Matt Thistlethwaite
Kingsford Smith · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“At the same time, the bill reduces unnecessary burden and simplifies the operation of the scheme. It reduces regulatory requirements for lower risk arrangements, including removing unnecessary approval steps for minor variations and renewals of arrangements that have already been assessed.”
“It expands our ability to manage risk, including by allowing conditions to be imposed on foreign arrangements both at the point of approval and during their operation. This provides a more flexible and proportionate response than outright refusal or cancellation.”
“It applies to state, territory and local governments and public universities, and requires notification, and in some cases approval of, arrangements with foreign entities, particularly foreign government departments, agencies and universities that lack independence in their governance.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australia has long benefited from international engagement whether it be through education, cultural exchange, research collaboration or trade. These connections strengthen our economy, enrich our society, and extend our global influence.”
“In 2024, the government commissioned an independent review of the scheme led by Rosemary Huxtable. As part of the review, Ms Huxtable consulted widely across federal, state, territory and local governments and Australian universities to hear their views and their concerns about the operation and the structure of the scheme.”
“Its amendments would strengthen the scheme's framework by sharpening the focus on Australia's national interest and enhancing the tools available to manage risk. The bill will streamline the scheme's operation by simplifying processes and reducing administrative burden, particularly for lower risk arrangements.”
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“Thank you, Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW, for looking after the safety and wellbeing of your members, so many of whom responded heroically on that night. Thank you, Rabbi Yossi Friedman, for your tireless work in commemorating those who lost their lives for 30 days following the tragedy and your continuing advocacy for Jewish families. As a government, we're committed to continuing to provide support for the community that's been impacted, and I want the Jewish community to know: you'll never walk alone in the wake of this tragedy.”
“We've also provided $200,000 for both Bondi and North Bondi surf life saving clubs to assist with them replenishing their first aid supplies. Basically every bit of first aid equipment was used on that day. I also want to thank local community groups for their continuing support through this difficult period. The North Bondi RSL and the veterans there opened their doors without hesitation, hosting the community hub and providing trauma informed counselling. To Chabad Bondi: in a time of immense tragedy for everyone there, you've continued to look after others and open your doors and your arms to the community. I thank my friend Rabbi Mendel Kastel at Jewish House and the team there for the support that they're providing and, of course, JewishCare.”
“It's located in the Junction Neighbourhood Centre, at 59 Newland Street, Bondi Junction, and the clinic is open from nine to five, Monday to Friday. Care is fully bulk billed, with no referrals or appointments needed—just support where it's needed most. The centre is part of a $42.6 million investment in mental health supports in response to the tragedy that also includes tailored mental health programs for the Jewish community, services for first responders and support for children and young people. We've also provided $2 million for Jewish community organisations to support victims' families, including $1 million for Jewish House and a million dollars for local Jewish organisations to provide community mental health triage.”
“The tragic antisemitic attack at Bondi on 14 December continues to leave a scar on our community. Over the last month I have met with families still grieving their loved ones who were taken too soon. First responders, still traumatised by what they witnessed, watched the community wrap their arms around each other. As time moves on it's important that we don't forget the victims' families, the first responders and survivors. We must continue to look after them and to provide them with support, and that's exactly what our government is doing. Last week I joined the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention to open a Medicare mental health clinic in Bondi, established to provide free, trauma informed care for the community in the wake of the tragedy.”
“This motion is not only an expression of grief and remembrance; it's a reaffirmation of unity and hope, a declaration that hatred and terror will never define us, and a commitment to comfort and support the families of all the victims and survivors of this shocking antisemitic attack, that the wuri wuri of Matilda and all those lost will shine eternally, that Jewish Australians will continue to be proud of their faith, their heritage and their culture, and that they will never, even walk alone.”
“A week later, I was proud to stand arm in arm on the shore at Bondi with those surf lifesavers and hundreds of others in red and yellow as a tribute to the victims and to symbolise our thanks to those who risked their lives to help. That guard of honour stretched the entire length of Bondi Beach. You are truly great Australians. Hanukkah is a celebration of light over darkness. The oil meant to burn for one day on the re-establishment of the Second Temple gave light for eight days, a symbol of the resilience of the Jewish people.”
