Joanne Ryan
Lalor · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I understand how difficult it is for those opposite. Having voted in support of this legislation, they've seen their vote overturned by their Senate colleagues. I understand that they're disappointed.”
“It's a four-page document that does two clear things. It gives the eSafety Commissioner something she has asked for. She has asked for a law that will allow her to compel documents in her investigation as to why big tech companies are not complying with the laws set by this country, set by this House and the other place.”
“These silos create delays and delays can mean claims held up, care interrupted, families unsupported and risks unseen. The failure this bill confronts is not a lack of courage from those who served but a lack of connection in the systems built to support them.”
“The Albanese government agreed or agreed in principle to 104 recommendations, and, significantly, this bill implements 15 recommendations and supports a further 20.”
“Schedule 1 of this bill strengthens information sharing to improve wellbeing, health and safety outcomes for Defence members and to limit the risk. The royal commission found that defence and veterans systems hold critical information but that information has too often been fragmented, delayed or unavailable when needed.”
“It is 1 July today, and that means pay rises for three million workers around this country and tax cuts for all Australian workers. This is good news for my community. And you know what else is good news in my community?”
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“In fact, what I heard from a lot of GPs and practice managers was that they felt valued again by this government, and I can't imagine how good that feels after a decade of neglect from the former government. For the first time, enhanced bulk-billing incentives will be available for every Australian, with additional support for practices that bulk-bill all patients. This gives clinics certainty and allows them to plan, invest and grow, and, in fast-growing communities like Lalor, that matters. You'd be amazed how many of the GPs operating in my community were overseas doctors or people who came here to train in medicine. They have put down roots and made our community their home. It is fabulous to see this, to meet them and to be in a position to thank them for their work.”
“I rise today to talk about what Labor is doing to strengthen access to local health care. In recent months, I visited GP clinics across the electorate of Lalor to see firsthand what our bulk-billing reform means for our community. In raw numbers, of the 44 GP clinics across the electorate of Lalor, 31 are now bulk-billing every patient who walks through their door. On my journey to meet them, I met with doctors, practice managers and staff, and they all told me the same thing: patients are coming back. People who delayed care are now walking through the door again, and that is what this reform is all about. It's about making sure Australians see a doctor when they need to, not when they can afford to. From Lancaster Medical Centre to Mandalay Family Clinic to Riverdale Healthplus and more, Labor's reforms to bulk-billing were welcomed.”
“On behalf of my pluralist community, my multifaith community, my multicultural community, my multilingual community, like the member for Parramatta, I rise to join with others in this place from around the country to thank those who put their lives at risk—or worse, lost their lives—to save others. I ask that, out of respect for their efforts, for their sacrifice and in the spirit of their actions, we determine collectively to reject hate and all the isms and ideologies that seek to divide us. I ask that we unite in this moment of mourning and grief and use it to create a stronger, more inclusive country and a more inclusive future. I ask that together we fulfil the promise of our great, inclusive, generous idea that is our modern Australia. Question agreed to, honourable members standing in their places.”
“I was grieving, as it unfolded, for all those present, for those who were victims of the antisemitic hatred and political violence, for those called to act in response, and for those like myself who were hearing about it while sitting alone in their lounge rooms. My thoughts are with the Australian Jewish community for their loss, for the Sydney community, for the Bondi community and for Australia. I grieve with them, but I grieve too for all the Australians that have had their faith in our celebrated pluralist foundations shaken by those who saw our inclusivity and chose to try and destroy it.”
“They gathered to celebrate that first night of Hanukkah, just as many communities across the country did, like those in my community gather to mark Diwali or Holi, or attend iftar dinners in public places, or celebrate Eid or share Christmas cheer with friends and family. We gather for religious and cultural festivals. We gather for secular occasions such as to celebrate the monsoon season, for sporting events, for cinema in the park, for Park Lounge, for midsummer, to celebrate our culture and our identity. At my home on 14 December, like many Australians, I became aware of the events through reports on social media. Like all Australians, I was horrified. I was mortified.”
“I rise today to speak for the community I represent in this place, to add our collective condolence to those from electorates across the country, to join others in this motion of condolence and to condemn the murderous, antisemitic terrorist attack on 14 December at Bondi Beach. In my diverse community, weekend celebrations and devotions are held in our local parks and community centres on an almost weekly basis. We gather just as the Sydney Jewish community gathered at Bondi that night. Not so subtly, we often gather in the names of various religions that celebrate light over darkness.”
