David Moncrieff's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2026-02-05T22:06:05+00:00
items: Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Hughes Electorate: Roads | Grievance Debate | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Labor Government | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Mental Health Month | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
items: VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Hughes Electorate: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Sylvanvale | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Environmental Legislation | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Briffa, Father John, SDB, OAM | Adjournment | House debates
items: Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Budget | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Tertiary Education | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
items: Hughes Electorate: Community Events | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Payments System Modernisation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Cybersafety | Questions without Notice | House debates

Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Those opposite have raised the topic of reckless spending. It's a breathtaking exercise in political amnesia from those opposite. I assume that the first example of reckless spending that they...
encoded: Those opposite have raised the topic of reckless spending. It's a breathtaking exercise in political amnesia from those opposite. I assume that the first example of reckless spending that they will want Australians to know about will be the $600 billion that they want to spend on nuclear power plants, which they took to the last election. I assume that they will want Australians to know about the near decade of deficits that they produced, which left Australians with higher debt, higher prices, collapsing services and absolutely no plan to deal with inflation when those opposite walked out the door. I assume that they want Australians to know about the thousands and thousands of dollars that they gave to their mates in Qantas and Harvey Norman. I assume that they will want to talk about the cost that Australians were left with from serving the trillion dollars of Liberal debt that we inherited from our predecessors. But what about where Labor's allocating our resources? Labor is investing prudently in Australia's greatest opportunity—its people. We have delivered cost-of-living relief that is targeted, responsible and real. And it's making a tangible difference to my constituents in Hughes, with things like cheaper child care that's already putting thousands of dollars back into the pockets of families and suburbs of my electorate from Bundeena to Bardia; things like cheaper medicines, with all PBS medicines now $25 or less, saving families across Hughes hundreds of dollars a year; things like tax cuts for every taxpayer, including another tax cut coming in July this year benefiting local workers and small businesses alike. They were tax cuts that those opposite voted against. Those opposite should have to answer this question: which part of that spending is wasteful? We on this side don't think that making child care more affordable so that parents can be part of the workforce is wasteful spending. We on this side don't think that the senior heading down to the pha…
date: 2026-02-05T15:44:00+00:00

Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Last year this government was re-elected with a clear commitment to strengthen Medicare, expand access to affordable medicines and ensure our health workforce can work to its full scope of...
encoded: Last year this government was re-elected with a clear commitment to strengthen Medicare, expand access to affordable medicines and ensure our health workforce can work to its full scope of practice. The Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 is part of that commitment of the Albanese Labor government. It delivers on the government's commitment to ensure our health workforce operates at full scope, enhancing safe and timely access to medicines. It's a win for nurses and a win for all Australians. At its core, this bill is about supporting and promoting access—access to care, access to medicines and access to a health system that works when people need it, not weeks later and only if they can afford to wait or travel. It recognises the truth that communities across Australia, including my electorate of Hughes, understand too well: as demand for primary health care grows, workforce pressures are becoming more acute and our system needs to make better use of the skilled professionals we already have. It was a truth not recognised by those opposite during their near-decade in office—a period during which the Leader of the Opposition, as health minister, distinguished herself as the only health minister in the history of Medicare never to increase the rebate for Medicare once—a goose egg! The health minister who went out for a duck on Medicare and extended Peter Dutton's Medicare freeze from two years to six years now leads the opposition. That shows Australians that what those opposite value: when you cut access to health in the Liberal Party, you get promoted. We are still cleaning up the mess that those opposite left in health and medication. This bill represents part of those efforts to restore trust in affordable and accessible health care in Australia. It supplements our commitment to cheaper medicines. Since 1 January, medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme have cost no more than $25, a price they haven't been since…
date: 2026-02-05T10:17:00+00:00

