Darren Chester
Gippsland · National Party · Australia
“After four years of the Albanese government, Australians are worse off and our nation is heading in the wrong direction, with the standard of living in freefall. The heart of the problem, why Australians are worse off, is very simple: we're being led by a prime minister who simply can't tell the truth.”
“This is a prime minister who said, 'I won't BS people,' but in question time we cannot get a straight answer out of this prime minister to any question. The Prime Minister told Australians, 'My word is my bond.' Remember that?”
“We need someone like Gemma Rendell to stand up and fight for our fair share as a genuine community champion. I believe in putting locals first. For me, putting locals first means supporting our small businesses, our family owned businesses, right across the electorate of Gippsland.”
“We need those local businesses to survive. Right now, it's pretty tough in the local economy. We need you to be out there supporting local businesses at every opportunity. Winter is not a time to hibernate. Winter is a time to get out and explore Gippsland.”
“Gemma Rendell is an outstanding East Gippslander. Gemma is aiming to create history at the state election in November by becoming the first female member for the seat of Gippsland East. She is a busy young lady already. She's a farmer, a teacher, a young mum, and she's been active in our community for many years.”
“Traditionally, we've had a peak holiday season of eight to 10 weeks over the summer period where all of the accommodation is full and all of the restaurants are busy, but then it's been quiet in winter. Now we're trying to make sure we build on our winter season.”
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“People who may not be familiar with farming and don't like the idea of wild dogs being shot or wild dogs being trapped or the use of aerial baits should go out and join my constituent Stuart when he walks out into the paddock in the morning and deals with the stock losses. Stuart told me the state government rolled back the highly successful wild dog aerial baiting program in the last fortnight, and he says now is the perfect time to bait, as all the young dogs are out on their own and they're the ones doing the damage. Given all the regular issues that we deal with in this industry, we certainly can't afford the time and the cost of this dog issue getting out of hand again. The social and economic cost of wild dogs to our sheep flock is enormous—and to our farmers themselves.”
“Feral animals and invasive species are a menace to Australia's biodiversity and agricultural production. They are costing us $1 billion per year in lost agricultural production, and this is an issue where we're simply not doing enough at state and federal government level. We need more boots and fewer suits. That's more boots on the ground doing active environmental management and pest-animal control, and fewer suits in the cities, making excuses. Just this week, I was contacted by a fifth-generation farmer from the area of Benambra in my electorate, a fellow by the name of Stuart. He sent me photos of the wild-dog carnage on his property from just one night. It's confronting—but it is the reality of a lack of wild dog control measures—to see the impact on his sheep flock.”
“The chair of the Australia-EU Red Meat Market Access Taskforce, Andrew MacDonald, said: To land a deal so far below what other suppliers have secured is genuinely bewildering.”
“Let's start with the VFF president, Brett Hosking, who said: At a time when farmers are getting smashed by devastating water buybacks, skyrocketing fuel and fertiliser costs, we've been hung out to dry for the sake of getting the deal done. It's pretty embarrassing. For farmers, no deal would have been better than what we've been dealt.' NFF president Hamish McIntyre said: Australian farmers are extremely disappointed. They will now pay the price for this subpar EU deal for decades to come. Then we have the Cattle Australia chair, Garry Edwards. He said: … we have been misled by an apparently disingenuous trade negotiation, with amateurs playing a game against professionals. The deal that has been struck is simply appalling for agriculture and regional Australia … It goes on; it just keeps on coming.”
“It was all about that photo opportunity with the world leader rather than a good deal for our farmers. Yesterday I asked the minister for agriculture whether she actually really believed it was a good deal for Australian farmers. Amongst all the waffle, all the spin, all the Labor talking points, she said: 'What I would say to the member opposite is that we're strong advocates on this side of the House for farmers and producers, and that's what you've seen from us since we've been in government.' The minister herself couldn't even say it was a good deal. I give credit to the minister. She's not stupid. She wasn't going to say it was a good deal, because she's been reading the same feedback that I've received. Here's what the peak agricultural bodies have been saying.”
“The deal with the European Union is a free trade agreement for the rich and famous—cheaper EVs and fancy cheese at the expensive local dairy industry workers. I'll come back to that later, but we also have this Prime Minister, who promised to govern for all Australians, happily sinking the boots into one of our most important export sectors—the agriculture industry—just so he could get another photo opportunity with a world leader. The Prime Minister said no-one would be held back and no-one would be left behind. If I could just capture that bulldust coming out of their mouths, I could fertilise the entire country and solve the other crises our regions are facing now. The Prime Minister has fundamentally broken his promise to govern for all Australians. The European Union free trade agreement is just the latest example.”
