communities, to attract them outside of our big cities, while those opposite have waved goodbye to one another. We're delivering cheaper medicines from 1 January this year. Our plan is to make the biggest cut to the cost of medicines on the PBS—
Victoria: Bushfires | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank the member for Indi for her question, and I acknowledge her community is going through a particularly tough time at this point in time. A lot of Victorians have been impacted by bushfires...
I thank the member for Indi for her question, and I acknowledge her community is going through a particularly tough time at this point in time. A lot of Victorians have been impacted by bushfires that have burnt through over 415,000 hectares across Victoria, and it's had a major impact on communities right across that place. Can I again thank the member for Indi and the member for Nicholls for inviting me into their local communities. It is really important in this role to hear firsthand from communities about what they're going to need not only in the short term but also in the medium and long term. Can I thank, in particular, the members in Ruffy who I met. I said the other day that they were so worried about their local environment, let alone their own homes. I heard very clearly from them their desire to see the Ruffy community centre rebuilt, which they lovingly referred to as the TCC. We will continue to work with your community on those things. I also heard really clearly from Strathbogie and Murrindindi shire council members about the need to make sure that infrastructure is built back more resilient and that we work on those community cohesion projects together into the future. As the member knows, the Prime Minister announced another package of supports—$158 million going to things like extended power outages for businesses, clean-up support for community members, temporary accommodation, rebates for people who need to clean out water tanks, and mental health support in particular. We'll continue to extend support where it's needed, and we'll work with the Victorian government on that. We have enacted over $330 million in those state-Commonwealth Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements already. However, we recognise that the state and the local councils are best placed to identify the type and the level of assistance that is going to be required following this disaster, in accordance with their responsibilities for disaster management. The Albanese government will continue to work really closely with the Allan Labor government, and with local councils and local communities in particular, to understand where supports and assistance is going to be needed into the future, and our government stands ready, willing and able to assist when those support packages come forward. We know that recovery isn't a straight line. It's not going to be a speedy process. Our commitment is to continue to work with all levels of government and local communities to see this recovery tail through. We stand ready, willing and able to support as we can, when we can.
Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
People who have been impacted by disaster are going through a really tough time, and every level of government needs to step up when that happens and deliver as quickly as possible. Category C...
People who have been impacted by disaster are going through a really tough time, and every level of government needs to step up when that happens and deliver as quickly as possible. Category C and D funding has been delivered on the Mid North Coast. Category C and D funding has been delivered in north-west Queensland. Category C and D funding has been delivered in Victoria. And we'll continue to deliver for every member of our communities. When we talk about policies, we don't have to put 'regional' in front of them to know that they're going to help regional Australia. Whether it's bulk-billing, whether it's infrastructure investment or whether it's disaster recovery, our government will continue to deliver for all of the country. (Time expired)
They ran it into the ground. It is really a terrible outcome. We are talking about a skills shortage that didn't need to be there. We've seen successive coalition governments at state, territory...
They ran it into the ground. It is really a terrible outcome. We are talking about a skills shortage that didn't need to be there. We've seen successive coalition governments at state, territory and federal levels rip money out of TAFE, in particular. Not only do we know that there's a skill shortage; we know that we have to incentivise people to get back into those skills shortage areas, which is why we've got prac payments now rolling out to nurses, teachers, social workers and midwifery students—people who make a real difference in every community across the country. It is so important to focus on what's in front of us instead of focusing on what's behind you—for those opposite. We are committed to making sure we make a difference to every person across the country, and I'm particularly committed to focusing on how we deliver for regional Australians, because right now, on this side of the House, there are 24 members of the Labor Party who represent rural and regional Australia. That is a number larger than the National Party, larger than the crossbench and larger than the Liberal Party. So when we talk about delivering for regional Australia, can we please not go through this old trope that somehow you—those opposite—are the party of regional Australia, because it is not true. Regional Australia is not a monoculture. Regional Australia is diverse. It is interesting, and they vote Labor too. It is incredibly important now that we come together and we look at how we deliver for communities. I've been listening to communities across the country. Over the last couple of months, I've been in the Tiwi Islands, Swansea in Tassie, Cloncurry, Bendigo, Ruffy and Colac, particularly over the high-risk weather season, listening to people and their firsthand experiences in the wake of bushfires, cyclones and floods. It's incredibly important we deliver for those communities both now and into the future. We've delivered almost $330 million to Victorians impacted by devastating bushfires. We've committed more than $66 million for Queenslanders to help them recover from floods in the north and north-west, and we know that it is important to continue to deliver for communities that have been impacted. That spending isn't reckless, and I would really— That interjection is so inappropriate because cat D funding has been delivered for your community. It has, and it is so disappointing to hear politicisation over something when it doesn't need to be there.
