Henry Pike's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Bowman Electorate: Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
Australia Day holds a special place in the heart of the people of my electorate. In the Redlands, we celebrate our national day unashamedly and with immense pride. This year was no exception....
Australia Day holds a special place in the heart of the people of my electorate. In the Redlands, we celebrate our national day unashamedly and with immense pride. This year was no exception. Across the Redlands, families came together to mark what it means to live in the greatest country on earth. In Cleveland I had the privilege of being part of a wonderful citizenship ceremony where around 150 new Australians formally joined our national family. At Raby Bay I hosted a massive community barbecue. We had so many turn out that we had to send out multiple times for more sausages, and we couldn't keep up with the demand from local patriots celebrating with family and friends. It was Australian flags everywhere along the bayside beaches and kids running around in green and gold. It was relaxed and joyful. It was Redlands on Australia Day, unmistakably. But Australia Day is also a time to recognise service. Redland City Council did exactly that through the 2026 Redlands Coast Australia Day Awards, which honoured locals who give freely of their time, energy and expertise to make our community even stronger. Sixteen individuals and organisations were recognised across eight categories. Together, they represent the very best of my community. Senior Citizen of the Year Tony Christinson has been instrumental in the growth and success of the Donald Simpson Centre in Cleveland over many years. Tony has given countless volunteer hours as a board member and former chair, strengthening governance, improving facilities and expanding programs that combat social isolation amongst older Redlanders. Young Citizen of the Year Malakai Keen is an outstanding example of the next generation of community leaders coming through. With more than 1,500 hours of service in the Redlands SES, Malakai has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to service, responsibility and community safety well beyond his years. Community organisations acknowledged include Redlands Coast Museum, the Rotary clubs of Capalaba and Wellington Point, Play It Forward and the Mt Cotton Riders Alliance. They each, in their own way, strengthen our community and reflect the values we celebrate on Australia Day. Finally, I want to pay tribute to the Redlands Citizen of the Year, Col Sutcliffe OAM. Col's service spans decades and touches almost every part of community life in the Redlands. Through his leadership with Rotary, STAR Community Services and Mangrove Housing, Col has championed literacy, inclusion, aged-care services and affordable housing for some of our most vulnerable residents. He also did a wonderful job last year helping to organise our Victory in the Pacific celebrations, which hold very large local significance for the Redlands as the place where the first messages of Japanese surrender came to Australia and were passed on to Allied headquarters. Australia Day in the Redlands is about celebrating service and belonging, and this year, once again, Redlanders showed exactly that.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
There are moments in the life of a nation that divide time into before and after—moments that lodge themselves in our collective memory not just because we choose to remember them but...
There are moments in the life of a nation that divide time into before and after—moments that lodge themselves in our collective memory not just because we choose to remember them but because we cannot forget them. Tragically, 14 December 2025 will be one of those dates. In a place where so many millions of Australians and tourists have gathered so often without fear, violence arrived without warning. In an instant, that normality was shattered, families were torn apart and a community that had done nothing to invite harm was changed forever. The Hebrew scriptures begin with a radical claim: that every human being is made in the image of God. That idea is a foundation of Jewish moral thought and of Western civilisation itself. Violence against the innocent is not merely a crime; it is an assault on that image, the denial of human dignity at its most basic level and an affront to God himself. That is what Australians felt when they watched the events of Bondi unfold: shock, grief, and the quiet, unmistakable realisation that something precious had been violated. Today this parliament gathers to mourn, to honour the lives that were lost, but also to speak with honesty about the evil that was done, because remembrance without truth is not remembrance at all. Let me start by making this point: Jewish Australians are not guests in this country. They are part of its very foundation. There were Jewish Australians, of course, on the First Fleet. Jewish families helped build this nation from its earliest days. They worked, they served, they sacrificed and they contributed to Australia's civic, commercial, cultural and military life at every stage of our history. The greatest Australian this country has ever produced was a Jewish Australian. Sir John Monash was not only a brilliant general; he was a nation builder and a defender of our institutions who helped shape the Australia we inherit. In the course of the last parliamentary term, the member for Macnamara and I respectively chaired and co-chaired the inquiry by the human rights committee into antisemitism on campus, and one thing that I was shocked by was that the University of Melbourne, a university that John Monash attended and was the vice-chancellor of, is a place where Jewish students now feel harassed and feel unsafe. I think that 100 years have passed and we've gone backwards. It's a shame. It's a national shame. To attack Jewish Australians is to attack Australia itself. What happened at Bondi was not random. It was not detached from ideas. These were not deaths from some natural disaster or a road accident. These killings carry a far darker moral responsibility. They were the product of belief, intention and choice. Violence like this does not come from nowhere. It grows where hatred is excused, where extremism is indulged and where antisemitism is tolerated rather than being recognised for what it is: a poison. Bondi is the terrible endpoint of that moral failure. We owe it to the victims not to sanitise this reality. Radical Islam is a real and present driver of extremist violence across the world. Naming it is not an attack on peaceful Muslim Australians, the overwhelming majority of whom live decent lives and reject violence. It is a necessary distinction, because an ideology that glorifies murder does not shrink when it is ignored; it grows. To be antisemitic is to be anti-Australian. It must be removed deliberately, not tolerated quietly. It must be challenged in our institutions, confronted in our schools and universities and denied any refuge in our public life and in all our communities. This is not a new standard we are inventing. This is the oldest standard that we have. Australia is a country built on the belief that every human life has equal worth, that the innocent are not collateral, that disagreement never justifies violence and that faith is never an excuse for murder. Most Australians still hold these values quietly, instinctively and firmly. We saw that in the courage of bystanders, in the professionalism of police and emergency workers and in the collective grief of an outraged nation in the days and weeks that followed. That instinct must now be matched by resolve. May the victims rest in peace, may their families find comfort, and may this nation have the moral courage to learn, to act and to rededicate itself to the protection of the Australian people and Australian values.
Treaties Joint Committee; Report | Committees | House debates
by leave—I echo the comments of the member for Bendigo thanking the amazing committee secretariat for the work they've done this year. Like the member for Bendigo, I served on the committee...
by leave—I echo the comments of the member for Bendigo thanking the amazing committee secretariat for the work they've done this year. Like the member for Bendigo, I served on the committee across both terms, and they do a fantastic job—not least of which on Report 230: amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005), which saw a phenomenal amount of public interest. I rise to make some additional comments on behalf of coalition members on this report. Australia has a strong record of constructive engagement in global health cooperation, and coordinated action in genuine emergencies has clear value. While temporary recommendations from the World Health Organization are described as non-binding, we know that any refusal would bring intense international and political pressure. The committee received a significant number of public submissions expressing doubts about the performance, independence and governance culture of the World Health Organization. Coalition members note recent incidents which provide grounds for concern, including the removal of the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific in 2023 over serious misconduct, the removal of the WHO Syria representative in 2022 for corruption and fraud and the decision by the current WHO director-general to admit former Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador. Coalition members recognise the value of multilateral institutions but remain troubled by the lack of clear mechanisms to ensure that WHO leadership, internal politics or external influences do not colour decisions that Australia would be expected to follow. Financial implications of these amended regulations also remain unclear. While not technically mandating new contributions, the practical expectation would be for Australia to increase funding and expand domestic capabilities. Most alarming is the requirement for countries to address so-called misinformation and disinformation, without clear definitions. This opens the door to potential restrictions on freedom of expression in this country. Australia's pandemic response must be improved, not outsourced. Any future agreement must protect our sovereign decision-making, ensure parliamentary oversight and guarantee full transparency. We strongly support international cooperation, but it must never come at the cost of sovereignty, accountability, fiscal responsibility or Australia's fundamental and inherent freedoms. We trust the federal government will keep these principles paramount in all treaties we subscribe to.
