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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“Countries such as France, Germany and Croatia have already successfully introduced such legislation which limits light pollution and ALAN. from 12,144 citizens Petition received.”
“The petition read as follows Light pollution caused by excessive Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) has harmful effects on human health, is harmful and disruptive to vulnerable species of flora and fauna, and has negative impacts on the economy, including placing unnecessary loads on electrical infrastructure, which leads to increases in greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Reducing ALAN not only helps to reduce the harmful effects listed above, but can also lead to benefits, such as making streets safer by reducing glare and light trespass, and increasing Astrotourism. We therefore ask the House to interduce legislation to limit light pollution and ALAN, including public and private exterior illumination, ensuring that lighting is only used when and where is it necessary, and is limited to levels which are safe and fit for purpose.”
“I'm advised that the petition has been considered by the Standing Committee on Petitions and found to be in order. This petition is timely as the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Congress recently carried a motion on this very matter. I commend the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance for their efforts in raising a matter which I suspect many people are not aware of, and I draw the matter to the attention of the minister and to the attention of the House.”
“I present a petition with 12,144 signatures organised by the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. The petition is calling for legislation to limit light pollution, specifically artificial light at night. Light pollution has a number of negative consequences, which include ecological impacts on plants and animals, harming biodiversity; human health, especially sleep disruption; energy waste; and a reduction in the visibility of stars and planets, impacting astronomy. At present, there is a lack of comprehensive legislation to address light pollution and its impacts. I note that addressing light pollution does not mean forgoing useful lighting but rather going about it in a smarter way, which might include targeted lighting, choosing an appropriate intensity of lighting or eliminating unnecessary lighting.”
“The committee, therefore, recommends it is expedient that the proposed works are carried out. I commend the report to the House.”
“This will occur by removing 90 per cent of the estimated 140 kilograms of PFAS mass residing in the soil and around the former firefighting training grounds. After conducting site inspections in Rockhampton related to the two inquiries and holding public and in camera hearings into the proposed works, the committee is satisfied with the proposals. The committee acknowledges the efforts of Airservices Australia to ensure that its firefighting stations are up to date and fit for purpose, and there are modernised training facilities to support the expanding workforce. Further, the committee acknowledges the proactive steps Airservices Australia has taken to ensure remediation works on PFAS contaminated sites are carried out efficiently and effectively.”
“Phase 1A of the NexGen works proposes to rebuild end-of-life facilities at Airservices Australia aviation rescue firefighting stations, complete minor works and build cold-drill firefighter training grounds across Queensland and Victoria. The proposed works are intended to support training objectives, comply with regulations and meet workforce capability needs. The works will also ensure that stations receiving the first newly procured ultralarge firefighting vehicles are fit for purpose and capable of storing the new fleet. The PFAS remediation at Rockhampton Airport propose to manage PFAS contamination from affected infrastructure and soil at the former firefighting training grounds at the airport. The objective of the proposed work is to reduce the risk of PFAS contamination to humans and the surrounding environment.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's report for 2025: Referrals made in July 2025 . I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report. Leave granted. This report is the fourth report of 2025 and the second for the 48th parliament. This report considers two proposed works by Airservices Australia. The first proposal deals with the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Services' NexGen project for the upgrade of end-of-life facilities for phase 1A in Queensland and Victoria, which has a budget of $163.4 million. The second proposal is for PFAS remediation works at the former firefighting training grounds at Rockhampton Airport in Queensland, with a budget of $24.975 million.”
“Through his callers and regular expert guests, Leon's program was filled with helpful everyday information. When Leon referred a caller to one of his many contacts, he would always ensure the referral had been followed up. Nothing slipped his mind. Poor health, sadly, brought Leon's six-decade radio career to an end. For the thousands of listeners who regularly tuned into his program, Leon will be remembered fondly and with much respect and gratitude. To Leon's family, his long-time producer, Tammii Caught, and all his radio colleagues and friends, I extend my condolences.”
