Kara Cook's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
What would be truly reckless is doing nothing, which is exactly what we see from the other side—nothing, no policy, no ideas. They don't even know who their leader is anymore! Let's talk...
What would be truly reckless is doing nothing, which is exactly what we see from the other side—nothing, no policy, no ideas. They don't even know who their leader is anymore! Let's talk about what Labor is delivering, and let's start with health. Labor has delivered 120 urgent care clinics so Australians can get free walk-in care when they need it, closing the gap without paying any out-of-pocket fees. Locally, in my community of Bonner, we have seen not one but two Medicare urgent care clinics in the last two months. The Carina-Carindale and the Capalaba urgent care clinics are now open. We've delivered 51 Medicare mental health clinics and 41 more are on the way, with 10 to come in Queensland alone, because mental health care should not depend on your postcode or your bank balance. We've strengthened Medicare with $25 PBS medicines—real relief every single time someone walks into a pharmacy, saving Australians more than $200 million a year. In my electorate of Bonner, that's $14.2 million saved since 2023. These aren't abstract policies; they're fewer dollars at the counter, they're early intervention and they're peace of mind for all Australians. Under Labor, Australians with student debt have received a 20 per cent reduction, wiping an average of $5,500 off what they owe—21,000 people with student debt in Bonner are now better off. That's money back in the pockets of nurses, teachers, social workers and small-business owners. That's relief that flows straight into the economy and straight into household budgets. All of these were, shamefully, opposed by those opposite. Let's talk about housing. Labor is helping first home buyers get a foot in the door with five per cent first home deposits—not a handout, but a hand up. In Queensland alone, more than 50,000 people have taken up this opportunity—50,000 Queenslanders who are now homeowners or on their way to becoming one, including hundreds in Bonner. Many of those, I'm sure, are also small-business owners. If empowering that many people to buy their first home is reckless then sign me up every single day of the week. That's what Labor governments do—we deliver. Labor is delivering cost-of-living relief. We are delivering for small business. We're not reckless; we're responsive. We're not irresponsible; we're realistic. And we're not here to play games while people are doing it tough. That's what governing looks like. It's delivering real relief to people who need it most, not playing politics and calling people names.
We know that Australians are doing it tough, including small business, and I want to thank the Minister for Small Business for setting out so clearly all that we have done to deliver for small...
We know that Australians are doing it tough, including small business, and I want to thank the Minister for Small Business for setting out so clearly all that we have done to deliver for small business in this country. We know that families are juggling bills, students are worrying about debts, renters and first homebuyers are feeling locked out and people are making impossible choices about their health. When Australians are under pressure, this parliament and this minister have a choice: we can step up and deliver relief, or we can stand back, point fingers, call people names and play politics. This Labor government and our small business minister have chosen to step up and deliver. We have heard today all she has delivered in such a short amount of time for small businesses in this country. Yet, day after day, the opposition stands up in this chamber and calls and calls cost-of-living relief 'reckless', and today is no different with the wording of today's MPI—reckless. Well, if helping small businesses is reckless, if helping Australians see a doctor when they're sick is reckless, sign me up. If easing pressure on students, families and first home buyers is reckless, sign me up. If backing Australians through a global cost-of-living crisis is reckless, then this side of the House is proudly guilty.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence | Statements | House debates
Six women have been murdered in the first six weeks of 2026. This statistic demands more than reflection; it demands action. When it comes to violence against women, the evidence is already...
Six women have been murdered in the first six weeks of 2026. This statistic demands more than reflection; it demands action. When it comes to violence against women, the evidence is already clear. Frontline workers, advocates and victims-survivors have told us time and time again that they do not need more reports. We need to implement what we know already works. Last year the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner reported that there are more than 1,000 recommendations from at least eight major inquiries and reviews. Labor acted quickly. National Cabinet commissioned a rapid review at the request of the Prime Minister, and that work is now being implemented. Across the country, there are 583 initiatives under way to prevent, respond to and heal family, domestic and sexual violence. Of those initiatives, 122 are Commonwealth led, backed by a $4 billion investment from this Labor government. These initiatives are publicly reported on and transparent. The evidence is clear. The priority must be delivery. That's why Labor is moving forward with consultation on the second action plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, co-designed with frontline workers and with victims-survivors at its centre. Labor is delivering real investment and real action that saves women's lives. Labor knows there is more work to do, but we are committed to ensuring we can do all we can to stop women being murdered in our country.
Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise to speak in support of the Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025, legislation that goes to the core of access, fairness and social cohesion in our country. Australia is proudly a...
