Alison Penfold'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: Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
items: Health Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
items: Lyne Electorate: Shark Attack | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
items: Wingham Amateur Boxing Club | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Forestry Industry | Adjournment | House debates
items: g122.8
items: Royal Flying Doctor Service | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Banking and Financial Services | Grievance Debate | House debates
items: Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Aged Care | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Lyne Electorate: Telstra | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Artificial Intelligence | Private Members' Business | House debates
items: Albanese Government | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Child Abuse | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026, Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates

Cost of Living | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: After nearly four years of Labor, the cold, stark reality is that Australians are paying more for everything. It doesn't matter what the Treasurer wants to believe or what he wants to spruik. He...
encoded: After nearly four years of Labor, the cold, stark reality is that Australians are paying more for everything. It doesn't matter what the Treasurer wants to believe or what he wants to spruik. He cannot hide the truth, because Australians are living it. Australia is the only developed country where interest rates are rising. Why is that? Because of Labor's out-of-control spending. While the Treasurer is desperate to shift the blame, attributing his own fiscal failures to foreign wars and other global pressures, there is no doubt that this 'Jimflation' crisis is homegrown, with ABS data revealing that inflation is being driven by government policy. Under this government, spending is growing 13 times faster than what the coalition budgeted for and has reached its highest level outside a recession in 40 years. This is not sensible governing; this is reckless maladministration. Frankly, the Treasurer's attitude, his blame shifting, his aloofness towards the situation, is an absolute affront to Australians. It's a kick in the guts. Does he not realise that he's the sole individual in charge? He has the power to change this. After all of the essential bills are paid and a small grocery shop is done—and I mean small, because just two bags is over $100—hardworking Australians have very little of their own money left. In my electorate, a constituent from Nabiac shared that, on Christmas Eve, they bought just 36 items at a cost of $199.61. Add to this the car insurance, which comes in at $277.51 a month for just two cars—that doesn't include registration or green slip, by the way—plus home and contents insurance, which comes in at $278.83 per month; private health insurance for a family of four at $498 a month; and council rates, water access and sewerage connection at $3,481.10 a year. Very little is left over. This is one of the poorest electorates in the country, where the pay cheques are neither large nor flexible enough to accommodate cost increases without sacrifice. The…
date: 2026-02-04T16:51:00+00:00

Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to support this important amendment, this sensible amendment to the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. It will ensure that Australia has an alcohol tax system that is...
encoded: I rise to support this important amendment, this sensible amendment to the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. It will ensure that Australia has an alcohol tax system that is modern, consistent and delivers the sort of reform that Australians deserve. I support the bill that is before the House. I spoke on the bill last year and I agree that we should not let perfection get in the way of good. But the reality is that the bill will deliver only a very small change. What is it—1c a pint? When I spoke to the pubs and clubs in my electorate during the election last year about this bill and about the policy commitment, many of them said to me, 'Well, look, it's really not going to make that much difference because we've actually been subsidising the excise increase for years.' They simply have not been able to afford to put up the price of beer because they then wouldn't get the patrons in the pub. As many, many speakers on all sides of the parliament have said, we value the work that our pubs and clubs do. They support the local footy teams. They do amazing fundraisers. I was at a fantastic one on Saturday night supported by Club Old Bar where we raised $16,000 to build a permanent cenotaph for the Old Bar's RSL sub branch. I appreciate that this bill intends to make a small change, but the fact of the matter is we have a significant issue with our alcohol excise system, one that has not been properly reviewed really since it was first implemented. I know the Henry tax review some 10 years ago acknowledged that the system was broken and in need of reform. Well, we need to do that work now. It's time to do a full review and have it report back to Treasury with recommendations. I might just say something a little bit controversial here, which is not going to be about Taree and the Urgent Care Clinic, I'm sorry to disappoint. Look, I'm not a big beer drinker and, frankly, a lot of women are not big beer drinkers. So whilst this is something that speaks to th…
date: 2026-02-04T10:48:00+00:00

Health Care | Questions without Notice | House debates
type: item
description: Why are you ignoring the Mid North Coast?
encoded: Why are you ignoring the Mid North Coast?
date: 2026-02-03T15:12:00+00:00

Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
type: item
description: Matilda Britvan, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Edith Brutman, Boris Tetleroyd, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Tibor Weitzen, Alexander Kleytman, Adam Smyth,...
encoded: Matilda Britvan, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Edith Brutman, Boris Tetleroyd, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Tibor Weitzen, Alexander Kleytman, Adam Smyth, Peter Meagher, Dan Elkayam and Tania Tretiak—taken by terror, but you will forever light our nation's path forward to fight evil. To the family and friends of the victims, to the injured and to the Australian Jewish community, I extend on behalf of myself and the people of the Lyne electorate our heartfelt and deepest condolences. Few of us will forget that Sunday. The tragedy stung and hung in the air. It still does. But few of us are living with the day-to-day grief, the unimaginable loss. 'How could this event be, an act of cold-blooded, hate-filled evil and terror?' people are asking. Surely not in Australia. Surely not in Sydney. Surely not at our iconic Bondi. But as we watched the news unfold that evening, it was clear that terrorism had struck at home. The years of rising antisemitism and the radicalisation of weak minds by fundamentalist Islamic hate preachers operating on our own soil had reached a momentary crescendo, and 15 beautiful, innocent lives had been taken—intentionally, callously, mockingly. That Sunday in Bondi was a day of extremes. We saw complete and utter evil, but, at the same time, we saw the best of humanity and its most noble traits. We saw unflinching bravery and self-sacrificing compassion. To the police, first responders, surf lifesavers, medical practitioners and ordinary Australians that, in the face of darkness and terror, shone courage and grace: I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are the shining reminders of what Australia should be. Most of the victims were at Bondi to celebrate Hanukkah, an important celebration on the Jewish calendar and the festival of lights. Others were merely out enjoying an Aussie summer day with family, living their life as the gunmen planned to snatch it away from them. And for what? The 'what' and th…
date: 2026-01-19T18:07:00+00:00

Lyne Electorate: Shark Attack | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
type: item
description: I would like to extend my condolences to the families and loved ones of the young woman taken today at Crowdy Bay in a fatal shark attack. Crowdy Bay is in my electorate, and, indeed, it's a...
encoded: I would like to extend my condolences to the families and loved ones of the young woman taken today at Crowdy Bay in a fatal shark attack. Crowdy Bay is in my electorate, and, indeed, it's a beach that I know well. I spent many years there as a child. It's a tragic circumstance. This was at an unpatrolled beach at quite a remote part of the bay. It happened very early this morning. Details are scant, but I understand that it was a tourist with her partner, both in their 20s. Unfortunately, she died at the beach. A heroic passerby managed to put a tourniquet on the man who tried to save the lady. He's now in John Hunter Hospital. I've spoken to the president of the Crowdy Head Surf Life Saving Club. Some of their members were called out this morning to assist, and I know the ambulance and other people were also called. It's just a very tragic circumstance on the eve of the holiday season. Crowdy Bay is a very busy beach; it's closed at the moment. It's very sad for the entire community. I thank you for this opportunity to extend my condolences to everyone involved in the families who've lost a loved one.
date: 2025-11-27T16:03:00+00:00

Wingham Amateur Boxing Club | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to acknowledge the work of Gary Crawford and Mick Downs, who have been instrumental in envisioning and establishing the Wingham Amateur Boxing Club. The club is a small, volunteer,...
encoded: I rise to acknowledge the work of Gary Crawford and Mick Downs, who have been instrumental in envisioning and establishing the Wingham Amateur Boxing Club. The club is a small, volunteer, not-for-profit organisation. It was conceived by Gary and Mick, two ex-Australian Defence Force veterans, with the intent of providing free boxing and coaching fitness to young people aged 13 to 18 in Wingham and surrounding areas. Gary, who will be the primary instructor, has been involved in amateur boxing since the age of eight. After serving in the Australian Army for five years, Gary began coaching as a way of finding purpose. Gary was a boxing coach for six years at the PCYC in Taree. He trained local youth weekly, often taking competitors to Dubbo, Cobar, Parkes and various locations interstate to participate in organised bouts and championships. Gary was approached by Wingham locals inquiring if he would be interested in starting a boxing club in Wingham with a focus on local youth. Gary agreed, but with the proviso that the service would be free. Gary's partner in this venture, Mick Downs, spent over 20 years in the Australian Army. He has various qualifications in fitness and combative training, obtained while in the ADF, and has experience working with youth through the Australian Army Cadets scheme. Seeing a community need for afterschool and weekend activities for local youth, Gary and Mick decided to establish the club with the aim of providing free fitness and boxing training—tailored to varying individual skill, experience, dedication and confidence levels—as well as a communal safe space for local youth. Participation in fitness or boxing classes is not mandatory, and all are welcome to use the facilities to observe, study, complete homework and generally socialise in a safe, strictly alcohol- and drug-free environment. I recently visited the club and can tell you that the feedback around town is extremely positive, with many teenagers and their families excited ab…
date: 2025-11-25T16:42:00+00:00

Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise in solidarity with my hardworking, dedicated and community minded pubs and brewers to speak on this legislation—legislation which does the absolute bare minimum to aid them and their...
encoded: I rise in solidarity with my hardworking, dedicated and community minded pubs and brewers to speak on this legislation—legislation which does the absolute bare minimum to aid them and their industry and does absolutely nothing to address the significant issues that exist within the alcohol excise system. The Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill could have been a lot more than what it is. This bill could have gone a whole lot further than just implementing an election promise to temporarily halt the twice-yearly increase in excise of draught beer at pubs and clubs. That is all that it does. By 'temporarily' I mean that this measure will pause indexation of the beer excise for just two years—but that's enough to give the Albanese government it's 'cheaper beer' headline. Should the beer drinkers of Australia rejoice? Well, the actual monetary significance of the measure amounts to just two-fifths of not much. The excise pause will deliver less than 1c per pint of amber fluid. It will not have any meaningful impact on the cost and/or price of draught beer, and it's only on draught beer at the tap. It doesn't apply to microbrewers or retailed packaged beer. The reality is that this bill fails to address the Albanese Labor government's cost-of-living crisis and ignores the deeper issues with the alcohol excise system. What they haven't said is that this hidden tax has gone up every six months for the last 35 years—something like 85 times—and they are not going to look into this whole alcohol excise issue. Another point is that this intention was announced during the election and was meant to be applied in time for the excise increase on 1 August, but we're only getting to the bill now. Why the hold-up, and why just a pause on tap draught beer? Why not packaged beer, tap spirits and the like? And why not pause the excise on wine or cider or any other alcohol products? Let me tell you why. This measure is worth just $90 million over the forward estimates, which is co…
date: 2025-11-25T17:11:00+00:00

Forestry Industry | Adjournment | House debates
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description: Agriculture, mining and forestry are the three industries that help build Australia and Australian prosperity. They have a special place in our history and future—that is, if governments...
encoded: Agriculture, mining and forestry are the three industries that help build Australia and Australian prosperity. They have a special place in our history and future—that is, if governments can be kept away from regulatory meddling and, worse, using them as sources of votes. The worst lamentable example is forestry. Native hardwood timber supplies our housing, infrastructure, construction, transport and manufacturing sectors. Timber is a product we need, and it's an industry we need to look after. Its people are experienced professionals who understand the science behind healthy and sustainable resource ecosystems and work in a highly regulated and scrutinised industry. Governments of all persuasions need to rethink their orthodoxy and instead reflect on the reality of forestry, not the ideology of those opposed to it. Take, for example, the announcement by New South Wales premier Chris Minns on Sunday 7 September—yes, Father's Day—to create a great koala national park out of 176,000 hectares of state forest on the New South Wales north coast. That was a day when dads who work in the north coast timber industry were told that their jobs were in jeopardy. What a low blow. Government should be looking to grow jobs and industries, not cancel them. When trees grow and are harvested, they grow jobs, careers, communities, industries, housing and infrastructure and provide real carbon solutions. As trees grow, particularly younger trees, they absorb and lock away carbon and, after the harvesting and processing, store carbon away in the array of timber products. The cycle is then repeated with regeneration. This is climate action in action. The New South Wales Labor premier and his ministers are tearing up timber mill contracts, and workers are losing jobs as a result. In my own electorate, workers have lost jobs at the Herons Creek timber mill. I went to the mill last week and spoke to the workers who'd just been sacked. They were gutted, destroyed, bewildered. These were goo…
date: 2025-11-24T19:40:00+00:00

g122.8
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: Cooplacurripa.
encoded: Cooplacurripa.
date: 2025-11-05T17:37:00+00:00

