Michael McCormack
Riverina · National Party · Australia
“She told the local newspaper, the Daily Advertiser : He shared his personal story and he was just such a brave, compassionate man— and we heard that from the member for Chifley a moment ago. She continued: He was the most warm, caring, generous man.”
“He knew that he was going to succumb to the diseases that were afflicting his body, and yet he used his final months, weeks, days and hours to send a message to the nation about what can be done, what should be done and how we should act.”
“The coalition has concerns from the sector itself about the consultation process, including but not limited to the fact universities had not seen the bill before it was tabled. There are elements of the drafting surprising the actual sector.”
“My thoughts and love and condolences go out to Katie and his children, Emily, Matthew and Lucy. It is a profound loss that they have suffered. I listened closely to the words of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister for Health and Ageing yesterday before question time.”
“There are a lot of Australians out there at the moment who are very angry, and, when there is anger, there is unfortunately a race to the bottom when it comes to healthy debate. I don't need to remind the House about the sovereign citizen movement and what that can do to Australia and the nature and discourse of debate.”
“I do believe that children should be allowed to be children. We saw it in the veterans legislation, where there is now going to be a $5,000 cap on allied health for veterans to access important services. The Labor Party said: 'Trust us. We'll do the consultation over the next 12 months.' It's not good enough.”
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“And that is why the coalition will be opposing this all the way. Even if I am the only voice speaking against it, I think it's bad policy. I think Labor should go back to the drawing board on this, and I think the Attorney-General should do the job that she was elected to do—'she' at the moment; 'he', maybe, in the future. Who knows? It doesn't matter. We've got a good Attorney-General. She should do her job.”
“'The Parole Board will have the powers and functions to make decisions about whether convicted federal offenders are released into the community.' I really worry about this because what we'll see is when the first offender is released by the first woke, wet, leftie board—you can laugh all you like, but that's what they'll be made up of—Ben Fordham and the other shock jocks will have a field day, as well they should. And I hope they refer to my speech as the lone voice against it. I hope they say: 'You know what? The member for Riverina was right. He was a hundred per cent correct, because he belled the cat on this particular piece of legislation, which should not have even been debated.' Why we are outsourcing the work of the Attorney-General to a bunch of so-called experts I will never know.”
“Sometimes you can't be silent when you ought to speak, and I'm speaking because I think this is a folly. This is a risk, and it's a risk to good law and order. I'm no lawyer, and you could probably shoot holes in my argument left, right and centre. But I'll tell you what. I stand here for ordinary, average, everyday Australians who expect better. They expect better from a government which they gave a landslide majority to—in the number of seats, not necessarily the number of votes—at the May election this year. This legislation worries me. It truly does.”
“'The Parole Board bill aims to depoliticise'—go figure that one out—'this process by appointing a board of experts.' Experts? That's a drip under pressure. 'This would include legal professionals, law enforcement, psychologists and victims advocates to assess parole applications based on risk and rehabilitation potential.' You know what we'll see? We'll see these federal offenders making all sorts of wonderful applications and reasons as to why they should be released and why they should be out in the community, and you'll get this bunch of woke wets who'll go: 'Oh, yes—poor little Johnny and poor little Mary suffered a traumatised childhood. They should be released.' I say bunkum! I'm sorry if I'm the lone voice against that, but sometimes you've got to take a stand.”
“I mean, we've got the Commonwealth Parole Board. 'This legislation seeks to establish an independent'—well, everybody's always making as if 'independent' means that they are totally devoid of having political acumen or political decision-making ideas. No-one—let's face it—is really, truly independent. They have to vote for someone. They'll come here with their biases. They'll all be lefties. You can just see it. But, anyway. It continues with 'an independent federal parole authority to replace the Attorney-General'—why? I don't know—'as the primary decision maker for parole or federal offenders'. It says, 'Currently the Commonwealth is the only jurisdiction in Australia where elected officials make parole decisions.' Good! Excellent! Fantastic! Let's keep it that way.”