“Australians are hurting, Australians are angry, Australians are frustrated and, after four years of this incompetent Albanese government, Australians are worse off. This last fortnight tells you everything you need to know about a government that simply doesn't care about regional people. We've had the energy minister with his head up his own—battery. First, he denied there was a fuel supply problem then he said we were scaremongering and then, a few days later, he said it was a national crisis. The biggest crisis right now is the crisis of incompetence in the cabinet room, because we then had the agriculture minister telling every peak body that she knows more about farming than they do.”
“My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. At a time of a national fuel crisis, which is hurting our farmers, the National Farmers' Federation is extremely disappointed with the free trade agreement with the European Union announced today, and said Australian farmers 'will now pay the price for this subpar EU deal for decades to come'. Minister, do you really believe this is a good deal for Australian farmers?”
“Her lived experience, I think, made her perhaps more empathetic than other secretaries in the Public Service may have been. Without her support, we would not have been able to bring in the reforms that we were able to bring in, and under her guidance and her leadership I am confident that we set in train some reforms which will continue to deliver long-term benefits for veterans and their families. I want to finish where I started, in commending the member for Lyne for bringing this motion to the chamber to say, 'Thank you for your service,' to all Australian Defence Force personnel and our veteran community and, finally, to recognise the incredible role that women have played and continue to play in the Australian Defence Force. I wish them safety, security and good fortune as they continue to keep us safe. Thank you for your service.”
“Tracy has retired, but she continues to work tirelessly to support veterans and the wellbeing of their families. I think about the aide-de-camps I had the great fortune of working with: Fiona, Lisa and Libby. Their organisational skills were extraordinary—even trying to keep a recalcitrant National Party minister on time to get to the right place at the right time! The one who has stuck in my mind most recently is Major General Liz Cosson. Liz was the first female major general of the Army, and, not satisfied with that extraordinary achievement, when she retired from uniform she went on to become the first secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. During my time as Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Liz was an incredibly important ally in terms of working to improve outcomes for veterans and their families.”
“This young lady, at 25 or 26, was actually the officer in charge, teaching the big, burly 120-kilo fellow how to do that job. It just goes to demonstrate that you should never assume anything, when it comes to Australian Defence Force, about who's in charge and who's actually giving the instructions. I have met women in leadership roles in our military who have been some of the finest Australians that I've ever had the pleasure of spending time with. I think about Lieutenant General Natasha Fox. Natasha is serving today. She is the first female deputy chief of Army and the inaugural chief of personnel. She has been extraordinary in her efforts to improve the transition for our Australian Defence Force personnel. I think about Air Vice Marshal Tracy Smart, a former surgeon general of the ADF.”
“In that time, I have been exposed to a number of women in leadership roles who have impressed me enormously. I can recall being on a naval patrol boat off the coast of Darwin. The commander of the ship was a female officer, and the way she managed her crew was something quite extraordinary and impressed me enormously. I remember another occasion where I was on the deck of one of the Australian naval vessels, and there was a young lady there who would have been no more than 25 or 26. It looked like she could have been your typical hairdresser standing beside this burly guy of 120-odd kilos with a big, bushy beard. The reason she looked like she could have been your typical hairdresser was that that's what she was before she joined the Navy.”
“In the Navy, it's about 24 per cent; Air Force, 25 per cent; and Army, 15 per cent. I know the service chiefs across all three are working to increase the level of female representation in each of our forces. It's important to note that, since 1899, women have served in the Australian armed forces, but it's only since 2013, when camp combat roles opened up to women—and by 2016 all roles, including special forces entry, were open to women—that they were fully able to participate in any role in the Australian Defence Force. That has been an extraordinary capability boost for our service personnel. I've been very fortunate in this place to participate in the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program and also serve as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel.”
“In joining the motion, I want to not only commend the member for Lyne for presenting it to the Federation Chamber today but also congratulate the member for Bullwinkel not only on her election but on her fine tribute to Nurse Vivian Bullwinkel and the extraordinary story of courage and heroism which occurred on Bangka Island. In that vein, I think it's important that we not only recognise all Australian servicewomen who are serving today and thank them for their service but also thank our veterans for their service to our nation over the past 100 years. It's an incredible contribution to the safety and security of Australia that has been made by women in uniform, and it's something that I think is only appropriate that the House recognises today. Today women make up about 20 per cent of the Australian Defence Force workforce.”