Hughes Electorate: Roads | Grievance Debate | House debates
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description: I want to acknowledge those beautiful words from the honourable member opposite. Those on this side of the House are also missing Luch, and I want to acknowledge the beautiful sentiment brought...
encoded: I want to acknowledge those beautiful words from the honourable member opposite. Those on this side of the House are also missing Luch, and I want to acknowledge the beautiful sentiment brought by the honourable member. I also want to talk about the M5 around Moorebank. Anyone who uses the M5 around Moorebank knows exactly the problem that occurs in that place. Every afternoon peak, traffic is banked up as cars and trucks enter westbound at Moorebank Avenue and try to merge with traffic already on the motorway that's attempting to exit at the Hume Highway. It's slow, it's frustrating, it can be dangerous and it's not a new issue. It's an infamous choke point in Sydney's south-west, and it's why the Albanese and Minns governments are getting on with delivering the critical infrastructure Western Sydney needs. The NSW government has now signed a contract to upgrade this interchange, and it's a genuinely significant step forward for my community. The project includes a new three-lane toll-free bridge over the Georges River and the train lines at Liverpool, dramatically improving the connection between the M5 Motorway, Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway. It also removes the dangerous weave on the M5 between Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway, improving safety and traffic flows for drivers entering and exiting the motorway. A new underpass at Moorebank Avenue will directly connect the M5 westbound to the Hume Highway, and the intersection between the M5 and Moorebank Avenue will be fully upgraded. This matters because the existing bridge currently sees more than 2,500 trucks a day moving from the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct terminal onto the Sydney motorway network, with truck numbers only set to increase as new sections come online. Last week I visited the M5 south-west control centre, at Hammondville, and spoke with controllers who manage this stretch of the road every day, and I asked them what this upgrade would mean for them on a day-to-day basis. The term t…
date: 2026-02-03T13:06:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
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description: Boris Gurman, Sofia Gurman, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Edith Brutman, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Marika Pogany, Peter Meagher, Dan Elkayam, Reuven Morrison, Tibor Weitzen, Alexander Kleytman, Rabbi...
encoded: Boris Gurman, Sofia Gurman, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Edith Brutman, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Marika Pogany, Peter Meagher, Dan Elkayam, Reuven Morrison, Tibor Weitzen, Alexander Kleytman, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Tani Tretiak and, with that most Australian of names, 10-year-old Matilda: these 15 names represent what Australia lost on 14 December. They are now etched in the hearts of Australians forever. Those names represented hopes and futures for the lives of those who bore them, who were unjustly torn from their families and loved ones at Bondi Beach in an act of violence and terror that most Australians had thought unthinkable on this continent. It was an act of unspeakable evil and hate. It was an antisemitic attack, targeted at Jewish Australians. But it was also an attack on Australia itself—an Australia that is tolerant and relaxed, a beach-going country where you can take your troubles to the calming sea. The terrorists attacked that. They sought to divide Australians, to get Australians to turn on each other, to get Australians to believe that our differences should separate us. Australians are stronger than that. During the attack, ordinary community members stood up against the violence, the terror and the hate at the cost of their own safety—people like Boris and Sofia Gurman, who wrestled with one of the gunmen during the early stages of the attack and who, tragically, lost their lives in this act of selflessness and courage; and people like Ahmed al-Ahmed, who owns and runs a shop in Sutherland, in my electorate of Hughes. While unarmed and without any protection for his own safety, Ahmed approached one of the gunmen and disarmed him, turning the weapon on the gunman before propping it against a tree. Ahmed was shot and wounded in attempting to protect others. In the days following the attack, the front of Ahmed's closed shop in Sutherland became a focal point for my community's grief and their gratitude to those who showed such bravery and selflessness …
date: 2026-01-19T20:34:00+00:00