Pensions and Benefits | Constituency Statements | House debates
More than 200,000 Australians, many living within my electorate in the Redlands, spent part of their working lives in the United Kingdom. They contributed to the system, they paid their national...
More than 200,000 Australians, many living within my electorate in the Redlands, spent part of their working lives in the United Kingdom. They contributed to the system, they paid their national insurance contributions and they earned the British state pension. Unlike the Australian age pension, the British state pension functions more like a superannuation scheme. It is an entitlement purchased through years of compulsory contributions made by workers and their employers. Yet, for those who choose to retire in Australia, that entitlement is frozen at the moment that they receive it. There is no annual increase, no inflation adjustment and no recognition of rising living costs—nothing. A pension that might start at 155 pounds a week in 2016 stays at 155 pounds forever. Over time, it's not just inconvenient—it's devastating. In real terms, many retirees have seen the value of their pensions cut in half. What makes this even more unjust is that this policy is not applied universally. Pensioners living in the United States, across Europe and in six other Commonwealth countries have their payments automatically indexed every year. But Australians, who are among Britain's most loyal, longstanding and dependable partners, are singled out for inferior treatment by having their pensions frozen. Bernie from Alexandra Hills wrote to my office about this. He left home at the age of 16 to serve in the British army, where he served for 11 years before emigrating to Australia. He went on to serve for 20 years in the Queensland Police Service. When he turned 65, he claimed a part British pension. He was given 45 pounds a week at the age of 65, and that is exactly what he's on today at the age of 80. This is not only unfair for the individuals who earned these pensions; it's also costly to Australia. As their frozen pensions fail to keep pace with living expenses, many of these retirees must rely more heavily on our own social support systems. Our government estimates that Britain's frozen pension policy costs Australian taxpayers over $100 million every year. For these reasons, this issue is something that the federal government should be taking up directly with the United Kingdom government at every opportunity. I certainly took the opportunity recently, when a UK parliamentary delegation was here, to raise some of these issues with them. It is discrimination, plain and simple. It is unacceptable and not the way for a friend to treat the people of a nation that has stood beside them in war, in peace and in partnership. These Australians deserve far better. My heart goes out to many British people who are mourning their cricket team's loss earlier this week, but can we say this simply is not cricket It is not fair and it is not a way to treat a loyal and longstanding friend.
Our hospitals are caring for many people who should not be there—not because they're unwell, not because they require acute medical treatment, but because they have nowhere else for them to...
Our hospitals are caring for many people who should not be there—not because they're unwell, not because they require acute medical treatment, but because they have nowhere else for them to go. In my community of the Redlands, 60 elderly men and women are stuck in hospital beds they simply do not need. They are medically fit for discharge and their treatment is complete, but they remain in acute wards designed for the critically unwell because there are no aged-care beds available to take them. This is being repeated in hospitals across Queensland and right across the country. These Australians are stranded because of a shortage of aged-care and disability placement beds—a shortage that sits squarely within the responsibility of the federal Labor government. These people should be in dedicated facilities where they can receive proper support. Instead, they are confined to acute hospital wards for no reason other than a system that has failed to provide them an alternative. Warwick, from Victoria Point, wrote to me recently to share the story of his wife. His wife was admitted to Redland Hospital in early September and remains there today—not because she needs hospital-level care but because no aged-care placements are available. Despite completing the entire My Aged Care application process and meeting all the requirements, Warwick has been confronted with an impossible choice—selling the family home to have a chance of securing a place for his wife. Right now, it appears his wife will be forced to stay in hospital indefinitely. Let me be clear about the scale of this issue. According to the GEN Aged Care report from March 2025, Australia has around 223,000 residential aged-care places spread across 2,600 facilities. On top of that, we have more than 299,000 Australians receiving a home-care package, but Senate estimates in October revealed that over 120,000 people are still waiting for the level of care they have already been approved for. National Seniors Australia reports that the longest delays are for those needing level 3 and level 4 high-care packages. Australians needing the most help are waiting 12 to 15 months, sometimes longer, for support that has already been assessed as essential. When an elderly person can't get a home-care package, when a bed in a residential aged-care facility isn't available, when a provider can't staff the beds they have, there is nowhere else to stay but the hospital. Yet every one of these occupied beds has consequences. It places additional strain on nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who are already working under enormous pressure. It adds to the growing queues of families waiting for their loved ones to receive essential surgery. It affects every person who dials triple 0 only to find ambulances ramped outside hospitals with no available beds. The Albanese Labor government are failing older Redlanders and older Australians across our entire country. Earlier this year, the coalition had to shame the government into releasing 83,000 additional home-care places that they promised and that should have been available from 1 July—yet by September not a single extra place had been delivered. It was months of secrecy, broken promises and a waiting list that had blown out to more than 108,000, which is a 400 per cent increase in just two years. Their explanation? That the sector wasn't ready. But that claim simply wasn't true. Providers, peak bodies and advocacy organisations all made it clear that they were ready and willing to deliver care. After days of sustained questioning, the coalition forced Labor to back down and release 20,000 long-delayed home-care packages immediately, with a commitment to release the full 83,000 by the end of the financial year. It was only after the coalition exposed the inaction of the government that they finally began releasing the in-home care packages that Australian seniors desperately needed. One local Redlands resident—Michael, from Birkdale—wrote to me about the severe delays in receiving his approved level 2 home-care package. He described the government as 'incompetent and heartless'. Sadly, his experience echoes what many older Australians are facing. Victoria from Capalaba contacted my office questioning: What happens to the forgotten ones who need help but cannot access it? Matt from Cleveland wrote to me about the My Aged Care system, advocating on behalf of his parents. He wrote, 'It's absolutely disgraceful it has taken over 12 months to get to the stage where my parents were approved for a level 2 and now at least a further six months for the government to release the funds.' It's time to call it out again. Our communities deserve better, our healthcare workers deserve better and, above all, older Australians deserve the dignity, certainty and appropriate care that they deserve.
Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
I move: That this House notes that: (1) families across Australia are paying the price for the Government's broken promises on Medicare, with out of pocket general practitioner (GP) costs now...