“My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer to the national fuel crisis. Fertilizer Australia has written to the government, warning that further shipment disruptions will 'have catastrophic impacts on domestic agricultural output in the 2026 season'. Given that the price of fertiliser has doubled, what is the government's plan to secure fertiliser for Australian farmers?”
“The average mortgage holder in Australia today is more than $25,000 per year worse off, with extra interest payments, since the Labor Party came to power in 2022. After nearly four years of the Albanese government, we are paying more for everything: insurance is up 39 per cent, energy is up 38 per cent, health is up 18 per cent and food is up 16 per cent, and now we have the fuel crisis. Australians are hurting. After four years of the Albanese government, Australians are worse off and the country is heading in the wrong direction. Only the coalition will restore Australia's standard of living.”
“Australians are hurting. After nearly four years of the Albanese government, Australians are worse off, and they believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. People are frustrated and angry because the price of everything is skyrocketing and they've been left behind by a prime minister who promised to govern for all Australians. Australians are working this mob out. They see the arrogance. They see the hubris. They see the refusal to answer any questions at the dispatch box. Australians know they were lied to by the Labor Party. They were promised a $275 reduction in the cost of their energy bills by 2025, and it simply hasn't happened. It was a big fat Labor lie to get elected. Life keeps getting harder under the Labor Party, and last week mortgage holders copped another interest rate rise.”
“Under the new leadership of the Liberal Party and the new leadership of the National Party, I'm sure we will be able to hold this government to account and continue to deliver on behalf of regional Australians. I'm honoured to be given the opportunity. I want to thank my staff, thank my family and thank my colleagues for showing their support today. Thank you.”
“After 18 years in this place, I am now an overnight success as the new deputy leader of the Nationals. But this is not about me in any way, shape or form. This is about the people who send us here to represent them and achieve good outcomes on their behalf. And I'm concerned that, after almost four years of this prime minister, Australians are worse off and too many people have been left behind by a prime minister who promised to govern for all Australians. The clear message I'm getting from voters in regional Australia is that they are angry, they are frustrated and they want our mob on this side to do a better job too. And we stand ready to do that.”
“Today the Nationals parliamentary party room voted for a new leadership team after the decision by the former leader, the member for Maranoa, David Littleproud, to stand down. And, refreshingly, there was no plot. There was no undermining of David Littleproud. David made the decision himself to stand down as leader. So I want to thank him for his humility and the authenticity he showed throughout his time in the role and thank him for his dedication to a difficult task. In that same vein, I want to recognise the member for Page, Kevin Hogan, who served as deputy leader and didn't contest the deputy's position this morning. Thank you, Kevin, for your service to our party, and I'm sure you'll continue to make a major contribution to the Nationals.”
“So I say to Josh: congratulations and well done on what you're doing to save wildlife in our part of Gippsland. Keep taking that incredibly positive message with your family to the world. Or, as Josh would say on his Instagram account—onya, mate; keep up the great work.”
“Josh will get the call and he'll go out and rescue that animal and nurse it back to health. He is a deeply authentic Gippslander. Deputy Speaker Aldred, I'm sure you've probably seen a couple of his videos. He's a tradie by day and by night; he works night shift. But he's quite an unlikely looking character. When you see him on his Instagram page, you'll know what I mean. He has dreadlocks down to here. He's tattooed. He looks like a reserves player for the Boisdale Briagolong football club. In fact, he is a reserves player for the Boisdale Briagolong football club. He was part of the premiership team last year. So he's a very authentic Gippslander and also a very humble fellow. In fact, his description on his Instagram page is 'just a little Australian family helping out wildlife and getting them back to the bush'.”
“Josh has actually been catching the eyes of people right throughout the world. Josh has 1½ million Instagram followers. He's known as the bloke who saves the wombats in Gippsland. Now, 1.5 million Instagram followers for Josh is quite extraordinary because, along with his wife, Amber, and his daughter, Ashlee, he is somewhat of a self-styled wildlife warrior. In addition to rescuing wombats and nursing them back to health, Josh and his family have also been involved in catching snakes for people on their properties and relocating them back to the bush. He also works with emus, birds of prey, kangaroos, wallabies—you name it. He will help any native Australian animal that has been injured, perhaps, by vehicles or had an altercation with another native animal.”
