Tony Zappia
Makin · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Based on the most recent polling, cost of living remains the most pressing issue for Australians, with around 75 per cent of people putting it at the top of the list of issues that matter to them. Another survey has 3.7 million Australians living in poverty, whilst 122,000 are homeless.”
“However, two issues that I believe directly contribute to Australian poverty are gambling and illicit drug use. According to the most recent figures, $32 billion is spent annually on gambling in Australia, with Australians rated as the biggest gamblers in the world per capita.”
“Some 3.9 million Australians recently used an illicit drug, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Both gambling losses and illicit drug use are increasing. In particular, online gambling has increased by over 60 per cent in recent years and cocaine use has surged by 69 per cent in a single 12-month period.”
“Gambling and drug addiction are both, and often together, directly the cause of poverty, homelessness, suicide, divorce, financial stress, crime and other social problems. I welcome the Albanese government's latest gambling reforms, which I believe will make a difference to Australian gambling rates.”
“Every day there is new technology out there—and, yes, sometimes it's expensive—that allows for much more efficient procedures. As a result of that, you would think that perhaps the costs of those procedures would come down. But that hasn't always necessarily been the case.”
“The referral is to a specialist that they don't question, and they have no idea whether they could possibly get the same treatment at a much better rate using another surgeon. It's not often that people shop around when it comes to medical treatment.”
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“Of course, people might still be struggling, but it's making a difference. This government recognises that people are, indeed, struggling with the cost of living and are taking whatever actions are necessary to try and assist, whether it's through the health system savings or whether it's through the taxation systems that we have in place. Yes, there has been some criticism of some of the tax changes that we are making, but, again, it's all about trying to make our system much fairer and much more equitable. The last issue I will touch on in the two minutes I have left is the issue of housing. Again, for the last three or four years since the Albanese government was first elected in 2022, there's been this constant and ongoing debate about housing.”
“The issue of taxation is one that has been debated both here within this place and throughout the community. Again, I say this: I accept that families are, indeed, struggling with cost-of-living pressures. But no government has done more to increase wages for the working people of this country than the Albanese government. We've committed to three tax cuts, we've committed to making the instant asset write-off permanent for small businesses, we've committed to the instant tax deduction of $1,000 for workers, and we've also now included the $250 working Australians tax offset. All of those measures together matter, and I understand that the total package and savings to workers at the end of the three tax cuts that we're providing could be as high as $2,800 for a worker.”
“It is making a difference at a time when our hospitals also need a bit of relief and support in taking the pressure off them. Again, we're seeing that we are getting less people forced to go to hospital, more services out there and less cost to patients, and that's a good thing. On top of that, we know that the Medicare urgent care clinics are going to be secure with $1.8 billion of funding that secures them well into the future. There will be an additional $25 billion of Commonwealth funding for our public hospitals. Again, this is all about making the health system much better into the future. I believe that we are seeing the changes right now, but we will be able to see an even better system as we move forward. There are, of course, a number of other matters that, with the time I've got left, I will briefly touch on.”
“When they become really ill, then they have to end up in a hospital, perhaps get surgery or whatever the case is. If you can treat the issue before you get to that stage, then it's better for the person and also better for the country as a whole. In addition to that, we've seen the Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia. I believe we've now opened 136 with one more to go. That's 137 that will be out there, serving just about every part of Australia. Those urgent care clinics are taking pressure off the casualty departments of our hospitals. People are going to them, and I know that for a fact because I know people who have actually had the choice between going to the local hospital and to an urgent care clinic and chose the urgent care clinic for their medical needs.”
“But that was 18 years ago where we recognised that the system was under stress and we recognised that something needed to be done. Each year, it's been a bit of a patch-up job. The Albanese government, with Minister Mark Butler as the Minister for Health and Ageing, has begun the road to transforming the health system in this country, and it is making a difference. Beginning with increasing the bulk-billing payments for doctors, we are seeing a huge increase in the number of surgeries right across the country that are now bulk-billing. That not only saves people money but also ensures that people who cannot afford to go to a doctor will now do so rather than allowing themselves to become even more ill because they avoid going to a doctor because they couldn't afford it. Therefore, it's actually, in the long-term, a cost saving.”