I move: That this House notes that: (1) families across Australia are paying the price for the Government's broken promises on Medicare, with out of pocket general practitioner (GP) costs now almost $50 on average; (2) the former Government left office with bulk billing rates at almost 90 per cent and lower GP out of pocket costs; (3) the Prime Minister has broken his promise that Australians would only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, with costs continuing to rise and bulk billing continuing to plummet in 32 electoral divisions; (4) only 13 per cent of metropolitan clinics have signed up to the Government's bulk billing program, with local GP practices struggling under the Government's rising cost of doing business crisis, including skyrocketing energy bills and rent; and (5) the Government is using Medicare as a political football while ignoring the real pressures facing patients and GPs, leaving families in Australia saying it has never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. Families across Australia are paying the price for the Albanese Labor government's broken promises on Medicare. Labor's new bulk-billing policy is already unravelling. Figures released by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing reveal that just 13 per cent of metropolitan GP clinics have signed up to Labor's new bulk-billing program. That means the vast majority of Australian will still face out-of-pocket costs when visiting their local doctor, costs which health department officials admit now average almost $50 per visit and are expected to continue to rise. When the Prime Minister stood before Australians and promised that all you'd need to see your doctor was your Medicare card, he gave a commitment of affordability and access. The reality has proven very different. Under Labor, more and more Australians are finding that they also need their credit card because GP costs are at record highs. Since the coalition left office, Labor's mismanagement of Medicare has seen bulk-billing collapse across the country, including in my electorate within the Redlands, where it has fallen from 84.7 per cent under the coalition to just 71 per cent today. Only 1,051 of Australia's 6,940 GP practices have joined Labor's new incentive scheme. Why? Because, like many small businesses, local clinics are struggling under Labor's cost-of-doing-business crisis, with sky-rocketing energy, higher rents and insufficient rebates that simply don't cover the real cost of providing quality care. One GP clinic in Cleveland, within my electorate, recently emailed its patients to tell them exactly why they could not afford to join Labor's new plan. Their email reads: While we support initiatives that aim to improve access to healthcare, the new program does not provide the level of funding required to cover the true cost of providing high-quality, comprehensive GP medical care. The Medicare rebates, even with the new incentives, continue to fall well short of the cost of delivering the time, expertise, equipment, and staff support involved in your care. Signing up, they told patients, would mean shorter appointments, rushed consultations and compromised care. So, instead, they've chosen to remain with private billing to protect the quality and time their patients deserve. The Queensland president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Nick Yim, said in October: We all know across the country expenses are increasing. That includes mortgages, electricity, staff wages, insurances. And obviously, when we see these rebates, if they're not keeping in touch with the cost of living expenses, it just means that we cannot bulk bill everyone. … … … we also know that our population is getting older, diseases are increasing, becoming more complex, and we do want to incentivise those longer consultations for those increased complexity as well. We want to incentivise taking the time, seeing the patients and for those long consultations. It is clear that Labor's cost-of-living crisis is largely to blame for the inability of many GPs to sign up to the bulk-billing scheme. The bulk-billing scheme does not give GPs the ability to take the longer consultations they need to understand increasingly complex health issues. This is encouraging shortcuts and a preference for quantity over quality when it comes to receiving health care. When you or your child gets sick, you shouldn't have to check your bank balance before seeing a doctor. But that's exactly what more and more families in my electorate and right across Australia are having to do. I've heard from a single mother in Wellington Point forced to choose between petrol and a check-up. A retiree in Victoria Point recently contacted me, outlining that she's delaying an appointment because she simply can't afford it. And a young family from Russell Island who I met recently told me they're now forced to travel deep into Logan, quite a distance from Russell Island, just to find a bulk-billing clinic. These are the real stories of real Australians being failed by this government and its promises to strengthen Medicare. Unfortunately, it's only become harder and more expensive to see a doctor. Australians deserve a government that delivers solutions, not spin. The Prime Minister must stop using Medicare as a political slogan and start addressing the real pressures facing patients and GPs. They deserve a health system that rewards doctors for time and care. It's time for Labor to listen to the families, clinics and communities crying out for support. Australians deserve more than just broken promises and political slogans. They deserve affordable and accessible health care. That's what my motion is calling for, and I commend it to the House.
Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
As I was saying, the changes that the government are proposing through this legislation will reward delay and dysfunction, and I was explaining an example of an FOI request that I made recently....
As I was saying, the changes that the government are proposing through this legislation will reward delay and dysfunction, and I was explaining an example of an FOI request that I made recently. The government waited until the final day before asking for additional time. This happens all the time, and, unfortunately, what these proposals would do is only make that worse. It will extend the timeframes and make the system slower and less accountable. We're also seeing a complete lack of public support for this bill. Every major integrity and transparency body has condemned this bill; none support it. I'll run through a few of those examples a bit later. It also contradicts Labor's integrity pledges. There was a lot made by this government in the lead-up to the last election, and the election before that, about transparency. Unfortunately, this is just delivering secrecy. Non-disclosure agreements have become part and parcel of the way this government conducts business and conducts consultation with outside groups. We're seeing secret estimates manuals, and document refusals have become the norm. I think it's extra hypocritical that the government are bringing these forward when we've had so much comment from them in the lead-up to these elections about trying to restore and improve integrity, accountability and transparency. I fear that this will damage public trust. Secrecy undermines democracy and prevents Australians from forming informed opinions about government. The FOI process is an important part of public trust. Anything that waters that down, making it less transparent and more secret, is not going to assist in building public trust around the federal government. This bill will also increase bureaucracy and legal complexity by introducing new thresholds, exemptions and caps. This is going to lead to more disputes, more appeals, more time tied up asking for appeals and reviews of decisions and far less transparency. I want to read from an open letter, an advertisement, that was put in recently by a range of different groups who are all voicing their opposition to what the government here is proposing. This has been signed by the following groups: the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom, the Centre for Public Integrity, the Human Rights Law Centre, the Grata Fund and the Whistleblower Justice Fund. I'll read it verbatim because I think it's important that we understand where these groups are standing on this important area of government policy and also these reforms the government's proposing. They have written: Freedom of information is a cornerstone of our democracy. I think it's hard to argue with that. It certainly is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it's something that's utilised by so many different groups and media outlets to try to get to the bottom of government decision-making. I'll continue: As voters, the Australian people must know what governments are doing. Without transparency, corruption remains hidden and public interest journalism goes unreported. While Australia's existing FOI Act is in desperate need of updating, the Government's proposed FOI Amendment Bill fails to provide the necessary structural solutions. Instead, it will make things worse, by making it harder to access information and creating more secrecy in government, not less. I'll repeat that: more secrecy in government, not less. The Bill's process also represents a grave integrity failure, with no public consultation or attempt to address the real issues applicants face with the current regime. The government has also refused to provide Parliament and the public with any evidence to justify this move to secrecy. P assage of this B ill would represent the greatest attack on transparency since the FOI Act was established. We call on the Albanese government to withdraw the seriously flawed Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 and urgently establish an independent and comprehensive review of Australia's freedom of information regime. I think it's important to share that because it demonstrates what a lot of groups outside of this building are saying about these amendments. We've also had criticism from the Australian Lawyers Alliance. They have observed that the government has tried to defend the changes within this legislation, noting that they're concerned about the impact that hostile foreign governments might have on the FOI process. The Australian Lawyers Alliance say: … hostile foreign governments, big business and other well-resourced applicants will have no problems in meeting the $50 fees contemplated (but not yet published) and therefore such a fee will have no deterrent effect on these applications. They also noted the processing cap and said: … An obvious flaw in this system is with respect to how the proposed 40-hour ceiling would be calculated. The Bill does not make clear whether the cap applies to a single decision maker's processing time, or whether it is cumulative across multiple public servants. In practice, the ceiling could be reached quickly, where a decision is reviewed at multiple levels within an agency, or where consultation with the Minister or third parties is required. Without clear guidance and external scrutiny, applicants would have no way of verifying whether an agency's estimate is genuine and reasonable. That's already a flaw within the current system. There is a lack of transparency around the current system on whether an agency's decision has been reached objectively. This of course would provide another area of confusion and another area where these agencies would have a greater ability to hold things up, and applicants will not be able to tell whether it's genuine or not. The Law Council of Australia have also taken exception to the processing cap. They said: … in practice, the impact of the processing cap will be heavily influenced by the efficiency, resourcing, and technological capability of individual agencies. Agencies with well-developed information management systems and experienced FOI teams may be better placed to process large or complex requests within the cap, whereas less-resourced agencies may be more likely to rely on the cap as a basis for practical refusal. This could result in inconsistent access outcomes across government, potentially undermining the objectives of the FOI Act. Crikey, of course, provided a submission as well. It said: The government's Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 purports "to improve the operation of the FOI framework". From our perspective as a small independent news outlet, it does the very opposite. I think that's a sentiment shared by many different media outlets in this building and beyond this building. The Australian Press Council, in its submission, said: Access to information is a fundamental democratic right and should not be contingent on financial means. Application and review fees pose a significant barrier for freelance journalists, smaller outlets, academics, and civil society groups. Evidence suggests that individuals are far less likely to pursue reviews when fees are imposed, effectively excluding them from scrutiny. This results in a two-tier system where large media organisations can pursue appeals, but community and independent journalists cannot. I'll give an example of this. I spoke in the chamber yesterday about the great work undertaken by the Australian Remembrance Army, who are a very small group of volunteers who do a lot of very important work in researching information around unmarked World War I veterans graves within my electorate and across greater Brisbane. They've been using FOI requests to try to get information and Department of Veterans' Affairs records on how they've been maintaining war graves. If they had to provide this fee for every FOI request that they make, that cost would add up. It's not just big media organisations or big business that need to make FOI requests. Sometimes it's individuals who are making requests in relation to their own information; at other times it's small community groups who need to get a certain aspect of government information that's not publicly available. Any extra fee that we impose on them is another barrier to entry, and I don't think that that's the direction we should be heading in. We should have a process where we have greater transparency, greater accountability and less secrecy around the whole process. One of my colleagues who spoke on the bill talked about letting the sunlight in. That's so important. Transparency is critical. The coalition will oppose the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 in the House because we believe that it ignores the key recommendations from the 2023 Senate inquiry, particularly those in relation to resourcing, timeframes and cultural issues within the Office of Australian Information Commissioner; it imposes new barriers, such as fees and the ban on anonymous requests, that reduce access and discourage legitimate applications; and it expands the grounds for refusing information, especially through new broad exemptions on cabinet and deliberate processes. This speaks for itself. There is so much opposition to this bill that the government should seriously reconsider it.