“Students of Australian politics would know that the totem animal of the Nationals is the wombat. The story of the wombat and the National Party dates back about 60 years. It was known as the 'wombat trail' on the campaign, when the journalists would join the leader of the day and travel throughout regional Australia to some of the more far-flung places. Deputy Speaker Aldred, as a country girl, you'd know that wombats are resilient and adaptable. But wombats are also a little bit obstinate, which is probably something they have in common with the National Party. When they make up their minds, they stop at nothing until they get what they want. So personally I have a bit of a soft spot for wombats. It's probably why my eye was caught by one legendary Gippslander by the name of Josh Neille.”
“Family policies matter because, when families are doing well, our communities prosper and our nation is stronger. I urge those opposite and members on this side to engage in this debate constructively with a view towards improving choice, accessibility and flexibility in our childcare system.”
“Workforce participation should include unpaid care work because it is still work. I must stress that Tapscott and I—we're not opposed to child care. We just want to see some choice. We want to see a situation where there are essential support measures for families, but not everyone is going to want to send their child under three to hours and hours of care in the hands of a stranger. At a time when access to child care is impossible in many areas—and there are those chronic workforce shortages—surely it makes sense for us to develop a system where a little more assistance is provided to parental caregivers, which may encourage them to take on more of that responsibility in those formative early years. Again, I stress that no-one should be judged for decisions they make which work best for their family at that time.”
“Policies that incentivise a return to work have eroded the community around me which I might have once found support in. … … … Policies that could better validate and encourage parents who choose a full time unpaid caregiving role, while also easing financial pressure, include income splitting, caregiver allowances and longer paid parental leave. Parents working longer hours with younger children seems obviously like a situation that is far from ideal for the well-being of families, yet the government seems to unashamedly promote these policies. I generally feel that the government plays an active role in the cultural devaluation of caregiving and consistently prioritises profits over well being. I think concerted efforts should be made to recognise the contribution of unpaid caregivers.”
“The book is a must-read for policymakers who are interested in reforming the system to make it work for the Australian people and make it work for Australian families rather than trying to squeeze every family into a 'one size fits all', 'Canberra knows best' model. Tapscott's thoughts on the issue are well documented over a period of years. They're grounded in the lived experience of a rural mother with professional skills and a desire to change the system for the better. In her submission to the Select Committee on Work and Care, Tapscott argued: … I'm really disappointed with the lack of support for parental caregivers to engage in a caregiving role full time for a child under 3 years of age. I feel it has made my journey as a parent isolating and less enjoyable than it might have been.”
“Not everyone wants to send their child to a formalised environment, and I think government subsidies that are intended to drive that choice need to be reconsidered with a view towards supporting families to make the decision which is right for them and their child. In her book, All Mothers Work , Tapscott also argued that the system needs a fundamental reset because children are a public good. I quote: 'Childcare policy is rooted in the idea that parents could and should be doing something more valuable with their time. With each new childcare incentive, it feels like a slow process of making parent-carers redundant. The agenda is clear—you're of more value in the paid labour force.' Tapscott's right; the system is discriminatory.”
“But we did nothing to address this example, where a single-income household with a parent who opts out of the paid workforce is immediately penalised, because they have no access to the second-income tax-free threshold, which a PAYG working couple can utilise. Income splitting, or treating their earnings as a family income during the early years of a child's life, would be a much fairer system and would enable more parents to take the choice to become a primary caregiver in the crucial early years. Women I've listened to, in my electorate, don't want to be referenced in public debate only as a unit of economic production. They want their worth also measured in their caregiving roles, if that's their choice. They want the extent of their unpaid care work and early education efforts properly valued, recognised and respected too.”
“Even better, it would take the pressure off the formal care sector and reduce the need to build more centres and the seemingly impossible task of finding the skilled staff required to work in them. A parent's decision to stay at home for a few years and be the primary caregiver should not be judged any more than the decision to send a child to a formal care environment. Individual families should have the freedom and the flexibility to do what works for them and their family. But our governments do cast judgement. They cast judgement on families with policies that reward one form of care and punish the other. This is not a party-political comment at all, because, in the coalition government, we also increased the childcare subsidy, just as the Labor Party has done.”
“Not everyone wants to send their child into a formalised childcare environment at a very early age, regardless of the government subsidies that intend to herd them back into the paid workforce before they are really ready to go. Obviously there are cost-of-living pressures here, which are a driving force, but imagine if we actually valued the care given by parents, either mum or dad, and made it possible for more families to look after their own children if that were their choice. The current model doesn't work for many families in Australia today. So the national conversation we need to have is about equality for children—truly valuing the role of parental caregiving and giving families more choices, with an improved system that works for their individual family unit.”