“I rise to acknowledge the life of radio personality Leon Byner, who passed away on Remembrance Day, 11 November. Through his top-rated mid-morning talkback program on 5AA, Leon became a trusted household name throughout South Australia. Leon was not just a host but a problem solver and a justice advocate for people who had no-one else to turn to. He cared for people who were treated unfairly and was a straight talker, holding government and business leaders to account. Leon would always begin his program with a thoughtful commentary on a current issue of public concern, never taking political sides but focusing on the issue where a local, state or federal government or, at times, industry response was needed—and always giving every person in the firing line a chance to be heard.”
“I say thank you for all you do, year in and year out, in preparing young people in your care for their future as they consider their careers and ultimately make their contribution as future leaders of society. We owe all of those schools and their staff our genuine and sincere gratitude. To the graduates of 2025, I wish you well with your exam results and every success in your future.”
“These are teachers who simultaneously have their own personal lives and responsibilities to deal with—teachers whom I see on graduation nights filled with pride at seeing their year 12s graduate but also showing a touch of sadness as they say goodbye to the young people who have been so much a part of their lives. I thank staff at the following high schools in the Makin electorate: Banksia Park International High School, Endeavour College, Garden College, Gleeson College, Golden Grove High School, the Heights School, Kings Baptist Grammar School, Modbury High School, Para Hills High School, Parafield Gardens High School, Pedare Christian College, Pinnacle College, Roma Mitchell Secondary College, Salisbury East High School, Torrens Valley Christian School, Tyndale Christian School and Valley View Secondary School.”
“The second is the impressive maturity and development of the students, who have reached a milestone in their lives, having completed some 12 years of structured education, and are about to embark on their own direction in life. We live in a time where, for all the supports and mod cons, for young people life can be so difficult. They are constantly influenced by the world around them. Additionally, peer pressure, bullying, self-esteem, image and exam preparation can all be disruptive influences on their lives, in a world that is already bursting with stress and anxiety. No-one understands these pressures better than the teachers who educate, guide and nurture the students on a daily basis at such a critical time in their lives. They listen to their stories and struggles with a sympathetic ear.”
“As we draw towards the end of the year I expect that, as I do, all members of this place will be attending year 12 graduation ceremonies in their electorates. They are special events that I look forward to, and I make every effort to attend the ceremonies of each of the public and private schools in the Makin electorate. Every school has its own individual way of celebrating year 12 graduations, and so they are all very different. However, for all the differences, there are important similarities in all the graduations. The first is the genuine care for the students shown by the respective teachers and other school staff and the reciprocal respect and gratitude students have for their teachers.”
“I see the minister is in the chamber right now, and she probably wants to sum up. In a nutshell, this is simply an improvement that is warranted and arises because, as things change, we need to change the laws of the land to ensure that they are still relevant and applicable to society today. I commend the legislation to the House.”
“I don't know how many of those reviews end up in a decision being overturned. In fact, I say this with respect to all applications that go before the ART. How many of them successfully overturn the original decision? It would be an interesting study to carry out, and it would be important to know those statistics. Without knowing those statistics, it seems to me that the increase in the number of student applications warrants specific focus on those applications. This legislation does that, because it allows the process to be streamlined through applications being heard without the person appearing in person. It's a process which I believe will go a long way towards fixing up the current problem, which is the long waiting list. There are other matters in this legislation that others have spoken of which I won't go into detail about.”
“Simultaneously, timely decision-making will prevent non-genuine visa applicants from using the Administrative Review Tribunal as a delaying tactic, as the member for Sturt alluded to in her contribution a few moments ago. I have no doubt that some of the applications for review are lodged simply to delay a final decision being made. That not only ties up the tribunal's time and resources and puts people in the waiting queue for even longer, but it's also a costly process for taxpayers. It is often used simply as a delaying tactic so that someone can continue to do whatever it is they are appealing against. Again, a streamlined process which reduces the time for an application to be heard will hopefully eliminate some of that as well. Since 2024 we've seen a surge in student visa refusals.”
