Leon Rebello's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
I always love going back to my electorate after coming to Canberra, although I do really appreciate and relish the opportunity that I've been given to represent, in this place, the people of...
I always love going back to my electorate after coming to Canberra, although I do really appreciate and relish the opportunity that I've been given to represent, in this place, the people of McPherson. But this time I'll be going back to McPherson with some bad news, and it's bad news in relation to the state of our economy. As we're all aware, we've seen a yet another—the 13th—interest rate rise in Australia. It's well known and well documented that we're going through a housing crisis, and I have the opportunity every now and then to speak to many people, especially young people, across my electorate who are struggling to get into their first home. But I also have the ability at times to speak to people who have managed to get into their first home, and now they're presented with an increase to their repayments and with yet another barrier to real wage growth as well. What we're seeing by this Labor government is no real growth strategy. Consistent with Labor ideology, we're seeing the constant redistribution of what we already have. As somebody who represents the next generation, I think we need to set our sights higher. Not only that, we need to make sure that this government takes responsibility for where it hasn't been able to achieve what is required by the Australian people. Let's look at the state of this economy. We're looking at inflation rates at the moment, and inflation in this country sits at 3.8 per cent, which is significantly above the target range of two to three per cent. We've seen the Assistant Treasurer, Daniel Mulino, recently say that it's actually a global phenomenon at the moment. Well, if you actually look at where Australia sits, Australia and the UK are now the only two countries in the developed world where inflation sits above three per cent. So it is 0.8 percentage points above the upper range of where it should be in Australia. And not only that, but we all saw the commentary by economists in the lead-up to the rate rise on Tuesday. It was predicted, and it was predicted because of what we've seen in this country from this government. It's the reckless spending that has continued under Labor. We've seen the budget continue to blow out. Before this Labor government, the previous biggest budget blowout in spending was $10 billion, but now we're seeing a budget blowout that is more than five times that. I've sat in question time time and time again, and I've seen the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, talking about how he's using your money, which you provide as taxpayers, to subsidise the installation of home batteries. The program was originally costed at $2.3 billion, but it's now blown out to $12.3 billion in just six months. That's a blow-out of over $10 billion. You cannot trust this Labor government to spend your money wisely. They're also using your money to subsidise the electric vehicle preferences of some. Originally, that was estimated to cost $90 million this financial year, but it's now coming in at a cost of around $1.35 billion, yet another example of how you can't trust this Labor government to spend your money wisely. The bottom line is that all of this government spending is keeping our interest rates and our inflation at the highest levels in the developed world, and that has real, tangible consequences. I see those, and I'm sure my colleagues across the board here see those when they go back to their electorates and they're presented with the problems that our constituents face on a daily basis. We must hold this Labor government to account, because the reason that we are in the situation that we are in and that this economy is in the situation it's in is that we've got a government that is not prepared to act within the necessary fiscal guardrails that are required to manage inflation and manage reckless spending. I say this: as a country, we need to think seriously, and I urge this government to think seriously about the legacy that it is leaving and the debt burden that it is leaving for the next generation, because, if we're not putting that front and centre of our considerations in this place, something is clearly wrong.
Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
I'm rising to speak on today's condolence motion in relation to the passing of Luch Jonceski. Like many in this chamber, we've had the opportunity to know Luch through our work in this place, but...
I'm rising to speak on today's condolence motion in relation to the passing of Luch Jonceski. Like many in this chamber, we've had the opportunity to know Luch through our work in this place, but I'm probably one of the only elected officials who can say that they shared the chamber with him as a fellow attendant. I met Luch just over 12 years ago when I started in the building as an attendant. I was paired up with Luch in question time on the government side—Luch was always insistent on being on the government side, whoever was in government at the time—and it was a great opportunity for me not only to get to know the work and the parliament but to get to know Luch. When I was in the chamber yesterday and we had the opportunity to recognise Luch's contribution—and to do so in front of not only the public but, most importantly, his family—I was thinking about Luch and how he would have absolutely loved that, because he very much felt at home in the building, and I think all of us felt at home in the building because he was there. For those who didn't have the opportunity to know him, Luch was the longest serving House of Representatives employee. His service went not only across the lifespan of this building but into the lifespan of Old Parliament House. In fact, I understand that he was involved in the construction of this place as well. Luch understood service. He understood the importance of this place as being significant, and he understood the value of it in our great democracy. For him to be acknowledged in this way following his passing is, I think, a testament not only to him but to our country, because our country is here and our parliament is here to serve those who go about their lives in the way people like Luch did. He had quite an incredible story. When I joined as an attendant, I was in my first year of being an attendant while Luch's daughter Jess was in her second year, so I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Jess. I just say, my thoughts really go out to Jess, to Luch's other daughter, Rebecca, to his son, Joshua, and of course to his wife Mary and extended family as well. Luch will definitely be missed in this place. As someone who had the opportunity to sit next to him in countless question times, I'll always remember the inside jokes. He taught me a few words of Macedonian, and he knew every single room and every single story behind every single room in this place as well. Rest in peace, Luch. You will be missed by the parliament, and we had the absolute privilege of spending time with you.
Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
This is consistent with what we're seeing from ministers in this government. We've also seen the Treasurer ditch his responsibility to admit to the Australian people that he should be taking...
This is consistent with what we're seeing from ministers in this government. We've also seen the Treasurer ditch his responsibility to admit to the Australian people that he should be taking responsibility for this most recent interest rate rise. Labor have presided over the biggest collapse in living standards in the developed world. This government's inability to rein in its spending means that, now, Australian families and Australian small businesses have to. The government know that their spending was directly impacting inflation, but they don't care. This is not a global trend, because, while other countries are seeing inflation return to pre-COVID levels, we are the outlier. And we've seen, as I've said, the 13th rate rise under this government. The member for Casey mentioned that the first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging that there is one, and that is what we are calling for today as the opposition. This government needs to sit up and acknowledge that it is the problem. Its reckless spending over the last 3½ years has contributed to the situation that we're in. I think that we in this place should be subject to the same levels of fiscal constraint that we expect of the people we govern. If this place can't do that and if this government can't do that, then we are disrespecting the people who have put us here. We're disrespecting the small businesses and disrespecting our constituents. This government should be stronger and better than that, because Australians deserve better and the people in my electorate of McPherson deserve better. When I go and speak to small businesses across McPherson on the southern Gold Coast, they tell me about the real effects they are feeling of the decisions that are being made in this place. They're telling me about the increases in what they're spending to lease their venues. They're talking to me about the difficulties that they've got in the industrial relations space. They're talking to me about the impacts of interest rates on their family homes. These are real and genuine concerns. For those opposite to just sit there and call things out, not take note and listen, is disrespectful. This is all because Labor can't show budget restraint. Those opposite may not share the values that we do, but what they should do is take into account where they are sending this country and where they are sending the people in this country. They need to stand up for them—for small businesses—rein in expenditure and get this economy back under control.
I thank the shadow minister for small business for putting forward this MPI, because it's not only giving me an opportunity to voice the concerns of the thousands of small businesses across my...
