Andrew Willcox's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Ovarian Cancer | Adjournment | House debates
The words fall like stones in a silent room, heavy, cold and irreversible. A diagnosis doesn't arrive gently; it crashes in, shattering the quiet of an ordinary day and turning life as you know...
The words fall like stones in a silent room, heavy, cold and irreversible. A diagnosis doesn't arrive gently; it crashes in, shattering the quiet of an ordinary day and turning life as you know it upside down. In that moment, the world you knew just seconds ago vanishes, replaced by an unsettling shadow. Fear begins to coil around you—fear of the unknown, fear of the fight and the terrifying question of what this means to you and the people you love. This is the reality for thousands of Australian women, and this is why I rise today to give a voice to those fighting in the shadows and to advocate for the life-changing work of the Trudy Crowley Foundation. Yesterday was World Cancer Day, a global day of unity in the fight against this disease. But for those living with cancer, the fight is not a single day on the calendar. It is the lived reality that requires a community led response. February is also Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a time when we don the teal ribbon to shine a light on what is devastatingly referred to as the silent killer. It is a call to action to remember those whom we have lost and to bolster the courage of those currently in the fight. Ovarian cancer is a particularly brutal disease. Symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain and fatigue are vague and easily dismissed as something else until it's too late. This is why the message of 'know your body, know your normal' is so vital. These were the words of the foundation's former ambassador, Bridgeen, and they are the words that now define the foundation's mission. Bridgeen battled ovarian cancer for many years with spirit—the foundation of the foundation. Despite her stage 4 diagnosis, she remained a fierce advocate for ovarian cancer awareness. As we mark the first anniversary of her passing this month, her legacy lives on through every woman who hears her words, 'Know your body, know your normal'. It's a plea to get women to trust their intuition, and it is a demand for our medical system to listen. In my electorate, the Trudy Crowley Foundation was formed from a legacy of courage. Trudy Crowley was a woman of extraordinary grace and grit. When she was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, she chose not to retreat. Instead, she proved that personal can be powerful. She turned her own private battle into a public mission, ensuring that no-one in the greater Mackay region would have to walk the cancer path alone. This mission is powered by a board of locals and family members who lead with their hearts. I wish to formally acknowledge founding director Jacquie Camilleri; along with Trudy's husband, Damian Crowley; Trudy's sons, Levi and Jacob; Luke Phillip; Lassara Camphuis; Aggie Murphy; Sonia Crowley; and Pauline Townsend. Founding director Jacqui Camilleri is the driving force behind this organisation. Her journey began as a volunteer tea lady at the Mater Hospital, where she first met Trudy. In the quiet of a hospital ward, Jacqui saw a spark in Trudy and knew that this could not be extinguished. What began as a chance encounter has blossomed into a beacon of hope that now lights the way for people with cancer. My own connection to this mission is personal. Board member Pauline Townsend is a valued member of my Mackay electorate office, and I see her work tirelessly for the foundation. The foundation is also championed by two patrons: the Queensland state member for Whitsunday, Amanda Camm, and my own media adviser, Amanda Wright. Ms Wright faced her own stage 3 cancer battle less than two years ago. Her presence here in Parliament House today is a sobering reminder that this disease does not discriminate. It doesn't care about your age or your plans for the future. The scourge of this disease touches us all. While the foundation's roots are firmly planted in the soil of ovarian cancer awareness, its branches have grown to support families facing all forms of cancer across the greater Mackay region. By offering this simple human comfort and support network, they are easing the journey for locals living with cancer. They remind us: while these diseases may be silent, our response must be loud! This February, I urge everybody to learn the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Be a shining light for this disease. We are raising awareness. We are saving lives.
Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Given the Prime Minister's broken promise that households would be $275 better off on their power bills by 2025, and with families...
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Given the Prime Minister's broken promise that households would be $275 better off on their power bills by 2025, and with families now being smashed by higher electricity prices under this government, on what exact date will retail electricity prices actually fall—or was the $275 promise never going to be delivered?
Queensland: Infrastructure | Questions without Notice | House debates
That's not what Senate estimates says.
Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I'd like to thank the member for Kennedy for his assistance with this speech! These places aren't just businesses. They're where our people come together—locals...