It's a real pleasure to be able to stand here today and talk about the cost-of-living measures that we, on this side of the House, are voting for. It's almost ironic to hear the Leader of the...
It's a real pleasure to be able to stand here today and talk about the cost-of-living measures that we, on this side of the House, are voting for. It's almost ironic to hear the Leader of the National Party say that if we were in touch with the Australian people we would do better. Perhaps, if they were in touch with the Australian people, they'd stop talking about themselves and actually focus on what people sent you here to do. They sent you here, and they didn't ask you to hold up a pamphlet. They didn't ask you to talk about backroom deals on media outlets. They asked you to come here and talk about what matters to them, and what matters to them is how governments respond when people are in crisis. That's exactly what we've done. We voted to cap gas prices. We voted to cap electricity prices. Those opposite voted against that, against real cost-of-living measures. We voted on energy bill relief. They voted against that. We voted to reduce PBS medicine prices. They voted against that. When we talk about people being driven by ideology, perhaps it's time those on the opposition benches actually had a think about that, because what you are doing is continually voting on ideology rather than talking about what matters to the Australian people. What matters to the Australian people is that this place comes together at times and puts politics aside and says: 'What matters right now is how we get energy prices down. What matters right now is how we get PBS medicines cheaper. What matters right now is how we get more bulk-billing doctors. What matters right now is good education for our kids.' Those things matter, and, on this side of the House, those things matter so much that we vote on them and we put money towards them. We don't talk about doctor shortages in our regions because we do things about it. Do you know how we do that? We waive HECS fees for doctors and nurse practitioners when they come out to rural and remote Australia for five years. We've waived HECS fees to make sure that young people can actually get into the housing market. We've created five per cent deposits for first home buyers, and that's working in our regions. More 17,000 across our regions have got into their first home because of the policies of this government. We're not talking about backroom deals. We're not talking about media opportunities. We're getting on with the real world and real life for many Australians. Today the member for Maranoa was in the media again talking about how his party might or might not get back together with the Liberal Party. I'm a bit over it, to be honest. I don't care. We're getting on with the issue of delivering for Australians across the country. I was in the media this morning talking with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the member for Leichardt and the member for Braddon about how we can help regional and remote councils with support after the Rex administration. We're getting on with the job. We announced $5 million to help those regional and rural councils impacted by the Rex administration because we focused on what's in front of us. I'm proud to be a part of a government that is not only focusing on important issues like regional aviation but also talking about investing billions in remote, rural and regional Australia and investing in talking about the things that matter to the people who live there instead of talking about ourselves and little else. We know people are under pressure, and we know there is more that needs to be done. It'd be great if that was the focus of every member of this parliament at this point in time, but we know it's not. We're supporting real wages to grow. We're delivering tax cuts for every taxpayer, including another tax cut in July. We're delivering cheaper medicine, as I said. On 1 January this year we saw the largest ever cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS. We're taking the price of medicines back to $25. The last time it was that price was in 2004, when the coalition was actually a party that came together and agreed on things. We're investing more in bulk-billing doctors. We want to see more people go to a doctor and be bulk billed. We've invested in Medicare urgent care clinics, which is a massive game changer across our communities. They are free, timely and high-quality care that thousands of Australians are getting. Over 120 urgent care clinics have opened, with 39 of those in regional, rural and remote areas. Last weekend, the latest Medicare urgent care clinic to open was in the heart of Bega, in Eden-Monaro. It's at 61 Carp Street, Bega. It's open now, with extended hours, seven days a week. There is no need for an appointment. You can walk in and get the service. I've already had a number of people contact my office who used the service over the weekend for the first time. Strengthening Medicare and making health care more accessible and affordable should be the job of all of us, but we know it's only the government that ever invests in Medicare here. Whether it's home batteries, cheaper child care or home-care packages, we have to make sure we invest in them. Those opposite might call those things reckless spending, but they make a difference to every Australian's life—whether you live in metropolitan Australia or you're part of the one-third of Aussies who live outside metropolitan Australia. We know how important it is to make sure that we're getting more tradies into our system. I know firsthand—my husband's a tradie and my dad was a tradie. We're delivering $10,000 payments to housing apprentices to make sure that we are incentivising people to take up those roles. We know it's required. When we came to government in 2022, the largest skills gap ever inherited by any government on record was ours because those opposite didn't invest in TAFE or universities.
