Trish Cook's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Bullwinkel Electorate: Health Care, Australia Day Awards and Honours | Adjournment | House debates
It's an honour to stand here today and speak about the incredible community that I represent in the electorate of Bullwinkel. As many of you know, my journey to this place began as a nurse and a...
It's an honour to stand here today and speak about the incredible community that I represent in the electorate of Bullwinkel. As many of you know, my journey to this place began as a nurse and a midwife. Those decades on the front lines of our healthcare system shaped my view of the world, one rooted in pragmatism, compassion and a simple belief that everyone deserves access to quality care when they need it most. This past month, I've been out and about in my electorate talking to nurses and healthcare workers on the front line. I had the pleasure of touring with WA state health minister, Meredith Hammat, in our region. We visited Northam Regional Hospital, which is in the western Wheatbelt, and Kalamunda Hospital, which is a specialist palliative care hospital in the Perth hills. For me, these visits are more than just formalities; they're an opportunity to listen to my former colleagues—the nurses, the doctors and the support staff—who are the backbone of our healthcare community. We spent some time discussing the unique pressures facing our hospitals, our workforces and the needs of our ageing population in the hills and beyond. Hearing their firsthand accounts is vital for the work that we do here in Canberra. Knowing their challenges ensures that our federal health policy translates into real-world relief for those on the ground. I'm also incredibly proud to update the House on a project very close to my heart. I recently visited the site of the future Mundaring Medicare urgent care clinic, and I can confirm it will be fully operational by the end of this month. For the people of Bullwinkel this is a massive win. We know that too often families end up in the emergency department at Northam or Midland hospitals for things like minor fractures, infections and stitches when they could attend an urgent care clinic. Families will now have a dedicated place to go for urgent care, free of hip-pocket pressures, under Medicare. This doesn't just help the patients; it takes the pressure off busy emergency departments and also busy general practitioners. Our community is defined by more than its services; it's defined by our people. On 26 January we celebrated Australia Day honours, and Bullwinkel was exceptionally well represented. I want to make special mention of someone who is not only a constituent and recipient of an award, but someone I'm lucky enough to call a neighbour as she lives just up the road, Professor Shirley Jansen AM. Shirley was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her monumental service to vascular surgery. As a clinician and researcher, she is doing truly groundbreaking work. She currently leads research into the world-first pharmaceutical therapeutic trials aimed at treating atherosclerosis by infusions. Effectively, she's looking for a way to clear the plaque from the artery walls—potentially a cure for peripheral artery disease. Her work at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is a testament to the world-class innovation that is happening right here in our own Australian backyard. Shirley, congratulations on this well-deserved honour. Your dedication to saving lives and preventing disability through your medical research and practice is an inspiration to us all. I would also like to formally congratulate Major Don Cruden OAM, for his services to our veterans; the Hon. Raymond Halligan OAM, for his service to parliament and the people; Mrs Kathleen Lovelock OAM, for her leadership in the beef cattle industry; and Mr Barry Nicholls OAM, for his tireless work in community sport. I also want to acknowledge meritorious award winners Daryl Clohessy AFSM, Senior Constable Emma Wright APM and Mark Geary ESM. They represent the very best of our emergency and police services. From the consultation rooms in our hospitals to the high-tech labs of our researchers, Bullwinkel is a community that cares and is leading the way. I'm proud to be its voice in this place, and I look forward to seeing our new Medicare urgent care clinic open its doors to help our residents very soon. House adjourned at 20:00
Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise today to speak in strong support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. The Albanese Labor government is committed to supporting and...
I rise today to speak in strong support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. The Albanese Labor government is committed to supporting and empowering our health workforce. We are not just talking about strengthening Medicare; we are also doing the hard legislative work and structural reform to make health care more accessible for every Australian, and this bill is one piece of the structural reform puzzle in the healthcare sector. This bill addresses the scope of practice reforms for nurses and midwives. It is legislation that is catching up with healthcare demand and practice and it is backed by evidence and consultation. Since 2017, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and the Australian Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer have undertaken extensive research and consultation about the potential for registered nurses to contribute to improving health outcomes for the Australian community by supporting nurses and midwives to work at the full scope of their practice. Unleashing the potential of a health workforce scope of practice review was delivered to the government on 30 October 2024 after 12 months of consultation and research led by independent researcher Professor Mark McCormack. The review was clear. When health professionals work at the top of their scope, the entire system breathes more easily. It reduces the bottleneck at the GP's door and it allows our doctors to focus on the most complex, high-needs cases while endorsed nurses can manage stable chronic conditions within a clear framework. In December 2024, Commonwealth, state and territory health ministers approved a new registration standard. It was called 'Endorsement for scheduled medicines—designated registered nurse prescriber' and of course it is under the law which governs nurses and midwives, the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009. The first cohort of registered nurses is expected to complete their education, receive endorsement and start prescribing medicines from July this year, 2026, and this bill aligns with that new registration standard. The Nurses and Midwifery Board registration standard, of course, also has a standard for endorsement for scheduled medications. The designated registered nurse prescriber came into effect in September 2025. The standard describes the necessary qualifications that a registered nurse must demonstrate when applying to the Nurses and Midwifery Board to attain and retain the endorsement for scheduled medications. I note the Nationals' view earlier today regarding opposition to this bill due to the system being untested. Sadly, this is an uninformed view of the real world. It dismisses the extensive consultation that was done with stakeholders, including the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian Medical Association, palliative care nurses of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, and the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association. This bill is backed by extensive consultation and real-world experience. It meets the desperate need for better access to care, particularly in primary care and aged-care services. This bill makes two critical amendments to the legislation. One is the National Health Act 1953. We are amending this to allow registered nurses endorsed against a strict registration standard to be authorised prescribers. This means that they can prescribe certain medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, ensuring that patients get their Commonwealth subsidy regardless of whether a doctor or an endorsed nurse writes the script. The second piece of legislation is the Health Insurance Act 1973. We are ensuring integrity and safety by including nurses in the Professional Services Review. It's a scheme that ensures that prescribing habits are reviewed and held to the highest professional standards, just as we do with medical doctors. This bill isn't just a technical amendment; it is a structural renovation of Medicare and it is fit for the 21st century. But I note that this reform doesn't exist in a vacuum. For too long, Australia has had a siloed approach to healthcare. We have highly trained professional nurses, pharmacists and allied healthcare workers who are restricted by legacy regulations that no longer match their modern education. My own experience, of course, before I entered this place was as a remote-area nurse. My office wasn't a suite in parliament; it was the corridors of hospitals, it was bush clinics and, in fact, at times it was in the bush itself. I stand here not just as the member for Bullwinkel but as a registered nurse and as the 10th nurse to be elected to parliament. I'm proud to be part of this government that's delivering this reform. I've seen how multidisciplinary teams work best when the hierarchy is replaced by a circle of care. Anyone who has worn the nursing uniform knows that nursing is the backbone of the Australian healthcare system. We are the