Sharon Claydon
Newcastle · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“That was not an easy decision back then. We know what happened. We know the litigious nature of big tobacco and big tech, and that's why this is so damn critical right now. That is why every parent in Australia is asking: 'How can this be happening?”
“They knew that this was going to be a challenging moment for the Australian parliament. They knew it full well. They knew the arguments they were having every day at their kitchen tables and in their lounge rooms about kids spending so much time doomscrolling. But they also knew it wasn't the fault of their kids.”
“Colleagues fondly remember Julia's vibrant personality, her loyalty and the lasting impression she left on those fortunate enough to work alongside her. On behalf of members and staff who were privileged to work alongside Julia, I want to put on record our sincere gratitude for her remarkable service spanning more than three decades.”
“I rise today to honour the life and service of Julia Morris and to extend my deepest condolences to her daughter, Mollie; her parents, Allan and Anne; her brother, James; and all of her friends, family and colleagues. Julia passed away last month after a five-year battle with breast cancer.”
“That's the very legislation that we need to hold big tech to account—to make sure that kids are not left fending for themselves against these giants that have never, ever displayed an intention to change their business model and to do the right thing, which has constantly been asked of them.”
“These are parents that lost their kids. These were kids who were victims of addictive design features in social media that led to self-harm, extreme levels of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body image harm, cyberbullying, misogyny, radicalisation and mis- and disinformation.”
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“Both processes made it clear that, if we want the NDIS to remain strong into the future, improvements are necessary. That includes strengthening governance, improving consistency, rebuilding trust and ensuring participants remain at the centre of decision-making. In Newcastle, I know many people in the disability community are anxious about the proposed changes. I have met with participants, advocates and organisations, including the Community Disability Alliance Hunter, about their concerns. They've sat and spoken to me and the minister on these issues. People do want assurance, they want clarity, and they want confidence that reforms will not come at the expense of support—that these reforms will prioritise participant wellbeing, choice and uncompromised access to care.”
“Australians want to know that the scheme is fair. They want to know that the supports are going to those who need them the most. They want to know that the safeguards are strong, and they want to know that the system is focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for participants. Of course, the NDIS participants themselves want the scheme to be the very best it can be. They are literally depending on it. Responsible reform is not about walking away from the NDIS. It's about ensuring we protect it way into the future. It's about strengthening it. It's about preserving one of the greatest social reforms our nation has ever seen. Importantly, these reforms build on the recommendations of the independent NDIS Review and the disability royal commission.”
“That's where our attention must be focused because every dollar lost to fraud or poor-quality providers is a dollar diverted away from Australians who genuinely need support. If public confidence in the integrity and sustainability of the scheme is undermined over time, that places the long-term future of the NDIS at risk, and none of us should want to see that. The Albanese Labor government supports the NDIS unequivocally. We believe in it, we defend it and we are determined to ensure it survives and thrives for future generations. That means ensuring the scheme remains sustainable not only financially but also socially and politically. The long-term success of the NDIS depends on maintaining the trust and confidence of the Australian people. It's about ensuring we honour the contract and agreement between all our citizens.”
“The overwhelming majority of people who rely on the NDIS are simply seeking the supports they need to live their lives with dignity and independence. That should never be forgotten in this debate. We must reject any narrative that seeks to stigmatise Australians with disability or portray participants as responsible for broader challenges within the system, because that would fundamentally betray the values on which the NDIS was built. The challenges facing the scheme have far more to do with rapid growth, inconsistencies in administration, gaps in oversight, poor planning processes and, in some cases, exploitation and fraud by unscrupulous operators seeking to profit from vulnerable people.”
“The NDIS represents a promise between Australians, a promise that we will look after one another, a promise that disability should never mean exclusion and a promise that every Australian deserves the chance to live a full and meaningful life. Maintaining that social licence also means ensuring the scheme remains strong, trusted and sustainable for generations to come. Supporting the NDIS means being honest about the challenges it faces. Protecting the NDIS means ensuring it remains sustainable, fair and focused on delivering the best outcomes for participants, and that's why reform matters. I want to say very clearly that people with disability are not to blame for the pressures facing this scheme.”