“Members opposite can disagree with me all they like, but mark my words: down the track, when this becomes law—and we know that it will because you've got the majority, and majority rules; I get that, I understand that, I recognise that—you will see this committee make a decision in the future, and people will just slump their shoulders and go, 'Why did a board designated by the parliament to do a job allow that decision to take place?' They will. Member for Blair, you will too. I think one day in the future you'll go: 'You know what, member for Riverina? You were right.' We'll be in our dotage; we probably already are there. But you'll say: 'You know what? You were right. You were right.' And that's what I fear. I just think this sort of legislation is unnecessary. Why is it happening? I don't get it.”
“Otherwise, why don't we just outsource everything to committees? I saw it when Labor got into power in May— An honourable member interjecting— Let me have my say. Labor got into power in May 2022, and, all of a sudden, they wanted to outsource regional infrastructure to a committee. What have we got now? We've got a pause on regional infrastructure. Ministers should do their job. Attorney-General is the title of the first law officer of the land. I'll say this. I'll put it on the record that I think we've got an outstanding first law officer of the land in the member for Greenway. She is an outstanding member of parliament, and I think she'll make a very good Attorney-General, but I don't agree with this piece of legislation.”
“We have seen it all too often in recent times, decisions made regarding people who came to this country and then, because they didn't have their correct identification or paperwork, they had a little anklet, a little bracelet, put on their leg and were allowed out in society where they recommitted offences. People right across the nation, ordinary, average people—I'll call them Mr and Mrs Average—were outraged. They thought: 'Why is our government doing this? This is not in the best interests of the safety and security of average, ordinary, everyday Australians of our communities.' And they're right. This is what I worry about with this particular bill. I do. You may say that I'm off on the wrong tangent, but I don't believe that we should be outsourcing ministerial work to committees.”
“I really wonder what the member for Greenway thinks deep down in her heart of hearts about this particular legislation. Now, you'll tell me that she brought it to the chamber. You'll tell me that she thinks it's a good thing, but she's outsourcing her work—why would you want to do that—to a board which is not elected, which is faceless— Well, you may think that, but we see these decisions. They crop up in our tabloid newspapers. They'll release someone; they'll let someone out in society who, quite frankly, should not be allowed out into society.”
“These are people who, let's face it, don't have, in my view—and this is my view, and people can have their own view because the great thing about democracy is that you can have a view. I can see the member for Blair grimacing, but you often see these decisions made at committee level that don't concur with what society's expectation are. It'll be like these focus groups that political parties—don't shake your head, member for Blair. Just hear me out here. You know what focus groups are like with politics. It's the person who speaks first and speaks loudest who sways the rest of the committee, the rest of the focus group, with what they think. Then, all of a sudden, the polls are going this way and that way. I really worry when the government of the day outsources the work of the Attorney-General, and we've got a good Attorney-General.”
“She went against, worse still, the police in that state to allow that protest to happen. And what did we see? Well, we saw people waving al-Qaeda flags. We saw people who support Nazism. We saw people who were writing slogans on the Sydney Harbour Bridge: 'This is colonialism. Let's tear it down.' It is one of the most iconic pieces of infrastructure in the world which connects the north with the Sydney central business district, built in the early thirties during a time of great depression, and here we have these idiots, these—let's call them what they are—criminals, wanting to tear the bridge down. They foster hate. And yet now we see a Labor government that wants to outsource parole responsibility to a board. Do you know what we'll see? We'll see a board of woke wets. That's what I fear the board will be made up of.”
“So federal offenders are people who should be locked up, people who need to have justice served on them. And justice must not only be done; it must also be seen to be done. I don't think this legislation achieves what society needs or wants, particularly at this important juncture, where we are in a society where there is so much hatred and there is so much divisiveness. We see decisions made by Justice Belinda Rigg in early August where, despite the protestations of the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, who I also have a bit of time for, and, moreover, the New South Wales Police Force, those brave men and women in blue who go out every day and place their lives on the line to keep our state safe—they objected to a pro-Palestinian march on Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Justice Rigg allowed it. She went against the premier of the state.”
“Now, the board will replace the Attorney-General as the decision-maker for the management and release of federal offenders into the community on parole and licence, including the conditions under which they are released. I know the member for Sturt mentioned those who have mental health issues. We know that 'federal offence' means an offence against the law of the Commonwealth. We know too that a 'federal offender' means a person convicted of a federal offence, and these sorts of offences include drug trafficking—awful, terrible; they take lives. They include child exploitation—nothing is worse than that—social security fraud and terrorism, which is a heinous act against society. Let me put this on the record: whilst people often think blue collar crime is the worst, it's white collar crime which also destroys lives. It does—truly.”