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I'd like to thank the member for Kennedy for his assistance with this speech! These places aren't just businesses. They're where our people come together—locals after work, tourists chasing a real taste of local life and mates catching up for a yarn. In the Whitsundays, hospitality is the lifeblood of our economy. People travel from all around the world to sip our fine Australian beer on a beach in paradise. And up in Townsville, our garrison city, there's no-one more deserving of a cold one than our fine men and women from our Australian Defence Force. They train, they serve, they protect our country, and they've earned a frothy at the end of the day. That's why protecting the affordability of beer isn't just symbolic; it's cultural. It's the Aussie way. Behind every bar in North Queensland—from the Burdekin to Airlie Beach, Mackay to Townsville—there's a hardworking local doing their bit to keep the economy turning. Across Australia, around 176,000 people work in the alcohol and hospitality industries. They are students, parents, part-timers and full-timers, pouring beers, cleaning glasses and greeting guests. They're the heartbeat of our pubs and clubs. When we're talking about freezing the beer excise, we're not just talking about tax policy; we're talking about real people, real jobs and real communities. When a pub shuts down in a small town, it's not just a business that's lost. It's a meeting place, a fundraising venue and a social hub. It's where raffles raise money for the footy club and where stories are told. Pubs define who we are. But here's the rub: if Labor were serious about fixing the problem, they'd call for a comprehensive review of the alcohol excise system. The Nationals also believe this excise relief should be extended to include spirits on tap. It's hard to believe, I know, but not every Australian drinks beer. We get patchwork fixes from this government that sound good on the news but barely make a dint in reality. This freeze is worth $90 million over the forward estimates—less than two per cent of what the government collects in alcohol taxes each year. Meanwhile, Labor's reckless spending has added $100 billion to our national debt in just three years. Debt is heading for $1.2 trillion by the next election. Every minute, Australians are paying $50,000 interest in debt. That money could be going into regional roads, hospitals and schools. I don't want to sound like I'm frothing at the mouth here, but Labor's economic policy has gone flat. What we need isn't a quick pour from a tap; it's a full tap reset. We need leadership that's focused on growing the economic pie, not slicing it thinner, because a rising tide lifts all boats, and, in North Queensland, a lot of the ones that are moored are moored outside the pub. The Nationals' plan is simple: stop the spending spree and start growing the economic pie. That's how we will deliver lasting cost-of-living relief. We believe in backing the people who are making things, growing things and employing Australians, not punishing them with higher taxes and endless red tape. When local businesses thrive, local communities grow. Whether it's a sugar mill, a farm or a small brewery, they all deserve a fair go. When I visit pubs and sporting clubs across Dawson, I see the hardworking people doing it tough, but they still show up with a smile. I see publicans who kept their doors open through COVID, cyclones, staff shortages and rising costs. I see bartenders who know every regular by name. I see families gathering for birthdays and mates catching up after a long week. That's who this bill should be helping, not in a token way but in a tangible, meaningful way, because, in places like Mackay and the Whitsundays, hospitality isn't just an industry. It's part of who we are. I'll give this government some credit—at least they finally recognised that beer matters. But, when your idea of cost of living is shaving one cent off a pint while inflation eats your pay cheque, that's like offering a stubby cooler for a warm beer. Australians don't need a photo op at a pub by a politician. They need a plan—a plan to tackle inflation, a plan to grow the economy and a plan to back the industries that make this country tick. So, tonight, when we raise our glasses, whether it's Red Dog, Goanna or Great Northern, let's remember what we're really toasting. Let's toast our hospitality workers, the quiet heroes on the weekends. Let's raise a glass to our local brewers, who pour pride into every pint. Let's toast the soldiers, the farmers, the tradies, the nurses and the teachers—the Australians who have earned that knock-off beer the hard way. And let's toast to a better government, one that understands that cost-of-living relief can't be brewed overnight. In North Queensland, we don't just drink beer, we defend it. We know that, when the heat's up, mateship matters. When times are tough, communities rally, and, when there's work to be done, Australians roll up their sleeves and get it done, no excuses. So let's keep our pubs open, our breweries busy and our communities strong. Here's to common sense, and here's to a cold one that we can actually afford. Cheers!
Well, mates, anyone in North Queensland will tell you our one day of winter normally falls on a Wednesday! For the rest of the year, it's prime beer drinking weather. There's nothing quite like...
Well, mates, anyone in North Queensland will tell you our one day of winter normally falls on a Wednesday! For the rest of the year, it's prime beer drinking weather. There's nothing quite like the sound of just cracking a coldie open after a long hot day. Whether you're pulling up crab pots out in the creeks of the Burdekin, knocking off after a shift in Paget or wrapping up a week of training in Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, that first sip of frosty beer is one of life's simple pleasures. It's not just about the drink; it's about the moment, the mateship, the laughter, the stories told over the bar, the sense that, no matter what's going on in the world, you're among good people. And that's what this debate is really about. It's about protecting our way of life, protecting the local pubs, the clubs and the breweries that keep our communities connected. We are talking about the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, and, look, any relief for our pubs, sporting clubs and brewers is a good thing. The Nationals support this freeze on draught beer excise because we'll never stand between a cold pint and the Aussie public. But let's be honest—this move from Labor is but a drop in the schooner. When you crunch the numbers, this so-called beer tax cut works out to be less than 1c per pint. That's not cost-of-living relief; that's a headline dressed up as a happy hour. The real pressure on Aussie families doesn't come from the bar tap. It comes from the bills on the kitchen table. Inflation has smashed through the RBA's target band. Mortgages are up, groceries are up, electricity is up, and it's all being driven by this government spending that is going faster than the economy can grow. Government spending is running at more than four times the rate of the economy, and Australians are paying the price. Since Labor took office, mortgage holders are, on average, paying $1,800 more per month. Families are paying 16 per cent more for food, 22 per cent more in rent, 39 per cent more for insurance and 38 per cent more for electricity. So, yes, 1c off your beer is a tiny step in the right direction, but it's cold comfort when your grocery bill is going up by 50 bucks and your mortgage is eating your pay packet. In my electorate of Dawson, we don't just drink beer; we celebrate it. In Mackay, we've got two great breweries that come to mind. Red Dog Brewery was named one of the best breweries in Queensland, as a finalist in the Queensland Day best-pub awards last year. Congratulations to Jason and his team. And Goanna Brewing is a place where you can actually brew your own beer—pick your own ingredients, roll up your sleeves and make a beer that's as unique as you are. I'll give a shout-out to the team in Victoria Street. It's a fantastic microbrewery with great live entertainment on the weekend. That's the Australian spirit: hands on, proud and community driven.
Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise today to speak against the proposed Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026. These should not even be in the same sentence—this is totally...