“Again, it is something that I believe needed to be done. It was done because of the situation we find ourselves in right now and the public demand to do so. But, to the Prime Minister's credit, $10 billion committed in this budget, I believe, is something that he should be recognised for. And, again, I think this will put Australia on a much more secure footing for well into the future. Mr Deputy Speaker, the other matter I want to briefly speak about is something that I know is dear to your heart, and that is health. Apart from the cost-of-living, when I'm out there in the community, the issue that matters most to the people that I speak to is the health system of Australia. I recall going back to the Rudd days where transforming our health system was one of Kevin Rudd's main objectives. Again, it never happened.”
“I am pleased indeed to know that we have some 43 days of petrol, 38 days of diesel and 31 days of jet fuel, when I can recall that those figures were nearly half a few years ago. That is something that I know makes me feel a lot more confident, and I also know that the people out there that we serve consider this an important issue for our long-term security. I commend all of the ministers that were involved, starting with the Prime Minister and, indeed, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Minister for Trade and Tourism and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, for their collective work to ensure that we now have the fuel supplies that we do. More importantly, in this budget, we've committed over $10 billion to ensure long-term fuel security by increasing our fuel reserves in this country.”
“I say thank you to the minister for pushing that through, because it really will make a difference and it will be a welcome addition to funding that goes to South Australia. The other issue that I want to talk about a little bit more at length is the issue of fuel security. Again, this is an issue that I can recall raising myself many times, both publicly and perhaps even in this place—that Australia needed to increase its fuel storage capacity. Again, successive governments, for whatever reason, were not able to do that. We were finally forced into a situation where we did it because of the war in Iran. I was pleased to hear the stats that were provided by the minister for energy today—and, I think, the Prime Minister earlier as well—which said we now have more fuel in Australia today than we did before the Iran conflict began.”
“In this budget, finally, the Albanese government has locked in $230 million to continue the Supplementary Local Road Funding for South Australia for the next decade. In the past, it was only a year-by-year commitment, and I believe in one or two years we might not have even got it. I stand to be corrected on that. But it was a year-by-year commitment, which never allowed the South Australian local government authorities to plan with confidence in the future, because they didn't know until the very last minute whether that funding was going to be made available. The commitment to fund it for the next 10 years and to increase it by CPI is a godsend for South Australia, and I know it has been very, very warmly welcomed by the Local Government Association of South Australia.”
“In the mid-nineties, it was cut, and ever since then South Australia has never received its fair share of local road funding. As a way of topping that up and ensuring that South Australia received its fair share, there was a fund called the Supplementary Local Road Fund for South Australia. That was established, and each year South Australia would get around $18 million to $20 million of additional funding to try and compensate for the underfunding it was getting. That underfunding was based on the fact that South Australia received about 5.5 per cent of the total funding for roads but in fact had 11.8 per cent of the national road network and about seven per cent of the population. So, whether you looked at funding on the basis of population per capita or population per road length, South Australia was getting less.”
“It factors in the uncertainty that we face and, at the same time, tries to correct some of the issues that need correcting whilst ensuring that we have a budget that is manageable and delivering for the people but also a budget that is responsible in terms of its fiscal responsibility. There are a lot of things in this budget that I could talk about, but I want to begin with one that goes back, for me, from before I even came to this place. I was in local government for many, many years. As a South Australian, this issue is incredibly important. I'm referring to South Australian road funding. South Australian road funding, for decades now, has been a matter of contention between South Australia and the federal government.”
“Trying to plan for the future when the issues around you are beyond your control, as we have seen with the bombing of Iran in the Middle East, is incredibly difficult. In fact, I can recall from the first day I walked into parliament. We had policies that the newly elected Rudd government was looking forward to implementing. Things have been derailed year after year—and I say that on behalf of the other side of politics as well, when they were in government. It's never easy when you can't plan with certainty. And yet that is exactly what is happening and why this budget, in my view, given all the conditions, the surrounding conditions around it, is indeed a very responsible budget.”
“The rising tide of human displacement, the rapid change in technology and the frequent change of governments across the world also add to why it is absolutely clear that stability and confidence into the future has never been worse. Right now, throughout the world, the cost of living is the dominant issue facing most people. That's understandable because at the end of the day it's all about individual survival in the here and now. Whilst that is happening—and I understand that the focus is on the cost of living—issues such as climate change and environmental degradation, corporate greed and internal human conflicts in so many other countries are largely being neglected. It is within this context that the Albanese government's 2026-27 budget was framed—that is, within a world of instability, uncertainty and insecurity.”
