Jerome Laxale's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:04+00:00
items: Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report | Committees | House debates
items: Hunters Hill High School | Statements | House debates
items: Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Hunters Hill Probus Club | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Energy | 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: Taxation | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Lane Cove West Public School | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Le Marche French Market, Jacobson, Mr Kevin George (Col Joye), OAM | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Bennelong Electorate: Medicare | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Small Business | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Bennelong Electorate: Sport | Adjournment | House debates

Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report | Committees | House debates
type: item
description: On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's Advisory report on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2)...
encoded: On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's Advisory report on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025: also reporting on Review of Division 3 ofPart III of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (compulsory questioning powers). Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's Advisory report on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025. This report also completes and reports on the committee's review of ASIO's compulsory questioning powers under the ASIO Act, which was commenced in the previous parliament, and draws on the evidence provided to that review. ASIO's compulsory questioning powers have been reviewed multiple times since their commencement in 2003. The minimal use of the questioning warrant provisions in recent years means there are limited examples of use against which the operation and effectiveness of the powers can be assessed. Nevertheless, the committee considered the experience of ASIO with the provisions to date and concerns about the powers raised by submitters. The committee's combined review then considered amendments to those powers proposed in the ASIO Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025. The committee has concluded, as it did in 2018, that ASIO's compulsory questioning powers are necessary. The powers were originally granted in recognition of the fact that ASIO had no ability to question an individual who would not engage voluntarily, and, in the context of the heightened risk of terrorism following the events of 11 September 2001, without the questioning warrant regime, this gap in ASIO's intelligence collection capabilities would still exist. The rapidly changing and increasingly complex security threat facing Australia today is a powerful signal to the committ…
date: 2026-02-05T16:15:00+00:00

Hunters Hill High School | Statements | House debates
type: item
description: From the classrooms of Hunters Hill to the bright lights of Hollywood—that is quite a journey. Just a few weeks ago, one of Bennelong's very own, Rose Byrne, took home a Golden Globe for...
encoded: From the classrooms of Hunters Hill to the bright lights of Hollywood—that is quite a journey. Just a few weeks ago, one of Bennelong's very own, Rose Byrne, took home a Golden Globe for her latest film, winning best female actor for her role in the film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. It was a remarkable achievement and one the whole community and country can be proud of. But, before the red carpets and award nights, Rose was a student at Hunters Hill High School. She won't be the last local student to go on and do great things, because Hunters Hill High School has now been named a partner school in the New South Wales government's High Potential and Gifted Education Policy, which supports high-potential students in 33 public high schools across the state, sharing in $100 million worth of upgrades. That will mean real investment in the school. They'll be getting upgraded and additional drama spaces and a stage, upgraded and additional art rooms, a photography room, two music rooms, upgrades to science, tech, engineering and maths rooms and food tech spaces as well. This program recognises that potential shows up in different ways, whether that's creative, academic, physical or social and emotional. It's another example of how the Albanese Labor government and the Minns Labor government are working together to improve public education right across the country. Congratulations, Rose and Hunters Hill High School.
date: 2026-02-05T13:46:00+00:00

Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: When this government was elected in 2022 and then re-elected in 2025, Australians made it clear that they wanted Medicare—the entire system—to be strengthened, not just protected but...
encoded: When this government was elected in 2022 and then re-elected in 2025, Australians made it clear that they wanted Medicare—the entire system—to be strengthened, not just protected but made to work better in practice. Of course, they were responding to nine years of Liberal neglect of Medicare, where the Medicare rebate was frozen for six long years by the former leader of the opposition and the current Leader of the Opposition. Left alone, the cost of medicines at the pharmacy would have reached $50 without Labor's intervention. Bulk-billing clinics were harder and harder to find. People elected us to reform Medicare and to reverse that neglect because Medicare is something that people rely on every single day. In my electorate of Bennelong, strengthening Medicare has meant real and measurable change. It has meant millions of dollars saved on cheaper medicines and visits to a bulk-billed doctor for local families and retirees, providing real cost-of-living relief. We hear a lot of that term and this is real progress in families' budgets, where they're not spending as much on pharmaceutical medicines, where they're not spending as much to go and see a doctor. It has meant more people being able to see their doctor, being able to look after their health without reaching for their credit card, without punching a hole in that weekly or fortnightly pay packet, and it's meant real cost-of-living relief delivered through a health system that people trust and that Australians expect to have their back. Since coming to government, our cheaper medicines reforms alone have saved billions of dollars nationally and, as I said, millions in my electorate. The cost of PBS medicines on 1 January dropped to $25, the lowest it's been since 2004. As I said earlier, had we not come to government in 2022 and incrementally reduced that cost, medicine today without Labor's intervention would have been close to $50 in out-of-pocket costs. Today it's half of that—$25 for people to get the med…
date: 2026-02-05T10:55:00+00:00