“Many surf lifesavers from Bondi and North Bondi clubs ran into the danger, treating the wounded and shielding them from harm, including Andy Reid, Anna Booth, Brett Pattinson, Mason Kemeny, Steve Larnach, Anna Willis and Pete Colquhoun, who are here with us today. Surf lifesavers are highly trained and skilled in rescue and resuscitation, but they're not trained to treat gunshot wounds as they were doing that day. Their selfless actions saved lives, and we pay tribute to them and we thank them. That afternoon, North Bondi Surf Life Saving Chub was celebrating its members Christmas party. In the aftermath of the shooting, the club became a triage point, with club members carrying victims on rescue boards back to the club house for treatment. That evening, instead of sweeping up tinsel, they were hosing down the blood-soaked floor.”
“In the darkest moments on that terrible evening, we also witnessed some extraordinary acts of courage. Our first responders, including police, paramedics and emergency medical teams, acted with skill and composure that saved lives, and our surf lifesavers and lifeguards once again proved why they are among the most trusted and respected Australians. Lifeguards Michael Jenkinson and Daniel McLaughlin ran towards the gunfire, treating the wounded and ducking for cover as they moved from patient to patient. Jackson Doolan ran barefoot from Tamarama carrying a defibrillator and a first aid kit. Rory Davey rescued swimmers caught in the chaos.”
“We honour Tania Tretiak, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and member of the Randwick community. Her husband, Pavel, her children Dennis and Julia and her grandchildren mourn the loss of someone whose strength and kindness shaped generations. We also remember the many others who lost their lives that evening—Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Tibor Weitzen, Marika Pogany, who volunteered with Meals on Wheels for over 20 years and whose family I know very well, Dan Elkayam, Edith Brutman, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd and Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a teacher and mentor to many. We also remember and pay tribute to Boris and Sofia Gurman and to Reuven Morrison, who bravely attempted to disarm the gunmen and whose courage saved lives. They are now Australian heroes.”
“The guard of honour at his funeral from the NSW Police and the rugby community stretched the length of Sydney's College Street, a measure of our community's respect and affection for Peter. His wife, Virginia, and his brothers Greg, David, Andrew and Paul carry not only their grief but the love of the entire Randwick community. We honour the life of Alex Kleytman from Matraville, devoted husband of Larisa and father to two children and 11 grandchildren. Alex survived the Holocaust and the freezing winters in Siberian during World War II before migrating to Australia. It's unimaginable that he died on Bondi Beach, enjoying the afternoon sunshine. He died a hero, shielding his wife from the gunfire. The family's courage in the face of unimaginable grief has moved our entire community.”
“The last photo of Matilda is of a happy, smiling 10-year-old dancing amidst the bubbles, face painted, celebrating the start of school holidays and the first day of Hanukkah with her family on a picture-perfect day on Australia's most iconic beach. It represents the innocence and the tragedy of those who lost their lives that day. That photo of Matilda was taken by Peter Meagher, a distinguished, retired police detective and legend in the Randwick Rugby Club who was working capturing photos of the Chabad of Bondi Chanukah by the Sea event before his life was tragically cut short. Marzo was a man of integrity and service who volunteered with the Galloping Greens as a team manager, official and referee for decades.”
“After Michael and Valentina migrated to Australia from Ukraine, they wanted to choose the most Australian name they could for their firstborn child. The name they chose was Matilda. Matilda and her sister, Summer, were students at La Perouse Public School, where over half of the student population are Indigenous kids from the La Perouse Aboriginal community. That community welcomed and embraced Matilda, Summer and their family. They gave Matilda the name Wuri Wuri, which in the Dharawal language means sunshine. And what a ray of sunshine she was. Matilda was the youngest victims of the senseless antisemitic terrorist attack on the Jewish community at Bondi Beach on 14 December. I offer sincerest condolences and the love of our community to Michael, Valentina and Summer for the loss of your beautiful Matilda Bee.”