“Now, I like the member for Sturt. I do. I have a lot of time for her. She speaks on just about every bit of legislation, and, for a new member of parliament, I really admire that. I take my hat off to her for that. I respect her for her successful legal profession. I know she studied in London. I know she mentioned the international experience. I know she also referred to the states as having best practice, and this is what the Commonwealth is now going to do. And let's face it: with a 51-seat majority, this will become law—unless, of course, it's held up in the Senate. But the coalition is opposing this particular piece of legislation. The fact that the government is going to rely on a board astounds me. The fact that more people aren't getting up and belling the cat also, I have to say, surprises me.”
“Sometimes, when we look at legislation, as legislators we get mired in perhaps the complexity of the particular legislation. There's no question that the Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 carries with it a degree of complexity. But you don't need to be a lawyer. You don't need to have studied law to know that, once again, we're seeing this Albanese Labor government wanting to outsource its responsibilities. And what do they want to do here? Well, they want to outsource the responsibilities of the Attorney-General to a minister, to a board—a board described by the member for Sturt as having transparency and accountability, a board that will have a carefully managed process. Those deliberations by said board will have at their heart community safety. Well, let's hope so.”
“The member for Sturt and the speaker who will follow me, the member for Blair, are both lawyers, and I respect that. But I cannot understand why Labor wants to outsource what should be the work of a minister—it should be the role of the Attorney-General—particularly to the member for Sturt, who one day may well occupy the Attorney-General's chair. I hope she does. Why would she want to be advocating something that is going to lessen her role and responsibility in the Parliament of Australia? I just don't understand it. There are only four speakers in the Federation Chamber on the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025—the member for Sturt, the member for Blair, the member for Pearce, who will follow the member for Blair, and me—and this is an important bill.”
“You want the best. You want the best for your families. You want the best for your education. You want the best for your future. They are all things that I know that we share in this room and in this parliament. It doesn't matter from what side of politics you are; you are welcome in Australia. This is your home. It's as much your home as it is mine, and I was born here—way too many years ago! But to the many of you who have come to this nation to make it your home: thank you. Thank you for choosing our country. Please know that, if there are matters of importance, you have your local members, whether it's Jim or whether it's me—and I think I can use that term. Please avail yourselves of every opportunity that is available to you in Australia. I say again: I know you've been through a lot; thank you for choosing this country as your home.”
“Hazara women in Afghanistan are particularly at risk of violence and discrimination, as the Taliban have retained control of that country, and that is just so sad. I mention—because all politics is local—Wagga mother Hakimeh Rahimi, who fled Afghanistan in 1995. Back when her story was published by the local newspaper in 2021, she'd been in Australia for eight years. She called Wagga Wagga home. She came to Wagga Wagga—which is a very giving, very multicultural place—because she saw hope and opportunity there that she could not see elsewhere. She was welcomed with open arms by the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, by Belinda Crain, who runs that very august organisation, but also by the Wagga Wagga community as a whole—because we understand, we value, we acknowledge and we recognise you are peace-loving people like us.”
“It was the longest conflict that this country has been engaged in. I heard so often about the educational opportunities, the better life, that it opened up for women in Afghanistan—and you knew that that was a war worth fighting. Sadly, we see the Taliban back in charge. You sometimes wonder whether those outcomes, particularly for girls and women, are still there. But it did open up a pathway for them to study, to employment opportunities and to equality that was not there before. I mentioned Wagga Wagga. Many of the Hazaras have gone to study at Charles Sturt University. Our local Hazara community strongly believes in the value of education. Hazara people are often targeted at schools in Afghanistan, preventing them from obtaining that education—particularly women, who don't get the same opportunities. This is so vital.”
“And I thank each and every person here for coming here to the parliament tonight to listen to this motion. Wagga Wagga, like many other communities in Australia, has a Hazara community. That is so important. The Hazara people have left their homeland, Afghanistan. They've faced ethnic and religious persecution for too many years, over many decades. I appreciate that many of their loved ones are still in the country of their birth, their homeland, and with their families as well, but they have been separated, and my heart goes out to them. There are over 50,000 Hazara people in Australia, many of whom fled Afghanistan during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Australia lost 47 of our bravest and finest during their service in Afghanistan. It was a war that went on for way too long—from 2001 to 2021.”