“I've heard stories of people being able to move into more independent living arrangements, to reconnect with communities and to participate in local sporting clubs, pursue creative passions and build friendships and social connections that many of us take for granted. These stories matter because, when we talk about the NDIS, we are talking about human dignity. We are talking about people having the opportunity to live with greater independence, confidence and security. We are talking about inclusion. We are talking about fairness. That's why maintaining public confidence in, and the social licence of, the NDIS is important. Australians overwhelmingly support the NDIS because they understand its values. They understand that supporting Australians with disability is not only the right thing to do; it strengthens all of us as a nation.”
“In Newcastle this is not an abstract policy debate; this is personal. It's about real people, real families and real lives. I've met parents whose children are thriving because they finally have access to therapies and supports that allow them to participate at school and in the community. I've spoken with young people with disability who have gained confidence, independence and pathways into employment because the NDIS gave them opportunities that simply did not exist before. I've met carers who tell me that for the first time in years they no longer feel completely alone in carrying the burden of care. They love their kids, but it's hard work.”
“It reflects the very best of the Australian character: fairness, compassion and the belief that no-one should be left behind. In my community of Newcastle, we understand that better than most. Newcastle was one of the original NDIS trial sites. Our region helped shape the national rollout of the scheme. More than 10,000 people were participating in our region. Long before the NDIS became a national institution, people in Newcastle were helping demonstrate what was possible when Australians with disability were given the support they deserved, and that is something our city is deeply proud of. Today, thousands of Novocastrians rely on the NDIS directly, whether it's participants, families, carers or advocates. Thousands more rely on the jobs and the economic opportunities created through the disability care sector.”
“It has supported pathways into employment, education, sport, the arts and community life. It has allowed people to live more independently and with greater choice and control over their futures. And it has provided reassurance and support to families and carers who for too long carried overwhelming responsibilities alone. The NDIS has not only changed lives; it has changed our country. It's one of Australia's great human rights achievements. It has strengthened our understanding of inclusion, it has challenged outdated assumptions about disability and it has reaffirmed something fundamental about Australia: every person deserves the opportunity to participate fully in society. That's why the NDIS should be a point of enormous national pride.”
“It represented a fundamental shift in how our nation understood disability, not through a lens of charity or limitation but through a belief in dignity, capability, inclusion and rights. For the first time, Australians with disability were placed at the centre of decisions about their own lives. Labor created the NDIS based on a simple but powerful principle: disability should never be a barrier to living a full and meaningful life. Over the past decade we've seen the extraordinary impact of that Labor vision. The NDIS has helped Australians with disability access therapies, equipment, care and supports that have transformed lives. It has enabled children to participate more fully at school. It has helped young people build confidence and independence.”
“I rise today to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is one of the most important social reforms in modern Australian history. It has changed Australia for the better. Before the NDIS, too many Australians with disability and their families were left to navigate a fragmented, crisis driven system that depended far too heavily on luck, postcode and personal circumstance. Families were forced to fight endlessly for support. Parents carried enormous burdens alone. Too many Australians with disability were excluded from opportunities that many of us take for granted. The creation of the NDIS changed that.”
“This web app is designed to strengthen the capability of frontline workers supporting victims-survivors of domestic and family violence. Developed through a partnership with the Hunter Domestic and Family Violence Consortium, WorkVentures and the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, it was launched at the Newcastle Museum just last week. The Hunter Domestic and Family Violence Consortium is a unique collaboration of specialist domestic family violence and homeless non-government services in the Hunter, including Family Support Newcastle, Got Your Back Sista, Jenny's Place, Wariga Ngurra, and Nova for Women and Children. This work before us is urgent. It needs to be long term. It requires governments to lead but all of us to change. All of us need to keep this at the front and centre of our lives.”
