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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,285 lines we hold for Michael McCormack, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 19 of 26.
“Much has been made, in recent years and decades, of the river system we have in Australia. Unfortunately, there are some in this country who would think of our river systems and think of a European situation. Our river systems are not that. They are very much ephemeral rivers—they'd probably call them streams in other countries—and Australia is not Europe. It is not. We have a situation where we have flooding rains followed by droughts, and we can't convert our river systems, particularly the ones in South Australia, and pretend as though they are a European system, because they are not. In 1828, Sturt followed the Macquarie River through the Macquarie marshes to the Darling River.”
“When it comes to the environment, that is a practical means to be able to protect the environment and increase farmers' wealth. When we do that, we're doing a good thing for and on behalf of all Australia. The member for Sturt is from South Australia, quite obviously, and it's really important that, when we look at the context of a bill such as this—a non-controversial bill, perhaps—we look at history. The explorer Charles Sturt made three expeditions exploring the river systems of south-eastern Australia. Quite often, the boats or canoes were carried on people's backs rather than being used to float down the Macquarie, Murrumbidgee and Darling rivers to the Murray River and then on to Lake Alexandrina and the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia.”
“I heard the member for Sturt mention the eradication of feral pests. This is a debate, after all, and I acknowledge that in her contribution. I well recall when I took then prime minister Scott Morrison to parts of Queensland to look at the drought. We're always in the country of drought. Indeed, as Dorothea Mackellar quite correctly pointed out in her poem, 'Core of my heart', we are a nation of flooding rains and droughts. At any given point in time, somewhere in Australia will be beset by drought. The member for Sturt is quite correct about what she points out about feral animal eradication. The dingo and dog fence that was funded by the former coalition government led to an increase in lambing rates in those parts of Queensland, and elsewhere where we rolled out that fence. Farmers were reaping the benefits.”
“You've got the chance, in these few hours, to think long and hard about the veterans, about our heroes and about your RSL clubs and to do the right thing not just for yourselves and your communities but for the heroes who made this country what it is today.”
“The House of Representatives has just voted 90 to 49 to deny our wonderful veteran heroes medallic recognition for their bravery. But there is another opportunity—members will get another chance to right this wrong. It's too important not to do just that, when you've got teenagers such as Teddy Sheean and Richard Norden, who each, by their very actions, deserved a Victoria Cross for Australia and were recognised as such decades after their gallant actions. In the future, such efforts will not be recognised, and that is such a shame. Then, of course, we've got the 10 members of D Company who put their lives on the line, at Long Tan, to serve. To recognise them was the right and just thing to do. Labor members, you don't always have to go along with the caucus. You can do what's right.”
“They didn't go out into the battlefields, the jungles, the deserts, the air or the sea to achieve greatness for themselves. They did it for their mates. They did it for their comrades. They did it for their country. They did it for freedom. They did it for the flag. And today is National Flag Day. They fought under the flag.”
“We're shunning them. We're telling them that if it wasn't within 20 years then we don't care. It's not right. And, yes, I am upset. I am really upset. But the emotion I'm showing is nothing compared to the emotion our RSL clubs will be showing. I'm not a veteran. Those veterans who gave so much for our country deserve better. They truly do. I cannot understand, I cannot fathom or contemplate, why the minister thought this was a good thing. Minister, it is not too late. I cannot understand, if this went through a cabinet process, why those important people around that important table thought that this was a good idea. Why are we doing this? Why are we tarnishing the memories of those veterans who could, potentially and deservedly, receive recognition for their efforts?”
“And it's no coincidence that, if you go from the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and walk a direct line, you will go past the Menin Gate lions, through the front door of the Australian War Memorial, that shrine of remembrance brought to us by Bean, that great Australian, and you walk a direct line straight through the front doors of this place, the house of the federal parliament, through the cabinet room and straight to the front door of the Prime Minister's office. It was done deliberately that way so that we would never ever forget that we owe the free and fair democratic society and the parliament to that place, that shrine put in place by Charles Bean, who thought it up on the battlefields of World War I, so that we could remember. And what are we doing today in the House of Representatives? We're spurning them.”