I rise to speak in support of the Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025, legislation that goes to the core of access, fairness and social cohesion in our country. Australia is proudly a multicultural nation. One in three Australians were born overseas, in all corners of the earth—all contributing to our rich and vibrant country. Hundreds of languages are spoken in homes, workplaces and communities across Australia. But multiculturalism cannot exist in name alone. It must be backed by practical systems that ensure people can engage with government, health care, education and the justice system in a language that they understand. This bill does exactly that. Under the Whitlam Labor government in 1973, Australia became the first country in the world to provide a telephone interpreting service to ensure that new Australians with limited English proficiency could navigate our government systems and programs and participate fully in our society. This service laid the foundation for what we now know as the Translating and Interpreting Service, or TIS National, within the Department of Home Affairs. This bill continues our commitment, as the Albanese Labor government, to give legislative authority for TIS National to continue its vital work in delivering translating and interpreting services that Australians rely upon. Currently, TIS National provides translating and interpreting services to agencies across all levels of government, to the private sector and for individuals, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The telephone service ensures that emergency services, hospitals, health services, courts, police and frontline government agencies can communicate with people with limited English proficiency at any time, in any circumstance. Alongside telephone services, TIS National provides remote interpreting services via video, and also on-site interpreting services. It operates the Free Interpreting Service, which supports doctors, pharmacists, unions, real estate agents and parliamentarians to communicate with Australians. It also delivers the Free Translating Service, to help new arrivals translate critical documents into English and support their contribution in employment, education and society. With each wave of migration, TIS National has evolved and met demand. The service has developed and trained translators and interpreters who play a vital role in ensuring that translation of government information in health and legal settings reaches those who need it most. These services are not niche or marginal; they are central to the functioning of government, and the numbers show it. Right across Australia in the last six months, 777,000 people have used the service nationally, including 77,000 in Queensland alone. While TIS National has operated for decades, legal advice from the Australian Government Solicitor makes clear that its functions require express legislative authority, particularly in relation to services provided beyond government agencies. This bill provides that certainty. It establishes a clear statutory basis for TIS National in the new act, empowering the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs to provide or arrange translating and interpreting services for Commonwealth government agencies; for migrants; to facilitate communication by government officers; for state and territory governments; by telephone or other means; and under national arrangements addressing shared needs. Importantly, the bill does not change how services are delivered. It strengthens their legal foundation. Australians trace their heritage from almost every country. This diversity enriches us. It also creates a responsibility—a responsibility to ensure that people can understand their rights and obligations, seek help when they are unsafe or unwell and access services they pay for and are entitled to. It means a patient can understand medical advice, a victim can seek help, a worker can assert their rights and a parent can engage with a school community. That is why we have introduced this legislation, which expressly authorises TIS National to develop, train and support translators and interpreters for our multicultural country. The robodebt royal commission laid bare the consequences of government programs operating without clear legal authority, transparency or accountability. Since introducing the Racial Discrimination Act in 1973, Labor has championed multicultural policy as a foundation of Australian values and social cohesion. Strengthening translating and interpreting services is just one part of the Albanese Labor government's broader commitment to multicultural Australia. Before coming to government, Labor established the Multicultural Engagement Taskforce, which consulted widely with culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Australia. The taskforce listened to multicultural Australia to help inform Labor government policies that would affect them. It consulted with culturally and linguistically diverse community leaders, local councillors, service providers, community organisations, business networks and ethnic peak bodies from the cities, suburbs and regions. The taskforce investigated the quality of access to Commonwealth government agencies; current support provided in the areas of small business, entrepreneurship and innovation; barriers and needs regarding access to Commonwealth government services; and networking and partnership opportunities that help link community groups to Commonwealth government services. The taskforce heard consistently that multicultural and CALD communities were unaware of government services, with language barriers limiting access and communication failures undermining trust. Language was not a peripheral issue; it was a structural barrier. Further, there was significant but underutilised potential for partnership between all levels of government to support grassroots multicultural organisations. When those opposite were in power, they failed to make government services accessible to multicultural and CALD communities. COVID-19 amplified multicultural communities' vulnerabilities and exposed failures under the then coalition. Under the Liberals, NDIS applications were not tailored to the needs of multicultural and CALD communities, and reporting on the equity of access to government services was not mandated. The cuts to the Public Service further undermined the ability of frontline staff to support our multicultural and CALD communities. We are judged on our commitment to a multicultural Australia not by what we say but by what we do. That is why the Albanese government is investing $190 million over two years to provide direct support through the Supporting Multicultural Communities Program. It will deliver competitive grant funding to support infrastructure, amenities, events and programs for multicultural communities. Young Australians should be connected to the language of their parents, grandparents and communities and take part in the global job market. The government is delivering the Community Language Schools Grants Program, which is enabling schools to deliver professional language programs, and it will play a part in preserving languages in multicultural communities. We know that community organisations can make significant decisions, plan for the future and better support their membership if they have long-term funding certainty. That is why Labor is investing in the Modernised Multicultural Grants Program. It will deliver longer term funding to support multicultural organisations to hold local events, improve facilities and deliver language programs. Labor also recognises the role of multicultural independent media and their place in sharing important information. The $10 million independent multicultural media grants for transformation and sustainability will support eligible Australian independent media organisations to transition to sustainable new media practices. This program will back their future. These are just some of the Albanese Labor government's programs to strengthen our multicultural nation. Through this bill, we take another step towards making government and services more accessible for multicultural Australia. It is another step towards making Australia more inclusive and a stronger nation. In Bonner we are fortunate to have a vibrant and multicultural community, where different cultures and traditions come together and shine. There are 48,883 Australians from 167 countries right across the world who call Bonner home. That includes more than 3½ thousand Australians who were born in India and more than 5½ thousand from China. We have people from Kazakhstan, Uruguay and Mozambique. Each and every one of these new Australians can receive translation and interpreting support if they need it to navigate our complex government systems and contribute to our community. In Bonner, there are currently 164 people registered to use the telephone interpreting service. They are being supported to receive the support they need. This is more than a bill. It speaks to the idea of who we are as Australians. It reflects how we value fairness. It reflects our belief that language should never stand between a person and their rights. It is about ensuring that every Australian, regardless of where they were born, the language they speak at home or how they recently arrived can understand government, access essential services and participate fully in Australian life. We know that those who have benefited from this service in our country have played a huge part as well in building it—as workers, carers, entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders. It was a Labor government that established the first form of a government funded translation and interpreting service. I'm proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is strengthening the service and enshrining it in the law. Labor stands for an inclusive, multicultural Australia. This bill reinforces that commitment today.
Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise today to speak in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025, a reform that goes to the heart of access, efficiency and fairness in our...
