Tony Pasin
Barker · Liberal Party · Australia
“But the truth is that, in the modern age, if you want to share and communicate with your constituency, or if you're in business and you want to share and communicate with customers, if you're not on a digital platform then you're missing out.”
“I feel a little like an imposter talking on this bill. Many of my colleagues who know me know that I'm probably best described as a Luddite. Even as a Luddite, in this role one has to be across the role of online presences.”
“But it is important that we understand that, as positive as experiences can be in the digital online environment, there are also substantial risks. Like others, I've read of very tragic circumstances. I've had constituents, parents, come to me concerned about the way algorithms are seeking to lock young people in.”
“I've got to say that, during question time, I do sometimes turn off as the Prime Minister is preening his feathers, giving us the 'never had it better' speech, luxuriating in his hubris.”
“It's true to say that today's an important day. It's a day when our nation turns an important page. I do, just as an aside, have to query why those opposite would spend the majority of their contributions obsessing over the Liberal Party on such an important day—on a day when they could be talking about what those opposite are actually ac…”
“Labor's cuts will not reduce demand for health care; they will simply shift more Australians from private health to the public system. That means greater pressure on public hospitals and health services that are already under strain. I want to conclude with another email from a constituent.”
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“I rise today to draw the attention of colleagues to a matter of urgent concern. It's the escalating coastal erosion at Southend, in my electorate, and the recent failure of the application by the director of engineering services at the Wattle Range Council for federal support under the Disaster Ready Fund. Southend, a small coastal town, is experiencing terrifying coastal erosion. Strong waves and wind from the Southern Ocean have stripped away metres of sand from the beachfront. In some areas, up to three metres of sand has been lost in just one season alone, exposing steep drop-offs, threatening the local caravan park and forcing the closure of the main beach due to safety concerns. This is not only a blow to local residents but a real threat to the town's future as a tourism destination.”
“The people of my electorate—and indeed all Australians, regional or otherwise—deserve safer roads, not slower ones. They deserve honesty, not hidden agendas; they deserve investment, not excuses. Congratulations to the state Labor government, who has ruled this out as a proposal—presumably because they're in the shadows of an election. I urge the government to withdraw this proposal. And, if you think it's a bad idea as well, sign my petition. It shouldn't be about emissions reduction; it should be about safer roads.”
“And on page 70, so as to reinforce the position, the modelling integrates emissions reduction per vehicle kilometre as a key variable in the cost benefit analysis. Let's be clear: these are not accidental inclusions; they are deliberate. What we see here is the Albanese Labor government using road safety as a convenient cover for a backdoor net zero agenda, an attempt to reduce emissions through speed productions, not proper energy or climate policy. Regional communities are being slowed down because this government wants to meet their unrealistic emissions reduction targets. But, instead of saying that honestly, they have packaged it up as a safety reform. That's not transparency, it's not good governance, and it's certainly not respect for regional Australians.”
“But rather than fix it they have gone for the cheap answer—shift the burden onto regional drivers, regional families and regional businesses. That would be disappointing enough, but I now want to turn to what should be one of the most concerning aspects of this proposal. While government ministers continue to market this as a 'safety measure', the consultation regulatory impact analysis tells a very different story. It is as though they want to tell that story sotto voce. On page 10, the RIA explicitly includes emissions reduction from lower fuel consumption as a calculated benefit of reducing rural speed limits. I thought that must have been a mistake, but on page 56 the document shows that emissions savings are not a side note; they form a material part of the monetised benefits used to justify this policy.”
“The Australian Trucking Association has already warned that slowing freight routes will raise costs for food, fuel and essential goods. Long distance drivers are deeply concerned that spending more time on the road will increase the risk of driver fatigue, one of the most significant risk factors contributing to road accidents in rural Australia, so the government are ignoring one of the most well-documented risks in regional driving. Experts on road safety and rural planning agree that the safest and most effective approach is to actually improve the road, not simply lower speed limits. That means sealing unsealed surfaces, widening shoulders, improving line marking and proper maintenance. The government know this. Their own regulatory analysis acknowledges that most regional roads are in poor condition.”
