Dan Tehan
Wannon · Liberal Party · Australia
“We all remember the budget speech of this year, which had all those toxic taxes and broken promises. Those toxic taxes and broken promises are getting bigger by the day, especially the broken promises. Who remembers the Treasurer saying: 'Reforming and strengthening care.”
“I move: That subparagraph (6)(b) in paragraph (1) of the motion be amended to read: "(b) Opposition member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;" The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade has had a very long tradition of…”
“I think it's really important that that continues, and I hope that the government will support this amendment, which would continue that long tradition and make sure this very important committee can continue to do that important work.”
“I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member from Wannon from moving the following censure motion immediately: This House censures the Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs for comments made today at the National Press Club—”
“on indulgence—This is obviously an issue between the teals and the government. There's obviously been some disagreement about how the House should be managed. Our hope is that the teals and the government will be able to work it out and that this issue won't further delay all the bills.”
“I can tell you that people will vote with their feet at the next Victorian state election unless this is fixed—and fixed quickly. They're sick of standing on their feet for the whole three hours because of this failure.”
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“We need more help and more support on the ground right here and now. I call on the government to act and act immediately. The Western Highway is the main thoroughfare between Melbourne and Adelaide. We have begun the process of duplicating that highway from Melbourne through what is meant to be Stawell, but the sad reality is that duplication has stopped just west of Buangor. I'm calling on the federal government, because the money is there, to continue the duplication of the Western Highway to Ararat. What we have seen in the last couple of years is, sadly, lives being lost because this project has stalled. There is no good reason as to why this project should be stalled. We have to get on and finish the job because, otherwise, sadly, more lives are going to be lost and more people are going to be injured because of road trauma.”
“The email goes on, but I thank Aden for writing to me, because he's picked up the sentiment of what's happening at the moment across south-west Victoria and in large parts of South Australia as well. I once again call on the federal government to support, in this instance, the Victorian state government in providing more support for our farmers at this time. They need it. They desperately need it. I say to the agriculture minister: please come down again, but, this time, make sure you let local members of parliament know you're doing it so we can take you out and so you can hear firsthand what is happening on the ground. I also say to the Prime Minister: you returned my text message through a phone call. We had a very good conversation about what's happening on the ground, but, please, Prime Minister, the time for talking is over.”
“I received an email from Aden Gilding this week, and I just wanted to read a little bit of it out because I think it's something that the federal government need to hear. He says: I'm writing to you as a deeply concerned resident of southwest Victoria. Our region is in the grip of a devastating drought, and the time has come for stronger and more immediate support from government at both federal and state levels. … … … As a result— of this devastating drought— many local farmers have been forced to truck in water, de-stock, or walk away from generations of work. The financial strain is unbearable. But what's even more heartbreaking is the mental toll that this is taking.”
“I think he was an incredibly astute judge when he identified Pope Francis as someone who was deserving of higher office. It is hard to know, but even maybe at that time he knew and understood that Pope Francis would in many ways make a great leader of the Catholic faith. It's an honour to speak on this motion. I conclude as I started: I offer my condolences, my prayers and my thoughts to all Catholics globally, to Pope Francis's family and to everyone that knew him. Most importantly, I offer my condolences to those poor, those underprivileged, those who needed help and support at times of great difficulty and those incarcerated who were touched by Pope Francis. I know he would have left a lasting legacy on them.”
“When you visit Rome, like you see when you see parts of Buenos Aires, it's very opulent, and you can be left with an impression that this is all about power and wealth. But Pope Francis would have none of that. He knew and understood that proper spiritual teaching was directed, and should be directed, to everyone, especially the most unfortunate and worst off. That is what he saw, that is what he focused on and that's what he knew was very much central to his calling. Pope Francis was identified for his calling by someone who, I think, knew and understood the importance of that and also the importance of the church being a world leader; that was John Paul II, someone who, through his own actions in a very different way, showed the important role the Catholic Church could take.”