ones who stay and provide ongoing support to patients long after the medical consultation has finished. We are the ones who monitor the vitals in the quiet hours of the night and notice the subtle changes. And of course we are the ones in primary health care and rural and remote areas where we are, at times, the only clinician for hundreds of kilometres. We are the ones who see with heartbreaking clarity the gaps in the patient's journey, the moments where a delay in the signature or a script leads to an increase in pain or a decline of their health. This bill is about closing those gaps. I want to share a little bit of my history to illustrate why this bill is so vital. Earlier in my career as a remote area nurse, I didn't have the luxury of 24-hour imaging departments or a local pharmacy just at the end of the road. Many of those communities, of course, exist, and some are regional and remote communities even in my seat of Bullwinkel. To serve those communities, I underwent intensive and additional training to expand my scope of practice. I wasn't just monitoring vitals and taking clinical assessments; I was actually taking X-rays. I was in the darkroom, developing those X-rays. I was taking bloods, making referrals and, at times, prescribing essential medications that were needed to stabilise patients before they could see a doctor or be evacuated. I know what it's like to carry the weight of that responsibility and work within your scope of practice but still give the care that only you can give in a situation like that. I also know the incredible efficiency and safety that comes when a highly trained nurse is empowered to use the full extent of their skills. When I was in these remote area clinics, I wasn't acting as a doctor; I was acting as a highly specialised nurse, delivering the right care at the right time because someone needed it. This bill takes the spirit of flexibility and clinical excellence and brings it into the 21st century for all Australians. It recognises that the skills that I used in the desert and the bush are skills that should be harnessed across our entire health system to make it more resilient. By allowing designated registered nurse prescribers to operate within their scope after having additional education, we are removing the middleman delay. We are saying to consumers of the health system, 'Your health is too important to wait for a clerical hurdle, especially when we have trained experienced nurses who are available to help and present.' I want to be clear for those that might have questions about this transition. This reform is about professional evolution, not substitution. This is about recognising the high level of clinical expertise that already exists within our nursing ranks and provides a formal, regulated pathway to use it. The first cohort of these prescribers is expected to finish their specialised education and receive their endorsements by July 2026. These are professional, well-credentialed nurses who have completed rigorous postgraduate-level nursing training. As a nurse, I know that my nursing registration is my most valuable asset, I belong to one of the most trusted professions in the country, and I adhere to strict clinical guidelines. The endorsement process ensures that only those with the right clinical expertise and education will be writing these scripts. It is a controlled, safe and logical extension of the work that nurses already do every single day to support their patients and their medical colleagues. We are delivering on a commitment. This is a fundamental election promise made by the Albanese government to prioritise the scope-of-practice reforms for nurses and midwives to deliver real, tangible benefits to Australian patients. This bill is a win for families in Bullwinkel and across Australia, particularly those in regional and rural Australia, who deserve every available option to access their health care efficiently. It is about adding another layer of support to our primary healthcare network and ensuring that, wherever you are—be it in a suburban clinic or remote area—the system is working for you and that you do not have to wait for a doctor to visit, on occasions which are sensible and appropriate. It is a win for the nurse who knows that their patient's needs intimately and can now provide a more seamless transition of care, and it is a win for a more sustainable multidisciplinary health system where every professional—doctor, nurse and allied health worker—is empowered to work at the top of their training. The Albanese government is committed to supporting our health workforce. As I said at the start, it's not just strengthening Medicare; it is doing the hard legislative work to make it accessible for all Australians. When I look back on my time in my career, this legislation would have been very helpful. Today, I'm proud to be part of the government that's delivering this reform. I commend this bill to the House.
Health Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare, including our public hospital systems, so Australians can access the world-class...
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare, including our public hospital systems, so Australians can access the world-class quality health care they deserve? Why is it important that the government remains focused on delivering for Australians?
Albanese Government | Statements | House debates
As we approach the end of 2025, I rise to reflect on a year that has been defined not by talk but by action, a year when the Albanese Labor government has rolled up its sleeves and delivered real...
As we approach the end of 2025, I rise to reflect on a year that has been defined not by talk but by action, a year when the Albanese Labor government has rolled up its sleeves and delivered real tangible changes for the people of Bullwinkel and for families right across Australia. When I joined this government I did so with a simple goal: to get things done. Looking back on the last 12 months, I am incredibly proud to say that is exactly what we are doing. This year we have tackled the cost of living head on, not with band-aid solutions but with structural reforms in every portfolio that are making life easier for everyday Australians. We know that education is the key to opportunity, but, for too long, student debt has been a burden weighing down our younger generations. That's why I'm so proud that, this year, we cut student debt by 20 per cent. That's affecting over 13,000 students in Bullwinkel alone. For the students in my electorate, whether they are studying at our new hubs in our regions or commuting into the city, this is a massive weight off their shoulders. It means that three million Australians are now seeing their debts reduced, making it that little bit easier to save for a home deposit or start a family. We have also moved to secure the future of Australian workers through our payday super reforms, with a simple principle: if you work the hours, you should get paid the super not in three months time but on payday. By passing legislation to protect payday super, we've stopped billions of dollars in unpaid super from slipping through the cracks and ensured that every hour of hard work today counts towards a dignified retirement tomorrow. This government has also shown that it can lead with both economic responsibility and deep compassion. There is no better example of this than Baby Priya's law. No parent should have to worry about their financial security while grieving the loss of a child. By amending the Fair Work Act to ensure that employer funded paid parental leave cannot be cancelled if a child is stillborn or passes away, we have corrected a heartbreaking injustice. In health, we have continued our mission to strengthen Medicare, the bedrock of our society. We have made medicines cheaper, easing the squeeze on household budgets at the pharmacy counter, and we are seeing the results of our historic investment in bulk-billing with the Medicare urgent care clinics. In Bullwinkel, we look forward to opening a Medicare clinic in Mundaring in the very near future. But I want to save a special mention for the reforms that I believe will stand as a defining legacy of this term. We are moving into the grand finale of the parliamentary year with our historic environmental protections soon to pass. I have to say that, being in this chamber and sitting in the last sitting, passing the reforms through the lower house was one of the proudest moments I've have had since joining this place. I was reminded of why I put my hand up for this job. I joined the Labor Party to be part of the solution, to push through the noise and to deliver reforms that matter. Our Albanese Labor government is doing just that, and we have the grit to continue to deliver. Finally, I want to say some thankyous to my team, particularly Amira Nunn, who has accompanied me to Canberra on all these occasions and has helped me with the organised chaos that is life as a new MP. Thank you to my team back home, who have finally been shifting into my electorate office six months after I was announced. I can finally take some of that stuff out of the car and put it at a permanent desk. I also want to thank the people of Bullwinkel for electing me to this position to be the voice for them—for the people in the foothills, the hills and the regional areas. We have cut debt, protected super, supported grieving families, strengthened Medicare and fought tooth and nail for our environment. Now we're getting on with the job, and I can promise the people of Bullwinkel that, in 2026, we won't be slowing down. Thank you.
Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise to support the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, a bill that is fundamentally about backing the small businesses that power our regional economies and preserving the...
I rise to support the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, a bill that is fundamentally about backing the small businesses that power our regional economies and preserving the community hubs where Australians come together. The bill before the House delivers on the commitment by the Albanese Labor government to stand up for Australian pubs, clubs, brewers and hospitality workers. We are proposing a practical, targeted and responsible two-year pause on the indexation of draught beer excise and excise-equivalent customs duties. This measure, which formally commenced on 1 August 2025, is about one simple thing: stability. It's about keeping the price of a pint stable for everyday Australians. It's about protecting the jobs of these people who pour the pints. It's also about ensuring that the venues that serve our communities can keep their doors open. In the electorate of Bullwinkel we know the value of a local pub. In our regional towns and our suburban hubs, the pub or the local club is rarely a place just to buy a drink. It is a community institution. It is the third place—not work, not home but the neutral ground where we gather. It's where the local football team heads after a win and where they commiserate after a loss. It's where raffles are run to support the local fire brigades. It's where families gather for birthdays and where communities gather to support one another in difficult times. I saw this firsthand during the campaign when I visited the Gidgegannup Recreation Club. I was there for a very special sundowner. It was the launch of the Resilience and Recovery Through Art project for the Wooroloo Bushfire Art Trail. It was commemorating two years of recovery post bushfires. While I was there I had a chat with the incredible bar volunteers from the community, who were working hard to make the evening a success. Amidst the celebration of local resilience they spoke to me quite candidly about the challenges of hosting community events like that one. They raised the issue of rising costs, specifically the cost of catering and the impact of the beer excise on their bottom line. They made a simple but powerful point to me that night: the less it costs to stock the bar and put on the event, the more money that can go directly into the community initiative itself. By reducing these input costs we ensure that funds raised at a sundowner go towards community projects rather than being eaten up by the overheads. When venues like the Gidgegannup rec club come under pressure the whole community feels the squeeze. We know that the hospitality sector has faced a battering in recent years. They have weathered the pandemic lockdowns, they have navigated supply chain disruptions and they have faced rising input costs on everything from electricity to ingredients. We get that. This legislation recognises that reality. It provides breathing space. Specifically, this measure applies to containers of between eight and 48 litres—the kegs that are commonly used in our pubs and clubs—as well as containers over 48 litres, used in larger venues. It is important to note, especially for me as a nurse, that this does not apply to bottled or canned beer sold in bottle shops. We've been very deliberate here. This is not a blanket tax cut for regional giants. It is a targeted intervention for hospitality operators. We are supporting the venues that employ staff, cook food, and service our communities. By pausing the automatic indexation of excise for two years, we are stabilising the tax component of a pint. We are reducing the pressure on these venues to pass on rising costs to their customers. Around 10,000 hospitality venues around Australia will directly benefit from this. These include our pubs, bars, taverns and clubs, and we know that around 75 per cent of these venues are small, family-run businesses. These are mums and dads who have mortgaged their homes to buy a lease. These are families who work 80-hour weeks to keep the lights on. For small publicans and family-run clubs, this decision offers the certainty that they need to plan ahead. It means they can retain the extra casual staff members. It means they can reinvest in their kitchens. But the benefits of this policy flow much further than just the front bar. Approximately 160,000 Australian workers in the hospitality and brewing sectors rely on these venues staying profitable. This measure supports our Australian brewers, particularly the small, independent craft producers, who are such a success story in our modern economy. Many of these are independent brewers, and they rely heavily on keg sales to local venues to maintain their cash flow. When we pause indexation, we help those brewers manage their production costs. We help them to continue to invest in local economies. And the ripple effect continues. It flows to the farmers growing barley and hops in Bullwinkel. It flows to the transport operators trucking the kegs. It flows to the equipment suppliers and the thousands of small businesses linked to the hospitality supply chain. This is a clear example of the Albanese government's partnership with the hospitality, tourism and manufacturing sectors. These are the industries that drive local jobs and form the backbone of many regional economies, including my own in Bullwinkel. By ensuring that small brewers and publicans can continue to compete fairly against large multinational producers, we are protecting diversity and competition in the Australian beer industry. Those opposite may ask about fiscal impact. This policy reflects Labor's belief that responsible government can ease pressure on families and businesses while maintaining the economic discipline required to keep the budget sustainable. This is a cost-of-living measure that strengthens small-business resilience without driving inflation. It is measured, it is temporary and it is fiscally responsible. The government has listened to industry feedback. Brewers, publicans and small-business groups have consistently called for relief from this automatic excise increase during this period of high inflation. We have listened and we have acted. We are governing with balance and purpose. We are remaining committed to evidence based health policy. This pause does not change the overall structure of alcohol taxation or weaken public health objectives, but it does ensure that a fair go applies to a small business just as much as to the worker. However, we know that the price of beer is not the only pressure facing householders in Bullwinkel. This measure complements many of the Albanese Labor government's wider, ambitious cost-of-living agenda methods. We are delivering real, practical and ongoing help for Australians who are feeling the pinch. We are delivering exactly what we said we would. Since 1 July, we have seen the national minimum wage and award wages increase by 3.5 per cent, ensuring workers' pay packets keep moving in the right direction. We have seen the super guarantee increase to 12 per cent, putting more money away for the future for working Australians. We have expanded paid parental leave to 24 weeks and ensured that super is now paid on all government paid parental leave—a massive win for gender equality and retirement savings. We are rolling out another $150 in energy bill relief before the end of the year. We have cut 20 per cent off student loan debt for three million Australians, and that includes 13,000 students from Bullwinkel alone. This will be a huge relief for young people in my electorate looking to start their lives as adults in the workforce. We have introduced Commonwealth prac payments for nurses, teachers and social workers, supporting the essential workers of the future practically when they need do prac so that they can continue their part-time jobs and look after their families whilst they study. And just last month, in October, our hardworking aged-care nurses—yay for nurses!—received the next instalment of their historic pay rise. A couple of weeks ago, it was great to meet Amy in Northam. Amy is finishing her law degree as a mature-age student at the newly opened Northam regional university student study hub. This hub is incredible because it allows regional students like Amy to study right where they live. This significantly helps with their living expenses, removing the need to relocate to the city or pay city rents just to get a qualification. It is practical support that keeps our regions strong and keeps education accessible. This is what meaningful, responsible cost-of-living relief looks like. It looks like tax cuts for every taxpayer, which kicked in last year, with more on the way. It looks like another 50 Medicare urgent care clinics opening throughout the rest of the year and bulk-billing expanding from November so that families can see a doctor when they need to, not just when they can afford to. And we are achieving all this while managing the economy responsibly. Unlike other countries that have faced recessions and massive job losses, Australia has managed to get inflation down without sacrificing the gains that we have made in the labour market. We look abroad and see inflation ticking up in the United States, in Canada, in New Zealand. We see it remaining stubbornly high in the United Kingdom. But here inflation is stable and is half of what we inherited in 2022. We are securing the economy while supporting the community. To conclude, this legislation before us today is a small but vital piece of that puzzle. It's about keeping local venues open. It's about keeping people at work. It's about keeping communities connected. These are values that sit at the heart of the Labor tradition. The legislation represents good, steady, responsible government in action—targeted relief, real results and a fair go for Australian workers and small-business owners alike. The Albanese Labor government is in touch with community life. We understand the pressures on small businesses, whom we are acting decisively to support. I commend this bill to the House.