“At the outset, I want to commend the fine words of the member for Corangamite in bringing this motion to the parliament. I've heard the member for Melbourne make several very personal contributions, and each time she speaks it's well worth listening to. Likewise, the member for Goldstein just now. I want to acknowledge the member for Rankin's presence in the chamber. Normally the member for Rankin and I—as we are now—are on opposite sides. He probably generally disagrees with whatever I'm saying, but I'm sure he's going to agree with me tonight. I want to acknowledge that he's here as a local member, not as the Treasurer. He's here because he cares. He's here with his people, with people who have come to his electorate to seek a better life. So I say to him: thank you for being here for this important motion.”
“I say that as a member who understands how important aviation is not just to the regional economy but to regional people and their health concerns. But there is more work to be done. The government needs to be on the front foot with this. I commend them for what they've done so far, but there is, as I say, more work to be done through this process. The new airline is going to require some assistance—some help, some expertise and some support—and I'm sure that the Prime Minister will provide that. He understands the situation—I thank him for it—but there's still a lot more work to be done before we see blue skies ahead.”
“Many, many people have said to me, 'Oh, but why should the government prop up a regional airline?' Well, why shouldn't they? These people are all city types—you know the ones—who think that it's okay for a free bus to go to and from accommodation and the SCG or the MCG or wherever they might be happening to play a big sporting event but don't think twice about country people. I have to say this became a matter of life and death. Without the air services, without Rex flying in, those in one-airline towns of Parkes and Narrandera and Ceduna in South Australia couldn't meet their medical appointments in a capital city. They couldn't get the doctors and the health professionals and the vaccines and the nurses out to the regional and remote areas. The government understood that, and they acted and they did so responsibly.”
“But they should be trained at Wagga Wagga where they've got the simulator, where they've got the accommodation, where they've got the facility and where they also have, just across the way, the hangar for maintaining the Saab aircraft for Rex, the Saab 340s. That hangar alone puts $12 million into the Wagga Wagga economy. It is perfectly set up and—a parochial call—it needs to be back at Wagga Wagga, not in Ballarat. Also, Wagga Wagga City Council is $210,000 in the red—up the gurgler—because of the Rex situation. The government needs to work through with the new owner what is happening to the creditors. That is a big concern, and it is a big concern not just for Wagga Wagga. We just heard the member for Mallee talking about her home town of Mildura. It is vital that we have country air services.”
“They say in their logo, 'Our heart is in the country,' and it should have remained thus. But they tried to take on the big boys on particularly the Melbourne to Sydney route, and it was never going to work—never, ever going to work. Good luck to them for trying, but it then required the bailout, and I do thank the government—the Labor government—for ensuring that that bailout occurred. I had any number of conversations with the Prime Minister and the transport minister, the member for Ballarat, in relation to this. There is more work to be done. Yes, Air T have come on board—we respect that process—and it was a big sigh of relief. I am very concerned that the Australian Airline Pilot Academy on Don Kendell Drive, as you drive into Wagga Wagga Airport, has gone to Ballarat. That academy is training pilots for the future.”
“The two people foremost in that regard are Warren Truss, the previous member for Wide Bay, and Anthony Albanese, the current prime minister. They actually fully understand aviation and the complexities of making sure that aviation is well supported in this place. I worked closely with the Prime Minister when I was the transport minister, and I thank him for the role he played, with me, to ensure that we had an aviation sector that was viable, because that industry operates on very thin margins. We saw what happens when those thin margins turn into disaster. It happened with Rex. They tried to take on the capital city to capital city routes. It was never going to work for a regional airline that was internationally acclaimed for servicing country people.”
“I thank the member for Mallee for bringing forward this very important motion. I just want to take the member for Gilmore up on a little point she made about Labor representing more regional electorates. I think, if you look at the actual landmass, the actual geographical size of the electorates that the coalition—the Liberal and National parties—represent would far exceed what the Labor Party represents. You have to be honest in politics. I will give a speech now that you would never hear from those opposite. Since my time in parliament—15 years—there have been two people who I know have really understood aviation. It's a complicated sector. It's a detailed industry that requires people who not only get it but love it.”