“My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. What actions is the Albanese Labor government taking to strengthen Medicare? Why is this government so determined to deliver better health care for all Australians after a decade of cuts and neglect?”
“This is just one measure that demonstrates that the Albanese Labor government cares about how our communities are getting on. We care about the cost of living and the pressure that is putting on people in our community, and we care about how those families are getting on and how they'll continue to get along. We are continuing our cost-of-living measures to assist families in electorates just like mine. I say to all the members in my community: I wish you a very, very, very merry Christmas, and I hope you all get to have a draught beer to celebrate Christmas this year.”
“These are places frequented by locals to catch up on weekends and to share stories. It's where we actually build the glue that binds us together. The excise pause helps keep these venues open, active and accessible. These measures obviously complement other cost-of-living measures introduced by this government, including tax cuts for every tax payer; cheaper PBS medicines; expanded bulk-billing, which is going off in my electorate; energy bill relief; paid parental leave expansion; and super guarantee increases, not to mention the most important one in my electorate this week is the 20,000 young people getting the text messages to say they've had 20 per cent cut off their HECS debt. Isn't that being celebrated across my electorate?”
“The benefits flow through to food producers; to people working in transport and logistics businesses; to maintenance contractors; to people working in local events, including entertainers and suppliers; and to community sports clubs, as I've said, relying on sponsorship. Hospitality venues are essential social infrastructure in our fast-growing suburbs. They're essential social infrastructure in the Australian ethos. They host sporting presentations, fundraisers, cultural nights, charity events and family gatherings. These venues support social connection. In terms of the events that I host in my electorate, I have my Lalor Heroes event annually at the Italian Sports Club of Werribee. I have my International Women's Day event there annually. I host my sports president night annually at Chirnsides by the River.”
“These clubs sponsor local sport in my community, including Chirnsides by the River at the Werribee Football Club—all our local sporting clubs, whether they be soccer or football clubs, anywhere you are imbibing a beer that is draught beer, on-tap beer or beer poured from a barrel or a keg, depending on which part of the country you want to talk about, these measures will help keep costs down. Pubs and clubs in Lalor support hundreds of jobs, particularly for young workers. The excise pause helps protect those jobs by stabilising operating costs. It'll help prevent price increases from being passed on to customers.”
“The Plaza Tavern in Hoppers Crossing is a large employer of local young people and students. The cost stabilitymeans casual and part-time jobs will be better protected there. Hotel520 Tarneit, one of our newer establishments, is a significant venue in a rapidly growing suburb. This measure helps venues redirect savings into staff, upgrades and better services for the community. Club Tarneit and the Tigers Clubhouse have a connection to the Werribee Football Club. They're important venues for local sport and multicultural events. These measures will help keep community hiring and event costs down.”
“The excise pause will provide certainty for entertainment, functions and employment at the Commercial Hotel. The Park Hotel, formerly the Werribee Hotel, is a key location for family dining and community events. The freeze will help it, too, with food and produce costs. It's also a live music venue. You can see how this freeze will help this industry plan things and keep their employees paid and in jobs. We then go to the Italian Sports Club Werribee, a major multicultural and community hub, built by our Italian community some 50-plus years ago. It supports seniors activities, junior sport, large family functions, the Werribee Soccer Club. These measures will help it with its function prices and keeping function prices affordable and keeping its members happy.”
“It was a Werribee Cup night, and she went with Dad, who was president of the Werribee Racing Club at the time, and she just refused to get off the stool in the front bar until they poured her a beer—so she was the first woman served. It's a pub now run by a very-well-known Victorian group that run hotels. It's an incredibly-well-run hotel and it even has a draught beer called 'the Werribee'. Down the road we have the Commercial Hotel Werribee. This pub was famous for a lot of years because the Geelong Football Club always stopped there on their way home from the game in Melbourne. They would stop and have tea at the Commercial Hotel, which is famous for its large lounge called the Grenada. It has a huge front bar with beautiful billiard tables. It's been a main-street institution for generations.”
