Rick Wilson
O'Connor · Liberal Party · Australia
“Instead, it is being used to maintain primary health services that are a Commonwealth responsibility. Last week the Local Government Rural Health Funding Alliance hosted a workshop here in Canberra, with more than 30 councils from across Australia coming together with the Australian Local Government Association, the National Rural Health…”
“For many seniors in O'Connor, the cost of seeing a doctor is becoming almost as painful as the diagnosis. I'm running a survey of constituents aged over 65 and have heard from many people who are doing everything they can just to make ends meet only to find they pay more just to access the health care they deserve.”
“As the federal representative of 47 rural, regional and remote shire councils, I rise today to highlight an inequity that should concern all levels of government and all Australians.”
“These are the very councils least able to absorb those costs. The alliance's workshop revealed many more councils paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars per year covering housing, vehicles, medical premises, staff, locum doctor cover and even utilities.”
“But, in the bush, this Labor government expects some of the smallest and most financially constrained councils to carry a responsibility that lies with them. Meanwhile, these same communities see a Medicare underspend of around 50 per cent per person of what is spent on a city dweller.”
“For seniors in O'Connor, health care is becoming less affordable and harder to access. In regional Western Australia, a hospital is not just down the road, and specialist care can be hundreds of kilometres away, yet today there is still not one single urgent care clinic anywhere in my 1.1 million kilometre electorate, despite the Treasure…”
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“But, in the bush, this Labor government expects some of the smallest and most financially constrained councils to carry a responsibility that lies with them. Meanwhile, these same communities see a Medicare underspend of around 50 per cent per person of what is spent on a city dweller. These rural communities are not asking for special treatment; they are asking for equitable access to health care. This government must recognise the challenges of thin markets and deliver targeted funding solutions for MM6 and MM7 communities like mine in O'Connor and beyond, because no council should have to choose between funding a doctor and building the infrastructure that its community needs to thrive.”
“These are the very councils least able to absorb those costs. The alliance's workshop revealed many more councils paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars per year covering housing, vehicles, medical premises, staff, locum doctor cover and even utilities. In New South Wales, the Bogan Shire currently spends about $600,000 a year, almost 20 per cent of its rate income, operating its medical centre. The reality is that many rural Australians are paying out three times—once through their Medicare levy, then again through out-of-pocket consultation fees and finally through their council rates. Meanwhile, in metropolitan Australia, primary health care is funded, as it should be, by the Commonwealth.”
“Instead, it is being used to maintain primary health services that are a Commonwealth responsibility. Last week the Local Government Rural Health Funding Alliance hosted a workshop here in Canberra, with more than 30 councils from across Australia coming together with the Australian Local Government Association, the National Rural Health Alliance and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia. Their findings were unanimous: local government has become the funder of last resort for primary health care in rural, regional and remote communities. What stood out was how widespread the problem has become across Australia. WALGA reported that local governments are now contributing around $9.5 million each year to support GP services, with 91 per cent of that funding coming from councils with populations of under 5,000 people.”
“As the federal representative of 47 rural, regional and remote shire councils, I rise today to highlight an inequity that should concern all levels of government and all Australians. In the O'Connor shires of Lake Grace, Narembeen, Gnowangerup, Jerramungup, Ravensthorpe and Kojonup, local councils are being forced to fund access to primary health care because the existing system simply does not work in thin markets. Together, these six shires contribute more than $1.4 million each year in cash as well as housing, vehicles, surgeries and other support just to attract and retain a doctor. In some cases, that cost represents up to 16 per cent of their annual rate revenue. That money should be funding roads, community facilities, economic development and local infrastructure.”
“For seniors in O'Connor, health care is becoming less affordable and harder to access. In regional Western Australia, a hospital is not just down the road, and specialist care can be hundreds of kilometres away, yet today there is still not one single urgent care clinic anywhere in my 1.1 million kilometre electorate, despite the Treasurer's promise that, by July, 80 per cent of Australians would live within 20 minutes of one. The seniors of O'Connor deserve better than empty promises. They deserve results.”