I rise today to speak in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025, a reform that goes to the heart of access, efficiency and fairness in our healthcare system. Nurses and midwives play a vital role in Australia's healthcare system. Across the country, there are more than 54,000 enrolled nurses, 345,000 registered nurses and more than 2½ thousand nurse practitioners employed. There are also more than 300,000 midwives providing vital care for more than 300,000 women each and every year. Nurses alleviate suffering and support recovery. They foster life from the start and uphold dignity at the end of life. They are highly skilled and educated. However, they are currently underutilised in primary care. This bill changes that. It delivers upon Labor's commitment to support more Australians and their health by enabling designated registered nurses to prescribe. I know many in my electorate of Bonner will benefit from this change with better access for affordable medicines when they need it most. GPs are managing rising demand, as we know, and emergency departments are overcrowded. We know that too many Australians are waiting longer than they should for the care and medicines that they need. In many cases, those delays are not caused by any lack of clinical skill but by outdated restrictions on who can be authorised to prescribe. This bill amends the National Health Act 1953 to allow a registered nurse endorsed against the registration standard to be an authorised prescriber and to enable them to prescribe certain medications that can be supplied under the PBS and attract the Commonwealth subsidy. The bill also amends the Health Insurance Act 1973 to include registered nurses to enable review of the provision of their prescribing services by the Professional Services Review Scheme. Amendments to the National Health Act 1953 will enable prescriptions written by designated registered nurse prescribers to be subsidised under the PBS. Prescribing registered nurses will be subject to the Professional Services Review Scheme, a peer review mechanism that safeguards the PBS and other programs. The change will reduce the need for GP visits or long waits at hospital emergency departments, due to nurses being empowered to provide safe, high-quality care directly to Australians. This builds upon national progress as well. In December 2024, Australia's health ministers approved the new registration standard that allows suitably qualified registered nurses to become designated nurse prescribers. The legislation will enable nurse prescribers to prescribe PBS subsidised medication in primary, aged, disability and mental healthcare settings, including the acute hospital setting to support the discharge process and outpatient management. The Albanese Labor government has listened to the experts and is acting on their advice. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and chief nursing and midwifery officers conducted extensive research and consultation on nurse prescribing models. Through many rounds of consultation, the board developed the standards for designated registered nurse prescribers. Subsequently, all health ministers endorsed the scheduled medicine standards in 2024. This bill reflects expert advice. It reflects workplace planning and it reflects a modern health system adapting to modern needs. Nurses are essential across all health settings, from hospitals and aged care to primary care and remote areas. They are the largest clinical workforce in the country. They are crucial to ensuring every Australian can get the health care they need when they need it. That is why Labor is building the health workforce. This includes delivering $10.5 million for 400 scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills. The scholarships will increase the number of qualified nurse practitioners to support nurse led clinics and increase the number of endorsed midwives. Labor is also fast-tracking registration for record numbers of nurses from comparable countries to join Australia's workforce. To back the health workforce, we need to recognise the expertise of our nurses. That is why the Albanese Labor government delivered a $2.6 billion pay rise for nurses in aged care. Registered and enrolled nurses have seen their award wage increase by an average of around 12 per cent. These increases have been provided across three instalments, with the final instalment coming into play this year in August. Under a decade of neglect from those opposite, aged-care workers were underpaid and undervalued. I'm proud to be part of a government that is righting that wrong. Registered nurses working in aged care on an award wage are around $430 a week better off, and enrolled nurses are $370 a week better off, under the Albanese Labor government. This will also boost recruitment and retention of nurses, easing the pressure on the existing nurse workforce. The Albanese Labor government has made health a priority. These reforms are alongside policies to make health care more accessible and affordable for a growing population. We all know that the costs of seeing a doctor or filling a script are placing many families under financial pressure. Bonner families shouldn't have to make a choice between their health, groceries or paying a bill. That is why Labor has made medicines cheaper. From 1 January this year, we have seen the cost of PBS medications drop to just $25 per script. In Bonner alone, families have saved more than $14.2 million across more than two million scripts. Since coming into government, the Albanese Labor government has also added over 300 new and amended listings to the PBS scheme. For example, 300,000 women will save up $400 a year in Medicare rebates for IUDs, and 365,000 women have already accessed 715,000 cheaper scripts for contraceptives and menopausal hormone therapies through changes to the PBS. Now, authorised nurses can prescribe medications. New PBS listings are saving families potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in treatment costs for rare and complex diseases as well as other very rare and complex health conditions. Australian families are relying on medications being listed on the PBS so they can make ends meet. That is exactly what we are doing. We know that seeing a doctor has become a challenge when it shouldn't be. That is why the Albanese Labor government has tripled the bulk-billing incentive. This is the single biggest in Medicare's history. It means more Australians are seeing the doctor for free and fewer families are putting off the care that they need. Over the next four years, 4,800 clinics across the nation are expected to convert to fully bulk-billed practices, and it's already started in Bonner. In our electorate, we now have around a third of our practices bulk-billing, including: Doctors on Manly Road; Yulu-Burri-Ba in Wynnum; Archer Medical Centre in upper Mount Gravatt; Garden City Family Doctors; Good Health Medical Centres in Garden City, Mount Gravatt and Carindale; Mansfield Family Practice; Mount Gravatt Family Practice; Realcare Medical Centre in upper Mount Gravatt; and Tingalpa Family Health Care Centre, and there will be more on the way. These clinics help more families see the doctor, and it won't cost them a cent. All they need is their Medicare card, not their credit card. Nurses are also playing a crucial role in our urgent care clinics. Our community called for an urgent care clinic, and I'm thrilled that in the last couple of months we've opened not one but two urgent care clinics. Carina-Carindale and the Capalaba urgent care clinics are now open. They are providing urgent care for many in Bonner with no out-of-pocket costs every day of the year. Already 1,121 locals have been treated at the Carina-Carindale clinic. The Capalaba clinic alone has reported an average of 40 people walking in each and every day. Over 2.1 million patients have walked through the door of a Medicare urgent care clinic in Australia, and that includes 360,000 Queenslanders who have received free, urgent, non-life-threatening care through these clinics, seven days a week, close to home. With cheaper medicines, bulk-billed GP clinics and urgent care clinics, families in my community of Bonner can get the health care they need when they need it. Now, nurses will play a greater role in supporting families accessing the treatment they need. In Bonner, I know many people are in the healthcare and aged-care sector as well. In Bonner, 8.7 per cent of the working population are in the healthcare and social assistance sector. There are 3½ thousand people in Bonner completing a health related VET course, and there is a nurse led clinic in Mount Gravatt within my electorate. I know these reforms will support more opportunities for our nurses. Importantly, it will enable my community to seek treatment they need faster. Allowing nurses to prescribe under the PBS will ensure the health system is responsive and better coordinated and ensure GPs and nurse practitioners can focus on patients with more complex needs. The bill is about making better use of the skills we already have in our health workforce. It is about improving access to medicines and ensuring that Australians can receive the care they need when they need it without any unnecessary delay. The Albanese Labor government is committed to supporting our nurses and values the work that they do. I commend the bill to the House.
Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy system for Australia? What are the...
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy system for Australia? What are the impacts of Labor's delivery on Australian households, and how does this compare with previous approaches?
Ovarian Cancer | Statements by Members | House debates
The member for Parkes is a hard act to follow. Today is World Cancer Day, and this month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This morning, I and many of my colleagues in this place attended an...
