Lisa Chesters
Bendigo · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“As I said, they are unique and quite often can fall through the cracks of the very large organisation that is known as the CFA, but in my meeting with them I was impressed by their dedication to what they do. They get together. They train.”
“I'd also like to pay tribute and honour to the late Don Drummond. Don and I first met many, many years ago, before I was the federal member for Bendigo, back when Woodend was in the Bendigo electorate. Don passed away recently. Even though Woodend hasn't been in Bendigo for a long time, he had kept in touch.”
“I rise to give a special shout-out to Oscar 1 CFA. The Oscar 1 CFA is quite a unique CFA volunteer unit in Bendigo. Its focus is on mine rescue. Like many old mining regions, Bendigo is littered with empty mine shafts. When people start to renovate, one may open up out in the Whipstick Forest or many of our other forests.”
“Before it was a thing in Labor, he always started branch meetings with a welcome to country and a value statement—the commitment to the burning light, as he said. Someone of great intellect and always a great ear, he was someone who was a true believer. Vale, Don. You will be missed.”
“On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's R eport 233 : agreement on the social security between Australia and the Oriental Public of Uruguay . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.”
“And while we'd all been to the War Memorial prior to that particular event, during that visit we heard why they wanted to build purpose built galleries. They wanted to recognise the contribution of our peacekeepers, to help tell the story of our soldiers and our ADF personnel who were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.”
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“I want to acknowledge the mover of this motion and this MPI and the spirit in which it's been brought into this place. I have long advocated for making sure Australians get their fair share of our gas for domestic customers and making sure they get their fair share of our sovereign wealth. I was one of the first people in this place to sign on to the AWU campaign at the time to say, 'Reserve our gas.' That's why I'm proud to stand here today and be part of an Albanese Labor government that has done that. It took us getting elected into government to methodically draft that, but we now have a gas reservation policy in place on the east coast. What we will see over time is that start to grow and really benefit gas customers on the east coast.”
“My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to ensure heavy vehicle operators are supported through fuel disruptions? And how does it compare to other approaches?”
“Now, with free public transport available to people in Victoria, people in Melbourne can come for the day to be part of the fun. Our cuts to the fuel excise announced today are even more reason for people to travel to Bendigo this Easter. It is a fun time to be out, with lots of free activities on offer for families. It's a great time to be in central Victoria and a great time to celebrate our culture and our heritage. And we're always looking for extra legs to help carry our dragons through the streets of Bendigo.”
“This weekend in Bendigo CBD we close our roads and the street becomes alive. It becomes alive with the Bendigo Easter Festival. It's been running for over 150 years in our town and finishes with the grand finale, the grand parade that we have on Easter Saturday, and the main event, led by the Bendigo Chinese Association, which draws so many people to our town, our imperial dragons that take to the streets. The entire festival runs for three days in our town, but across the region there are many reasons why people should come to Bendigo this Easter. On Thursday night we also celebrate 100 years of the Bendigo Easter Fair Society, the organisation that's been charged with running the festival now for over 100 years. It is a great opportunity. We always encourage people to come to Bendigo over the Easter Festival.”
“As the cricket season ends, our women's football season begins. I'm very proud to stand here today to update the House and let it know that the Kyneton women's football team, the Wedge-Tailed Eagles, will get to play in our local competition. We're looking forward to the season starting over Easter. The central Victorian women's league has expanded and will thrive.”
“So I would be concerned if we were looking at the fuel excise as a quick fix to this challenge because it is how we collect revenue to ensure our roads are safe and to help our councils do the work that they need to do to keep our roads maintained. I'm very proud to be a supporter of local women's sport in my electorate. Recently, we had the conclusion of another successful season of the Lisa Chesters Shield, which is the women's senior competition for the Bendigo District Cricket Association. I've been the proud sponsor of the shield since 2021. This year, the Golden Square Cricket Club were again the division 1 winners—an extraordinary, strong team. It's a demonstration that women like to play cricket in Bendigo at the club level. I'm very proud that I continue to sponsor this.”
“I want to say to those who have asked me locally about why our government has decided not to cut the fuel excise that, regardless of what you pay at the pump, fuel excise is fixed. That is a revenue that we collect on behalf of states that we put into roads maintenance and road infrastructure. It's one of the oldest taxes that we have in Australia. It has existed since Federation. It's how we are fixing roads in Epsom, like Howard Street. It is how we are fixing the roads in Pall Mall and the roads around Bendigo. It is how we are fixing our smaller regional roads. It's how we are funding Roads to Recovery, the Black Spot Program and the Safer Roads Program.”