“We've got a doctor shortage in the bush, and this network is going to provide some, if not all, of the relief for that crisis that currently pervades our rural areas.”
“I have to thank not only those five wonderful young students but indeed also Dr Nick Stephenson, who was chair of the Rural Medical School Implementation Committee I set up in 2011, and Professor Gerard Carroll. Those two provided thousands of hours of voluntary service and time. Associate Professor Adrian van der Rijt, Professor Graeme Richardson, Associate Professor Richard Harrison, Dr Louis Baggio, the former member for Riverina Kay Hull, the former state member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire—succeeded by current member Dr Joe McGirr on the committee in June 2019—worked tirelessly. They worked absolutely feverishly to make sure that this became a reality. It was not only they, but so many others besides. We have them to thank, and we acknowledge that, in the future, this is going to make such a difference for rural medicine.”
“And here's the member for Macarthur. I'm just talking about the rural medical school that you and I opened, Member for Macarthur, and I thanked you for your fine words at that opening. Your timeliness is, as always, perfect. But there are snakebites and there are car crashes, and there are patients with trauma who come to emergency departments that these students would not possibly see or potentially see—one could say 'thank goodness'—in a metropolitan graduates setting. By doing the end-to-end training, there's every likelihood they'll stay in a regional setting. There's every likelihood that they'll fall in love with somebody in that regional setting.”
“These are constituency statements, so I want to mention five constituents: Karin Rezkalla, Grace Smith, Madeline Ingram, James Harrison and Nick Greenberg. They are students of the University of New South Wales medical school at Wagga Wagga. Last Thursday, the member for Macarthur and I opened this facility. In excess of $20 million was provided as part of the $95.4 million Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network. That is a network with facilities and medical schools—in Victoria, at Bendigo, Mildura and Shepparton; and, in New South Wales, at Wagga Wagga, Orange and Dubbo. We know that, when you train young medical students from end to end in a rural setting, 75 per cent of them are likely to stay in a rural setting. I hear 'hear, hear' from the member for Richmond. She knows, as every regional member would, that rural medicine is unique.”
“If it were up to the Greens, quite frankly, if trouble started, they would want parliament recalled. They would want to get their travel entitlements. They'd want to have sit-down lunches and discussions and Senate inquiries and go backwards and forwards. And, in the meantime, the country would probably be invaded. You just can't rely on them. You just simply can't rely on them. That is the truth of the matter. The Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025—provided it meets all the tick-offs and with the ruler being put over it by the right people—is supported, is good and is to be encouraged. But let's never have those teals or those Greens, in any way, shape or form, on this committee or anywhere near its discussions or deliberations.”
“As much as you can, wave that gold and blue flag, but do more than that—put some real, genuine military efforts into helping, in whatever capacity you feel is desirable. But the expected composition of this particular bipartisan committee is seven ALP and six coalition. Any deviation by the Prime Minister to appoint any member from the Greens political party or the Independents would be a captain's call and would absolutely and totally breach any convention and the good faith that the coalition is bringing to this particular bill. We know that the Greens political party do not share our—as in, the political party's—view on how the world should be, on how Australia should stand up its national security. They want to change all things military. They don't believe in even the executive having the authority to send people into war.”
“I was disturbed that the Ukraine ambassador mentioned last week—and it was well publicised—that Australia could be stepping up its efforts and that Australia had not done as much as would have been desired, liked or preferred this calendar year, 2025, to assist and aid the efforts in Kyiv. While the capital of Ukraine is very much protected, and there is a strong military presence particularly in the east of that country, they are under constant bombardment from drones and from incursions. Planes are grounded in that country. People are getting in and out via other means. It is a worrying situation; it truly is. I would implore and ask the government to go back and revisit what you are doing, insofar as helping our Ukrainian friends out.”
“It was also interesting, in the last fortnight, to have had conversations with the Ukraine Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Vasyl Myroshnychenko, and today with the Australian Ambassador to Ukraine, His Excellency Paul Lehmann, in relation to what is happening with Russia's illegal aggression, which has now been going on for way too long—one day would be way too long. But what Moscow is doing in Ukraine at the moment is unforgivable. I was interested to hear Ambassador Lehmann this morning say that one thing you won't see is Ukrainians giving up, and good on them for that.”