The member for Parkes is a hard act to follow. Today is World Cancer Day, and this month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This morning, I and many of my colleagues in this place attended an event hosted by Ovarian Cancer Australia, where we heard directly from women and families living with the reality of a disease that is too often overlooked. Their stories are a powerful reminder of why greater awareness and action matters. Today I want to raise awareness of this horrific disease that around 1,900 Australian women are diagnosed with each year. Although it is the ninth-most common cancer in females, ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death. Survival remains low. Two in three women are diagnosed at advanced stages, and less than half of those diagnosed survive beyond five years. This survival rate has barely changed in 50 years. That's why the Albanese government is backing ovarian cancer research through targeted funding and expanded access to affordable medicines on the PBS. This includes $386,000 for the TRACKFORWARD project, and the government is also ensuring women are supported with treatments such as zejula and lynparza medications, improving options, outcomes and access for women who need it most. More than 300 women each year in Australia will now not be faced with more than $100,000 for the cost of these medications; they are now listed on the PBS at a cost of just $25. Labor is delivering for women today and every day. (Time expired)
Medicare | Statements by Members | House debates
Today I want to talk about a clear choice in Australian politics: delivery versus division. In the last two months, Labor has delivered not one but two Medicare urgent care clinics to service my...
Today I want to talk about a clear choice in Australian politics: delivery versus division. In the last two months, Labor has delivered not one but two Medicare urgent care clinics to service my community of Bonner and the surrounding electorates. The Capalaba and Carindale urgent care clinics are now open seven days a week, fully bulk-billed, and taking pressure off our emergency departments. All you need is your Medicare card, not your credit card, to receive quality urgent care, thanks to Labor delivering for all Australians. This didn't happen by accident; it happened because Labor believes in Medicare, and we're rebuilding it after a decade of neglect by those opposite. While Labor is rolling out urgent care clinics across the country and delivering more bulk-billed GPs and cheaper medicines, those opposite are divided and divisive. They can't agree on a leader, let alone a health policy. Australians deserve better than chaos and culture wars. They deserve care. Labor is strengthening Medicare, expanding urgent care and delivering practical solutions for communities like mine in Bonner. That's the difference: Labor delivers; those opposite divide.
Environment, Cybersafety, Health Care | Statements | House debates
This week is a landmark moment for Australia's environment and our future prosperity. Tomorrow the Albanese government's historic environmental law reforms, the most significant overhaul of our...
This week is a landmark moment for Australia's environment and our future prosperity. Tomorrow the Albanese government's historic environmental law reforms, the most significant overhaul of our national environmental laws in 25 years, will pass in this parliament. These reforms will deliver what Australians have long called for: stronger protections for our environment and faster, clearer decision-making for the projects our country needs, such as housing, renewable energy and critical minerals. This means there will be a new national environmental protection agency, Australia's first independent environmental regulator, ensuring stronger compliance and enforcement. It means there will be national environmental standards—clear, consistent rules to protect the environment across the country. It means there will be a crackdown on high-risk land clearing by the removal of outdated exemptions so all industries will play by the same rules. It also means greater transparency, with major projects required to disclose emissions and emission reduction plans. It also means water protections being maintained for coal and gas projects. And, for business and communities, it means faster decisions through a new streamlined assessment pathway; less duplication, with improved agreements between federal and state governments; and regional planning to give certainty with clear-go and no-go zones. I'm proud to support reforms that protect what's precious, unlock economic opportunity and build a stronger, more sustainable Australia for future generations. We also know that there is no going back to a world without technology. The internet has given us a wealth of knowledge that can be used for good. Unfortunately, social media has often not been social at all. It's been harnessed as a tool for bullies. It's created spaces for peer pressure. It's been an avenue for scammers. Worst of all, it's been a tool for online predators targeting our most vulnerable. Seven in 10 young Australians have seen content that they shouldn't be exposed to online. This includes sexist, misogynistic and hateful content. It includes content that's sexually explicit, depicts dangerous online challenges or promotes violent behaviours. It includes content that promotes unhealthy living, body image issues and depression. By harnessing algorithms, we know that online platforms can target and manipulate children with toxic content. That is why the Albanese Labor government is backing laws that creates a new minimum age for social media. From 10 December, certain platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from holding accounts. We want technology that backs our kids' education and development, especially during the most important stages of life. We don't want it harming our kids by elevating dangerous content. As a parent, I'm aware of the harms that content, this type of content through social media, can create and also of the families of my community that have these concerns. I want kids in my electorate of Bonner to build real life connections. This law will protect them in those critical stages of development. I also know that families in my community want bulk-billed health services closer to home. We have opened 90 Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, and 47 more are on the way, including in my electorate of Bonner. The Carindale urgent care clinic will be opened in the coming months, and I can't wait to cut that ribbon. Already, more than 360,000 Queenslanders have visited a Medicare urgent care clinic, and the new clinic in Carindale will be the very first for my electorate. It will be open seven days a week with no appointment needed, and all patients will be fully bulk-billed. This is real and practical cost-of-living relief for my community and families in Bonner. I will always stand up for a better and more accessible healthcare system and for families in my community. That's why this urgent care clinic, alongside cheaper medicines, $25 for scripts from 1 January, supporting training more doctors and nurses, and tripling the bulk-billing incentive are so needed and much supported by my community. Labor is overseeing the biggest-ever investment in Medicare in the last 40 years. The pensioner in Wynnum Manly, the tradie in Tingalpa and the mum from Mansfield know the value of having affordable and closer health care where they live. Labor is delivering for them. In closing, what a great privilege it is to stand here in this place as the member for Bonner. I'm so proud to be in this place and representing my community. I wish everyone in my community a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year and I'll see you in 2026. Sitting suspended from 17:38 to 09:00 The House transcript was published up to 17:38. The remainder of the transcript will be published progressively as it is completed. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Boyce ) took the chair at 09:30.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women | Statements by Members | House debates
() (): Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Today also marks the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender based violence. In 90 seconds, here are...