I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. As she knows and as many people across the House and the country know, it's been a terrible start for many communities across Victoria. We've seen...
I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. As she knows and as many people across the House and the country know, it's been a terrible start for many communities across Victoria. We've seen bushfires across the state, most recently across the greater Otways. I was in Colac last week, where I attended the Incident Control Centre to understand the impacts of the Carlisle River blaze. I spent time in Castlemaine, Yarck, Alexandra, Euroa, Ruffy and Harcourt over the past few weeks, meeting with emergency services, local councils, businesses and, most importantly, community members. I'd like to thank the member for Indi and the member for Nicholls, who were on the ground with me to hear directly from locals about the best way that we can aid in their recovery. Residents in Ruffy told us that they were worried about the local environment, including the impact on waterways, despite losing their own homes. I met with both Strathbogie and Murrindindi shire councils in their council chambers, who reiterated the importance of building back better after a natural disaster. Through our Commonwealth-state disaster recovery funding arrangements, we've now committed over $330 million in response to the Victorian bushfires. This includes $158 million, which the Prime Minister announced at the state control centre last week. This latest funding package includes funding for clean-up, business support and advice; funding to rebuild the Harcourt cooperative cool store that I visited with the Prime Minister and the member for Bendigo; repairs to public land and waterways; temporary accommodation; power outage payments for businesses; rebates to repair water tanks; and mental health support. This expanded funding package is about delivering practical and respectful support that helps communities begin to rebuild with confidence. On top of that, we've got federal government payments available, including the disaster recovery payment, available to eligible residents in 57 locations. It's a one-off payment to support community members who have been most affected in this disaster. The disaster recovery allowance is income support up to 13 weeks, which is now available in 23 local government areas as well as the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort. I want Victorians to know this: we stand with you and we'll continue to support you. I give a big thankyou and a shout-out to the thousands of workers and volunteers from all over Australia, as well as New Zealand and Canada, who have been supporting firefighting efforts in Victoria. Of course, we're not out of the high-risk weather season yet; heatwave conditions may have eased, but conditions can turn really quickly. Please listen to local authorities, follow the advice of our emergency services and continue to look out for family, friends and neighbours who may be doing it tough. As a nation, we have learned a lot since the Black Summer bushfires. We know that the three levels of government have to work collaboratively together for the benefit of our local communities, and we'll continue to do that.
Australia: Natural Disasters | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. I've been with her in her electorate the last couple of weeks, visiting the fireground and speaking with impacted community members about their...
I thank the member for Bendigo for her question. I've been with her in her electorate the last couple of weeks, visiting the fireground and speaking with impacted community members about their experiences, and I want to thank her for her work in supporting the community in the aftermath and what will be a long recovery to come. The last few weeks have brought severe weather to large parts of our country. The bushfires in Victoria have been absolutely heartbreaking for many, and our thoughts are with those that have been impacted by those severe fires, including the family and friends of the man who died in the Longwood bushfire. Whilst assessments are continuing, we currently have 1,300 structures, including 400 homes, that have been damaged or destroyed, and stock losses of up to 20,000. The national aerial firefighting fleet has been active across Victoria and other parts of the country as well, and so far we have committed more than $77 million under our joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, including $75,000 to primary producers, as well as a range of concessional loans, personal hardship payments and a range of other grants. The Australian government disaster recovery payment has been made available in 47 locations across Victoria to support those people most impacted, and the disaster recovery allowance, which is up to 13 weeks of income support, is available now in 18 local government areas, as well as the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, to assist those who have lost income. It was a real privilege to meet with emergency service personnel along with the Prime Minister—many of them, volunteers who have been battling bushfires and putting themselves in harm's way to support others. And I know I speak for all Australians when I say: we cannot thank you enough. As devastating as fires are, we know that floods are impacting our country too. In December, we saw monsoonal rain across north and north-west Queensland. One man lost his life in floodwaters, and our thoughts are with his family and friends too. Whilst it's too early to determine the full scale of the flooding disaster, it's already clear that losses are going to be significant, with reports stock losses could exceed 50,000. To date, more than $66 million of support has been activated through our Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. I travelled to some of the worst-impacted areas with the Prime Minister and the Treasurer in early January, where we announced emergency fodder drops, primary producer grants and $11½ million for critical repairs to the Cloncurry airport. In Julia Creek, I met grazier Jake Webster, who was helping coordinate fodder drops not only for his own property but for those of his neighbours as well. From talking to locals on the ground in Julia Creek, in Cloncurry, in Clermont and in Richmond it was clear that, whilst these are resilient communities who look out for each other, they need our support too. So I'm proud that we've been able to do that through our disaster recovery funding arrangements activated in 13 local government areas and our disaster recovery allowance activated in 11 local government areas. We will continue to work closely with the Queensland and Victorian governments on any further assistance that may be required, and our communities will stand behind those that need their support the most.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
I rise today to add my voice to the messages of condolence for the victims of the antisemitic terror attack we saw in Bondi on 14 December. The community of Eden-Monaro stands with you and will...