“But the unprecedented spike in prices is a worry and if it continues it will have a big impact, not just on households and businesses but on the economy. That's why I really welcome what this parliament is doing today. Our government is introducing the legislation that will help get consumers a fair go at the petrol pump. We're putting petrol companies on notice and saying that we will not cop Big Australia treating Australian consumers like mugs. We are hoping that the Liberals and the Nationals vote with us on this bill to introduce tougher penalties for petrol companies that are doing the wrong thing by Australians. This is a real team Australia moment, where we need industry to work with government and with consumers to ensure that we have fairer prices at the petrol pumps.”
“It is because of the work of people locally, listening, respecting and understanding that they should just buy what they need. That will help our farmers as we come into the sowing season. We're having favourable rain, and that will also help. But what we've also seen in our region, like in all parts of Australia, is that spike in prices. That is a challenge. I acknowledge it is a challenge for households and for businesses. We have APCO petrol stations in my electorate, and they're always busy. They were before this war started, and they continue to be so today. They always retail fuel for about 20c cheaper than the other suppliers that we have on High Street. If you're filling up a 50-litre tank, that 20c will save you about $10. That does help, particularly for people who are struggling to make ends meet.”
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fuel challenges that many of us in regional Australia are facing. I start by acknowledging and congratulating the people of my electorate in Bendigo. We have not experienced what other regions have faced, with fuel shortages or bowsers running out, and it is a real credit to the people of Bendigo electorate, who did what was asked. They only bought and took what they needed. We've not seen the stockpiling or those challenges that other areas have had. When the crisis first occurred—I do say 'crisis', and it's also one that is not of our making—when Trump started the war in Iran and we saw the challenges and what's been rolling out since then, we saw a spike in demand, but we haven't seen that flow on to our bowsers running out of petrol.”
“We cannot go past the former member for Dickson and how blessed we are to now have the current member for Dickson representing the Australian people in this place and, like every Labor Party member, standing up for lower taxes for all Australian workers.”
“Today marks a significant milestone. It is 12 months since Liberal Party and National Party members came into this place and voted for higher taxes. They voted against tax cuts. I think that moment was the moment that Australians woke up to who the Liberal Party and the National Party are today. I look at who is now on the government benches and what has happened in those 12 months. I think about the people who were here who are no longer here and the awesome contribution that the member for Moore is making, the member for Deakin is making, the member for Petrie is making, the member for Menzies is making, the member for Banks is making, the member for Bass—and the list goes on. It will be 12 months tomorrow since the Liberal Party and the National Party exposed to the Australian people just who they are.”
“The amendment to annex I will reflect the 2026 update to the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list, which specifies substances and methods banned in sport. This list is updated annually, and the amendments are made regularly to reflect this. The committee recommends ratification of both major treaties and the minor treaty action examined in this report. On behalf of the committee, I commend the report to the House.”
“Ratifying the convention will enable Australia to continue to lead the fight against sports manipulation and will encourage other countries to follow suit. Along with entering into force, the committee has also recommended that Australia seek to encourage the development and early adoption of similar treaties beyond Europe aimed at combating sports manipulation and illegal offshore gambling at a global level. The report also includes one minor treaty action, which amends annex I of the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport. This agreement aims to prevent and eliminate doping in sport through international cooperation and standardising legislation, guidelines, regulations and rules.”
“But I was disappointed that the Alliance for Gambling Reform chose not to participate. The committee heard from Sports Integrity Australia about Australia's efforts to strengthen existing legislation and regulation since signing the convention in 2019. This included the establishment of the national sports integrity offences, which aim to work alongside existing state and territory laws to create a harmonised national approach to criminalising and prosecuting match-fixing and the manipulation of local sports competitions. The committee also heard how Sports Integrity Australia is collaborating with other nations, as part of the convention, to further strengthen global sports integrity efforts. Throughout the inquiry, the committee heard about the key role Australia plays as a leader in sports integrity globally.”