() (): Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Today also marks the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender based violence. In 90 seconds, here are 16 things Labor has delivered to keep women and children safe: (1) invested more than any Australian government ever, more than $4 billion, including for front-line services; (2) made the living against violence payment permanent—$5,000 to help women leave abusive relationships; (3) invested $1.2 billion for emergency and transitional housing; (4) legislated 10 days of paid domestic and family violence leave; (5) invested $3.9 billion in the new national access to justice partnership, including an extra $800 million for family violence and legal services; (6) introduced legislation to make sure that our social security system cannot be weaponised by perpetrators of abuse; (7) reformed the family law system; (8) worked with states and territories to improve criminal justice responses to sexual violence; (9) invested $1 million to update the national framework for action to prevent alcohol-related family violence; (10) taken action to deal with high-risk perpetrators, investing over $82 billion; (11) invested $81 million for services like child-specific counselling; (12) launched an inquiry into domestic, family and sexual related suicide; (13) legislated the higher national education code to prevent and respond to gender based violence; (14) implemented all the recommendations of the Respect@Work report; (15) legislated a positive duty for employers; (16) made it illegal to— (Time expired)
United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women | Motions | House debates
Tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and it also marks the start of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Labor stands with the...
Tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and it also marks the start of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Labor stands with the millions of women and children whose lives have been shaped by fear, coercion and abuse. Ending gender-based violence is not aspirational; it is urgent, it is necessary and it is achievable. Before entering parliament, I spent my career working with victims-survivors as a domestic violence lawyer, as a founder of Australia's first dedicated domestic violence law firm, as the CEO of Basic Rights Queensland and as principal lawyer at Women's Legal Service Queensland. I've sat in court where I have seen 90 domestic violence matters a day, I've seen the intergenerational impact of abuse and I've supported women navigating complex systems at the very moment their lives were at risk. I bring their voices into my work every day, but especially during these 16 days of global advocacy. The Albanese Labor government has delivered the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and their Children, a blueprint to end violence in one generation. Labor has backed this plan with over $4 billion for prevention services, housing and long-term change. We've legislated 10 days of paid domestic violence leave; invested $1 billion in crisis and transitional housing, including 24 new homes in my electorate of Bonner, in Wynnum Manly and Mount Gravatt; we've made the leaving violence payment permanent, giving women escaping abuse up to $5,000; and we've acted to prevent government debts being weaponised, because financial abuse affects 43 Australian women every hour. That is what systemic change looks like. But today I want to talk about one of the most dangerous and least understood forms of gender-based violence: non-fatal strangulation. It is not a minor assault. It is not a moment of loss of control. It is a red-flag predictor of homicide. When a woman is strangled by a partner, even once, her risk of later being killed by him increases by up to 800 per cent. Yet strangulation often leaves no visible injury, allowing perpetrators to avoid accountability and victims to be disbelieved. Research shows that even brief oxygen deprivation can cause traumatic brain injury, memory loss, cognitive impairment, depression and anxiety, and long-term neurological damage. Repeated strangulation can change the structure of the brain itself, and now violent pornography is mainstreaming strangulation as normal sexual behaviour, despite medical experts confirming there is no safe way to strangle someone. A recent UK government review found that violent pornography is directly contributing to the rise of choking in sexual encounters, especially amongst young men, shaping expectations and distorting consent. The UK is now moving to criminalise pornography depicting strangulation and to require tech platforms to block it, because children who view violent pornography are three to six times more likely to display harmful, coercive sexual behaviour. These harms demand urgent national attention. Leading the national conversation on non-fatal strangulation is the Red Rose Foundation based in my electorate of Bonner. They have been a driving force behind recognising strangulation as a distinct and serious offence, educating police, courts, medical professionals and frontline workers; building community awareness about the signs of injuries; delivering specialist trauma support for survivors; and pushing for stronger laws around coercive control. The Red Rose Foundation has changed the national understanding of this crime. Their advocacy helped establish non-fatal strangulation offences in law in Queensland, their training is equipping professionals to identify brain injury and coercive control, and their message is clear and unequivocal. Strangulation is a lethal form of violence. There is no safe level, no safe way and no context that makes it acceptable. During these 16 days of activism, I honour their leadership and recommit to supporting their work This year we have seen 62 women murdered. Labor continues to stand with those still living in fear, and we amplify the voices of those who have survived. Ending gender based violence must be a national mission, and together we can end it within a generation.
Low-Income Superannuation Tax Offset | Motions | House debates
Every Australian worker deserves two simple things: to keep more of what they earn and to retire with dignity. But for too long low-income workers—those keeping our cafes running, caring...
Every Australian worker deserves two simple things: to keep more of what they earn and to retire with dignity. But for too long low-income workers—those keeping our cafes running, caring for our elderly and cleaning our schools and hospitals—have been left behind. The Albanese Labor government is fixing that. The low-income superannuation tax offset, the LISTO, exists to make sure low-income earners don't pay more tax on their super contributions than they do on their wages. It's automatic, it's fair and it's essential. Under the Liberals, it was frozen for eight long years. Labor is changing that. From 1 July 2027, we will increase the LISTO from $310 to $810 and lift the income eligibility threshold from $37,000 to $45,000. This means low-income workers will finally receive a fair tax concession on their super. This change will benefit 1.3 million Australians, with an average boost of $410 to their super. That's around $15,000 extra at retirement. In Bonner alone, over 7½ thousand workers will keep an extra $415 a year. That's the barista in Belmont, the hairdresser in Hemmant and the cleaner in Carindale—real workers keeping more of their own money. What did those opposite do when they had the chance to support workers in their retirement? The answer is nothing. The LISTO remained frozen for eight long years. Wages went backwards for five consecutive quarters. Under Labor, we now have the strongest annual real wages growth in five years and the longest period of real wages growth above 0.7 per cent in a decade. We've legislated to protect penalty rates because workers rely on them. Only Labor backs workers. The coalition never have. Economic inequality is gender inequality. Women face higher health costs, carry more unpaid care and retire with less super. More than 750,000 additional Australians with income between $37,000 and $45,000 will now become eligible for LISTO, including more than 450,000 women. Almost 500,000 Australians with income below $37,000 who were already eligible will also receive a higher LISTO payment, including almost 300,000 women. The workers who stand to benefit from this change include over 100,000 sales assistants, over 50,000 admin workers and over 50,000 aged-care and disability carers, the majority of whom are women. We know the facts. Women take more time out of the workforce to care for children and ageing parents. Women are more likely to work part time or casually. Women earn less across their lifetime. The result? Between the ages of 60 and 64, men have a median super balance of $205,000; women have $154,000—almost a quarter less. From the age of 60, 62 per cent of men have super, compared with just 52 per cent of women, and one in four women over 60 live below the poverty line. Almost 60 per cent of older female renters live in poverty. This is unacceptable. Labor will not allow another generation of women to retire poor. Because Labor unfroze and expanded the LISTO, women—especially those in aged care, early education and health—will keep more of what they earn. This sits alongside expanding paid parental leave to 26 weeks, paying super on parental leave and passing payday super laws to stop employers from ripping off workers' retirement savings. Together, these reforms are life changing. Superannuation is a Labor idea and a Labor achievement. It was built so Australians could retire with security earned through work, not inherited through wealth. By reforming the LISTO, the Albanese Labor government is ensuring a fairer superannuation system for the many, not the privileged few. Australian workers deserve dignity in retirement, and this Labor government will always fight to deliver it.
Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
I love holding mobile offices in my electorate of Bonner. I recently met with Garry at my mobile office at Mount Gravatt Westfield, in my electorate. Garry had lots of things he wanted to talk...
I love holding mobile offices in my electorate of Bonner. I recently met with Garry at my mobile office at Mount Gravatt Westfield, in my electorate. Garry had lots of things he wanted to talk about, but at the top of his mind was health care. Bulk-billing, cost of medication—these are the things that people in my community of Bonner care about. We made time to chat some more just last week, and, when I caught up with Garry, I talked to him about the fact that, from 1 November this year, every Australian is eligible for bulk-billing under Labor; around 1,000 GP practices have already indicated that they will become 100 per cent bulk-billing, which is on top of the 1,600 that are already bulk-billing right across our country. I was able to let him know that, in Queensland alone, bulk-billing has increased by 1.2 million additional visits under Labor and that we take a different approach to that of those opposite. That means more doctors, more bulk-billing and more urgent care clinics. That is our approach to strengthening Medicare. I told Garry that no Australian should ever have to choose between buying groceries and seeing a doctor and that the phrase 'I can't afford to see a doctor' is something that should never be spoken in a country like ours. Labor has tripled the bulk-billing incentive, the single biggest investment in Medicare's history. That means more Australians seeing a doctor for free and fewer families putting off the care that they need. Over the next four years, 4,800 clinics across the nation are expected to convert to be fully bulk-billing practices, and it's already started in my electorate of Bonner. In my electorate, we now have 11 fully bulk-billing GP clinics; that's doubled. These include Archer Medical Centre; Doctors On Manly Road; Garden City Family Doctors; Good Health medical centres in Garden City, Mount Gravatt and Carindale; Mansfield Family Practice; Mount Gravatt Family Practice; Realcare Medical Centre; Tingalpa Family Health Care Centre; and Yulu-Burri-Ba. These clinics are delivering real relief for households and real confidence that, when you're sick, you can see a GP for free. Tripling the bulk-billing incentive goes hand in hand with cheaper medicines. In Bonner alone, families have saved more than $12.8 million across two million scripts. In just over one month, more savings are on the way. From 1 January we will see the cost of PBS medications drop to $25 per script. During the election this year, my community made it very clear that they wanted to see a Medicare urgent clinic in our community. Labor has already opened 90 Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, and there are 47 more on the way. I am so excited that in the coming months we will see one of those 47 right in my electorate of Bonner. The new Karridale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is on the way. We know that over 2.1 million patients have walked through the door of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic right across Australia, and that includes 360,000 Queenslanders who have now received free, urgent care for non-life-threatening conditions through these clinics seven days per week and close to home. The Karridale clinic will cut out-of-pocket costs, and I cannot wait to cut that ribbon in the coming months. No Australian should be punished for their gender when accessing health care but we know that women still pay more, wait longer, and their concerns are too often dismissed. Last year, the Medical Journal of Australia reported that 9.4 per cent of women delayed or did not fulfil a script because of cost compared with 5.5 per cent of men. Labor's $800 million women's health package is changing that. Some 300,000 more women will save $400 a year in Medicare rebates on IUDs, and 365,000 women have already accessed 715,000 cheaper scripts for contraceptives and menopausal hormone therapies through changes to the PBS. This is one of the largest health investments by any government, because women's health must be a priority and healthcare gender bias must be eliminated. Labor are delivering and will keep delivering because we know that all you should need is your Medicare card, not your credit card, to get free health care in this country.
World Teachers Day, Gumdale State School, Kidney Disease | Constituency Statements | House debates
I love our teachers, and that's not just because my mum was one. On Friday, we celebrated World Teachers Day, and I want to give all of my teachers in Bonner a special shout-out. There are more...
I love our teachers, and that's not just because my mum was one. On Friday, we celebrated World Teachers Day, and I want to give all of my teachers in Bonner a special shout-out. There are more than 31,000 school students right across Bonner, and their lives are changed and shaped each and every day by our teachers. I thank them for their commitment, service and passion for teaching. I also want to give a big shout-out to the Queensland Teachers Union, who I met with recently. For more than 135 years, they have ensured that teachers voices are heard loud and clear when it comes to ensuring teachers conditions, pay and safety are protected and that their rights promoted. There are 49 schools in Bonner, and in the past six months I have already visited 21 of them. This includes Gumdale State School, who recently hosted Speaker of the House, Milton Dick, as part of the Australian Parliament House National Flag Roadshow. It was very special for the Gumdale State School students to hear firsthand about democracy and the parliament from the Speaker himself, and to unfurl the 12.8-metre by 6.4-metre flag, which has flown above parliament, in their hall. As we know, not all students are able to visit parliament. I certainly didn't have that opportunity growing up in Yeppoon in Central Queensland, which makes it extra special for a piece of the parliament to come to them. Thank you to our Speaker for making the journey to Bonner. Our students absolutely loved it! Finally, 2.7 million Australians are living with signs of kidney disease. That's about one in seven adults. For many, this means staying close to home to ensure access to dialysis machines, usually a few times a week. Holidays, family trips and simple time away from home become extremely difficult. I visited Kidney Health Australia's big red bus, which was right here at Parliament House last week, and saw firsthand the incredible initiative that it is. The bus is a mobile dialysis service. It gives people with kidney disease flexibility to travel while maintaining their treatment. Each bus is fitted with dialysis chairs, accessible facilities and qualified renal nurses. Delivering six sessions a day across holiday destinations in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, it gives patients the chance to spend time with their families, visit new places and maintain their health. The Albanese Labor government is also supporting Australians living with chronic kidney disease by making medicines cheaper. Just last week, Jardiance was added to the PBS, giving more than 65,000 Australians access to life-changing medicine. Patients who used to pay $670 will now pay just $31.60 per script, or $7.70 with a concession card, dropping to just $25 from January 2026. These are practical measures making a real difference for so many Australians.