“For many seniors in O'Connor, the cost of seeing a doctor is becoming almost as painful as the diagnosis. I'm running a survey of constituents aged over 65 and have heard from many people who are doing everything they can just to make ends meet only to find they pay more just to access the health care they deserve. Helen from Bridgetown and her husband live solely on the age pension. To help manage their health care, they pay around $6,000 a year for private health insurance. Even then, they are up to $200 a month worse off and can still be as much as $80 out of pocket when they visit a GP. Before the election, the Prime Minister repeatedly claimed that all that Australians would need to see a doctor was their Medicare card. Well, people like Helen have their Medicare card, but she also needs the credit card.”
“But I can't give her that advice now, because, when she goes to sell those shares that she's accumulated, she will be taxed at her marginal rate without the 50 per cent discount, and that makes it pointless for her to try and save money through that avenue.”
“They can invest in property on the coast. Financially, it works for them because they can set themselves up for their retirement. That avenue is now going to be cut off for people going forward. Finally, I want to talk about the capital gains tax changes and how those are going to impact people. Young people saving—I've got a daughter who has just started her first job, and she is saving for her first home, but, with inflation running at five per cent and bank interest not quite running at five per cent, she's actually going backwards if she puts her money in the bank. My advice to her, prior to 12 May, was to invest in stocks and shares and, particularly, exchange traded funds, where, over time, the return is much greater than bank interest.”
“It's going to be a lot harder to get the nurse to go to Kalgoorlie or Leonora or any of those types of places because the financial incentive that they're offered to go to those places is going to be negated by the loss of negative gearing concessions on the property that they will buy. In other country towns where housing is cheap, people want to retire to the coast. Many people who live in smaller country towns—where, yes, housing is very affordable—will also be looking to invest in a property somewhere they want to retire. They might not want to retire to my home town of Katanning, which is 170 kays from the coast in either direction. Most people I know want to retire to the coast. The mechanism for doing that is one of the reasons they stay living in an inland country town, so they can take that next step.”
“You can live in the government house, but, if you want to set yourself up for the future, you need to buy a property where you can retire. You need to have a foot on the rung of that particular ladder. Effectively, the government has said: 'Okay, there's a police officer in Laverton who's bought a property in Perth and is renting that property out under the current negative gearing arrangements. In future, the next police officer who goes to Laverton will not be able to do that.' What does that mean for my community? It means it's going to get a lot harder to get the copper to go out to Laverton.”
“When rents skyrocket, vulnerable people, particularly those on low incomes, can't afford to pay rents, and we see a massive spike in homelessness as well, which we are already experiencing across parts of my electorate. The reason I want to raise this issue on behalf of my constituents in O'Connor—and my good friend the member for Lyne is here and will understand this—is that many people who live and work in our electorates are doing so, effectively, on a temporary basis. If you're a police officer who took a financial incentive to go and work in Laverton, you're probably living in a GROH house—a government provided house. You're looking to your future and your family's future. You're probably going to return to Perth at some stage. Perhaps you're going to move to the coast. So you need to buy a property.”
“They own assets, they borrow money, they generate revenue and they are allowed to deduct the costs of generating that revenue from their income, and that is what they pay tax on. That is a negatively geared property in a nutshell. The government has said that they will take one business class across the entire economy—the ownership of housing for renting—and take that out of the taxation system that every other small business operates under. That is my first concern. My second concern is that, in 1985, when a previous Labor government under then treasurer Paul Keating removed negative gearing concessions—if we can call them that; I don't see them as that—there was an absolute drought of investment in rental properties, and we saw rents skyrocket.”
“The current government seemed quite happy to step in and spend—I think the latest number is $50 billion—in some attempt to replace private sector investment with public housing, which, by the way, is a state, not a federal, responsibility under our Constitution. But the reason negative gearing was brought in, in 1933, was to encourage that private investment. If you own a negatively geared property or a rental property, you are effectively running a small business. You purchased a property; you've purchased an asset. In many cases, you've borrowed the money to do that. You then rent that property out to generate revenue and income. That is no different, effectively, to what a large listed company does.”