I thank the shadow minister for small business for putting forward this MPI, because it's not only giving me an opportunity to voice the concerns of the thousands of small businesses across my electorate of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast but it has also given this chamber and the Australian people an insight into the arrogance of the Minister for Small Business and, in doing so, an insight into the arrogance of this Albanese Labor government. The member for Bonner has just given us all these reasons for why we should end this MPI and, in effect, congratulate Labor. She started talking about the things that Labor has supposedly delivered. Well, what have Labor delivered? They've delivered 13 interest rate rises, they've delivered the highest government spending outside a recession in the last 40 years, they've delivered the sharpest fall in living standards across the developed world, and they've delivered budget blowouts left, right and centre. This is the record of this government, and it's affecting small businesses in my electorate of McPherson and across the country. If you actually look at what this minister said—and this goes back to the arrogance—her interjections, when the shadow minister for small business was raising legitimate concerns felt by small businesses across this country, went to the fact of 'if you're a small business that's going out of business, it's probably because you're dodgy'. That is absolute contempt for small businesses in this country, and it's consistent with—
Reedy Creek Quarry Project | Statements by Members | House debates
I rise today to speak directly to the people of Reedy Creek, Tallebudgera, Burleigh and surrounding suburbs, and to make sure your voices are heard loud and clear in the federal parliament. Many...
I rise today to speak directly to the people of Reedy Creek, Tallebudgera, Burleigh and surrounding suburbs, and to make sure your voices are heard loud and clear in the federal parliament. Many of you have contacted me sharing deep concerns about a new proposal for a major quarry to be built in Reedy Creek, adjacent to homes, schools and our natural environment. I share your concerns and I stand with you. This is not a new battle; our community fought this once before and won. A previous quarry proposal was refused by the City of Gold Coast, and that decision was upheld by the Planning and Environment Court in 2017. Now history is repeating itself. Another quarry application has been lodged with the council, and right now your voice matters most. Please join me in making it clear where you stand and make a submission before Monday 9 February. These submissions matter. They will make your views unmistakeably clear and give council the confidence to do what they did last time and reject this proposal. I share your concerns about heavy truck movements through residential streets, noise, dust, health impacts, environmental damage and the long-term loss of amenity. A quarry does not belong beside homes, schools or wildlife corridors. It's quite simply the right project in the wrong location, and we must ensure that council says no again.
Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
Like 9/11, we all remember where we were on 14 December last year. For me, I was at a Gold Coast Hanukkah celebration at the exact same time that the Bondi attack went down. It was a really good...
Like 9/11, we all remember where we were on 14 December last year. For me, I was at a Gold Coast Hanukkah celebration at the exact same time that the Bondi attack went down. It was a really good opportunity to have the Jewish community on the Gold Coast come together for what was supposed to be a very joyful, positive, light filled celebration. Halfway through the ceremony, I was tapped on the shoulder and informed about the tragedy that was unfolding in Sydney. I looked around at the families, at the kids, the parents, the grandparents and the beautiful Jewish community that we have on the Gold Coast. It hit me that what unfolded in Sydney could well and truly have been something that unfolded in that crowd. I've been speaking about the rise of antisemitism in this country since I entered the parliament mid-last year. It's something that has to be stamped out, and it's something that as a country we should have taken a tougher stand against. It's something that the Jewish community has long been calling for us to do. What happened in Bondi—let's be clear—was the result of two things: antisemitism and radical Islam. These were the root causes. Hatred and extremism have no place in Australia, and, from day one, we as the coalition said that we would work constructively with the government to address this. Instead what we saw was that the government delayed parliament, resisted calls for a royal commission and produced what was unfit legislation that not only failed to address those root causes that I've spoken about but also severely threatened free speech. Over the last couple of weeks, I've spoken to many people in my electorate—and I've received countless pieces of correspondence from them—who expressed those concerns. They're very real concerns that we in the coalition listen to. The former bill, as I said, was so unfit for purpose that even the government conceded failure. They scrapped their racial vilification laws and have left the coalition to clean up the wreckage. This new bill which is before us now creates new and tougher penalties for crimes motivated by antisemitism and radical Islamic extremism, and it supports tougher action on radical Islamic extremists in positions of influence, specifically targeting those who radicalise or recruit people towards violent or extremist conduct. It also establishes a prohibited extremist group listing regime. Radical Islamic extremist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir have long operated as conveyor belts to extremism, and internationally they're banned or restricted. In Australia they've operated without consequence and have fuelled antisemitism. This new bill expands the Migration Act to allow visa refusal or cancellation for spreading hatred and extremism, including for involvement in hate-crime conduct, hateful public statements or links to terrorist prohibited hate groups, and this includes those who glorify violence, fuel antisemitism and radicalise individuals. It's in our national interest that the laws relating to cancellation and refusal of visas be strengthened to ensure that the Australian government of the day has the powers to protect the Australian people. The amendments proposed are reasonable and proportionate by the coalition, and they will enhance the ability of the government to cancel the visas of those who engage in antisemitic rhetoric, Islamic extremism—which is the extremism underpinning Islamic State and other terrorist organisations—and other extremist ideologies which pose a risk of harm to the Australian people. This is not about politics; it's about community safety, confidence in the rule of law, standing with Jewish Australians and confronting Islamic extremism honestly and directly. Australians expect their parliament to name the problem and tackle it properly, and I'm confident that we can do that today.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
I rise today with a heavy heart to speak to this condolence motion following the horrific attack at Bondi Beach. Like the Gold Coast, Bondi is a symbol of who we are as Australians: open skies,...
I rise today with a heavy heart to speak to this condolence motion following the horrific attack at Bondi Beach. Like the Gold Coast, Bondi is a symbol of who we are as Australians: open skies, golden beaches, families coming together, surfers watching the sets roll in, visitors from every corner of the world, sharing an unspoken understanding that this is a country of freedom and safety. That sense of ease and innocence was shattered. What happened at Bondi shocked us not only because of the lives lost and the lives forever changed but also because it struck somewhere deeply familiar. Those scenes could have been Coolangatta, or Burleigh, or anywhere along the coastline that I represent in McPherson. My heart breaks for Bondi. This is not the Australia we know. This is not the Australia that we have built together. Among those murdered was Alexander Kleytman, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. He survived the Nazis, and yet in the country he believed would keep him safe he was murdered for being Jewish. My deepest condolences go to the families and loved ones of those who were killed. No words spoken in this chamber can ease the grief that you carry, but know that the nation grieves with you and that we honour the lives that were taken far too soon. We have a responsibility in this place to speak honestly about why this happened. This attack was not random; it was an act of antisemitic terrorism driven by a radical Islamist ideology that rejects our values, dehumanises Jewish people and glorifies violence. I have walked the grounds of Auschwitz and Dachau. I have stood where hatred was systematised, where ideology stripped people of their humanity and turned neighbours into targets. Those places remind us that antisemitism is not a disagreement or a grievance; it's a lethal ideology. When tolerated, minimised or excused, it does not fade—it grows. Antisemitism has been growing in Australia. We have seen it on our streets, on our campuses, online and in protests where hatred is dressed up as activism. We have seen Jewish schools targeted, synagogues vandalised and families made to feel afraid in the country they call home. We have heard chants that should never be heard in Australia, and too often we have seen hesitation where there should have been moral clarity. When hatred is left unchallenged it creates the conditions in which violence becomes possible. Fifteen lives were ended as a consequence of that failure. Australians are, rightly, asking how this happened and how we ensure it never happens again. We must stand unapologetically for the values that define us. Freedom of religion, equality before the law, mutual respect and the absolute rejection of political and religious violence. We must call out antisemitism for what it is, every time it appears, no matter who it comes from or how it is supposedly justified. We must confront radicalisation wherever it takes hold, with strong laws, effective security, proper resourcing for intelligence and law enforcement and the courage to say that some ideologies are fundamentally incompatible with the Australian way of life. Australia has always been a nation of immigration, but it has never been a nation without standards. If you want to build a life here, you must leave imported hatreds at the door and commit to the non-negotiables that bind us together as Australians. From the Gold Coast to Bondi, Australians to live without fear. They want their children to go to the beach, to school or even to synagogue knowing they are safe. This condolence motion is not only about mourning the dead; it is about defending the living in the name of those who paid the ultimate price. It's about deciding the kind of country we will be. I refuse to accept an Australia where Jewish Australians feel unsafe, where hatred is normalised or where extremism is something we are powerless to confront. This is not the Australia I know and, with resolve, honesty and courage, it never will be. May the memory of those we lost at Bondi be a blessing—and may it strengthen our determination, in this place, to protect the Australia we love.
