Julie Collins
Franklin · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The government has undertaken broad industry consultation, including engagement with industry bodies to seek feedback on the proposed changes to the wine act.”
“The changes will allow ABARES to confidentially disclose personal information to third-party providers to assist ABARES in performing its function of conducting critical annual agricultural surveys—that is, ABARES could provide the contact details of survey participants to mailing companies to enable those companies to send survey approac…”
“The bill will amend two acts: The amendments to the Wine Act will enable Wine Australia to conduct or coordinate surveys of the grape industry or wine industry to support the operation of the Wine Act, or the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 in relation to the grape industry or wine industry.”
“Together, these amendments strengthen operational effectiveness at the border, improve regulatory decision-making and support better engagement with industry, while maintaining Australia's uncompromising biosecurity standards. The bill also makes a minor and technical amendment to the Biosecurity Act, to remove the use of a defined term.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australia's biosecurity system plays a critical role in protecting our environment, world-class agricultural and animal production sectors, economy, and way of life.”
“The measures in the bill relating to the collection and disclosure of certain information will modernise and strengthen the Wine Act, while ensuring that protected information is afforded appropriate safeguards.”
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“This bill reflects a practical and forward-looking approach to strengthening Australia's biosecurity system for the future. It supports innovation and ensures our biosecurity laws continue to make a meaningful difference for Australia now and into the future. Debate adjourned.”
“Our biosecurity legislative framework must remain contemporary, adaptive, and proportionate. This bill facilitates this by delivering a more responsive biosecurity framework that meets this expectation. It enables the long-overdue transition from paper based information gathering to modern digital options such as the Australia travel declaration. It improves procedural fairness for approved arrangements with greater clarity around regulatory decisions. Australia's biosecurity system is central to our ability to compete on a global stage. Forging stronger links between innovation, operational delivery and legislative clarity is essential to ensuring we remain resilient, adaptive, responsive, and trusted as a trading nation.”
“Together, these amendments strengthen operational effectiveness at the border, improve regulatory decision-making and support better engagement with industry, while maintaining Australia's uncompromising biosecurity standards. The bill also makes a minor and technical amendment to the Biosecurity Act, to remove the use of a defined term. This removes ambiguity and assists in ensuring provisions of the Biosecurity Act are clear. Australia's biosecurity system is rightly regarded as strong and effective, but good performance in the past does not justify complacency in the future. Maintaining the trust of our farmers and international trading partners requires continuous improvement and innovation as risks, technologies and the operating environment evolve.”
“The Australia travel declaration pilot has already shown real benefits, including smoother passenger flows, reduced congestion and faster processing at the border without compromising our biosecurity standards. Biosecurity officers are able to access information provided by incoming travellers more easily, which allows them to focus their efforts on higher risk travellers and goods. Secondly, the bill improves transparency and fairness for biosecurity industry participants by introducing a clear notice-of-intention process for decisions relating to approved arrangements. This gives applicants the opportunity to respond before decisions are made, supporting a more consistent and transparent regulatory system.”
“We also understand that a strong biosecurity system relies on robust laws that enable efficient operations and informed regulatory decision-making. Today's border environment requires streamlined, better informed decisions at the point of entry, while maintaining Australia's high biosecurity standards. This bill responds directly to those needs by focusing on two specific deliverables. Firstly, it provides the first step to modernising the way travellers provide information through new methods, including the digital Australia travel declaration. By allowing information to be provided earlier and more accurately, it supports faster and stronger biosecurity decision-making.”
“In 2025 alone, biosecurity officers inspected more than 280,000 commercial air and sea consignments and intercepted over 359,000 incoming travellers. More recently, in just the month of March this year, over 3,000 mail items and over 33,300 travellers were intercepted with biosecurity risk material. These efforts prevented tens of thousands of harmful pests and diseases from entering Australia. The Albanese Labor government acknowledge this more complex and challenging environment means we must invest to ensure our nation's biosecurity effort is fit for purpose. That's why since coming to office we have delivered over $2 billion in additional resourcing to strengthen Australia's biosecurity system.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australia's biosecurity system plays a critical role in protecting our environment, world-class agricultural and animal production sectors, economy, and way of life. It safeguards Australia's favourable pest and disease status, underpins domestic productivity, and provides access to international markets. That system, however, is now operating in a vastly more complex and challenging risk environment. Rising volumes of travellers and goods, changing disease profiles, climate impacts and increasing time pressures at the border require a biosecurity framework that is adaptive, intelligence led, and operationally efficient now more than ever before. We regularly see how real these risks are.”