“The only mechanism those people have to do that is to negatively gear a property, to leverage some of the equity they have in their existing home, to buy a second property and to build some wealth over time. I absolutely applaud the people in my electorate of O'Connor who are doing that. There are around 17,000 people who own negatively geared properties, and I'll come to the reason they do that in O'Connor in a moment. The reason negative gearing came in—in 1933, a long time ago—was to encourage private investors to invest in housing stock for the rental market to save the government doing it.”
“I don't buy the argument that things have changed so dramatically that it justifies a change in position. I'll go back to the capital gains tax changes and, more pointedly, the changes to negative gearing. When we had that debate in 2019, quite a lot of interesting information came forward, which I've retained to this day. Firstly, contrary to what many on the other side will have you believe, most people—in fact, 70 per cent of people—who own a negatively geared property only own one. They're not 'Slumdog Millionaires' who are taking advantage of vulnerable tenants. They are mums and dads, nurses, police officers and people who work on middle incomes who are just trying to build some wealth for themselves and their families for retirement over and above superannuation.”
“Fast forward seven years, and what we've seen from the current government is virtually an identical set of taxation reforms announced in this year's budget speech, which were not taken to the people. There is no mandate. Whatever people may say or whatever opinion polls show, or whatever else, there is only one poll that counts—and that is the poll that you take to the Australian people. These changes were not taken to the Australian people. Nothing has changed dramatically in the last 12 or 14 months since the last election to justify this 'change of position' that the Prime Minister announced to the Australian people. Housing affordability was difficult leading into the 2025 election. There is not a great deal of difference today. In fact, in some cities—Melbourne, mainly—the price has come down in the last six months.”
“I'm not sure he'd agree with me, but I think 2019 may have been Bill Shorten's finest hour. In the election in May 2019, he took a radical taxation package to the people. There were changes to negative gearing. Shadow treasurer Bowen, as he was then, threw in double taxation of dividends and franking credits, and the country had a debate. We had a debate on the merits, or otherwise, and history shows those changes were voted down. To Bill Shorten's credit, he took those changes to the people. They made the arguments. The then shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, famously said, 'If you don't like them, don't vote for them,' and quite a lot of Australian people took his advice and didn't vote for them. Bill Shorten, as the then opposition leader, at least had the courage of his convictions to take those changes to the people.”
“For every year this funding goes unspent, the cost of the road-build grows, leaving the visionary stakeholders like Pat watching their 28-year dream drift away from reality.”
“Another innovative shire president is Patrick Hill of the Shire of Laverton, and he's the founding chair of the Outback Highway Development Council—something very close to your heart, Deputy Speaker Scrymgour. Together with the northern Goldfields shires of Menzies and Ngaanyatjarraku, they were in Canberra to launch the Outback Way Action Plan here in Parliament House last week. Pat reported the good news that the 2,700-kilometre bituminisation of the trans-Australian route linking Laverton to Winton in western Queensland is almost complete in all but my electorate of O'Connor, where 760 kilometres of gravel remains. Elsewhere along the Outback Way, the focus is moving to social, cultural and economic development, but, sadly, the WA Labor government is dragging its feet delivering this long-term road infrastructure.”
“This innovative alliance is advocating for targeted Commonwealth action to address these thin market conditions, including a dedicated pilot funding program for MM6 and MM7 communities, tailored sustainability payments for rural GP services and reforms to existing incentives so that there is equity between the health services offered in the city and services for those living in the bush. To this end, the alliance hosted their own information and advocacy session during ALGA week, attracting over 30 like-minded councils. They plan to build a national alliance to secure sustainable health funding for the bush so small local governments would no longer carry the financial burden for this Commonwealth responsibility.”
“The Local Government Rural Health Funding Alliance brings together six O'Connor Wheatbelt shires facing the same health challenge: how to maintain health services in small rural communities where patient numbers are too low to support a GP practice under existing Commonwealth funding models. The shires of Lake Grace, Gnowangerup, Jerramungup, Ravensthorpe, Narembeen and Kojonup collectively contribute more than $1.4 million from ratepayers every year, as well as providing housing, vehicles and medical facilities, to attract and retain doctors. These costs can amount to up to 16 per cent of a shire's annual rate base.”