“We live in challenging times where governments throughout the world struggle to meet the demands of the people they serve. Globally, people feel less secure and less confident in the future than ever before in my own lifetime. It's understandable, because for the last quarter of a century we've gone globally from one crisis to another—beginning with the Twin Towers bombing in the USA in 2001, then the subsequent wars in the Middle East, then the global financial crisis of 2007-08 through to about 2009, then the subsequent rise of ISIS, then being struck with the COVID pandemic across the world, followed by the war in Ukraine and, right now, events in Iran and the surrounding Middle Eastern region. All these are on top of the frequent and destructive natural disasters that we seem to now have on a fairly regular basis.”
“The department's precinct model will allow it to reduce its net lettable area of office space in Canberra by 40 per cent. The proposed works will enable the department to vacate its current lease at the Nishi Building and relocate to new premises at One City Hill. I thank all the members of the committee who participated in the inquiry, and I particularly thank the secretariat for their background work, which certainly assisted the committee in coming to its recommendations. I commend the report to the House.”
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's proposed refurbishment of the residential compound at the High Commission in Port Moresby will provide the first major upgrade to the facility since coming into service 30 years ago. The works will see 39 residences undergo internal refurbishment to address risks to staff wellbeing and rising costs associated with routine maintenance, thereby extending the life of the facility by at least 20 years. Finally, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts's proposed fit-out of newly leased office accommodation at One City Hill represents stage 2 of the department's precinct model. The committee recommended expediency for stage 1 of the move late last year.”
“Not only is the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium vital for the continuing economic prosperity of Townsville; it also plays an essential public education role in the unique marine ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef and allows people to experience the reef without getting wet. The proposed works will allow the marine park authority to continue to offer a world-class aquarium experience for domestic and international tourists and maintain a central place in reef education and research. The works proposed by the Department of Defence at Brindabella Park will allow Defence to consolidate its four existing leases in the area into one while reducing its total leased area and upgrading the fit-out to ensure compliance with modern standards and Defence security requirements.”
“In considering these proposed works, the committee received submissions, held private briefings and conducted public and in camera hearings with relevant government officials and other interested parties. Additionally, the committee travelled to Townsville to visit the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium to see first-hand the condition of the site and also went to the Australian Institute of Marine Science to see some of the aquarium's marine life that are temporarily stored at the institute. After giving due consideration to the evidence that the committee received, the committee is recommending that it is expedient for all of the proposed works to proceed. The committee sees merit in all of the proposals.”
“This report considers the following four proposed works: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority—Great Barrier Reef Aquarium Redevelopment project, for an estimated budget of $161.1 million; Department of Defence—9 Molonglo Drive project, Brindabella Park, Australian Capital Territory, for an estimated budget of $103.9 million; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade—Refurbishment of Australian High Commission Staff Residential Compound, Konedobu, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, for an estimated budget of $37.3 million; and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts—Proposed Fit-out of New Leased Premises at One City Hill, Canberra City, for an estimated budget of $46.4 million.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's report Report 3/2026— referrals made in November 2025 . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—Again, on behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's third report for 2026 and the fifth for the 48th parliament.”
“My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government securing well-paid jobs in South Australia through historic investments in Defence? What indecision and uncertainty has this industry previously faced?”
“Furthermore, several international inquiries have validated claims of killings, rape, torture, brutality and other human rights violations. I have also met with Tamils in my local community who are fearful for the wellbeing of family members and associates they have left behind in Sri Lanka. I urge the Australian government, in conjunction with like-minded countries, to use whatever influence it has to bring peace, security and justice to all Sri Lankan people.”
“Yesterday, I attended a photographic exhibition here in Parliament House displaying the oppression, persecution and systematic acts of violence against Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka. The photos on display, which are only a sample of the many more held by the Australian Tamil Refugee Council, showed horrific examples of the killings, brutality, suffering and misery of Tamil people. The Eelam Tamils claim that the ongoing enforced disappearances, land dispossession, militarisation and cultural destruction of the people and their lands is the continuation of a genocidal process that commenced decades ago and that did not end in 2009 when the civil war ended. The Sri Lankan government and military deny those claims. However, the photos are real and so is the human suffering.”