“The Supporting Outreach Healthcare pilot delivers multidisciplinary primary care clinics directly into refuge accommodation across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland. The Hope in Healing project, funded through the Medical Research Future Fund, will help identify and respond to one of the hidden impacts of domestic and family violence: traumatic brain injury. Local screening by a local service found that more than 80 per cent of women, young people and children who've experienced potential head injury do not seek medical help. This is deeply concerning, and it shows why this work is so important. I also want to acknowledge another important local project: the digital trauma informed T ech nology F acilitated A buse P laybook .”
“It is focused on what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have asked for: culturally safe, community led, trauma informed responses that support safety, healing and long-term change. It's backed by $218.3 million over four years, including support for Aboriginal community controlled organisations to deliver specialist family, domestic and sexual violence services. In my own community of Newcastle we know how important these services are to meet women and children where they are. I was very pleased to support recent investments in innovative domestic, family and sexual violence health programs in my community, like the Supporting Outreach Healthcare pilot and the Hope in Healing project.”
“We're investing in emergency and transitional accommodation because women and children cannot leave violence if they have nowhere safe to. We are also strengthening frontline services, including through the 500 Workers Initiative, and reforming systems that, all too often, have been weaponized by perpetrators, such as the child support allowance. A critical part of this national work is Our Ways, Strong Ways, Our Voices, Australia's first dedicated national plan for ending family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. This plan has been driven by the lived experience, leadership and advocacy of First Nations women, children, families, communities and organisations.”
“It recognises that this work must happen across the whole system—prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing—and this government is implementing that plan. We have invested more than any other Commonwealth government in Australia's history to address violence against women and children—more than $4 billion across frontline services, prevention, housing, legal assistance, behaviour change programs, support for children and financial assistance for women escaping violence. We've legislated 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave, and we've made the leaving violence payment permanent, providing up to $5,000 in financial support alongside safety planning for women leaving violence.”
“I rise to support this motion. I really want to add to the words of the member for Menzies and congratulate the member for Bonner for bringing this motion before the House today. May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month. Domestic violence is one of the most important issues confronting us as a nation. It has a huge impact on too many people and too many families. This is a national crisis. No-one would say otherwise. It demands exactly the kind of national, coordinated and long-term response that the Albanese Labor government has prioritised. The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 is the national framework agreed by all governments to end violence against women and children in one generation.”
“It's about ensuring children can grow up proud of who they are and where they come from. And it's about strengthening the rich, multicultural fabric that makes our city such a vibrant and welcoming place. Instead of waiting for change, Monica stepped forward and made it happen. She's even publishing bilingual booklets now, and that kind of leadership deserves recognition. People like Monica make Newcastle strong. Through her work, she's building connections, opening doors and creating opportunities for future generations. I know our entire community is incredibly proud of her achievements, and I am very pleased to place on record my sincere congratulations and thanks for the remarkable contributions she's making to our city.”
“I rise today to congratulate Monica Njoroge-Eaton on receiving the New South Wales premier's Community Languages Teacher Medal this year—a thoroughly well deserved award—in recognition of her outstanding contribution to education, multiculturalism and community life in Newcastle. Monica is an extraordinary community leader whose passion and determination have helped create something truly special for local families. Through her leadership, Newcastle is now home to New South Wales's first-ever Kiswahili community language school, which is an incredible achievement that's helping young people stay connected to their language, culture and heritage while building a stronger sense of identity and belonging. But this initiative is far more than a language school alone. It's about creating community.”
“It's also a testament to the strength of Newcastle's creative and cultural sectors that one of our own has been chosen to lead one of the world's most celebrated literary events. And while we will certainly miss Rosemarie's leadership at the Newcastle Writers Festival, we know that she will not only play an important role in the transition of that leadership but she will be bringing the same passion, intelligence and generosity that she showed to Newcastle down to Adelaide. On behalf of the people of Newcastle, I thank Rosemarie for being such an outstanding advocate for the writers and for her strong understanding of the cultural conversation shaping Australia today. I wish her every success in this exciting new chapter.”