McPherson Electorate: Community Events | Constituency Statements | House debates
Over the past few weeks, I've had the privilege of engaging with a wide range of groups across our wonderful southern Gold Coast community, each highlighting the strength, diversity and spirit...
Over the past few weeks, I've had the privilege of engaging with a wide range of groups across our wonderful southern Gold Coast community, each highlighting the strength, diversity and spirit that make our region so special. I recently had the pleasure of attending and presenting at one of the regular afternoon tea meetings hosted by Gold Coast Retirees Inc. This association plays a vital role in keeping our retirees connected, informed and engaged, and I thank the president, Mark Morrell, for his commitment to this initiative. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak with members about the issues that matter most to them and to acknowledge the invaluable contribution that they make to our community. Another highlight this month was joining the 90th birthday celebrations at Tricare in Clear Island Waters. It was an absolute joy to celebrate with residents—including Imelda, Jill and Ann, who each turned 90—as they marked this incredible milestone. Moments like these remind us of the importance of community, connection and celebrating the lives and stories of those who helped shape the Gold Coast that we enjoy today. I also had the opportunity to host the Mudgeeraba Chamber of Commerce for an afternoon of discussion and collaboration at my office. Our small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and hearing directly from business owners about their challenges and their successes is essential in being able to best support them. Special thanks must go to the president, John Kennedy, his executive and all members who attended and continue to advocate for the needs of small businesses across our community. I recently welcomed the Australian Political Exchange Council's 37th delegation from the United States, giving them a glimpse of the very best the Gold Coast has to offer. The delegation included state legislators, mayors, senior government officials and policy leaders from across the United States. It was an honour to showcase our community, to exchange ideas and to strengthen the ties between our two nations. Finally, I had a wonderful visit to Arcadia College in Robina, where I joined a group of students and taught a civics class a bit about how to work as part of a team in federal parliament. I also discussed the role of a federal member of parliament and how the different levels of government work. Encouraging young people to participate in our democracy is something I'm deeply passionate about, and their curiosity and enthusiasm were truly inspiring. I'd like to also thank Arcadia's dedicated teaching staff, who have been shepherding students through their lessons on government and civics. Each of these moments reflect what I love most about representing the Gold Coast: the opportunity to connect with people, to listen and to play a part in strengthening our community. Thank you to everyone I've met in recent months. You continue to inspire me, and I'm proud to serve you.
McPherson Electorate: Future Leaders Award | Statements by Members | House debates
As the 2025 school year draws to a close, I would like to congratulate all the year 12 students who have completed their high school journey. I wish each of you the very best for your exciting...
As the 2025 school year draws to a close, I would like to congratulate all the year 12 students who have completed their high school journey. I wish each of you the very best for your exciting new chapters. It was an honour to join our local schools in celebrating the year's achievements and to present my Future Leaders Award to acknowledge an outstanding year 12 student from each school. These young leaders demonstrate initiative, integrity and a genuine commitment to making a difference. I'd like to place on record the recipients so far: Alasdair McCall from Hillcrest Christian College; Georgiana Georghiou from Silkwood School; Lyric Wilkinson and Sophie Spaull from Mudgeeraba Special School; Ella Henderson from Hillcrest Christian College virtual learning; Isaac Elmore, Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School; Claire Robertson, Robina State High School; Talissa Bellette, Elanora State High School; William Davis, Varsity College; Ayla Geralds, Somerset College; Saskia Birner, All Saints Anglican School; Jackson Fietz, Arcadia College; Sophie Fraser, Gold Coast Christian College; Ava Le Cornu, the BUSY School; Heath McLachlan, St Andrews Lutheran College; and Isabella Anderson from the Industry School For our primary- and middle-school students, I was very pleased to present my Spirit and Service Award, recognising one young person from each school who looks out for others. I congratulate each and every one of those students. To every student across the southern Gold Coast: congratulations and well done.
Australians deserve affordable energy and responsible emissions reduction, and the coalition believe we can do both, but affordability must come first. This is what families and businesses in my...
Australians deserve affordable energy and responsible emissions reduction, and the coalition believe we can do both, but affordability must come first. This is what families and businesses in my community tell me every day. They're desperate for a government that understands the pressures that they are facing, but, instead of relief, Labor has delivered an energy system that is failing. Prices are soaring, and the targets are pure fantasy. Labor promised cheaper power—a $275 cut to your bill, I remember. Instead, under this prime minister, the average household is paying around $1,300 more. Energy prices have risen by almost 40 per cent. Factories are closing. Business insolvencies are at record highs. Investment is stalling, and emissions haven't moved an inch since the coalition left office. Labor talk tough on climate, but their results say everything. Australia's emissions remain at 28 per cent below 2005 levels, exactly where they were the day the coalition left office. In other words, Labor's emissions reduction has flatlined—all pain and no progress. Yet they continue to insist that their targets—physically unattainable, economically reckless and never properly costed—are the only way forward, and they want Australians to bankroll this failure, even as cost-of-living pressures bite harder than ever before. While families struggle to afford groceries and to keep the lights on, Labor are chasing headlines, lecturing Australians and approving fossil fuel projects they then condemn in public. The hypocrisy is staggering. The Prime Minister is happy to export Australian resources to fuel foreign energy grids and drive global emissions, but he refuses to let Australians benefit from the same standard that he holds for the rest of the world. He forces higher power bills and unaffordable targets on our nation while criticising anyone who questions the price that we are being asked to pay. And now the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the part-time energy minister moonlighting as an international climate frontman, wants you to trust him on a new 2035 target that experts say is built on spin and fantasy. The government won't release the costings. They won't release the modelling and they tried to hide the briefing that confirmed exactly what every family already knows: under Labor, power prices keep going up. Australians have been let down. They deserve better than slogans, secrecy and promises that never materialise, and that's why the coalition has put forward a new energy plan, a practical plan to bring down costs, strengthen reliability and responsibly reduce emissions. Our plan focuses on results Australians can afford, not targets that Australia can't meet. We must restore reliability at the centre of Australia's energy policy. First, we want to change the national energy objectives so planning is built around price, reliability and security, not political targets. Second, we will introduce the technology-neutral affordable energy scheme. It would support all forms of reliable generation: gas, hydro, batteries, coal and renewables in the right places. There's no ideology and no picking winners. It's just the affordable, reliable power that Australians need. This scheme would bring on new supply faster, keep existing reliable generation in the system until real alternatives are ready and crowd in private investment so taxpayers aren't forced to shoulder the burden. Third, we will support more gas supply, fix regulatory delays and ensure Australian consumers aren't left behind in their own market. Fourth, we'll pursue energy abundance by removing the ban on zero-emissions nuclear technology, by protecting reliability and by using all of Australia's resources responsibly. Finally, we will reduce emissions year on year in line with the Paris Agreement, through technology, choice, energy abundance and industry led innovation, not through taxes or mandates or by punishing families and businesses. Emissions reduction will be driven by technology and genuine progress, not political theatre. Australians want affordable power and responsible action on emissions reduction. Labor has delivered neither. It's time for a plan that actually works. It's time to put Australians, Australian families and businesses first, not last.