Royal Flying Doctor Service | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: To lower the temperature in this place, I want to recognise that today we launched the Parliamentary Friends of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I want to thank my colleague the member for Sturt...
encoded: To lower the temperature in this place, I want to recognise that today we launched the Parliamentary Friends of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I want to thank my colleague the member for Sturt for her leadership and for approaching me to be co-chair with her. We did coordinate very well today, I think, in wearing our blue suits. The RFDS is such an incredible service that regional and remote Australia has. At today's launch I noted that this time last year I was recovering from a very serious ride-on mower accident. I broke 14 ribs. I had a compressed lung. But I was only 20 minutes from a hospital. So many Australians are hours—thousands of kilometres—away. Who do they rely on? The Royal Flying Doctor Service. I also mentioned the story of a young mother who went into labour. If it wasn't for the RFDS, that child, Indi, would not be with us today. I just want to say what a wonderful launch event it was—the best event we've ever had at Parliament House was what the RFDS delivered today—and to thank you all for the service that you give to regional Australians. May you prosper and support Australians for many, many decades to come. Thank you.
date: 2025-11-05T13:57:00+00:00

Banking and Financial Services | Grievance Debate | House debates
type: item
description: I rise in solidarity with my electorate to speak out against the increasing push to move Australians towards a digital ID and a cashless society. As I've mentioned on a number of occasions in...
encoded: I rise in solidarity with my electorate to speak out against the increasing push to move Australians towards a digital ID and a cashless society. As I've mentioned on a number of occasions in this chamber, the Lyne electorate is the oldest demographic in the country. Thus, the negative implications of the societal push to adopt these new systems is, understandably, greatly felt and greatly feared within Lyne. Cash has long been deemed king, but that status is quickly being usurped by card and digital payments driven by technological advancements, the COVID-19 pandemic and so-called convenience. The big banks, corporate Australia and government are among some of the greatest proponents of a cashless society and are rapidly driving the transition, but in doing so they are recklessly leaving behind a large portion of the population. Card and digital payments are not necessarily convenient nor accessible to an electorate with a high proportion of older Australians and a network and grid that is becoming increasingly unreliable. Power outages are a common occurrence in parts of the electorate. I know that Nabiac and Minimbah often experience blackouts when the winds pick up. In Harrington and other coastal towns whose populations double or triple during holiday seasons, it's often impossible for businesses to use their squares because the mobile bandwidth is stretched to capacity. When this occurs, all cashless options are rendered completely useless. In these instances, cash well and truly is king. Indeed, it is the only option to ensure business can continue to operate, and ensure consumers can still purchase food, fuel and medicine. And what about in emergency situations? Vast swathes of my electorate was submerged during the catastrophic flooding in May this year. Digital payments were simply not a possibility. Lou from my electorate notes: 'We've been subject to many natural disasters—flood, storms and drought—where it has been essential to purchase fuel to operate …
date: 2025-11-04T12:57:00+00:00

Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Investment in Medicare is always welcome. I'm hopeful that the additional bulk-billing incentive payments will directly benefit Lyne constituents, who have seen a serious decline in bulk billing...
encoded: Investment in Medicare is always welcome. I'm hopeful that the additional bulk-billing incentive payments will directly benefit Lyne constituents, who have seen a serious decline in bulk billing availability in the last four years. I look forward to hearing from Lyne locals that it has hit the ground. But praise has not been universal. General practice clinics and owners are already disclosing publicly that they will not be signing up to the incentives. Why? Firstly, signing up to the program is prohibitively time consuming and complex, and most GPs and practice managers—certainly in regional Australia—are already incredibly busy and do not have the time to do the paperwork. Secondly, the incentives are not sufficient to offset the soaring operational costs of running a clinic under Labor's skyrocketing energy prices. To enable 100 per cent bulk billing, many GPs insist that, if they were to take part in the program, their practice would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, which would ultimately jeopardise the viability of keeping the practice open. I want constituents to have access to no-appointment-necessary bulk-billed after-hours care. An urgent care clinic in Taree would complement a state funded one, the Forster-Tuncurry health facility that my state colleague, the member for Myall Lakes, has successfully obtained funding for, after the Minns government axed funding for a public hospital. The mover of this motion, the member for Deakin, references a number of other policies that the government has undertaken to strengthen Medicare, including opening 90 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across the country, with 47 more on the way. One would think this would be good news for my electorate. Lyne is, after all, the oldest electorate and one of the poorest in the country, so surely it should be on the list to receive a federally funded urgent care clinic. Well, it's not. Surely, it is one of the 47 that is on the list to be delivered down the track. Well, it'…
date: 2025-11-03T17:41:00+00:00