“Today I want to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution of Rosemarie Milsom, who, after 14 years of leading the Newcastle Writers Festival, has been appointed as the new director of Adelaide Writers' Week. For more than a decade, Rosemarie has shaped Newcastle into one of Australia's great literary cities through the founding and leadership of the Newcastle Writers Festival. What began as a bold local idea when Rosemarie was a full-time journalist at the Newcastle Herald has grown into one of the nation's most respected literary festivals, bringing world-class writers, thinkers and storytellers to our city while nurturing local voices and fostering a lifelong love of reading and ideas. Rosemarie's appointment to the Adelaide Writers' Week is a richly deserved recognition of her talent, her integrity and her vision.”
“The national spotlight from Gardening Australia showcased not only the incredible biodiversity of the wetlands but also the dedication of the staff, volunteers and environmental advocates who care for this remarkable place each and every day. Visitors from across the country now have the chance to see what locals have known for years—that the Hunter Wetlands Centre is one of Australia's great urban wetlands and a sanctuary for wildlife right in the heart of our region. To everyone involved with the centre, thank you for protecting this special place not just for today but also for future generations and for continuing to make Newcastle proud.”
“I rise today to celebrate one of Newcastle's true environmental treasures, the Hunter Wetlands Centre, and its recent feature on the ABC's iconic television program Gardening Australia . For Novocastrians, the wetlands centre is much more than just a beautiful natural space; it's a place of remarkable regeneration, an important industrial and urban buffer and a vital place of education, conservation, community and connection. Built on formerly industrial land, it stands as a powerful example of environmental restoration done right, proof that nature can thrive when communities come together with vision and determination.”
“I hope that they take some comfort in knowing that Peter leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, a legacy built not only on the offices he held or the projects that he advanced but through the values he championed—fairness, dignity, opportunity and service to others. Newcastle and the Hunter are stronger because of Peter Morris, and Australia is better because of Peter Morris. Vale, Peter Morris.”
“Peter and Flo are survived by their children Michael, Paul and John Morris, along with Peter's remaining siblings, including one of my predecessors, the former federal member for Newcastle, Allan Morris. He was in this parliament from 1983 to 2001. In my part of the world, if you don't serve for more than 20 years, you're considered a bit of a wimp, I think! I am only the sixth federal member for Newcastle since 1901. That shows the kind of service that has been given, and, in no small part, more than half a century of that has been the Morris family. So I do not want to ever underestimate the significance of that service. And I do want to send my condolences to all the members of the Morris family and to Peter's many dear friends and loved ones, and, of course, the ALP rank and file, who I know will be mourning his passing.”
“We now have at the Newcastle harbour a magnificent memorial in honour of the merchant mariners. We have a service every year, which will happen, as I said, in the June long weekend, and we will all be remembering Peter, who will be very much in our hearts and minds at that service this year. On behalf of the people of Newcastle, I do extend my deepest condolences to Peter's family. Peter and his wife, Florence, who sadly passed away in 2019—I know that really hurt Peter; he really missed Flo—were loving parents to four children, including the late Matthew Morris, their son, who was a former state member for Charlestown, from 2003 to 2011, so this is a family that knows service.”
“His passing represents the loss of a generation of leaders shaped by public service, community connection and deep ideological convictions—people who entered politics because they genuinely wanted to improve the lives of others, people who understood that politics at its best is about service. I will miss Peter deeply. I will miss his wisdom, his encouragement and his generosity with younger generations of Labor representatives. I will miss his stories, and I will miss his unwavering commitment to Newcastle and the Hunter. I will be attending a service called the Merchant Mariners Memorial service, coming up in a couple of weeks. It'll be the June long weekend. That, again, is a legacy of Peter Morris. He understood that we lost many merchant mariners during the war time and we had no way to honour them.”