Labor Government | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Wasn't that a great example of the focus of those opposite on themselves rather than on the people they should be looking after, the real Australians who need our help! The Albanese Labor...
encoded: Wasn't that a great example of the focus of those opposite on themselves rather than on the people they should be looking after, the real Australians who need our help! The Albanese Labor government is leading the world in areas that are going to build the futures of young Australians: on international trade, on energy, on keeping our young people safe online. Those opposite can't even figure out how to lead themselves. On this side of the House, we know how to work with partners around the world to achieve real outcomes for Australians, like those in my electorate of Hughes. In our critical mineral framework with the United States we are positioning Australia to benefit from the transition the global economy is going through as countries around the world move towards net zero. On social media we are taking action to protect our young people and our next generation from its harms—reforms that are now being envied and emulated around the world. With the G20 we have strengthened our commitment to the Paris Agreement and international trade while those opposite talk down our place on the national stage. On energy we are leading the world with the presidency of the COP. While those opposite don't believe in climate action, the rest of the world and the business community and this side of the House do. The world is with us on our plans for cheaper renewable energy and international trade to reduce the cost of living for Australians. Those opposite need to take the message that Australians are giving them and join the world in the 21st century.
date: 2025-11-27T13:49:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: One of my favourite ads of all time tells us that a man's got to win, and to win he has to get on top and stay there. You can't do that without a canoe. You've got to have the biggest, strongest,...
encoded: One of my favourite ads of all time tells us that a man's got to win, and to win he has to get on top and stay there. You can't do that without a canoe. You've got to have the biggest, strongest, longest canoe. Life can be tough, and canoes can be awkward. So why not just ignore it all with a refreshing Carlton Draught? Beer has played a significant part in Australian society, notably through its advertising. Who could forget the big ad—the very big ad. I can't believe how big it was. A few years ago I went to see The Dismissal with the now member for Banks and, to conjure up the sound of the seventies, they played the 'I feel like a Tooheys' jingle. In our films, who could forget the iconic scene in Crocodile Dundee in which the world was introduced to Michael J 'Crocodile' Dundee in an Aussie pub. Australian pubs are part of our culture, part of our social life and part of the way that we connect with each other. It's not about what's behind the bar; it's about jobs, families and communities. Sometimes you just want to go where everybody knows your name. But catching up with your mates shouldn't break the bank, and that's why I'm very happy to support this measure. From 1 August 2025, the Albanese Labor government paused indexation of draught beer excise and excise-equivalent custom duties for two years. This crisp, full-bodied reform will mean the tax on a keg will not keep creeping up every six months like the head on a badly poured pint. This is practical, targeted relief not just for pubs, clubs and brewers but for everyday Aussies. This measure applies to containers between four and 48 litres—the kegs you see rolled into pubs every day—and to containers over 48 litres used in larger venues. It doesn't apply to bottled or canned beer, spirits or other excisable beverages. This is about helping hospitality operators and about keeping the price of a pint steady for everyday Australians. Across Australia, around 10,000 hospitality venues will benefit and around 7…
date: 2025-11-27T11:15:00+00:00

Mental Health Month | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
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description: It's always an immense privilege to meet the people working on the front line of mental health care in our community—people who show up each day with empathy, professionalism and purpose....
encoded: It's always an immense privilege to meet the people working on the front line of mental health care in our community—people who show up each day with empathy, professionalism and purpose. Right now two in five young Australians are experiencing mental health distress. That is double the rate from 20 years ago. During Mental Health Month I joined the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, to visit the Liverpool Medicare mental health centre, right in the heart of south-west Sydney. It's one of 50 Medicare mental health centres now open across the country, part of a new model of care that brings mental health support into the middle of communities— A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 12:03 to 12:18 It's one of 50 Medicare mental health centres now open across the country, part of a new model of care that brings mental health support into the middle of communities where people live, work and seek help. Since opening in 2023, the Liverpool centre has delivered more than 23,000 occasions of service. That means thousands of people across our region—people who might otherwise have gone without care—have been able to walk through the doors and receive the support they need. These centres represent a shift in how we think about mental health care. They remove the barriers that too often stop people from seeking help—the need for a referral, a diagnosis or even an appointment. You can simply walk in and be seen by a multidisciplinary team of mental health clinicians, nurses, counsellors and peer workers. These are people who understand the complex medical system but, more importantly, understand people. When you step inside the Liverpool centre, there's a sense of calm and care that's not common in health care. It doesn't feel clinical or intimidating; it feels human. There's a sense that help is here and that someone is ready to listen. I met staff who spoke about supporting people at some …
date: 2025-11-26T12:02:00+00:00

VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: On this side of the House we believe in technical education. We believe in equipping Australians with the skills they need to succeed in their futures. Those opposite don't believe in TAFE; they...
encoded: On this side of the House we believe in technical education. We believe in equipping Australians with the skills they need to succeed in their futures. Those opposite don't believe in TAFE; they don't believe in the skills sector. On this side of the House we believe in making TAFE more affordable. That's why we've drastically expanded access to fee-free TAFE right across the country. Those opposite say that if you don't pay for something you don't value it. Well, in May, Australians showed that they disagree. They elected a government that believes that Australians value bulk-billing, even when they don't pay for it, because it keeps Australians healthy and working. They elected a government that believes that Australians value getting 20 per cent off their student loans because it lessens financial burdens that keep young people out of homeownership. They elected a government that believes that Australians value investments in TAFE and investments in Australian skills because of the value that skills add to the Australian economy. The VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025 represents additional recognition of the value of the skills sector. It's a bill that represents real certainty to students, training providers and the government alike. This legislation is about fixing a gap. It ensures that the Vocational Education and Training Student Loans Program—the system that helps tens of thousands of Australians train for essential jobs—continues to operate on firm and lawful footing. It matters to people right across my electorate of Hughes, from Liverpool to Menai to Ingleburn to Macquarie Fields. It matters to apprentices studying at the Loftus campus of TAFE Sutherland or TAFE Liverpool. It matters to the next generation of builders in Macquarie Fields and to parents returning to work after a break who rely on flexible vocational education to get ahead. It was fantastic to visit Macquarie Fields TAFE with Minister Giles, the Minister for Skills, and s…
date: 2025-11-25T18:26:00+00:00