“I've heard the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence and many others say on any number of occasions, on the floor of the nation's parliament, that we are living in the most challenging, difficult and dangerous times since the end of World War II in 1945. We are, and we need to be at all times ready. We have what has been going on in the Middle East. I know we've got a very fractured, tenuous and fragile peace being enacted at the moment, but that is a tinderbox that could go up again at any time.”
“The story continued: Days after Donald Trump declared "full steam ahead" for the AUKUS pact, the Australian can reveal the Chief of the Air Force, Stephen Chappell, has initiated reviews of capability and sustainment costs as part of a service-wide push to "mitigate overspending" and "address budget challenges". That is a concern. That is a worry. That is something that needs to be addressed, because, as the member for Gellibrand quite correctly pointed out, if there were ever a time that we needed to be full steam ahead, where we needed to be absolutely putting the accelerator down on defence spending, it is now.”
“Along with the Air Force at Forest Hill, and they do a power of good and a power of work and they produce a power of benefit for the nation's military endeavours. I'm pleased that when Labor won the election in May 2022—I'm not pleased about the fact that they won, but I am pleased about the fact that they have continued with the coalition's military objectives, with AUKUS. What I'm not particularly enamoured about was the recent report in the Australian , in October 2023, under the heading 'Defence orders brutal cost cuts'. The introductory paragraph by Ben Packham says: Defence is being ordered to delay projects, slash maintenance costs and cut workforce spending in a severe austerity drive, as the soaring costs of nuclear submarines and new shipbuilding programs undermine the nation's readiness for conflict.”
“I make no apology for that, particularly as a former assistant minister for Defence, as a former veterans affairs minister and someone who was largely responsible for the more than $1.4 billion being spent to upgrade RAAF Base Wagga and Blamey Barracks, 'home of the soldier', at Kapooka, home of the First Recruit Training Battalion. All of our Army recruits—at the moment they range in age from 17 to late-50s—go through that particular facility. Wagga Wagga is also home to a strategic naval presence, where—Member for Kennedy, you'll be interested in this—we have 80 personnel from the Navy. Member for Kennedy, you would know that Wagga Wagga is a long way away from the nearest drop of seawater, but it's an important strategic base.”
“In September 2021, an 18-month consultation period began into how Australia would acquire nuclear powered submarines and which model it would proceed with. I know there has been a lot of conjecture and I know there has been a lot of debate. I know that during the recent federal election, in one of the lead-up fora in Wagga Wagga, I had equal the most number of opponents as anyone in Australia, as did the member for Calwell. At that particular debate I was the only one of those candidates who supported spending of billions of dollars into Defence for AUKUS, for the submarines.”
“Obviously, since then we've had multiple meetings between the three nations. Prime Minister Albanese met with President Trump recently to strengthen the deal and to ratify the US's involvement in this arrangement with Australia. For America, Australia and the Asia Pacific rim are very vital geopolitical spaces. What is happening with incursions into the Pacific is as worrying for the US, or should be, as it is for Australia. As I said, with US Marines coming into the Top End on a rotational basis, anyone who has been to Darwin at that time of year when the Marines are at their full strength would know how important and how critical Australia's geographic and geopolitical position is for Washington.”
“It will enhance our security with our two most trusted and longstanding friends, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In late 2019, then prime minister Morrison tasked Defence officials to look into the feasibility of acquiring nuclear powered submarines after doubts over the French contract. In May 2021, then prime minister Morrison presented the AUKUS proposal to the full National Security Committee. I was on it at the time. He was given permission to approach US and UK leaders with an official government policy. This was groundbreaking; this was landmark. In June of that year, he met with then US President Joe Biden and then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson—they being the leaders of those two nations at the time—on the sidelines of the G7 and agreed to an in-principle deal. On 15 September 2021, AUKUS was announced.”
“Very much a line in the sand for the conservative side of parliament was the potential appointment of Greens or crossbenchers. With all due respect to the member for Kennedy, who is in this chamber at the moment—I have the utmost respect for him, and he knows that, but I'm particularly referring to the Greens and teals in this regard. They do not share the same values for our military, and oversight thereof, that Labor, Liberal and National members of parliament and senators would have. The defence minister—again, someone I've got the greatest respect for, the member for Corio—has assured the committee that committee members must, firstly, support the Australian Defence Force and increased resourcing for defence. That's absolutely bottom line. And, secondly, they must support AUKUS. When it comes to AUKUS, that is a wonderful thing.”