“While I was unfortunately unable to attend that ceremony, I want to sincerely thank everyone involved in bringing that project to life and in honouring Peter in such a meaningful way. It's a beautiful reflection on the respect and affection that our community held for him. He believed passionately in Newcastle's future. He believed in our workers, our industries, our creativity and our resilience. And he believed that regional communities deserved ambition from government—not just attention during election campaigns but genuine long-term investment and opportunity. That belief continues to resonate today. I know many across our community will feel Peter's loss profoundly.”
“He remained very actively engaged and cared deeply about the rank-and-file members of the Australian Labor Party, and they loved him for that. We should all take a leaf out of his book, really. He took enormous pride in the region's achievements and the potential of our region. Just recently, Peter's longstanding contribution to our maritime community was recognised through the ceremonial hoisting of the William the Fourth's new ship's tender, the Peter Morris . He will be very, very chuffed about having a vessel named in his honour. The tender was hand built by the Lake Macquarie Classic Boat Association in partnership with the William the Fourth organisation and stands as a fitting tribute to Peter's decades of support and patronage.”
“For many of us in Newcastle, Peter was far more than a former minister or respected elder statesman. He was a mentor, a confidant, a storyteller, a trusted source of wisdom and advice. He had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcome and valued, and conversations with Peter were always memorable. They could be long—and a long journey to get around to the story—but it meant that it was really tattooed into my memory bank forevermore. He possessed a razor-sharp political mind and an extraordinary memory, and, after leaving parliament, Peter remained deeply engaged in Newcastle and the Hunter. I want to acknowledge the words from the now member for Shortland of just how involved he remained in the Shortland FEC. People, after giving 27 years of service, have got every right to sit back and retire, but that was never Peter's way.”
“The report reflected Peter's broad philosophy that economic progress should never come at the expense of human dignity, that workers deserve to return home safely, that fairness matters and that governments have a responsibility to stand up for those whose voices are all too often ignored. That commitment to fairness and justice defined Peter Morris throughout his public life, and he was deeply respected across the labour movement because he combined intellectual rigour with a solid grounding in those principles of high regard for common humanity. He was serious about policy, he was serious about reform and serious about public service, and he understood people. He understood relationships, he understood community and he understood the importance of humour.”
“It was an important part of my early education as a—I was not even then the member for Newcastle, but it sticks with me. That is in no small part due to the extraordinary work that Peter Morris did—and made sure all of us in the region were familiar with the work that he had done. That was a good education for me as the young parliamentarian I was soon to be. The Ships of Shame report really elevated public awareness. It strengthened the security of international shipping practices and helped drive improvements in safety standards and conditions for seafarers. It's something we should be really proud of here in Australia—that we ask international seafarers to abide by those conditions and regulations too.”
“It was a real eye-opener for me, I have to say, and I'm really indebted to Peter and to the International Transport Workers' Federation for that very early education. Although Peter's report was way back in the 1990s, I was boarding a ship in 2013 that hadn't paid its workers for three months and didn't have enough food for them to get to the next port. But I'm really pleased to say that—now, with that infrastructure in place and those safety inspectors aboard ships—that ship left our harbour having paid that crew, having fed them and made sure they had water and food to get to the next port. But it does remind me that you just need to remain forever vigilant. In Australia, we do have good working conditions for people in our ports, and we want that extended to the people that work on ships that come to our ports.”
“I recall that when I was speaking to the Newcastle branch secretary of the MUA very recently, he made it very clear to me that seafarers would still be working on rust buckets today if it wasn't for Peter Morris. I think that's a very true statement. I remember when I became a candidate, standing in the 2013 election. The International Transport Workers' Federation was in Newcastle. Peter encouraged me to attend the seminars that were being run by the transport federation, and they allowed me to board a ship with them in the Newcastle Harbour. These are people who have international tickets to board ships to check on the safety and wellbeing of seafarers all around the world. We were delighted to have them in the Port of Newcastle.”