“They did what they did for the loyalty and the service and the dedication and the application that they were taught when they put on that khaki. That's what our soldiers do. That's what those who proudly wear the white or the blue of the Navy and the RAAF do. And we owe them the respect and the honour to make sure that, if they go above and beyond—and every one of them does—and they had that particular piece of valour, that gallantry, that moment where they go above and beyond and it's overlooked, it's forgotten, it's neglected by the process or we have some military tribunal that doesn't see fit to award them at the time, then there should at least be a pathway down the track for recognition. We owe them that much. They place their lives on the line so that we could have a fair and free democratic society.”
“Get down to the chamber and stick up for your veterans, just for once! This is important. It might not seem that vital or that critical, because we have a cost-of-living crisis and we've got lots of debates in this place which, granted, are probably considered far more important, but you've got Teddy Sheean and Richard Norden getting posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross because we had a process in place that went beyond 20 years. You've got those other 10 who put their lives on the line at Long Tan in the jungles against overwhelming odds, outnumbered. They didn't think that they were doing what they were about to do because they might get a piece of tin on their chest to march down the street on Anzac Day on April 25. They didn't give that a moment's thought, but they did what they did for their mates.”
“It's okay to change your mind for the good, in the national interest. It's alright to say, 'I got it wrong.' It's not alright to push on regardless. I'm pleased the minister is in the chamber. I note that we have the absence of Labor speakers on this particular bill. We had the member for Sturt, a new member. And I grant that she had the talking points from the government to push the point. I note we don't have any of the crossbench. We all know what they're like when it comes to whistleblowing and when it comes to veterans matters per se, the teals dripping in pious pontification and sanctimony. And that's what they are. Where are they when it comes to sticking up for what's right? No doubt they're listening to what I'm saying. If you are and you're on your monitors, get down into the chamber and stick up for your RSLs.”
“No-one was prouder of the fact that those brave dozen received their awards than their own families. Why are we debating the process for future Victoria Cross for Australia recipients—they'll be nonrecipients now. Why are we debating this? Why are we meddling in medalling? It just does not make sense. I would appeal to the minister's good heart—and I know he has a good heart; I know he does. I think he should withdraw what the government is proposing. There would be no shame, Minister, in doing just that. There would be no criticism from the RSLs, from veterans, from families or from those who are still alive who feel as though they have been let down by the system. They would say that the minister went to the parliament, had a piece of legislation and changed his mind. You can be wrong, you know.”
“And then we have Frank Alcorta OAM, the late Barry Eugene Magnussen, Colonel Francis Adrian Roberts OAM, Neil Raymond Bextrum, the late Ronald Howard Brett, Ian Martin Campbell, Noel John Grimes, Geoffrey Michael Peters, William Alfred Roche and the late Second Lieutenant Gordon Cameron Sharp—10 Australian soldiers, heroes all, who were recognised for their bravery more than 50 years after they fought in the Vietnam War's Battle of Long Tan. Those 10 men and Teddy Sheean VC and Richard Norden VC would not have received the recognition, that medallic tribute, had it not been for an appeals process—a process put in place to look at decisions made or the fact that they were overlooked at the time of their gallantry—which in more recent times has given them their due honours.”
“I want to acknowledge and thank the veteran community for your advocacy for the appropriate recognition of Private Norden. I'm so glad that especially today we can acknowledge Private Norden's gallant actions with the Victoria Cross for Australia. What has changed, Minister? What is different now that wasn't the case back then? The minister, when he said those words, when he uttered those phrases, was absolutely correct. Private Norden from Gundagai absolutely deserved a Victoria Cross for Australia, just as Teddy Sheean deserved a similar honour.”
“No-one knows this more than those who have bled for this country—those people who have chosen to protect and serve; those brave men and women who have shown such pluck and courage; those who have gone through the gates of the home of the soldier, Blamey Barracks, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, in Kapooka, near Wagga Wagga; those who have served our Navy and potentially gone and served it at Forest Hill, Wagga Wagga; or those who have served where air power starts, at RAAF Base Wagga. I'm very proud of each and every one of them. The minister at the table, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, on 11 November—Remembrance Day and Armistice Day—last year said this: Private Norden personified the ANZAC spirit—disregarding his own safety to put his mates first.”