I rise today to add my voice to the messages of condolence for the victims of the antisemitic terror attack we saw in Bondi on 14 December. The community of Eden-Monaro stands with you and will continue to stand with those whose lives were irrevocably changed on that day. No-one should have to endure what happened on that day. There is no place in our country for this kind of hatred, bigotry or extremism that led to these events at Bondi Beach, and my heart breaks for the 15 innocent people who lost their lives that day and for their families, their friends and their communities, who will never stop mourning them. I offer my sincere condolences to the families of Matilda; Boris and Sofia Gurman; Rabbi Eli Schlanger; Edith Brutman; Boris Tetleroyd; Adam Smyth; Marika Pogany; Peter Meagher; Dan Elkayam; Tibor Weitzen; Reuven Morrison; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan; Alexander Kleytman; and Tania Tretiak. Their absence is felt deeply, and we will not forget them. That day, they should have been safe. They should have been celebrating their faith together by the water, enjoying the start of Hanukkah, a holy day on the Jewish calendar, the beginning of an eight-day celebration representing resilience, light and positivity—an ancient tradition in an Australian iconic setting. It should have been a peaceful event, and instead that peace was shattered. This was an attack on our Jewish community and on the Australian way of life. It was an attack on our people and what we hold sacred: our right to gather to celebrate our faith with loved ones wherever we are. In the days following the Bondi attack, I was proud to play a small role, as Minister for Emergency Management, in delivering support to assist victims, their families and small businesses who were impacted on that day. It was the first time that our disaster recovery funding arrangements were activated for a terrorist attack, and I hope it will be the last. But now we must take action when something this abhorrent occurs on our shores, and I urge all parliamentarians to come together to take that action: to shut down hate preachers, to tighten our visa laws and to do whatever we must so that antisemitism and hate don't fester in our communities—practical support, changes in our laws and enacting reviews that help us understand what happened in our beautiful country. We must learn from this, and we must do better. We can't allow hate and division to permeate our community, and it is up to each of us to call it out when we see it, in person or online, in workplaces, in schools and in our communities. I believe social media and tech giants have a lot to answer for in this space. I want to acknowledge the first responders who attended Bondi that day. They ran into a situation that many have been trained for but should never have to endure, because on that day they were also met with violence. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert and Constable Scott Dyson were both injured in the line of duty. Of course, they aren't the only ones who will bear the scars from what occurred on 14 December. Forty people were injured that day, many while carrying out incredible acts of bravery—people like Ahmed al-Ahmed, who was just nearby having a coffee and ran towards the danger, and local lifeguards, students and ordinary Australians who ran into the park to help people. They helped stop the bleeding, they helped protect young ones from the attack and they undoubtedly saved lives, and it's these stories that show who we really are as a nation—the caring and compassionate ones, the people who are always ready to lend a hand to someone in need. We must now come together as a nation, because we cannot let this evil tarnish our country and our iconic Bondi Beach. Today we remember and we grieve together. Although I cannot imagine the grief felt by our Australian Jewish community, I say to them: you don't carry this alone. This parliament stands with you and this nation stands with you, and we will stand with you into the future.
Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I wanted to give you more of a chance.
I'm pleased to speak on this legislation today, which amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to support a pause on indexation of the excise of duty rates and customs duties on...