“They will strengthen the ability of Wine Australia and ABARES to continue their important research work, support better decisions, and help industry keep building a strong future. Debate adjourned.”
“The Privacy Act would also continue to apply to personal information handled by the department. The bill will also make a technical change to the power of the secretary of the department to make disallowable rules so the provisions can operate as intended. The department has consulted with representatives of levied industries, as well as research and development corporations and other levy and charge recipients, about the changes. These changes will strengthen the agricultural levy and charge system and, by strengthening ABARES's research and analysis capacities, provide lasting benefits to the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. These are practical changes.”
“The changes will allow ABARES to confidentially disclose personal information to third-party providers to assist ABARES in performing its function of conducting critical annual agricultural surveys—that is, ABARES could provide the contact details of survey participants to mailing companies to enable those companies to send survey approach letters and survey materials to the participants on behalf of ABARES. The changes will strengthen the quality of ABARES's agricultural surveys, improving research outcomes and delivering broader benefits across the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Existing and new safeguards in the act, as well as the department's existing privacy controls, will ensure that personal information is used, disclosed, stored and destroyed appropriately by third parties.”
“The government has undertaken broad industry consultation, including engagement with industry bodies to seek feedback on the proposed changes to the wine act. The amendments to the collection act will enable the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, known as ABARES, to use and disclose personal information, particularly personal information collected via the agricultural levy and charge system for the performance of its functions, including research and data analysis. ABARES provides independent data, research, analysis and advice that informs public and private decisions affecting Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Since 2025, ABARES has been able to use and disclose certain levy and charge data for the purposes of performing its functions, except personal information.”
“The measures in the bill relating to the collection and disclosure of certain information will modernise and strengthen the Wine Act, while ensuring that protected information is afforded appropriate safeguards. The bill will, for example, authorise entrusted persons to use and disclose relevant information obtained and collected under the Wine Act to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to support the regulation of the proposed mandatory code of conduct for wine grape purchases as announced by the government. Without these amendments, the wine sector's ability to respond to industry challenges would be reduced, and the ACCC's ability to identify businesses captured by the mandatory code would be limited.”
“The bill will amend two acts: The amendments to the Wine Act will enable Wine Australia to conduct or coordinate surveys of the grape industry or wine industry to support the operation of the Wine Act, or the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 in relation to the grape industry or wine industry. It will also support the government's response to the Review of regulatory options for the wine and grape sector , conducted by Dr Craig Emerson, which recommended stronger transparency in wine grape purchasing arrangements. The government has agreed to the review's recommendation that winemakers should make earlier, binding offers for each grape variety they seek under contract from the Riverland, Murray Darling and Swan Hill, and Riverina regions, and that those offer prices should be made public.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australian farmers, fishers, foresters and producers make an extraordinary contribution to our country. They feed us, they support regional jobs and communities, and they help drive our national economy. The latest ABARES forecasts show the value of agriculture, fisheries and forestry is expected to reach $110 billion in 2025-26. That reflects the hard work, resilience and skill of Australia's world-class producers. This bill is part of the Australian government's support for our agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors.”
“Can I say that they're undertaking testing in their jurisdictions, and as you would expect, given the calls and the publicity, we have had an increased number of reports, and they are triaging those reports. They are doing local testing, then, if anything comes up, they then go to the CSIRO lab for confirmatory testing. As I indicated, we have had two confirmed tests from the Western Australian region in migratory birds, and I was informed just before question time that we have had another positive test from the CSIRO lab, and I'll be receiving an update from the chief veterinary officer just after question time, and then I'll provide an update to the public, as you would expect us to do. Again, I do want to thank the public for their diligence.”
“We have already come to those arrangements and provided monies to states and territories to be prepared, as I said, in this place earlier in the week. That has helped them in laboratory testing, surveillance equipment and for a whole range of equipment that they need on the ground to respond. That has already been provided to states and territories as part of that $113 million. I have today been on the phone to both the Western Australian minister for agriculture and the South Australian minister for primary industries in relation to bird flu and cooperation that we are having with their governments. We continue to work very closely with both the Cook and the Malinauskas governments on these detections.”