“I say 'much maligned' because the former senator was unfairly treated. She was. But her contribution to this place will continue, even though she no longer has a seat in the red chamber. The efforts she went to and the knowledge she brought to the military space are very much appreciated and recognised. Then there's David Fawcett. I know his work, too. His intimate knowledge of defence matters has been critical. Australia is unique among AUKUS partners in lacking a dedicated parliamentary defence committee. One would think that this particular amendment and committee will rectify that. For the coalition, it was very much when this was first mooted by Labor—of course, we brought it up initially, but it was when Labor cottoned on to this idea—there was talk about the make-up of this committee.”
“I very much appreciate that, member for Gellibrand. Much of the member's contribution I earnestly agree with, particularly the need for this sort of joint committee on defence. This is why this Defence Amendment Bill is so important. The proposal implements longstanding bipartisan support for Defence oversight. This particular committee was first proposed by the late Jim Moland AO DSC, the late, great senator, who'd probably forgotten more about defence than most of us in parliament will ever actually know. Indeed, it was not only his advice, knowledge and firsthand experience as a very decorated military man. It was complemented by the fact that he wrote very authoritative books on matters pertaining to national security, particularly in the Asia-Pacific. It was also put forward by the much maligned Linda Reynolds CSC.”
“They're doing a great job for sport, entertainment and families, and for the young tradies. This is an outrage. It shouldn't be tolerated. Good luck to the Wagga greyhound club. May it remain open.”
“When you go and close down the industry, as they did—and I can't understand why the Liberals in Tasmania are taking Greens votes by closing down greyhound racing on the Apple Isle—it just makes no good sense. People in country Australia are sick of copping it in the neck. Whether it's greyhounds, environmental laws, fewer doctors, no funding for roads or whatever the case might be, people have had a gutful, and woe betide the New South Wales state government if it then endorses this ill-thought-out, ill-conceived, stupid report that has been presented to Greyhound Racing NSW suggesting that all of those tracks close. Why should they? Why shouldn't they have a sport which, in Wagga Wagga, has been going for 98 long, successful years? Why shouldn't they be able to continue the lease? The Wagga Wagga Showground wants them?”
“When you attack battlers—and that's what the people who attend greyhound meetings are—when you have a crack at them, as the former Liberal-National state government found out, they don't like it. Even people who perhaps wouldn't have ever gone to a greyhound meeting don't like it, because they see people who are doing nothing more than just trying to have a night out. They've improved the welfare of their sport immeasurably—and they needed to, but they have done that. And then you've got people like president Ben Talbot and his hardworking committee at Wagga Wagga and the club at Young and others besides being told that they can't race. Greyhound Racing NSW have got something coming to them, and so has the state government if it goes ahead with this. Bruce Baird, Troy Grant and others found out the hard way.”
“Under a new rule from Greyhound Racing NSW following a report handed to them, the club has to show cause as to why it should remain open. They have spent $200,000 on kennelling. They have spent $20,000 on upgrading their canteen. This is all in recent months—not over a whole host of time but just in recent months. They attract families. They've got three full-time employees and a casual who are all going to be out of work. Wagga Wagga and Young—also in the Riverina—are among these closures. They will also affect Coonamble, Kempsey, Moree, Potts Park, Tamworth and Wauchope by the end of this year, with TAB tracks at Wagga Wagga, Maitland and Broken Hill to follow by June 2026. I'll tell you one thing.”
“It wasn't long after that that we reopened that particular honour roll and eternal flame. Wagga Wagga City Council was successful in applying for a $147,425 grant through the federal government's Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program. I thank the government for that and for the funding. But the point that I want to make is that those young blokes were proud Australians. They were very patriotic and they were so very pleased that they were part of something that they felt was very historic and very special for our city—and, indeed, it is because it honours the service and sacrifice of so many who've gone before us. It wasn't long after that meeting and then the rededication and reopening of that particular important military monument that we learned that the Wagga Wagga greyhound track is due for closure.”