Energy | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Labor's net zero mandate is failing Australians. Electricity prices are up 39 per cent, gas prices up 46 per cent, real wages have dropped to 2011 levels and manufacturing is retreating or...
encoded: Labor's net zero mandate is failing Australians. Electricity prices are up 39 per cent, gas prices up 46 per cent, real wages have dropped to 2011 levels and manufacturing is retreating or seeking bailouts to survive. Over 7,000 direct jobs in heavy industry have been lost since 2020 and 73,000 more are at risk, like those at Tomago. Meanwhile, there are thousands of wind turbines, millions of solar panels and kilometres of new transmission lines popping up all over rural and forested landscapes. We've lost 7.2 million hectares of farmland as our farmers and rural industries are made to do the heavy lifting. Australia has cut emissions by 24 per cent since 2005, yet like countries have cut them by only 14 per cent. The cost of Labor's reckless renewables rollout is at least $1.32 trillion, a cost we each bear. And all this is for a contribution to global emissions of just one per cent. Our energy system can be cheaper, better and fairer. We can put Australians first by putting lower energy prices first. We can do this by unleashing all of our energy sources, including coal, gas, nuclear and renewables, and using technology to abate carbon. We can take practical action our way to protect and enhance the environment.
date: 2025-11-03T16:15:00+00:00

Aged Care | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Aged care is a big concern in the electorate of Lyne given its demographics. One of the greatest challenges is staffing and the difficulty providers face in trying to find aged-care workers. I've...
encoded: Aged care is a big concern in the electorate of Lyne given its demographics. One of the greatest challenges is staffing and the difficulty providers face in trying to find aged-care workers. I've been contacted by several aged-care facility managers in my electorate, stating that their situation, with respect to staffing, workers and viability, is dire. They've said to me that there is a chronic shortage of both registered nurses and aged-care workers in aged care, which has been exacerbated by the mandated care-minute requirements. I'm told that aged-care facilities have beds that are closed because they can't staff them and therefore can't open them and that there was a mass exodus of qualified, highly knowledgeable and experienced aged-care staff due to the COVID vaccine requirements. But there's also the NDIS, which is a massive competitor. Staff can work fewer hours, do dayshifts or work one on one in the NDIS with similar or at times higher pay than staff in aged-care facilities. An aged-care facility in my electorate told me that, to address the shortage, the vast majority of workers will have to come from overseas. The government has mandated care minute targets, which is fine, but the government has done nothing on the other side to support aged-care providers in expediting the approval of visas for overseas care workers. To the contrary, the waiting time for the processing of a 407 training visa has blown out from two to three months to 10 months plus. I checked the Home Affairs website today. The figure has blown out even further, with 50 per cent of applications processed in nine months but 90 per cent, the overwhelming majority, processed in 11 months. This is neither a reasonable nor acceptable timeframe. When I wrote to the government, to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the response I got was that a 10-month timeframe—which has now blown out to 11 months—was normal. This is an insensitive and uncaring response from a minister who seems t…
date: 2025-11-03T11:28:00+00:00

Lyne Electorate: Telstra | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to condemn the actions of Telstra, which has announced that it will shut the doors of its Taree store on Monday 10 November—as if the Taree community hasn't already been through...
encoded: I rise to condemn the actions of Telstra, which has announced that it will shut the doors of its Taree store on Monday 10 November—as if the Taree community hasn't already been through enough! In Telstra's eyes, catastrophic floods that've left people without their homes and livelihoods weren't enough of a kick in the guts. Telstra's decision doubles down on a community already doing it tough, withdrawing a vital service that hundreds of paying customers desperately rely on. Why are they doing this? I was advised that the decision was made following an internal review of its retail store strategy, which sounds a lot like yet another attempt to shore up the bottom line. Telstra has tried to justify this move by saying that the Port Macquarie and Forster stores will remain open and that customers can continue to access support through online services, the My Telstra app or contact centres. Let's be real, Telstra: these are dismal attempts to replace face-to-face contact, particularly for a community that is the oldest in the country. Most people who seek assistance from in-store staff are there because they need face-to-face service, not an online bot or someone sitting in an overseas call centre that they struggle to understand. Louise, from my electorate, said that Telstra was unable to resolve her mobile issue over the phone. She was directed to the Taree store, where she received incredible assistance from a young man named Joshua, who, after significant efforts, was able to rectify the issue. By Telstra's own admission, the issue could only be resolved face to face. So why are they taking away this option for the people of the Manning Valley? They expect customers like Louise to travel to the already very busy stores of Forster and Port Macquarie, which are at least 40 minutes to an hour away. And how long will it be before these locations follow suit and close their doors? If Telstra is anything like the big banks, which it is increasingly proving itself to be, …
date: 2025-10-30T09:59:00+00:00