I'm pleased to speak on this legislation today, which amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to support a pause on indexation of the excise of duty rates and customs duties on draught beer for two years. The amendments to the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 will take pressure off business when it comes to the price of beer poured in pubs, clubs and other venues and will support small businesses and regional tourism across the country. This is a measured, temporary pause that will help keep operating costs stable for small venues while maintaining the integrity of the broader alcohol excise framework. The measure applies to containers between eight and 48 litres, which are commonly used in pubs and clubs, and containers over 48 litres used in larger hospitality venues. It doesn't apply to bottled or canned beer, spirits or other excisable beverages, which ensures that the policy remains tightly targeted to hospitality operators rather than retailers. Around 75 per cent of those venues are small, family-run businesses that employ local people and support community events, sporting clubs and local charities. This is a cost-of-living measure that will help take pressure off at a really critical time. Cost-of-living pressures have affected pubs, clubs and other licensed venues as they have for the rest of us. These amendments will reduce the pressure for businesses on the price of beer at pubs, clubs and other licensed venues. The venues, in turn, will support other businesses and regional tourism across the country. This is a practical, targeted and responsible measure that supports small business. It helps to protect jobs and it keeps the price of a pint stable for everyday Australians. This decision recognises that local pubs, clubs and breweries are not just businesses but community institutions that bring people together. They provide employment and help regional communities remain strong. I visited a number of pubs and clubs around Eden-Monaro, and it is true of my community like it is true for many of the other speakers that have spoken on this debate that pubs, clubs and breweries are the lifeblood of small towns. Everyone can come together at the local pub or hotel and support the community that supports them right back. I recently dropped into the Delegate Hotel to check out their fantastic renovations. The hotel is under new management and is looking fresh and welcoming, which is perfect for locals and visitors. I was also recently at the Bemboka Hotel, which had only just reopened in the small town of Bemboka—which is great news for that local community. Karen and Rowan at the Bemboka Hotel have done a magnificent job at bringing it back to life, and it now includes a cafe too. It's the people in regional towns like Delegate and Bemboka who will benefit from this pause in indexation. Our government is focused on what they can do to keep local venues open, to keep people in work and to keep communities connected. Importantly, this measure provides breathing space to a sector that has faced successive economic challenges, including pandemic lockdowns, supply chain disruptions and rising input costs. COVID was tough for a lot of towns, but across Eden-Monaro our regional communities had already suffered through the Black Summer bushfires and floods before COVID hit us. These clubs and pubs were more than just places where people gathered. They became evacuation centres. They were evacuation centres that kept people and animals safe as a bushfire raged around them for more than six weeks. It's been a long road to recovery in Eden-Monaro, but this small measure makes sure that community clubs and pubs in our small communities stay open, stay active and stay there for community connection. As I said, these clubs became evacuation centres, so I do want to give a shout-out to Club Narooma, Club Sapphire, the Bermagui Country Club, the Eden Fishermen's Club, Tathra Beach Country Club, Tura Beach Country Club and the many, many more up and down the east coast who acted as evacuation centres. Earlier this year, when I was in the Mid North Coast, following their dramatic floods, clubs were again opening their doors to be evacuation centres in our local communities. Recovery, we know, is a long road, but the best thing we can do for people, particularly in regional Australia, is to make sure that tourism remains at the top of these communities and a way for people come together. Every summer in Eden-Monaro, we welcome many holidaymakers, particularly to our coastal towns. All across the Eden-Monaro, it's great to have more people coming into towns to stay in our pubs, to stay in our hotels and motels and our caravan parks, to eat in our restaurants, our cafes and our pubs, and, of course, this is great for local business. This measure reinforces the government's commitment to regional Australia, helping to protect tourism and local hospitality jobs. While I'm at it, I want to mention how fantastic it is that we've now got a buyer for our regional airline Rex. Regional towns rely on strong regional airlines and aviation, and our government has been strident in our support for the regional aviation sector, because we know how important it is right across the country. Ensuring that there is access to our regions via air is vital to keeping our local economies going. This bill also supports Australian brewers, particularly small and independent producers who supply draught beer to local venues. Many of these brewers rely heavily on keg sales to maintain cash flow and jobs, and we've got some great local breweries in Eden-Monaro. There's Dalgety Brewing Co. and Jindabyne Brewing in the Snowy Mountains, Breakwall Brewing in Narooma, Longstocking Brewery in Pambula and the list goes on and on. Pausing indexation will help local brewers manage costs too. It will help them plan production and continue investing in local communities and regional economies. But the benefits of this policy reach far beyond pubs and brewers. They flow through to farmers, transport operators, equipment suppliers and the thousands of small businesses linked to