“To capture the tone of this place, when I walk into this hotel I am met by Dave—who I taught a long, long time ago—and every time, even if he's behind the bar when I walk in and take a seat in the front bar or the lounge, I get a nod, a wink and a, 'Hello, Senator'—just to capture that Australian sense of humour! Leaving the Racecourse Hotel, I'd next go to the Bridge Hotel, my other local, because it's the closest to the Lalor office; in fact, it's directly across the road! It's central to Werribee's night-time economy. It's popular for live sport and social gatherings and live music. This freeze helps plan operating costs. This pub has a long history in Werribee. In fact, I've told this story in this place before: my mum was the first woman to be served in the public bar of the Bridge Hotel.”
“The high draught volume means the pause will directly stabilise operating costs, support staff retention and help keep meal prices stable for local families. Most Saturday nights you can't get a table at the Racecourse; it is booked out by families for the traditional pub meal. The last time I was there I saw three or four families with very young children having a counter meal, and a few multigenerational families celebrating their grans' birthdays. It's that kind of pub. When I walk into the Racecourse Hotel—to give you an insight into this hotel—in the traditional front bar you'll still find workers in their steel capped boots and shorts, or their long pants and high-vis. The formal lounge is where we have our counter meals. The bar manager is a former student of mine. His name is Dave.”
“This prevents scheduled rises in August 2025, February 2026, August 2026 and February 2027. Indexation resumes in 2027 but from the frozen rate, creating a permanently lower excise trajectory. This was very welcome news across my community. The measure has strong industry support, has bipartisan backing and forms part of the Albanese Labor government's cost-of-living strategy. It's supported by other small-business measures, including the increased excise remissions for brewers and distillers. What does this mean for our venues? What has been interesting about this debate is that we've had some insight into almost every electorate around the country, as people take us on a tour of their social establishments. I'd start locally at the Racecourse Hotel—my local, the closest to my home. It's one of Lalor's most iconic venues.”
“When I was growing up people were branded by their cars and branded by their beers. In my house, we drank Victoria Bitter. Not everybody did, but all of us agreed, and the parents of all of my friends agreed, that nobody drank Foster's. That was a rule where I come from. Our local pubs continue these traditions. It's a sector that's faced various pressures, particularly around supply chain pressures and post-pandemic recovery. The draught beer excise pause that comes in with this piece of legislation is a practical, targeted measure that delivers real support to the venues, to our social industry if you like, and to our night economies. I will give an overview of this measure: it pauses the automatic CPI indexation of draught beer excise for two years from 1 August this year.”
“This legislation, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, which I rise to support today, has been very welcomed in the community that I represent because Lalor is home to some of the most community minded pubs and clubs in Victoria—venues that are major employers, community sponsors and essential gathering places. Australians are a social mob. We like to get together. Whether we're drinking a beer out of a seven-ounce glass, a pint, a pot or a schooner, having a beer together has been part of our traditions for a long, long time, whatever part of Australia you're in, however you want to label the size of your glass and the beer that's inside it, and whatever the brand of beer you drink. Things have changed with our emerging craft beer industries coming through.”
“Government can do the things that we're doing to ensure that people are attracted to the industry and are maintained in the industry because they're getting a fair and decent wage, but we also need to ensure that they're capable and supported in accessing training so that they can take those next steps. This piece of legislation is about fixing that system. It's a small fix, but it's an important one. It's about making sure that everybody has continuity and certainty around this system so that people can access their loans without fear of a breach of their confidentiality or an upset in the system between them, the taxation system and the loan system.”
“These loans were enacted to support those young people to access vocational education and training, to get the skills that they need for future employment, or for people to re-engage in the vocational education and training sector so that they can upskill and find new positions. It's about us having the workforce that we need to be globally competitive and make sure that we're doing the provision on the ground that our communities need. We don't have to go far to think about the shortage in housing and construction at the moment, which we know we're trying refill. Look at the shortages that we've had in aged care across the country and in child care across the country. Vocational education and training systems are critical in developing that workforce.”
“It's important that people feel assured and confident that there have been no breaches and that because of this bill there will be no future breaches. What does it mean for students? The VET student loans program enables students to undertake a VET course and defer the payment of tuition fees through an income-contingent loan. This is critical. It is critical in areas such as the area that I represent, where young people may not have a mum-and-dad bank to fall back on, and their decisions about further and higher education are actually impacted by their family situation.”