Artificial Intelligence | Private Members' Business | House debates
type: item
description: Artificial intelligence is well and truly here. It's reshaping the world we live in, but Australians are worried. People in my electorate are worried. Trust in AI is low. With all due respect to...
encoded: Artificial intelligence is well and truly here. It's reshaping the world we live in, but Australians are worried. People in my electorate are worried. Trust in AI is low. With all due respect to the mover of this motion in lauding how the Albanese government is preparing the community and business and government officials to utilise and take advantage of AI, the Albanese government has not stepped up to protect vulnerable people and our institutions from its use. It's being happily used in health care, finance, defence, logistics, construction, retail and government, but the crims, the con artists and the foreign actors have it too. And big tech isn't necessarily playing with a straight bat either. I'm pleased to note the government's decision to enshrine crucial copyright protections for musicians, writers, journalists and artists, which were threatened by big tech and their AI systems. I'd particularly like to acknowledge and thank Holly Rankin from my electorate, known to many as ARIA Award nominated Jack River, for her advocacy and leadership on this issue. In researching this topic, I came across numerous detailed papers and submissions to parliamentary inquiries published by Good Ancestors, a forward-thinking charity organisation which believes that AI is not just another technology but one that could change almost every aspect of our lives. It proposes some sensible reforms to address AI harm, including the introduction of an AI act and the launch of an AI safety institute. In its submission to a New South Wales upper house inquiry, it noted that there are numerous threats and recommended that government should list and restrict toxic AI products, like undress AIs, unpredictable AIs, autonomous AIs and rogue AIs. It also suggested AI developers should be liable if their AIs engage in harmful, unpredicted behaviours. For example, AI technology has not just advised but instructed people on how to commit suicide. This is surely one example where an Australian de…
date: 2025-10-27T17:41:00+00:00

Albanese Government | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: What about Taree? What has this government got against Taree, against the Lyne electorate and against regional Australia? As a new MP, I had hoped that the PM would live up to the comments he...
encoded: What about Taree? What has this government got against Taree, against the Lyne electorate and against regional Australia? As a new MP, I had hoped that the PM would live up to the comments he made on 3 May. He said: This is a time of profound opportunity for our nation. We have everything we need to seize this moment and make it our own. And we must do it together, all of us. Because for Australia to realise our full potential, for our nation to be its very best, every Australian must have the opportunity to be their best. To serve our Australian values—we must value every Australian and Labor will govern for every Australian. Well, let me tell you, this government, after just four months, is not governing for all Australians. Regional communities like mine are being left behind. I think the reception the Prime Minister received at the recent bush summit exemplifies the divide in this country and the feeling of being forgotten by this government. It's already clear that this government is playing favourites, and I've been around long enough to sniff a whiteboard in the air from that side. The Prime Minister's favouritism for his city-centric base and this government's neglect of the regions and regional Australia can be seen in my electorate in a myriad of ways. I know I've been in trouble this week in question time for being a bit too exuberant in my interjections. I do respect the fact that members should be heard in silence, but it's too much to expect me to sit silent while this government has gloated about policies that are hurting my electorate. During the election I called for an urgent care clinic in Taree. It's a policy and an initiative that will benefit my electorate. I'm here for outcomes, and that's why I support it. Bulk-billing rates in my electorate have fallen by 10 per cent in the last four years. It's only getting tougher to see a GP, and Manning base hospital gets slammed as a result. The question is: how many of the government's 137 urgent care …
date: 2025-09-04T15:56:00+00:00