“Thanks to the Prime Minister for handing that over for an update on bird flu, and I thank the local member for her interest. She, like many members in this place, is obviously concerned about this not unexpected but still concerning development in H5 bird flu detections. What I can say, of course, is that I've been really clear that we can't stop the spread of this globally, because we can't stop migratory birds coming to Australia, but what we can do is be prepared, and that's exactly what we've done with our early investments—over $113 million that we have invested in preparedness. We've done this really closely with the states and territories. We already have agreements in place with states and territories for biosecurity incursions, and we already have one in place for bird flu incursions.”
“It is work that has been recognised by both our wildlife and our agriculture industries. Doctor Carol Booth from the Invasive Species Council said, We are pleased to see the serious and rapid government response to this detection. The preparation, planning and coordination over the past 2 years mean Australia is in a strong position to respond. I also want to reiterate today my thanks to the Australian public. Ordinary Australians have been incredibly diligent in reporting sick birds, and they are our first line of response in our biosecurity system. If you see sick or dead birds or other animals that are dead, please do not touch them. Avoid contact, make a record of what you see and where you see it, and contact birdflu.gov.au.”
“Our technical experts continue to meet on a regular basis and will guide the next steps in our response as more information, such as testing results, becomes available. Enacting this swift response is part of our government's significant work to bolster our preparedness, response and capabilities to the H5 bird flu, because, of course, we have seen the devastating impact that this has had globally in wildlife populations. Part of delivering over $2 billion in additional biosecurity resourcing since we've come to government has included more than $113 million specifically towards our H5 bird flu preparations. This includes investments that we've made to strengthen early detection surveillance, and we've seen that working, and to deploy rapid response equipment in every state and territory.”
“As I have said repeatedly, with the global spread of H5 bird flu, we cannot stop migratory birds from bringing the virus to our shores. That's why we have been preparing and working around the clock with a swift and coordinated response. We've enacted our national biosecurity response arrangements, with the Western Australian government managing the on-ground response. We have enhanced surveillance activities that have been implemented in collaboration with industry, with veterinarians, with wildlife carers and with local communities. Further tests are currently being undertaken by the Western Australian government, and we'll work with them to provide an update as soon as the initial test results become available.”
“I want to thank our member for Hasluck and the other Western Australians in this place, as well as other members, because I know a lot of people are really interested in and concerned about this H5 bird flu detection in wildlife in Western Australia. I want to reassure members that we are taking this very seriously, and, importantly, we're also acting. As I advised here yesterday, there are now two confirmed cases of the H5 bird flu in migratory birds. Both were located in an isolated area in WA's Esperance region. I repeat, at this time, there is no evidence of any mass mortalities. There is no evidence currently of any infections in our poultry or our agricultural systems, and there is a low risk to human health.”
“Our preparedness funding has also made a great difference on the ground, with improved biosecurity measures, particularly for endangered species. We've also been conducting national preparedness exercises right across portfolios with states, territories and the industries. We have been working really hard, in terms of the detection, with the public. I thank the public for this detection. I also want to say that this is the system working. I reiterate to the public that, if you see multiple sick or dead birds or other animals, please do not touch them. Avoid contact, record what you see and go to birdflu.gov.au.”
“Along with our experts, we've been meeting around the clock over the weekend with industry and with jurisdictions—the states and territories—to manage the response to this detection. The head start that we've been given before the arrival of the H5 bird flu has not been wasted by our government, particularly given some of the devastation in wildlife that we have seen overseas. We've invested over $113 million to strengthen our preparedness for H5 bird flu. This is part of the more than $2 billion in additional biosecurity resourcing that we have provided since coming to government. It also includes funding delivered directly to the Western Australian government to support the delivery of rapid, critical diagnostic and decontamination equipment.”
“I also want to be very clear at this time that there's no evidence of any mass mortalities, nor is there any evidence of the bird flu in our poultry or agricultural systems. Also, there's a generally low risk of human infection associated with this strain of the virus. I want to reassure all Australians that we are well prepared for the arrival of the H5 bird flu, and we had been planning for this. Our national biosecurity response arrangements have been enacted, with Western Australia managing the on-ground response. They have responded very quickly to the detection with enhanced surveillance. They're working closely with industry, veterinarians, wildlife carers and local communities. My department, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, is leading the national coordination.”