“The Albanese government continues our important reform work to ensure that the migration system works in the interests of all Australians and can be the best that it can be. Much has been achieved already, particularly in relation to system integrity, skills gaps and student migration. We're restoring public trust and aligning with Australia's economic and humanitarian programs. Australia is a great country. We must never take our way of life for granted. It must be cherished, valued and nurtured, and this bill is an important step towards achieving this government's aim of a coherent migration strategy that delivers better living standards for all Australians.”
“I love living in a country where you can have a front-row seat to see Australians from so many backgrounds honouring their traditions while passing them down through those new generations. We know how important it is to maintain the Australian people's trust and confidence in the migration system, to ensure that those settings that we put in place for migration work in the national interest and deliver better living standards for all Australians. At the same time, we're progressing an ambitious migration reform agenda, building a migration system that matches the needs of the nation and delivers for Australians and for migrants. This bill will help ensure that we have the skills we need into the future and ultimately make sure that the system is working in the interests of all Australians.”
“Since 1945 more than six million migrants have chosen to make Australia their home, and each of them has in their own unique way contributed to our cities, regions and towns. They're our relatives, neighbours, friends, work colleagues, acquaintances, industry and business leaders, corporate and small-business owners, and of course workers—good, hardworking people who help shape our culture and our social, civic and economic life. Our human diversity is both our nation's defining characteristic and our nation's greatest strength. My electorate of Kingsford Smith was one of the original homes to many of those post World War II migrants—the Greeks, the Italians and the Chinese—who settled in our area, and we're now into the third and in some cases fourth generation of those original migrants.”
“The register will also draw on already available public information, such as the information the sponsor has provided for their ABN. Any disclosure of information on the register would be consistent with the Privacy Act 1988. No personal identifying information of nominated workers will be included on the register. The government has made a commitment in the Migration Strategy to develop a new skills-in-demand visa. The passage of this bill will continue the government's commitment to implement reforms to strengthen and maintain integrity of the temporary migration system. Migrants make a valuable contribution to Australia, not only to our prosperity but also to our communities, our national identity and our connections across the world. They have the right to feel safe and to be safe, particularly in their workplaces.”
“The register will complement the public register for sanctioned sponsors published by Australian Border Force. This is a name-and-shame register that workers and other employers can go to in order to see who is abiding by the rules and regulations related to people working in Australia on visas. Approved standard business sponsors will be automatically included on the register without needing to request this at the time of applying for sponsorship. The data behind the register will be uploaded and updated regularly to ensure that it remains current. Information will be provided to approved sponsors at the time of sponsorship application as well as messaging on the department's website to alert them to their business details to be included on the register.”
“Delays in the passage of this bill will mean delays in the implementation of the public register which strengthens the integrity of the temporary skilled visa program. The register is of employers who are approved as standard business sponsors and have nominated skilled workers for entry into Australia. The register may include details such as the type of approved sponsor, the name of the approved sponsor, the approved sponsor's ABN, the postcode associated with the approved sponsor's ABN, the number of sponsored workers and the occupations nominated by the approved sponsor. Including the postcode registered with the approved sponsor will enable migrants who are considering mobility to identify employers nearby and increase the practicality of the register.”
“It will implement a commitment made by our government in the M igration s trategy , which was released in December 2023. The exploitation of those on temporary visas hurts all workers by driving down wages and worsening conditions for everyone. This reform provides enhanced protections and oversight mechanism. The intention is that the development of a public register will encourage transparency, monitoring and oversight. The register will help combat temporary skilled migrant worker exploitation by enabling workers to find a new sponsor and provide a resource to check that a sponsoring employer is legitimate. The proposed amendment in the bill is underpinned by extensive consultation that was undertaken with businesses, unions and stakeholders through the migration review that informed the Migration s trategy .”