“We are ensuring that there is certainty in the system and that no-one else will be affected by a problem of this kind in the future. VET student loan providers are of course registered training organisations that are approved by the Australian government to deliver the VSL approved courses, including TAFE institutions and private colleges. The bill will commence the day after it receives royal assent and the measure in the bill will be applied retrospectively to be in effect from 1 January 2017 to 30 September 2025. It's important that this bill happens expeditiously. It's important that the continuity of the provision of the VET student loans is not interrupted. It's important that certainty be given to both the providers and the students.”
“The protections that have previously applied to VSL providers' handling of TFNs will continue to do so after the bill's commencement. The bill will apply to all current and former VSL providers and their officers who have handled student tax file numbers to administer their loan applications and their VET student loans themselves prior to 1 October 2025. It also extends to other relevant people, including the Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Commissioner of Taxation and Commonwealth officers. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has communicated with the providers about the IT changes throughout the year and continues to communicate with providers about this bill.”
“I'd also note that there have been no VSL student complaints as a result of past TFN handling practices for the purposes of the VSL program since it commenced; however, this is important, responsible and part of due diligence. Providers have also been subject to security controls in the relevant IT systems and integrity safeguards to protect students' personal information. That has been occurring, and this legislation will ensure that it's all been done above board in the past and will be into the future. The safeguards include requirements for providers to comply with the strict use and disclosure provisions that apply to VET information under the VSL Act, that they undergo extensive approval processes to become an approved provider and that they notify the department of any student related data breaches.”
“The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has, since early 2025, made updates to relevant IT systems to mask tax file numbers from the providers and automate transfer to tax file numbers between relevant systems. This means that VSL providers no longer need to handle the tax file number. This also closes a loophole in terms of a potential breach of personal information to those providers when it wasn't necessary. A tax file number is information that is essential for administrating a loans program of this kind. This is because tax file numbers enable accurate tracking and repayment of that loan in the future, through the tax system. There'll be no change to the way students apply for a VET student loan using the electronic Commonwealth assistance form, or the eCAF.”
“The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations identified that there's no clear role for VSL providers to handle tax file numbers in the VET Student Loans Act 2016. A stronger alignment between relevant IT systems and legislation was required. This is why the Albanese government is bringing forward the VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025, to ensure this alignment and to fix the problem. The bill will retrospectively authorise VET student loan providers' handling of students' tax file numbers for administering the VET Student Loans program. The bill will also provide certainty to providers and government officers that their past handling of students' tax file numbers for administering the VSL program from 1 January 2017 to 30 September 2025 was in fact lawful.”
“It's about a government that's listening to the people at the end of the line of the intention of legislation and listening to the feedback we're getting from the system, if you like, and from the grassroots—from the students who are accessing the loans. What we've found is that there's a problem that needs to be fixed. This government has identified it during a review in the last term of government of how VET student loans were administered. Now we're fixing it with this piece of legislation. We're taking action to ensure this is resolved and there is a certainty for students and providers. The bill is a fix for an issue where VSL providers were handling tax file numbers when the 2016 VSL Act did not authorise it.”
“I rise today to speak on the VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025, proudly. Often, governments have great intentions. We've all heard a lot about the national skills shortage. We've all heard us talk repeatedly about the need for us to develop people with those skills in our communities to ensure that we can build the homes that we need, to ensure that we can be competitive on the global market. The VET student loans have been part of that since 2017. But, as it is important to enact things in response to that skills shortage, it is just as important to ensure that we have a streamlined system and that the students who are looking to access that system have certainty about the outcome of accessing it. That's what this piece of legislation is about.”
“I declare the Federation Chamber orders of the day government business No. 2, VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025, and No. 3, Veterans Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025, are returned to the House for further consideration.”
“I declare that, unless otherwise ordered, the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 and Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 stand referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration at the adjournment of the debate on the motion for the second reading of the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025.”
“In an electorate like mine, this is so important—so important for young people who may have left school early but want to re-engage at 20, 21, 22. This bridging can help them re-engage and head into university to pursue higher education. I commend the member for putting forward this motion today and I commend our government for supporting students and the cost of living of young people in my electorate.”