“Australia, as a founding member of the Pacific Islands Forum, has long demonstrated its commitment to supporting a prosperous and resilient region. By ratifying this agreement, Australia will continue to uphold its commitment to strengthen its support initiatives for the projects that are driven and directed through Pacific partners. The Convention on the Manipulation of Sport Competitions establishes a framework for nations to collaborate with sports organisations and betting providers to detect, prevent and prosecute manipulation of sports matches. The convention is currently the only legally binding treaty designed for stopping the manipulation of sports competition. Across the inquiry, the committee held two public hearings and heard from various stakeholders—39, in fact.”
“The Pacific Resilience Facility, a concept birthed and developed through the Pacific Islands Forum, will be an international organisation that manages and distributes funding. The facility's capital will come through pledges from donations from both member parties and non-Pacific nations, with Australia already having pledged $100 million. During the process of the inquiry, the committee investigated the facility's funding mechanisms, interactions with non-Pacific nations, operations and governance structure. The committee found that the agreement provided sound and comprehensive basis for the effective operation of the facility. Importantly, the committee identified a consistent and central theme throughout the deliberations—that is, that the Pacific Resilience Facility is a mechanism designed, implemented and led by the Pacific itself.”
“On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's report 231, Pacific resilience and sport manipulation treaties . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—I rise today to make a short statement on the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties regarding two major treaty actions: the agreement to establish the Pacific Resilience Facility; and the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sport Competitions. The report also contains one minor treaty action—an amendment to annex 1 of the International Convention against Doping in Sport. The Pacific Resilience Facility agreement is a significant treaty aimed at building climate resilience in the Pacific through regional cooperation.”
“To those opposite: when you have a crack about road infrastructure, remember that you also stood in this place and called for cuts to the fuel excise.”
“I encourage people to not stockpile, to think of others and to make sure they're only buying what they need. Further to what has been raised around the fuel excise—and I think this is an important point to raise in this debate—it's sugar-hit politics to say, 'Let's just cut the fuel excise.' I was here when those opposite did it, and, first of all, not all of the cut in the fuel excise was passed on; not everybody got it. First and foremost, we don't control, when we cut the fuel excise, how much the companies pass on; there's no obligation to do so. Also, the fuel excise is a measure by which we help pay for our roads infrastructure. We've collected a fuel excise tax since Federation, since we've had this parliament. It is one of the clear ways we fund upgrades.”
“I stand here and say I feel for our farmers who are going into harvest and who are excited about what this harvest could look like. We've had early rain and it looks like it will be a good growing season. When they go to the pump only to see, to their frustration, that their neighbours have stockpiled, it is a hard thing to swallow. I say to those people in the regions again: only buy what you need. Do not stockpile. It is dangerous to stockpile. I cannot stress this enough. Filling up jerry cans and keeping them in your garage is not safe. This is not like toilet paper in COVID. Toilet paper won't catch fire being kept in your bathroom; that isn't a health and safety risk. There's also the amount of time you can store petrol for. It is unsafe to store petrol in jerry cans for long periods if it's not something you usually do.”
“You would think the Liberal Party would understand that and respect that fundamental basic principle of economics, yet they've thrown economics out the window for a cheap political point. Another point about fuel stocks in regional Australia: before this conflict, it was not uncommon to go to petrol stations in Castlemaine or other parts of my electorate where you would see 'out of order' on one of the pumps, and you would ask people, 'Why is that one out of order?' The answer: 'Because nobody buys that fuel here in Castlemaine, so they just don't stock it.' When you're talking about pumps out of fuel, do we know what context it's in? Not all pumps in all regional service stations supply all the possible fuels, because there just aren't the customers for it.”
“They don't make up nonsense. They don't create misinformation campaigns like we are seeing from the people who claim to be the alternative government. When it comes to the fuel shortages, as established by industry in Australia and by what we're seeing in the regions, it is a spike in demand. That is what we are seeing in regional Australia—people buying more fuel than they usually would. In my own electorate of Bendigo, we've had a few places where they have run low on fuel. When you talk to the people that work in these stations, they tell you straight out that it's demand. We get one truck coming through a week, and that's usually all we need. But we've had more customers than we usually would. It's simple markets—supply and demand.”