I am not surprised at all that there is a level of confusion around this Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 and where we are up to in the debate because it has been a bit like a yo-yo...
I am not surprised at all that there is a level of confusion around this Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 and where we are up to in the debate because it has been a bit like a yo-yo going back and forth between this place and the chamber downstairs. I think that is a bit emblematic of the government 's approach to this legislation. Unfortunately, we are seeing a bill here that is, I think, relatively friendless. There is great support, I am sure, from the government and the government backbenchers but very little support from my side of the chamber, the crossbench or even anyone out there in civil society who has made comment on this bill so far. What we are seeing in this bill is something that weakens the transparency measures around government processes, it entrenches secrecy and it reduces accountability, and that is something we certainly cannot support. Unfortunately, we are seeing the government rush this bill, and the antics of seeing it go back and forth between our debating chambers is indicative of that. The government have rushed this bill through. They are ignoring the 2023 Senate FOI inquiry and without advancing credible national security measures. We have also seen this bill introduced without consultation. Unfortunately, it undermines transparency and democratic accountability. It moves FOI from a presumption of openness to a presumption of control. Australians will see only the announcements and never the debates that lead to them. Unfortunately, it also creates a truth tax, and we see a lot of opposition to that from not just civil society groups but also from those whose job it is to also hold the government to account—that is, our media. By imposing application fees and processing caps, Australians will have to pay for access to information that already belongs to them. We are also seeing a lot of criticism of this bill, that it will silence whistleblowers and it will prevent vulnerable applicants from being able to access information. It bans anonymous requests, which strips away protections for those who fear retaliation. That is an area I will focus on a bit later in my remarks as well. It is critical we do allow those anonymous requests because people do at times require the protection of an anonymity to be able to make these requests and get to the bottom of things, and I will touch on that a bit later. The bill also expands secrecy around cabinet advice. New clauses will allow agencies to block access to any document that describes or refers to cabinet material and to classify factual briefs as deliberative to keep them hidden. Anyone who has had anything to do with making freedom of information requests before will understand that inherent grey area between what is cabinet material and what is not. I have certainly had quite a bit of experience in lodging freedom of information requests. I have worked for a number of industry associations over the years where I have had to make FOI requests, and, being a member of parliament, I have made a number of freedom of information requests not only to the federal government but also to the Queensland state government as well. It has been interesting to draw a parallel between the different systems. It has always been a benefit of the federal government systems that they have always been cheaper, more transparent and clearer than what the state government offers. I recall one particularly bad incident when I was requesting a rather simple bit of information from the Queensland government in relation to a helipad which had been closed and was being utilised to withdraw patients from Stradbroke Island in my electorate. It had been closed under unusual circumstances. We have gotten to the bottom of it now but it took me about two years to find out a clear answer from the state government. I fear the changes these laws will implement will provide that same labyrinth, that same level of complexity, to federal FOI requests as well. I This bill also rewards delays and dysfunction. We already see agencies that breach FOI timeframes all the time. In fact, I had one last year where an agency requested more time to be able to meet their FOI request and were unable to make it.
Veterans | Grievance Debate | House debates
Australia's story has been written by the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our nation's uniform. They have served in war and peace, at home and abroad, carrying the weight...
Australia's story has been written by the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our nation's uniform. They have served in war and peace, at home and abroad, carrying the weight of our flag and our values. Every one of them deserves to be remembered not only for the battles they fought but for the lives that they built after returning home. More than 103,000 Australians gave their lives in service and countless others came back bearing scars that never truly healed. Too often their memory fades over time. Across our cemeteries the resting places of too many veterans are unmarked and forgotten. Their stories and their service risks being lost to history. That is where the Australian Remembrance Army comes in, led by volunteers Katrina Trevethan, an expert genealogist, and Cate Walker, a graduate in cemetery practice. These amazing women give their time and energy to restore dignity to those who served. They identify unmarked graves, research their records and ensure that as many veterans as possible are properly recognised for their contribution to this country. In Cleveland Cemetery, within my electorate, their work has uncovered 19 previously unmarked graves of servicemen from the world wars. The discoveries bring the total number of known veterans buried there to 421. It is slow, careful work, but it matters deeply. It builds off the amazing work that they've undertaken at Lutwyche and Brisbane cemeteries, where they have located approximately 1,500 World War I veterans in unmarked graves. To proceed with marking a veteran's grave, permission must be sought from a confirmed descendant. To give you a sense of the scale of this effort, one veteran buried in the Cleveland Cemetery had no children. The researchers therefore had to trace the lines through 12 of their siblings until a great-great-grand-nephew and a great-great-great-grand-niece were both located living in Canada. It is painstaking work undertaken on a voluntary basis to ensure that these heroes are given the honour that they deserve. Through the research work of the Australian Remembrance Army, they've also uncovered many unmarked graves that should have been commemorated by Veterans' Affairs many years ago through longstanding commitments to provide headstones to any veterans who succumbed to the injuries that they sustained during their war service. It is a shame that it takes the efforts of volunteer researchers to point out to DVA where they have failed to achieve their mission over so many decades. Other groups across the country involved in this work include Forgotten Diggers Inc., the Longreach Archival and Historical Research Group, Friends of Toowong Cemetery, the Waroona Historical Society, the WA 10th Light Horse Organisation, the Friends of Balmoral Cemetery and the Headstone Project. Under the former coalition government, funding was provided to help groups like the Remembrance Army honour these veterans properly. A total of $3.7 million was committed after a successful pilot that placed more than 1,100 markers on unrecognised graves. Before the 2022 election, Labor promised to match that funding, but once in government they walked away from that promise. Their first budget reduced the amount to $1.5 million over four years, and it has since been cut again to just $437,000. To put that in perspective, only $18,000 was spent last year to mark 42 graves. While the latest round of funding from the Albanese government delivered $107,000 in funding to mark the graves of 182 First World War veterans, it is too little and far too few. At that rate, it would take the federal government 280 years to finish recognising all the veterans of the First World War who lie in unmarked graves, and that is before we even begin to consider the tens of thousands from the Second World War who also deserve that recognition. This is not the respect that these veterans deserve. The most concerning aspect uncovered by these researchers is not the quantum of unmarked veteran graves or the slow pace of government to resolve the issue. The most concerning aspect uncovered by these researchers is a sanctioned historical government program that deliberately stripped veterans' graves of their official headstones in the name of administrative convenience. Experts in the field have advised me that, halfway through the last century, the former Anzac Office of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission engaged in a program of decommissioning the headstones of Australian veterans to reduce maintenance costs. Under this program, original upright