“This new arrangements means that, in their own quiet time, they will be able to write things down and put together a submission, perhaps with the help of people who are willing to assist them, and then submit it so it can form part of the hearing. This is incredibly important, and it's an improvement on the current process, whereby they would otherwise have to go in themselves and appear. This process will be much more streamlined. It will enable more cases to be heard, and that in turn will shorten the waiting times that people are currently experiencing with respect to their appeal applications. As I said a moment ago, being able to present their case in the quietness of their own home will certainly save people the emotional stress they might feel when appearing before a quasi-judicial body.”
“This is particularly with respect to student visa cases, but I understand there is also flexibility for that to be extended in the future. The point I want to make is based on my experience in the Makin electorate. Many people have come in and said, 'Yes, we will lodge an application for a hearing to be held, but we don't feel confident to front up to the people that are going to sit there and make the decision.' Because they don't know the laws or they don't speak the language well—whatever the case is—they feel somewhat nervous about appearing before a tribunal, which they envisage as being a court setting.”
“In other words, it's a process where one would say it delivers a fair go. Sounds simple, but regrettably that has not always been the case. Too often decisions are made by ministers, their delegates or departmental officers who use their personal judgement and their analysis and sometimes, regrettably, their bias in reaching the decisions they make. We saw that with the robodebt debacle, where a flawed computer-generated process was used to burden people with wrongful debts. As everyone in this House knows, the consequences of the robodebt debacle were devastating for so many people. It's the role of the ART to ensure that the community can have confidence in whatever processes we put in place, from here going forward. Decisions under this new arrangement can now be made on the basis of written materials, without holding an oral hearing.”
“In those intervening months, their lives are effectively put on hold or severely disrupted in a way that certainly causes them severe distress and anxiety. It's important that we have a process that deals with their applications as efficiently as possible. It's just as important that the outcome must be fair and just, which is why the Administrative Review Tribunal is not bound by normal legal framework. It is for that very reason. In fact, it has often been said that law and justice are not always the same. Indeed, a court is a place where the primary responsibility is to administer and apply law. The ART has, I believe, a slightly different role in that it's a process that seeks to deliver justice, common sense and fairness that might not otherwise be found when you simply apply law.”
“Any review process must be speedy, because for people who have lodged a review of their case with the department—and we've already heard that there are some 400 pieces of legislation under which people might challenge a decision—the delays can be both traumatic and even life-changing, as other speakers have quite rightly pointed out. Indeed, for people waiting for a decision, every day can seem like eternity, adding to stress whilst at the same time putting their lives on hold. With respect to that, I'm sure other members of this place would have had similar experiences as me within my office in Makin. We regularly see people come into the office who have lodged an appeal, because they want to challenge a decision, and have been waiting months and months for that appeal to be heard.”
“Since 1975, when the Administrative Appeals Tribunal was established, society and the way it functions has changed markedly. Laws, regulations and processes have changed. Government administrative processes have changed as well. Society has changed. Community expectations and demands have changed. So where a grievance arises, the community must have confidence in the review process that is currently available to them. That is what this legislation seeks to do. It's a legislation that looks at what has happened in the past 50 years and seeks to address any flaws in that legislation, and effectively says, 'How can we do things better?' I believe this legislation will in fact lead us down the path where we will be doing things better.”
“He went on: The tribunal is not to be bound by the rules of evidence but is empowered to inform itself in any way it sees fit. He then ends his speech with: It will provide an opportunity to build up a significant body of administrative law and practice of general application as well as providing the machinery to ensure that persons are dealt with fairly and properly in their relationships with government. Those opening comments, I believe, very well describe the purpose and intent of the then Administrative Appeals Tribunal and its successor, the Administrative Review Tribunal, which is the legislation that we are now dealing with. And albeit the name has changed, it is my view that the purpose and intent of the tribunal never did.”
“It's a pleasure to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and to follow the member for Sturt, who's just given a very good argument and a clear explanation of why this legislation is so important. Some 50 years ago, in 1975, in introducing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Bill, the then Attorney-General Kep Enderby, stated: … the Tribunal is not to be an ordinary court, but neither is it to be an appendage of government departments. The Tribunal is to be regarded as machinery provided by Parliament for adjudication rather than as part of the machinery of departmental administration. Nothing less than a tribunal of full judicial status would be satisfactory for these purposes.”