“The fact that Pope Francis, even when he was in the highest position in the Catholic Church, still deemed it appropriate that he lived in a small unit and that he prepared his own meals said a lot about what he brought to the office. I think it is also incredibly fitting that he always remembered his origins, and that's why he made it part of his responsibility to always be showing, though his leadership, that he knew and understood those origins and the importance of them. We've heard from many speakers of the times when he would wash the feet of those young people who had been incarcerated in and around Rome. It's that sort of messaging that I think is still incredibly important today for the church.”
“I think it's fitting that the first Jesuit pope and first pope from the Americas should come from Argentina and should come from Buenos Aires. For those who've been to Buenos Aires, for those who know and understand Argentina, you know and understand the importance of the Catholic Church to that nation. Growing up in and around that would have given him an extraordinary understanding of the power of Catholicism and the power of spiritual teaching. It also would have given him a very clear understanding of the challenges that still face the globe when it comes to making sure that we spiritually serve those who are well off and those who aren't.”
“It's a privilege to stand here today and follow the fine words of all the speakers on this condolence motion for Pope Francis. Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope, and, as someone who was educated by the Jesuits, I always followed his time in office with a great interest. One of the things that really struck me about Pope Francis was that he truly did practise what he preached. Especially when it comes to those who are in positions of power who want to offer spiritual guidance to us all, there is no greater attribute than practising what you preach. On behalf of all the Catholics in Wannon and on behalf of everyone in Wannon, I offer condolences to his family and thank Pope Francis for his service to the world and to the broader Catholic community.”
“The AFL continues to grow; we're looking at a team in Tasmania. But it was Peter Nixon and those fellow commissioners, from 1985 to 1991, that put Australian Rules football on the path to being a truly national game. He should also be recognised for his work in doing that post politics. I say to Peter's family my deepest sympathies are with you and my prayers and thoughts are with you. Know that you are looking at a giant when we remember Peter Nixon—someone who left a huge footprint on this nation not only as a parliamentarian but in everything he did post politics. I am so glad I knew Peter and I'm so glad I was able to have those wonderful conversations with him. It's so pleasing to see the parliament recognise him, as we are. Long may his memory and all that he did for this nation be remembered. Vale, Peter Nixon.”
“They are probably the most significant years that VFL/AFL football has had in the last 50 to 60 years, and that is no exaggeration. What we had before Peter joined was basically the VFL. There had been some attempts to relocate teams and to grow VFL football into a national game, into the AFL that it is today. Between 1985 and 1991 we saw the formation of the Brisbane Bears, the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows, and the VFL Commission became the AFL Commission—and, really, the rest is history. If you look at the AFL today, that expansion continues. They were difficult times; the Sydney Swans were the pioneers, but to get the Bears established, the Eagles established and then the Crows established—and look not at the Eagles this year but at the success of the Brisbane Lions and the Crows.”
“It's a timber industry town—a lot of milling and also a lot of farming. I've got a very good friend, Kevin Brunt, who grew up in Orbost. His family ran trucking operations there. You also had to be tough to grow up in Orbost; I think that helped Peter Nixon as well. For those of us who know and understand this place, you need a streak of toughness if you are going to survive, and Peter, even though he was a lovely fellow—very friendly, very gentle—did have, underneath, the level of toughness that was required. Peter was also a visionary; we shouldn't forget that. He loved his AFL and the Richmond Football Club but he was also a VFL commissioner and then an AFL commissioner. He served on the VFL Commission and the AFL Commission from 1985 to 1991. You have to remember the change that took place during those six years.”
“And he was also the Postmaster-General. I always have a slight fondness for people who have been the Postmaster-General. Of course, we don't have that title anymore, but my grandfather worked for what used to be the Postmaster-General when he was a young man, after he left school. It was an incredibly important service that was provided right across the nation. I know that Peter always felt it was a great honour to fulfil that role. He was rightly made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1993. I used to ask Peter what he thought kept him so grounded even though he had done so much in his career, and he always said it was growing up in Orbost on a farm as a farmer and as a grazier. That's what kept him grounded. For those of us who have been to Orbost and know Orbost, we know that Orbost would keep you grounded.”