headstones were removed and replaced with simple tin plaques. Some, however, remain completely unmarked. I contend that this policy failed to treat these veterans with the dignity and respect that they deserved. This is one of those episodes in our national story where we see government decisions made with what were believed to be good intentions only for history to reveal them as mistakes. The maintenance of headstones for the graves of Australian service men and women, people who fought in the service of their country, should never have been reduced to an accounting exercise. I wrote to the veterans affairs minister earlier this year in the interests of transparency and historical accountability and sought answers on this practice. I asked: When did this program begin, and when did it end? What was the policy rationale behind this program? Are there any documents detailing the decision-making processes? How many headstones were removed, and how many tin plaques were installed in their place? Can a list of affected graves, including the names and locations, be made available to assist researchers in their commemorative work? The minister's response, while polite, was disappointingly bureaucratic. It confirmed what many have suspected—that the practice did occur, that it was known to successive governments and that it was quietly signed off on by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 1972. What it did not provide was accountability. There was no figure on how many graves were affected, no explanation of the criteria for declaring a grave unmaintainable and no evidence that families were properly consulted and that their consent was ever sought. Freedom of information requests made by advocates in the veterans' graves space have also failed to uncover the scale or specifics of this practice. I don't blame the minister or the government for this. They haven't provided clear answers, because the information just isn't available. It seems to me that the historic records of this practice, the practice of Australian governments destroying Australian veterans' headstones, have not been maintained over the decades. It leaves us with an inherent challenge. We don't know how many were affected or when or where this occurred. It will take extensive efforts to get to the bottom of it. We cannot undo what has been done, but we can make it right. I'm calling on the Commonwealth to formally acknowledge that this practice was a historical wrong. It should commission a full public report into the practice of grave decommissioning, publish a full register of affected veterans and where possible restore the original commemorations to their proper resting places. These Australians did their duty for this country. It is time their country did its duty for them. This issue is of great concern to many in my community, who believe that preserving veterans' memorials is a matter of national respect and duty. Our veterans deserve better than to be forgotten in unmarked earth. They deserve a nation that remembers their service with pride in life and in death. I also contend that the government needs to go beyond just correcting this historical wrong. I'm also calling for the Commonwealth to supercharge the Marking (First World War) Private Graves Grants Program so that we can have all graves commemorated by 2028—the 110th anniversary of the Armistice. We should commit ourselves to a marking Second World War private graves grants program that could see all unmarked veterans graves completed by the centenary of the Second World War in 2039. To achieve this, we must back our words with real support. Volunteer groups across the country are already doing the painstaking work of identifying, researching and restoring forgotten graves, but they're doing it on a shoestring. If we are serious about completing this task by 2039, the Commonwealth must invest properly in these community driven efforts. Funding should be made available not just for the physical commemoration of the graves but for the research, verification and administration that underpin it. This would represent a step change in pace and ambition, delivering in next 15 years what the current approach would take many decades to finish. No matter whether they fell in service or not, every Australian who fought to defend our nation deserves to be honoured. Australia's promise to those who served has never been just about medals or parades or ceremonies once or twice a year. It is about remembrance—real, lasting remembrance—written in stone and carried in the national consciousness. These men and women did not hesitate when their country called. The least we can do is ensure that their names are not lost to time or bureaucracy. Let us be the generation that corrects this wrong. Let us ensure that every Australian who fought in these wars is known, remembered and honoured.
Housing | Questions without Notice | House debates
We're halfway through, but the point of order is on relevance. I did ask the Prime Minister about his—
My question is to the Prime Minister. Labor's housing policies are failing. Under Labor's $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, just 567 of the promised 40,000 social or affordable homes...
My question is to the Prime Minister. Labor's housing policies are failing. Under Labor's $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, just 567 of the promised 40,000 social or affordable homes have been completed, and now it is being audited by the national auditor. The chair of Housing Australia has resigned after bullying allegations, and the government fell short of its construction targeted by 66,000 homes last year. Does the Prime Minister accept that his government is building fewer homes and has made housing affordability worse?
Bowman Electorate: National Police Remembrance Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
I recently had the honour of attending the National Police Remembrance Day service hosted by the Redlands branch of the Queensland Retired Police Association. Each year on 29 September, we pause...
I recently had the honour of attending the National Police Remembrance Day service hosted by the Redlands branch of the Queensland Retired Police Association. Each year on 29 September, we pause to honour and remember the men and women of our police services who have lost their lives in the line of duty. It is always a solemn occasion—a time for reflection, gratitude and deep respect for those who served our communities with courage, integrity and unwavering commitment. Redlands community members came together not only to mourn those we have lost but also to celebrate the lives they lived and the legacies that they leave behind. Those we honoured were more than police officers; they were parents, partners, friends and colleagues. They were people who chose a life of service, guided by a deep sense of duty and compassion. They wore the blue uniform with pride, dedicating themselves to protecting others, often in the face of great risk and uncertainty to themselves. Their courage reminds us of the selflessness at the heart of policing, and their sacrifice reminds us of the true cost of public service. A total of 151 Queensland police officers have fallen in the line of duty since 1861. At the National Police Memorial in Canberra, down the road here, 832 fallen officers from across the country are now honoured. We owe a continuing debt of gratitude to each of them and to their families, who carry their memory with strength and grace. These families remind us that behind every officer is a network of people who also bear the weight of their service with quiet pride and unwavering support. During the service in the Redlands, we also acknowledged the men and women currently serving in the Queensland Police Service and in police forces across our region. Their professionalism, their compassion and their dedication keep our communities safe and uphold the proud traditions of those who came before them. I'd like to thank Mark Stiles, the president of the Queensland Retired Police Association Redlands Branch and his committee, as well as Andy Young and other members of the local police command who assisted in organising this powerful commemoration. It has truly become one of the big days in the Redland community calendar. It has become one of the biggest services across Queensland, and I want to thank all involved who made it a tradition. We had it this year at the Champions Church at Thornlands, and I want to thank them for hosting the event. As we reflected on the lives and legacies of our fallen officers we renewed our commitment to support those who serve today, to ensure their safety and wellbeing are never taken for granted. We honoured their memory, we thanked their families, and we remain deeply grateful for the courage, dedication and sacrifice of all who wear the blue uniform. With honour they served.
Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya's) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I flag ahead of time that I'm only going to speak for a few minutes on this matter. Firstly, I associate myself with the comments of all those who've spoken in favour of the Fair Work Amendment...