“We are now seeing, sadly, frequent reports of abuse and childcare centres failing to meet the required standards, only adding to the concerns of many Australian families. I want to stress that the overwhelming majority of workers in childcare centres are doing the right thing every day to look after the children in their care, but there is no question that media reports of abuse are adding to anxiety for families, and I am concerned there will be more revelations in the years to come. No-one should feel threatened by this debate and, just as importantly, no-one should be judging anyone else for the decisions they make which are right for them and their families at that time.”
“What we need to see is more flexibility, and it starts with non-judgemental choice. As I said, the Australian government now provides $16 billion in childcare subsidies per year. You don't need to be working to place your children in care, yet the system actively puts barriers in front of parents who want to care for their own children in those crucial first three years of life. This institution based system is fundamentally flawed and struggling on many fronts, with a shortage of long-day-care places in the outer suburbs, childcare deserts in the regions, a lack of trained staff—which is being exacerbated by burnout for those staff who are in the industry—and an exodus of workers to the higher wages in the disability sector.”
“The core of the debate is that we have now reached a point where we have a 'one size fits all' model of institutionalised child care, which has displaced choice and flexibility, with the biggest losers being the children, whose interests should actually be returned to the centre of the decision-making regarding families. The current system has become a high-cost money-go-round, with $16 billion in taxpayer funds going to subsidise child care, which is overwhelmingly a profit driven enterprise. What we're seeing now is that many parents are feeling trapped into returning to work earlier than they wanted to, so they can earn some money to qualify for the childcare subsidy to keep up with their cost-of-living problems. Then they feel guilty because they're spending more time away from their children than they had originally planned.”
“I say, at the outset, to those opposite: there's nothing to be afraid of in either of these documents; they are both invaluable contributions to the conversations we need to have as a nation. This is not some ultraconservative, nostalgic stroll down memory lane to a bygone era with women in the kitchen and men off to work. These are both pragmatic documents which highlight how women have been misled into having their right to choose what works for them removed and how big government dominates the decisions that families should rightfully make all by themselves.”
“Mums and dads across Australia are increasingly concerned they've been sold a dud system by all levels of government when it comes to supporting parenthood—the most important job they will ever have. The current system of institutionalised child care actively discriminates against parents who want to raise their own children. So I welcome the contributions to this debate by author Virginia Tapscott with her book titled All Mothers Work: A Revolutionary Plan to Fix Failing Care Systems and Truly Liberate Women and the Page Research Centre's Raising the next generation : a practical plan to protect children, support parents, strengthen families, and restore genuine choice .”
“I'm often critical of the Canberra bubble, and for good reason. Too many decisions made in this place reflect decisions made in the bureaucracy by people with a lived experience very different to that of the people I represent in Gippsland. The rich diversity of rural, regional and remote communities is nothing like the Australian Capital Territory. We face many different challenges, and they're rarely catered for in the one-size-fits-all approach which dominates Canberra. It's with that in mind that I rise today to talk about how we raise children in Australia and the system of child care, which isn't fit for purpose any more, if it ever was. Australia needs to have a conversation about our approach to supporting families as they raise children because the current system is broken and is completely unfit for purpose in a modern world.”
“My question goes to the conduct of the House. I've noticed this week it has become the habit of the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and occasionally the Leader of the House to stand at the dispatch box and stare at members on this side if they seek to make a point of order. Just before the end of—”
“The redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial is a bold endeavour of inter-generational significance, and it helps to sustain the eternal promise that we will remember them. Lest we forget.”
“According to TripAdvisor, the memorial is the No. 1 visitor attraction in Canberra, and the war memorial is a top rated war memorial in the world. That's a credit to the council, the director and the staff, who do an incredible job to support visitors and respectfully commemorate our military history—most notably, I'd say, by the last post ceremony every evening. I have had the opportunity to go behind the scenes and inspect the redevelopment along with the recently opened sections of the war memorial. This is a national endeavour that Australians can be proud of, and I'm pleased to see the current government is continuing with the project. The coalition will always ensure the Australian War Memorial is properly resourced to fill its critical role of respectful remembrance and commemoration.”
“They want to be able to walk through the expanded Australian War Memorial with their own children and explain their story of service to our nation and not only the service of their parents or grandparents or great grandparents. As the minister of the day, I agreed with memorial's board members that there was a need to increase the size of the exhibition space in order to place more items on display and better tell the stories of our more recent missions. It is part of the healing process for our veterans and their families who have been impacted by military service that their contemporary stories can be told in a meaningful way, and the expanded memorial will allow that to happen in the very near future. It's interesting that Australians seem to want to learn more about our military history, as evidenced by the raw numbers.”
