Matt Keogh
Burt · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I thank the member for the question. Clearly, as we've articulated, the purpose of the cap is to replace the current treatment cycle system where veterans are going back time and time again to a GP after every 12 referrals in order to access allied health services.”
“The proposal you're making would make the entire system a nullity, which is not what we want to do. We're actually trying to provide better outcomes for our veterans in overall wellbeing.”
“We're working to make sure defence and DVA systems are contemporary and fit for purpose and that those systems have the wellbeing of our people at the forefront.”
“We can better support them through the reforms in this bill—through improved information sharing and better integration across defence, DVA and other portfolio agencies, including the newly established, from today, Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency; through establishing more robust frameworks for defence health services by enhancing fam…”
“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the debate on the Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill 2026. This bill reflects the Albanese government's ongoing commitment to responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.”
“This bill directly implements 15 recommendations of the royal commission and supports the implementation of a further 20 recommendations focused on improving health and wellbeing outcomes, improving suicide prevention and information sharing, supporting defence families, enhancing transition, continuity of care and modernising governance…”
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“Each measure in this bill brings the Defence Force Discipline Act in line with contemporary Australian law and practice, with things like providing for the extinguishment of historical homosexual service conviction records that would not be offences today. The extinguishment of historical homosexual service convictions is an important measure and step in righting a historical wrong. These changes will allow Defence personnel who are convicted of offences purely on the basis of consensual homosexual activity apply to have this conviction extinguished. These law reforms are a step towards healing, seeking to lessen the detriment associated and stigma imposed by former homophobic attitudes and practices.”
“For example, the use of tasers will still only be lawful in circumstances of self-defence where other responses were not reasonably available. With this measure, if such circumstances arose, military police would have the benefit of a body-worn camera recording their use of the weapon. This is an efficiency and transparency measure, which enables the use of the same equipment by military police across all jurisdictions that they operate in with conditions and circumstances of carriage and use able to be limited through ministerial direction. Collectively, the reforms in this bill will modernise the military justice system so it protects people and, simply, so it aligns with the expectations of the Australian community.”
“To clarify, the bill creates a power for military policing equipment to be carried, handled and used for the purpose of a member's duty as a police member. This measure replaces the current requirement for individual state and territory agreements to be reached in respect of the suite of policing equipment that is used by military police, which mirrors the equipment that civilian police use to do their jobs. In particular, it will allow for the carriage and use of body-worn cameras while undertaking military police functions and streamline the authorities currently required to store, maintain and carry other equipment, such as tasers. The basis for use of such weapons will not be changed by this measure.”
“The bill before us today, the Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 1) Bill 2026, represents one of the most significant reforms to Australia's military discipline framework in decades, delivering on key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The royal commission heard harrowing stories of sexual violence, unacceptable behaviour and military justice. The legislation before us today takes a significant step towards implementing recommendations in that space. The bill responds to concerns about fairness, transparency, mental health treatment, timeliness and complexity within the Defence Force Discipline Act. During the debate, the shadow minister raised a concern about the military police equipment measures in the bill.”
“Importantly, by doing this we are increasing the fees that will be paid to allied health professionals by $169 million over the forwards. That means it's easier for veterans to access health care. Veterans and health professionals have been saying to us for a long time, 'You need to increase fees.' The royal commission said to us, 'Increase the fees.' That is what this budget is delivering so that our veterans get better access to health care. That is what you're seeing reflected in the budget and the additional funding that is going into implementing royal commission recommendations as well. (Time expired)”
“I thank the Prime Minister for the opportunity to address something that the member has raised, which is actually a great success of this year's budget for veterans. What we have been able to do here is make sure that, as we've improved the system, as the Prime Minister said, more people have been able to get their claims processed and get access to the health care they need. But what that has also seen is a degree of overservicing coming into the system, where practitioners are taking advantage of veterans. So what we have done is introduce an annual monetary cap for allied health services which is well above what the vast majority of veterans ever actually access. For a small proportion, it will mean that we remove overservicing, restoring integrity to the system.”
“It supports the wellbeing of defence personnel, strengthens the integrity of the discipline system and upholds community expectations of fairness and accountability. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.”
“This implements a 2016 Defence Abuse Response Taskforce report recommendation, as well as adopting 19 of the 28 recommendations for reform to the discipline system made in the JAG's 2024 annual report; and measures introduced address recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission's report 148 related to reforming justice response to sexual violence, to allow for providing video evidence-in-chief for sexual offence prosecutions. Ultimately, the reforms in this bill strengthen trust in the military justice system, reduce harm, improve transparency, modernise mental-health responses and ensure that the Defence Force Discipline Act reflects the standards expected in today's Australia. This bill represents a careful, comprehensive and essential response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.”