“I thank the Public Works Joint Committee secretariat for all the work that they did in supporting the committee and putting together the information required for the committee to do its job. I commend the report to the House.”
“The fit-out design is predominantly for open-plan, modular workstations with break-out areas and support facilities. The fit-out will also include a variety of workstations, settings, security services, multifaith and multipurpose rooms, staff amenities and equality of access for staff with disabilities. After conducting an inquiry into the proposed works, the committee is satisfied with the proposal and acknowledges the comprehensive staff consultation process undertaken by the department. The committee encourages the department to continue to prioritise accessibility preferences to ensure the fit-out accommodates the diverse and ever-changing needs of staff. The committee recommends that it is expedient that the proposed works are carried out.”
“The leases of the two existing office sites, 111 Alinga Street and 62 Northbourne Avenue in Canberra City, are due to expire in June 2026, and both buildings are at the end of their economic lives. A precinct model of two existing buildings close to each other is proposed to provide a long-term accommodation solution for the department. The lease period for the new premises will be for 15 years, with an option to extend by an additional five years. As 7 London Circuit has been fully refurbished and is available for an immediate fit-out, it was selected by the department as the centrepiece for the two-building solution. The scope of the works reflects the different styles of working within the department and respects inclusion and accessibility requirements.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's third report of 2025, referral made in July 2025, and I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report. Leave granted. On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's third report for 2025—the first for the 48th Parliament. This report considers the proposed fit-out of new leased premises at 7 London Circuit, Canberra City, Australian Capital Territory, by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts. The total cost of delivery for the proposed fit-out is $32.5 million. The fit-out proposed by the department will use a precinct model to provide for the long-term accommodation needs of its staff.”
“This legislation not only will directly impact on how we can manage another pandemic, should one occur, but, quite frankly, would also ensure that we better manage the economy as a result of what we saw from COVID, which had a devastating effect on so many Australians. I commend the legislation to the House. I hope it is not delayed, because, personally, I'd like to see it kick off on 1 January 2026.”
“Again, this is the lowest, I think, since 2004. The cost of PBS medicines for pensioners and concession card holders has been frozen at $7.70 until 2030. We've established a network of 61 free walk-in adult Medicare mental health centres across Australia, and we're establishing 33 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics across every state and territory. Those are just some of the key matters, but there are a lot more, and I'm sure the minister for health can elaborate on those if he wishes to. The reality is that health is the one single issue that matters to each and every Australian, because at some stage in their life they will need to have access to our health system in one way or another.”
“It has been a priority issue for the Australian people, a priority issue for the Albanese Labor government and a priority issue for the Minister for Health and Ageing, who is in the chamber right now. As a result of that, since 2022 we have seen a remarkable transformation of our health system in this country. We have tripled the bulk-billing incentive, which was initially for pensioners, concession card holders and families with children. From 1 November that will be extended to all Medicare eligible patients, and I note that, previous to that, the coalition government had frozen the rebate for years. We've opened over 90 bulk-billed Medicare urgent care clinics, and there are more than another 40 to come. Labor has delivered cheaper medicines, with a script to cost Australians no more than $25 under the PBS.”
“My view is that, as with all health expenditure, the health costs of doing nothing are always much higher than spending the money up-front, being prepared and saving taxpayer dollars downstream, which is what will happen if we don't set this up and we go through another episode, as we did with COVID, where we saw the costs ballooning right out. Again, the member for New England touched on that and made that very point. So we don't want to do that again. We want to be in a situation where we can better manage an outbreak when it occurs. I will finish on this point and use some examples to justify the point I'm about to make. Having a health system that the Australian people can have confidence in has been a core Labor value for decades.”