McPherson Electorate: Community Groups | Constituency Statements | House debates
It's been another busy and uplifting period for our southern Gold Coast community. I've met with local residents, businesses and community groups who've celebrated milestones and cherished...
It's been another busy and uplifting period for our southern Gold Coast community. I've met with local residents, businesses and community groups who've celebrated milestones and cherished opportunities to come together as we move into the festive season. I'd like to extend my warm congratulations to all southern Gold Coast students on a fantastic school year, particularly the year 12s, who celebrated their final day last week. It has been a pleasure to join our school communities as they wrap up the year and to help recognise students whose achievements, character and contributions make our community proud. I'd also like to make very special mention of and welcome representatives from the incredible Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in my electorate, including senior veterinarian Dr Michael Pyne OAM, who is here in the chamber today. Also joining them are representatives from the RSPCA and Australia Zoo. The Currumbin Wildlife Hospital does vital work in protecting our wildlife. In 2024 they faced their most demanding year on record, admitting more than 16,000 sick, injured and orphaned native animals, a surge driven by the devastating impacts of natural disasters, disease and ongoing habitat loss. The hospital has delivered groundbreaking progress through applied research programs that are changing the trajectory for some of Australia's most at-risk species, including our beloved koalas. The team is here in Canberra this week to advocate for, amongst other things, certainty in their recurring funding. I'm proud to help amplify their needs to ensure that they can continue their vital work in conservation, research and caring for our wildlife. I'd like to thank each and every one of the volunteers and the workers at the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital for everything they do for our community. Earlier this month our community gathered for Remembrance Day to honour all who've served our nation to safeguard the freedoms that we cherish today. It was wonderful to see so many young people and also school groups who attended and took part in local services. This ensures that the next generation will carry forward this reverence for our veterans, and that is critical. In the lead-up to Remembrance Day I had the honour to meet 104-year-old Sergeant Audrey Kingsbury from the Coolangatta RSL Sub Branch. Audrey served as an Army signaller during the Second World War, and I was inspired to hear her story of service, her quiet strength and her lifelong dedication and devotion to our nation. I thank Audrey and all our veterans for their extraordinary service. None of us here would enjoy the freedoms we have today without them.
Gold Coast: Infrastructure, Housing and Services, Cost of Living | Grievance Debate | House debates
That is telling of the Minister for Climate Change and Energy's priorities at a time when energy costs have risen by almost 40 per cent. There are a number of issues I wanted to touch on today,...
That is telling of the Minister for Climate Change and Energy's priorities at a time when energy costs have risen by almost 40 per cent. There are a number of issues I wanted to touch on today, but this is a grievance debate, and we do have significant concerns in our community. As an opposition, we're always prepared to work constructively, but it's disappointing to see the direction that this government is taking us in, and my community is bearing the brunt of it.
I rise in this grievance debate to speak in relation to a number of issues. My home on the Gold Coast is defined by its natural beauty, its unmatched coastal lifestyle and its incredible sense of...
I rise in this grievance debate to speak in relation to a number of issues. My home on the Gold Coast is defined by its natural beauty, its unmatched coastal lifestyle and its incredible sense of community. It's no wonder our region is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. But with that growth come some very real challenges—challenges that cannot be ignored, delayed or dismissed. Our infrastructure, our housing supply and essential services must keep pace with the people who call the southern Gold Coast home. During my very first day in this parliament I sat down with the Leader of the Opposition and the CEO of Experience Gold Coast, Mr John Warn, to ensure that our city is front and centre of the national conversation. I'm pleased to say that the Liberal leader was receptive, engaged and committed to working with us on practical solutions for our city's future. It's important that our city has a long-term vision, a plan that manages population growth and tourism by planning smarter and investing strategically. And, as we look to the future of public transport in our city, interconnectivity is key. The southern Gold Coast cannot be an afterthought in the government's infrastructure map. We must be better connected to the rest of South-East Queensland. I've spoken many times before about the extension of the heavy rail from Varsity Lakes all the way to Coolangatta, with stops at Burleigh Heads and Elanora and going down towards the airport. That's a commonsense project that would absolutely transform our region. I think about the many southern Gold Coast locals who commute on a daily basis up to Brisbane. At the moment they have to get in their cars, drive to either Varsity Lakes Station or Robina Station, park their cars and then get on the heavy rail to Brisbane. This project would remove that congestion on our roads, in particular on the M1. It would not only support those Brisbane commuters but also provide direct access to the Gold Coast Airport, which is one of the nation's fastest growing gateways. That means we would finally have a situation where people can land on the Gold Coast and be able to commute directly to Brisbane. This extension would take cars off the road, it would connect people to jobs and tourism, and it would make the southern Gold Coast a stronger, more liveable community. Daily congestion continues to choke our roads and frustrate many residents. It affects tradies heading to worksites, parents on school runs and visitors travelling to our beaches and local businesses. I really want to see upgrades that ease that congestion, that improve safety and that support our growing community. In a similar vein, another priority of mine is to see a solution to Exit 82 on the M1, the notorious double roundabouts in front of the Robina Town Centre. It's an absolute traffic bottleneck and a single choke point that wastes thousands of hours in lost productivity each and every year. It creates gridlock every day that affects local residents and businesses alike. The people of the southern Gold Coast deserve infrastructure investment and infrastructure that is based on need, not postcode politics. Another issue I would like to touch on in this grievance debate is in relation to Medicare. Locals are currently telling me that access to a doctor, affordable medical care and the strain on our health system are top-level issues that face them and their families. Over the past year, bulk-billing rates in my seat of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast have fallen by 12 per cent, making it harder for many people to see a GP without facing significant out-of-pocket costs. This decline is placing real pressure on households—particularly on older Australians, young families and those managing chronic health conditions. It's disappointing to have a situation where we have people who've worked very hard and contributed to our economy and to our country, and they're now in a situation where they're having to choose between meals and medical care. That's not the Australian way. Local GPs are telling me that the current funding arrangements are not keeping up with the rising costs of providing quality health care. As a result, we're seeing more doctors being forced to stop bulk-billing or limit the number of patients that they can see without fees. I recall a time where the Prime Minister said that all you need to be able to see a doctor is your Medicare card. That's not the experience that we are seeing on the southern Gold Coast. Locals need their credit card. What this means is that we are seeing longer wait times, higher fees and more people putting off getting important medical treatment. Affordable and accessible health care has always been a fundamental part of the Australian way of life. Every individual deserves proper health care, and no-one should have to choose between paying household bills and getting the help they need. In the time I have left, I'd like to touch on another issue that is not only important to people in my electorate of McPherson but something that I get correspondence on and have interactions with members of the broader Australian community in relation to. This is the concept of government expenditure—even, dare I say it, government waste. We are experiencing a significant cost-of-living crisis in Australia. When I am out in my community—and I have had the opportunity to continue doing a number of listening posts at shopping centres, at the Burleigh Heads markets and at the beaches—people come up to me and speak about the issues that matter to them. There is no doubt that individuals and businesses are struggling at the moment, whether it's with the increased costs of housing, the increased costs of renting a shopfront or the increases to prices at grocery stores. People are struggling, and cost of living remains their No. 1 concern. Now, at a time when we in parliament and the government, I guess, are trying to manage this, we are seeing government expenditure blow out of proportion. There are a number of different instances that we have seen which form a broader pattern of government waste. This week, it's quite timely for me to speak about this. We've seen the revelation of what's been happening with the BOM website, with over $96 million for a website that we have received terrible user feedback on. That's one example of something that the government has done which is wasting the hard-earned taxpayer dime. Everyday Australians, including those in my electorate, are, frankly, sick and tired of this kind of government waste. They work absolutely bloody hard, and the last thing they need is for the government or bureaucrats in Canberra to be wasting their money. One of the biggest frustration points for people in my community is in relation to the energy costs that they're experiencing at the moment. We've had a conversation through my office and I've had the opportunity to go and meet with a number of small businesses. There's one in particular, in my electorate, where they've seen electricity prices go as high as $7,000 a month. Now, that is something that is absolutely unconscionable, and I don't know how long businesses can deal with that. While that is happening, Chris Bowen's climate change and energy department has spent $350,000 of taxpayer money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the last three years alone, including $61,000 on an inclusion strategy and action plan. That's telling about Chris Bowen's priorities, at a time when energy costs—
Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise to speak on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. I'll start by saying that the coalition supports these bills,...