“In 1992 Peter chaired the inquiry into shipping safety and standards that exposed shocking exploitation and dangerous practices occurring aboard foreign vessels operating in Australian waters. That report uncovered appalling conditions endured by seafarers—unsafe ships, inadequate living conditions, exploitation of crews and systemic neglect of safety standards. It was confronting, but Peter refused to look away. At the time there were powerful interests content to ignore those conditions. Peter insisted that Australia had a responsibility to uphold fairness, dignity and safety for all workers. People visiting our shores were not somehow carved out of that, in Peter's mind. The Ships of s hame report became a catalyst for reform in maritime safety and regulation. It's a standard that is still used today.”
“It's a great joy for me to remember him in that context, in the place that he loved so much, on the William the F ourth boat touring the working harbour that he dedicated much of his life and advocacy to. It's a special memory that will stay with me, that's for sure. But Peter's most enduring and nationally significant contribution perhaps came through his fearless advocacy not as a minister, not as someone holding high office in this place, but, at that time, as a humble backbencher heading up a committee. He wrote an extraordinary report that many of us continue to refer to today—I see former deputy prime minister the member for Riverina acknowledging that it was indeed a landmark report—called Ships of s hame . For those of us that have been around the block enough, we know just how important that report was.”
“I know just how disappointed Peter was when that museum closed, and I know it was his wish that it would be a temporary closure. He was really heartened to know there were people still fighting for the Newcastle Maritime Museum. I take this moment to acknowledge the Newcastle branch of the Maritime Union of Australia for the very constructive role they have played in those discussions and for their continued advocacy in preserving Newcastle's maritime heritage. One of the most pleasurable last memories I have of being with Peter, before he went into care, is of being out on a restored vessel called William the Fourth . That boat now commemorates him, and he was so thrilled to be out there on the water once again. He looked like the happiest man in Newcastle that day.”
“That practical understanding grounded his politics throughout his career. Peter also held a deep appreciation for Newcastle's rich maritime history and the communities built around our harbour and busy waterfront. He played an important role in the opening of the Newcastle Maritime Museum, helping ensure that the stories of our port, our working harbour, our seafarers and our industrial heritage were preserved for future generations. That contribution reflected Peter's broader belief that Newcastle should always celebrate and honour the working people and industries that shape our city. I welcome the current discussions with the New South Wales government around getting the museum's collection back into public display so that the community can once again engage with this important part of our history.”
“Peter's advocacy around the M1 motorway corridor reflected his staunch belief that improving transport links would strengthen economic growth, improve safety and better connect regional communities to major cities and opportunities. Through his involvement in aviation and transport policy, including work connected to the new second airport of Sydney at Badgerys Creek just opening, Peter helped shape national conversations about the future of Australian infrastructure and economic development. These were nation-building reforms and projects, but Peter never approached them in abstract policy terms alone. He understood what these projects meant to working people. He understood what secure jobs meant to families trying to pay the mortgage, raise the children and build a future. He understood what investment meant to regional confidence.”
“The City of Newcastle and the Port Stephens Council remain custodians and leasers of those lands, and those profits are returned. It is a remarkable model, and it was only somebody like Peter Morris who had the foresight to set it up in such a way that this airport would never be privatised and sold off, and that the communities that house the airport and that invest in the airport get to benefit from it as well. A lot of Novocastrians for many, many generations will be giving thanks to Peter Morris for his foresight in that regard, but that was just one example. Peter also understood the importance of better road connectivity between Newcastle and Sydney. It remains a sport for Novocastrians to critique the transport corridors between these two cities.”
“It was about connecting communities, supporting jobs, driving investment and ensuring regions like ours were never left behind. His work supporting the development and growth of Newcastle Airport helped lay foundations for what has become one of the Hunter's most important economic assets. Today Newcastle Airport stands as a critical gateway for tourism, defence, industry and trade, supporting thousands of jobs and helping connect our region to the world. I would just add that, true to his Labor values and principles, Peter ensured that Newcastle Airport was established with a model of ownership between the two local councils so that today it is the largest airport in Australia that remains in public ownership. The profits therefore get returned to the communities that bought into that airport in the first place.”