“If there is one piece of legislation which says everything about this Labor government, it is this one. You can laugh all you like, Minister. You can mock this, but I am, frankly, galled by what we are debating today. I've got respect for the Minister for Veterans' Affairs—I do. The minister, the shadow minister at the table and myself have all been ministers for veterans' affairs. It's a tough role. You have to have respect. You have to have a listening ear. You have to pay homage—you must—to the service and sacrifice of those who have proudly worn the uniform of Australia, the uniform of freedom.”
“However, these figures can also be interpreted by entry and exit rates. For example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 362,893 businesses exited in 2023-24. That was a 14 per cent exit rate, proving my point about how very tough it is. I do question—as part of this bill, which is obviously related to small business—why the government has chosen not to renew the employment, the commission, of Bruce Billson. I believe Bruce Billson was the best small-business minister this country has had, and I say that being a former small-business minister myself.”
“In Australia, a significant number of new small businesses close within their first few years, and that's just the way small business operates. It is tough being a small business operator. I know; I've run one. I've been in a partnership with two others running a media and publishing company in Wagga Wagga. It's tough work because, often, you are taking home less pay than the workers you employ. It's a great reward to employ someone—it really, truly is—because you're giving somebody the hope and opportunity to have a better life, improve themselves and develop their skills, but it is really tough work to keep the doors of a small business open. The rate of failure of a small business—a proven statistic—is around 20 to 30 per cent closing in their first year, increasing to about half or more within three years.”
“Bankruptcies in Australia averaged 679.61 companies from 1999 until 2025, reaching an all-time high of 1,448 companies in March 2025 and a record low of 192 companies in January 2021. I ask a couple of questions: who was in government in March 2025? That would be Labor. Who was in government in January 2021? That would be the Liberal-National coalition. It's no surprise, it's no coincidence and it's no great shock that Labor is not the government for small business. The definition of a small business can be varied, but, if I were really sarcastic, I'd say a small business these days is what would have been a medium or large business when we were in government, because Labor has this unique way of turning medium and large businesses into small businesses.”
“We are spending an inordinate amount of time—and I am, too—talking about the treasury laws amendment, about whether, quite frankly, it covers pay-and-go and tap-and-go and all these sorts of things. We should be thinking about our priorities just a little, because it's absolutely no comfort for those people sent to financial ruin by the criminal collapse of this particular fund, this particular superannuation situation. I heard the shadow minister for small business talking about small business in his contribution and how it related to this particular amendment bill before us. It's interesting to look at some of these statistics on small businesses. In 2025, bankruptcies in Australia increased from 1,309 companies in June to 1,362 companies in July.”
“Evidence of misconduct was mounting long before investors saw their balances drop to zero, and the government has every right to feel as though it lacked complete oversight of this. When I say 'every right', it probably should be 'every wrong'. It's facing backlash for sitting on a Senate report into ASIC's failures for more than a year, with the watchdog being criticised for failing to stop the collapse before it happened. Here we are, in the House of Representatives, whilst this collapse is taking place and 40 people are working feverishly to find out where the money has gone, why the money has gone and how the money went, and these poor people are left high and dry.”
“I know the member for Hughes was very excited by it all, but tell that to the likes of Adelaide couple Garry and Michelle Thomas. They've had a $240,000 nest egg tied up, and it's vanished overnight. These people are financially ruined. They are going to have to work every day for the rest of their lives to even make up some of the shortfall. I say 'some' because it will be only some. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is investigating what its deputy chair, Sarah Court, described as misconduct on an industrial scale. There are now 40 people working on finding out about the 12,000 Australians who are victims of this. Forty people—it's too little, too late. We should have better oversight of these sorts of things.”