“Building on the city's existing infrastructure, this project will create new storage dams, upgrade treatment facilities and improve water transfer systems and water-saving technologies. As part of the Australia-wide Mining Cities Alliance, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder was here advocating for federal infrastructure funding to address residential housing shortages that see Goldfields workers living long term in hotels, caravans and camps. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a thriving mining hub located on the edge of the desert. It needs water infrastructure not only to support industry but for the entire community to thrive and grow.”
“Under the previous coalition government, there were targeted regional infrastructure programs, like the Building Better Regions Fund, which enabled O'Connor shire councils to build seniors residential villages, long-term and seasonal worker accommodation and tourism infrastructure. Funding has dried up under this city-centric Labor government. And it's not just my small O'Connor councils who are being stymied by federal government funding constraints. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Water Bank Project is a staged water security initiative designed to increase the capacity to capture stormwater, recycle wastewater and expand water storage, reducing reliance on the century-old Goldfields long-distance water supply network.”
“The Roe Regional Organisation of Councils, or RoeROC, is an alliance of my Wheatbelt shires of Corrigin, Kondinin, Kulin, Narembeen and Wickepin. They're collaborating to address the common challenges of severe housing shortages, which prevent employers from attracting and retaining essential workers—from healthcare and childcare staff to teachers, local government employees and agricultural workers. Through their proposed Key Worker Housing Project, RoeROC have developed a practical, locally led solution to deliver affordable workforce housing in communities where private development is not financially viable. They are calling on the state and federal Labor governments to support place based funding models and provide targeted co-investment to bridge the regional housing viability gap.”
“Last week was the National General Assembly of the Australian Local Government Association, and almost a quarter of my 47 local government authorities made the 3,000-kilometre trek to Canberra. For many, it was a chance to network and share information with their peers. For others, it was an opportunity to raise serious local issues with ministers and their shadow counterparts and offer solutions to problems common to regional Australia. I give a shout-out to the cities of Albany and Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the northern Goldfields shires of Laverton and Menzies, the remote shires of Ngaanyatjarraku and Dundas and the Wheatbelt shires of Bruce Rock, Narembeen, Lake Grace, Corrigan and Ravensthorpe. It was great to welcome you all to Canberra, facilitate your meetings and hopefully secure some positive outcomes.”
“As a result, a single wildlife officer, Lori-Ann, is left managing potentially infected birds from her own home, at her own expense, without any government resources. One person is fielding every phone call, and an incomprehensible government website is not adequately directing concerned stakeholders in my electorate. This is not preparedness, it's improvisation under pressure. While Minister Collins insists Australia is ready for this situation, it tells a very different story. Right now, policy isn't translating into results. If Esperance's purpose built facility cannot be operationalised during an active threat, what faith can Australians have in the broader national response?”
“I rise today to update the House on a serious biosecurity threat unfolding in my electorate. Cape Le Grand National Park, east of Esperance, is renowned for its pristine coastline, but it has now become ground zero for Australia's first confirmed cases of avian influenza. Thanks to the swift action of local wildlife carers and Swans Veterinary Services, cases have been identified, and the Esperance community is stepping up to contain the spread. As reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner , in an article aptly named 'Birdbrained', the Esperance Wildlife Hospital, a purpose built wildlife biosecurity facility that has even rehearsed its response to highly pathogenic avian influenza cannot be used because its toilet does not meet certification requirements. You couldn't make this stuff up.”
“Communities like Collie have a high energy IQ. This is where the future should be built, not shut down. Around the world, advanced economies recognise nuclear energy as essential to any serious transition, delivering reliable, low-emissions base-load power. We are also in an era defined by data centres—critical to our economy but extraordinarily energy intensive. They require power that is reliable, affordable and abundant. Collie should be central to this future. A re-elected coalition government will deliver long-term job security and energy efficiency, ensuring that communities like Collie continue to power Australia for generations to come.”