I rise to speak on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. I'll start by saying that the coalition supports these bills, but we do want to make a few points. We support the freeze to the beer excise indexation, and we will not stand between a cut to the beer tax and the government, but we must be upfront and honest with Australians—this freeze delivers less than 1c of relief per pint. I'll come back to the merits of the bill and where we're at as a country, but I will say that, in my electorate of McPherson, we have some incredible breweries and some incredible venues that serve beer. I'm very fortunate in my electorate to have Black Hops Brewing in Burleigh as well as the Burleigh Brewing Company, which is very well known. I've had the opportunity to take the Leader of the Opposition to visit Peta and the team at the Burleigh Brewing Company in the past. We also have the very well-known Balter Brewing Company in Currumbin. Absolutely, member for Grey. We also have Currumbin Valley Brewing. We have some incredible surf lifesaving clubs, bowls clubs, golf clubs and other clubs that serve beer. I will say that what we're seeing from the government is only a patchwork fix in the face of high inflation. It is being sold as a government measure designed to ease the cost of living. We're not seeing the bold structural reform that is needed, we are not seeing the changes that are needed and that so many Australians are crying out for. While this will provide that less than 1c of relief per pint, in the context of this government, I'm sure we will take anything we can get right now. There is a long way further that we need to go. Recent inflation data has highlighted just how ineffective this policy will actually be in helping everyday Australians. Those of us who are out in our communities speaking to members of our community, to small businesses and to families hear every day the real effects of this cost-of-living crisis, with the government's reckless spending keeping inflation higher for longer. We have seen Australian taxpayers paying $50,000 every single minute just on the interest on Labor's trillion-dollar debt. Because of this economic vandalism, we are seeing households paying more: 15 per cent more for food, 15 per cent more for health, 19 per cent more for housing, 37 per cent more for insurance and, of course, nearly 40 per cent more for electricity. There is nothing in this bill that resembles anything such as a strategy to address the government's spending spree, which is fuelling inflation. There is no plan to fix the $600 million illicit alcohol tax which has been previously identified by the Australian tax office. There is no sign of a broader excise reform conversation. These are just piecemeal freezes. It is great to give the government their headline that we are 'axing a beer tax' but it is not even that. The measure is worth just $90 million over the forward estimates. That is tiny—very, very small—compared to the $8 billion that is collected annually from alcohol taxes. More should be done for Australia's hospitality and alcohol industries. These are businesses who have gone through COVID, have gone through record high inflation and incredible cost-of-living pressures. As governments and as members of parliament, we must do our part. If Labor is serious about cost of living, it must stop the spending spree and it must start growing the economic pie. This is something that I have spoken about on numerous occasions in this place. We are seeing a crisis of short-term governance. We need to think long-term. One of the things we need to think about long-term in this place is intergenerational debt, to which Labor has added $100 billion just in the last three years. Australia's alcohol taxes raise about $8 million per year and, as I said, the freeze will cost $90 million a year, which is only two per cent of the annual alcohol tax receipts, with excise on alcohol indexed to CPI twice a year. This freeze also only applies to draught beer served on tap. As I said, it amounts to a cent per pint, so most people watching this will not actually notice much of a price difference. The alcohol industry is an industry which supports so many people across my community on the southern Gold Coast. It directly supports the employment of 176,000 full-time equivalent jobs. The alcohol manufacturing industry employs around 22,500 people, the alcohol-related retail sector employs a further 21,000 and the hospitality sector employs a whopping 126,300 people. In my electorate of MacPherson on the Gold Coast, we have an incredible, vibrant entertainment culture. We are one of the centre points of tourism, not only in Queensland but across the nation. This bill should go even further for the people in my electorate—the small business owners, the individuals and the people visiting—to actually see the benefit. As I said when I started this speech, as a coalition, we do support this bill. However, it doesn't go far enough and it doesn't do anything to address the structural problems that we are seeing in Australia in relation to our government expenditure and to ease cost of living. We must act now and we must act effectively because small government announcements here and there are not going to work. The time is now to address overdue reforms and overdue tax reforms. On the coalition side, we're more than happy to be constructive and to work with the government. But let's be realistic about the results and let's be realistic about the effect that tokenistic measures could have. We support this bill, but we look forward to seeing a lot more addressed that is currently overdue.
Men's Mental Health | Private Members' Business | House debates
I rise to speak about men's mental health, the silent killer which too often sits behind a brave face. Three in four lives lost to suicide are men's. Suicide remains the leading cause of death...