“In the wake of that, we put together the M igration s trategy to fix the problems that Martin Parkinson had identified, which had developed under the previous government. This bill that we bring to the parliament today is part of this process of fixing the issues that we inherited from the previous government, particularly those around combating migrant exploitation. The government have been clear about the need to bring migration back to normal and our actions are helping to achieve that. But we're also restoring integrity to the system and ensuring that it delivers the skills that we need. This legislation strengthens arrangements around skilled entry to Australia by introducing a public register of approved work sponsors, to be published and maintained by the Department of Home Affairs on their website.”
“We're taking responsible action to fix the problems that we've inherited in this system from the previous government. We're restoring integrity to the system and working to bring migration back to sustainable levels, with a focus on skilled migration as a major part of the program. When we first came to government, we commissioned Martin Parkinson to review the country's migration system. It hadn't been done for decades, but we thought it was important to take stock of whether or not the migration system was delivering better living standards, greater productivity to our economy and, most importantly, better living conditions for migrants who come to Australia. Martin Parkinson found that the system was 'broken' and in need of 'major reform'.”
“Modern Australia is built on migration. The great economic advancements that we had in the wake of World War II were related to the 'populate or perish' policy that our immigration department and Arthur Calwell delivered in those important years after the Second World War. Unfortunately, as a government, we're aware that too many migrants who are working in Australia have been exploited. They haven't received the correct wages and conditions that they are entitled to. Many unscrupulous employers have taken advantage of the power imbalance that exists between migrant worker and employer. Our government is determined to fix this and ensure that all Australian workers, including migrants, enjoy the full protection of the law and are paid a fair wage for a fair day's work.”
“This includes supporting junior football and investing in coaching education so that the beautiful game continues to flourish in our community. I'd like to make special mention of the tireless dedication of the volunteers who keep ESFA kicking goals year on year. Congratulations to everyone who has played a part—the players, in particular; the referees, who week in week out adjudicate games; the coaches; the volunteers; the sponsors; and the supporters. Happy 100th anniversary to the Eastern Suburbs Football Association.”
“I was also proud to join the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Eastern Suburbs Football Association in Sydney recently. In 1925 the association, known as ESFA, was founded to create a place where people across our community could unite on the football pitch. What began with just a handful of local clubs has flourished into a thriving association boasting 24 member clubs and a record-high of over 10,000 registered players. Notable milestones include historic premiership wins, the expansion of women's football opportunities and an ongoing growth in player participation year after year, with grades from very young children all the way up to walking football. Off the pitch, ESFA is recognised for its commitment to inclusion, volunteerism and club development.”
“The short film focuses on both the decades-long campaign by members of the La Perouse Aboriginal community and the experiences of the delegation of traditional owners who travelled to Cambridge for the hand-back ceremony. The delegation was make up of Noeleen Timbery, Ray Ingrey, Tristan Simms, David Johnson, Quaiden Williams Riley and Ash Walker. The film also captures the perspectives of representatives from the University of Cambridge, who received the Gweagal spears in 1770 and held them until their hand-back. The return of the spears is extremely important to the La Perouse Aboriginal community, but it's also important for Australia. It's a significant step forwards on the journey of reconciliation and towards finally telling the truth about what actually occurred when Captain Cook landed in Botany Bay.”
“It was 254 years in the making, and the Gweagal spears have been returned to the La Perouse Aboriginal community. The four spears were taken by Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks at the time of first contact between the crew of the Endeavour and First Nations people of Kamay, or Botany Bay. They belong here in Australia on country, and I was delighted to join the local community for the premiere of the documentary film about the journey for the Gweagal spears from Cambridge university to Sydney at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. I'd like to acknowledge the great work of the Gujaga Foundation in helping to produce the return of the Gweagal spears documentary.”
“That means two states with citizens of both living peacefully in a recognised country, where their children can learn and thrive, where their parents can work and provide, where democratic governments can provide services and keep the populations of those countries safe and where those citizens finally can live in their homelands in peace. We have an opportunity, as a world, to work together on achieving this; let's not fail to grasp this opportunity. Let's make sure that we bring a lasting peace to the Middle East, with two states, two groups of citizens, living in peace, and that we never have to commemorate another October 7 attack in this place or anywhere else in the world ever again.”