Hunters Hill Probus Club | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Today, I am eager to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Hunters Hill Probus Club, the first and oldest Probus club in the country that is right in the heart of Bennelong. Their inaugural...
encoded: Today, I am eager to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Hunters Hill Probus Club, the first and oldest Probus club in the country that is right in the heart of Bennelong. Their inaugural meeting was held on 3 February 1976, and, 50 years later, Hunters Hill Probus Club is thriving as it fosters wellbeing, inclusion and connection right across Australia. Probus remains a non-for-profit institution run by members for its members. Probus club memberships are open to retirees, semi-retirees and those soon to enter retirement. Through activities, programs and social initiatives that solidify community relationships, Probus ensures that Australians of all walks of life can maintain a healthy, active and stimulating lifestyle as they age. Starting at Hunters Hill, they now have over 1,400 clubs across Australia and New Zealand, and over half a million members have been involved since 1976. I'm so proud that all of that started right in the heart of Bennelong. This week, on 3 February, the club celebrated its 50th birthday, and attending were Michael Ransom, chairman of Probus; Josephine McBride, who is the current president of the Hunters Hill Club; the local mayor; and my predecessor, former prime minister John Howard. Unfortunately, due to parliamentary commitments, I couldn't be there, but thank you to Hunters Hill Probus Club for all that you do.
date: 2026-02-04T13:41:00+00:00

Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report | Committees | House debates
type: item
description: On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's report entitled Review of administration and expenditure No. 23 (2023-24)—Australian...
encoded: On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's report entitled Review of administration and expenditure No. 23 (2023-24)—Australian intelligence agencies. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—This annual review is undertaken in accordance with the committee's statutory responsibilities under the Intelligence Services Act 2001. It examines the administration, expenditure and financial statements of the six agencies that make up Australia's National Intelligence Community, the NIC—ASIO, ASIS, AGO, DIO, ASD and the Office of National Intelligence. The committee's review is part of a strict oversight and accountability framework within which these agencies operate. Their public reporting is necessarily limited to protect sensitive capabilities and operations, so this annual parliamentary review is an important mechanism by which the parliament receives assurance on these agencies' governance, resource stewardship and administration. The committee sought evidence on each agency's performance against its objectives, its budget situation and the health and integrity of its financial statements. This included examination of strategic priorities, organisational governance, risk management practices, workforce capability, security arrangements and major ICT and information-sharing initiatives. Submissions also covered the impact of the legislative changes on agency operations, workforce pressures in specialist fields, recruitment and retention challenges, and the coordination of intelligence activities across the NIC. The committee received detailed material from all six intelligence agencies as well as from the Australian National Audit Office and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. Classified hearings assisted the committee in discharging its obligations while ensuring national security was maintained. The report highlights the sustained high tempo at which…
date: 2026-02-03T17:47:00+00:00

Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government getting on with the job of building cleaner, cheaper energy? Why is focusing on the needs of...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government getting on with the job of building cleaner, cheaper energy? Why is focusing on the needs of Australian families important, and what are the risks to delivering the reliable, fair and modern energy grid Australians deserve?
date: 2026-02-03T15:20:00+00:00

Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise today to speak in support of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. I do so not just as a member of this government but as a local MP who...
encoded: I rise today to speak in support of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. I do so not just as a member of this government but as a local MP who has seen at close range what hate is and what hate does to members of my community. Bennelong is one of the most multicultural electorates in the country. It's a community where people of different faiths, cultures and backgrounds live side by side and contribute to our shared Australian story. But, despite our diversity and despite our prosperity, hate emerges from time to time. These laws today are designed to target that hate, because when hate and extremism emerge in a community like mine, they are felt immediately. They divide my community, and they make communities feel unsafe. Over recent years, I've spoken directly with Jewish Australians in Bennelong who are feeling increasingly unsafe in ways they never expected to feel in this country. Parents have spoken about their children being targeted. Young people have spoken about hiding their identity, and students have spoken about feeling isolated and unsupported. This reality must be named clearly. Antisemitism is not vague. It is specific, it is persistent and it causes real harm. Yesterday, members of parliament from all sides named that hate clearly in this House. I'll single out a contribution from my friend and neighbour the member for Berowra, who spoke very powerfully about the need to confront these threats head-on. On many elements of his speech, I agree with him. Taking on Nazis and Islamic fundamentalists is something this parliament must do with conviction and with haste, and that is what this law intends to do. Even in Bennelong—beautiful, diverse and safe Bennelong—we have seen the real-world impact of hateful activities. Too regularly, white supremacist material finds its way into local letterboxes. Too often people in my community, where I live and raise my family, are targeted not because of chance but…
date: 2026-01-20T11:42:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: On behalf of Bennelong, I express my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the terror attack at Bondi late last year. Their loss is immeasurable...
encoded: On behalf of Bennelong, I express my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the terror attack at Bondi late last year. Their loss is immeasurable and their grief is something no words in this place can ease. I want those impacted to know that they are not alone and that their loss and trauma is recognised and mourned in this place, in Bennelong, and right across the country. The lives lost were sons and daughters, partners, friends, community leaders and colleagues. Fifteen lives were lost: people with routines, plans and futures that were cruelly taken away from them in an instant by a despicable act of terror and hate. As I come into this place today, I know I am carrying more than my own words. I'm carrying the voices of people right across my community, in Bennelong, who have reached out to me over the last four weeks, sharing their sadness, their shock, their anger and their disbelief that this tragedy could happen here in Australia. Over recent weeks, I've spent time with our community in Bennelong, who, like all of us, are trying to make sense of what has happened. People have spoken to me about fear for their families, about the shock of seeing such violence occur in our suburbs and about the weight that they have been carrying since 14 December. For many in the Jewish Australian community, it has compounded existing fears and anxieties and reinforced legitimate concerns about antisemitism and personal safety. This reality needs to be acknowledged openly and plainly. Antisemitism must be called out and condemned wherever it appears. Further, hatred directed at people because of who they are—their race, their religion, their gender or their sexuality—has no place in Australia and mustn't be allowed to fester in our communities. The response of this parliament, both from the government and the opposition, must be to root this hate out and pass laws to eradicate it. I'd like to thank the members of Bennelong's loca…
date: 2026-01-19T19:09:00+00:00

Taxation | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Treasurer. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering tax relief for Australian workers? And how does that compare to other approaches?
encoded: My question is to the Treasurer. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering tax relief for Australian workers? And how does that compare to other approaches?
date: 2025-11-27T14:27:00+00:00

Lane Cove West Public School | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: I'd like to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity, commitment and community spirit displayed by the students, staff and families of Lane Cove West Public School. It gives me great pleasure to...
encoded: I'd like to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity, commitment and community spirit displayed by the students, staff and families of Lane Cove West Public School. It gives me great pleasure to inform the House that this wonderful school community has raised an outstanding $32,969 for the Heart Foundation through this year's Jump Rope for Heart program, making them the school with the second-highest amount of fundraising in the country. This is not just a great achievement; it's a powerful example of how young people can step up and support a cause that touches so many Australian families. I'd like to give a special shout-out to the school's top fundraiser, Charlotte Shanahan, who raised a remarkable $2,305 all on her own. Charlotte's effort wasn't just about skipping ropes. She did it in honour of her grandfather, the late John Shanahan, a much-loved Lane Cove local who, sadly, passed away from congestive heart failure. Charlotte's determination to support heart health in his name shows maturity and compassion well beyond her years. Her family and our entire community should be very proud of her. Of course, these results don't happen without strong leadership. I'd like to acknowledge Miss Amelia Richards for coordinating this event so successfully and acting principal Mrs Roslyn Gee for fostering a school environment where kids are supported to step up and make a real difference. Well done, Lane Cove West Public School.
date: 2025-11-27T13:36:00+00:00