“It has been called 'lazy' by the Grain Producers SA, who represent hardworking grain growers of South Australia, the largest rural commodity. They have said clearly that reducing speed limits without fixing roads will not make travel safer but it will make rural life harder. Their members are the ones travelling huge distances on poorly maintained roads every single day. They know these roads better than anyone, and they are not alone. This proposal is not just inconvenient; it is economically damaging. In my electorate, transport is the lifeblood of the economy. Freight operators, farmers, small businesses, service providers and others rely on the efficient transport of goods over long distances. Cutting speed limits by nearly a third on many of these roads will slow down supply chains, increase costs and reduce productivity.”
“I rise today to speak on behalf of the people of Barker, a vast, proud regional electorate in South Australia. I want to express my strong opposition to the proposal to reduce the default speeds on unsigned rural roads to 70 kilometres an hour. Let me begin with a simple truth: the problem on our regional roads is not the speed limit; the problem is the state of the roads themselves. For years, communities across my electorate have been pleading for the basics: proper sealing of unsealed roads, shoulder upgrades, resurfacing work and potholes filled before they become craters. Instead of delivering what regional Australians need, this government has had the laziest of proposals—a consultation on slowing everyone down in the name of road safety.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. The CEO of one of Australia's energy retailers recently warned: … the cost of this transition is really going to affect the people who can afford it the least, so people that are already struggling to pay their power bills are going to get slammed with more cost … Prime Minister, why is the part-time energy minister, full-time president globetrotting around the world seeking to broker global climate conference communiques instead of helping struggling Australians at home?”
“'Tony, we've just had a number of doctors resign en masse and we won't be able to service the people of Mount Gambier.' He's to blame. (Time expired)”
“You won't be able to see a GP; you'll have to drive 100 kilometres that way or 50 kilometres that way, or, better still, travel to Adelaide.' Do I put that call out? I do. I'll tell you who I apportion the blame to: Minister Butler. The member for Banks scoffs, but hear me out. One of his first actions as a minister, in 2022, was to change the distribution priority areas, meaning that a doctor who was obligated to work in an area of need, like Mount Gambier in my electorate, was no longer required to practice in Mount Gambier—they could practice in Adelaide. The member opposite scoffs, but I can tell you that on that day I received two phone calls, from the two largest clinics in Mount Gambier. Do you know what those phone calls said?”
“There have been 200 days to this point, but it will be something more like seven months before that facility reopens. That would be bad enough, but right now in South Australia's second-largest city, the state that the minister relevant to this portfolio hails from, every single GP clinic in that community has issued a public statement that they're not able to accept any new patients. I had a constituent contact me recently who is a patient of a particular clinic, but, because his doctor has retired, he's no longer able to return to the clinic. Do I blame the clinics? Absolutely not. Do I put a call out to people living in that community to show respect to frontline staff at those clinics who are often subjected to rather terse conversations when they have to inform a person living in that community: 'Sorry, you can't see a doctor.”
“Over the six months, if that had occurred, you'd think that it would have reopened, given the government proudly claims it has strengthened Medicare over the course of the last six months. I'm here to tell the member for Banks and all those opposite that it remains closed. Closed! Thankfully those opposite have been able to—in the five months since it has closed and the six months that they've been in government—issue a new tender for the urgent care clinic in Mount Gambier, but I'm told on the grapevine, quietly, despite the fact that the minister issued a press release celebrating the tender, the facility won't be open until next year. We are at about 200 days right now that that facility has been closed. The weeds are up to my waist. I offered to go with my whipper snipper and tidy it up, but the offer wasn't accepted.”
“Tomago might be the place where you'd start, but it's not the place where you'd finish. I'm not here to address the member for Banks's comments, enthusiastic as he is to talk up the progress of the Albanese Labor government over the last six months. But I want to address the first point he makes—the government delivering, he says, on their election commitments. The first proof point he points to is Strengthening Medicare. I want to take him on a journey to my electorate. South-east South Australia contains the second-largest city in South Australia, my hometown of Mount Gambier. On 3 May 2025, Mount Gambier had an urgent care clinic. That urgent care clinic—that Medicare urgent care clinic—was closed in June. Closed. It never met its obligatory opening hours, those extended hours that never were, but it literally closed in June.”