“Now, for those of us who have served for a decade or more, over 21 years is a hell of a long time to be in this place, but he made a significant contribution during all of those 21 years. He didn't waste one day of them. It's quite interesting when you serve for that length of time; the party he served in had three different name changes during that period of time. That shows the length of your service here! He started off as a member of the Australian Country Party, then became a member of the National Country Party and then finally served for the National Party of Australia. He was a cabinet minister for an extended period of time. He was the Minister for the Interior. He was the Minister for Shipping and Transport. He was the Minister for Primary Industry—in those times especially, an incredibly important role.”
“People tend to forget the context in which they came back to power, but Whitlam had basically overseen the destruction of our economy through stagflation. One of the mottos of those times on our side was 'Turn the lights on,' because, basically, people were really worried about what was happening to our nation. Nixon worked very closely with Fraser to make sure that they resurrected the nation. They were very, very good friends. It showed you how important it is; if we're going to work together, you have got to make sure that there are those friendships across the political aisle when it comes to the Liberal Party and the National Party. He had a long career in the federal parliament—over 21 years.”
“It wasn't just Menzies who took on a mentoring role with Peter Nixon. After Menzies retired and the sad and sudden passing of Harold Holt, obviously McMahon took over, and Peter Nixon had an incredibly close relationship with him even though they were very different personalities. And then, of course, under the Fraser government Nixon almost became an equal with Fraser and the other giants of that time in the way they governed this nation. It's a bit of a lesson for us on our side of politics that Peter Nixon always stood up for the Fraser government. Sure, there are always things that you could do better, but they steered this nation through the aftermath of the complete and utter wreckage of this nation by the Whitlam government.”
“He was someone who had incredibly sound and astute judgement, and I always found it fantastic to have conversations with him about politics, because I knew I was talking to someone who'd lived through some great eras of coalition government. Not only that, but during those times he was someone who always reached across the coalition aisle and understood that a successful coalition is the best way that this country gets governed. We've heard references to his relationship to Menzies. It was wonderful to hear and see about the mentoring role that Menzies took with Peter Nixon. It showed how important it is, especially when it comes to the right side of politics, that there really shouldn't be a party barrier to how we grow, support, make sure we stay strong and make sure that we are a party of government in this nation.”
“It's a great honour to follow a former leader of the National Party and former deputy prime minister to speak about Peter Nixon. I got to know Peter Nixon through the Richmond Football Club. As a matter of fact, pretty much every time I went to a Richmond game, Peter Nixon would be there, and I was incredibly fond of Peter Nixon. He was someone who always greeted you with a really big, warm smile, was always up for a chat and loved the Richmond footy club. So, when you went to the football to get away from politics, he would always understand that and would always be happy to talk football with you. But every now and again, the conversation would get onto politics.”
“My question is to the Minster for Climate Change and Energy. Electricity prices are now 32 per cent up since Labor came to office. Some households are paying more than $1,300 for their electricity. Minister, do you still stand by the Prime Minister's commitment to the Australian people of a $275 cut to power bills by the end of this year? Or is the Prime Minister saying things he knows aren't true?”
“I say this to the Victorian state government, and I would ask the Prime Minister and the minister for infrastructure to take it up with them. The job that they have done on that bit of road hasn't been done properly. They're having to go back time and time again to fix potholes. They didn't finish the job properly. It means that my constituents are having to fix flat tires and broken rims, and our industry is penalised. I say this to the pair of you: make sure they do— (Time expired)”
“I'm glad the Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government are here, because I want to talk about road funding. It's the No. 1 issue in my electorate of Wannon. When we were in government, we allocated $60 million to the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy. It's a key, crucial bit of road that not only allows people to travel to and from work but also enables the very important industries—dairy, timber—to be able to get to market. That $60 million has finally been invested into the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy. The Victorian state government sat on that money for an eternity. We welcome the fact that it's been spent, but I know the Prime Minister would agree with me that, if you're going to do a job, do it properly.”