Bilgoman Aquatic Centre | Statements by Members | House debates
For generations, families in the Perth Hills have spent their summers at the iconic Bilgoman Aquatic Centre in Darlington. It's more than just a pool; it's the beating heart of our community...
For generations, families in the Perth Hills have spent their summers at the iconic Bilgoman Aquatic Centre in Darlington. It's more than just a pool; it's the beating heart of our community during the hot summer months in the Perth Hills. But we know that heating a 50 metre Olympic pool takes a lot of energy, and for too long that energy has come from expensive and polluting gas. That's why I'm thrilled to inform the House that the Albanese Labor government is delivering $158,000 through the Community Energy Upgrades Fund to upgrade the Bilgoman pool's heating system. We are partnering with the Shire of Mundaring to swap out the old gas infrastructure for modern, efficient technology that prioritises solar power. By electrifying this local asset, we aren't just cutting carbon emissions but cutting costs. The lower energy bills for the council means more savings. As a former Mundaring shire councillor and deputy president, I advocated for longer swimming seasons. So perhaps the new council can consider and contemplate extending the seasons with the savings. This is a win for our environment, a win for the Shire of Mundaring and a win for every family in Bullwinkel who loves a dip at the Bilgoman swimming pool.
Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare and making it easier for Western Australians to access urgent care when they need...
My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare and making it easier for Western Australians to access urgent care when they need it? How does providing more urgent care clinics help strengthen Medicare after a decade of cuts and neglect?
Women in Sport | Constituency Statements | House debates
Today, I rise to speak about my necklace. It's a gold medal from the Australian Masters Games that I won just two weeks ago right here in Canberra with my team mates from the Perth team called...
Today, I rise to speak about my necklace. It's a gold medal from the Australian Masters Games that I won just two weeks ago right here in Canberra with my team mates from the Perth team called Southerns. This medal represents more than just a win on the softball diamond; it represents the importance of staying in the game. There is an alarming trend in Australia where girls and women drop out of sport. Recent data shows a dropout rate of approximately 60 per cent for girls aged 15 and older. Life gets busy, with study, careers and, for many women, raising a family taking priority, and it becomes too easy to hang up the glove. But what I've learned is that sport is the very thing that can get you through all those things. It's about much more than physical health; it's about your support network and your community. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 12:12 to 12:22 The amazing women I played alongside during these games, some of us have been playing together, or in opposition, for nearly 40 years. These are my second family and we've celebrated life's wins and supported each other through the losses, both on and off the field. That social connection is highly valued and something that you don't always find. So I share this gold medal win with my Southerns team members: Jeanie Antonovich, Barb Priest, Robyn Davies, Julie May, Marie and Kay Walley, Vicki Egan, Sherri Huntress, Leesa Hogarth, Di Chreia, Sandy Thompson, Donna Delarie, Toni Staples, Jill Green and Bullwinkel residents Lynda Harvey and my sister, Diane Parker. To all the women and girls out there I say: find your team and stay in the game. I will leave you with this quote: 'If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!'
Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australia's critical minerals sector? Why is reliable energy so...
My question is to the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australia's critical minerals sector? Why is reliable energy so important for this sector, and what other proposals have been put forward?
Bullwinkel Electorate: Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program | Statements by Members | House debates
The Shire of Mundaring put in an application for the Brooking Road extension and the Falls Road bridge replacement in Parkerville in my electorate of Bullwinkel. They submitted that in January...
The Shire of Mundaring put in an application for the Brooking Road extension and the Falls Road bridge replacement in Parkerville in my electorate of Bullwinkel. They submitted that in January 2025. The successful outcome of this project was announced on 6 August, and the council was informed of that decision then. I'm pleased to clarify that the Australian government has committed nearly $1½ million towards the project under our Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. This was a direct request from the Shire of Mundaring to this program. It's federal funding based on improving bushfire evacuation routes and emergency vehicle access, making our communities safer for existing residents. The state government is also contributing, along with the shire's contribution of $690,000, a great example of governments working together at the three levels. There has been some miscommunication circulating about this project that it is somehow linked to the state based North Stoneville urban development proposal, and this is untrue; it's completely unrelated. I want to reaffirm my longstanding opposition to the North Stoneville urban development proposal as it is. My voting is on the record, and it's a matter that is publicly available and has been consistent. As federal member, I continue to engage with community and councils.
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
I'll just take a moment to get over that, before I go into my speech, because I'm just so shocked by the previous speaker's comments. I'd like to quote from Graeme Samuel, when he was asked...