“It is practical support for those students while they're doing their practical training. The payment helps provide financial support to help students finish their degree, and it offers $330 per week for eligible students to support them while they do that training. We've also introduced FEE-FREE Uni Ready places. These are really important for a country that aspires, for a country that is looking to increase the number of a number of people who have a tertiary qualification or have a VET qualification. These are really important. The FEE-FREE Uni Ready courses, sometimes called bridging or enabling courses, are short courses which help prepare people for university, acting as a bridge between school or work and higher ed to support people making those decisions to pursue higher education.”
“This is real cost-of-living relief at a time when we know Australians are doing it tough, at a time when we know that the people who have these student debts are struggling to make ends meet. This will make a real difference. We've also made sure that we've fixed the future indexation issue that young people were talking to us about before the last election. We fixed that to ensure that student debt never grows faster than wages in the future. And that's not all we've done in the higher education space or for students. Before we took to office, too many students were dropping out because they couldn't afford unpaid placements, and we've fixed that. We've introduced new financial support for our future teachers, for nurses, for midwives and for social workers so they can get paid while on prac for the first time ever.”
“We've also made student repayments fairer by raising the minimum amount before people have to start making repayments. It was $54,435. It's now gone up to $67,000. So we've lifted that payment threshold. This replaces the previous repayment system with a new marginal repayment system. The previous system was based on your entire income. Once you earned above the minimum repayment threshold of $54,435, you paid a percentage of your entire wage as a repayment. Now you pay only a percentage of your wage above the minimum repayment threshold. For example, right now, if you earn $70,000, you pay $1,750 a year. Under these changes, you'll pay only around $450 a year. This means you'll pay $1,300 less. For someone earning 70,000 a year, it will cut the amount they have to repay every year by $1,300.”
“The tax office will process everything at their end and the cut will be backdated to June 2025. The individuals involved don't need to take any action—no claim to be made. You'll get a text message or an email from the ATO letting you know that 20 per cent has gone from your student debt—because this government promised it, and this government is delivering it. Don't forget that at the 2025 federal election the coalition attacked this policy. They called it profoundly unfair. They said Australians would see no benefit from the policy. Well, there are 20,000 people in my electorate who are about to see a benefit. The Australian people, particularly young Australians, disagreed with the coalition's sentiment and backed this in.”
“Over the next few weeks, millions of Australians will have their student debt cut by 20 per cent. That's 20,336 individuals in the electorate of Lalor—more than 20,000 people in my electorate—who will receive a text or an email from the tax department to tell them their debt has been reduced. This is a big deal for young people—a big deal. The average student debt is around $27,000, and this will cut that debt by about $5½ thousand. It'll benefit around three million Australians. It will wipe around $16 billion off student debt. And the individuals involved won't have to do a thing. Now, I know there are many young people—as I said, 20,000 young people in my electorate—who have questions about this. So let me go through how this is going to work.”
“We only have to look at the extraordinary success of Bluey , a show made in Brisbane that has captured the hearts of families across the globe; Heartbreak High , which has been embraced from Sydney to Sao Paolo; or Boy Swallows Universe , a story deeply rooted in Brisbane life yet universally loved for its humanity. These programs not only have been hits in Australia; they've shared pieces of our culture, our humour, our struggles and our joy with millions beyond our shores. They demonstrate—”
“This obligation will provide vital and ongoing support to our domestic screen sector and to the tens of thousands of writers, performers, directors, set builders, camera crews, animators, visual effect artists and production workers who bring Australian stories to life. It will ensure that quality local content continues to be produced here in Australia, building a sustainable pipeline of work and opportunity. This is important because Australian stories are world-class stories. We know this. The rest of the world knows this too.”
“For the first time, large streaming platforms with more than one million Australian subscribers will be required to invest 10 per cent of their Australian sourced revenue into local content, into Australian made dramas, children's shows, documentaries, arts, programming and educational material. This is not a burden on these companies; it is a responsibility that reflects their enormous presence in the Australian market and the vital role they now play in shaping our cultural landscape. They benefit from Australian audiences. It is only fair that Australian audiences and Australian creators benefit in return.”