“We know that because of people travelling and because of goods being exported from one country to another the risk of disease infection spreading from one country to another is greater than ever before. Again, it is for reasons like that that we need the Centre for Disease Control, as a way of trying to manage the issues if a disease does come to our country. We have seen even in the past couple of decades things like HIV/AIDS and Ebola, as well as COVID, decimating some countries and certainly having an impact right around the world. Setting up the Centre for Disease Control will of course cost money. I understand it's going to cost some $251 million over the next four years and about $70 million annually thereafter.”
“But my view is that this legislation will allow much better liaison between each of the health teams in this country, and it gives the director-general and the advisory council direct access to all the information that is available so that they can make the best possible decision on behalf of the Australian people. We live in a world where people travel more than ever before, where global trade sees millions of shipping containers move from one country to another every year. I was just looking up some statistics on that. I understand that each year around 250 million shipping containers are shipped from one place to another, and on any given day there are about six million shipping containers out there on the seas.”
“When COVID struck there was an urgency to do so, which was indeed one of the very criticisms that we often faced—that we were allowing vaccinations to be administered that had not been properly proven. I can recall getting briefings from our health experts in this country, and I still believe to this day that the advice provided by those health experts was that Australia had in fact taken sufficient precautions before allowing any of those vaccinations to be released. I note that under this legislation the Centre for Disease Control will assume control over a number of existing health functions and that it will collaborate with world health organisations. In fact, the member for New England a moment ago talked about biosecurity issues that he has legitimate concerns about.”
“In fact, when I was a member of the health standing committee of this parliament I heard through one of our inquiries, where we were looking at the TGA approval process, about how cautious the Australian health system is. Many would say that the Australian health regulators are overcautious, too thorough and, consequently, too slow to clear medical advances. Whether that's true is, again, a matter for debate. Quite frankly, I think the overcautious approach of our health regulators can sometimes be in the national interest. But I accept that at times, because of that overcaution, medical breakthroughs are slow in being allowed to be used here in Australia. Nevertheless, having a centre for disease control may streamline some processes and in turn ensure a faster response to health matters when there is an urgency to do so.”
“Of course, it may be argued that the long-term health effects that they refer to could also be attributed to the COVID infection itself. Some of those questions will never truly be answered, and I know that the debate continues. This legislation—the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025 and Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025—better coordinates the national health expertise that presently exists. The proposed director-general and advisory council will ensure both the independence and the health expertise that the community can have confidence in. Australia already has a very thorough and cautious health regulation system.”
“The most common criticisms of the COVID experience that I have come across—I'm sure many of my colleagues in this place have had similar contact with people raising the same things—are that there were inadequate and unreliable medical research and COVID treatment options available to people, that the vaccine response was heavily influenced by big pharmaceutical companies with a vested interest in the vaccines and that directions from the World Health Organization could not always be relied on. There were, indeed, too many mixed messages and too many opinions out there at the time, which left people confused about what they should do. To this day, I regularly hear from people who are adamant that they or their family members continue to suffer from the long-term health effects of the COVID vaccines.”
“In particular, we learned that our national health services must be better resourced and coordinated and that we must have better data shared across all jurisdictions—not only jurisdictions here in Australia but across the world. Hopefully, having a centre for disease control established in Australia, as some other countries have already done, will be a step in the right direction. Importantly, the data should be collected and shared by a body that the community has absolute confidence in, a body that is independent and free of political or commercial interests.”
“Hardly a week goes by without someone speaking to me about the effects of the COVID that they contracted during that period, the effects of the vaccinations they received or, indeed, the economic disruptions they had to deal with at the time that effectively changed their life forever. In the interconnected world that we live in today it is more essential than ever before that we be better prepared for another global or national pandemic. The proposal to establish a centre for disease control, which I understand is intended to commence on 1 January 2026—I hope that is the case and that it is not further delayed—was not only part of the COVID review recommendations. Quite frankly, it's a commonsense response to the lessons that we all learned from COVID.”
“When COVID struck, Australia was not prepared for it and the world was not prepared for it. Indeed, the last pandemic to hit the world was some hundred years earlier. So nobody who was trying to respond and manage the COVID pandemic that hit us had had any previous experience in doing that. The response that we saw across the world varied from country to country, as it did from state to state here in Australia. What is regrettable is that in many cases the long-term health and economic disruptions that hit us between 2019 and 2022 still linger today, some years later.”