“We're not the only ones. The former RBA governor Philip Lowe has also expressed those views very much lately. I know that the RBA needs its independence. I get that. It's Australia's central bank. Obviously, it's got a very important role, which it's had since 1960, when it took over various functions from the Commonwealth Bank. But, if anyone who had superannuation tied up with that particular company I mentioned—$1.2 billion has gone from that company; it has ruined lives—is listening in to this parliamentary broadcast, they must be wondering why we are getting so worked up over legislation which, whilst it's important, is perfunctory legislation. It is going to go through whether or not our amendments are adopted and accepted.”
“But, if you're out listening to parliament today or if you're viewing proceedings, you would be questioning, particularly if you had your superannuation tied up with First Guardian and Shield Master, why this place is not spending time questioning that. Whilst I appreciate that this treasury laws amendment bill is important and whilst I understand full well that, for small business, it has time constraints and limitations and is an important piece of legislation and law, the real finances that this place should be discussing today and isn't have to do with the collapse of this particular superannuation company. The coalition does support this particular bill's objectives, but we do have concern over the lack of parliamentary oversight over the Reserve Bank and the Treasurer's decisions, particularly this treasurer, the member for Rankin.”
“We have heard from the member for Goldstein, the shadow minister for small business outline the coalition's position on this particular bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payments System Modernisation) Bill 2025. We have before us amendments put forward by the shadow assistant treasurer, the member for Cowper, which I encourage the House to adopt. We just heard a very animated speech by the new member for Hughes, and I applaud his enthusiasm. A person who obviously has studied economics and finance at university, the Wollongong university, he talked about payments and 'the plumbing of commerce'. It's a good line—a very, very good line. As somebody who has run a small business, I know that is very true. I know he got very worked up about the speech, which he and/or his staff have taken quite a bit of time to prepare.”
“Brielle Ayres; Tayla Collins; Annie Corbett; Georgia Jackson; Stephanie Lezaich; Grace Cox, the junior young woman; and, of course, Will Day, as I mentioned. Congratulations too to the rural achiever from last year, Michael Roffe. These young people are outstanding, and they want to see shows succeed. Whether it's Wagga Wagga's, first held in 1864, or any of the district shows around—Ganmain puts on a wonderful show. Get yourself to Wagga Wagga Friday and Saturday 12 and 13 September. You won't be disappointed. It'll be a show to remember.”
“Rural agricultural shows are, as the winner of the Junior Young Woman of the Year from the Wagga Wagga Show last year, Lucy Goodyer, pointed out on Saturday night, at a very special dinner, the heartbeat of our local communities. She is so very, very right. I really like the comments made by Rural Young Achiever awardee Will Day, who talked about drone mapping, data analytics, livestock genetics and soil science: 'There's so much innovation happening every day that people just don't see.' He wants to see more of a bridging of the gap between metropolitan and regional communities, and one way to do that is through the local shows. Attend one soon. I was really impressed with the young women who put their names forward to represent Wagga in the show competition. They have been so good for so long.”
“It's been delivering for 40 years, and I'm more than happy to acknowledge that. As a coalition government, we were proud of what we did in the bulk-billing space and proud of the fact that we did keep Medicare going. We've got the best health system in the world—we do—and, as an Australian and a member of this parliament, I'm very proud of that fact.”
“The member for Kooyong was talking about how piecemeal this legislation is. They never tell us what they will do. They'll bag Labor and they hate the Liberal-National coalition, but they'll never actually tell us what they'll do. They're always that pious group that have aways got every answer to every problem, but they'll never give you the solution. They'll tell you how terrible the major parties are going, but—like independents, always—they're just, quite frankly, nothing more than an inbox for complaints. They pretend as though, make out as if, they're the panacea for all the nation's ills and woes but never tell you exactly what they'd do if they were in government. Seriously, it's just a joke. But I appreciate this particular legislation is important. Medicare is important.”
“We've got a very proud record of supporting a strong PBS in Australia—a very strong record—whereas, in stark contrast, when we took over government in 2013, under Tony Abbott, the Labor government at the time had stopped listing new medicines because they couldn't manage the nation's finances. That is a sad reality. That isn't a furphy. That's actually the truth. They capped the number of new medicines that could be considered for listing on the PBS, and that created unacceptable delays for patients whose lives very much depend on them. I appreciate that the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 is important. It also galled me somewhat when I had the opportunity to listen to the member for Kooyong. The teals come in here, and they're never happy. They're a glum lot.”