“They want to see the hostages released; they want to see an immediate ceasefire; they want Hamas disarmed and out of Gaza; and they want free and unimpeded aid for Palestinians who are suffering. They want to see a democratically elected government in Gaza, and they want to see two states living in peace side by side. When the Prime Minister spoke at the United Nations General Assembly last week, he mentioned that Australia was the first nation to support, in 1947, the establishment of the State of Israel. That's something that, as a nation, we are very proud of. But the Prime Minister also pointed out that support was on two conditions: on the condition that there is an independent state of Israel and on the condition that there is a state of Palestine. That means two states living side by side in peace.”
“I once again strongly condemn these antisemitic attacks that have occurred. In our area we acted promptly, in partnership with our local Jewish community, to protect them through the establishment of a local operation shelter group. I brought together elected representatives, the local area commander for the local police force, the local crime commander, representatives of the shuls, the rabbis and the presidents, and our local Jewish schools. We have worked together to keep the community safe. Thankfully, we've seen a reduction in those antisemitic attacks, but we will not stop until it is completely eliminated. October 7 opened an horrific chapter in world history. The world now has an opportunity to close that chapter. Australians want an end to this decades-long conflict.”
“Again, we condemn the actions of Hamas and, again, we call for the immediate release of the hostages that are still being held. Over the past two years we've seen some shocking acts of antisemitism across Australia in the wake of October 7. Some of them occurred in my electorate. There was the deplorable firebombing of a kindergarten next door to a synagogue. That childcare centre remains closed to this day. The Mount Sinai school next door had shocking antisemitic language spray-painted in large letters on brick walls. People have been harassed and vilified walking down the street. And even today we've unfortunately seen some shocking and insensitive graffiti. This is completely unacceptable. Every Australian has the right to feel safe in their home, in their workplace and in their community.”
“This is an anniversary we wish we didn't have to commemorate. The deplorable actions of Hamas on 7 October 2023 saw 1,200 innocent Israeli lives lost and hundreds of people taken hostage. Today we commemorate and pay tribute to those innocent victims of the actions of Hamas, and we offer support to their families on what is, no doubt, a very difficult anniversary. This was the time when modern Israel lost its freedom and its innocence. I'm proud to represent the Kingsford Smith community, which has a very strong and growing Jewish population. I know that many of them had relatives who were killed on October 7 or were taken hostage. To the local Jewish community: I want you to know that today we are thinking of you and we offer you and your families our support, and we thank you for your courage.”
“Implementing these reforms from the royal commission is a priority for our government and will ensure that our Defence Force personnel and veterans and their families get the service and support that they deserve for serving our nation.”
“She campaigned day in, day out, hour after hour, to ensure that her son's service and memory meant something and that our government responded. She also shared her deeply personal story when the royal commission's public hearings opened in May 2023. In my previous role as assistant minister, I worked quite closely with Ms Finney, and I pay tribute to her again for her advocacy. She is a wonderful Australian, and she deserves our praise. The royal commission's task for us as a government is no small feat, but we have no doubt that delivery of this task is vitally important and will ensure the most comprehensive set of reforms to the systems, the culture and the processes of the Defence Force and our veteran support organisations.”
“It's important to point out that the needs of veterans change through the generations. The needs of Vietnam veterans will be very different to the needs of this generation, and the purpose of this scoping study is to make sure that we understand what those needs are and we can deal with them into the future. As Repatriation Commissioner, Kahlil will continue to engage with and advocate for veterans to ensure that they receive high-quality services from the Department of Veterans' Affairs. I also want to thank, and highlight the unbelievable advocacy of, Julie-Ann Finney, whose 38-year-old son, Royal Australian Navy Petty Officer David Finney, died by suicide in 2019. Ms Finney played a crucial role in the establishment of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.”
“Since his appointment in 2023, he's lent his voice to fellow veterans, ensuring that they're heard on issues that matter to them. In that role as the Repatriation Commissioner, Kahlil, working with the RSL, has established the Middle East Area of Operations Scoping Study to look at the impact of service in the Middle East since 2002 on our veterans and their families. For each major conflict that Australia has been involved in, there has been some form of study or investigation into the effects that that service has had on veterans and their families. We did it after World War II, we did it after Vietnam, and it is the right time for us to do this again to ensure that the government, the Defence Force and veteran support organisations are responsive to the needs of veterans who served in the Middle East since 2002.”