the hospitality supply chain. Businesses, particularly small businesses, really are the backbone of regional communities. It's a cost-of-living measure that also strengthens small-business resilience. When you're running a small business, every little bit helps, and this legislation is part of the government's targeted cost-of-living relief. The Albanese government has listened to industry feedback from brewers, from publicans and from small-business groups, who have consistently called for relief from automatic excise increases during a period of high inflation, and this is a clear example of a responsible government acting, designed to make a difference without driving inflation or compromising fiscal discipline. Alongside this measure, the Albanese government is delivering real, practical and ongoing help with the cost of living for Australians. We are delivering what we said we would at the election, including new measures that started on 1 July, including the national minimum wage and award wage increase by 3.5 per cent; the superannuation guarantee increase to 12 per cent; paid parental leave increase to 24 per cent; super now being paid on all government paid parental leave; another $150 in energy bill relief before the end of the year; $10,000 incentive payments for new housing apprentices; cheaper home batteries; cutting 20 per cent of student loan debts for three million Australians; and Commonwealth prac payments for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students. And hardworking aged-care nurses will receive the next instalment of their pay rise in October, following the first instalment in March this year. More meaningful, responsible cost-of-living relief will continue rolling out throughout the remainder of 2025. Tax cuts for every taxpayer kicked in last year, with two more tax cuts to come—next year and the year after. Another 50 Medicare urgent care clinics will open throughout the rest of the year, and, of course, we are now seeing bulk-billing expanding at GP clinics across the country. This excise pause is an example of good, steady, responsible government in action. There will be targeted relief, real results and a fair go for Australian workers and small business owners alike. I'm proud to be part of a government that is delivering real cost-of-living relief to Australians, including those in my electorate, and I want to thank all those hospitality workers, small-business owners, pubs and clubs, and boards of directors who have spoken with me about what a difference this pause in excise will make for their businesses over the next two years.
Tropical Cyclone Fina | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank the member from Solomon for the work he has put into preparing his community against Tropical Cyclone Fina. Communities in the Northern Territory are well-placed for Tropical Cyclone...
I thank the member from Solomon for the work he has put into preparing his community against Tropical Cyclone Fina. Communities in the Northern Territory are well-placed for Tropical Cyclone Fina, which tracked through the Van Diemen Gulf and past Darwin and the Tiwi Islands over the weekend as a category 3 system. I recognise the member for Solomon, the member for Lingiari and the Minister for Indigenous Australians in the other place for their work in providing timely updates and support for their communities. I also acknowledge the hard work of the Northern Territory government, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Defence Forces and our embedded officials from the National Emergency Management Agency who worked so well together to keep local community safe. I was able to visit the Northern Territory yesterday. I joined the chief minister to announce that the Albanese and Finocchiaro governments have activated our disaster recovery funding arrangements in several local government areas. This will ensure immediate relief is provided to individuals and families who have been displaced during the event. It will also support temporary repairs to public infrastructure and long-term reconstruction of damaged roads, bridges and public infrastructure. While I was in Darwin, I had the opportunity to visit the emergency control centre to personally thank those who worked so hard during the event to prepare local communities. Emergency service workers and power and water teams have done an outstanding job and continue to do so as recovery is underway. I also joined the member for Lingiari, the Minister for Indigenous Australians and the chief minister to assess the damage in Wurrumiyanga in the Tiwi Islands. This was one of the areas hardest hit, with downed trees and power lines, as a result of the cyclone. The community there was in good spirits, and it was good to hear from them first and about their experience. The Albanese government, the NT government, local councils and the community will continue to work together as we enter the recovery phase. We're keeping a close watch on Tropical Cyclone Fina, which has been downgraded to a category 1 as it passes across the Kimberley. I'm proud to be part of a government that is improving how we prepare for each high-risk weather season. We take our responsibilities seriously. Our preparedness activities include how we collaborate with state and territory governments to deliver, most importantly, our $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund to look at how we reduce disaster risk in communities. So far more than $600 million has been committed to 446 projects, with round 3 announced just last week. Round 3 runs a range of projects from cyclone shelters on Palm Island to an emergency coordination facility in Alice Springs. We're investing in our national aerial firefighting fleet's multihazard capability, and we're continuing to expand the national emergency stockpile to ensure specialist equipment can be rapidly deployed, just like it was to the NT during Tropical Cyclone Fina. Building national preparedness in the face of increasing disasters and responding to events like Tropical Cyclone Fina is a priority of this Labor government and will continue to be.