“With these changes to enable expungement of convictions, now no longer regarded as a crime, those that had to previously hide can have their pride in service accurately reflected in their service record as well. Schedule 5 also allows the Minister for Defence to issue guidelines to the Director of Military Prosecutions. This approach aligns with section 8 of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983, which provides a similar power for the Attorney-General to issue directions and guidelines to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. The bill also implements a number of other reform recommendations, including introducing stronger protections over disclosure of sensitive materials during disciplinary investigations.”
“Nearly 34 years ago, in November 1992, Prime Minister Paul Keating declared homosexual men and women would no longer be banned from serving in the Australian Defence Force. These changes will allow Defence personnel who are convicted of offences purely on the basis of consensual homosexual activity to apply to have this conviction extinguished. The effect of this extinguishment will also be to prevent disclosure of that conviction or information related to it by other people. Family of Defence members, including of deceased veterans, can also apply under this scheme on behalf of their loved ones. These changes are a restorative legal change to help lessen the detriment associated and stigma imposed by former homophobic attitudes and practices reflected in such convictions. We have always been proud of those who serve our nation.”
“Broadly, these include modernising drug offence thresholds to align with other Commonwealth legislation, clarifying delegation powers, updating rules of evidence, harmonising judicial officer termination grounds, improving review processes, modernising the powers of investigating officers, enabling removal orders for intimate images, enabling evidence to be provided via video, victim impact statements and providing for the extinguishment of historical homosexual service conviction records that would not be offences today. Each measure enhances system coherence and brings the Defence Force Discipline Act in line with contemporary Australian law and practice. The extinguishment of historical homosexual service convictions is an important measure and a step in writing a historical wrong. This is a long time coming.”
“The effect of streamlining this mid-tier discipline system will be to reduce the time that individuals spend exposed to the military justice system, thereby reducing potential mental harm and enhancing the disciplinary effect of the system. Schedule 5 contains sixteen parts, each delivering a discrete fairness, efficiency or modernisation measure that seeks to strengthen the Defence Force Discipline Act framework.”
“This modernises military practice in line with civilian mental health jurisprudence and provides a clinically informed alternative to the outdated custodial provisions currently in the Defence Force Discipline Act. Schedule 4 replaces the existing mid-tier discipline system with a new system of summary contraventions, to allow for more streamlined and efficient military discipline outcomes. Summary contraventions deal with contested minor misconduct, and misconduct too serious for an infringement notice but not warranting prosecution as a service offence. They are administrative, not criminal, and use the civil standard of proof. A central pillar of this framework is to allow Defence to manage misconduct in a proportionate, efficient way while reducing unnecessary escalation into the service offence system.”
“These changes reform the rigid and outdated 'unsoundness of mind' framework and acknowledge the urgent concerns identified by the royal commission regarding trauma and mental health in the Defence context. Part 2 establishes a Defence mental health tribunal framework. When a person is unfit to plead or is acquitted because of mental impairment, the tribunal may order treatment, care or detention, as appropriate. Orders must be reviewed at least every six months and cannot exceed three years (or ten years for serious violent or sexual offences). They only take effect once confirmed by a reviewing authority, ensuring strong oversight.”
“These measures aim to increase fairness by ensuring that complex, sensitive or serious matters proceed in the most appropriate forum, with the most appropriate procedures and practices applying. Schedule 3 is one of the most transformative parts of the bill. It contains two parts that overhaul how the Defence Force Discipline Act deals with accused persons suffering from mental impairment. Part 1 introduces new powers permitting a tribunal to adjourn proceedings where continuing would be detrimental to the accused or contrary to the interests of discipline. It also allows, in limited circumstances, the dismissal of a charge where the accused suffers from a mental impairment and prosecution would not meaningfully serve the maintenance of discipline.”
“It gives effect to the royal commission's recommendation 34, which required the priority review of provisions related to court martial panels not being required to give reasons for punishments imposed by introducing the requirement for any conviction and sentencing decision by superior tribunals or reviews to be accompanied by reasons. The legally complex task of sentencing would become the responsibility of a judge advocate rather than a lay panel, aligning superior tribunal practices with civilian criminal justice practices. Changes to streamline the procedures of the superior tribunal system, integrated with the other measures in this bill, support the adoption of modern best practices related to sentencing. A power to adopt such matters through regulation allows the system to keep pace with justice reforms in civilian jurisdictions.”
“Schedule 1 also removes stigmatising language from the Defence Force Discipline Act, replacing the outdated and pejorative term 'malingering' with a neutral description that better reflects modern understanding of injury and illness, consistent with royal commission recommendation 63. Finally, schedule 1 seeks to clearly distinguish between violent and non-violent forms of ill-treatment within certain service offences to further support royal commission recommendation 23(b). Schedule 2 of the bill seeks to modernise and streamline superior tribunal procedures to align with contemporary civilian criminal practice while retaining the flexibility and efficiency required for military operations.”