I flag ahead of time that I'm only going to speak for a few minutes on this matter. Firstly, I associate myself with the comments of all those who've spoken in favour of the Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya's) Bill 2025. This is an incredibly important bit of legislation, and I think the intention here from the government is a very noble one. Many speakers have offered really strong, heartfelt contributions on this. I associate myself with them. This is a really welcome reform. But I also want to raise a concern, as some other members have this afternoon, with a feature of this law that has only been brought to my attention today. I want to seek clarity from the government on that through this contribution. The member for Calwell made the very good point that without this clarity that the bill is providing for parents who find themselves in this tragic situation it compounds the grief, and I thought that was a very apt line. We have nothing but admiration for Baby Priya's parents, who have gone above and beyond to advocate for this change and to provide that clarity. So many Australians face this grief silently—an unimaginable grief—but Baby Priya's parents have taken that extra step up to say that we need to change this. I cannot thank them enough for their efforts, and I congratulate the government for bringing this bill forward, pushing this reform and closing this loophole. It is about providing clarity, as the member for Bennelong said. The concern I've got today is in relation to clarity of the use of definitions within the bill. The bill makes reference to stillbirths, and it points back to the definition of 'stillbirth' within the Fair Work Act. There have been some concerns raised with me, and there have been concerns raised with the minister in Senate estimates recently, about whether that definition covers a stillbirth caused by a late-term abortion. I hope that isn't the case. I hope that within this bill we are not including that. I don't think that including that is the intention of the government. I strongly support the intention of the government on this matter. I don't think that is the intention, and I want to seek clarity from the government to ensure that isn't the case, because I do not think that is actually what they want to achieve there. I have gone back and read the Senate estimates transcripts and seen the correspondence that has been made by the minister on this, and they haven't provided me with the necessary answers I need to satisfy myself that that isn't the case in this bill. I'm providing this contribution to ask the government if they can provide that clarity; can you give me that assurance that this does not apply to a stillbirth that has been caused due to a late-term abortion? I would welcome that, and I think many in the community would welcome that as well. This is a bill that should have support from all corners of Australian society, and if we can achieve that clarity, I think we will get there. I want to associate myself with the remarks of the member for Canning, the member for New England and the member for Barker, who have all outlined this issue, and with everyone who has spoken in favour of this bill, because I can appreciate the intention here. I can appreciate the passion people have brought to this issue and I strongly support the intention. I thank the House.
Bowman Electorate: Sport | Statements by Members | House debates
In just a couple of short weeks two of the biggest sporting clubs in my electorate each took home the ultimate prize. On 6 September the Redlands Tigers Cricket Club, of which I'm a proud patron,...
In just a couple of short weeks two of the biggest sporting clubs in my electorate each took home the ultimate prize. On 6 September the Redlands Tigers Cricket Club, of which I'm a proud patron, clinched the 2025 Queensland Cricket KFC T20 Max title. Jimmy Peirson's colossal innings of 102 not out off 50 balls and Marnus Labuschagne's hat-trick sealed the Redlands commanding 41-run win over Valley. My apologies to the member for Brisbane. Congratulations to Jimmy, Marnus, Sam Heazlett, Mac Wright, James Bazley, Lachlan Bangs, Leigh Drennan, Lachlan McClure, Connor O'Riordan, James Pullar, Jack Sinfield, Jack Wildermuth, Charlie Thomas, Benji Floros, Cameron Boyce, Tighe Morris, Tom Hallion, Hugh Weibgen and, of course, their coaches and managers. Just two weeks later, we saw a commanding performance by the Redlands-Victoria Point Sharks Football Club, winning the QAFL senior premiers title, 95-57, over Surfers Paradise. My commiserations to the Gold Coast member to the left of me. Congratulations to the coach, Phil Carse; to the captain, Mitch Stallard, to Cooper Anderson; and to all the other players. Our local teams keep getting the job done and bringing home the silverware to the Redlands. I could not be prouder to represent my community and the wonderful sporting clubs that represent our wonderful sporting culture.
Lucas, Mr Alan | Statements by Members | House debates
Tomorrow my community will come together to farewell a great Australian. Alan Lucas was a titan of the local real estate fraternity; a man of faith, conviction and generosity; and one of the...
Tomorrow my community will come together to farewell a great Australian. Alan Lucas was a titan of the local real estate fraternity; a man of faith, conviction and generosity; and one of the Redlands' most beloved sons. He gave his time, his energy and his financial support to countless causes across my city. He was the driving force behind the Redlands Easter Family Festival, which brought tens of thousands together to celebrate. He also founded the Redlands Christian Business Network, a fellowship that united men and women of faith to support one another and share the gospel in the marketplace. Alan also spoke of the Redlands as being 'the great Redlands of the Holy Spirit', and he meant it. His was an inspirational faith. For him, belief was never private or hidden. He was an evangeliser who wanted others to know the joy and freedom that comes from walking with Christ. Alan had a rare gift for seeing the best in people. For those of us striving to make a difference in our community, he was always ready with his time, advice, encouragement and, above all, his prayers. Many, including myself, relied on him as a constant source of encouragement. He was a true believer, a man of conviction, a man with a tremendous generosity of spirit, a man who never wavered in his faith and, to many, a true friend. On behalf of the people of the Redlands, I want to extend my deepest condolences to Alan's wife, Janice, his children and his family. Alan was an inspiration to all who knew him. Vale, Alan Lucas.
Australia Day Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. It is a pleasure to bring the Australia Day Bill 2025 before the 48th Parliament after it lapsed without consideration in the last parliament....
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. It is a pleasure to bring the Australia Day Bill 2025 before the 48th Parliament after it lapsed without consideration in the last parliament. This is a proposal supported by the voices of over 50,000 Australians who've backed my campaign to give Australia Day proper recognition and protection in federal law. At its heart, this bill rests on a straightforward principle—that Australia's national day belongs to the Australian people, not to politicians or governments. Australia Day is a date of such monumental national significance—and it means so much to so many—that it should never be able to be cancelled or changed at the whim of the government of the day. The bill seeks to ensure that no politician, no political party and no special interest group can change our national day without the approval of the majority of Australians voting in a national plebiscite. Currently, Australia Day is marked as a public holiday on 26 January in every state and territory. While it's widely accepted as our national day, oddly, it has never been formally recognised as such by this parliament. Of course, it commemorates the landing of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788, a moment that set the course for the development of our modern nation. Records show celebrations on this date began as early as 1808. New South Wales made it a public holiday in 1818. Australia Day is older than any national symbol we hold. It predates our national flag by nearly a century. In fact, celebrations on 26 January predate the use of the word 'Australia' by a few years. For most Australians, it's a day to reflect on our shared history, to celebrate how far we've come, and to honour the people who've built and shaped this nation. It's also a day where thousands of new citizens are formally welcomed into the Australian family. It was on 26 January 1949—Australia Day—that our first citizenship laws came into force. It was the day Australian citizenship officially began. Every year we hear arguments against the date. Some believe 26 January should be a day of mourning. Nobody disputes that Australia's story includes hardship, injustice and tragedy. The arrival of the First Fleet would have been a moment of deep uncertainty for the Eora people. And it was yet another day of immense suffering for those souls aboard those ships. But from that harsh beginning, and through the many difficult chapters that followed, we've built something remarkable—a free, fair, and thriving nation. And that's something worth recognising. Australians are capable of both commemorating and celebrating on the same day. We don't need to erase our past to face the future. Trying to downplay or delegitimise our nation's origins won't help us grow stronger. It only divides us. The voyage of the First Fleet was a monumental act of endurance. So was Bennelong's journey of diplomacy. So was Pemulwuy's resistance. Modern Australia is the sum of all these stories—and our national day should reflect that. This bill will enshrine Australia's national day in federal law. To achieve this, the bill utilises the same provisions used to enshrine Anzac Day as 'a national