“I understand the reluctance to second this congratulatory motion! The member for Banks just accused me of not listening. I listened intently to his five-minute dissertation. What I heard, what I'm sure people in the gallery heard and what the people of Australia heard is: 'Australians have never had it better.' If you believe that, you're talking to a different subset of Australians than me. Electricity prices are through the roof. I want to talk about Medicare, because in my community it's a real issue right now. But the member opposite also talked about a future made in Australia, and those of us on this side, he suggests, want to talk down manufacturing. We want to talk it up; it's those on the other side who want to close down Australian manufacturing. If you don't believe that, go and talk to any smelter in Australia right now.”
“What he needs to do right now is lean in and support these farmers in drought. We need to expand on-farm infrastructure rebates, we need increased and continued mental health and community supports and we need practical funding for fodder and water transport where required. In terms of the federal government, farm household allowance is a lifeline into these communities right now, as it is for every regional community that goes through circumstances—whether it's price commodity shocks or drought. Quite frankly the net asset test is far, far too low. Unfortunately $5 million as a net asset test excludes people. We need to review the test and deal with it. Quite frankly many of my farmers in drought are disqualified from activating farm household allowance because of it.”
“I've got farmers who are telling me they were hanging on for this season and, as every day passed and as every windy event passed, they have succumbed to a situation where they now realise that this drought hasn't left them. The concern for them is that the media and attention have moved on because, as I said earlier, much of South Australia—and indeed across Australia—has experienced really good conditions. I want to take this opportunity to raise the flag on behalf of that district. The Mallee—the Coorong—in my electorate is still suffering significantly and what they need are some pretty basic supports. First of all they need carry-on finance, low to no-interest loans. We've got an incredibly popular premier in South Australia, but he doesn't do the tough stuff.”
“I've spoken on a number of occasions in this place about the dire situation that farmers face across much of South Australia with unprecedented drought, much of which nobody could recall in living memory. I thought I'd give an update. We've been blessed across spring with average to better-than-average rainfall across much of regional South Australia. In fact in parts of my electorate you couldn't imagine a better break. But, unfortunately and cruelly, that hasn't been experienced universally. There is a portion of my electorate that is now entering what could be the second if not the third consecutive year of drought. It's the Mallee in my electorate; the situation is dire.”
“I hope very much that those opposite accept that what I'm talking about is an unintended consequence and that, in the fullness of time, we can work towards excluding paid parental leave. I think it's clear in the title 'paid parental leave' that it should be available to parents and that it should be available to people who had wished to become parents but for the grace of God have not become parents through an incident or outcome, but it shouldn't be available to people who don't wish to become parents. I hope that in the fullness of time we will be able to clarify this for the parliament, the people, the bureaucracy and business—those who will ultimately administer Baby Priya's bill.”
“The bill would have my support, because the Fair Work Act would simply be saying, 'In the event of a stillbirth, as defined, excluding late-term abortion,' then, of course, an employer can't seek to renegotiate leave for a family dealing with that grief. As I have said, we need to ensure that we're very clear about this. I would prefer a world in which those Commonwealth payments aren't made either, and that definition of stillborn would deal with that as well. These are uncomfortable discussions and debates, but I want to be very clear and I want to end where I started. I completely support Baby Priya's bill as it relates to a baby that passes away shortly after birth or, indeed, in the event of a stillborn child, as we would ordinarily define that to be.”
“Apologies to the chamber, but I can't avoid making this statement. Not everyone understands, but I need to clarify that abortions that are undertaken in the third trimester effectively require a stillbirth to take place. You can, as I have, speak to medical experts and become aware of that. Quite obviously the definition is that a payment is made in the event of a stillbirth. And, if a birth has to take place in the third trimester, then, of course, the payment is made. What our nation needs—and I'm not proposing to do it via this bill, because, as I said, I support the substantive elements of this bill, not the unintended consequence—is a definition of what 'stillborn' means, and stillborn must exclude the intentional decision to undertake an abortion. If that were the case, I wouldn't be speaking.”