I rise today to speak against the proposed Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026. These should not even be in the same sentence—this is totally ridiculous! This bill is a diversionary tactic. It will not stamp out antisemitism, hate or extremism. This bill will not change the culture of antisemitism, hate, extremism and radical Islam that has been allowed to flourish due to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's weak leadership. All this will do is punish law-abiding firearm owners that are being used as a scapegoat. Australia already has the strictest gun laws in the world and the most stringent licensing. They do thorough background checks and withholding periods both before you get a licence and before you obtain a firearm. The coalition supports law-abiding firearm owners. The coalition supports the National Firearms Register. The question is this. Everything is already in place for the gun register's introduction. It's been in place for two years. Why hasn't the Albanese Labor government implemented it? That's the question. As a fully licensed firearm owner myself, who shoots rifles, pistols and shotguns for pest control and recreation, I'd like to explain to the parliament why shooters use so many different guns. The reason is, essentially, they do different jobs. They're for different purposes. For the destruction of birds and other pests that destroy crops, farmers might use a .22 calibre, which could be a .22 calibre long rifle, a .22 calibre Hornet or a .223 for longer range. They all have different jobs. They're the same calibre, but they shoot further. For rats and rabbits, you might use the same sort of calibre, but you might change what projectile you use. For a pig, you might use a .30-30, if you're in the scrub at close range. You might use a .308 if they're out on the open. Pigs come in and rip up your tomatoes and capsicums and make a mess. The golfers have to understand why golfers need so many different clubs. I'm trying to use an analogy here that people will understand. I get that people don't fully understand firearms, but that shouldn't be a reason to be afraid of them. For the golfers, you don't see someone teeing off with a putter. You don't see someone on the green with a driver. If you're a landholder and you come across a beast that's broken their leg or something, and you need to destroy that beast, you can't use a .22 calibre, because that's inhumane. So you need a higher calibre rifle to dispose of that—to put that beast out of its misery. If that landholder is also a sporting shooter, they might have three different types of shotguns. If you're shooting guns at the range, you might want a long barrel for shooting down the line, a shorter barrel for shooting trench or an even shorter one for shooting skeet. That's three different shotguns. If that landholder also shoots, say, western action out at the pistol club, they might need a pistol, a lever action rifle and a shotgun. Again, they're all different. There would also be different actions. You could have a single action, a double action or a semiautomatic. The horse people out there might understand this analogy. It's horses for courses. You don't see a dressage horse racing in the Melbourne Cup. That's why I do not support this legislation. Twenty guns in the hands of a law-abiding grazier, sporting shooter or collector is fine. One gun in the hands of a radical Islamic terrorist is a massive problem. Do you honestly think that terrorists and criminals will come and hand their guns in? Do you honestly think that's going to happen? No. Law-abiding firearm owners will be punished due to the failure of this government. I don't want to even talk about buybacks, but, if this bad legislation does go through, buybacks need to give appropriate compensation. But this is bad legislation. It's time this government faced up to the real problem, which is radical Islam, not the firearm owners.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
We've heard a lot of sadness and sorrow today from all corners of this parliament. Today we all share similar sentiments, and we've come together to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives...
We've heard a lot of sadness and sorrow today from all corners of this parliament. Today we all share similar sentiments, and we've come together to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives at the hands of terrorists at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025. I too wish to offer my condolences to the victims' families. The loss for those families is unimaginable. No words can undo the pain and grief those families have experienced, are feeling right now and will carry forever. I am terribly sorry for your loss. I would further like to extend the condolences from my constituents of Dawson. Many people in my region have reached out to show their support, to send their love and well wishes, and to share their stories of reflection. My electorate of Dawson may be almost 2,000 kilometres away from Bondi, but the people of Dawson are standing with you in spirit, with many prayers being sent your way. Fifteen innocent lives were lost at one of our country's most iconic locations. Bondi will now be forever synonymous with the worst terror attack on Australian soil. This hate filled rampage by two hate filled terrorists has devastated families, shattered communities and scarred a nation. It should never have happened. This occurred at a family event, a love filled celebration, a place where ordinary Australians felt they were safe and could never have anticipated that this would be a place of such horror. It was a place where kids ran around and played, had their faces painted and patted animals at a petting zoo. This religious event could have been any event in any community across Australia. I reflect and think about the many times I took my own kids to similar events. The one that sticks out to me most is our local carols by candlelight, where I would take my children each year. I'd watch them, with joy on their faces. They sang along with the Christmas carols and played with other kids. Many others have drawn connections with other events they've attended as a family. In communities across Dawson and communities across Australia, parents shed tears when the news broke, and they still cried days later when images of Matilda were shown on the nightly news in their living rooms. For mums and dads this is raw. It is raw because they see in the beautiful eyes of Matilda an innocence and joy. They see their own children. Their hearts are aching for Matilda's mum, dad and little sister. No parent should ever have to imagine such loss, and no child's life should ever be taken away in this way. I also want to give thanks to those who were the first responders and helped prevent further casualties. I thank you for your courage in that moment. Your bravery should never be forgotten. While, rightly so, much attention is given to the victims and their families, I also want to acknowledge the bystanders and those who bore witness. These people are also victims and will now have the horrific images burnt in their memories. These people escaped with their own lives, but many will be haunted by the events for years to come. Heading down to Bondi for a swim, a surf or even a coffee with friends may be hard to reconcile for the many who were there that day. Make no mistake. The Bondi attacks will forever be a very dark day in Australian history. We are a country changed and a country wondering if we, as a nation, can pick up the pieces. Honouring the victims means more than words. It means resolve, vigilance and a shared determination to ensure our public places remain free and part of this great Australian country—part of joy, not fear. That is why, as we meet here today, returning to this place to mark our respects, we must honour all of those impacted by taking the right and strong actions needed to safeguard our communities and ensure Bondi is never repeated. We must remember the victims and their families—not only today, but forever.