day of commemoration' through the Anzac Day act 1983. This would mean that the date of Australia Day would be formally established as 26 January in federal law. This legislative protection ensures that Australia Day must remain as a national day and cannot be abolished by the actions of this or any future government. While we can't guarantee that any future parliament won't repeal this protection, it would be a brave government indeed who tries to pass a law to repeal the celebration of our national day. The remainder of the bill provides an avenue through which the date of Australia Day could be changed. This process would be the same prescribed for the Flags Act 1953 for changing the design of Australia's national flag, namely through a national plebiscite. How a national plebiscite on Australia Day would be formed and conducted will be at the discretion of parliament. Just as how in the last parliament we debated the parameters through which the recent referendum was conducted. However, the bill does provide that any alternate proposals must include 26 January as an option that can be selected by voters in any future plebiscite. All those qualified to vote in federal elections will be qualified to vote for any proposal for an alternate date for Australia's national day. These subsections are a reflection of the same protections for Australia's national flag that are contained within the Flags Act 1953. Those protections were instituted through an amendment to the Flags Act back in 1998 by the Howard government. I went back and I had a look at the Hansard to see how the then Labor opposition reacted to those amendments. In 1998, the Labor Party supported the introduction of these protections—although I note that many of the Labor speakers spoke about their desire to change the flag. Fast forward a quarter of a century—our national flag still flies proudly above this building, unchanged, and in this chamber. I contend that the protections in the Flags Act that were introduced by the Howard government have contributed to this outcome. Many parliamentarians have come to this place, and achieved high office, while harbouring a desire to change our national flag But these ambitions have been thwarted by the knowledge that changing the flag would require the endorsement of the people. While it might be relatively easy to achieve a majority of the cabinet, or a majority of your fellow travellers in the caucus room, it is an exponentially greater challenge to achieve a majority of the Australian people, as this government discovered in the recent referendum. The Labor Party of the 1990s, of which the now Prime Minister was a new member, acknowledged that it was entirely appropriate for the Australian people to be the arbiters of what should be our national flag then and into the future. I challenge them to adopt the same principle to legislate that it must be the Australian people who are the arbiters of our national day. It shouldn't be a radical principle that Australians should be asked to decide on areas central to our national identity. In fact, it was through a national plebiscite that Australians made the decision to adopt 'Advance Australia Fair' as our national song in 1977. If it's good enough for the Australian people to have ownership over their own anthem and their own flag, why not over their own national day? I fear the day will come when a future government gives into activist pressures on this issue. I've seen this story play out too many times before—a small, noisy few overriding the quiet conviction of the vast majority. Year after year, the polling remains consistent. Most Australians want to keep 26 January as our national day. That view deserves to be respected—and protected. This bill offers a path forward. It gives our national day security and allows the country to move past the endless debate. By setting a higher bar for change, we lower the temperature. We stop indulging the cycle of outrage and start focusing on the future. This morning I present this bill as a challenge to the Prime Minister and his government: If they are serious about their commitment to keeping Australia Day on 26 January, in line with the comments that were made in the lead-up to the federal election, they should support this bill. If they harbour a desire to change our national day without a mandate from the people at some point in the future, they should leave this bill off future programs. I challenge the government to put this on the program. Let's have this debate. It's a debate being had outside of this chamber. Why not inside it as well? In closing, I want to say to my colleagues in this parliament—let us recognise Australia Day through this bill and delegate its future to the Australian people. I'm asking members to trust the Australian people. Trust them to get the call right, both now and into the future. Let's entrust Australia Day to the Australian people.
Bowman Electorate: Volunteer Grants Program | Adjournment | House debates
The Volunteer Grants program is more than just funding; it is an investment in the people in my local community who give their time, their skills and their efforts to support others. The...
The Volunteer Grants program is more than just funding; it is an investment in the people in my local community who give their time, their skills and their efforts to support others. The volunteers in my electorate are the quiet achievers, running local sporting clubs, supporting seniors, engaging young Redlanders and strengthening committee pursuits of every kind. I'm pleased to report that committee organisations in the Redlands received $66,225 in funding, distributed among 36 local community organisations, for the 2024-25 volunteer grant round. This funding included $4,000 for the Redlands Special Olympics to support their volunteers with first aid training and fuel costs, and $2,000 for RedCity Roar basketball to assist with junior club volunteer training and scoreboard equipment. Many community groups will be directing the funding towards insurance costs to ensure their volunteers are covered. The Redland Bay Cyclones Rugby Union Club received $1½ thousand to support the club with insurance costs. The Capalaba Warriors District Junior Rugby League Club will receive assistance with insurance costs to the tune of $2,000. The Redland Bay Men's Shed will receive $2½ thousand to assist with their public liability and professional indemnity insurance, which will enhance the men's shed's ability to serve the local community. Live Learn Survive will also receive $1,000 for a similar purpose: to cover volunteer run workshops educating children in water and fire safety, first aid and resilience that otherwise would not be provided in local schools. The Mount Cotton Scout Group will receive $2,000 towards insurance, which will ensure that scouts have funds available to assist in upkeeping facilities. Other groups that will benefit from funding of insurance for volunteers include Coochiemudlo Island Coastcare, who will receive $1½ thousand and who do an amazing job protecting the Emerald Fringe on the beautiful Coochiemudlo Island; the Redland District Committee on the Ageing, who will receive $1,500; and Redland City Bands, who will receive $1,000 to fund not only insurance costs but also electronic, audio and visual equipment. The Night Ninjas and the Redland Bay Women's Shed will receive $2½ thousand each for IT and to contribute towards software purchases. The Girl Guides at Wellington Point and Cleveland are receiving $2½ thousand each to support volunteers with administration through the purchase of IT equipment such as computers, laptops and tablets. Meals on Wheels, who perform such an important role throughout every electorate represented by those in this place, will benefit to make sure that their mission of providing a daily connection, caring conversation and support for those in need will continue. The group at Capalaba will receive $2,000, and there will be $1,500 each for the Meals on Wheels group at Cleveland and the Victoria Point Redlands group, who celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. I was pleased to be at that event. They'll also receive support for new IT equipment. Other community groups that will also receive a share of this funding to assist their volunteers with IT equipment include the Redland Museum, which will receive $1½ thousand; the Victoria Point Sharks AFL Club, which will receive $2,000; the Redland Bay Cancer Council branch, one of the biggest fundraising branches in Queensland, which will receive $2,000; and Redlands Hockey Association, which will receive $2,000 in funding for IT as well as to invest in first aid and safety for their volunteers. Here's to Life Redlands, Breastfeeding Advocacy Australia Redlands branch and both the Cleveland conference and the St Rita's conference of Vinnies will receive $1,000 to assist with IT equipment and volunteer training. Sport and recreation equipment is also being purchased through this latest grand round to support sporting clubs across the Redlands. This will benefit our volunteers by providing them with equipment they can use to train our young sporting athletes. This includes $1,200 for Blues Union Netball Club, $1,500 for Redlands Cricket—I'll be there on Saturday—and $2,000 for the Redlands United Football Club. Other community groups are focused heavily on volunteer training and education to equip and upskill. These investments include $2,000 for Redlands Touch, $1,500 for headspace Capalaba and $1,000 for United Community Services for educational equipment. There are also many others who will be benefiting through this grant round, including Crime Stoppers Bayside, Amity Point Community Club and eWatch Shoreline. Redlands volunteers are the heartbeat of our community, and I'm proud to support their extraordinary contributions.
The Redland Foundation | Constituency Statements | House debates
This month I had the privilege of presenting the 2025 Underhill grants on behalf of the Redland Foundation alongside my state colleague Amanda Stoker MP. The event was held at the Redlands...