“The $550 million is a lot of money, and I know the director, Matt Anderson, and the council are determined to deliver on the project within the budget and with due respect for taxpayers' dollars, but not a cent is coming from the Department of Veterans' Affairs budget. As veterans minister at the time when the decision was made to proceed with the development, an agreement was reached with Treasury for new funding to be allocated from outside DVA. During the eight years of construction involving this $550 million, the DVA will spend somewhere around $100 billion on supporting our veterans and their families. It is contemporary veterans and their families who are among some of the strongest supporters of this redevelopment.”
“Over the past 30 years, more than 100,000 Australians have served in war, conflict and peacekeeping missions. Today, their stories remain largely untold. The Australian War Memorial redevelopment is modernising and expanding the galleries and the stories we tell of Australian service and sacrifice. For the first time, the memorial will have displays dedicated to Australia's efforts to prevent war and to contribute to peace. So, in commending the project, which is due for completion in 2028, I completely reject the critics who claim the memorial is glorifying war or that the money could be better spent on our veterans. Let's be very clear about this.”
“Bean's guiding philosophy is captured in this quote from 1948: Here is their spirit, in the heart of the land they loved; and here we guard the record which they themselves made. Those words ring true today and explain why the redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial was essential. We are simply adding to Bean's extraordinary legacy. The memorial's purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war or in operational service and those who have served our nation in times of conflict. Its mission is leading remembrance and understanding of Australia's wartime experience. The key reason for the coalition funding the redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial, while we were in government, was to tell the stories of contemporary service in the Australian Defence Force in a timely and appropriate manner.”
“I regard the Australian War Memorial as the most important building in our nation because it lies at the heart of our commitment to remember the 103,000 service personnel who have died wearing the uniform of our Army, Navy and Air Force. It reminds us that the freedoms we enjoy today came at an extraordinarily heavy price. Those who were killed, those who were physically wounded, those who never recovered from the mental scars and the families who supported them in their service are the ones who paid the price for our freedoms, and we must never forget that sacrifice. It was conceived by historian Charles Bean, who witnessed the bloody battles in Gallipoli and the Western Front during World War I, and the memorial took 12 years to build from 1929 to 1941.”
“I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges: (a) the Australian War Memorial (AWM) was built to recognise the service and sacrifice of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel following the Great War; (b) the role of the AWM has grown to encompass all ADF service including major conflicts, peacekeeping missions, humanitarian aid and disaster relief; (c) the AWM combines a shrine, a world-class museum, and an extensive archive; and (d) its mission is leading remembrance and understanding of Australia's wartime experience; (2) notes that: (a) the former Government committed to a major redevelopment of the AWM with early construction work commencing in 2020 and scheduled for completion in 2028; and (b) the key reason for the former Government funding the redevelopment of the AWM was to provide additional exhibition space to tell the stories of contemporary service in the ADF in a timely and appropriate manner; and (3) urges the Government to ensure the independent AWM Council remains true to its mission without political interference.”
“There's money available if you just get your mates in Victoria to provide the matching funding. So I urge those opposite to start showing just an ounce of respect for the motorists in regional Victoria in places like Gippsland and just help us fix the bloody roads. House adjourned at 19 : 59”
“But, when you think about it, it's not that hard to understand because Premier Jacinta Allan, as infrastructure minister in charge of the Big Build and now the premier of the state, has sat back and watched as the CFMEU and bikie thugs have rorted $15 billion of taxpayers' money from Big Build projects. If they weren't wasting that $15 billion on criminal activity, surely they would have enough money to match the Commonwealth's funding of $130 million for the Princes Highway projects in my electorate? So I say to the Victorian Labor Party and to those opposite: just get on with the job of fixing the bloody roads. People are killed and injured in high-speed crashes on roads which have potholes, no shoulders and a lack of overtaking lanes in many areas.”
“Now, after four years, there's still $130 million sitting there in the budget to do work on the Princes Highway, but it depends on the Victorian Labor government providing some matching contributions. How do I explain this to my constituents, motorists, heavy-transport operators and tourists? How do I explain to them when they say to me, 'Fix the bloody roads!' that there's $130 million over there but it's just waiting for the state government of Victoria to actually match the funding? It is extraordinary that the Victorian Labor government are so incompetent, so completely ignorant of the needs of regional Victorians, that they would leave that $130 million sitting in the federal Treasury and not provide the matching funding.”