“I'm happy to share that information with you. It's as shocking a concept to me as it perhaps is to those— No, I wasn't talking about you, Member for Dickson; I was talking about my friend opposite. I wish it weren't the case, but it is. Perhaps this law has been framed in a way without having that background. The following probably indicates that it is not an unintended consequence, because, recently, in correspondence from Minister Gallagher's office and, subsequently, in Senate estimates, courtesy of Labor minister Jenny McAllister, we've had it confirmed that the stillborn baby payment—a payment made by the Commonwealth department to families who have suffered a stillborn tragedy—is payable to individuals who have taken the decision to terminate a pregnancy late in the term, as is Commonwealth paid parental leave, up to $22,000.”
“As I read the act and as legal experts have read the act and have confirmed with me, it would effectively treat an intentionally late-term aborted child in the same way as it would a natural stillbirth or a baby who dies shortly after birth. That is something I can't support. Perhaps it's an unintended consequence because some of the jurisdictions around our country have adopted late-term abortion legislation and not everyone in the community is cognisant of that. But, in my own state of South Australia—I'm certainly no expert on other jurisdictions, although I've spoken to colleagues who confirm that, in some other jurisdictions, the laws are even more liberal than in our own home state, Deputy Speaker. In my home state a late-term abortion up to birth is now lawful. I can see my friend opposite quizzing that.”
“So often with my own children I think, in this role, about how lucky I've been as I meet children—I'm sure, Deputy Speaker, you've had this experience as well—who are challenged in life because of health or circumstances. You can't help but think about how lucky you have been and how, in life, you have perhaps won the lottery of life as you are empathising with those constituents, acting on their behalf and supporting them. But I did say there are two things this bill does that I support and congratulate the government for adopting and one thing it does that I can't support. I can only hope and think that this is an unintended consequence that hasn't perhaps been thought through.”
“Baby Priya's bill, the Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya's) Bill 2025, does two things I absolutely support and one thing I can't. The bill updates the Fair Work Act to treat a natural stillbirth and a baby who dies shortly after birth in the same—so as to enable paid parental leave to apply without the ability of an employer to seek to avoid that obligation owing to the nature of those unfortunate circumstances. I want to be really clear. I think that is what is intended in this bill, I think that's what's intended by Baby Priya's law and that is what I absolutely support so fulsomely that I can't even put it into words. I commend the previous speaker for her contribution about how difficult it must be to live through those kinds of traumas—every support for a family dealing with that kind of tragedy.”
“These events remind me, and should remind all of us, of what makes regional South Australia so special: strong communities, connected and resilient, punching on through tough times, with a deep pride in the land and the people that sustain us. So I congratulate the organisers, the volunteers and every attendee for making Loxton's Longest Brunch not just a meal but a meaningful expression of community strength in the Riverland region. I was shattered I couldn't be there. I love a brunch of any type, but I'm grateful my donation facilitated for five farmers to attend that meaningful event.”
“I rise today to acknowledge the success of Loxton's Longest Brunch. The event brought together 160 farmers, volunteers and local families for a long-table-style brunch, held on the main street of Loxton. Last Sunday morning, Loxton was transformed into a space of solidarity and support. Attendees took their seats shoulder to shoulder with primary producers whose work underpins the region, and they enjoyed some local food and drinks. This fundraising event was structured in a way to ensure that all funds stayed in the community, via gift cards that were provided to primary producers for local stores—an acknowledgement that retail businesses also do it tough during drought. Together, the Loxton community raised an incredible $11,000 for primary producers who are living through the severest drought in living memory.”
“Our responsibility is to ensure affordable power, secure jobs and a strong nation. Net zero has failed economically, strategically and morally. The House must have the courage to end it.”
“I will not stand by while unelected foreigners, backed by global billionaires, tell the Australian people to accept higher costs, fewer jobs and a weaker nation. At the same time, we're witnessing the slow death of manufacturing in this country. Food plants, glassworks and aluminium smelters—industries that once made Australia strong—are being forced offshore not because they're inefficient but because they can no longer afford the price of power in Labor's Australia. This legislation is not about denying climate change; it's about defending the Australian people from a policy that is impoverishing them. It's about sovereignty, affordability and fairness. It's about putting Australians first. Our duty in this place is to put the people of Australia first, not the global climate lobby.”