“I want to thank our great member for Moore for that great question. I know that he and many other members in this place, particularly our members from Western Australia, are really concerned over the reporting on the weekend, where I announced that the CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness had confirmed that a brown skua in Western Australia tested positive to the H5 bird flu. Just a few short moments ago before question time, I, together with the Premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook, and Minister Watt, announced that further testing has confirmed H5 bird flu in a northern giant petrel found in the same region. I reiterate that these are two migratory birds. Whilst these two confirmed results are not unexpected, given the spread of H5 globally, they are very concerning.”
“Well, we make no apologies for getting more fertiliser into Australia for our farmers. We want to make sure that our farmers have access—”
“We've now secured six cargoes of around 209,000 tonnes of additional urea through our $7.5 billion fuel and fertiliser security facility, with our work to underwrite this fertiliser being called for and welcomed by the industry. The National Farmers' Federation said they're 'pleased to hear more fertiliser is on its way to Australian farmers' and 'every bit counts'. But, of course, we haven't had any clarity from those on the other side. The three parties over there of opposition have been saying, on one hand, they're welcoming the fact that we're getting more fertiliser. Some of them are saying we're not getting enough. Some of them are saying we shouldn't interfere in the market. They can't make up their minds whether getting more fertiliser for our farmers is a good thing or not.”
“While our government will never compromise on biosecurity, we have introduced a streamlined process to get our fertiliser to our farmers faster. This has been welcomed by Fertilizer Australia, with their chief executive, Stephen Annells, saying they're 'committed to working alongside the government, ensuring that our collaborative efforts lead to sound biosecurity systems and timely access to fertiliser for Australian farmers'. As I've said many times, we do have enough fertiliser in the country or on the water, in terms of the current planting season, but we are adding to this. We want to provide as much certainty in uncertain times for our farmers as we possibly can.”
“I want to thank our fabulous member for Braddon. It's been a real privilege to be up in her electorate with her and talk to farmers and, of course, taste some of Australia's best produce in her electorate too. Of course, we are supporting our farmers because we understand the importance of keeping our farmers farming during this difficult time for them. Just yesterday, I was pleased to advise that more than one million tonnes of imported urea has now been cleared through Australia's strict biosecurity system since the escalation of the war in the Middle East in February—one million tonnes cleared through our biosecurity system that, let's not forget, those on the other side left underfunded when they left office. It's a system now that we've had to strengthen with over $2 billion in additional funding.”
“I want to quote the NFF's media release: Family farms are generational businesses built over decades and often represent a family's life savings and retirement plan. We are pleased the Government has listened. Again I put on the record that we have been working closely with the National Farmers' Federation in relation to the changes. We have also been working with them very closely in terms of the budget and in terms of the current situation in relation to the Middle East. We continue to do that. Even last Friday, we had the NFF go on air and say that the figures that I have used in the parliament, that around nine out of 10 agriculture, fisheries and forestry businesses would be exempt from the capital gains changes under the existing small business provisions—and I say that we continue to work with them. Proposed expenditure agreed to.”
“So I do want to put on the record that we do understand some farmers are doing it tough, which is why we're doing that investment in the Regional Investment Corporation, which is why we have that very significant investment of over $14 billion in terms of fuel and fertiliser security and the ongoing capability of security going forward here in our country. I have addressed some of the issues that people have raised around pests, diseases and trade. I think I've covered off on most of the questions that I was asked, but I also do want to put on the record that there has been a bit of a scare campaign being run around what is happening with the significant changes we are making in the budget in terms of taxes.”
“We are working incredibly closely with the fertiliser sector and with industry to source the urea that Australian farmers need and provide as much certainty as we can in what are clearly very uncertain times. I do want to state that we also, of course, have available at all times assistance to our farmers who are doing it tough. We have put an additional $1 billion into the Regional Investment Corporation from 1 July. We have the new drought hardship loan as well for those that may encounter some of the difficulties, and some farmers around Australia have already applied for that loan.”
“I am having weekly meetings with over 60 representatives of the sector and the industry on how we work with them in relation to fuel and fertiliser. We did get some congratulations from those on the other side in relation to fuel and diesel, and there were some questions around fertiliser. Since the beginning of the war, we have processed through biosecurity in Australia a million tonnes of urea. That has come through our biosecurity system. So the fact that we have underwritten six cargoes of over 290,000 tonnes is not the end of the amount of urea that has been coming into Australia. Since the beginning of the war—since February—over a million tonnes of urea has gone through our biosecurity system.”