Across this nation, families are sweating—not just because they can't afford to run the air conditioner, but because they fear the next power bill landing in their letterbox. Small...
Across this nation, families are sweating—not just because they can't afford to run the air conditioner, but because they fear the next power bill landing in their letterbox. Small businesses are closing—not from a lack of customers, but because their energy bills have become the silent partner taking the biggest cut. What kind of economy is Labor running when a cafe can afford coffee beans but can't afford the electricity to boil the water? Australian manufacturers aren't being beaten by better products. They're being beaten by competitors with access to cheaper power overseas and a government that makes them pay more to produce less. And, through all of this, Labor has gone to war with the very industries that keep this country running. They've demonised gas, and now they're trying to write coal out of Australia's economic future. Paget is one of the most important industrial precincts in Australia, and it sits in my electorate of Dawson. It's the largest industrial hub in Queensland, outside the south-east corner. Every day in Paget, thousands of highly skilled workers design, build and manufacture the heavy machinery that keeps our mines operating, our exports moving and our national economy afloat. If Paget stops, the coal supply chain stops. If the coal supply chain stops, billions in export revenue completely disappear. It is the engine room of regional Queensland. Let's not forget our future industries. Hydrogen doesn't appear from thin air. Its production requires a lot of energy. Critical minerals don't refine themselves. Advance manufacturing doesn't run on hope. They all rely on the energy backbone of coal and gas. Every engineer, every economist and every serious energy analyst knows this. The government knows it too, but they won't admit it. So I ask: why is Labor so eager to destroy the industries that pay for everything else? The future of our economy will not come from weakening the industries that have made it strong. It will not come from strangling regional hubs like Paget or vilifying the people who keep the lights on. It will come from energy that is affordable and reliable—that means gas, it means coal and, yes, it means nuclear. Let's talk about gas. I'll put this plainly: Australia does not have a gas shortage. This government has a vision shortage. We have the gas, but we don't have the leadership to extract it. Eastern manufacturers are paying international prices for Australian gas. Households are paying energy bills shaped by export indexes, not national supply. By gaslighting the nation, the Albanese Labor government has turned rhetoric into reality. The east coast faces looming blackouts due to intermittent supply shortfalls and surging costs. We need a coordinated national gas infrastructure strategy, a shovel-ready blueprint that treats gas as strategic capability and an economic enabler, not as an afterthought. Australians are being let down by this government. They were promised cheaper power. Instead, household bills have skyrocketed by 40 per cent. Australians were promised a $275 decrease in power. Instead, they're paying around $1,300 more. This government said that net zero would lower power bills. Instead, it has pushed them through the roof and delivered no meaningful emissions progress—none at all. Emissions today are exactly the same as when the coalition left office. So, after three years of slogans, nothing has changed, except power bills going through the roof. This government loves to hurl insults at anyone who questions their failing policies. But every general knows that where the flack is the thickest you're right over the target. We know we are on target with the coalition's cheaper, better and fairer energy plan. The question is no longer whether Labor's plan is working. The question is, will the government admit the truth before it's too late? I would like to acknowledge Mr Carl Walker, who's in the gallery today. Carl is a friend of mine and the chairman of Bowen Gumlu Growers Association. He's been the chairman for quite some time. We would really like to thank you for everything you've done, not just for Bowen Gumlu Growers but also for agriculture within Australia. You're outstanding.
Mt Challenger Wind Farm | Constituency Statements | House debates
In Dawson, the quiet of Crystal Brook and Kelsey Creek is under siege from the threat of a wind farm that would steal a sunrise, drown out the dawn bird chorus and loom over homes and farmlands....
In Dawson, the quiet of Crystal Brook and Kelsey Creek is under siege from the threat of a wind farm that would steal a sunrise, drown out the dawn bird chorus and loom over homes and farmlands. The Mt Challenger Wind Farm is not a minor project. It is an industrial-scale intrusion placed within minutes of family homes, farms and one of our region's most treasured recreational landscapes, the Peter Faust Dam. Residents were blindsided. A handful of landholders were approached in private. Turbine locations are vague. There is no genuine consultation. In response, more than 120 residents have now united, through the Whitsunday Wind Farm Action Group, to defend their homes, their health and their livelihoods. Their concerns are not hypothetical and they are not political. They are real health concerns—sleepless nights, persistent headaches and other known documented effects of ultrasound. Some of these turbines will be less than two kilometres from homes. There'll be increased heavy traffic movement on narrow rural roads. And this is not to mention the heightened threat to our delicate ecosystem, which is home to eagles, brolgas and the Proserpine rock-wallaby. Above all, there is the destruction of peace that generations have enjoyed. These are proud rural Australians—people who have already invested in solar, batteries and sustainable practices. They support clean energy. What they do not support is a project forced upon them without respect, without honesty and without proper scrutiny. Crystal Brook and Kelsey Creek are not suitable locations for wind turbines. They are farming communities. They are residential communities. They should not be the dumping ground for poor planning and poor policy shortcuts. Yet, while these communities fight to protect their homes and farmlands, Australia is being asked to tolerate something extraordinary—an energy minister bestowing the virtues of energy and climate across the globe while power bills here have surged nearly 40 per cent. Australians do not need a part-time energy minister. They need a government focused on lowering bills, stabilising the grid and protecting regional communities, not pushing reckless projects onto them. This government's priorities are backwards. Rural communities are paying the price for policies written for people who will never live next to a wind turbine. They'll never lie awake at night worrying about the noise, the flicker or the health impacts. These communities are entitled to transparency and proper planning. They deserve to be heard, and I will ensure that they are heard. Energy projects must go where they make sense, not be dumped in the backyards of hardworking Australians.