Hughes Electorate: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Sylvanvale | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world. It traces its origins to the travels of St Thomas in the first century. I'm very honoured that my...
encoded: The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world. It traces its origins to the travels of St Thomas in the first century. I'm very honoured that my electorate of Hughes contains the St Thomas cathedral of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and it was my honour this week to welcome to Sydney His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews II on behalf of the Australian government. His Holiness is the Catholicos of the Indian Orthodox Church throughout the world and the spiritual leader of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Christians. His visit was a moment of great significance for the Indian orthodox community in Australia and in Hughes. It offered an opportunity for families, young people and elders to come together in celebration of their heritage and their faith. This sense of unity and pride was on display at the dinner held in honour of His Holiness at St Thomas Indian Orthodox Cathedral in Wattle Grove in my electorate of Hughes. The warmth and generosity on display from the congregation was outstanding and reflected the strong community spirit that defines so many of our local cultural and religious groups. It was amazing to see so many people from different orthodox and non-orthodox traditions of Christianity come together in a spirit of ecumenism, recognise the significance of the moment of His Holiness's visit and acknowledge the deep spiritual connection that his presence provided. Hughes is home to a thriving and growing Indian community, and events like this highlight the value of multiculturalism and the way people from diverse backgrounds strengthen our nation. We were deeply honoured by the presence of His Holiness and grateful for the time he spent encouraging and uplifting those he met. I also want to pay tribute to him for his longstanding efforts to promote peace, mutual understanding and the importance of living with purpose and service to others. It was also great to meet with His Holiness again during his …
date: 2025-11-25T16:26:00+00:00

Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: Australians have changed the way they consume their media. There's been a significant decline in the number of people who watch live broadcast television free to air. The year 2024 marked a key...
encoded: Australians have changed the way they consume their media. There's been a significant decline in the number of people who watch live broadcast television free to air. The year 2024 marked a key milestone in Australia's viewing habits, with fewer than half of Australians watching live free-to-air TV for the first time at only 46 per cent, down from 52 per cent in 2023. This was accompanied by a decline in the average time spent viewing broadcast television, down to 4.8 hours a week in 2024 from 5.6 hours a week in 2023. Australians have shifted the way they consume their content, but two things have not shifted: Australians' desire for a strong Australian arts and media sector and the legislative landscape for subscription video on demand. Right now, free-to-air broadcasters have Australian content requirements. Pay TV has Australian content requirements. Streaming services do not. This gap means Australian stories are being overshadowed by a global library of content created elsewhere. That's why I'm so happy to support the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025. This is practical legislation that will strengthen our cultural sector and deliver clear benefits for communities like mine in southern Sydney. Fifty-sex per cent of Australians believe the arts benefits their wellbeing, but half of Australians are not attending arts events as much as they would like, with cost and location cited as significant barriers to arts attendance. It's clear that Australians want access to arts, entertainment and media right here in Australia. This legislation aims to ensure that we maintain a significant arts and culture industry in Australia. Streaming services really took off around the world during the mid- to late-2010s. It was an enormous opportunity for regulatory reform for those who were in government during that time to ensure that Australians were positioned to take advantage o…
date: 2025-11-24T18:11:00+00:00

Social Cohesion | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to protect communities from people who would seek to undermine social cohesion and spread hatred?
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to protect communities from people who would seek to undermine social cohesion and spread hatred?
date: 2025-11-24T14:51:00+00:00