Albanese Government | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitments to ease the cost of living, get wages up and strengthen Medicare? Are there any risks...
My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitments to ease the cost of living, get wages up and strengthen Medicare? Are there any risks threatening these plans?
Albanese Government | Private Members' Business | House debates
It is hard to believe that it's been six months since the election, six months since the people of Bonner put their trust in me and six months since the Albanese Labor government was returned to...
It is hard to believe that it's been six months since the election, six months since the people of Bonner put their trust in me and six months since the Albanese Labor government was returned to continue building a stronger, fairer and more secure Australia—and what a wonderful six months it has been. In that short time we have achieved a great deal together across our community and, of course, across the nation. Locally in Bonner we've been out every single day, listening, helping and delivering. We held our first-ever Bonner Seniors Expo. Nearly 1,000 seniors came through the doors to connect, learn and celebrate the vital contribution of older Australians. I've also visited 21 schools in the last six months, meeting students, teachers and parents who are passionate about their futures. My office has also supported over 1,500 residents, helping locals to navigate the NDIS, aged care and secure housing and to understand government services. We've hosted mobile offices each and every month to bring government to the people, not the other way round—because that is what being a strong local voice looks like. From Carina to Carindale, Wynnum to Wishart, and Murarrie to Mansfield, we've supported 23 community and sporting clubs with almost $60,000 in volunteer grants, helping groups like the Mt Gravatt Bowls Club, Bayside BMX and the Rochedale Community Garden continue the work that brings our community together. We've also backed another seven local organisations with over $71,000 in funding through the Stronger Communities Program, delivering for groups like BABI Youth and Family Services, Mackenzie State Special School and Wynnum Manly Seagulls. That's what Labor investment looks like—practical, local and life changing. Nationally this government has hit the ground running. We made a promise to the Australian people to keep focused, to stay the course and to keep building a better future, and we're delivering. We've delivered on making health care cheaper by strengthening Medicare. We're delivering on helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. We're delivering real cost-of-living relief—not slogans but action. We're building a future made in Australia, supporting good jobs and clean energy industries that will power us forward. We promised that the very first thing we would do would be to cut student debt by 20 per cent, and that's exactly what we did. That's 21,000 people in Bonner who now have less student debt hanging over them and over three million Australians nationwide saving an average of $5½ thousand. We said we would strengthen Medicare and we've done that too. Just this weekend, we tripled the bulk-billing incentive, the largest investment in Medicare in its history. That means more Australians can see a GP for free just by showing their Medicare card, not their credit card. It means families won't have to choose between paying for groceries and seeing a doctor. In Bonner alone, 11 clinics have already signed on to this new incentive, with more on the way. That is what Labor's commitment to fairness looks like. We're boosting housing security and helping more Australians into their first home. Through our Home Guarantee Scheme we've made it possible for people to buy a home with just a five per cent deposit. Already 391 people in Bonner have done exactly that. We are just six months in and we're not stopping there. There is still more to come in Bonner. We're going to see the Medicare urgent care clinic opening at Carindale in the coming months, $1.5 million to support OzFish expand reef restoration and protect our precious marine environment, $500,000 for the Wynnum-Manly men's shed for a new shed and $1 million for new lights at the Wynnum Manly District Cricket Club, giving local families and players the chance to enjoy evening games and community life under the lights. This is only the beginning. The people of Bonner sent me here to work hard to deliver and to keep their voices strong in this parliament. That's exactly what I will continue to do every day for every person in every corner of our community. That's exactly what the Albanese Labor government will also continue to do right across our nation. We're off to a flying start. We're only six months in and we're just getting started.
Guess what's back again? Bulk-billing is back. Please tell your friends! In Bonner we now have 11 fully bulk-billed GP clinics and counting: Archer Medical Centre; Doctors on Manly Road; Garden...
Guess what's back again? Bulk-billing is back. Please tell your friends! In Bonner we now have 11 fully bulk-billed GP clinics and counting: Archer Medical Centre; Doctors on Manly Road; Garden City Family Doctors; Good Health medical centres in Garden City, Mt Gravatt and Carindale; Mansfield Family Practice; Mt Gravatt Family Practice; Realcare Medical Centre; Tingalpa Family Health Care Centre; and Yulu-Burri-Ba. This is all thanks to the Albanese Labor government's record investment in Medicare. It's been 40 years since its inception, and we are tripling the bulk-billing incentive. This will mean Australians can see a GP for free and access care when they need it most. This is just the beginning. Over the next four years, we will see around 4,800 GP clinics converted to fully-fledged bulk-billing practices. Nationally, over 1,000 have already signed up. In Queensland we have 1,430 GP practices, and over the weekend we saw a doubling of fully bulk-billed practices. That's 408 across the Sunshine State. This means more bulk-billing doctors for more communities, easing pressure on families. When they need to see a doctor, all they're going to need is their Medicare card, not their credit card. As a member of this Labor government, I am committed to delivering real cost-of-living relief for my constituents in Bonner and to building a fairer and healthier Australia. From the mum from Mansfield to the student from Belmont and the pensioner from Wynnum Manly, more constituents in my electorate of Bonner will be able to see a GP for free. But more good news is on the way. We have opened 90 Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, and 47 more are on the way, including in my electorate. The Carindale Medicare urgent care clinic will be opened in the coming months. The expressions of interest have now closed, and I cannot wait to cut the ribbon on that clinic and open it up to members of my community. This will be the first Medicare urgent care clinic in Bonner. Hundreds of locals signed my petition calling for an urgent care clinic in our electorate, and I am so proud to see that Labor has heard them and will see this delivered in the coming months. Labor is delivering tangible, substantial cost-of-living relief, and that will benefit millions of Australians, not just those in my community in Bonner. We are also investing in women's health at a record rate. On the weekend we listed even more new contraceptive options on the PBS, and it's great to see menopausal hormone therapies being added to the PBS as well. We are also delivering expanded endometriosis clinics to help deliver earlier diagnosis and treatment—something that will change the lives of women who for years have often had their pain dismissed. The Albanese Labor government is providing Australian women with more choices at lower costs. We know that women have faced a significant range of barriers to accessing health care, often at significant cost, just by virtue of being a woman. Australia has had one of the lowest rates of long-acting reversible contraceptive use in the developed world. Medicare rebates for insertion of IUDs and birth-control implants will increase by up to 150 per cent, with around 300,000 women each year expected to save up to $400 in out-of-pocket costs under the changes that are being made. The Albanese Labor government is also funding free training for health practitioners in the insertion and removal of IUDs to boost the number of qualified practitioners and improve access to services. In addition a 40 per cent bulk-billing incentive will be introduced incentivising health professionals to provide long-acting contraceptive services and support women to have greater contraceptive choice. These are all part of Labor's landmark women's health package, investing almost $800 million to deliver improved health care for women and girls. This is what a Labor government does. We strengthen Medicare, we deliver cost-of-living relief and we keep working to build a fairer and healthier future for all Australians.