It is on relevance. Government members interjecting— No, I'm listening to exactly what you said, sir, but I want to know when—Peter wants to know when it will come down. He's doing it...
It is on relevance. Government members interjecting— No, I'm listening to exactly what you said, sir, but I want to know when—Peter wants to know when it will come down. He's doing it tough, sir.
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Peter Doyle, a canefarmer in Dawson, fears he will lose money by harvesting his crop because his average power costs have doubled....
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Peter Doyle, a canefarmer in Dawson, fears he will lose money by harvesting his crop because his average power costs have doubled. Despite installing solar, Peter is still going backwards. Minister, when will the power prices come down?
Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
Last week, I stood in a field of sugarcane and saw a man pouring his heart and sweat into the land. Despite doing everything right, cane farmer Peter Doyle is shackled by soaring electricity...
Last week, I stood in a field of sugarcane and saw a man pouring his heart and sweat into the land. Despite doing everything right, cane farmer Peter Doyle is shackled by soaring electricity bills that punish hard work and ambition. He has invested heavily in solar and he chases every tariff and every saving available, yet his power bills keep rising. This is why Australians deserve a cheaper, better and fairer energy system. Imagine every farmer across Australia in the same position. Producers should be focused on feeding the nation and instead are being forced to manage their energy use like another full-time job. Families feel the pain at the checkout because, when a farmer's costs increase, the whole country pays for it. When electricity is unaffordable, everything is unaffordable. Peter should be concentrating on producing the best possible crop, but instead he navigates wind, tariffs and irrigation schedules just to avoid being punished for turning on the pump. That is not fair, and it is not sustainable. Behind Labor's flawed energy policies are thousands of farmers like Peter doing everything right and still falling behind. We owe them an energy system that sparks opportunity, not one that leaves them powerless. The coalition has a cheaper, better and fairer energy policy, and I say bring it on for Australia's sake—the sooner the better.
Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
Australians are being told that they've never had it better than they have under this government, but families know the truth every time they tap their card at the doctor's reception desk....
Australians are being told that they've never had it better than they have under this government, but families know the truth every time they tap their card at the doctor's reception desk. Out-of-pocket GP costs are now pushing, on average, $50. That is a worrying statistic. That is a barrier to care. When the coalition left office, bulk-billing rates were nearly 90 per cent. Today, bulk-billing is collapsing in 32 electorates. The Prime Minister's famous promise, 'You'll only need your Medicare card, not your credit card,' is now nothing more than a punchline in doctors' waiting rooms. Throughout Australia, people are handing over their credit cards every time they visit a doctor, and many simply can't afford that anymore. In my electorate of Dawson, what used to be a routine GP visit is now a financial decision. We have no fully bulk-billed GP clinics in Mackay, a city of around 130,000 people. None! The government says bulk-billing will reach nine out of 10 visits by 2030, but in Dawson this promise is a mile from reality. That is not strengthening Medicare; that is slow disintegration of it, and GP practices are sounding the alarm as loudly as their patients. They tell me the same story. They simply can't keep bulk-billing when costs just keep going up. To quote Family Health Care Mackay Rural View: … the incentive does not cover the full cost of providing high-quality care. Therefore, our clinic will continue to charge an appropriate out-of-pocket fee for some consultations to ensure we can keep delivering high-quality care to our community. Power bills have climbed. Commercial rent is climbing. Insurance costs are climbing. Everything is going up and the Medicare rebates aren't keeping up with 'Jimflation'. This is not economic management. This is a cost-of-living crisis delivered through the front door of every medical practice in regional Australia. You cannot blame the doctors for walking away from bulk-billing when the numbers no longer stack up. Only 13 per cent of metropolitan GP clinics have signed up to Labor's bulk-billing program. If the program can't survive in Melbourne and Sydney, what hope do Mackay, Bowen and Burdekin have? Does this government really think 2030 is an acceptable target? Tell that to the mother in Airlie Beach, ignoring the back pain that she can't afford to have checked because nappies and formula come first. And that $100 gap in up-front costs could mean the difference between early detection and ovarian cancer going unnoticed. Or tell that to the father in Home Hill, chalking up his chronic fatigue to overtime hours working to put food on the table for his family, unaware he could be weeks away from cardiac arrest. Tell that to the apprentice tradie in Paget, who cannot afford more than $100 to see a doctor. A simple blood test might have caught prostate cancer early, but by the time the symptoms are severe, it's diagnosed as stage 4. We know early detection saves lives. This government's failure to fix Medicare is not just short-sighted but also putting lives at risk. This is the reality for too many Australians today: a shrinking Medicare promise, regional communities forced to delay care, and families waiting until illness becomes an emergency. For some, that delay will result in death. That is the cost of this government's failure. The reality is that families are paying more, waiting longer and getting less. Medicare is not strengthened by token slogans. It is strengthened by access, and there is no access when the GP workforce is shrinking, when clinics can't afford to bulk-bill and when families must budget for something that should be universal. This government needs to stop treating health care like a talking point and start treating it like the lifeline it is, especially for regional Australia. Right now, under Labor, a Medicare card is little more than a discount voucher.
Small Business | Private Members' Business | House debates
I thank the member for Goldstein for raising this important topic. Small businesses aren't just part of our economy; they are the backbone of our economy. They are the beating heart of every main...