“Following what I think most members of the House would have thought was incredibly bad behaviour by a member of the Senate on Tuesday—it was incredibly disrespectful to Her Excellency the Governor-General—I was wondering whether you have heard whether the Senate has taken action and, if they have, whether you could update the House about what action was taken. I think we'd all like to know if there has been action taken.”
“The services are not there for our populations at this time, and there is a real need for a focus again—and I made this point earlier—on making sure that governments at both the national and the state levels know and understand that you have to govern for everyone, for all people. Immediately after the federal election, I was on a fire truck heading to Spring Street because of unfair taxes being placed on community volunteers in my electorate. That is just one of many issues which are becoming more and more apparent, of the complete misunderstanding of how our communities work and function. You need to know and understand it, and I'm going to make sure, in this parliament, that I'm here to remind you of that.”
“I will not stop, through the next three years, doing everything I can to work with you to make sure that we can get investments into these much needed programs, because they are critically important. I will end on this note. What we're seeing in our communities in regional and rural areas is a feeling that government, at both the national level and at the state level, have forgotten us. We do not feel that we are part of the national agenda. We feel like, in many ways, we are being used in so many ways it's not funny, whether it be for the energy transition or whether it be for fixing society's problems. Crime is becoming an ever-more-present issue in our communities when it wasn't there.”
“For the Cobden Recreation Reserve redevelopment, there was $1.45 million. For the Colac Bike Park, there was $300,000. For Derrinallum skateboard park, there was $300,000. For fencing for Premier Speedway Warrnambool, there was $350,000. For the Western Eagles' female-friendly facilities, there was $450,000. For the Portland Football Netball Cricket Club playground, there was $69,295. I thank all the community groups that worked with me to advocate for those funding commitments, and I say to you all that I will continue to work tirelessly to get outcomes for you. I have written to all relevant ministers federally asking them to prioritise these projects so that we can make sure that we can bring them to fruition.”
“For Ararat Headspace—incredibly important for Ararat—there was $3.1 million. For the Sikh Community Centre's Warrnambool meals service, there was $90,000 for construction of a commercial kitchen. For CCTV at Lava St in Warrnambool between Liebig St and Banyan St, there was $55,000. For CCTV at Lava Street opposite the Kermond's and Coles entrance, there was $55,000. For CCTV for the Port of Warrnambool breakwater, there was $55,000. For CCTV for the corner of Raglan Parade and Fairy Street adjacent to Max Hotel and Macy's Bistro, there was $55,000. For CCTV for the Beaufort Fire Brigade, there was $8,787. For an upgrade to the Timboon Demons' multipurpose netball courts, there was $496,000. For the Colac Imperials Football Netball Club's new netball court, there was $389,000. For CCTV for Portland, there was $250,000.”
“For the Beaufort Bowls Club's female-friendly facilities, there was $112,000. For female-friendly facilities at the Birregurra Football and Netball Club, there was $450,000. For Dartmoor's female-friendly change facilities, there was $350,000. For the Warrnambool Football Netball Club's women's shelters and female-friendly facilities, there was $300,000. For the redevelopment of the Elliminyt Recreation Reserve, there was $3.3 million. For the Port Fairy Football Netball Club community sports hub, there was $1.5 million. For the Skipton community and recreation hub redevelopment, there was $2.35 million. For the construction of a purpose-built lifesaving facility at Warrnambool, there was $7.65 million. For the Cavendish Football Netball Club's female-friendly change rooms, there was $1.28 million.”
“We've run out of excuses. The money's there. We need to get that finished, because, sadly, people are dying as a result of it not being finished, and that is simply not good enough. Not only that: we can then get on to the further duplication between Ararat and Stawell, and onwards. I know the member for Mallee absolutely supports that call as well. I say to my communities as well that for every one of my election commitments that I made—and they were numerous—I want to try and make sure that we do everything we can to keep them on the government's agenda, both federally and at the state level. I want to place on record what those commitments were. For the Portland multipurpose indoor sporting facility's changerooms and amenities—that's the Portland Basketball Stadium—there was $1 million.”
