Trish Cook's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:04+00:00
items: Bullwinkel Electorate: Health Care, Australia Day Awards and Honours | Adjournment | House debates
items: Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Health Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Albanese Government | Statements | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Bilgoman Aquatic Centre | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Women in Sport | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Bullwinkel Electorate: Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program | Statements by Members | House debates
items: g101.1
items: Biosecurity | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Bullwinkel Electorate: Darlington Community Bonfire | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Rural and Regional Health Services | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Telecommunications | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates

Bullwinkel Electorate: Health Care, Australia Day Awards and Honours | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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 t…
date: 2026-02-04T19:55:00+00:00

Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Hear, hear!
encoded: Hear, hear!
date: 2026-02-04T18:55:00+00:00

Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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 endorseme…
date: 2026-02-04T12:26:00+00:00

Health Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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?
date: 2026-02-03T14:14:00+00:00

Albanese Government | Statements | House debates
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description: 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...
encoded: 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…
date: 2025-11-27T17:23:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: 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...
encoded: 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…
date: 2025-11-27T13:05:00+00:00

Bilgoman Aquatic Centre | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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.
date: 2025-11-26T13:34:00+00:00

Medicare | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: 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...
encoded: 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?
date: 2025-11-25T15:05:00+00:00

Women in Sport | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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!'
date: 2025-11-06T12:10:00+00:00

Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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?
date: 2025-11-06T14:24:00+00:00

Bullwinkel Electorate: Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: 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...
encoded: 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.
date: 2025-11-05T13:34:00+00:00

g101.1
type: item
title: 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
description: 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...
encoded: 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 conti…
date: 2025-11-04T17:27:00+00:00

Biosecurity | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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?
date: 2025-11-03T14:58:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025, Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: 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....
encoded: 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 i…
date: 2025-10-30T11:35:00+00:00

Bullwinkel Electorate: Darlington Community Bonfire | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: 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,...
encoded: 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)
date: 2025-10-28T13:38:00+00:00

Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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…
date: 2025-10-27T18:03:00+00:00

Rural and Regional Health Services | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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 l…
date: 2025-10-27T11:05:00+00:00

Telecommunications | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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 gov…
date: 2025-10-08T16:17:00+00:00

Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: 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...
encoded: 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?
date: 2025-10-08T15:02:00+00:00

Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: 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,...
encoded: 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 e…
date: 2025-09-04T12:34:00+00:00