“If you don't know what a furphy is, it's a country term for something that just isn't true. Go and look it up. It's very much a furphy. When we talk about telehealth, when we come to that very important discussion, it's important to note that you'll never replace a face-to-face consultation—I appreciate that—but telehealth with modern technology is important, particularly in rural and regional Australia. So too were the 857 new medicines put on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme between 2019 and when we, unfortunately, lost government. This is one thing I will say in favour of the minister for health: any medicine that can go through that PBAC process and be placed on the register is a good thing. That is absolutely a good thing, and it saves lives.”
“I know headspace Cowra opened up whilst we were very much in government, and 1,400 additional nurse placements for the regions were funded and supported during a coalition government. We talk about doctors, but everyone should always put a value on what our nurses do. They are angels of mercy, and we should be doing everything we can to ensure that we have more nurses. We put in place 94 million telehealth consultations, through Medicare, to 16 million patients. I know Labor come in and make out as if they're the only ones who protect Medicare. For every election in the recent past, there's been this big scaremongering campaign saying that we're going to somehow dismantle Medicare. The next speaker will probably claim that too. It's nonsense. It's a furphy.”
“The Johns Hopkins centre acknowledged the fact that we were the second best in the world for pandemic preparedness. As the former deputy prime minister, I'm very proud of that, because we not only saved peoples' jobs but, more importantly, saved people's lives. We got those vaccines out. I have to say I was so proud of the fact that, when the vaccines were the hottest item that people were scrambling to get, the former member for Flinders and health minister, Greg Hunt made sure that our Indigenous communities and our Pacific neighbours were very much in line to get the jabs at the same time and at the same rate as any Australian. That's important because not only did we save lives and protect livelihoods in Australia; we did it in the Pacific. Under the former coalition government, there were many headspaces put into country communities.”
“They've spurned regional Australia in so many areas but particularly in health—particularly when it comes to the wellbeing and health of those people who do not live in the bright city lights of a capital city. It's not right. We have members coming into this place, and they've got their talking points. They read them out like robots and they make out as if nothing happened on the coalition's watch. Quite the opposite is the case, because we had this thing called COVID-19, and it was lucky that there was a coalition government in office when that occurred. It wasn't lucky at all that it occurred, but it was lucky we had a coalition government that put every measure and every possible policy in place to protect Australians and keep Australians alive.”
“What happened then—and don't just take my word for it; the Rural Doctors Association and other key stakeholders said this—was that some doctors took their shingle off the practice and headed to the Gold Coast, headed to the city areas, headed to Wollongong or headed to Newcastle because all of a sudden they became eligible for the DPA funding. This is not right, and it's particularly not right when you've got communities in rural areas that are reliant on the Royal Flying Doctor Service but also, as I described before, don't have a doctor. They don't have a doctor, let alone a bulk-billing doctor. They just don't have a doctor at all. I know the assistant minister is trying to do her best, and I commend her for it, but it's just not understood by the government.”
“I'm very proud of and very pleased about the rural medical schools that we put in place. Indeed, we rolled those out in Bendigo, Dubbo, Mildura, Orange, Shepparton and my home town of Wagga Wagga, and in each of those facilities they are training dozens upon dozens of young hopefuls who will be the doctors of the future and will address the shortage of doctors in regional Australia. That shortage has not been helped by Labor changing the distribution priority areas as soon as it got into government. They changed the DPAs and they made it such that periurban centres and coastal areas that are not in regional Australia but are in high-density areas could claim the distribution priority area funding.”
“Then we saw the spectacle of the pharmacists coming in in their white coats, and they were disparaged because they were wearing what they wear to work. Yes, they were in white coats. They turned up en masse, and that's what it took. And it took, of course, the Nationals, and the Liberals too, fighting the good fight for it on behalf of our chemists because we on this side of the chamber know that in many communities—hundreds, in fact—in rural Australia the only health professional in town is your friendly pharmacist. That is the truth. When it comes to policy, I heard the member for Macquarie talking about the days of the coalition government as if they were the Dark Ages—the bad old days when nothing was achieved in health. It was quite the opposite. You only have to look at the delivery under the coalition government.”