“She's a person who has a deep understanding of the plight of families that have been wracked by suicides of Defence Force members, given that her own husband, unfortunately, took his own life in the wake of his service. Gwen has devoted her life to assisting those veterans and their families to cope with service and ensuring that they get the best support and mental health services, which they deserve and require. I want to thank Gwen for her steadfast commitment to veterans and their families throughout this country and her sterling job in that role. Earlier this year, the government reappointed Kahlil Fegan as Australia's Repatriation Commissioner for another five years. Kahlil is also someone I worked very closely with as the assistant defence minister.”
“The job of a veteran family advocate commissioner is a vital one which continues to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The commissioner is tasked with giving voice to veterans and their families, providing strategic policy advice and fostering cooperation between government agencies and the veteran community. The Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner is a member of both the Repatriation Commission and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, which oversee and administer the veteran and family entitlement schemes. I want to pay tribute to the former veteran family advocate commissioner, Gwen Cherne. I want to thank Ms Cherne for her steadfast determination and her work on behalf of veterans. When I was the assistant defence minister, I worked very closely with Ms Cherne.”
“That conflict was a lengthy conflict and a contentious one, and many of those who returned to Australia from Vietnam struggled. From that experience, a dedicated group of Vietnam veterans banded together to lobby for a dedicated support service that's now grown into Open Arms and is doing fantastic work. Since 1982, Open Arms has provided millions of free mental health sessions for more than 300,000 veterans and their families. I also want to congratulate the family advocate that works in the Defence Force as well. We recently appointed Annabelle Wilson as the Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner for five years. This is an important role. Ms Wilson is the widow of a veteran and a respected champion for the veteran community, recognised for her empathy, drive and evidence based approach.”
“I'd like to outline some of the outstanding work that's been done by Open Arms, the veterans and families counselling service, and also point out that people can contact Open Arms at any stage if they're struggling and need support. Our veterans make sacrifices in the service of their country, and they put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us. I want to thank Open Arms and their staff for their unwavering support to veterans and their families. Specialist staff are trained to provide military aware and trauma informed care at Open Arms, and many Open Arms staff are veterans themselves or from veterans' families. Open Arms was established by Vietnam veterans as the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service.”
“We've already legislated for the Defence and Veterans' Services Commission, an independent oversight body that the royal commission deemed their most important recommendation. That will be formally up and running later this month. Where changes were able to be made immediately, we've done so. Our priority is to improve the wellbeing of our people from the day they sign up to long after they've hung up their uniform for the last time. We want to strengthen suicide prevention and drive better outcomes for current and former serving personnel, making sure we're supporting them in ways they not only need but deserve.”
“We were tasked by the royal commission with effecting once-in-a-generation cultural change and reform, and our government has been working at pace to implement the royal commission's recommendations that will ensure the most comprehensive reforms to the systems, processes and culture that support Defence Force personnel, veterans and families ever undertaken in Australia. We're doing this not only because it's the right thing to do but because our Defence Force personnel and veterans have risked their lives in the defence of our nation and deserve better. It's also a crucial component of building a defence force that people want to join, want to serve in and want to stay in.”
“On the one-year anniversary of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide's final report, I wish to pay tribute to the families of those who lost their lives in the service of our nation and to veterans for their commitment to putting on the agenda the plight of those who served our nation and unfortunately took their own lives. Those that campaigned for the royal commission deserve our recognition today. We, of course, remember all of those who have passed, and we think about their loved ones. There's an expectation from the Australian community that we look after our Defence Force members and veterans, but, for too long, that wasn't the reality.”
“We're also making sure that young women get a better deal by increasing the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent, paying paid parental leave for up to 24 weeks and, importantly, paying superannuation on paid parental leave for the first time to ensure that young women get a fairer outcome in the labour market, particularly when they have to have breaks to raise children. So our government is committed to ensuring that we deliver on that promise that every government should make to younger generations of Australians, and that is to deliver better living standards. We are delivering that for younger Australians.”