Environmental Legislation | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: My electorate of Hughes has some of the most incredible natural landscapes in the world: the second-oldest national park in the world, the Royal National Park; the Heathcote National Park; the...
encoded: My electorate of Hughes has some of the most incredible natural landscapes in the world: the second-oldest national park in the world, the Royal National Park; the Heathcote National Park; the Georges River; and the Hacking River, in which we have a thriving platypus population after a 50-year absence. Labor is the party of environmental reform. Those on this side of the chamber have delivered every single major environmental reform in Australia's history: Landcare, saving the Franklin, protecting Daintree and Kakadu, building the largest network of marine parks in the world and meaningfully addressing the threat of climate change. While those on the other side can't remember whether they believe in climate change from day to day, we on this side of the House are getting on with the job of addressing the clear and widely accepted need for environmental law reform to support productivity and deliver stronger environmental protections. Our government has introduced real reform to the outdated legislation of the Howard government era to provide stronger environmental protection and restoration, more efficient and robust project assessments, and greater accountability and transparency in decision-making. We need to get these laws working to achieve other national priorities, like delivering the homes, jobs, clean energy and economic prosperity our country needs in the future. This is about getting the balance right: laws that are better for business and better for the environment. Those opposite need to get on board.
date: 2025-11-05T13:40:00+00:00

Briffa, Father John, SDB, OAM | Adjournment | House debates
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description: I'm a proud Bosco boy, and in October the Bosco and the broader Engadine-Heathcote community lost a treasured member of our community and an icon of our history. Father John Briffa SDB, OAM, who...
encoded: I'm a proud Bosco boy, and in October the Bosco and the broader Engadine-Heathcote community lost a treasured member of our community and an icon of our history. Father John Briffa SDB, OAM, who passed in the late hours of Wednesday 22 October, founded two of the great institutions of Engadine and Heathcote: St John Bosco High School and John Paul Village. Father John Briffa had been a part of Engadine life since 1964. He first came to Engadine as the resident priest at Boys Town, now the Dunlea Centre, and he became the parish priest at St John Bosco Parish in 1968. Father Briffa was someone who listened to the community's needs and took actions to meet them. He arrived at a time when Engadine and its surrounding suburbs were much less developed. He quickly identified the greatest challenges for Engadine: a lack of aged-care facilities and no local Catholic high school. Members of the parish were placing elderly relatives in care in other parts of Sydney, and students were travelling out of Engadine for high school to receive Catholic education. Father Briffa took action, and he started institutions that have grown beyond anyone's imaginings. One of Father Briffa's most enduring legacies is the high school at which I had the privilege to learn. St John Bosco College, originally St John Bosco High School, was founded in 1978 under the initiative of the parish of St John Bosco and under Father Briffa's leadership. When he arrived, the parish, the school system and the aged-care services were all in various states of growth, but he quickly understood that this was a community in need of strong, cohesive institutions and a sense of belonging. Bosco is a very important part of my life. I was baptised and confirmed there and I went to school there. The library in the school is named for Father Briffa, in recognition of what he contributed to it. He did not build so that his name would be on the wall; he built so future generations could stand on firm ground. He did not s…
date: 2025-11-03T19:54:00+00:00

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: Our energy market is a cornerstone of Australia's economic infrastructure and a critical service for Australian consumers. It enables the transmission and distribution of electricity across vast...
encoded: Our energy market is a cornerstone of Australia's economic infrastructure and a critical service for Australian consumers. It enables the transmission and distribution of electricity across vast distances, supporting industries, businesses and households with reliable power. Australians expect to be able to have access to cheap, reliable power. They expect to be able to turn on the lights at night. They expect to be able to throw their leftovers in the fridge and have them still be cold the next day. They expect to be able to run their fans and air conditioners in the summertime. And they expect that their energy will power their healthcare devices. Reliability and stability are absolutely essential to our energy markets, and those are what this bill is aiming to achieve. Stability in energy policy is not something that was achieved under the previous government. Was stability something that we expected from the Abbott-Truss-Turnbull-Truss-Turnbull-Joyce-Turnbull-Joyce—again—Turnbull-McCormack-Morrison-McCormack-Morrison-Joyce—yet again—government? No. But it was something that Australians desperately sought. Those opposite do believe in climate change one minute; the next, they don't. They believe in reducing emissions one minute; the next, it's all too hard. They support a national energy guarantee one minute; they shelve it the next. One minute, Scott Morrison is talking about his plan to achieve net zero at the COP in Glasgow; the next, the Nationals are showing net zero support for the Liberal leadership. Just now, we have heard some appalling, unscientific scaremongering from the member for New England on this bill. Those opposite spent nine years in government, during which they could have formulated a plan to replace our ageing coal-fired power stations. They didn't come up with one. So, on this side of the chamber, the Albanese Labor government has had to spend the last 3½ years playing catch-up on energy policy to modernise our ageing system. As I've said,…
date: 2025-11-03T16:54:00+00:00