I thank the member for Goldstein for raising this important topic. Small businesses aren't just part of our economy; they are the backbone of our economy. They are the beating heart of every main street and every regional town—someone with a dream decides to have a go. They are the bakers opening before dawn, the mechanics working late and the cane farmers handing down the family legacy from one generation to the next. They are the families who back themselves often risking everything, and today that spirit is under threat like never before. Small and family businesses right across Australia are being hit by a tidal wave of pressure that the government either can't understand or simply refuses to acknowledge. This motions asks the House to confront an uncomfortable truth—small and family businesses are being crushed not by market forces but by government choices. Costs are spiralling. Power bills are sky rocketing. Leases are rising. Insurance is blowing out. Interest rates are pushing many to the brink. Every week I hear the same thing: 'I'm working harder for less, and I don't know how long I can keep it going.' That is not economic management. That is economic neglect. The reasons are clear. The government's industrial relations changes have replaced flexibility with confusion, fairness with compliance, and replaced opportunity with fear. Business owners are scared of making paperwork mistakes, worried about hiring and terrified of growing because every change seems designed for big unions and big corporates, not the people who actually create the jobs. Labor needs to stop looking after their election cash cows and start looking after real Australians. Power bills for shops, cafes, small manufacturers and workshops have surged because of this government's reckless energy experiment. Small businesses operate for customers and production timetables, not electricity markets. In regional Australia, where distance adds cost, these increases aren't inconvenient; they are lethal. Record immigration has made the situation even worse. Labor is bringing in more people that ever, yet small businesses can't hire the skilled workers they desperately need. Businesses in Dawson are constantly telling me workshops can't find mechanics, plumbers and sparkies can't secure skilled trades and medical practices can't hire GPs. Meanwhile, the people we do want—surgeons, dentists, builders—are trapped in visa queues for up to two years. What's worse is that small family businesses can't find unskilled workers to pick fruit, to serve drinks or to deliver pamphlets because the government rolls out the red carpet to refugees, places them on welfare and hoards them in Sydney and Melbourne to build their voter base while mum-and-dad business owners work around the clock to pay their taxes that support these new arrivals. This isn't leadership. It's bureaucratic chaos, and it's leaving Australians behind. Every new rule, every new layer of red tape, every shift of industrial requirement lands hardest on the smallest operator. A large corporation can hide behind a compliance department. A family business only has itself, its time and its courage. This is why insolvencies are exploding—the highest level in years—in a country that's growing faster than ever. That should terrify everyone who cares about Australia, because small business is not optional. If small businesses collapse, Australia collapses. Small and family businesses employ nearly half of our workforce, train the majority of apprentices, invest their profits locally, keep regional communities alive and build generational wealth that strengthens families. When a family business closes, we don't just lose a shopfront; we lose the legacy of hard work, sacrifice and Australian ingenuity. What small and family businesses need is simple: lower power bills; a cheaper, better, fairer energy policy; a simple regulation; a visa system that delivers skilled workers they need; a tax system that rewards effort; and, above all, a government that actually backs them. On this side of the House, we stand with small and family business because we understand one simple truth: when a small business wins, Australia wins.
I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.
My question is to the Prime Minister. When asked about the Prime Minister's promise to reduce power bills by $275, the Labor member for Solomon said, 'How long are you guys going to hang on to...
My question is to the Prime Minister. When asked about the Prime Minister's promise to reduce power bills by $275, the Labor member for Solomon said, 'How long are you guys going to hang on to that $275 piece?' Prime Minister, are power bills $275 lower now than in May 2022?
Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
If good policy is met with greater prosperity, this government seems intent on salting the soil. After three years of promises, backflips and bureaucratic composting, Labor has finally planted...
If good policy is met with greater prosperity, this government seems intent on salting the soil. After three years of promises, backflips and bureaucratic composting, Labor has finally planted its so-called Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and six associated bills. Make no mistake, this isn't a plan to make Australia greener; it's a plan to make Australia slower, poorer and tangled in so much red and green tape that no-one can tell where the vines begin or end. These bills, around 1,500 pages long, are a legislative jungle. They were dropped on the parliament floor like a storm-felled tree. Now Labor wants to rush them through before anyone has had a chance to read the warning signs carved in the bark. The coalition cannot and will not support these reforms in their current form because, instead of protecting the environment, they threaten to choke our economy. This is the most significant environmental overhaul in a generation, yet the government is trying to push it through in just weeks. Stakeholders from the Business Council to the mineral sector, from farmers to housing developers, have all asked for more time to read, analyse and consult. They want to make sure this reform is workable. The Business Council of Australia has been crystal clear: without significant changes, we risk embedding a system that is even slower, is more complex and lacks the clarity and certainty needed for investment. In other words, Labor's so-called reform is not fertilising growth; it's strangling it. Yet, after four years and two elections, Labor still haven't delivered the environmental protection agency they keep promising. They've had more false starts than a wind farm without wind. In the last parliament, Minister Plibersek attempted to push through ridiculous reforms. They were so extreme left that the Premier of Western Australia contacted the Prime Minister, and overnight those bills were stopped. Wow! That's saying something when it's too left for the Premier of WA. That historical failure is a cautionary tale. It shows what happens when reforms are rushed and sets the context for why Australians should be rightly concerned today. The coalition supports strong, sensible environmental laws, and we always have. When the Leader of the Opposition was minister of the environment, she commissioned the Samuel review, a practical road map for modernising the 1999 EPBC Act. It was based on balance—protecting nature, while enabling responsible development. The coalition government began the reform process by introducing streamlining pathways and bilateral agreements to cut the duplication between Canberra and the states. Labor blocked that reform, then rebranded it and called it their own. We say: 'Fine. If you want to recycle our policies, at least read