“The Help to Buy scheme will encourage a co-investment of up to 40 per cent, and the five per cent deposit scheme has gone through the parliament and will start in the coming months. We're also working to ensure that the rules around housing are liberalised and that the states, in their zoning and planning requirements, ensure that they're focused on delivering more homes, particularly where those homes are going to be built around mass transport, public transport, in Australia.”
“We know that there is an undersupply of housing in Australia that has pushed up the cost of housing, particularly for young Australians. That is why we introduced the Housing Australia Future Fund, which is now making its first and second distributions that will directly fund social and affordable housing throughout the country. A total of 55,000 social and affordable homes will be built by this government to increase the supply of housing and make it more affordable; 10,000 homes, in a first for Australia, will be specifically reserved for first home buyers and built by this government. If that's not a commitment to increasing the housing supply and making it more affordable for young Australians, I don't know what is. We're also making it easier for Australians to own their first home.”
“We're introducing practical payments for students who are required to undertake prac placements as part of their degree or their training. Fee-free TAFE will ensure not just that we're investing in the skills that Australia will need into the future but, more importantly, that those Australians that want to train for a trade or do a traineeship can have access to it at an affordable rate into the future. In terms of housing, for the first time in a generation, we have a government at a Commonwealth level that is committed to substantially increasing the supply of housing in this country by directly building more homes. That's something that the opposition completely shy away from when they're in government by saying, 'Housing is the responsibility of the states; we're not going to get involved in that.' We take a different view.”
“The first piece of legislation that we put into this parliament was to reduce the HELP debts of Australian students by 20 per cent. Speaking to students in Kingsford Smith, I've heard that it's welcome relief for them in their challenge of getting an education and having an affordable lifestyle as well. We've also increased the repayment threshold, which has been a great relief for students. It means that, for the average student with an average debt of $27½ thousand, their debt is cut by $5½ thousand. We've also ensured that APRA changed the lending rules and the lending requirements for young people seeking to gain a home loan, ensuring that financial institutions can't use a HECS debt against a person who is applying for a home loan. We're acting to ensure that access to housing through lending is much more affordable.”
“It's also opposed by the crossbench, and the irony is that they've proposed this matter of public importance here today. This is a reform that will ensure a greater and better level of intergenerational fairness in our taxation system—opposed by those opposite. If you give a child an education, you give them a better life. This is something that our government knows all too well. It is deeply committed to ensuring that we have greater equity in our education system, be it through a massive investment in our public schools or finally funding public schools to the level of need in Australia, as recommended by David Gonski over a decade ago. It's also in our tertiary education system. We all know that students have faced a large increase in their HECS debts due to indexation over recent years. We've acted.”
“At the moment, we have a system where ultra-high-income earners can shift their income out of the normal income tax system and into superannuation to get a concessional treatment of their income and avoid paying their fair share of tax. It is an unfair system, but it is encouraging people to do that. We are cracking down on that. We are acting on that to ensure that ultra-high-income earners pay their fair share of tax and cannot avoid a fair rate of tax by transferring their income into their superannuation, which most Australian wage earners cannot do. It affects a very small proportion of the population—less than one per cent of the Australian population—and the major beneficiaries of this intergenerational fairness will be younger Australians in a better retirement income system. But—what do you know?—it's opposed by the coalition.”
“We're reforming the petroleum resource rent tax system so that it raises more revenue for younger generations for a fairer return on the exploitation Australia's natural resources. This issue has been identified for some time. When the opposition were in government, they refused to act on it. Labor acted in a first our term so that the PRRT is now a much fairer system. Thanks to the assistant minister for the Treasury, we've now got a much fairer multinational tax system in Australia as well. When we talk about intergenerational tax reform and making the taxation system fairer, one of the greatest demonstrations of our commitment to that is to make the superannuation system fairer in Australia, and particularly the taxation of superannuation.”