“The government speaks of transitioning—but transitioning to what? A grid that is 82 per cent intermittent and dependent on the weather? Vast solar and wind farms built with Chinese steel, Chinese labour and Chinese financing? This is not sovereignty; it's surrender. The greatest hypocrisy of all is that the same voices who lecture Australians on climate virtue continue to rely on fossil fuels for their own comfort and convenience. They fly across the world to climate conferences, stay in five-star hotels and demand ordinary Australians tighten their belts in the name of saving the planet. The United Nations climate bureaucracy, led by unelected officials, now dictates to sovereign nations like ours what we can mine, what we can manufacture and how we can live.”
“Labor's net zero policies are built on deceit. They tell Australians that power prices will fall, yet every bill tells a different story. They claim jobs will grow, yet we're watching our heavy industries collapse. They promise energy security, yet they are shutting down the very power stations that keep the lights on. Through the safeguard mechanism, the Capacity Investment Scheme and a web of green subsidies and taxes, the government is transferring billions of dollars from hardworking Australians to foreign backed renewable companies. That is not environmental policy. It is economic sabotage. All this significantly weakens Australia at a time when the world grows more dangerous by the day. When our nation's security depends on self-reliance and strong industry, we're dismantling our competitive advantage in affordable, reliable energy.”
“It's much harder to pay the power bill on a farm or keep the lights on in a small workshop in regional Australia. Everywhere I go across my electorate, people are telling me the same thing: their power bills are crippling them; businesses are closing; and farms are furious at the destruction of their country for wind and solar projects that tear up paddocks, divide neighbours and desecrate landscapes that our families have cared for for generations. These so-called renewables aren't clean, and they're not green. They're future landfill—industrial junk that will one day be left rusting in our fields because this government has made no provision for their decommissioning or rehabilitation. Farmers will be left with the cost and the contamination, and those opposite in this place are doing nothing but looking the other way.”
“It has driven up the cost of power, destroyed manufacturing and gutted regional communities, while doing absolutely nothing to change the globe's climate. Australia contributes just over one per cent of global emissions—one per cent—yet this government behaves as though Canberra holds the planet's thermostat. Meanwhile, China, India and Indonesia are building hundreds of new coal-fired power stations. Together they account for almost half of global emissions. They are not stopping. They're not slowing down. Yet Labor persists with this ideological crusade, punishing Australians for the sins of other nations. Net zero has become a moral vanity project for those who can afford it and an economic catastrophe for those who cannot. It's easy to preach climate virtue from an inner-city office.”
“Perhaps one day it might be named after me, but I doubt it, Madam Deputy Speaker Scrymgour! I rise to speak in support of the Repeal Net Zero Bill, which was recently introduced to the House by the member for New England—a bill to end Australia's reckless commitment to net zero by 2050. Net zero in the most basic terms is the idea that a nation balances the amount of greenhouse gas it emits with the amount it removes from the atmosphere so that the net effect on the climate is zero. It sounds neat, even noble, but in practice net zero is a costly illusion—a political slogan masquerading as science, imposed without honesty and absent realism. Since its adoption, Australia's commitment to net zero has delivered nothing but pain to the Australian people.”
“His quiet strength, his mentorship and his deep care for others have left an enduring mark on the Kingston community. Above all, Chris was a devoted family man. He adored his wife of 46 years, Liz, and together they built a life rich with love, laughter and shared memories. He was the proud father of Sarah, Rachel, Claire and James, and a loving father-in-law to Chris, Matt and Saanchi. He was also a much-loved Pa to his eight grandchildren, Chloe, Hugh, Olivia, India, Owen, Ivy, Jase and Cora, who all brought him immense joy. Chris also leaves behind his sisters, Sue, Sally and Rebecca, and a community that regarded him both as a friend and a bastion of strength. Chris will be remembered not only for what he did but who he was—a true gentleman; a wise and humble soul; a much-loved pillar of strength for his family and his community.”
“Born and bred there, he poured his soul into his beloved farm, The Snuggery, a place that reflected his quiet strength, his dedication and his deep connection to the land. He understood the rhythm of rural life, the value of hard work and the importance of community. Those who knew him will tell you he was a man of integrity and of calm purpose. When things got tough, Chris was the one that people turned to—the steady hand; the fixer; the man who made things right without fuss or fanfare. Chris led with his actions more than his words. He listened carefully, he thought deeply, and, when he spoke, people listened, because they knew his advice came from a place of wisdom and experience. He gave his time generously, not for recognition but because he believed in making a difference.”