“Our nation stands at a defining moment in energy policy, and O'Connor's regional communities are at its heart. For more than a century, Collie coal has powered Western Australia—built on intergenerational pride, with entire families of power industry workers carrying forward skills, discipline and energy expertise. Collie has established power generation and transmission infrastructure, a proven workforce and an unmatched understanding of what it takes to keep the lights on 24/7. Yet today, Collie faces uncertainty. Decisions by both the WA and federal Labor governments risk putting thousands out of work through premature closures, without a credible, lasting vision for what comes next. WA Labor's Just Transition plan is clearly failing. As Angus Taylor outlined in the budget reply, we must think bigger.”
“With civil construction costs exploding since 2022, the cost of sealing the remainder will only continue to balloon while this project sits idle. Main Roads now suggests that completion may not occur until 2032, 10 years after key funding was announced. This is simply not good enough. So I ask: What is the updated cost of completing the Outback Way? Where is the allocated funding? Who will fund the shortfall? And when will we see action to cut through the bureaucracy that is holding this program back? For the communities along this route, this is not just a road; it is a lifeline to access the services— (Time expired)”
“Along 732 kilometres of this route in WA, progress remains stifled as funding sits unspent and bureaucracy continues at a glacial pace. In 2022, the Morrison government committed $678 million towards completing the remaining sections. This year, Main Roads WA pointed to official processes to gain agreements for the reallocation of land tenure and existing native title claims along the length of the corridor, but this cannot be used as an excuse for further delay. Native title considerations are not new, and they are not insurmountable. They are a standard part of developing major infrastructure projects in this country. There are stretches of this road that do not fall within any native title claims, and still no progress has been made. It's bureaucracy, it's delay, and it's failure to move from a commitment to the delivery.”
“For outback communities, it will deliver food security, greater access to fresh produce and improved connectivity to health, education and social opportunity. It will also unlock tourism across the heart of Australia, supporting regional communities along the way. Industry recognises this. The Livestock and Rural Transporters Association has affirmed that the route will improve market access year round and enable the relocation of livestock during drought or flood. Across much of the country, progress has been strong. In Queensland, the corridor has been effectively completed. In the Northern Territory, the Plenty Highway has been largely upgraded and key sections to tourist destinations such as Uluru are well maintained. But the Western Australian corridor tells a very different story.”
“I rise today to speak on what is affectionately known as Australia's longest shortcut, the Outback Way. This route links Laverton, in the northern Goldfields of Western Australia, to Winton, in Central West Queensland, cutting through the Red Centre. I today welcome Patrick Hill and the Outback Highway Development Council to Parliament House. Since the late 1990s, this ambitious trans-Australian tourism route and essential freight artery has secured over $1 billion in federal, state and territory funding. The Outback Way will provide a shorter, more direct route for interstate freight movement, reducing reliance on the main southern corridor, strengthening supply chains and improving efficiency for industry.”
“So with the growing concerns about the return of El Nino conditions and worsening seasonal outlooks, Minister, why did your government cut $52 million of funding from the Future Drought Fund instead of strengthening support for drought preparedness and resilience?”
“We are losing the critical mass of livestock across Western Australia, and that will have ongoing implications—not just in the meat-processing sector, but amongst shearing teams. We've seen livestock transporters selling their crates and going out of business, and that impact is going to be profound and long felt in my electorate. Minister, my questions are: Farmers continue to face high fuel and fertiliser costs that are eating into already-declining farm incomes. Why did this budget fail to provide any meaningful relief for those growing cost pressures? In terms of seasonal conditions, even in Western Australia we suffer seasonal ups and downs. El Nino does affect the west coast as well as the east coast.”
“The devastation that's been wrought by this government is being manifested as we speak. Minister, you may not be aware, but the sheep numbers in Western Australia have dropped from around 9 million in 2024 to 6.5 million today. That has meant the supply of animals going into the local abattoir system has dropped dramatically. Are you aware that a $3.3 million transition grant was granted to a processing facility, Beaufort River Meats, the day before they closed their doors because they couldn't get enough stock? I'd like you to address that issue. Other major processors are down to four days and three days a week of processing because they simply can't get the numbers.”