“This gives me an opportunity to set a few facts straight in this debate. It is disappointing to hear the dribble of the second speaker on this MPI that we've just heard. I say 'dribble', and he's still dribbling as he sits there. If you want to be in government, smarten up your arguments, have some facts, have a bit of detail, understand how markets work and understand how fuel excise works. Let's deal with a few facts. Fact: the Middle East conflict has caused real disruption. There is no disagreement with that. It was a war started not by us. It'll be a war ended not by us. But we in Australia, a smart, responsible government, will work with industry, work with community, work with our allies and work with international partners on how we can best manage this crisis. That's what responsible governments do. They don't fearmonger.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the visit to Australia by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen? How does this visit further Australia's national interests?”
“We've made child care cheaper, guaranteeing every child three days of subsidised child care early learning. There are more free TAFE courses. There's 30 per cent off home batteries. The 20 per cent instant asset write-off has been extended for another year, and the list continues. In these uncertain, chaotic global times, what we need in this country is stable, experienced, mature government, and that's what we get from the Albanese Labor government. That's what we're delivering each and every day, not just for the people in my electorate of Bendigo but for all Australians everywhere.”
“I'm really proud to stand here today as part of the Albanese Labor government to talk about our record on delivering, particularly for regional Australia, real cost-of-living measures. We are expanding bulk-billing. Every Australian is now able to be bulk-billed if their doctor chooses to bulk-bill. We've made medicines cheaper. The maximum price that you'll pay for a medicine on the PBS is now $25—$7.70 for concession card holders. We're delivering tax cuts for every worker, scrapping the unfair stage 3 by those opposite, and introducing more tax cuts—the next coming on 1 July 2026. We've lifted the super guarantee to 12 per cent. Social security payments have increased under us, including an almost 50 per cent increase in rent assistance.”
“Funding also went towards upgrading garden tools to lighter and more user-friendly electric garden tools. All of the projects that were funded in the recent round of Stronger Communities Program are being delivered, and I want to congratulate communities like the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre for what they've achieved with the funding that they've received from us through the Stronger Communities Program.”
“The grant of $17,500 went towards electrifying various aspects of the garden to help improve energy to the site and move away from their dependency on fossil fuels. The Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre has installed solar panels on the roof and a storage battery, which will enable the kitchen to run and provide power to the site for their sheds and pumps. Garden facilitator Jonathan Ridnell said, 'We now have a solar system which is pretty much a power station to the site.' They are pumping water to the garden, which enables them to grow the produce, which is then part of the pantry that the neighbourhood centre has. The garden is incredibly important to the community, as what is produced is then picked and bottled and goes to the neighbourhood centre to boost supplies at their pantry.”
“A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 10:29 to 10:37 Before the suspension, I was speaking about a project that was commissioned by artists from Kids' Own Publishing, who partnered with three local playgroups, including BDAC, to convey the positive impact that playgroups have for children and their grown-ups. Congratulations to all involved. It is a beautiful book, and I'd like to thank the families for their generosity in sharing their experience of being involved in such a positive project. I'd also like to give a shout-out and congratulations to the Long Gully Community Garden, which was commissioned by the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre. The group recently benefited from a grant from round 9 of the Stronger Communities Program.”
“I recently had the pleasure of being part of a special book launch at the Bendigo Library. Imagine a Place , a story about going to playgroup, was launched at the Bendigo Library during a very special rhyme time. Imagine a Place tells a story about the kinds of things children, their parents and carers enjoy about going to playgroup. This book was created out of a partnership between Communities for Children and Kids' Own Publishing. Communities for Children is based at Anglicare Victoria and is funded through the federal Department of Social Services. Communities for Children commissioned artists from Kids' Own Publishing to partner with three local organisations and playgroups, including the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative.”
“I'm part of a government that listens to the community and delivers what is needed locally, whether it be in aged care or early childhood education or whether it be through cheaper batteries, energy security, Medicare, health care, school funding or the many community based projects that I've outlined. We are a government that listens to and works with the community to make sure that they get what they need.”
“We are starting to see natural wildlife return to the Bendigo Creek through the work that is being done in partnership between the City of Greater Bendigo, local Landcare groups, our First Nations group and the Loddon-Campaspe catchment management authority. Finally, the funding has now been confirmed for the Kyneton and the Kangaroo Flat skate parks. I know that there are lots of young people in Kyneton and Kangaroo Flat, particularly at Crusoe College, who will really welcome that we've passed another milestone for these two projects. These are just some of the many projects that we're working on in my electorate and that I am delivering.”