“There were also a range of questions about what we are doing to improve productivity for farmers. Obviously the biggest item in the budget is around the security of fuel and fertiliser, which is top of mind for our farmers. As many people have mentioned, the ABARES data that came out yesterday did say that seasonal conditions would impact farmers' productivity and on-farm productivity, particularly in relation to the seasonal conditions but also, of course, through fuel and fertiliser and the impact of the war in the Middle East here in Australia but also globally. That significant investment was welcomed by the National Farmers' Federation and, indeed, by everybody across the sector. We have been working incredibly closely with the industry.”
“I do also need to put on the record, in relation to some of the assertions in some of the questions, that our government is investing over $440 million for the nationally cost shared pest and disease response programs and that there has been no cut in this budget to the pests and disease programs. I do need to be very clear about that. Of course, that comes on top of the fact that our government has invested over $2 billion into biosecurity since we've come to office. Part of the investments that we have made in terms of pests and diseases, to answer the member for New England, is shared with the states and territories. We're investing $592 million in the imported red fire ant issue and the incursion there. So we are working with the states and territories on those.”
“I do want to thank the member for Forrest for going so speedily there through his questions. I also want to thank the members for Paterson, Braddon, Blair, Bullwinkel, Gippsland, O'Connor, Nicholls and New England, who all made contributions today. I'll do my best to answer some of these questions very quickly. Certainly, our agricultural trade, in terms of the trade questions, is the most diversified it has ever been, and we have been working really hard to restore international relationships. We've now had, between July 2022 and March 2026, over 272 market access achievements, and that's new markets open, markets sustained and markets improved, all restoring access where market was lost. So that is incredibly substantial.”
“Sadly, we have had motorists have accidents and die in this area, so it does need to be done, and the Tasmanian state government really do need to get on with it. I look forward to being part of a government that actually delivers on this with the Tasmanian state government.”
“I know that there's been some discussion and to-and-fro between the current city council and, indeed, the Tasmanian state government. I've said repeatedly to the Tasmanian minister that I will continue to advocate and continue to remind them that they need to get on with building. There is work on the on-off ramps into Rosny, which will take some pressure off the Mornington roundabout and then work will deal with the intersection of the Mornington roundabout. As I said, this has been going on for many years now, and, frankly, the state government and the council need to move faster. I'm getting incredibly frustrated, as are local residents. This roundabout is absolutely diabolical, and this intersection is known as one of the worst in Tasmania between these two major highways. Certainly, we want to see these safety upgrades.”
“One of the other upgrades is the South Arm Highway Upgrade that will deliver much needed duplication and the intersection there near the Lauderdale Primary School where the South Arm Highway and Acton Road intersect. Certainly, hearing from the local community for many years now, it's terrific to be able to be part of a government that will deliver—from the federal government's perspective—funding for this notorious intersection, and I certainly look forward to the Tasmanian state government delivering on this important commitment. We're also, of course, investing and continue to invest in the Mornington roundabout. This has been ongoing for some time. I first committed to it two elections ago, and it's great to see the Tasmanian state government finally getting on with the job there and the council as well.”
“Certainly, the Algona Road upgrades, I know, will be welcomed by lots down in that part of my electorate, and it will see the construction of a roundabout at the intersection the Algona Road and Channel Highway and, as I said, the duplication of the Kingston Bypass. Of course, I was the local member when we delivered the first tranche of the Kingston Bypass, and it was very pleasing to deliver that and to be able to deliver this duplication, particularly as the town of Kingston and the Kingborough region is growing at a fast pace. Certainly, we want to see more homes in that area, and whole new subdivisions continue to be opened up in that area. I know it will be greatly received by the local community.”
“I rise today to talk about the important investments in infrastructure that the Albanese Labor government is making in Tasmania and particularly in my electorate—over $2 billion statewide. Today, I want to focus on three particular ones in my electorate. We have allocated more than $60 million to deliver the Algona Road separated interchange and duplication of the Kingston Bypass from Algona Road to the Huon Highway in Kingborough. This area of Kingston Bypass and the roundabout there is known as 'the fork in the road', and it's certainly one of the more difficult roundabouts in southern Tasmania.”