“Can I say to the Minister for Infrastructure, Catherine King: federally, $60 million of federal money went into that road, and you should be ensuring, as well, that that money is spent efficiently and effectively. It's not just that section of road where you have to make sure that that happens. The Western Highway between Ballarat, your home town, and Beaufort, where we've also invested heavily, is deteriorating before our eyes as well. Potholes keep popping up every single time it rains, and we need to ensure that that bit of road is fixed properly, plus the duplication. I know the member for Mallee is hot to trot on this as well. The duplication between Buangor and Ararat needs to be finished, and it needs to be finished quickly, because, sadly, that piece of road had seen growing tragedies occurring on it, and there is no reason.”
“She said, 'Even though there are still large amounts of work which need to be done on this section of road, I've been advised by the Department of Transport and Planning that the works are now complete and that no further works are scheduled for this section of the Princes Highway in the 2024-25 maintenance program.' Can I say to the minister: that is simply not good enough. If you do a job, do it properly. Surely, that has to be a fundamental principle of any good governing. So I would ask her to pop down the road. Get outside of your office in Melbourne, and drive along the stretch of road between Warrnambool and Port Fairy. I think you'll clearly see that that response isn't good enough for my community. You have to do better. I hope you will, because, as I've said, we should be governing for all people, no matter where they live.”
“Yet by the time it was finished there were still large sections which hadn't been fixed. There were large potholes that were still there on the side of the road, and my constituents, rightly, were wild. I embarked immediately after the election on writing a letter a day to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King; to the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan; and to her roads minister, Melissa Horne. I finally got a response from Melissa Horne, the Victorian Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and Minister for Health Infrastructure. I've got to say, I was incredibly disappointed.”
“One of the things I have great pride in is having fought to get significant road and rail infrastructure funding for my electorate. It's not going to stop and it will never stop, because those needs continue to grow, sadly, because we've had a Victorian state government who has failed to invest into our road and rail infrastructure. Sadly, what we saw over the last term of the Albanese Labor government was a reduction in that investment as well. Since the election, I have been doing everything I can to make sure that our want, our need, for more road investment and for more road maintenance funding continues. As a matter of fact, there was $60 million that the last coalition government put into the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy that was finally enacted upon; that road was upgraded to an extent.”
“Whether you are with the Liberal Party or the National Party—like my good friend here, the member for Mallee—or our political opponents, well done on your election as well. I say to the people of Wannon that one of the fantastic things about campaigning is being out and about, meeting people and hearing about the needs of our communities and seeking to deliver on those. Over the last three years, I was out and about, and I did countless listening posts. We were racking up 100 listening posts a year and doing numerous community events to find out what the needs of the local communities were. As we know, roads are the No 1 priority. I say to those opposite: never ever forget or underestimate how important roads are to rural and regional communities right across this nation.”
“To all those who stood, I say: thank you for being prepared to put yourself forward and for being prepared to participate in the democratic process. It is that preparedness to participate which ultimately is so important for us to have a proper functioning democracy. As I said earlier, it has never been more important that we have people who are prepared to put themselves forward. I also commend everyone who was elected to this place for the first time at the 2025 election. I point to the member for Monash, who is here with us today, and say: well done to you and all the class of 2025. Being elected to this place is something which is incredibly special. It's a great honour. To everyone who achieved that, I say: well done. To everyone who was re-elected, I also say: well done.”
“Their great aunt is 105. To her, who I think is my oldest supporter in the electorate of Wannon, and to all those young people who supported me: just a huge, huge thankyou. It is a team effort that gets you to this place. With that in mind, I also thank my wonderful office staff. I have two offices, given the size of the electorate. My office staff work tirelessly. They worked harmoniously, and they did a fantastic job. So, to all my staff, including my shadow ministerial staff, for the way you came together as a team to back and support me: I will not forget. A huge thankyou to you all as well. Can I also take a moment to thank all the candidates who ran in Wannon. Democracy requires people to want to stand up and put themselves forward for election.”