I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.
Bonner Electorate: World Mental Health Day | Statements by Members | House debates
On World Mental Health Day, I had the pleasure of joining the Wynnum Manly and Districts Men's Shed to celebrate 33 years of the Men's Shed movement across Australia. The Shedder's Big BBQ...
On World Mental Health Day, I had the pleasure of joining the Wynnum Manly and Districts Men's Shed to celebrate 33 years of the Men's Shed movement across Australia. The Shedder's Big BBQ Breakfast and expo brought our community together over coffee, breakfast and good conversation—a simple but powerful reminder that connection underpins our wellbeing. The event showcased the strength of local partnerships with many community organisations in attendance including the Cancer Council Queensland, Jeff Horn and Bullyproof Australia, Repair Cafe Bayside, It's a Bloke Thing, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, OzFish and Circle of Men. Each plays an important role in promoting health, resilience and belonging within our communities. The Men's Shed movement has long stood as a beacon for men's mental health, a place where men can connect, share skills and support one another. Recently, I also met with the team at TIACS, who are doing incredible work in Brisbane, providing free mental health support for tradies, truckies and blue-collar workers—over 11,000 supports each and every year. Their iconic 'This is a Conversation Starter' shirt has become a symbol of openness and connection, reminding us that starting a simple chat can change and, most certainly, save a life. On World Mental Health Day, it is important that we are reminded of these important community organisations and supports in our local community, and I thank them for all that they do.
Housing | Private Members' Business | House debates
I am so proud that the Albanese Labor government has delivered five per cent first-home deposits for every first home buyer from 1 October this year. This change will cut years off the time it...
I am so proud that the Albanese Labor government has delivered five per cent first-home deposits for every first home buyer from 1 October this year. This change will cut years off the time it takes to save for a first home deposit. It will help Australians into their own home sooner, and, because the government will stand behind these loans, first home buyers will no longer be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lenders mortgage insurance. That is real relief, and it is making a real difference to first home buyers in my electorate of Bonner and right across the country. I have previously spoken in this place about doorknocking in Wishart during the election campaign. I met a young tradie who had just finished his apprenticeship. He told me, with some despair, that he could not see how he would ever be able to afford a home. He said he had a regular savings plan but he was still only halfway to what he needed for a deposit. I told him about Labor's plan for a five per cent deposit, but, at that time, it was still to come into effect. Today, I am proud to say to him and to so many others like him in my community of Bonner that support is now in place. It means that he and thousands of others like him will be able to buy their first home sooner. They'll be able to begin building equity, and they'll have the security and pride that comes from a home of their own. Before the election, Labor promised to make it easier for Australians to buy their first home, with a deposit of just five per cent. We have delivered on that promise, and we have delivered ahead of schedule. Already, Labor's expanded home guarantee scheme has helped more than 185,000 Australians into home ownership, including 391 people in Bonner. That's 391 individuals and families who will now have a place to call their own, a place to build their lives, raise their children and put down roots in the communities that they love. This program is transformative. For single parents, Labor continues the Family Home Guarantee scheme, allowing them to purchase a home with as little as a two per cent deposit. This is life-changing support and giving single parents—so often mothers—the chance to build stability and security for their children. We will help more Australians into homeownership, but we must also support those who are renting or facing housing insecurity. That is why Labor has delivered rent relief for those doing it tough. Since coming to government, we have delivered back-to-back increases to the maximum rates of Commonwealth rent assistance—an increase of almost 50 per cent. Today, 6,785 people in Bonner receive Commonwealth rent assistance. That is real help for local families, pensioners and students who are struggling with the cost of rent. We've also taken action for those facing the most serious housing challenges—women and children escaping domestic and family violence. Through the Albanese government's crisis accommodation programs, we are delivering 24 new homes in Wynnum Manly and Mount Gravatt in my electorate of Bonner. These homes are being built under the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program and the Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program, giving families somewhere safe to stay when they need it most. Every Australian deserves a safe place to call home. We are also building 100,000 homes exclusively for first home buyers to give them a fair chance in what can be a competitive market. Step by step, Labor is delivering. We know that Australia's housing challenge was decades in the making, and we will not solve it overnight. But we are acting with determination and with purpose. This government made a promise to make the dream of homeownership more achievable, and we are delivering on that promise. We are cutting the time it takes to save for a deposit. We are saving first home buyers thousands of dollars in their mortgage insurance payments. We are providing rent relief for those who need it most. We are building homes for women and children escaping violence. And we are also training the next generation of builders and tradies who will help our housing industry stay strong. Housing is not just about bricks and mortar; it's about security, and it is about dignity. It's about opportunity, and it's about giving every Australian the chance to build a future, to raise a family and to know that their hard work will be rewarded.