I rise to speak about men's mental health, the silent killer which too often sits behind a brave face. Three in four lives lost to suicide are men's. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australian men under the age of 44, and, among young Australians aged 15 to 24, one in three deaths is suicide. These are not statistics. They're sons, brothers, mates and fathers—lives that were cut far too short. These numbers are heartbreaking, and we truly are in a mental health epidemic. Data shows the proportion of deaths by suicide is edging down. However, reductions in suicide are too often replaced by increased substance abuse. If a man's pain only changes its mask from a rope to a bottle to a pill, we've shifted the ledger, not healed the person. Important national frameworks were set in motion under the coalition: the National Men's Health Strategy and the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. These frameworks are now moving through the system, but they require ongoing backing, proper resourcing and consistent review if they're to deliver what they were designed to achieve. We must also be honest about the intersection between the NDIS and mainstream mental health systems. Roughly one in 10 NDIS participants enter the scheme with the primary psychosocial disability supports that are essential for their stability. With that being said, I want to point out the importance of offering both support and a meaningful pathway to recovery for these participants. Constituents in my community have told me about the NDIS's tendencies when it comes to participants transitioning to work. Participants who are recovering, able and longing to get into work and contribute are being shot down within the system. We know that work, routine and social connection are some of the best ways to support recovery and mental wellbeing. Yet participants in my community tell me they're being explicitly discouraged from re-entering the workforce. These are people in recovery who are ready to move forward. Yet NDIA planners are making them second guess their progress, reinforcing dependence instead of providing support. As reforms continue, we must ensure Australians with complex needs do not lose access to essential supports. If the pathway to therapy becomes harder, or if services become less viable to deliver, the outcome will not be savings. It will be more people in crisis. This brings me to my point. At a time of record demand, we've seen the number of Medicare subsidised psychology sessions halved from 20 to 10, leaving a massive gap in support. That's why, while I welcome government members recognising the urgency of mental health, I must ask: what are we actually doing to meet the need? Awareness is important. Education is important, but recognition without reform is not enough. The solutions needed are practical, not radical. While it's vital that the government has the support systems in place for those who need it, a very large piece to this, particularly in men's mental health, is having the courage to speak up and recognise when to seek support. As a community, we must support men where they already are—on work sites, in offices, football fields and surf clubs—so that the first conversation does not have to be in a waiting room. We must make early intervention real in schools, in TAFEs and in universities, ensuring there's no wrong door and no dead end. Mental health must always be a national priority, and the test of a commitment to this will not be through words spoken or through dollars invested. It's whether in a moment of crisis an Australian can get the meaningful and effective support that they need. Right now, unfortunately, far too many can't. I'd like to say to anyone who's listening to this speech or who's reading it: anyone who's asking for help is not weak; they are courageous. You're needed, you're loved and your life has immeasurable worth.
Gold Coast: Infrastructure | Statements by Members | House debates
Planning for the next era of public transport on the Gold Coast must start with a simple principle: seamless connection and interconnectivity. We need stronger links to the rest of South-East...
Planning for the next era of public transport on the Gold Coast must start with a simple principle: seamless connection and interconnectivity. We need stronger links to the rest of South-East Queensland. A practical, high-impact step is extending the heavy rail from Varsity Lakes through West Burleigh, Elanora and Tugun right down to Coolangatta. This is a sensible nation-building project. It would deliver a direct rail link to Gold Coast Airport, one of Australia's fastest growing gateways, while easing pressure on our roads, opening access to jobs and tourism and strengthening the livability of the southern Gold Coast. Right now, congestion is stealing time from families and productivity from local businesses. Tradies trying to reach worksites, parents on school runs, visitors heading to our beaches—all are caught in the same daily gridlock. Another priority I've been advocating for, along with local councillor Dan Doran, is a fix for exit 82 on the M1 in Robina, the source of the bottleneck that ripples across Robina Town Centre with its notorious double roundabouts. This single choke point costs thousands of hours every year, and commerce grinds to a halt. I've already communicated these priorities to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, and I hope that this Labor government will come to the table on funding the initial steps, such as business cases, for these projects. The southern Gold Coast deserves investment. Let's get on with it and get it built.
Tertiary Education | Private Members' Business | House debates
I rise to speak on this motion because I believe that students deserve a higher education system that's fair, affordable and genuinely accessible. Young Australians are not fools. They know when...
I rise to speak on this motion because I believe that students deserve a higher education system that's fair, affordable and genuinely accessible. Young Australians are not fools. They know when a policy is genuinely designed to help them and when a policy is designed to help a government's polling and win an election. Unfortunately, the policy this government stands here seeking praise for today falls firmly into that second category. The government's policy on student debt disproportionately benefits those with the biggest debts, regardless of their long-term earning capacity. This means that a lawyer or a doctor who graduated last year receives more relief than a social worker. Higher income postgraduates and those from more advantaged backgrounds can gain the most, while borrowers who worked hard and finally paid off their debt before the end of the financial year receive nothing at all. If you made significant repayments throughout the year, your relative benefit shrinks. That's not fairness. That is an untargeted, inequitable, reverse Robin Hood approach that economists across the board have called out. Economist Ashley Craig described this as 'an exceptionally bad policy which favours the rich, doesn't help with current cost of living and does nothing to encourage higher ed.' Our HECS system is a national asset. It has enabled millions of Australians, including me, to gain qualifications and skills that are essential to our economy. Its integrity must be safeguarded. But what the government congratulates itself on today is not its safeguarding; it's sandbagging. With this motion, the Prime Minister wants a pat on the back for his temporary solution to a problem that he himself created. And let's be honest about why this measure was even needed. Turbocharged by Labor's poor economic management, indexation would never have grown so high if it weren't for their out-of-control spending, which drove up inflation. This $20 billion debt write-off isn't just money that just disappears. It becomes a cost carried by every Australian to benefit just a fraction. It becomes another line on the national credit card charged to future generations who had no say. I spoke up when I was first elected to this place and I said that, as a representative of my generation, I feel obliged to speak about where we're at in terms of our national finances and the problems that this government has contributed to in terms of the generational debt that they are leaving. This is exactly an example of that—subsidising all degrees with no consideration of our skill shortages. That's not smart economics; that's desperate politics. And that's exactly what this measure was about, so let's call it out. In this motion the government claims to be taking action on intergenerational fairness. Can those opposite explain how government spending, which is growing four times faster than the economy while national debt grows by $50,000 every 60 seconds—just on interest—is intergenerational fairness? How can this government even speak of intergenerational fairness while passing this exorbitant bill onto Australians who are not even old enough to vote yet? Meanwhile, the deeper structural issues remain untouched. Our universities have suffered a 70 per cent fall in global rankings. Graduate employability is declining. PISA results show a long-term deterioration in mathematics, reading and science since the 2000s. The gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students grows even wider, even as per student funding rises. Whilst the government subsidise higher education, supporting those most likely to move into higher earning careers, where is their action to strengthen the broader education system and ensure success opportunities for every Australian? This package is not reform. Let's call it out for what it is: it's a temporary fix for the problems that this government has created and then failed to address. It's a bandaid on a wound that requires surgery. Young Australians should not be punished for Labor's bad management. Labor's policies are shaped by what looks good on a press release: a cut here, a rebate there. The problem is not solved; it's merely shifted. You don't fix a leak by turning on another tap. Young Australians deserve better than gestures. They deserve genuine reform—reform grounded in fairness, discipline, productivity and responsibility. Labor's policy achieves none of these.
Small Business | Private Members' Business | House debates
I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Goldstein because it is indeed a matter of the utmost public importance. Small and family businesses are doing it tough under this government....