“For discretionary trusts, which have enabled a lower tax rate through income splitting, the government is introducing a 30 per cent minimum tax from 1 July 2028. These changes are fair, reasonable and consistent with the Albanese government's strive to deliver intergenerational equity. And I expect to say a lot more about the budget in speeches in the coming days. House adjourned at 19:59 The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Lawrence ) took the chair at 09:30.”
“The other notable tax changes are negative gearing, capital gains tax and discretionary trusts. The proposal is that, from 1 July 2027, negative gearing for residential property investments will be limited to new builds and the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount for individuals, trusts and partnerships will be replaced with cost indexation and a 30 per cent minimum tax rate on capital gains. These changes are prospective. Properties held before the announcement will be exempt from the negative gearing changes. Additionally, investors who buy new builds will be able to choose either the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount or indexation and the minimum tax when they sell their property. These changes commence on 1 July 2027.”
“There are also now 16 Medicare bulk-billing practices in the Makin electorate, an increase of 10 since Labor's bulk-billing changes. That all equates to people receiving better health care with fewer out-of-pocket costs. Of course, some hard decisions had to be taken in the budget, and I accept that some people will be disappointed with some proposed changes. In particular, tightening the NDIS eligibility rules and benefits will impact NDIS recipients. However, the scheme is simply unsustainable under its current trajectory. Similarly, the reduction in the private health insurance rebate for those over 65 years of age to around 24 per cent, which brings it in line with the rebate for everyone else, will mean people over 65 years of age will pay on average $240 a year more for private health cover.”
“It also includes making free TAFE permanent; introducing tax cuts for all working Australians; cutting the price of medicines; investing $47 billion into housing; securing Australian fuel supplies and increasing fuel reserves right now, whilst cutting fuel excise by over 50 per cent for three months; increasing defence spending; providing another $25 billion for public hospitals and $5.9 billion to list new medicines on the PBS. In my home state of South Australia, public hospitals will receive a total of $15.2 billion over five years, which is an additional $2 billion in funding. There have now been over 15,000 visits to the Para Hills Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Makin since its opening on 1 October 2024.”
“All this has been achieved whilst the Albanese government delivers substantive long-term cost-of-living support and social justice reforms to communities throughout Australia, including but not limited to the $10.7 billion long-term fuel security investment, 137 bulk-billing Medicare Urgent care clinics to take the pressure off hospitals while saving out-of-pocket gap payments for patients and the 20 per cent cut to student HECS debts.”
“It is in that context that the Albanese government's 2026-27 budget was framed and why it is a responsible budget for the times. No government could have managed the Australian economy better than what the Albanese government has done over the past four years. Whilst the critics scramble to find flaws in the budget, they fail to articulate credible alternatives. Importantly, the 2026-27 budget is not just a temporary fix to the economic stresses and financial pressures people face today but provides long-term enduring reforms for the Australian economy.”
“Over the last quarter of a century, beginning with the September 11 twin towers attacks in New York, the world has gone from one crisis to another. Major conflicts in so many parts of the world, the global financial crisis of 2007 to 2009, the 2013 to 2017 ISIS years, the COVID pandemic between 2020 and 2023, the war in Ukraine and now the attack on Iran have all caused disruption and uncertainty throughout the world. Living costs have risen everywhere, and there is a growing global humanitarian crisis that impacts every country, including Australia. Governments and political leaders are now frequently toppled, whilst political divisions grow wider. Meanwhile, the superwealthy accumulate even more of the world's money.”
“As a final remark, I note that, in the course of the inquiry, the committee received correspondence from a local resident highlighting concerns around PFAS contamination of the area surrounding the barracks and claiming that there had been inadequate consultation from Defence on this issue. While I recognise that the PFAS contamination management and remediation plan for Blamey Barracks will occur in conjunction with the wider Riverina redevelopment project and is not directly related to the current proposed works, I would strongly encourage Defence to proactively engage with residents of the area on this very issue. I thank my committee colleagues and the committee secretariat for their participation and assistance in the Blamey Barracks inquiry. I commend the report to the House.”