“In the 2022 election, I was the first level of government, the first person, to make a commitment to the redevelopment of the North Bendigo Recreation Reserve upgrades. That million dollars that I committed back in 2022 triggered the increased funding that would flow from state and local governments towards the redevelopment of the entire precinct. I was incredibly proud to commit the final component of funding required to complete stage 2. As I stand here today, the council is well underway with developing and delivering stage 1 and stage 2 of the North Bendigo rec reserve upgrades. The Bendigo Creek funding has been secured—$7 million to revitalise and restore the Bendigo Creek, devastated by a legacy of gold mining and development.”
“I can also report back to the House that, since the last election, one of the key things that we've been working on locally is ensuring that all of the recipients of our election commitments have completed their paperwork so that funding can soon flow for key projects, including funding for the upgrade of Bendigo Heritage attractions to restore and redevelop this very important tourist aspect that we have at the Deborah goldfields triangle. We've updated the funding for the Truscott Reserve changerooms, which is home to the Eaglehawk Soccer Club. That funding has been secured along with the final bit of funding required for the Football Netball Club changerooms. This is a project that I'm particularly proud of.”
“I had literally just finished my university studies and moved to Victoria. That's how long ago it was since medicines were capped at $25. But we didn't just cap them at $25; we've also locked in that people on concession cards, including our pensioners, will pay no more than $7.70 for their prescriptions. These are the practical ways in which our government is helping people make ends meet and meet the cost of living. They are practical changes that are really helping people.”
“They are supporting what are known as category 4 and category 5 patients. People are able to call and book an appointment, or there is a walk in service, so they're able to get the support that they need. After hours and on weekends, this service is helping. It is staffed by doctors from around the region, who take on the shifts as well as the nurses to make sure that people get the urgent care that they require. This measure, working hand in hand with bulk-billing changes, is seeing people being able to access the care that they need, taking pressure off our hospitals. Cheaper medicines—that is a fundamental change which kicked in on 1 January and is really helping people with cost-of-living pressures if they have to take regular medication. The last time that $25 was the most you would pay for a PBS prescription medication was in 2004.”
“We don't want cost being a barrier to you accessing or seeing a GP. It is helping and changing lives. For the clinics not yet signed up, I encourage you to do so. For the GPS who've not yet gone to bulk-billing, I encourage you to do so. Think about the difference it will make to the patients and to the health of our community if you sign up and join us on lifting bulk-billing rates. Also in my electorate is the Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which is hosted by the Bendigo Primary Care service. It's a good old-fashioned GP superclinic funded by the previous Labor government to be built just around the corner from our hospital. Since the funding from our government has invested in the Medicare urgent care clinic, we are seeing a drop in presentations at Emergency.”
“This is core Labor business and has been for many decades and generations of Labor parliamentarians. The investment into bulk-billing incentives has seen a turnaround in many areas, including my own electorate of Bendigo, where we are now seeing more and more doctors and clinics become 100 per cent bulk-billing clinics. Three-out-of-five clinics in my electorate are now 100 per cent bulk-billing clinics, from those in Kyneton in the south all the way up to Rochester and Heathcote and for so many other services in between. We now have more bulk-billing clinics and more doctors bulk-billing, and that is because of the investment from our government. And why? It's because we believe it should be your Medicare card and not your credit card that you use when accessing health care.”
“It took the election of our government to change the system and boost the wages of these critical workers and educators in our community. These changes have seen a stabilisation of the workforce and people coming back into the sector because they're now able to earn a decent wage to pay the bills. I recently visited Goodstart Early Learning Bendigo as well as the Goodstart Early Learning Strathfieldsaye. In both visits I met educators and teachers who were able to buy a home because their wages now allowed them the opportunity to pay a mortgage and to secure their future. Homeownership is now possible for so many people in the sector where previously, because of low pay, they felt locked out. Another key part of the bills before us is extra funding to help secure and support our strengthening Medicare reforms.”
“Quite often people spend five, 10, 15 or 25 years working in the same home, supporting different residents and ensuring they have the dignity and the care they deserve. These people are angels, and making sure they are paid a decent wage is core business to this government. At the other end of life, we've also boosted the wages of early childhood educators. We've supported changes to the award to see all educators now receive a pay increase, and wages will continue to go up. This acknowledges for the first time that their pay should reflect the skills and the work that they do. Early childhood educators long ago won the debate that they are not babysitters but educating our youngest Australians and giving them the foundations to succeed at primary school and secondary school.”