I'll just take a moment to get over that, before I go into my speech, because I'm just so shocked by the previous speaker's comments. I'd like to quote from Graeme Samuel, when he was asked recently about this review—oh, you're not going to listen to this? Goodbye! Maybe later—because he says: 'I can't understand why there's opposition from the coalition. It doesn't make sense, particularly as the then minister Sussan Ley embraced the report. She knew what was in it. Now, what minister Watt'—the quote goes on—'has produced is exactly what the report recommended. It's all there. I've been through and I've done a comparison between my report and the legislation and the environmental standards.' So it shocks me to hear the opposition speaking in such a tone and losing sight of the bigger picture. The bigger picture is the environment, and I rise today to speak strongly in support of this historic reform to Australia's environmental laws. This is a great day! It's a great day for me, it's a great day for Labor government and it's a great day for hope for the environment. Here's a quote from Prime Minister Bob Hawke. It reads: When the earth is spoiled, humanity and all living things are diminished. We have taken too much from the earth and given back too little. And it's time to say enough is enough. My commitment to protecting our environment wasn't forged here in the halls of Canberra. It was forged at my home in the electorate of Bullwinkel, standing side by side with my community. It was forged walking through the degraded banks on the Darlington wetlands, championing the local volunteer groups who are rehabilitating this precious ecosystem. It was forged while kneeling in the soil of the Darlington Community Garden—another environmental project which I was proud to help establish—watching my community come together to build something sustainable, local and green. My commitment was also tangible in the restoration of the Friends of the Native Triangle group to continue the environmental protection legacy and rehabilitate local grounds. Those local projects reinforced a fundamental lesson for me: a community's health, its ecosystem and the environment's health are inextricably linked. It is our duty to be good custodians of the environment that we all rely on, as has been done by First Nations peoples for millennia. We are unable to build a prosperous future for our children if we do not protect the air they breathe, the water they drink and the natural world that sustains us all. I care for my community and I care for our environment. My own electorate of Bullwinkel is a truly beautiful electorate, filled with bushland and walking trails that trek beside the Mundaring weir, which is a protected drinking water source for Perth and the Goldfields region. It's filled with Australian natives, including fauna like the black cockatoos, which all need our protection. I'm proud to be part of the Labor Party that is doing just that. This is why I'm so proud to be a member of this Labor government. When it comes to hard work, like the nation-building work of environmental reform, it's always Labor that delivers. Here's a little bit of history: Labor is the party that has delivered in every single major environmental reform in Australia's history. It was Labor that saved the Franklin. It was Labor that protected the Daintree and Kakadu. It was Labor that built Landcare, which is now an institution that is copied across the world. It was Labor that built the largest network of marine parks on this planet. And it is this Albanese Labor government that is finally, meaningfully, and ambitiously addressing the existential threat of climate change. These bills continue that legacy of environmental responsibility. There is a clear and widely accepted need for this reform, which is why the opposition leader commissioned the report five years ago. For a decade, the EPBC Act has been failing. We know this for a fact because that 2020 independent review, led by Professor Graeme Samuel AC and commissioned by the now opposition leader, delivered a comprehensive and scathing report. The Samuel review found that the current EPBC Act is not delivering for the environment—which we all know—and neither is it delivering for business or for the community. It is slow. It is cumbersome. It is ineffective. And our environment is paying the price. The opposition leader was handed that report five years ago and, for all those five years, it sat on the shelf. Faced with a critical and urgent challenge, the coalition did nothing for the environment. Well, we're not walking away. The Labor government tried last year with the nature-positive laws, and now we're doing the job this year. This bill delivers on the recommendations of the Samuel review. Our approach is balanced. It's pragmatic. And it aligns perfectly with the three pillars of reform that Professor Samuel recommended: firstly, stronger environmental protection and restoration; secondly, more efficient and more robust project assessments; and thirdly, greater accountability and transparency in decision-making. This is about getting the balance right. It's about delivering laws that are better for the environment and better for business. This means stronger environmental protections to protect and restore our precious natural habitats. Together with our action on climate change, such as the safeguard mechanism, this means easier processes and faster decisions that are required for building homes, renewable energy infrastructure and critical minerals projects—all things our nation needs for our future. As of 31 October, this government has approved 111 renewable energy projects, producing enough electricity to power more than 13 million homes. Under this government, renewable energy generation has reached new records. It's gone up in volume by around 30 per cent since we came to government. In October around half of all electricity in the national grid came from renewable sources—the highest monthly rate on record. Coal generation is down to only 46 per cent. Our plan is working. We need these environmental reforms to get quicker decisions so that we can deliver the energy transition faster, and that's what Australians voted for. What do these reforms do? First, they establish a national environmental protection agency, the EPA. The EPA will be a strong, independent regulator responsible for education, compliance and enforcement, with powers independent of the minister. Second, we are inserting a new ministerial power to make national environmental standards. This was the central recommendation of the Samuel review. These standards will finally set clear, enforceable expectations for proponents and decision-makers. Third, we are fixing the broken offsets framework. We are moving from 'no net loss' to 'net gain' for the environment. Fourth, for the first time these amendments will define what we consider to be unacceptable impacts for each protected matter—clear no-go zones to prevent irreversible loss unless a project is proven to be in the national interest. Fifth, we're introducing new emissions disclosure requirements in line with the Samuel review. It's not a climate trigger. We have that covered by the safeguard mechanism, but we will require major project proponents to disclose their scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and their plans to reduce them, consistent with government policy. Sixth, we will codify the involvement of First Nations peoples in environmental governance, creating new statutory advisory functions for the Indigenous Advisory Committee. Seventh, we are streamlining access pathways, cutting green tape by rationalising three existing pathways into one. Eighth, we are reducing duplication by fixing the inflexible and unresponsive bilateral agreements with states and territories, ensuring they can deliver assessments and approvals if they meet our new national environmental standards. Ninth, we are delivering proper landscape-scale approaches through bioregional planning. By doing the upfront work to map areas, we can give certainty to industry about where development can and can't occur, while protecting areas of high environmental value. This isn't trivial. Analysis shows that these efficiencies will deliver annual savings of at least half a billion dollars—and potentially as much as $7 billion—to the national economy. This legislation is not a tug of war between the environment and the economy. The coalition and the Greens may try to assert that, but it's not true. This reform delivers a balanced package. It delivers more efficient and robust project decisions, meaning more renewable projects can be decided on more quickly, helping with energy costs and lowering emissions. At the same time, it delivers stronger environmental protection and restoration laws. The need for this change is urgent. Our environment cannot wait any longer, and neither can our economy. The message from environmental groups is also very clear. The three biggest environmental groups have welcomed the confirmation from the Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, that these amendments will improve the country's national environment laws. They're also happy about the inclusion of significant increases in fines and new enforcement powers. The Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund want the new EPA. They want environmental protection orders which will help stop potential offenders in their tracks and stop the excuses for not acting on their complaints. They support it, business supports it and the roundtable industries support it, and they want parliament to get on with this job. Where are we now? The nature-positive laws got stuck in the Senate for six months. The Liberals wouldn't pass them; they said they went too far. The Greens wouldn't pass them; they said they didn't go far enough. We need to get this done. They have had plenty of time to digest the Samuel review, on which these bills are based; the opposition leader was in support of that review five years ago. Quite frankly, Australians are demanding environmental reform. To the Greens: please do not let perfection get in the way of progress. Nothing has happened for the environment for some time. The EPBC Act is over 20 years old. We need to get on with this job. These reforms are pragmatic. They are strong. They are balanced. They deliver for the environment, they deliver for the economy, they deliver for community groups such as the ones I belong to in Bullwinkel and they deliver for the boardrooms in the city. Every day we delay is a day our environment is degrading further. I commend these bills to the House.
Biosecurity | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government working with experts to strengthen Australia's preparedness and response capability...
My question is for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government working with experts to strengthen Australia's preparedness and response capability to pests and diseases, and why is this so important for our farmers and our regions?
Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise today in strong support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025. This isn't just a minor administrative tweak; this isn't just another line in the budget paper....