“So we have got significant challenges not just for this year. I point out that the safeguard mechanism, which is part of the government's net zero policy, will force up the price of not only fuel but also fertilisers. Urea is effectively solid natural gas, and the Perdaman development up on the North West Shelf is a welcome development that, hopefully, will shore up the supply chain. They'll be selling it at export parity, so it won't make any difference to the price, but at least we'll have a supply of urea on shore. But they will be hit by the government's safeguard mechanism, and that will force the price of urea up for our farming communities not just in Western Australia but Australia-wide. The second major component of agriculture in my electorate, of course, is livestock—most particularly sheep.”
“We've seen diesel fuel prices increase more dramatically than other fuel prices, but I want people, particularly the minister, to remember that the reduction in fuel excise doesn't benefit the farmers, because off-road fuel is already completely excise free. So there's been no relief from those elevated fuel prices for the farming community. More importantly, fertiliser prices have jumped dramatically. Urea is the main nitrogen input of that 27.2-million-tonne crop, and West Australia used 800,000 tonnes of urea last year. While I accept that the minister and the government have been doing some work and they made an announcement about 200,000 tonnes of urea from Indonesia, which is a positive announcement, that is not even 25 per cent of the WA crop requirement, let alone Australia-wide.”
“Last year, Western Australian farmers produced a grain crop of 27.2 million tonnes, which is a new record, breaking the previous record, which was set two years prior. That represents about a 100 per cent increase on the 10-year average, which is an extraordinary achievement by my farmers across the Western Australian Wheatbelt on the back of better sowing techniques, with the introduction of genetically modified crops, particularly canola, allowing much better weed control and much earlier sowing, completely changing the farming systems. However, they do face significant challenges in repeating that exercise this year. On fuel and fertiliser costs, we all know that the war in the Middle East has disrupted supply chains dramatically, but the main impact is being felt not just in fuel prices.”
“She received the WA Volunteer Service badge in 2013, and in 2021 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, one of our nation's highest honours. Yet perhaps her greatest achievement was as a loving mother of three, grandmother of six, great-grandmother of 12 and great-great-grandmother of four. I know she was a role model to countless generations, setting the example of a life grounded in kindness, humility and a genuine willingness to help others. On behalf of the broader O'Connor community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. In celebrating a life so well lived, we are reminded of the profound impact that one person can have. Cecilia Sounness OAM will be deeply missed by all who loved her, but her legacy will endure in the community she helped build and in the generations she inspired.”
“Cis became not just a resident of the district but one of its most recognisable and respected figures. Her service to the community spanned more than eight decades. She was a member of the Mount Barker Golf Club for 70 years, serving as ladies captain, president and patron, and was still playing at the ripe old age of 100. She was a foundation member of the Plantagenet Village Homes, a dedicated hospital volunteer and a constant supporter of local sporting clubs, church and community activities. Cis exemplified what it means to give back, and her contributions were rightly recognised over the years. In 1992 she was named Citizen of the Year for community service in the Shire of Plantagenet.”
“Today I rise to acknowledge the extraordinary life of Cecilia 'Cis' Sounness OAM, a woman whose remarkable longevity and unwavering commitment to her Plantagenet community leave a legacy few could ever match. Cis Sounness passed away on 19 April at the remarkable age of 103. Hers was a long life, filled from beginning to end with service, generosity and an enduring belief in the importance of community. One of six children, Cis was born to Collie and Alice Moir in 1922 and raised on the family farm at Amelup. In 1941, both of her parents were tragically killed in a road accident on the Kalgan River bridge. In July 1943, Cis married Frank Sounness, and bred Santa Gertrudis cattle on their Merryup Farm and grew apples on their Muir Highway orchard.”
“For our seniors, it's never been harder to access Support at Home, and not one new aged-care bed has been allocated in this budget. Wait times for home care and aged care have blown out to over a year, and our brave O'Connor veterans will be severely impacted by the $5,000 cap to their DVA funding. Our small businesses, farmers, explorers and mining operations will be crippled by the changes to the capital gains tax. No new road or water infrastructure funding further stifles investment and regional growth. Ultimately, O'Connor's mining and agricultural wealth drives this nation's prosperity. This budget raises a fundamental question: are we investing enough in the very regions that sustain Australia's economy and future? And the resounding answer is no.”