Child Abuse | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: PENFOLD () (): Today I call on this place to ensure that convicted paedophiles pay the price for their abuse. Today I call on this place to back amendments to the Bankruptcy Act to prevent...
encoded: PENFOLD () (): Today I call on this place to ensure that convicted paedophiles pay the price for their abuse. Today I call on this place to back amendments to the Bankruptcy Act to prevent convicted paedophiles and other serious criminals from escaping justice by avoiding civil judgement debts through declaring bankruptcy. This issue has been brought to my attention by a constituent, Mrs Carolyn Kelly, the grandmother of Edan van Haren. Edan was a victim of Maurice Van Ryn, who was sentenced to imprisonment in 2019 in relation to child sexual abuse offences against Mr van Haren and other children. Mr van Haren, in a civil judgement, was awarded a debt of $1.4 million by the New South Wales Supreme Court in July 2023. But Van Ryn, a corporate accountant, hid his money and later declared bankruptcy. Unless the act is amended, Mr Van Ryn will escape his debt. I am advised that child support debts awarded by family courts are not extinguished by bankruptcy. This principle needs to be extended to judgement debts for serious criminal offences, including child sexual abuse. It's a simple amendment to section 153 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966. I've written to the government, the minister, the Treasurer and the Attorney-General, requesting their support and action, and asked that the amendment be known as Edan's law to recognise Edan's— (Time expired)
date: 2025-09-04T13:30:00+00:00

Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: The Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 makes changes to the Telecommunications Act to strengthen consumer safeguards, something we should all agree is a top...
encoded: The Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 makes changes to the Telecommunications Act to strengthen consumer safeguards, something we should all agree is a top priority. The bill will create a register of carriage service providers, enable the direct enforcement of industry codes, amend the existing two-step process for the application of penalty amounts for infringement notices, and increase the maximum penalty amount for breaches of the codes from $250,000 to $10 million. Full visibility of all telecommunications operators will also ensure ACMA can target compliance and enforcement activities and, where necessary, take appropriate action. The changes in this bill will strengthen ACMA's powers and the speed at which they can use them, to provide even greater protections for consumers and ensure we have responsible operators in our telecommunications sector. This is an important step towards holding the telcos to account to industry standards, but I think what is missing from this legislation is a consideration of the standards themselves. As they currently stand, the bar is too low. We need to reassess the universal service obligation. The USO is the obligation for Telstra to ensure that standard telephone services are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia on an equitable basis, wherever they reside or carry on business, and to ensure that payphones are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia on an equitable basis, wherever they reside or carry on business. Rather than being maintained or improved, the quality of landline phone infrastructure is noticeably deteriorating, especially in rural areas of the electorate. In times of emergency, the consequence can be life threatening. Not only is Telstra failing in its universal service obligation of providing reasonable standard telephone services via landline phone connection, but it is also failing to provide a reliable and cost-effective alternative. Many people are…
date: 2025-09-04T12:44:00+00:00

Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026, Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I rise tonight to speak on probably the most important issue for Lyne residents, certainly the one that is raised with me every day, and that is the state of roads right across the Lyne...
encoded: I rise tonight to speak on probably the most important issue for Lyne residents, certainly the one that is raised with me every day, and that is the state of roads right across the Lyne electorate. When I'm at mobile offices it is always an issue that comes up, and that was before we faced those terrible, catastrophic floods in May this year. The roads across the Lyne electorate were already in a pretty bad condition, but the floodwaters have made those roads significantly worse. It is a real challenge for all of my constituents to deal with the roads in the condition that they are in. MidCoast Council certainly copped the most impact from the floods. They have recently completed an impact assessment on the event, and I read this very detailed document about the damage to the transport network in the MidCoast Council area, which is certainly the largest LGA in the Lyne electorate: the Pacific Highway, the region's major logistics route, was flooded and closed for five days; 2985 new road defects have been identified, with a further 376 existing issues worsened; 450-plus bridges are affected and undergoing engineering assessments; two bridges require full replacement at an estimated cost of $60 million, and seven additional bridges require major repairs; there have been 23 landslips, each estimated to cost $3 million to $5 million to repair; $258 million is required for immediate transport infrastructure repairs, and $265 million estimated for resilience and betterment works to prevent future disaster related damage. I have seen both the two bridges that have been completely destroyed, the Bight and Tyrone bridges. It is unbelievable to see structures—particularly the Bight bridge, which was a significant bridge structure—left in pieces, with pieces washed down the river taking out the amenities block at Wingham Brush. Basically it has divided the town. From the same report, some of the impacts that have been noted are students needing to change schools as a result o…
date: 2025-09-03T19:14:00+00:00