Le Marche French Market, Jacobson, Mr Kevin George (Col Joye), OAM | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I rise today to acknowledge an outstanding achievement by a much-loved market and a much-loved person in our community, Le Marche French Market and its founder, Solveig Coulon. Last night, at the...
encoded: I rise today to acknowledge an outstanding achievement by a much-loved market and a much-loved person in our community, Le Marche French Market and its founder, Solveig Coulon. Last night, at the French embassy in Canberra, Le Marche was awarded the French-Australian Excellence Award for Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Events. It is national recognition of the contribution this market has made to Australia's cultural life. It is an honour that they have well and truly earned. For those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting it, Le Marche hosts its Sydney market at Woolwich Dock in Hunters Hill. What they've created down there is remarkable. It's not simply a farmers' market; it's a celebration of French culture, creativity and community spirit. Thousands of locals flock to Hunters Hill throughout the year to experience a slice of France—its flavours, its artisans, its music and its warmth. As the chair of the Parliamentary Friends of France group, I've had the privilege of seeing firsthand how cultural events just like this strengthen the relationship between our two nations. Le Marche has become one of Sydney's most vibrant examples of that friendship in action. Solveig's leadership has been central to this success. Her determination, her years of hard work and her deep commitment to community building have created something very unique, and we are so blessed to have it in Bennelong. I congratulate Solveig and the entire Le Marche team for their wonderful recognition last night, and for their commitment to the enduring friendship between Australia and France. I also rise today to acknowledge the life and legacy of Col Joye, a music pioneer, a household name and—for us in Bennelong—a much-loved local from Woolwich. Col was one of the first greats of Australian rock-and-roll. In the late fifties and sixties, his warm voice and cheerful stage presence helped shape a new sound and a new confidence for our country. In 1959, his hit 'Oh Yeah, Uh Huh' became the very f…
date: 2025-11-26T10:24:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate: Medicare | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: It's been nearly a month since Medicare's super Saturday, and it's been a bumper month of bulk-billing in Bennelong. Super Saturday, of course, was 1 November, when Labor's $8.5 billion...
encoded: It's been nearly a month since Medicare's super Saturday, and it's been a bumper month of bulk-billing in Bennelong. Super Saturday, of course, was 1 November, when Labor's $8.5 billion investment into bulk-billing came into force. And get this—in October, Healthdirect showed that Bennelong had nine fully bulk-billing practices, and today I can report to the House that we now have 14 fully bulk-billing practices in Bennelong. From Eastwood to West Ryde, Marsfield to Macquarie Park, Medicare card holders in Bennelong are now even more able to see their doctor without a fee. In exciting news, many of these 14 clinics made the switch from fee-paying to fully bulk-billing. Here is one example. In October, the Myhealth clinic at Top Ryde charged a $35 gap fee for patients to see a GP, but, because of our record investments into Medicare, they went fully bulk-billing from 1 November. Since then, they've seen 6,000 patients who didn't have to pay a fee to see their GP; they were all fully bulk-billed. Under the Liberals, bulk-billing was on life support. They froze rebates and slashed billions of dollars from hospitals. As Kendrick Lamar would say, those Liberals—they not like us. Labor created Medicare, Labor protects Medicare and Labor will always strengthen Medicare.
date: 2025-11-26T13:55:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I am happy to. We've got the Eastwood Hotel, the Bizzo, Moko, Ryedales Tavern, West Ryde Hotel and the Royal Hotel in Ryde. We've got Club Ryde, the Ubar, the Ranch, the Governor, North Ryde RSL,...
encoded: I am happy to. We've got the Eastwood Hotel, the Bizzo, Moko, Ryedales Tavern, West Ryde Hotel and the Royal Hotel in Ryde. We've got Club Ryde, the Ubar, the Ranch, the Governor, North Ryde RSL, the Sawdust Hotel, Hunters Hill Hotel, Bayview Gladesville, the Woolwich Pier Hotel, the Longueville Hotel, the Diddy, Gladesville RSL, the Lane Cove Bowling and Recreational Club—I missed that one, but it's just in the list there for you, Assistant Minister—the Alcott and the Deckhouse. This is good policy for good local businesses. I'd encourage all in this House to support this bill. Then, once that excise freeze comes through, from 1 August 2025, go and celebrate with your community down at your local pub and club.
date: 2025-11-25T19:10:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: And, yes, I have had an election party there, too! I'll take that interjection. We've got Ryedales Tavern in West Ryde, right opposite the station, where I know people drop in to have a beer...
encoded: And, yes, I have had an election party there, too! I'll take that interjection. We've got Ryedales Tavern in West Ryde, right opposite the station, where I know people drop in to have a beer after work and meet with their mates. We've got West Ryde Hotel. It used to be called Mary's. They do a great job. They've got a great venue out the back that community groups can hire for free at their local pub. We've got the Royal Hotel in Ryde, right in the centre near the bus stop. I know that a lot of tradies go there after work to catch up with their mates and have a cold beer. We've got the Ubar at the university. I'm way too old to go to the Ubar now. That's one that I absolutely avoid, but I'm sure they do a great business. We've got the people at the Ranch, who do a great job supporting local sporting clubs. They've hosted a function or two of mine, bringing our community together. They do a fantastic job. The Governor recently hosted a great forum for Labor for Housing actually as well as one of the candidate forms run by the local business chamber. They provide a community service as well. North Ryde RSL do great things. They host sporting clubs up there—a lot of sporting clubs are run under the North Ryde RSL banner. You've got the Sawdust Hotel in Gladesville. The Hunters Hill Hotel is a real meeting point for the local community, and it was only a few days ago that the local community from Hunters Hill and nearby St Joseph's College met there after a really tragic event. They went to the Hunters Hill Hotel to celebrate the life of a young man who lost his life too soon. They were able to gather there and commemorate together. There is the Bayview in Gladesville. I was there the other week playing trivia and came third. It's a great local venue to connect with local communities. We've got the Woolwich Pier Hotel—a great place to have a lunch and meet with mates. I'm going to go through each one here, so I have a few minutes left. I'm going to go through each one, …
date: 2025-11-25T19:10:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise in strong support of these bills, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. For so many Australians, including my community of Bennelong, the local pub...
encoded: I rise in strong support of these bills, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. For so many Australians, including my community of Bennelong, the local pub or club isn't just a business; it's a place where people gather after work, it's where communities come together, it's where members of parliament like myself hold our events, it's where families meet, it's where sporting teams celebrate or commiserate and it's where local musicians get their start. In many suburban pockets across the country and in regional towns as well, the pub is the social anchor for communities right across Australia. It keeps people connected, it provides jobs for local hospo workers, it supports local charities and it sponsors local sporting clubs. And when local venues are under pressure, as they have been for a while now, the community feels it. That's why this legislation matters. It's not just economic policy; it's community policy. Our hospitality sector has been riding wave after wave of pressure and a pandemic that hit venues harder than almost any other industry. They had supply chain shocks. They had rising input costs, from energy to transport to ingredients to labour, during the pandemic. Today, an automatic excise indexation that exists in high-inflation years hits small businesses right in the margins. For a small pub or club, another automatic jump in the excise can mean the difference between that little bit of extra margin in hiring another worker or cutting back their hours, and between keeping the price of a pint stable and having to raise prices again on customers who are already feeling it. These aren't abstract pressures; these are day-to-day realities for thousands of family owned venues across the country. We heard this, we listened and we acted, because publicans, brewers and small businesses that operate at these venues asked for relief—and this is precisely what these bills deliver. The bills will pause the automatic increas…
date: 2025-11-25T19:10:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: That's a big number.
encoded: That's a big number.
date: 2025-11-25T18:55:00+00:00

Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: This motion is yet another example and attempt by those opposite to pretend that Medicare magically started declining the moment they left office, the moment Australians elected the Albanese...
encoded: This motion is yet another example and attempt by those opposite to pretend that Medicare magically started declining the moment they left office, the moment Australians elected the Albanese Labor government to fix it. Australians deserve honesty. Bulk-billing is under pressure today because the coalition froze the Medicare rebate for six years and because the bulk-billing system was neglected for a decade by those opposite. Every GP in Bennelong knows it. Every patient who struggles to get an appointment knows it. Everyone who continues to pay a gap fee knows it. What we on this side of the House won't do is let the opposite rewrite history to cover their own neglect. The biggest driver of rising GP costs wasn't the Albanese Labor government; it was the coalition locking Medicare rebate freezes for six straight years—zero indexation, zero increases, zero support for GPs. Australians, particularly those in Bennelong, aren't buying this weak attempt from the coalition to deflect from their responsibility, and neither is this parliament. We were elected in 2022 and again in 2025 to strengthen Medicare. Medicare was created by Labor, protected by Labor and strengthen by Labor. We've invested $8½ billion to turn around the bulk-billing decline and expand universal access, that real, Australian value of affordable and accessible health care. We tripled the bulk-billing incentive in 2023, the largest investment in bulk-billing at the time, and it worked. There were 6½ extra bulk-billed visits across the country. Bulk-billing was up 3.2 percentage points nationally and 2½ per cent in New South Wales. That policy was directed at concession card holders and under-16s. On 1 November 2025, we extended that incentive to every Medicare card presentation at the GP. We've expanded incentives so that practices who exclusively bulk-bill get a bonus 12½ per cent payment when they do so. This rewards the clinics that are doing the right thing and makes it financially viable for the do…
date: 2025-11-24T18:27:00+00:00