Budget | Private Members' Business | House debates
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description: The late, great Meat Loaf used to say that two out of three ain't bad, but what do you think he would have said about zero for nine? Those opposite spent nine years in government, and they spent...
encoded: The late, great Meat Loaf used to say that two out of three ain't bad, but what do you think he would have said about zero for nine? Those opposite spent nine years in government, and they spent that time praising their own fiscal responsibility, but how many surpluses did they deliver in that time? A goose egg: zero. And now they come in here and howl about fiscal responsibility. One side of this place likes to talk about fiscal responsibility. We've had lectures about fiscal responsibility from a side that never delivers it. On the other side, the side of the Albanese Labor government, we really deliver it. In its first budgets after coming to office, the Albanese Labor government delivered the first back-to-back surpluses in almost two decades and restored confidence in our nation's finances. This side of the House cares about fiscal responsibility, because of the assistance that it provides to working families in Australia. The other side only cares about fiscal responsibility so that they can have something to print on their mugs. They like to forget about the 'Back in Black' mugs that they printed to celebrate the surplus that they promised but never delivered. Those opposite racked up deficit after deficit, missed every one of their fiscal targets and left Australians with trillions of dollars of Liberal debt. They printed the mugs, they printed the debt instruments, but they could never print the word 'surplus' honestly. In contrast, this government has delivered the largest nominal improvement to the budget in a parliamentary term, a $209 billion turnaround in its first term. We've turned Liberal deficits into Labor surpluses, we've driven down debt by $188 billion and we've found over $100 billion in savings since coming to government. These are savings that keep inflation under control, reduce interest payments and deliver more responsible spending for the future. While those opposite delivered 4.1 per cent spending growth, we have kept it down to 1.7 per…
date: 2025-10-27T17:10:00+00:00

Tertiary Education | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: A university education is something that all Australians should have the opportunity to pursue. Nearly half of young Australians now have a degree, but that's not the case in Macquarie Fields,...
encoded: A university education is something that all Australians should have the opportunity to pursue. Nearly half of young Australians now have a degree, but that's not the case in Macquarie Fields, where only 29 per cent of young people have a degree. This government is working to ensure that young people in my community of Hughes can pursue university education and the careers that they want to reach. I was so proud to join the Minister for Education to open the new Macquarie Fields Suburban Study Hub, bringing university closer for students in southern Sydney—part of this government's $66.9 million investment in university study hubs. The new Suburban Study Hub Macquarie Fields now offers support services and study facilities for local students enrolled at any university or vocational education and training provider. The evidence shows that, where study hubs are, university participation goes up. Having access to university in my community helped me start my tertiary education journey. Attending the University of Wollongong Sutherland campus meant that I could pursue my education in the community where I lived. I am so excited to see the opportunities that this study hub opens up for my community and for its next generation.
date: 2025-10-08T13:36:00+00:00

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
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description: There is no more important task assigned to the federal government than ensuring the safety and security of the Australian people, and there's no more important element of Australia's defence...
encoded: There is no more important task assigned to the federal government than ensuring the safety and security of the Australian people, and there's no more important element of Australia's defence capability than the people who serve in our Defence Force. Every member of the Australian Defence Force should be safe in the knowledge that, whatever may happen in service, they and their families will be looked after and acknowledged by a grateful nation. Australians expect them to be looked after. This is evident in the turnout we see each year at the Anzac Day dawn services. I've been going to the Engadine Anzac Day dawn services since I was a kid, and it's always amazing to see how many people turn out and how many people are passionate about ensuring our veterans are acknowledged each year. But the expectation that they are looked after is not one that's always been met. It is our nation's duty to empower and support the mental health and wellbeing of our defence and veteran community. During the world wars, my family served in the defence forces. Sidda Black, my great-grandfather, was injured on the Western Front during the First World War. Sidda came back with physical scars that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Of course, we now have a better understanding of the other forms of harm that are inflicted upon our Defence Force personnel during their service. In my electorate of Hughes, 3,640 people had served in the Australian Defence Force as of 2022. I want to honour and acknowledge that service and thank them for all they have done for our country. I am privileged to represent in this place the Holsworthy Barracks, covering almost 20,000 hectares and comprising one of the Army's major defence presences in New South Wales. It's home to a number of Army and tri-service training institutions as well as various regular and reserve Army units, and it's also the staging location for domestic operations in New South Wales. In June I was lucky enough to attend the bar…
date: 2025-09-04T11:19:00+00:00