I rise today in strong support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025. This isn't just a minor administrative tweak; this isn't just another line in the budget paper. This is a fundamental reform to the bedrock of our retirement system. It is a promise to Australian workers that the money they earn, the money they're entitled to, will actually end up in their superannuation accounts. It's a reform that is long overdue. Before Labor, superannuation was not a right. It was a privilege, and it was reserved for a select few in high-paying jobs—mostly men—while the majority of working Australians, especially women and blue-collar workers, were left with nothing but the age pension. It was unsustainable. It was the Labor Party, through the grand social and economic bargain of the Prices and Incomes Accord under the Hawke government, that laid the foundation. And it was the Keating Labor government that built the house, legislating the landmark superannuation guarantee in 1992. Today's superannuation is the result of Labor's vision to turn a privilege for the few into a universal right for every worker. We built this system, now the envy of the world, and ever since its creation superannuation has been a defining fault line in Australian politics. Those opposite have consistently sought to undermine it, freezing the rate for years and treating super as a nest egg to be cracked open for other purposes. Labor's job has always been to build, strengthen and protect this legacy. This bill is a proud and critical continuation of that nation-building project. But here is the problem. The Australian Taxation Office estimates that, in the 2021-22 financial year alone, $5.2 billion in super went unpaid because the employer either failed to pay the super or paid it quarterly. Let's pause on that number: $5.2 billion. That is $100 million every single week that Australian workers earned but never received. It's not a rounding error; it's a retirement crisis in the making if we don't fix it. It is wage theft, plain and simple. And it is a theft that disproportionately hurts the most-vulnerable in our workforce: younger workers who are just starting out, workers in lower-income jobs, and those in the gig economy or in insecure work. These are the very people who can least afford to have their retirement savings stolen from under them. The long-term impact is devastating. Before I entered this place I was a small-business owner. I ran a small business for 10 years in my electorate of Bullwinkel, employing occupational health and safety nurses for remote area healthcare centres. So I know what it's like to manage a payroll. I know what it's like to balance cash flow in order to meet your obligations and to deal with the pressures of running a business. I know it's possible to do the right thing by your staff. I made the decision in my business to pay my staff's superannuation monthly, not quarterly. I did it when I paid their wages. First and foremost, it was their money. They had earned it and they deserved to have it paid into their accounts promptly, where it could start working for them by the magic of compound interest. I also did it because it was simply good business practice. It never meant I had a large looming superannuation liability building up, waiting to ambush my cash flow at the end of the quarter. It integrated super into my regular fortnightly payroll processes and kept my books clean, with obligations clear. This legislation doesn't punish small businesses; it levels the playing field. It aligns the law with what is good and responsible business, small and large, what is good practice and what many already do. It ends a system that allows unscrupulous employers to use their employees' superannuation entitlements as a cheap short-term loan to prop up their own failing cash flow. This bill is simple. From 1 July 2026 employers will be required to pay superannuation guarantee contributions at the same time as their wages. It's incredibly reasonable and incredibly fair. The benefits of this are immediate and profound. First, for employees it makes it easier for them to track their super—no more trying to cross-reference with a payslip from July when the super fund statement is in October and wondering where the money is. They will see the payment on their payslip, and within seven business days they will see it land in their super fund. It gives them visibility and power. Second, for enforcement this bill allows the ATO to detect missed payments earlier before the debts become unrecoverable. This brings me to the new strengthened superannuation guarantee charge. This is the penalty employers face for failing to pay on time. Under this new framework the charge will apply for each payday that an employer fails to pay in full and on time. This new charge is designed to be tough but fair. It includes notional earnings to compensate employees for the investment returns they lose because of a late payment; an administration uplift to reflect the cost of enforcement—and, importantly, this uplift can be reduced for employers who put their hands up voluntarily and disclose an honest mistake; and choice loading, which is an additional penalty if the employer fails to pay into the employee's chosen fund. For those employers who still refuse to pay even after the ATO has raised a SG charge, the penalties will be higher—up to 50 per cent of the unpaid amount. These charges are designed to prompt employers to fix mistakes fast and ensure workers are made whole. I know some in the business community will be concerned about the transition, and I want to address that directly. This is not a gotcha campaign. The enforcement of the reform is smart, modern and data driven. The ATO will use its data it already receives from Single Touch Payroll and match it with data from the super funds. This allows for near-real-time detection of missed payments. It's not about creating new red tape; it's about using existing data more intelligently to protect workers. This data matching allows the ATO to intervene early, reducing the risk of those massive unpayable debts building up. This government is backing the reform with a $404 million commitment to support the implementation. Critically, the ATO will adopt a facilitative compliance approach in the first year. Employers who are making a genuine attempt to comply, even if they face technical hurdles, will not be the target of ATO compliance actions. This is about helping employers like myself to get it right, not catching them out. This reform helps employers by aligning super with their regular payroll cycle, reducing the end-of-quarter administrative burdens. Finally, I want to address the urgency of this legislation. This legislation must pass as soon as possible. The start date of 1 July 2026 is necessary to give the entire ecosystem time to prepare. Employers need to update their systems, payroll providers need to build and test new software, and super funds and the ATO need to finalise their data-matching and reporting infrastructure. This is a massive, once-in-a-generation reform which cannot wait. The longer we delay, the more workers are missing out. Every week we wait, another $100 million in super goes unpaid. This bill is pro worker, it's pro good business, it protects the vulnerable, it simplifies administration for responsible employers, and it closes a $5.2 billion gap of systemic wage theft. Let's get this done; let's fix unpaid super for good. This reform continues Labor's proudest legacy—ensuring that every Australian worker can build a dignified retirement. I commend the bill to the House.
Bullwinkel Electorate: Darlington Community Bonfire | Statements by Members | House debates
I rise today to share a story from my electorate of Bullwinkel. It's a story about community, resilience and the remarkable spirit of the people who live in the Perth Hills. This past weekend,...
I rise today to share a story from my electorate of Bullwinkel. It's a story about community, resilience and the remarkable spirit of the people who live in the Perth Hills. This past weekend, the suburb of Darlington held its annual community bonfire. While I was unfortunately unable to attend this year, it's an event that holds a special place in my heart. For many years, my sister Dr Diane Parker, a teacher at Helena College, and I were part of the volunteers who organised the bonfire, and I have seen first hand how it brings out best in our community. To an outsider it might look like a simple bonfire, a fun night out and a sausage sizzle and soup from the local CWA, but it's so much more than that. Its primary purpose is the bushfire hazard reduction of the eastern states wattles, which are unable to be composted due to their resilient seed pods, so they need to be burnt. The tradition began over a decade ago, when a resident concerned about the fuel load in the local reserve suggested the community come together to clear it themselves, and they did. It's a collaboration between the Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, the Bushfire Ready group, the CWA and, most importantly, the students from Helena College high school, who helped gather the wood and make the bonfire the day before. It's a community proactively taking responsibility for its own safety. I'm proud to say that I've also committed $300,000 to provide female change facilities to the Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. (Time expired)
Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program | Private Members' Business | House debates
I rise to talk about something fundamental to the lives of regional Australians: the roads that connect us. For a decade under the former coalition government, our regional roads were neglected...