“They seem determined to continue this scare campaign on that side of the House. I answered the questions in the past about how the capital gains tax changes will work, and those on the other side need to stick to the facts when it comes to the changes that we are making. We've been very clear that the capital gains tax changes start from 1 July 2027 and apply only to gains from that date. Obviously, there are generous capital gains tax concessions for small businesses and, according to the latest ABS data, nine out of 10 businesses across agriculture, forestry and fisheries will get that concession.”
“I thought we dealt with this yesterday, frankly—more scare campaigns from those opposite. Let's be honest about this. Yesterday, I quoted the National Farmers' Federation, who are pleased that the government has listened to them, and you coming in here talking about things like this is really not very helpful. The budget is very clear that the capital gains tax changes start from 1 July 2027 and apply only to gains from that date. It's very clear. It's also very clear that, of course, the small-business exemptions that are there mean that a lot of farmers right across Australia will be exempt. Indeed, the latest ABS data says that nine in 10 businesses in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry will be eligible for these discounts.”
“We do know that the war in the Middle East is impacting globally and it's also impacting here at home—with our farmers. We'll continue to stand up for our farmers and we'll continue to shield them as much as we possibly can from the impact of this war, because our government will always back the farmers.”
“This is part of our $14 billion Strengthening Australia's Fuel Resilience package. The CEO of GrainGrowers, Shona Gawel, has welcomed this and has said it 'addresses a number of the priorities outlined in our longstanding fuel security policy'. We've also made changes to get fertiliser to farmers faster. We're getting it into the country, and by streamlining, but not compromising on, our biosecurity border processes, it will get to farmers faster. I'm pleased to see that our work to get fuel and fertiliser to our farmers has also been recognised by those opposite. I want to give a shout-out to the shadow minister who said to Sky News that 'the feedback from farmers from right across Australia is that supplies in the country are going to be okay for the immediate future'.”
“Through Export Finance Australia, we've partnered with Incitec Pivot to support the purchase of two shipments from Indonesia, and the National Farmers' Federation said today that they're pleased to hear more fertiliser is on the way to Australian farmers and that every bit counts. As I have said, we do have enough fertiliser either in the country or on the water today for the current planting season, but we're adding to this to provide some certainty for farmers in the coming months. We have now secured, through Export Finance Australia, six shipments of over 209,000 tonnes of urea through our Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility. Of course, we also have secured, through the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, over 800 million litres of additional fuel, including critical diesel for our farmers.”
“I thank the member for Hunter for that question. He's one of many terrific regional members on this side of the House, and his region, of course, is home to some of Australia's best beef, dairy and wine, although I would like to say my own electorate also has some great Australian produce. But he, like all members on this side of the House, understands the critical role that our farmers, our fishers and our producers have in our communities. Of course, our party have been supporting farmers, and we are indeed the party for our regions. We understand the importance of keeping our farmers farming and keeping our food production system strong. That's why earlier today I was really pleased to announce that our government have locked in over 80,000 tonnes of additional urea through our $7.5 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility.”
“I want to thank the member opposite for that question. I'd say to the member opposite that they really should stop running scare campaigns and they should be presenting the farmers with the facts. Let me quote from the National Farmers' Federation release, the day after the budget, where the National Farmers' Federation said: "In that context, there are several measures in this Budget that are welcome and reflect the Government listening to the concerns the NFF has consistently raised on behalf of farmers." The NFF welcomed changes ensuring primary production income will be exempt from the new 30% trust tax and confirmation there will be no changes to small business capital gains tax concessions. It goes on: "Family farms are generational businesses built over decades and often represent a family's life savings and retirement plan.”
“We're tackling the health system in terms of investments into the hospitals, with around $1 billion a year going into our hospital system in Tasmania, and there is around $900 million a year going into education as well.”
“We've already invested now over $860 million into new housing in Tasmania since the federal Labor government was elected, and we can see homes are starting to come out of the ground in Tasmania because of the investments that we made as a federal government. I must say, as a former minister for housing, I'm incredibly proud of those investments. We've seen around 600 people in Franklin purchase their first home through the five per cent deposit scheme since we've come to office, and I know first-hand from talking to local constituents that the increase in the Commonwealth Rent Assistance of almost 50 per cent since we've come to government is also helping renters.”