Eden-Monaro Electorate: Awards and Honours | Constituency Statements | House debates
Volunteers are the heart of regional communities, and I'm really proud to stand here today to congratulate the outstanding Eden-Monaro volunteers who were recognised in the 2025 southern inland...
Volunteers are the heart of regional communities, and I'm really proud to stand here today to congratulate the outstanding Eden-Monaro volunteers who were recognised in the 2025 southern inland and South Coast volunteer of the year awards. In southern inland, volunteer and adult volunteer of the year, Abby McPherson, from the Michelago RFS—of whom she is the RFS captain—was recognised for her leadership, innovation and dedication to community safety. The senior volunteer of the year was Adolf Franko for 14 years of service with the Snowy River and alpine search and rescue, marine rescue and Berridale RFS. The volunteer team of the year was the Terry Campese Foundation youth mentoring Tonga team, for supporting at-risk youth through community service and international outreach. For the South Coast awards, volunteer and senior volunteer of the year went to Maree O'Neill for her tireless work across numerous Eden community organisations. Adult volunteer of the year went to Samarah McGovern for 20 years of dedication to the debutante ball tradition in Merimbula. To all recipients: thank you so much. Your service and leadership continue to inspire us all. I'd like to congratulate Doug Palmer on being awarded life membership of the Bungendore rural fire brigade, after 27 years of dedicated service. Doug joined the RFS in September 1988 and has since received the National Medal, the National Emergency Medal and the 2019-20 bushfires clasp, the RFS Long Service Medal and the Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation. Between 2005 and 2018 Doug served in a variety of roles, including as deputy captain, senior and captain. Over the years Doug attended more than 552 call-outs, undoubtedly saving countless lives, homes and our beautiful countryside. People like Doug are the cornerstone of our community, and I congratulate him on a well-deserved achievement. In the 2025 New South Wales Tourism Awards, Eden-Monaro stood out. We had finalists across a number of categories, including tours, festivals, accommodation, food and more. Representing our diverse and stunning region are: Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council for delivering authentic cultural experiences and creating meaningful local jobs; the Narooma Oyster Festival, now in its 19th year, for showcasing our world-class oysters and coastal culture; Tathra Beach Eco Camp for its sustainable, nature based tourism; and Merimbula's Eat Festival for celebrating local food, chefs and producers on the beautiful foreshores of Fishpen. From the coast to the mountains, Eden-Monaro offers unforgettable experiences. Congratulations to all the finalists. You make our region proud. Finally, I want to give a shout-out to Hunter Clark, a year 12 student, for her achievement of the Service Award for the New South Wales branch of the Order of Australia. She's been the captain of TS Orion cadets and the captain of Jindabyne High School. She was Snowy Monaro Young Citizen of the Year and is an all-round inspiration to young people. She said, when she was congratulated on the award, in the Monaro Post: 'Don't forget to smile. Its power is often underestimated, but it truly makes the biggest difference.' Thanks so much, Hunter, for all your work.
Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
God! While those opposite are trying to work out which side of history they want to be on, we are talking about regional families and looking at how we can ease the cost of living. They're...