“I rise today to pay tribute to the late Chris England, a man whose life embodied community spirit, quiet leadership and deep devotion to both his family and his beloved community. Chris served on the Kingston District Council for an extraordinary 30 years. He was first elected in 1995, and, for the first 15 years, he represented the Coorong and Watervalley wards, and, following a council restructure, he continued to serve the entire Kingston district community with the same commitment that defined his public life. Chris also served as deputy mayor between the years of 2010 and 2014 and again between 2018 and 2022, providing stability, guidance and wisdom through times of change. Chris's legacy, though, extends far beyond the council chamber. Kingston was more than just where Chris lived; it was his heartland.”
“Let us rise with courage and come together and support that bill and send a message loud and clear to the Australian people: the Australian flag will be defended, it will be honoured and it will never be burned again in public without consequences.”
“This is about patriotism, this is about principle, this is about whether we as the elected representatives of the Australian people have the courage to say enough is enough. The Australian flag is not just fabric. It's the story of Gallipoli, of Kokoda, of Long Tan. It's the story of migrants who came here seeking freedom and opportunity. It's the story of our farms, workers, teachers, volunteers and factories, and of how we built this nation together. I'm not going to stand by while that story is set alight by those who despise it. I say in this place again, if you can't defend your flag, you can't defend your country. Let us rise above division.”
“It belongs to every single Australian, including those who were born here and those who choose to make this great nation their home. It's the emblem that unites us when so much else is around to divide us. If we allow it to be torn down, burned and mocked with impunity, then we weaken not just that symbol but the unity it represents. The time for silence has passed. The time for excuses has passed. The time to act is now. So I say to those opposite: will you stand idly by while our national flag—the flag that binds us, the flag that's draped over the coffins of returning diggers—is reduced to ashes in our streets, or will you stand with the Australian people and defend it? This is not about politics, or at least I hope it's not.”
“George Orwell reminded us: If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. But that doesn't allow you to trample on the very symbol of our liberty. Burning the flag is not speech. It's not dialogue. It's not even descent. It's contempt. Therefore, I want to announce that I intend, at a forthcoming sitting, to introduce a private member's bill into the lower house, a bill that will make the burning of the Australian flag a criminal offence. The bill will impose penalties for those who wilfully desecrate our national symbol. Respect for the flag is respect for the nation. If we can't defend our own flag, then what are we defending? The Australian flag belongs to no political party, no single group and no ideology.”
“We teach them to stand tall during the national anthem and to recognise that the flag is more than fabric. It's the story of Australia stitched together in courage and in sacrifice. Yet, while we instil this respect into our children, we allow adults to torch that very flag in public and in front of cameras without consequence. That's not freedom; that's a disgrace. Other nations, including allies we admire, treat the desecration of their national symbols as serious crimes, and rightly so. Yet, here in Australia, shockingly there exists no law that directly prohibits the burning of our national flag. There are none. It's an appalling gap in our legal framework and is one that demands correction. To those who will leap to their feet and lecture me about free speech: you must know that freedom of speech is not freedom to desecrate.”
“Over the past few weeks, Australians have watched in disbelief as the Australian flag—our national symbol, our shared inheritance, our unifying emblem—has been desecrated and burned in the streets at so-called peaceful rallies. These are not acts of peaceful protest; these are acts of contempt. These are acts that cut at the very fabric of who we are as a nation. I want to say plainly that burning the Australian flag is not an act of free expression. It's not a part of spirited debate; it's not our democracy at work. It's a brazen insult to our history and our people and to every man and woman who has worn the uniform, defended and died for our flag on battlefields across the globe. We tell our schoolchildren to treat the flag with respect.”
“The people of Mount Gambier deserve honesty from this government, and they deserve to access health care. Instead they've been left behind. This is not just a policy failure; it's a betrayal of trust. Minister, front up to the people of Mount Gambier and tell them that you've failed. Come to Mount Gambier and tell these residents why they've been abandoned. Maybe you could tell them that it's a direct result of your decision, in 2022, to alter the distribution priority areas. Minister, your Prime Minister is fond of saying, 'All you need to access health care is your Medicare card.' In reality, in Mount Gambier, you need to travel hundreds of kilometres to do it. It's not acceptable and the minister knows it.”