Hughes Electorate: Community Events | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: Heathdene has been such an important part of the Engadine community for generations. In August the church and the preschool both celebrated significant milestones, with the Heathcote Engadine...
encoded: Heathdene has been such an important part of the Engadine community for generations. In August the church and the preschool both celebrated significant milestones, with the Heathcote Engadine Baptist Church celebrating 65 years and the Heathdene Preschool celebrating 50 years. On 17 August it was lovely to join the celebrations with the Heathdene community, which included a puppet show, live music, face painting and a photo gallery celebrating the decades of the preschool and the church. It was great to tour the revitalised facility with Kathleen, who's the director, and see the amazing services that are offered there. I want to thank the Heathdene community for all their contributions to our community over the last seven decades. We look forward to your work continuing over the decades to come. It's also been a significant period for our vibrant South-Asian community in south-western Sydney. On 14 August the Pakistani community celebrated Pakistan Independence Day, commemorating 78 years since Pakistan's independence from the British Raj. It was a pleasure to join the Pakistan Association of Australia on 23 August and witness the incredible dances and performances from the Pakistani Australian youth. It was amazing to see such diversity from across the regions of Pakistan on display. It was amazing to see all the different styles from all the different regions of Pakistan. It was fantastic to see that celebration on display. I want to thank the Pakistan Association of Australia and its general secretary, Nabeel Khan, for putting on this incredible celebration of Pakistani culture in Australia. On 15 August the Nepalese community celebrated Teej, which recognises the incredible role that women play in our communities. It was beautiful to witness the incredible dancing and performances and to learn some of the dance moves with them. I'm still very much in the early days of learning those dances; I must say it wasn't always an amazing sight. I want to thank the presid…
date: 2025-09-02T16:19:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Payments System Modernisation) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: (): Payments are something that Australians are engaging with in everyday life, sometimes dozens of times a week. These days, that looks like tapping cards for groceries, paying bills...
encoded: (): Payments are something that Australians are engaging with in everyday life, sometimes dozens of times a week. These days, that looks like tapping cards for groceries, paying bills online, splitting meals through apps and subscribing to services that debit our account each month. These payment methods were unthinkable decades ago. For younger Australians, buy-now pay-later platforms are a part of everyday life. For many small businesses, digital wallets are now as common as cash registers once were. I remember when, about 10 years ago, I was working at Woolworths Jannali on the cash register and there was a bunch of young teenagers that came through. One of them wanted to pay with cash, and all of his friends were teasing him because he was paying with cash. They asked, 'Haven't you heard of a card?' It was just ridiculous that these young people would be paying with cash. Even at that time I thought that was fairly reasonable; I still used cash. But, for young people now, it's such a different economy to what we used to have. The way that money moves in our economy has changed dramatically, but the laws that underpin these movements have not kept pace. The Payment System (Regulation) Act dates back to 1998. At the time it was written, smartphones did not exist, digital wallets were unheard of, cryptocurrencies were decades away and even contactless cards were still in the future. This act served us well for its time, but it is now out of step with reality. That lack of synchronicity creates risk for consumers, for small businesses and for the economy as a whole. This bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payments System Modernisation) Bill 2025, tackles those risks. It brings the law into line with how Australians live, trade and pay in 2025. There are three pillars to this bill. The first thing that this bill does is update definitions. The current definition of 'payment system' is too narrow. It only focuses on the circulation of money in a funds transfer system,…
date: 2025-09-02T17:10:00+00:00

Cybersafety | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Communications. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to protect young Australians from harmful and abusive technology?
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Communications. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to protect young Australians from harmful and abusive technology?
date: 2025-09-02T14:50:00+00:00