I rise to talk about something fundamental to the lives of regional Australians: the roads that connect us. For a decade under the former coalition government, our regional roads were neglected and regional people are rightly unhappy. The Albanese Labor government has been working hard to fix this mess. We are now delivering record investment in our regional infrastructure. Our investment means safer roads, more efficient freight routes and stronger local economies, all under funding programs that are open, fair and properly costed. We've committed a 10-year infrastructure investment pipeline exceeding $120 billion. It's the largest and most sustainable investor investment in our nation's history. In my great state of Western Australia, that includes $432 million for the Tanami Road, $304 million for Karratha-Tom Price road and $220 million for the Great Northern Highway Bindoon Bypass. But, of course, we know that it's the local roads that matter every single day in our regional communities. That's why part of our plan is doubling the funding for the local roads through the Roads to Recovery program. This program is about directly funding our local councils to fix the roads that they know matter the most. It gives them stable long-term funding to plan with confidence. Over the next five years this means $643 million for WA councils. That's a massive increase of $278 million, and we're seeing that investment right in my electorate of Bullwinkel. In Bakers Hill we're funding a $470,000 upgrade for Sims Road, and in Northam we have $3.6 million rolling out across nine active projects, all chosen by the local Northam shire council. This is direct, tangible investment in our regional communities. But our plan isn't just about maintenance; it's about saving lives. We have increased the annual funding for the Black Spot Program from $110 million to $150 million. This program, of course, targets those dangerous sections of roads that we all know about, delivering practical safety upgrades, like traffic signals, roundabouts and better signage. I'm incredibly proud to say that the Black Spot Program funding is making a real difference in Bullwinkel. We've secured $46,000 to fix the dangerous Lilydale Road and Northcote Street intersection in Chidlow, and we're delivering almost $300,000 for the Avon Terrace and Spencers Brook-York Road intersection in York. These are fixes that locals have been calling for for years, and it's our government that's delivering them. We've also created the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, called SLRIP. That's $200 million per year nationally, which is $50 million more than the two programs that it is replacing. In my electorate of Bullwinkel, this program is funding the $1.5 million extension of Brooking Road in Parkerville, a huge bushfire-risk area. That's a huge win for our local community. You might want to know what happened to the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program—the LRCI, as it was called. That was a temporary COVID program. The Liberals and Nationals set it to expire, and now they're complaining about their own decision. What did we do? We backed it with completion. We extended that timeline for councils and we committed an additional $250 million for regional and outer suburban councils. If the Nationals had their way, our regional councils would have $250 million less than they do today. When you add it all up, just this financial year our government is delivering $4.1 million for upgrades, in my electorate, across 25 different projects in Beverley, Kalamunda, Mundaring, York and Northam. The choice is clear. The coalition left a multibillion-dollar black hole and froze funding for our councils, and the Albanese Labor government is making record investments. We are doubling Roads to Recovery, we are boosting the Black Spot Program, and we're delivering funding that is open, fair and properly costed. Labor now represents more seats in regional areas than the Liberals and Nationals combined. Regional areas have chosen a government that delivers for them.
Rural and Regional Health Services | Private Members' Business | House debates
Today I rise to speak on the motion from the member for Indi and thank her for bringing this critical issue for rural health to the floor of the House. For my constituents in the rural portion of...
Today I rise to speak on the motion from the member for Indi and thank her for bringing this critical issue for rural health to the floor of the House. For my constituents in the rural portion of the seat of Bullwinkel, this isn't a theoretical debate; it is a matter of daily importance. It's about ensuring our families can get a doctor's appointment when they're sick. It's about having the confidence of quality care, knowing that it is available locally without a long drive to the city. It's about supporting our dedicated local clinics and hospital staff, who do such a fantastic job in the rural communities. As a former rural and remote area nurse myself and a general practice nurse, I know that our rural communities deserve to be able to get the care they need, when they need it and close to home. The Albanese Labor government understands this, and we understand that a strong Medicare supports people. It eases cost-of-living pressures, and it takes pressure off our hardworking hospital staff. That is why we're getting on with the job of strengthening Medicare for all Australians, especially those who live in regional and rural communities. Through the 2025-26 budget, we're investing $7.9 billion to strengthen Medicare. This includes $644 million for more Medicare urgent care clinics and $660 million to build upon our health workforce. You can't have a strong health system without a strong health workforce. For too long, communities across Bullwinkel have struggled to attract and retain doctors and health professionals when they need it. That's why I'm proud of our government's work in formally recognising rural generalism. It's a new specialty field within general practice, and this is a game changer. We aren't just training more doctors; we're training the right doctors for our communities—doctors with specific advanced skills where they're needed in primary care, in emergency medicine and often in obstetrics and mental health. This year, Australia will see the largest cohort of future GPs in our history. More than 1,800 doctors are commencing training. And, crucially, at least a quarter of these doctors are GPs in training in that new specialty of rural generalism. These are the doctors who will staff our local clinics and hospitals for years to come, and our government is funding their training. And, of course, finding a doctor is only half the battle—affording one is the other. Our $7.9 billion is designed to make it easier for people in Bullwinkel to see a bulk-billing doctor. For the first time, from 1 November, we're expanding bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and creating an incentive for practices that bulk-bill every single patient. Here is the crucial part for my community: those incentives are higher in the regional and rural areas. This means any Medicare-eligible patient in Bullwinkel bulk-billed for a standard consult will attract a higher Medicare payment for their GP than a patient in the city would. A GP at a rural practice that bulk-bills every visit is expected to earn $24,000 more than a mixed-billing practice that provides the same services. So this is the direct, practical and funded incentive to make bulk-billing more viable for our local clinics. And we're already seeing the results. Since Labor tripled the bulk-billing incentive for our children and concession card holders last November, Australians in regional and remote areas have had nearly 2.5 million additional bulk-billed visits to the GP. We are delivering a record $1.8 billion for our public hospitals on top of the workforce incentives, and we're committed to finalising the new five-year National Health Reform Agreement to give our hospitals long-term funding certainty. This is in stark contrast to the cuts and neglect of those opposite when they were in government. For the people of Bullwinkel, this means more doctors, lower costs and a stronger public health system, because, in Australia, your health care should be determined by your Medicare card, not your postcode.
Telecommunications | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
I rise to speak to the triple 0 legislation that we have passed today in this House. This bill is about the most fundamental promise a government can make: that when you are in peril and you...
I rise to speak to the triple 0 legislation that we have passed today in this House. This bill is about the most fundamental promise a government can make: that when you are in peril and you reach out for help, your call will get through. As a remote-area nurse and member for Bullwinkel, a bushfire-prone area, I know the value of triple 0 all too well. In 2014, my communities in my electorate of the Perth Hills were devastated by the Parkerville-Stoneville-Mount Helena fire—a fire that, before it was extinguished, tore through the community, destroying 57 homes and scarring the landscape and the people for years to come. At that time, and in times of reporting any fire activity and other emergencies, our phones are everything and the one thread that we cling to. To imagine that thread being cut is to imagine the unimaginable. That terror became a reality for 631 Australians during the Optus outage a few weeks ago. It was a catastrophic failure of a private company to meet its most basic social obligation, and it's completely unacceptable. The Albanese Labor government acted swiftly. We acted decisively, and, unlike those in the opposition, our priority is protecting Australians, not protecting corporate interests. And let's be clear about what we're seeing from the opposition. They seem hell-bent on letting Optus off the hook and wasting parliament's time, waving around old emails to manufacture a political scandal. But the record is clear: this outage was the fault of Optus and Optus alone, and they will be held accountable for the 631 calls that went unanswered and, sadly, the three or four deaths which resulted. But their failure has exposed a deeper problem: a decade of neglect under the previous government. The warning signs were flashing for years. In May 2018, under the coalition, there was an outage affecting 4,000 calls, and what was their response? Nothing. No laws were changed. No custodian was created. We cannot hope to do things; we need to act. Our government is cleaning up that decade of neglect, and this bill today is the product of our swift action. It is our government's answer to the question 'Who is watching out for Australians?' This bill ensures that a triple 0 custodian, a guardian of this sacred service, is enshrined in law, not just policy. It gives our communications watchdog, ACMA, the teeth it needs to hold massive corporations to account. The bill gives our government the power to step in during a crisis to demand answers and to direct action. Because of the swift action of this government, this bill turns policy into legislation, into certainty, and it's our promise that the lifeline of triple 0 will be available when needed. I take this opportunity to thank all the workers who man the triple 0 calls, including my next-door neighbour, Amanda. It can be a very stressful job, and they play a crucial role in saving lives on a daily, if not hourly, basis.
Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Health. How is the Albanese Labor government making medicines cheaper for all Australians? How are new medicines being listed on the PBS making new treatments...
My question is to the Minister for Health. How is the Albanese Labor government making medicines cheaper for all Australians? How are new medicines being listed on the PBS making new treatments available for Australians with serious illnesses?
Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise today to speak on a matter which is critical to the lives of every single Australian, and it's a matter that goes directly to the heart of our government's values of fairness,...
I rise today to speak on a matter which is critical to the lives of every single Australian, and it's a matter that goes directly to the heart of our government's values of fairness, accountability and trust. I am speaking in strong support of the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025. Enhancing consumer safeguards—that's what it's all about. As the federal member for Bullwinkel, I represent an electorate that stretches from the periurban fringes of Perth to the wheat belt, where, every single day, our families, businesses and emergency services rely on telecommunications to function. In today's world, connectivity is not a luxury; it's the lifeblood of our communities. It supports our kids' education, it enables small businesses to trade, and it connects us with our loved ones, especially in times of crisis. Australians deserve a telecommunications system that is fair, accountable and, most of all, trustworthy. For too long there have been many poor practices in the industry. This bill changes that. It's a comprehensive package of reforms that will equip the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, with the modern, effective tools it needs to protect Australian consumers from poor and harmful practices. The core of this bill can be distilled into three key reforms, and I wish to speak to each of them today. The first reform is that we are increasing maximum civil penalties. In the current framework, the maximum civil penalty for a serious breach of industry codes and standards is $250,000. For a multinational corporation generating billions of dollars in revenue, a quarter-of-a-million-dollar fine is simply a slap on the wrist. It is, as my colleagues have also said, simply a cost of doing business. It is an amount that does not deter harmful practices. It sends a message that it's more profitable to break the rules and pay the fine than it is to do the right thing by your customers. This is fundamentally wrong, and it erodes the trust that Australians place in their service providers. This bill dramatically changes that. It amends the Telecommunications Act to increase the maximum general civil penalty for breaches of industrial codes and standards to 30,300 penalty units, which, at the time of drafting, is just shy of $10 million. This is a 40-fold increase in penalties—a powerful statement that this government is serious about consumer protection. But we go even further. The bill modernises the penalty framework to give the flexibility for fines to be based on the benefit gained from such conduct—up to 30 per cent of the relevant provider's turnover. This means that, for a company with a very high turnover, the penalty can and should be significantly more than $10 million. This penalty framework aligns our telecommunications sector with standards that we see in other industries, like energy and banking, as well as the Australian Consumer Law. This is about creating a level playing field, where the penalty for the breach is truly proportionate to the harm caused and where no company, no matter how large, can treat consumer protection as an optional extra. It ensures that the Federal Court can impose a penalty that is a genuine deterrent. Effectively, it strongly encourages companies to prioritise ethical conduct over a quick profit. The second crucial reform of this bill is the establishment of a carriage service provider, or CSP, registration scheme. This was a longstanding issue for the previous Labor and coalition governments, and this lack of visibility is a black hole for regulators. The limited visibility of the carriage service provider has hampered ACMA's ability to actively educate providers on their obligations and to target compliance efforts. This bill changes that. By establishing a CSP registration scheme, we will increase the visibility of the market and give ACMA and other government agencies the ability to streamline complaints and compliance processes. It will provide a clear line of sight, ensuring that every provider is known and accountable. This means that dodgy providers will no longer be able to operate in the shadows, preying on consumers without being held to account. It also introduces a powerful deterrent. ACMA will be empowered to stop CSPs from operating in the market if they pose an unacceptable risk to consumers or cause significant consumer harm. This power will be used as a last resort, with suitable checks and balances in place, but it provides the regulator with the necessary authority to protect consumers from the worst actors in the industry. It means consumers can have greater confidence in the providers that they choose, knowing there is a system in place to ensure that they are held to account. This is a reform that will incentivise better behaviour and weed out those that are doing the wrong thing. This may sound like a technical change, but in fact the impact is profound. Under the current legislation, even if a telco is caught red-handed breaching a code, no matter how egregious the breach, ACMA can only issue a direction for them to comply with the code. It is only if the provider then fails to follow that direction that ACMA can take stronger enforcement action. This bill removes that clunky and time-consuming two-step process. It makes compliance with these codes mandatory from the moment they are registered. This gives ACMA the ability to take immediate and decisive enforcement action, providing a stronger incentive for industry compliance and ensuring that consumers are protected without delay. These are not standalone measures. The bill is a vital piece of our government's broader consumer protection agenda. Since coming to office, we have already introduced new industry standards to support consumers experiencing financial hardship, and we just saw recently the implementation of a new standard that requires telecommunications companies to support and assist consumers experiencing domestic, sexual and family violence. We also amended the Competition and Consumer Act earlier this year to introduce consistent obligations on telcos, banks and digital platforms to prevent and disrupt scams. This bill is a crucial pillar in that ongoing work. As the member for Bullwinkel, I know the important of connectivity, not just for consumer protection but for the economic and social wellbeing of our community. This is why the Albanese Labor government is also delivering historic investment in regional connectivity. A large part of my seat is considered regional. The $55 million Mobile Black Spot Program, which had applications close this April, will provide resilient mobile coverage in disaster-prone areas, and certainly Bullwinkel is a disaster-prone area with regard to bushfires. The $50 million Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program pilot programs, which also include an $8 million allocation for Western Australia, will test new solutions to increase mobile coverage on our regional highways and major roads, improving safety and connection. And, of course, round 3 of the Regional Connectivity Program awarded just over $115 million towards 74 projects, which also included a dedicated Central Australia stream to improve connectivity for First Nations communities. This bill is a testament to the Albanese Labor government's commitment to a fair, accountable and trusted telecommunications system. It is a win for consumers, a win for integrity and a win for a more connected Australia. I commend the bill to the House.