This month I had the privilege of presenting the 2025 Underhill grants on behalf of the Redland Foundation alongside my state colleague Amanda Stoker MP. The event was held at the Redlands Sporting Club and brought together a wide cross-section of our local community, from sporting clubs and service organisations to arts groups and volunteer associations. The Redland Foundation is my city's most important philanthropic institution. Over the past decade it has distributed more than $2.2 million in grants and support to local organisations. That support has included more than $400,000 to help those experiencing domestic violence, $100,000 for programs tackling homelessness and countless other investments in youth mentoring, health and community development. These are tangible, life-changing outcomes that flow directly back into the Redlands. The Jeffrey and Geraldine Underhill Grants Program is named in honour of two remarkable local philanthropists whose generosity has created an enduring legacy. Thanks to their foresight, we now have annual disbursements that give grassroots organisations the resources to keep doing what they do best: helping, supporting and building our community from the ground up. This year's recipients once again demonstrate the strength and diversity of community life in the Redlands. Grants were awarded to the Bay Islands Golf Club, the Cage Youth Foundation, the Capalaba Warriors District Junior Rugby League Football Club—it was a pleasure earlier to see the students of Victoria Point State School, who are here in Canberra this week, with one of them proudly wearing a Warriors jersey—Coastal Rowing and Touring Australia, the Donald Simpson Community Centre, Eczema Association Australia, Lamb Island Men's Shed, the Mater Foundation, Myhorizon, the North Stradbroke Island Rugby League and Allsports Club—go the Sharks—the Point Lookout Surf Life Saving Club, the Raiders Netball Club, RedCity Roar Basketball, the Redland Bay Tennis Club, Redland Bay Women's Shed, Redland City Bands, Redland Emergency Services Volunteers Association, Redlands Cricket—I'm off to Redlands Cricket this Saturday to see Marnus Labuschagne play in the local Brisbane T20 Big Bash competition—the Redlands Rugby Union Club—go the Mudcrabs—Redlands Touch Association, the Shoreline Association for Neighbourhood Development, TRACTION for Young People and the Yurara Art Society. Each of these groups represents a thread in the fabric of the Redlands. Whether it's the surf lifesavers keeping our beaches safe, the musicians enriching our cultural life, the youth organisations mentoring young people or the sporting clubs that bring families together on weekends, every grant recipient contributes something unique and valuable to our Redlands community. I want to thank the Redlands Foundation for the work they've been doing and all these organisations for the work they've been doing in our community during a very difficult and wet year for the Redlands.
I spend a lot of time talking with small businesses across my electorate in the Redlands. They're the family-run firms, the tradies, the shopfronts and the service providers who put their own...
I spend a lot of time talking with small businesses across my electorate in the Redlands. They're the family-run firms, the tradies, the shopfronts and the service providers who put their own money and their own time on the line. I'll tell you what they're telling me—that it's getting harder, not easier, to make ends meet. They tell me about the risks of putting on new staff. They want to grow, they want to invest, but the barriers are stacked against them. Costs keep rising, red tape keeps piling up and the confidence that drives investment has been sapped. We have a productivity crisis in this country. Both sides of the parliament will agree on that. The heartbreaking thing is that, when I talk to local businesses about how they can grow their production, how they can employ more people, their response is far too often to say, 'Unfortunately, it's just become too hard.' Last week, we saw three days of talk right here in Canberra. Sadly, there have been no outcomes from the government's productivity summit that offer a shred of relief for families or businesses—nothing to reverse Australia's nosedive in productivity growth and the biggest fall in living standards in the developed world. Instead, we saw big unions opening the door to higher taxes—taxes on superannuation, savings, housing and the family business. This is the same old agenda that we see from the other side of this place, unfortunately. We've seen the government outlays blowing out from 24 to 27 per cent of GDP, debt is climbing to $1.2 trillion and the Treasurer's only answer is more taxes. Business groups are warning that this approach will drive down investment and productivity, and that's of course the exact opposite of what's needed. Unfortunately, productivity is in freefall in Australia. Australia's competitiveness ranking has slid from 13th to 18th in just two years. We've seen annual growth running at 1.3 per cent, less than half the long-term average, and Australia has fallen from 20th to 60th in the world for growth per person. Of course, that measure is critically important when you're boiling these stats down to what they mean to Australian households. I recently surveyed businesses across the Redlands to get a true picture of how things are going on the ground. The results should ring alarm bells for every member of this House. Ninety-six per cent of businesses in my electorate expect their operating to costs to rise over the next year; more than half the local businesses believe the economy will shrink this financial year; price pressures are identified as the single biggest handbrake on growth; and only 11 per cent of businesses in the Redlands believe federal policy is helping to drive jobs or investment. These aren't just statistics; I believe they're warning signs. They are the lived experience of employers who are the backbone of the economy in my community. Labor's answer to all this is just another summit—another roundtable, another talkfest. Sadly, this latest effort mirrored last term's Jobs and Skills Summit and Kevin Rudd's 2020 summit: heavy on hype and light on delivery. Rather than more talk, local employers are telling me they want more action. They are proposing practical reforms. Some of the ideas that I've heard from local businesses include bringing back full expensing so businesses can instantly deduct capital investment; cutting unnecessary regulation, especially for small firms; simplifying awards and workplace laws so enterprise bargaining is actually flexible; backing business investment with a competitive tax system; and ending this government's habit of picking winners and handouts for favoured sectors. Productivity doesn't come from a minister's press release; it comes from the ground up. It comes from the hundreds of local businesses in the Redlands who back themselves every day and who create jobs for our community. They deserve a government that gets out of their way and gets off their back. And here is the truth. If we want to turn around our nation's productivity, if we want to restore living standards, if we want our children to inherit a country that is stronger, wealthier and more secure, then we need to back small business—not with talk, not with summits, but with real reform, because, when small businesses succeed, Australia succeeds. When local employers thrive, families thrive. And when we've put our trust in the enterprise and the hard work of our small-business people, this sector of the economy has never let us down. Napoleon once sneered at the English that they were a nation of shopkeepers. He meant it as an insult. But history proved it to be a compliment—a nation built on enterprise. In Australia, that inherited tradition of small business runs deep. Menzies of course reminded us of the great middle class—the men and women who run the corner stores, the workshops and the farms. John Howard often spoke about small business being the backbone of the economy, and he was right. These businesses aren't just numbers in the accounts; they're families; they're livelihoods; they're the spirit of self-reliance and independence that has always defined this country. Supporting small business is the path to higher wages, to stronger growth and to restoring the great promise of Australia.
Bowman Electorate: Public Transport | Statements by Members | House debates
Half of those employed in my Redlands community leave the city to commute to their workplace. For many, it means burning long hours every day sitting in traffic, crawling into Brisbane, into...
Half of those employed in my Redlands community leave the city to commute to their workplace. For many, it means burning long hours every day sitting in traffic, crawling into Brisbane, into Logan or further afield on a train or a bus. That's why I've been pushing hard to get the Brisbane Metro extended to Capalaba. The metro isn't just another bus service; it's a complete mode shift, with fast, electric, high-capacity vehicles running on dedicated busways. There are no red lights and no traffic jams, just turn-up-and-go services that actually stick to their timetable. Right now, a bus from Capalaba to the Brisbane CBD will take you at least 45 minutes. The metro would halve that time. That's not just a boost to productivity; that's giving families back that precious time at home. The metro could be locked in as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic legacy. A line to Capalaba links directly with the Olympic venues at Chandler and Birkdale. I want to congratulate Premier Crisafulli and Lord Mayor Schrinner for driving the metro expansions forward. Their partnership has put us on the right track—or, should I say, in the right lane. It was good to see bipartisan commitments for federal funding to deliver a business case for Capalaba and other extensions, but that's just the boarding pass. The real journey lies ahead. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to change the route of our city's future. I'm asking all levels of government to work together so we don't miss the bus.