“It's always interesting listening to the member for New England. His contribution on this legislation, in my view, sums up exactly why we need this legislation—that is, the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025—which effectively sets up a centre for disease control. All legislation that comes to this place is important. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be before us and it wouldn't be debated. But this legislation is particularly important. Again I thank the member for New England, who raised a number of matters as to why that is so. It's important because it's legislation that ultimately affects every single one of the Australian people, not only because it may directly affect their health but because it also affects the economy and the country in which we live.”
“All of us, all of humanity, equally responsible for its care. We all want a better world to live in, and it is up to all of us to make it better.”
“The world is indeed in turmoil, consumed by global military conflicts and catastrophic weather events. As I reflect on Michael Douglas's speech, I note that all of the problems he alludes to are man-made, driven by greed and addiction to power, yet today we have the means to do things that only decades ago were science fiction imaginings. We have the ability to fix the problems that are causing widespread grief, fear, insecurity and anxiety. The world can be a much better place for all if there is global leadership and a will to change our ways. I conclude with the learned words that Michael Douglas borrowed from American architect Buckminster Fuller at the beginning of his speech. He said: … imagine our world as a shared vessel: Spaceship Earth … A fragile craft, careening through the cosmos, with no passengers—only crew.”
“On equality, the latest Oxfam study reports that the richest one per cent own 45 per cent of all global wealth, that 44 per cent of the population live under the world poverty line of US$6.85 per day and that 29 per cent of the world's population will live with food insecurity. Turning to the Earth buckling under the weight of expectation, I can report that Julian Cribb, in a paper headed 'World water in crisis', references the latest World Meteorological Organisation report. In the paper he states: Half the world's people are already experiencing water scarcity at least one month of the year … By 2050, three quarters of humanity will face drought and water supply shortfalls. He goes on to say that barely one-third of the world's rivers are still functioning normally.”
“On defence budgets, I note that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported that global military expenditure increased to $2.7 trillion in 2024. According to the Global Peace Index 2024, 92 countries are currently involved in conflicts beyond their borders, whilst around 39 countries are listed as war zones. In one of his last communications to the world, the late Pope Francis spoke of two billion people living in conflict. All of these conflicts impact on every other country by increasing the need for humanitarian aid, increasing the number of refugees and affecting trade and travel arrangements.”
“But, regrettably, it is a world where countries compete for the same global resources; where powerful corporates and the megarich have more power than many governments; where global direction is determined behind closed doors; where slavery, exploitation and human rights abuses are all around us; and where those who dare to expose the truth are silenced or punished. In 2024, at least 124 journalists and media workers were killed—the most recorded since the Committee to Protect Journalists began collecting data three decades ago. Many of those journalists would have been deliberately targeted for what they revealed or for what they were about to reveal. Whistleblowers are prosecuted when they should be protected. Julian Assange, David McBride and Richard Boyle are all living examples of that.”
“As a result, inequality within and between countries is an ever-widening chasm … the Earth itself buckling under the weight of exploitation. … … … Money has corrupted politics. … … … We are more divided within our countries along political, racial, and economic lines. … … … We've seen it in rising authoritarianism and political violence. In attacks on the free press and election workers. In a politics of us-versus-them that punishes cooperation, and demonizes the most vulnerable among us. Today we live in a world better connected than ever before. Our daily news and social discourse are as much about overseas matters as they are about domestic matters.”
“At the IPU conference in Geneva in July, on the theme 'A world in turmoil: parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace', actor, activist and UN Messenger for Peace, Michael Douglas, delivered a sobering assessment of the world today. The speech can be found on the internet, but the following are some of his words, which speak of the precarious global issues we face: … right now, the world feels more dangerous than at any point in my lifetime. … … … Nations are spending more and more on machines of war, and less and less on the people they're purporting to protect. As defense budgets climb into the hundreds of billions, millions go without access to healthcare or childcare, food in their bellies or quality education—the true foundations of security.”