“O'Connor's mineral and agricultural wealth drives the Australian economy, and in this toxic budget my regional communities have been sorely neglected. Families dealing with rising power bills, high grocery prices and increased mortgage stress have received no cost-of-living relief. Medicare bulk-billing remains the exception, not the norm, and we need new initiatives to attract and retain regional GPs. While Labor throws millions at Medicare urgent care clinics in the cities, there is not one planned for anywhere in my vast electorate. Labor claims this budget is creating intergenerational fairness, but in reality it's robbing our young people and families of the opportunity to grow their wealth while simultaneously curbing the self-sufficiency of our self-funded retirees.”
“Labor should be supporting our older Australians, not making life harder for them. They should be ensuring that healthcare remains accessible and affordable and that retirees have certainty and dignity in their later years. I'm standing up for the seniors of O'Connor, opposing this bad Labor policy that is pitting them against their grandchildren in the name of intergenerational fairness. This measure will result in seniors paying more to receive less. So I'm launching a campaign to fight this bad policy and support the 25,000 seniors in my electorate. Please look out for my questionnaire and petition coming to your mailbox soon.”
“Today I rise to speak on behalf of the seniors of O'Connor, who are being unfairly targeted by the Albanese government in the budget. These are the Australians who have worked hard their entire lives. They've paid their taxes, raised families, built businesses and contributed a lifetime to their communities. For those on fixed incomes or with modest retirement savings, even a small increase in everyday costs can be significant. One of the most concerning budget measures is the reduction in the rebate for private health insurance for older Australians. This means many of O'Connor's 25,000 seniors will face premium increases of up to $1,600 per couple. Sadly, this may cause them to downgrade their insurance cover or to abandon it altogether, placing extra strain on our already-stretched public health system.”
“If you remove the ability to offset losses, the costs don't disappear. They're passed on, and the renters pay. Labor talks about intergenerational equity, yet the choices being made today are narrowing the opportunities available tomorrow. Pathways that allowed earlier generations to invest, build security and get ahead are being closed. To paraphrase Churchill, trying to tax your way into prosperity is like standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself up by the handle. We must weigh the decisions of today on the scales of tomorrow because, with government spending rising, the next generation foots the bill.”
“Australians know something isn't right. No matter how hard they work, they're just not getting ahead. After the Prime Minister himself said 50 times 'no changes to housing taxes', Labor now wants to change the rules. Working Australians are told they'll receive a $220 tax offset, while bracket creep takes away double that. That's not relief. It's giving with one hand and taking with the other. While housing pressures persist, instead of focusing on increasing supply, Labor is targeting investment, including higher capital gains tax on assets people rely on to build their financial security. For younger Australians already struggling to enter the market, that doesn't create opportunity; it closes it off. When negative gearing was wound back under Paul Keating, rents didn't fall; they went up.”
“That's why the Local Sporting Champions grant program is often so oversubscribed in O'Connor. I take this opportunity to advise that round 4 is now open, with applications closing on 30 April. I strongly encourage eligible families and young athletes to apply. These grants make a tangible difference for regional families and help ensure that a young person's postcode does not limit their potential. I congratulate Jethro, Bailey and Aylah on their sporting achievements to date and look forward to following their sporting careers into the future.”
“Finally, I commend Aylah Chadwick, who I recently caught up with in Bridgetown, Aylah's achievements in athletics are truly impressive, as she placed sixth in the under-17 girls individual javelin at the Australian Athletics All Schools Championships held in Melbourne in December. Aylah has since won bronze medals in both javelin and shotput at the WA State Junior Track and Field Championships, qualifying her for the 2026 Australian Athletics Junior (Under Age) Championships in Brisbane. I close by noting that none of these local sporting champions' achievements occur in isolation. They reflect the determined commitment of not only the athletes but also the parents, who incur significant out-of-pocket costs so their kids can pursue their sporting dreams.”