“These are quite often the unsung heroes not just of the pandemic but of people caring for our older Australians and making sure that their final years in life are lived with dignity and respect. If you meet an aged-care worker, they tell you they do it for the love of it. They love the work that they do caring for the residents and making sure they've got the support they need. It is so important for us to continue to support the sector, lifting their wages and ensuring that they have training opportunities to progress through the system. Thinking of all the aged-care services that I've visited locally, you meet lots of people who've worked in the same place for the same home for many, many years. Every year I'm invited out to Bendigo Bupa to award their service certificates.”
“But I encourage those who can to think about investing in Labor's Cheaper Home Batteries Program because it will help lower your energy bills. It will make you more energy efficient and secure going forward. People talk about the apps they get, where they check to see how much solar energy they have in their battery and find out when best to use it—when to turn the washing or the dishwasher on. They are becoming more energy aware and energy efficient and taking back control of their energy use. This is a good thing for all of us. Also in this bill is increased funding for various programs in the health, disability and aging portfolio. We've heard other speakers talk about the transformational changes to aged care, in particular the boost to aged-care workers' wages.”
“Every person like Christopher and the thousand other people who have tapped in are helping others who aren't yet signed up. Having fewer customers relying upon the grid means we will have less demand on the grid, meaning more supply to go around. Christopher is helping his neighbours purely by powering himself. What is unique about this program is that it gives those who have the capacity to help power themselves, and that helps others who may not be in the same situation. I acknowledge that not everybody can tap into the program, such as if their roof isn't strong enough to support solar, if they're renters or if they're in an apartment block. There are lots of reasons why people can't access the program, and we need to look for alternative ways to support people in those situations.”
“They have tapped into the Cheaper Home Battery Program to install a battery and expand their solar system. They say it has literally wiped out their energy bills. They are looking forward to a winter where they will not get that bill shock that they got when they were still reliant on the grid. So, a thousand people so far, and that number is set to climb. I want to use this as an opportunity to remind people in my electorate to not believe the mis- and disinformation you might read on social media or here through the community. Batteries are safe. If you're unsure or want to know how they work, engage one of the local installers. Find out from companies like ProSolar whether a solar and battery system would suit your home.”
“The bill also provides funding to support a number of significant programs. A key one that many on this side have highlighted and that I also wish to highlight is a funding increase of $2.9 billion to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, predominantly to support the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. We know this program has been popular in electorates all over the country, particularly in regional electorates. In my own electorate, more than a thousand homeowners and small businesses have already tapped into Labor's Cheaper Home Battery Program. Recently Minister Chris Bowen and I visited Christopher at his home in Cal Gully. Christopher is an NDIS worker, and his partner is an early childhood educator—people working hard in our community but not millionaires.”
“The bills before us, as other speakers have established, are Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. These bills underpin the government's expenditure decisions that have been made since the last budget. They are related to the financial year and include the changes that have been made and were announced in the midyear update at the end of last year. Appropriations Bill (No. 3) seeks to approve, for all appropriations in consolidated revenue, up to $9.2 billion, funding that will go towards a number of key measures and to strengthen other measures that were announced in the budget—for example, the cost of demand-driven programs and how that has increased; this funding helps to bridge that gap.”
“My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government working closely with Australian farmers and producers to support them during the conflict in the Middle East?”
“The idea that you can drive throughout the region—my own region—and not get the SOS is something that many would welcome, knowing that on those catastrophic days you'll still be able to receive text messages and the early warning. That you'll still be able to receive voice calls is a game changer. Knowing that, if your daughter or son is driving home via Eppalock and something happens, they'll be able contact you—these things make a difference. They will ensure that all of us have the same opportunity as others in other parts of the country. I commend the bill and the reforms to the House.”
“What they did to the NBN is just one example of how they basically dropped the ball in terms of universal coverage with quick fixes to be able to say, 'Job done; move on.' That is how telecommunication has been dealt with in this country, and it's clearly not done, judging by the interest that we have seen in this bill. As I have said, this bill that's before us should be embraced by all in this place, particularly regional members. It establishes for the first time in our history a universal outdoor mobile obligation. It says that, in our country, if you can see the sky, you should be able to access voice and mobile phones. For many in my part of the world, that is a game changer.”