“Those words are a reminder that, when a people lose their stories, they lose a sense of themselves, their past, their place and their purpose. Simply put, if we don't tell Australian stories, we lose part of our national identity. We lose the ability to understand ourselves through our own eyes rather than through the lens of others, and in a media environment increasingly dominated by global platforms and global content, that risk becomes greater every year. This legislation recognises that reality. It mandates that, whether Australians flick on channel 2, tune into Foxtel or log into Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video or any other major streaming service, they will be able to hear their own voices and have their own experiences and their own stories reflected back at them.”
“I'm proud to stand here in this place today to support this important piece of legislation. The Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025 is yet another example of the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to ensure that Australian stories continue to be told, shared and celebrated on Australian screens. It is a commitment rooted not only in policy but in our understanding of who we are as a nation. The importance of telling our stories has been part of our conscience's fabric for over 65,000 years. Storytelling is not simply entertainment; it is a way of passing on knowledge, shaping identity and strengthening community. It is how cultures endure. There is a well-known Indigenous proverb: those who lose Dreaming are lost.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. How are the Albanese Labor government's aged-care reforms delivering safer, fairer and more dignified care for older Australians? Why were these reforms so critical?”
“I can't stress enough how important that is and how pleasing it was to hear that our headspace was connecting directly with our local schools and with teachers and welfare teams who know the young people very closely and who can make those referrals in a really informed way. The headspace team at Werribee exemplifies what community based mental health care should look like: local, inclusive and deeply human.”
“On top of that commitment, we are also doing 50 Medicare mental health hubs around the country. This is a government absolutely committed to putting the planks in place to support people wherever they live in this country. Under the former Liberal government, services like headspace were left to do more with less. Waitlists grew, workforces struggled and community like Lalor were overlooked. The Albanese Labor government is reversing that neglect by investing, rebuilding and delivering services close to home. For local families, it means shorter wait times and better access to support right in my community. For our schools, it means stronger partnerships with mental health professionals who know their students and their circumstances.”
“This is a government, the Albanese Labor government, that recognises that youth mental health must be a national priority, and this is why Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Emma McBride announced that $72.7 million investment. It's also why she was with me in Point Cook making the announcement for the Gidget regarding the other centre that I spoke about. This funding, the $72.7 million, will provide additional staff to reduce wait times in headspaces; fund new group and single session therapy programs; deliver capital infrastructure upgrades to make centres safer and more welcoming; and expand inclusive programs for First Nations young people, LGBTIQA youth and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.”
“It's more than just a mental health clinic; it's a safe place, a local hub and a trusted part of our community fabric. The team there understands the unique character and challenges of Wyndham, one of the fastest-growing and youngest areas in Australia. The team works closely with welfare teams in local schools, with community organisations and with families to identify and support young people before challenges escalate to a point where clinical intervention is required. The comradeship and professionalism within the team were evident and gave me confidence—a group deeply connected to the community that they serve. I want to specifically acknowledge and thank the Werribee team for their compassion, skill and commitment to the wellbeing of the young people in Lalor.”
“The statistics tell us that one in five women and one in 10 men report anxiety and depression during their parental journey. This government has committed $42.9 million to support another 20 of these centres nationally. They will make an extraordinary difference in the community of Wyndham and an extraordinary difference across the country. Similarly, in the electorate of Lalor I visited our headspace recently. It was on World Mental Health Day that I managed a visit to headspace. It was an opportunity to meet the dedicated local team led by clinical services manager Priya Hastak and to see firsthand the incredible work they do every day to support young people in our community. Nationally, we've made a commitment of $72.7 million to headspaces. Locally, that's a $442,000 commitment to the headspace in my community.”
“I rise tonight to laud the Albanese Labor government on their $1.1 billion commitment to bolster and strengthen the mental health support being provided across this country. I can't think of a more important issue than to support people when they are suffering from mental ill health. To highlight how this is assisting in my electorate, I'm going to share with the House an announcement that was made in the neighbouring electorate of Gellibrand, in Point Cook, at the Point Cook Town Centre last week. This was to announce a perinatal mental health centre in partnership with the Gidget Foundation Australia. It was a proud moment for Melbourne's west to see something being done to support mums and dads in the incredibly exciting but often stressful and isolating time near birth.”
“My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations: What is the Albanese Labor government doing to protect workplace entitlements of parents who suffer the devastating loss of a child to stillbirth or early infant death?”