“That is going to be a big challenge but one that I'm looking forward to taking on. I thank not only the people of Wannon for putting their trust in me but also those who helped and supported me to win the last election. The last election was a full-on battle in the seat of Wannon. We have calculated that my opponents spent roughly $2 million trying to win the seat of Wannon—an extraordinary amount of money. Yet, through fantastic grassroots community campaigning, we were able to ensure that that $2 million did not lead to the outcome my opponents wanted. To those 1,700 people who supported me in one way or another in grassroots community campaigning, I say thank you, one and all, for your efforts. It's funny: I bumped into someone in the corridors today and they said their great aunt is one of my biggest supporters.”
“Whether we've been in opposition or in government, I've always sought to work hard to represent the people of Wannon to the best of my ability, and I will continue to do so, because I see my job now as probably more important than it ever has been. Especially in representing a rural electorate, one of the things we have to ensure is that this government does not get arrogant, does not get full of hubris and does not forget that it needs to govern for all Australians. Sadly, in the state of Victoria we aren't seeing that. We are seeing more and more complete and utter neglect of those outside major cities. This is to the detriment of the state, and I do not want to see this occurring nationally. Every single day I will be reminding government that good government of this nation means governing for all people, no matter where they live.”
“Obviously after this 2025 election I sit on the opposition benches, and I look over at the government benches and it is quite overwhelming, the decision that has been made by the Australian people as to who should govern this nation. But that doesn't mean that on the opposition benches we don't have a huge responsibility, because good government relies on good opposition. You only have to look at some of the examples of state governments and territory governments around the country, both past and present, to see that if you do not have good oppositions you do not get good government. That is not good for states, for territories or for this nation. One thing I commit to the people of Wannon is that even though we're in opposition I will be working just as hard as I always have.”
“If we're not vigilant and if we're not careful, all those long-term gains that we've made in ensuring that liberty goes to the heart of forming governments around this nation will be eroded away. I think that call to be ever vigilant is as prominent now as it ever has been. I place on record my thanks to the people of Wannon for once again placing their trust in me. It's not a trust that I take lightly. It's one which, to me, gives a great level of responsibility. I've always sought to fulfil that level of responsibility to the best of my ability, and I will continue to do so in this, the 48th Parliament. I've seen the highs and lows, in my time as the member for Wannon, both on the government benches and on the opposition benches.”
“It's a great honour to be able to stand again in the House of Representatives chamber following my sixth election as the member for Wannon. This will be the sixth parliament that I have participated in, and this is the 48th parliament that this great nation has ever held. It's quite incredible when you look at those numbers—48 parliaments. It shows in many ways how young our democracy still is and I think is a lesson to all of us as to how important democracy is. We should not take for granted in any way that we have the greatest opportunity globally to be able to form government, and that is through democracy, because the sad reality is that, as we look internationally, more and more tyranny is coming to the fore again.”
“There was a joint sitting in the Senate earlier today. There was the use of a prop by a Greens senator which I think all of us found incredibly disorderly and disrespectful to Her Excellency the Governor-General. I was wondering whether you would be able to speak to the President of the Senate to see what possibility there is for action to be taken regarding the use of such a prop at an occasion like that. It was—I think I speak for most members of the House, if not all—incredibly disrespectful.”
“Now, for every dollar the Victorian state government puts in, the federal government under Anthony Albanese only puts in $1. We need to change that and we need to change it quickly because everyone in Victoria knows that the Allan Labor government has no money. It's broke. If the Commonwealth doesn't put in more money, we're not going to see that immediate attention given to our road network. What else will we do? We will make sure that there is no offshore wind farm off the coast of Port Fairy and Warrnambool. Chris Bowen has tried to ramrod this project through our local communities, and we will make sure that it doesn't go ahead. We will continue to roll out community projects and we will fund them in the budget, unlike this Anthony Albanese Labor government, which put no new funding for those regional community projects in the budget.”
“That means, for an average family, especially in a rural community like mine in a rural constituency like mine, the electorate of Wannon, they would immediately save in the first year between $750 and $1,500. That is immediate cost-of-living relief. We will make sure that we also manage the economy properly. We will put downward pressure on inflation. We will put downward pressure on interest rates. That is what sensible economic management will achieve. We will make sure that we address the cuts that we have seen to road funding. The two major roads that run through my electorate, the Princes Highway and the Western Highway, have seen the contribution made by the federal government to their maintenance and to improving those roads drop. For every dollar the Victorian state government put in, we used to put in $4.”