“I'm not exaggerating and I'm not making light of it; I'm being deadly serious. Often in regional Australia, when in pain, unfortunately, catch a plane, because there just aren't the health professionals. We saw how the Minister for Health and Ageing disrespected our pharmacists. I know the assistant minister is a pharmacist. I know that's her trade. But the government had to be dragged kicking and screaming to sign the pharmacy accord when it should have been a fait accompli. It should have been a negotiation in good faith with our friendly chemists. It should have been agreed to with what was needed, and signed by the president of the Pharmacy Guild, Trent Twomey—who's a good man, who wasn't asking for much—and what did we see? We saw this absolute opposition from the government to what the Pharmacy Guild wanted.”
“What really irked me, what really got under my skin, was that, not that long ago, when there was a chorus of complaints about bulk-billing—bulk-billing rates dropped 11 per cent under the Labor government's first term—the health minister said, 'If you pick the phone up and you can't get bulk-billing from one doctor, just pick the phone up and make an appointment with another doctor in town.' It might all be well and good in the leafy suburbs of Adelaide. It might all be well and good in metropolitan Australia. Try getting another doctor—try getting any other doctor—in rural, regional and, particularly, remote Australia. I know the assistant minister would appreciate this, because it's impossible. Or, if you can get an appointment with another doctor—and the second doctor may well bulk-bill—it'll be quite a while. You might die waiting.”
“But we all remember, prior to the 2022 election, when he said over and over and over again, repeatedly, that there was going to be a lowering of your—when I say 'your', I'm talking about people out there in voter land—energy bills. That $275 never ever occurred. Just for once, I'd like to see the Prime Minister or the health minister admit that that isn't all you need when you go to see a medical specialist or when you go to see a health professional. It's certainly not the case if you live in rural and regional, let alone remote, Australia. You need to also take this little thing—it's your credit card.”
“Seriously, that shouldn't happen. I shouldn't know the name of the chief of staff of the health minister straight off the top—I'm not going to mention his name, because I don't think it's right that we talk about staff members in the House and put it on the Hansard . But I shouldn't be getting letters back from the chief of staff; I should be getting them back from the minister. I really should. I don't think the assistant minister would do that. I can ring her, I can write letters to her, and I will get the response. I mightn't always like it, but at least I get it, and that's the way it ought to be. It also disturbs me greatly that the Prime Minister is around and he holds this thing up—it's called the Medicare card—and says that's all you need. 'That is all you need.' He has said it over and over again, repeatedly.”
“She came to Wagga Wagga recently to talk about mental health, and I appreciated the visit. I know that she understands as well as anybody in this place the issues of mental health, and I appreciate the fact that she is endeavouring to do something to help in this very important—very, very important—area. When funding was withdrawn from a town in my electorate, Gundagai, I called her, and she fixed the situation. She did it promptly, and she responded as a good minister should. That's all for compliments—although she should be the health minister, quite frankly. I don't want to put the kiss of death on her, but, quite frankly, she should be the health minister, because the health minister, the member for Hindmarsh, unfortunately doesn't respond to members of parliament when they write letters. We get letters back from his chief of staff.”
“I respect the member for Macquarie. She left the best till last in her speech on the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. And she's so right. People will come to members of parliament to say that the most important thing in their lives is their health. Make no mistake; you can have all the wealth in the world, but, if you don't have your health, you've really got nothing. Absolutely. But I really do take umbrage at the fact that Labor member after Labor member comes into the House and talks down what the coalition did during our nine years in government. I am glad that the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health and Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention is in the chamber. I want to give her a couple of compliments.”