“After giving due consideration to the evidence that the committee received, the committee is recommending that it is expedient for the proposed work to proceed. The committee recognises the crucial role that the barracks play in the basic training of Army recruits and that having modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for the recruits to live, train and work in is vital for the workforce planning of Defence as outlined in the 2024 National Defence Strategy. On the site inspection of the barracks, the committee was able to see firsthand the relatively dilapidated state of some of the current facilities, which reinforced the committee's confidence that the redevelopment is required.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's Report 2/2026: Referral made in September 2025 . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—Again, on behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's second report for 2026 and the fourth for the 48th Parliament. This report considers the following proposed work: Department of Defence Blamey Barracks Kapooka redevelopment project, Kapooka, New South Wales. The proposed works have a total estimated cost of $889.2 million. In considering these proposed works, the committee received submissions and held a private briefing, a public hearing and an in-camera hearing with the Department of Defence, as well as conducting a site inspection at Blamey Barracks in Wagga Wagga.”
“So, when we have a snapshot of that across the nation, it will actually save the nation costs, as well as, as I said earlier, individual costs, not to mention possibly life-saving treatment that would otherwise have been missed because the genetic testing was never carried out. I thank the minister who's at the table for his role in bringing this to the parliament. I also thank the previous minister, who did a lot of the groundwork on it as well, because, as the member for Macarthur said, this has been an effort of so many people to bring it to the parliament. As the member for Macarthur quite rightly points out, this is important legislation, and I commend it to the House.”
“And if we have a better understanding of the health issues that the nation is facing, our health strategy is much more targeted and much more focused. That, in turn, means that, in the long term, we will have a much more effective health strategy for the nation. We know that health costs are one of the major costs facing governments of all persuasions, both federal and state. If we're ever going to get on top of managing the health costs of this nation, we need to better understand what the issues are, and we're not going to do that if people are discouraged from doing what now has become a fundamental test—that is, genetic testing—that provides so much insight into a person's health issues.”
“Other speakers have covered this issue very well, and I don't want to go over everything in detail, but in summary —and this is my view of this legislation—not everyone in Australia has life assurance, and many of those people don't have life assurance because genetic testing puts a barrier in front of them. That is, if they have a genetic test and it shows up certain health issues, then it is likely that they will either pay higher premiums or won't even get life assurance at all. That practice has to stop. But genetic testing is also good for the nation as a whole. If more people undertake genetic testing, it means that we as a nation have a better understanding of the health issues that that the nation is facing.”
“It says: Australia's international human rights obligations require prohibition of genetic discrimination Australia's international human rights obligations, including Article 6 of the United Nations Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (UDHGHR) and Article 25 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) … require a prohibition on discrimination based on genetic characteristics, and …specifically refers to discrimination in the offer of life insurance. It is very clear and very pointed that genetic testing should not discriminate when it comes to life insurance. That was the basis on which I suspect much of Jane Tiller's work was focused. I've got no doubt that the work she and her colleagues have carried out has been influential in this legislation finally coming to the House.”
“The member for Macarthur mentioned Jane Tiller, whom I have also met with and whom I also congratulate on her commitment to and focus on this work over several years. Jane is from Monash University, and I met with her in my office on a couple of occasions. She, along with her with some of her other colleagues, including Associate Professor Paul Lacaze from Monash University and Professor Margaret Otlowski from the University of Tasmania, have carried out considerable research over the years into genetic testing and life insurance. I want to quote only one section of a paper that they provided to me at the time. It was a briefing paper related to this issue, which talks about Australia's obligations under certain human rights provisions that we are now signatory to.”
“I also note that this legislation has been the subject of extensive public consultation and public discourse for probably the last decade, if not longer. In 2018, the life insurance industry inquiry of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services recommended a ban on the use of predictive genetic test results in life insurance underwriting be urgently implemented. That was some eight years ago. Today, after so much time, we are finally in a position where legislation has come to this House. Again, as the member for Macarthur did, I acknowledge the work of so many other people, including the members of that committee that I referred to, for their work in bringing this issue before the parliament eight years ago. But along the way there have been many others.”
“This legislation is not simply about stopping discrimination; it is also about saving lives and better managing the health of individuals and the health system of the country. Genetic testing is an effective health management advancement—the member for Macarthur spoke eloquently about that—and it should be encouraged. However, the current use of genetic testing by life insurance companies is a disincentive for people to have genetic health tests. If people make use of genetic testing, they are likely to have a much earlier diagnosis of serious illness and therefore begin earlier, and possibly life-saving, treatment. The ban, however, does not prevent individuals from volunteering genetic test results and the use of these volunteered results in underwriting where this would not adversely impact the life insurance cost and terms.”