I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Goldstein because it is indeed a matter of the utmost public importance. Small and family businesses are doing it tough under this government. Across my community of McPherson, from cafes and pubs to local grocers, sole traders and manufacturers, it's becoming harder to operate and more costly just to keep the doors open. When small business succeeds, Australia succeeds. Creating the conditions for enterprise to flourish is critically important to repairing our economy, driving real private-sector wage growth, reducing consumer costs and building a more prosperous nation. Those opposite fail to understand that when they make life harder for small business they make life harder for every Australian. Many Gold Coast businesses do everything they can to shield their customers, but they simply cannot absorb every new cost and every new regulation imposed by this government. Those costs inevitably flow through to consumers, compounding the cost-of-living crisis. In Labor's last term, Anthony Albanese oversaw the worst rate of business insolvencies of any other prime minister since Federation. Let that sink in. During this period, Queensland recorded more than 4,500 insolvencies. Nationally, that figure was around 25,000, with businesses in the construction sector hit the hardest. What does that tell us? Construction is becoming less viable under this Labor government. Between union pressure, mounting red tape and higher operating costs, the sector is being strangled. As a result, Australia is falling behind in infrastructure, roads and housing. Among the thousands of collapsed businesses are hardworking tradies—Australians who backed themselves, took a risk and set up their own business to contribute to building our country. Instead of supporting them, this government is doing everything it can to hinder their growth. Why would Labor want a thriving small-business construction sector? That would hardly suit the interests of their big-business-aligned union mates at the CFMEU. Instead, this government piles on 5,000 new regulations, hundreds of new laws and nearly 3,000 pages of construction codes—enough to drown small operators and keep aspirational builders firmly at bay. In doing so, Labor is directly tilting the balance away from ambition in enterprise and towards big-business monopolisation and union power. The government abolished effective construction oversight, looked the other way as union militancy pushed up costs and drove down productivity, and then pretended it was all somebody else's fault. These decisions are not victimless. When projects are delayed or costs blow out, Australians pay the price. When the CFMEU's grip on residential construction inflates costs by 30 per cent, it's not just the developers who feel it; it's every family trying to build a home or every small business that's trying to fit-out a shopfront. These decisions drive up rents, price out first home buyers and deepen the housing crisis. Productivity is down five per cent. Our competitiveness has slipped. The government should clear the path, not block it. Yet, under Labor, small and family businesses aren't treated as partners in prosperity. They're treated like an ATM for taxes, a test case for regulation, and are punished for creating jobs and supporting local communities. Energy policy is no better. On the southern Gold Coast, businesses are doing it tough, and they're staring down higher power prices while ministers chase ideology over outcomes. The greatest cost increase for business under this government has been energy. Labor failed to grasp the basic economic understanding that when business costs rise so, too, do the costs for consumers. Their mismanagement of energy policy has driven power prices up by nearly 40 per cent, fuelling cost-of-living pressures for every Australian and every Australian business. Pick ideology over affordability and you get more insolvencies, fewer private sector jobs, lower productivity and a weaker economy, followed by higher government spending to clean up the mess. Labor's energy policies are fuelling inflation and fuelling the cost-of-living crisis. That's why we in the coalition are committed to an energy policy focused on affordability whilst lowering emissions responsibly, at a pace that technology and the economy can sustain. We want to accelerate new supply, keep existing generation online and allow investment to flow where it delivers the lowest, most-reliable prices, because when you reduce the cost of energy you don't just lower household bills; you ease one of the largest expenses facing small businesses. When energy becomes affordable again, that relief will flow through to the entire economy.
Mental Health | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
I rise today to speak on this important motion. Mental health is one of the defining challenges of our time. It reaches into every home, every school and every workplace, and it is something that...
I rise today to speak on this important motion. Mental health is one of the defining challenges of our time. It reaches into every home, every school and every workplace, and it is something that government simply cannot afford to get wrong. We all know someone who has been or is struggling. It's the young person who can't get the right support at school, the parent quietly carrying a heavy burden or the colleague who suffers in silence. Our country is facing a mental health epidemic. According to the ABS, around one in five Australians experience a mental or behavioural condition each year. Rates of psychological distress have never been higher, and yet access to help has never been harder. Despite billions in federal investment, outcomes are going backwards. Children are waiting months for appointments, and families are being pushed to breaking point. Communities are crying out for help, but under this Labor government the system is going in reverse. The system under Labor is completely backwards. We saw it when Labor cut Medicare subsidised psychology sessions in half, a lifeline that thousands of Australians relied upon. They took away something that was working, leaving vulnerable families to fend for themselves. In my own electorate of McPherson, the need is undeniable. Nearly eight per cent of locals live with a long-term mental health condition and more than one in five report a mental or behavioural disorder. Behind each statistic is a person, a family or a community trying to hold it together. Deputy Speaker Small, as you will well and truly know, in this role we have the opportunity to meet with people from across our community, to hear their stories, to understand their experiences and then, ultimately, to represent them here in this place. Soon after I was elected as the federal member for McPherson, I met with a local family from Palm Beach who spoke to me about the fact that they will never forget the day that their world fell apart. A father who had been battling depression attempted to take his own life. He survived, but the impact on his wife and his children was immense, and that remains to be the case. When he was released from hospital, he wanted to rebuild, he wanted routine, he wanted connection and he wanted a sense of purpose. He tried to find a part-time job, something small to get him back on track. But, under Labor's welfare system, the moment he earned a few dollars, support was cut off entirely. It is what we mean when we say Labor policies are backwards. We know that work, routine and social connection are some of the best ways to support recovery and mental wellbeing, yet Labor's system punishes people who try to do the right thing. It traps them into dependence rather than helping them move forward. Why would this Labor government design a system that disincentivises Australians from beginning their journey to easing back into working, contributing and reconnecting? Why don't they trust Australians to make their own choices about gradually transitioning back into work and community life? If they had their own way, no-one who'd been disadvantaged would ever get a fair go at getting back on their feet. I'm reminded of another one of my constituents, a single mother whose daughter had been dealing with mental health challenges for some time. When Labor halved the Medicare subsidised psychology sessions, it left her in an impossible position. She simply cannot afford the extra cost, and so her daughter goes without. Australians deserve better. They deserve a system that meets them where they are with compassion, flexibility and trust. And it would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that this mother spoke to me about the difficulties that her daughter has accessing mental health support services because of the unique situation they are in, where her father attempted to commit suicide and, thankfully, was unsuccessful. Because of that, this person was unable to access support that was needed. Australians, as I said, deserve better. But, under Labor, their services are cut and support is scarce, and those who are struggling are left out to dry. We're seeing psychologists, counsellors, nurses and GPs all burning out. Clinics are understaffed, and families are falling through the cracks. I would, however, like to take this opportunity to thank the many people in my community of McPherson, on the southern Gold Coast, who are involved with the provision of mental health services for young people—for people of all ages and people of all backgrounds. They do incredible work keeping our communities' mental health where it should be and encouraging it to go in the right direction. I also point out, in particular, the fact that the mental health record for men in this country is shocking. Men are three times more likely to die by suicide than females. And they, unfortunately, make up three-quarters of all suicides. The previous speaker on this subject, the member for Spence, mentioned everything the government should do, all of the responsibilities of government in relation to mental health and in relation to health more broadly. What I would say to that member is that the member forms part of the government. There is an opportunity here for the government to do something about this. We went to the last election committed to restoring the 20 subsidised places for mental health support sessions. That is something that was very well-received in McPherson. Why was it well-received? It was well-received because people on the ground, the everyday men and women that I've had the opportunity to speak to and that I have the privilege of representing in this place, understand that this is a serious issue at the moment—not just in McPherson but across the country. The schools that I go into—with the rise of social media, we're seeing instances of very young people being affected by what they're seeing online, by the way they're being treated online, and that is transitioning into broader mental health issues for them. Something needs to be done. If there's one thing I know, from my engagement in my community, it's that what is happening in this building with this government is unacceptable. We need to step up and the government needs to step up and provide where there is a need. Right now, there is a need for better funding for mental health support services in Australia. As I have mentioned, mental health needs to be a national priority. The test of a government's commitment is not the number of their empty promises, it's whether, in a moment of crisis, an Australian can get the support they need. When I was elected to this place I committed, in my maiden speech, to giving a voice to the people of the southern Gold Coast when they needed it. That moment is now. People in McPherson, people across the Gold Coast and people across Australia know well and truly that mental health is something that needs to be prioritised by this government. We, on the coalition side, will continue to make a noise, we will continue to represent our communities about this need for as long as this need remains. Right now far too many people cannot access the services that they need. That is the measure that matters, and on that measure this government, the federal Albanese Labor government, is failing. Federation Chamber adjourned at 19 : 28
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
The coalition believes stop-work powers must be time limited, appealable and transparent. Otherwise, they threaten investment confidence and local jobs. I can only imagine the consequences for my...