“This nation is at the crossroads, and the next election is going to determine which direction it takes. That is why it's going to be absolutely vital that the coalition wins. If we have another three years under Anthony Albanese and his failed Labor government, we're going to see cost of living continue to increase and we're going to see our living standards continue to fall. Those living standards have fallen faster than at any time in this nation's history. What do we need to do to get Australia back on track? The first thing we need to do is provide immediate cost-of-living relief, and that is what we would do. We would halve the fuel excise on the first day the parliament sits with a new coalition government. What does that mean?”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. In Labor's cruel hoax of a budget, 1.8 million new arrivals are predicted to live in Australia over a five-year period. Can the Prime Minister guarantee that this number won't go beyond two million?”
“They just put out the call for volunteers, and 110 to 120 volunteers just turn up and put on the event. So you've got people there in their utes and in their tractors. They'll be pushing the cars and getting them going. When there's a smash, as occasionally there is, the tractors will be making sure they're picking up the cars and getting them off the track safely. You've got the wonderful volunteers in the cafeteria. Deputy Speaker Vasta, you'll love this, and I'm sure the member opposite will love this too: the fries in the cafeteria at Simpson—it is all volunteer run—are the best chips in the Southern Hemisphere. That's how they advertise them—”
“As a matter of fact, what this government has done is make the situation worse, because, through the sheer incompetence of switching off the 3G network, they've actually reduced the coverage rather than improved it. That is why I was so proud to be a member of a coalition government that put the Mobile Black Spot Program in place to start with and saw it deliver, through the advocacy of local community groups and local towns in my electorate, nearly 40 new mobile base stations. I want to make sure it continues. Let me give you one example of why we have to make sure it continues. Recently, I was at the Simpson Speedway. The Simpson Speedway puts on the best sprint-car entertainment that you will see, and guess how they do it. It is all volunteers. They put on about 11 meetings a year. Do you know how they run them?”
“Does it mean we rest on our laurels? No, it doesn't. It means we continue to keep going. But what do we need to make sure that we can keep providing improved mobile phone access in Wannon, right across Victoria and right across regional and rural Australia? You need a coalition government, because guess what this government, the Albanese Labor government, has done. They've decided in the budget not to have any more Mobile Black Spot Program after the year 2027-28. That is simply not good enough, and we won't stand for it, because we know that we need to keep delivering improved mobile phone reception into the electorate of Wannon and right across rural and regional Australia.”
“Mobile phone coverage is absolutely vital in regional and rural Victoria—in particular, in the seat of Wannon. That is why I was so proud to be a member of a government, a coalition government, that put in place the Mobile Black Spot funding. We put that in place in 2014. Since then, it has delivered nearly 40 new mobile phone towers in the electorate of Wannon. We have received more than our fair share as a result of that coalition program, and it wouldn't be in place if it weren't for a coalition government. I remember taking Paul Fletcher, the then minister for telecommunications, up the Victoria Valley and impressing upon him the need for us to get improved mobile phone coverage. That in part helped us to get that fund in place and to deliver nearly 40 new mobile base stations in Wannon. That has been a fantastic achievement.”
“That is what the community is calling for, and I ask VicRoads and the Victorian state Labor government to listen and to act. I seek leave to table this petition.”
“All they are asking of VicRoads and the Victorian state Labor government is to be listened to, to be heard and for action to be taken. I call on VicRoads to take that action. There are two ways they can do that immediately. The first way is to immediately address maintenance issues with regard to the part of the Hamilton Highway between Darlington, Derrinallum and Lismore. They must make sure they're looking at these maintenance issues and putting in the funding that is necessary to take the Hamilton Highway to a place where it's safe to travel on, where it's not full of potholes and where the edges are not eroding away. That is the first thing we want VicRoads to do. The second thing we want VicRoads to do is look at the 50-kay speed limits in two of the towns on the Hamilton Highway.”