the instructions before you throw them in the green bin.' Let's be clear about what's wrong here. Firstly, there's the environmental protection authority. Under Labor's model, the EPA's CEO will hold enormous powers, including the ability to stop projects indefinitely, without clear accountability or ministerial oversight. That is absurd! There is no binding statement of expectations, there are no performance measures and there's no capacity for the minister to terminate the CEO for failure to deliver. That's not accountability; that's bureaucracy on autopilot. Graeme Samuel's review was explicit: the EPA's role should be compliance and enforcement only, while assessment and approvals remain with the department. Labor ignored that. They created a body that is both regulator and referee. And that's not environmental management; that's environmental mayhem. Secondly, there's scope 1 and scope 2 emissions reporting. Labor's bill requires proponents to report their emissions under the EPBC process, duplicating the existing safeguard mechanism. But nowhere in the bill does it clearly say that this information cannot be used for decision-making or for imposing conditions. That omission is a lawyer's paradise and a miner's nightmare. It opens the door to endless green lawfare. Industry groups have told us that they could live with the reporting if there were guardrails, but in this version the guardrails are gone. It's a slippery slope straight to a climate trigger by stealth. Thirdly, there are 37 definitions of 'unacceptable impacts' spread over eight pages—37. That's not law; that's a complicated maze. Even existing projects that were once approved could be ruled out under these new standards. Industry says the definition should be removed from legislation and placed in flexible standards, not set in stone. If Labor does not fix it, it could block development faster than a landslide on a rural road. Fourthly, there are the penalties and stop-work orders. The bill allows fines of up to $825 million—nearly $1 billion—for a penalty regime with no appeal rights and no proportionality. The EPA could issue an environmental protection order on the flimsiest grounds, shutting down operations indefinitely—no checks, no balances, no sunset clauses. That's not justice; that's a kangaroo court with a green backdrop! These bills are sold as protecting the environment, yet they risk opening the door to green energy projects in places that should never be touched. Imagine wind farms on the Great Barrier Reef—an icon of Australia's natural heritage—in the name of emissions reductions that would barely move the needle on global emissions. Across Queensland, fertile farmland is being swallowed up by massive solar arrays. This is land that should be used for feeding Australians but, instead, is being turned into industrial deserts of solar panels. Koala habitats are under threat. Wind farms are being built in areas critical to the survival of these iconic species. Wind turbines that barely spin due to inconsistent wind are causing more environmental destruction than benefit. How many ecosystems, how many more species and how much more farmland will be lost in the name of hitting this arbitrary emission target? The government wants Australians to believe that more wind and solar equals better environmental outcomes, but the reality is that uncontrolled, poorly sited projects are causing irreversible damage—all this destruction for emission reductions that are almost meaningless when Australia contributes just one per cent of global emissions. Yet our landscapes and our livelihoods bear the cost. If the minister truly cared about protecting our environment, we wouldn't be bulldozing ecosystems. We must ask ourselves: where does this destruction end? If the goal is net zero at any cost, Australians, their land, their water and our wildlife are being sacrificed with zero meaningful global impact. These bills, in their current form, fail to protect what Australians truly care about. They incentivise environmental damage under the guise of progress, and that's why these bills cannot be supported. These reforms were sold as part of Labor's so-called productivity agenda, yet every serious economist knows they'll do the exact opposite. They'll drive up costs, slow down approvals and scare away investors. Let's talk about productivity. Australia has now fallen to second last among OECD nations. Only Mexico ranks lower. Labor says we need reform to fix productivity, then proposes legislation that makes it harder to invest and harder to build, mine and manufacture. It's like telling a farmer to grow more crops but locking the gate to his paddock. In the last financial year, mining companies contributed $59.4 billion in taxes and royalties—money that pays for hospitals, schools and roads. Yet these are the industries Labor is happy to sacrifice to appease the Greens, and a deal with the Greens is a deal to turn off the lights on Australia's economy. Let's remember that, when the coalition introduced reforms to streamline approvals, Labor said no. Australians can see through this spin. If the government were serious about environmental reform, it would bring industry, farmers and conservationists together. Instead, Labor has divided them. The coalition believes in practical environmental policy grounded in science, not slogans. We support ministerial decision-making remaining with the elected government, not unelected bureaucrats. We support no climate trigger. We support forestry exemptions under regional forestry agreements because our forestry industry is sustainable, world class and essential to regional jobs. We support reducing duplication between state and federal systems, and we support a proper national interest exemption because sometimes projects are just too important to delay with ideology. That's what balanced reform looks like. So why the rush? Why the mad dash to get through this before Christmas when even Labor's own minister said back in June that the legislation wouldn't be ready until next year? Because the government wants to declare a political victory, not a practical one. They think passing a 1,500-page bill before Christmas will prove that they can get things done, but getting things done isn't the same as getting things right. Our nation's wealth was built on natural resources, innovation and hard work. Mining, agriculture, manufacturing—these are the roots of our prosperity. Labor's reforms dig up our roots and replace them with bureaucracy. This isn't environmental protection; it's economic deforestation—and, when the canopy falls, it's everyday Australians who are left in the shade. We want environmental laws that protect our biodiversity and our competitiveness. We want clean air, healthy soils and flowing rivers, but what we also want is factories that hum, farms that thrive and jobs that stay right here in Australia. That's not too much to ask. It's what every sensible Australian expects. This parliament has a choice. We can nurture growth with balanced, sensible reform or we can let poor ideology fill the garden of prosperity with weeds. The coalition will work constructively to prune what doesn't work, graft in accountability and clarity and ensure the final product is something Australians can live with and live from. Environmental reform shouldn't come at the cost of national prosperity. It should be about balance, not bans; stewardship, not strangulation; and a greener future that doesn't leave our workers, our industries and our regions out in the cold. Until that happens, the coalition will not support these bills, because, when it comes to Labor's environmental reform, the only thing growing right now is a list of the reasons to vote against it.