The coalition believes stop-work powers must be time limited, appealable and transparent. Otherwise, they threaten investment confidence and local jobs. I can only imagine the consequences for my community on the southern Gold Coast. A stop-work order on a small civil worksite could hold up dozens of tradies, including apprentices, concreters and electricians—everyday people trying to make a living. A prolonged suspension on foreshore renewal projects or surf club upgrades could leave construction zones fenced off through peak tourism season. This would hurt local cafes, surf shops and accommodation providers. Even a short delay in approvals for new housing estates would send ripple effects through supply chains. Timber yards, surveyors and local suppliers would all feel the pinch in my electorate. That's not protecting the environment; that's punishing local jobs and small-business confidence. The second major concern is the sheer scale of penalties that are buried in this legislation. We're talking about fines reaching hundreds of millions of dollars—in some cases up to $825 million—for breaches that might include administrative oversights. For large corporations, it's another cost of doing business, but, for smaller tourism and eco businesses in McPherson—boat operators, local quarries and community groups—these penalties could destroy livelihoods overnight. To make matters worse, the bill includes strict liability provisions, meaning intent doesn't even have to be proven. That's not fairness; that's a trap for honest Australians trying to do the right thing. Environmental protection should be about partnership, not punishment, yet Labor's reforms send a chilling message: 'We don't trust you.' It's a system designed by bureaucrats for bureaucrats, not for the people who actually build our nation. The Business Council of Australia has said plainly that we need clarity, consistency and common sense in enforcement, not overreach. The government's approach will make compliance so costly and complex that small business operators will simply give up. We need an enforcement model that encourages cooperation, educates small operators and focuses penalties on deliberate, environmental harm, not paperwork errors. That's how you build a responsible environmental culture. For my community, the consequences of these reforms are real and immediate. We are home to small developers, tourism operators, surf-lifesaving clubs and marine industries that rely on clear, consistent environmental approvals. Under the proposed Labor plan, projects will face longer assessment times, compliance costs will skyrocket and the uncertainty created by indefinite stop-work powers will stall investment on the southern Gold Coast. We've already seen industry confidence waver. The Business Council of Australia CEO, Bran Black, warned, 'Without significant changes, this bills risks embedding a system that's even slower, more complex and lacking the clarity and the certainty needed for investment.' He's right. These reforms more red tape than reform. Every extra month of delay on an approval means another month that builders can't start, apprentices and tradies can't work and businesses can't expand. For my seat of McPherson, what does that mean? It means fewer local jobs and slower growth. Small business confidence is already fragile. These reforms would tip the scales against investment in tourism infrastructure and green energy projects that our region depends on. Even local councils could be caught up in compliance uncertainty when trying to deliver coastal protection works or new projects. This isn't just theoretical; it's real impact on real people right in my community on the southern Gold Coast. Another alarming feature is the creation of an unaccountable EPA CEO, answerable not to the minister but effectively to no-one. The CEO can issue binding orders, halt operations and impose massive penalties, yet cannot be dismissed by the minister. Where is the accountability? This is consistent with what we're seeing across this 48 Parliament from this government. What we've seen, as I've said previously, is a sense of 'emboldenedness' from the election result turning into a sense of arrogance. It's a dangerous concentration of power and one that Professor Graeme Samuel's review never recommended. I know that before me was a speaker who time and time again referred to Professor Graeme Samuel. That review never recommended this set up. He called for a commissioner a model: accountable, transparent and limited to compliance and enforcement, not an agency that acts as judge, jury and executioner. If we look at other statutory bodies—the ACCC, the eSafety Commissioner and even the Ombudsman—they all operate within clear frameworks, answerable to ministers and the parliament. They have key performance indicators, reporting obligations and a chain of accountability. The EPA model in this bill has none of that. It's an agency with unchecked power and the ability to impose decisions that can cripple industries across the country, including in my seat of McPherson. And there is no real avenue for appeal either. Australians deserve environmental oversight that is effective, not authoritarian. Accountability is not a barrier to environmental protection. It's the foundation of public trust. We all agree the environment matters, and my community takes pride in our conservation efforts, but environmental law must protect nature without strangling opportunity. The coalition has always believed in balance between protection and productivity, and between sustainability and jobs. Our contribution in this debate is about ensuring that that balance is maintained. Under the previous coalition government, Australia achieved record renewable investment while cutting waste, improving recycling and protecting threatened species. That's the model that works—practical action, not ideological overreach. Under the coalition, Australia had the world's highest uptake of rooftop solar, with one in four homes producing their own clean energy. We delivered the $250 million Recycling Modernisation Fund that turned waste into opportunity and invested in reef protection and threatened species. Again, that's practical action, not ideological overreach. These were outcomes achieved through cooperation not confrontation, working with industry not against it. That's the difference. Our approach is collaborative, and it builds capacity and confidence. All Labor's does is build bureaucracy. Labor's bill fails on multiple counts. It undermines natural justice through unlimited stop work powers. It cripples enterprise through excessive penalties. Our local industries and environment groups deserve better. The government must go back to the drawing board, consult properly, remove the overreach and deliver balanced reform that supports both jobs and the environment. In McPherson, on the southern Gold Coast, we do not believe that prosperity and protection are opposites. We believe they can and they must work together. This is not about choosing between growth and greenery, between jobs and biodiversity. It's about having the courage to design laws that do both—protect what we love and enable what we need as a community, as a state and as a country. I know the people of the southern Gold Coast. They are practical, forward looking and deeply connected to the land and sea around them. They want fair laws not fast politics and, importantly, they want results not rhetoric. They want us to do what the government should—bring industry and community together and get it right for the next generation. So I say to the minister and to the government: scrap the rushed timelines, fix the flaws and start listening. Start listening to the people of Australia. Start listening to those on this side of the House that represent a very large cross-section of the Australian community, from the cities to the regions. Don't just listen to the Greens but listen to those Australians whose livelihoods depend on these decisions. Let's get serious about reform, not about red tape. Let's protect our environment while protecting our future. We can do both. There is this fallacy that seems to be spoken about by the opposition where we can't, but we can. McPherson deserves a government that balances both, not one that sacrifices our prosperity to appease ideology. (Quorum formed)