“The ban brings Australia into line with similar approaches in other countries, including the UK and Canada, who banned the practice some time ago. As the member for Macarthur pointed out a moment ago, this is a matter that's had a long history. Indeed, back in 2023 I wrote to the minister for health about this very issue, and it is good to see this legislation now before the parliament. Once this legislation is enacted, any breaches of the ban will be subject to a criminal offence and civil penalties, with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission being the regulating body. I understand that health insurance providers in Australia are already prevented from using genetic testing to deny cover or increase the cost of premiums. If that is the case—and it is—life insurance should be no different.”
“Schedule 1 limits the use of genetic information by life insurers—that is the matter the member for Macarthur focused on a moment ago, and which I will come back to in my own remarks; Schedule 2 provides licensing exemptions for foreign financial service providers; Schedule 3 modernises and streamlines Australia's participation with multilateral development banks; and schedule 4 repeals stage 2 financial adviser registrations with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. This is good legislation because it bans life insurance companies from taking into account the results of or information about a person's genetic testing when deciding whether or not they will offer life insurance cover and, if they do, determining the terms and conditions.”
“It's always a pleasure to follow and listen to the remarks of the member for Macarthur, who brings so much valuable insight into the health issues that our nation faces. That was a wonderful example in his contribution to this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025. This legislation, in fact, has four schedules.”
“My question is to the Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Cities. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitments to ensure that Australians have a safe and secure place to call home?”
“We have an obligation, to all those people around the world today who are being treated as slaves, to stop their exploitation. In particular, we have an obligation to ensure that all those children around the world who are used to make products and used as child labour are also freed from their bondage. I believe we can do more. I know that the government is now looking at this issue to try to strengthen the laws, through the Anti-Slavery Commissioner. There is work being done right now to see how we can address this issue. I certainly look forward to reports coming back to this parliament and the laws of modern slavery being strengthened.”
“Yes, slavery produces cheap products, and I guess in the end it's also up to individual consumers to take a stand and try to source and buy products that come from places where they are produced ethically. But the reality is that consumer demand is driven by cost, and cost obviously means that importers look for the cheapest product and don't necessarily source from places that produce ethically. I accept that it is sometimes difficult to trace back to where a product was made, because the chain of supply can sometimes be very complicated. I accept that for any business to undertake the detailed investigations they need in order to know where a product comes from is not always simple. I believe we can do better, and I believe we should do better.”
“We need to ensure that big businesses—because they are the ones who import most of the products that come into this country—have an obligation that they in turn ensure that the products they are bringing in are not produced under slave-like conditions. Whilst our current laws attempt to do that, they simply don't go far enough. I accept that there are a lot of businesses in this country that indeed do the right thing—companies who try to source their products from ethical manufacturers overseas, who take a stand when they know products are produced in places where slave-like conditions are used—but that's not always the case with many other big businesses.”
“I'm not entirely surprised by that, because, with just over half of the world's population living in either extreme or relative poverty, modern slavery is an easy issue for those who want to exploit cheap labour. And we are seeing it throughout so many parts of the world. Human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriages, sexual exploitation and the like are all too common in so many other countries. This is a global problem, and I don't pretend we can solve it alone here in Australia. But we can play our role in reducing modern slavery throughout the world, as other countries have done and are doing. Yes, we do have a Modern Slavery Act here in Australia, but more needs to be done.”
“Whilst Australia has a Modern Slavery Act, and we have appointed former senator Chris Evans as the first Anti-Slavery Commissioner, we must do more to ensure that large businesses do not source products that are produced under slave labour. This is happening too often and in too many places. In fact, the number of people who are currently considered to be treated as slaves around the world is something like 50 million, and the figure has grown in recent years. In a society and in a world where we would have thought that slavery ended 100 years or so ago, it's interesting to note that there are more people today working under slave conditions than there were in decades past.”
“I can recall that in the 1960s or thereabouts there wasn't a single product that was needed for everyday use that wasn't made here in Australia. However, we have gone from having something like 30 per cent of the workforce employed by manufacturing at that time to having more like only five or six per cent, which shows how much we have lost in terms of the manufacturing ability of this country. Again, it is important for Australia to rebuild its manufacturing base not only because we cannot continuously rely on importing products from overseas but also because it builds skills and gives us security. And, to be frank, we have the ability to do so, as we used to do. The last issue I want to touch on is modern slavery.”