God! While those opposite are trying to work out which side of history they want to be on, we are talking about regional families and looking at how we can ease the cost of living. They're already upset, as I said, because we've doubled Roads to Recovery, whereas they sat idly by and did nothing when local councils asked for more money. What they did was freeze financial assistance grants, which took a billion dollars from local councils in all of our communities. I want to remind them of what they did when it came to the supermarket code of conduct: they introduced a voluntary code. That was great for our farmers, wasn't it? 'Let's ask the supermarkets if they'll be nicer to farmers.' Were they? No. On this side of the House, we said, 'That's not good enough; we're going to introduce a mandatory code.' But what did those opposite do? Did they vote for a mandatory code of conduct to protect farmers? No, you didn't. You wanted to leave the supermarkets to let rip and do whatever they wanted to farmers and other primary producers. On this side of the House, we said, 'Not good enough—we are going to protect farmers and small businesses with a mandatory code of conduct with multimillion-dollar penalties for those who breach it.' On big business versus farmers and families, I know who I stood with: I stood with farmers and families. I made sure there was a mandatory code of conduct to protect people. We are investing in people, in skills and training and in services. These are the investments that regional communities are calling for, and that's exactly what we are doing. We delivered prac payments because we know it's important to support people when they are training to deliver services in our regions. Our Cheaper Home Batteries Program has been so incredibly important. Ray from Braidwood in my electorate got in touch. He said his home battery system has already lowered his electricity bill. In the first month since he installed his battery, his bill dropped to $22—22 bucks. High-five, Ray. It's also really helped him to change his views and his habits on how he uses his electricity during off-peak periods. I want to make sure that in this House we are supporting regional communities and regional Australians just like Ray, and those opposite are fighting climate wars which should have been dead 20 years ago. They're out of touch with regional communities and they're out of touch with reality. Speaking of utilities, let's talk about the NBN, which is incredibly important for driving productivity in rural and regional Australia. Whether you work from home, you have a small business, you want to access health care or you are studying, it's important to have connectivity. Under those opposite, when they were in government, there was a deliberate underinvestment in communications. Instead of narrowing the technology divide, they widened it. It is so important to keep our communities connected. Just 15 minutes away from here, half of a suburb called Jerrabomberra had had fibre to the premises. Those opposite, when they came to government in 2013, ripped up the contracts and said, 'That's not important enough to us,' so for more than a decade the other half of the suburb was still dealing with copper—copper dropouts. It took another Labor government to come back and finish the rollout. It took a Labor government to deal with the data caps that were on Sky Muster satellites. During COVID, I had members of my community who were trying to learn and work from home saying, 'We got 10 days into the month and we hit our data cap,' because those opposite had data caps on satellite plans. Does that make sense in a regional community? It took us to come to government and say: 'That's not on. We're not having that.' There has been a massive investment to expand full-fibre NBN to more than 2.1 million premises across the country. It is so important in our regions to make sure we're connected. And, while I'm on it, there's the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation. We went to an election saying: 'This is incredibly important. The technology is there. Let's make the telcos do it.' Those opposite couldn't even get on board with that, for regional communities.
It is really important. Those opposite could have incentivised GPs to go into our regions, but did they do it? No. Instead it look a Labor government to do that. On this side of the chamber,...
It is really important. Those opposite could have incentivised GPs to go into our regions, but did they do it? No. Instead it look a Labor government to do that. On this side of the chamber, we've made the largest investment in health care in our regions ever, with 90 urgent care clinics around the country, 31 of which are already delivered in our regions. We're investing in rural medical schools to help ensure more medical students can train and live in regional and rural communities, because we know, and the data tells us, that if they train in our regions they'll stay in our regions. There's a $90 million investment to help address healthcare shortages right across our regions. We are providing incentives for doctors and nurse practitioners by waiving their HECS fees, as I said. Speaking of HECS, how are we helping more people to earn more and keep more of what they earn? Well, we're giving students across our regions a 20 per cent reduction in their HECS bills and we're making sure that more people are eligible for tax cuts than ever before—14 million taxpayers across our communities. Why do we want more people in our regions to keep more of the money they earn? It's because when they do they go and support local small businesses, which is incredibly important.
I'm really glad to be here talking about regional Australia. I come from a small town. Right now, my husband, who employs members of our local community, is doing his job as a small business...
I'm really glad to be here talking about regional Australia. I come from a small town. Right now, my husband, who employs members of our local community, is doing his job as a small business owner, providing services to people where we live. We have over the weekend made an incredible change, where bulk-billing came into effect for every single Australian, regardless of what their status is. Investing in bulk-billing changes lives in regional communities. People no longer have to make a decision about whether they can afford to go to the doctor or not. For regional centres, this is very important. More than a thousand GP clinics were signed up to the new program before it even started. There are a thousand more clinics who are bulk-billing communities right across the country. I want to personally give a shout-out to Jindabyne Medical Practice, Bega Valley Medical Practice and the Goulburn Health Hub, who have all announced that they will sign up to bulk-billing every person that comes through their doors. For so long, Medicare rebates were frozen by those opposite. What we're doing instead is supporting more doctors into regional, rural and remote Australia. Why are we doing that? Because it's really bloody important. Those opposite talked about GP shortages but didn't do anything. Did they incentivise anyone?