“I rise today to highlight the reality of a health-care crisis unfolding in my electorate of Barker—specifically, in the community of Mount Gambier. The urgent care clinic that the minister promised would ease pressure on our local hospitals has been closed since June, yet, in question time on Monday, the minister stood in the chamber and proudly asserted that all of our nation's 90 urgent care clinics were currently operating. This is simply not true. Either the minister doesn't know or he is not across his brief. Either way, it's unacceptable. The consequences for my community are dire. All four GP clinics have confirmed they're not taking on new patients. Families can't find a doctor for their children, elderly residents are struggling to manage chronic illnesses and people are left with no primary health-care options.”
“I went to bed that night thinking about each of your organisations and how happy you were when I came to your facilities and gave you a commitment that a Dutton-led Liberal government would fund your respective projects. I'm going to work hard every day to ensure that whatever opportunities are available—and, sadly, in the last term there were too few; I hope there are more—deliver the social capital communities need particularly in my electorate of Barker. I will work every day to make sure we can deliver on those. Finally, it is an immense privilege to serve as the member for Barker. If you had asked a young, perhaps primary school aged Tony Pasin whether he would ever serve in this parliament, he would have thought you were crazy. I don't take that privilege for granted. I'm fighting every day for the people of Barker.”
“Finally, can I say that I was privileged to make commitments to the following organisations as part of the campaign: the Murray Bridge Players and Singers; the Tailem Bend RSL; the Penola bowling club; the Mount Gambier and District Saleyards, via the District Council of Grant; the Kapunda Soldiers Memorial Garden and their efforts at Dutton Park; and the Mount Burr Netball Club. To all of those organisations, who are incredibly worthy and who have been ignored for too long: can I tell you I will continue to campaign for the funding and support you need. No-one was more disappointed than me that we failed to form government at the last election.”
“You can ring all four of them, but you'll be told, 'We are not taking on extra clients.' Then you can go around to the urgent care clinic, but it's boarded up. So where do you go? You go to emergency. That's not good enough, and it's something that needs to be addressed immediately. When asked why this happened, I said I warned this would happen in 2022, when the minister for health changed the distribution priority areas. The minute he did that—the next day—I got phone calls from clinics saying that doctors had resigned.”
“I don't mean 'not open in particular hours'; I mean closed. Why? It went into liquidation. You might say, 'Mr Pasin, that's impossible, because these projects are block funded.' True, they are, but the operator of that business went into liquidation and, as a result, it is closed. There's a tender process going on. I call on the minister to expedite that, for no other reason than this: there are four GP clinics in Mount Gambier—four—and every single clinic has now confirmed publicly that it is not taking on additional patients. So you've got four GP clinics that aren't taking on additional patients. It's great if you are a patient of the clinic, and, to disclose an interest, I am. But, if you're new to Mount Gambier and your kid's sick, you can't go to a GP clinic.”
“But I just think it's interesting that dead fish on beaches in Adelaide lead to almost twice-daily visits by senior ministers from the government of those opposite to Adelaide, to profess their undying and loving support for these coastal communities, when I've got farmers on bended knee asking for support. While I've got the time I have, can I just make a couple of other observations. I was sitting through question time, listening to the minister for health talk about GP clinics, particularly urgent care clinics. Can I tell the House and the minister—I know he's aware of this because, while he might not hear my regular speeches on the topic, I understand the South Australian state minister for health has written to him about it—the Mount Gambier urgent care clinic has been closed since June.”
“When, in 2016, we found ourselves in drought on the east coast and in South Australia, our then government provided grants to local government and specific grants to farmers. None of that has been forthcoming. I suppose I am effectively suggesting that if it's not in the metropolitan news cycle—if it's not affecting metropolitan Australians—then you're not seeing a lot of love or attention. The farmers in my electorate, who've been in drought for more than two years, are particularly interested in the approach of those opposite to the algal bloom in South Australia. Nobody, not a farmer I know—salt of the earth as they are—would be opposed to any form of support going to the coastal communities on the back of this.”