Regional Australia | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
I take the interjection. Electricity prices are going through the roof, by 39 per cent under Labor's watch. We hear from the Minister for Climate Change and Energy that prices are lower. They're...
I take the interjection. Electricity prices are going through the roof, by 39 per cent under Labor's watch. We hear from the Minister for Climate Change and Energy that prices are lower. They're simply not. Surely those opposite must get a power bill? The price of gas has gone up by 46 per cent. Australians cannot afford this Labor renewable-only approach. The Nationals have a better way. We've adopted a cheaper, better and fairer energy plan. Cheaper: lower energy prices by using our resources. Better: by protecting our environment, by protecting our waterways, by having better land use and by using soil carbon sequestration. Fairer: in line with other countries—we don't need to shoot ahead, we don't need to be further than all these other countries; we want to be in line with the OECD countries—and we want cities to do their fair share, where you can put solar panels on rooftops, on top of the Woolworths and the Coles and on top of airport parking lots, so they can have shade. Why do you always want to put them out in rural and regional Australia? We have a commonsense approach. The Nationals are always bringing common sense to Canberra. We want to keep industry within this country. We want to keep our jobs and keep our living standards, and that's simply not happening with those opposite. And it's not just about the energy. On Medicare, we were promised at the last election—the Prime Minister held up his little green card—'This is the only card you will need to see a doctor.' But in my electorate of Dawson, in Mackay—which is the biggest centre in my area, with 130,000 people—there is not one bulk-billing clinic. So you need way more than just your Medicare card. Unless you take in your credit card, you don't get to see a doctor. But it is not just in Mackay. Let's go further north to Bowen and the Burdekin—not one bulk-billing clinic. As a matter of fact, the closest one is in Townsville, so my main population base, located in Mackay, has to drive four, 4½ hours—an eight- or nine-hour round trip—just to see a GP. That's burnt up in fuel costs alone. But it's not just that. The Albanese Labor government has betrayed regional Australia yet again on their rural roads. Those opposite want to reduce the speed limits. I can't believe it. Rather than actually investing, spending the money on upgrading the roads—'Oh, no, let's take the lazy approach; we'll just cut the speed limits.' It's absolutely unbelievable. And what about the Bruce Highway? Those opposite promised $7.2 billion for the Bruce Highway, our main arterial road. But, no, it was revealed in Senate estimates that there was only $232 million available over the next three years—another Labor untruth. Then we saw, just recently—I don't know whether the money's there or not; again, we'll have to prosecute this through Senate estimates—an announcement of $2 billion for the Bruce Highway south-east corner. It's another betrayal of rural and regional Australia. Let's recap. The Labor government has betrayed us on energy prices, betrayed us on Medicare, betrayed us on rural roads, betrayed us on the Bruce Highway and betrayed the farmers. Unless Labor starts looking after regional Australia, very soon every Australian will be naked, sober and starving.
The Albanese Labor government has certainly betrayed regional Australia. Labor's renewable-only approach to energy has smashed regional Australia. Those opposite believe that solar panels are...
The Albanese Labor government has certainly betrayed regional Australia. Labor's renewable-only approach to energy has smashed regional Australia. Those opposite believe that solar panels are best placed in good-quality agricultural land—land that should be used for growing food and fibre—and that wind turbines are best placed when you wipe out the whole of the tops of hills and put them there. Koala habitats, native vegetation, virgin vegetation—all wiped out for this renewable fantasy that we see all the time. How is the renewable fantasy going?
Oasis Townsville | Constituency Statements | House debates
If the fine men and women of the Australian Defence Force are brave enough to put their bodies and their lives on the line to keep us safe, the very least we should do is promise to protect them...
If the fine men and women of the Australian Defence Force are brave enough to put their bodies and their lives on the line to keep us safe, the very least we should do is promise to protect them when their duty is done. But, right now, that promise is being broken in my electorate of Dawson. In the garrison city of Townsville, the Oasis stands as a lifeline, a home base for those who've worn the uniform and for their families, who have stood shoulder to shoulder with them. But, come early 2026, unless urgent and sustainable funding is secured, the Oasis will close its doors. And then what happens? It won't be just a building that shuts; it will be a lifeline that is severed. This is not just another local facility. The Oasis was ground zero for Operation Compass, the trial that shaped the nation's veterans and families hubs that we have today. It was built to give veterans a place to connect, to heal, to rebuild and to have a sense of belonging. Belonging cannot be built on a short-term basis. It needs grants and community fundraising. It requires a commitment. It requires leadership, and it requires a government that honours the service of those who have given everything for our country. We don't need another inquiry to tell us why this matters. We know the statistics, and they are heartbreaking. Between 1997 and 2023, an average of three veterans died by suicide every fortnight. Ex-servicemen are 26 per cent more likely to die by suicide and ex-servicewomen are twice as likely. Suicide is the leading cause of death for ex-service men and women under 30. Those are not just statistics. That's a generation of promise. While those numbers should be enough to move mountains, the Oasis is left fighting for survival. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide handed the government a clear roadmap. Recommendation 86 called for sustainable funding for the 17 veterans hubs nationwide, and the government agreed, Yet, more than a year later, nothing has changed. I've written to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs urging immediate action. These veterans don't need more inquiries or promises. They need a lifeline. These men and women fought for our existence. The least we can do is fight for theirs. This government must honour the commitment that has already been made by implementing recommendations 86 in full, to deliver sustainable operational funding. When we stand with our veterans, we stand by the best of who Australians really are.