Small Business | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Anyone who has spent time in or around a small business knows the truth: the pressures are real, the hours are long and the loads on families are heavy. Small-business stress doesn't stay in the...
encoded: Anyone who has spent time in or around a small business knows the truth: the pressures are real, the hours are long and the loads on families are heavy. Small-business stress doesn't stay in the shop. It follows owners home. It affects sleep, relationships and, too often, mental health. I know this because, before coming into this place, I ran a small business for 25 years, working in the family business before making the move to federal parliament. I know the stress exists. This reality deserves honesty and respect, and yet here we are debating a motion that takes those real pressures and tries to turn them into a political punchline. We heard some of those political punchlines from the member for Dawson—all fear, no solutions. Small businesses deserve better than these fear campaigns and slogans that the opposition roll out when it comes to small business. They deserve practical support, calm leadership and serious policy, and that is exactly what this government is delivering for small business. In Bennelong, I speak to small-business owners every week, from cafes in Gladesville navigating high merchant service costs for accepting digital payments to family restaurants in Eastwood juggling staffing to big and small tech companies in Macquarie Park struggling to find trained and skilled workers. None of these businesses I speak to are asking for the political theatre that we're seeing from those opposite. They're asking for certainty, for practical support and for government to have their backs through what is a tough economic cycle. And that's what we're doing. Nearly one million small businesses have now accessed targeted energy bill relief—up to $800 in support—since the last budget. Small businesses around the country have accessed our small business energy efficiency grants, upgrading technology in their business just like the IGA supermarket in Epping, who upgraded their equipment to save 30 per cent on their energy costs, or AustGrade Swim School at Top Ryd…
date: 2025-11-24T11:15:00+00:00

Bennelong Electorate: Sport | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: I rise today to celebrate three outstanding sports clubs right across my electorate of Bennelong. I'd first like to welcome home the Ryde Dragon Boat Club's Auroras, who represented Australia at...
encoded: I rise today to celebrate three outstanding sports clubs right across my electorate of Bennelong. I'd first like to welcome home the Ryde Dragon Boat Club's Auroras, who represented Australia at the 17th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Germany recently. Seventeen young individuals engaged in a rigorous training schedule, which they managed alongside school, work and interpersonal commitments. This year, the championships were the largest ever, with 4,000 athletes from 33 countries. Almost all of the Ryde Dragon Boat Club's Auroras who were competing achieved a bronze, silver or gold medal, with some participants being as young as 16. And this was a club that only started during COVID—a young club, sending athletes across the world, winning gold, silver and bronze for Australia. Congratulations to them. It's so important to recognise that these events, and all this training and this travel, cannot happen without the dedication of families, volunteers and staff, including head coach George Dimech and chair Corina Wotherspoon, so a massive shout-out to them. And it doesn't stop there. I can let the House know that the Lane Cove Swim Club, based at the Lane Cove aquatic centre, was recently named Club of the Year in the metropolitan category by Swimming New South Wales. This 2025 accolade comes hot on the heels of their huge win in 2024, where they were crowned Australian swim club of the year. Whilst these are outstanding testaments to the club's extraordinary approach, they come as no surprise. The Lane Cove Swim Club has grown exponentially since COVID and has quickly become the largest club in New South Wales and the third-largest swim club in Australia. The club has produced champions who personify the bright future of swimming, like national medallists Eliza Damian and Harrison Reid. President Joshua Baker, who led his team to its accolades, was asked how the club achieved its feats, and he said that they're not there for the widespread fame and fortune;…
date: 2025-11-05T19:55:00+00:00

Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government focused on delivering the benefits of renewable energy to Australian families? Why is focusing...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government focused on delivering the benefits of renewable energy to Australian families? Why is focusing on the needs of Australians so important, and what are the risks to affordable and reliable energy?
date: 2025-11-05T14:17:00+00:00