“At the same time manufacturing pay rose 24.22 per cent … It just goes on and on, but the devil is in the detail. The fact is that unions are stripping their sectors blind. And, speaking of blind, Labor are just turning a blind eye to it, because they kowtow to the unions. It's their union masters. Everything revolves around what the union bosses tell them to do. He who pays the piper calls the tune. And the piper is, indeed, the union bosses. Yet, out there in voter land, we've got people struggling, particularly in regional Australia. And the policies by this government are not helping those people who provide the food, who provide the fibre, who go into mines every day and get dirt under their fingernails to get the resources to pay, to keep the balance of payments going, to keep the lights on. That is the great shame.”
“These unions—and that's who the government is beholden to—are out of control. They are dominating worksites, and that's why we've got a freefall in the construction sector. They are dominating the transport industry, and that's why we've got trucking companies going to the wall every single week, and workers are doing it tough. And then you've got Michael O'Connor, who is Chris Cain's predecessor. He was on $248,999, so you can see how much Mr Cain earns more than his predecessor. According to the Daily Telegraph: Real wage growth for the union boss role—which strips out inflation—shows their pay still increased by 26.95 per cent in that time. Meanwhile, analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics' median statistics show the nominal wage increase for workers in construction rose by 16.28 per cent between 2019 and 2024.”
“The Daily Telegraph said: The pay of union top dogs has soared compared with workers in the industries they represent over the past six years, headlined by— wait for it— the embattled CFMEU. Of course, the good old CFMEU. That's the introductory sentence of the Daily Telegraph 's report. It continues: Analysis of wage growth between union leaders and their workforces show how the two have decoupled between 2019 and 2024, with the pay for the CFMEU national secretary growing by— wait for this— 47.49 per cent in that time. Good if you can get it! It continues: Union documents show former national secretary Chris Cain earned $367,255 in 2024 … I'll tell you what—that's more than the average backbencher by a long way, and don't even start about the average worker out there, the average minimum wage earner.”
“And I know that, when I was the Deputy Prime Minister and responsible for that portfolio, we had more than 100,000 people relying on the $110 billion of infrastructure that we were rolling out, a third of which or more went to country areas. But, under this government, it has all ceased. And, when you've got food up 15 per cent, health up by the same amount, education up 17 per cent, insurance and financial costs up by 20 per cent, electricity before rebates up 39 per cent and gas up by the same amount, you can see why it's eating into the wages of everyday, ordinary Australians. But there is hope on the horizon, because the Daily Telegraph reports today that there are people who have got an increase in their wages. Oh, yes. Who might they be?”
“I always love the titles Labor give their motions and their bills. 'Secure jobs, better pay review'—I mean, seriously! They might as well call some of them 'More rainbows and fairy floss'. It's just nonsense. Out there, where people are doing it really tough, where workers are struggling to pay their bills, where families can't balance their budgets, they've got a cost-of-living crisis and they've got real wages falling. That's what we should be talking about—real wages, what you actually take home and what you actually get to keep of the money you earn. The member for Cunningham—and I do like her; she's a good egg—talked about the increased number of jobs and workers. Let me tell you that, in regional Australia, they're not working too much at the moment on infrastructure projects, because they have all stalled or stopped.”
“It's all well and good to cover our farmland, our beautiful farmland, with battery energy storage systems, solar factories and wind turbines. How about we put offshore wind turbines at North Head or on the Yarra River or turn those sails on the iconic Sydney Opera House into solar panels? Why not do that? Why take up our farmland, which we need to grow food and fibre and which we need for our agricultural production, at the expense of—what?—trying to change the weather? Yeah, good luck with that. The member for McMahon may have a mandate, but he doesn't have a mandate to ruin regional Australia. He does not. I have to say this is just a complete nonsense. It's not going to change the weather. That's why I support the bill from the member for New England.”
“Yet now Essential Energy are looking to put them on—wait for this—diesel generators for backup power because they don't have the continual power that they need, even though they're providing the green energy power. Some of the projects proposed in that council area won't even be connected to the grid, because they're just taking the subsidies and running. The greatest moral challenge for humankind is not the weather, which we cannot change, but the ability to grow food to help feed a hungry world. I note the number of capital city based politicians demanding action on behalf of their virtue-signalling, weather hand-wringers and rent-seeking corporations. Never has the city-country divide, sadly, been greater.”