“He carried with him the instincts of someone who understood working communities—communities built around the steelworks, the mines, the railways and the waterfront. He understood the aspirations and anxieties of ordinary families because they were the communities that shaped him. Peter entered the Australian parliament during a transformative period in Australian history, and he helped shape many of the reforms that modernised our nation. As a minister in the Hawke government, he played an important role in advancing major transport and infrastructure projects that would leave a lasting mark on both our region and Australia more broadly. Peter understood that transport and infrastructure are never just about roads, airports or transport corridors; for him, infrastructure opened up opportunities.”
“He was the son of a Greek migrant who came to Australia seeking opportunity and a better future for his family, and, like so many migrant families who helped build our industrial regions like Newcastle, the Morris family understood hard work, resilience and community. Peter grew up with those values deeply ingrained in him. He attended Newcastle Boys' High School and later built his career in local government before entering federal politics. Long before he came to this chamber, Peter had already developed the qualities that would define his public life: intelligence, determination, integrity and a fierce commitment to the people he represented. No matter how senior the office he held, Peter never lost sight of where he came from. He was always unmistakeably a Hunter local.”
“It's a great honour to rise in this chamber this evening to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the Hon. Peter Morris, a principled Labor man, a reformer of conviction and one of the most significant public figures our region has produced. Peter Morris dedicated more than 25 years of his life to public service, serving the people of the electorate of Shortland in this parliament from 1972 to 1998. Across those decades, he became known not only as a highly capable minister and parliamentarian but as a tireless advocate for the Hunter and for working people right across Australia. His passing is deeply felt in Newcastle and throughout our region. Peter's story was shaped by the Hunter from the very beginning.”
“My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. How has the Albanese Labor government been assisting Australians returning from the Middle East, and how are Australia's collective efforts supporting the region?”
“To Tilley and to all the young people of Newcastle considering a career on the water, I say this: there is a place for you and a future that is worth pursuing.”
“This is exactly what we mean when we talk about creating effective employment pathways—giving young people the opportunity to learn, to train on the job and to step confidently into secure, skilled jobs in their own communities. Tilley's journey also speaks to something bigger: the importance of opening doors for more women in traditionally male dominated industries like maritime. Programs like this don't just build careers; they build the future workforce of our region, which needs support in a growing economy and thriving port. For Newcastle, a city defined by our working harbour, there is something especially powerful about seeing the next generation stepping forward to keep that legacy strong.”
“I rise today to recognise an inspiring young Novocastrian, Tilley Murgatroyd, who is charting an exciting course in Australia's maritime industry. A proud Novocastrian, Tilley has recently stepped into a role as port officer with the Port Authority of New South Wales, an achievement built on her dedication, skill and hands-on training in Newcastle. Through a unique traineeship where the Port of Newcastle and Svitzer combine to develop skills around towage, pilotage support, on-water safety and port operations, Tilley has gained the kind of real-world experience that sets her up for a strong and lasting career on the harbour and at sea.”
“This legislation positions Australia as a constructive partner, working with our Pacific neighbours and international community to safeguard the health of our shared seas. If we fail to act, the cost will not be abstract. It will be borne by future generations, through environmental decline, economic loss and diminished global standing. Not a single law will solve this crisis overnight, but this is a critical step towards healthier oceans, stronger ecosystems and a more sustainable future. In this place, we can choose to lead. We can choose to act with courage, guided by science and responsibility. That's why I commend this bill to the House.”
“Importantly, this legislation is backed by a broad coalition of scientists, environmental organisations and community advocates. Groups like Surfers for Climate, Greenpeace, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Save our Marine Life are united in calling for stronger ocean protections. They represent Australians who see firsthand the impacts of warming waters, pollution and biodiversity loss—and they are clear: the science is settled, the need is urgent and the time to act is now. This bill reflects that consensus. It demonstrates what is possible when we listen to the evidence, to the experts and to our communities and when we match that with the will to act. It also reflects Australia's role on the global stage. Oceans do not recognise borders, and protecting them requires cooperation.”