“Schedule 1 also improves transparency by requiring that superior tribunal convictions be disclosed to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, ensuring that serious service offences that are analogous to civilian criminal offences are recorded on criminal records. A limited non-disclosure order mechanism protects individuals in exceptional cases where disclosure would be unjust or harmful. This supports the broader implementation of royal commission recommendation 23 by ensuring that relevant sexual and violence related service convictions are captured in national police records in a manner consistent with civilian jurisdictions.”
“Schedule 1 also strengthens sentencing procedures by recognising that rank disparity is an aggravating feature of offending, regardless of whether the victim is of higher or lower rank. This change reinforces the requirement for service tribunals to consider the impact on victims where the service offence involves conduct that constitutes a serious violent or sexual offence, and a service impact statement must be sought to allow the service tribunal to consider the effect on discipline, cohesion and command. These reforms implement royal commission recommendation 20 and give effect to aspects of recommendation 34 by bringing sentencing practices closer to contemporary civilian standards.”
“Schedule 1 has five parts that directly implement royal commission recommendations 18, 20, 23 and 63. Schedule 1 provides a power to suspend a Defence Force member where a Defence member is under investigation for a civil or overseas offence. Currently, a member under Defence Force Discipline Act investigation may be suspended, but a member under civilian investigation for potentially more serious conduct may continue to work until charged. This bill fixes that gap by allowing suspension once any formal investigation commences; the suspension ceases when the investigation ends unless a charge is laid, preserving procedural fairness. This implements royal commission recommendation 18 to enhance safeguards to ensure that victims are not required to work with perpetrators while investigations are underway.”
“In particular, the bill directly implements recommendations 18, 20, 23 and 63, and gives effect to recommendation 34—these relate to strengthening workplace protections during sexual misconduct investigations, the sentencing and recording of convictions for perpetrators of military sexual violence and court-martial governance. The royal commission also noted that involvement in the military justice system, whether as a victim or an accused, can itself be a risk factor for suicide. It highlighted the pressing need for improved workplace protections, modern sentencing practices, reporting and recording of serious offences in a manner consistent with civilian jurisdictions, and for a modern approach to the management of mental impairment in disciplinary proceedings. This bill does all of this. The bill contains six schedules.”
“The legislation before us today takes a significant step towards implementing recommendations in that space. The bill also responds directly to concerns about fairness, transparency, mental health treatment, timeliness and complexity within the Defence Force Discipline Act (the DFDA). The reforms contained in the bill are comprehensive and, collectively, modernise the system so that it protects people, strengthens discipline, and aligns with contemporary Australian community expectations. This bill represents one of many reform packages aimed at implementing measures that respond to the royal commission's recommendations.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I am pleased to present the Defence Force Discipline (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 1) Bill. This bill represents one of the most significant reforms to Australia's military discipline framework in decades, delivering on key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The Albanese government accepted the overwhelming majority of the royal commission's 122 recommendations: agreeing or agreeing in principle to 104 recommendations. We've been working at pace to implement these—by the end of 2025, 32 recommendations, over a quarter, were implemented. The royal commission dedicated a whole volume to sexual violence, unacceptable behaviour and military justice.”
“I would like to thank the shadow minister for veterans' affairs and the opposition for working on a bipartisan basis as we implement the recommendations of the royal commission and as we work to ensure that defence personnel, veterans and their families can get the support that they need and deserve. The government supports this amendment and an earlier reporting date for the first inquiry.”
“I move: That the amendment be agreed to. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide described recommendation 122, the establishment of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, as its most important recommendation. The passage of this bill, establishing the commission in its own standalone legislation, is a significant milestone as we implement the recommendations of the royal commission. This amendment from the Senate will bring forward the reporting date for the first inquiry by the commission into the government's response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide from 2 December 2027 to 5 February 2027.”
“This is a chance to recognise the valuable contributions of young people in WA and to be involved at events like Serpentine Jarrahdale's Youth Fest. I can't wait to see the impact all these young leaders make in the future to our community and to our nation. Thank you for your contribution, your time and your sincere engagement in our democratic processes into the future. Our future is in very good hands.”
“Issues include the cost of living, housing affordability and mental health, which students have raised with me many times before, but also new issues and emerging areas of concern. This year students talked about AI safety and protecting children from exploitation in this evolving technology. This concern isn't unique to young people, and we've already acted, passing the anti-deepfake laws in 2024. However, there clearly is still concern amongst young people in this space. Our young leaders also raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to harness AI for our economic future. I also want to take this opportunity to mention that Youth Week WA is coming up from 10 to 16 April. Take part in an event; volunteer; get engaged.”
“And they didn't just raise problems; they worked through the causes of each issue and how it impacts people, before coming up with ideas for how each issue could be improved or fixed. I'll soon present a report with those findings to the Prime Minister and to Western Australian Premier Roger Cook. Young people aren't always included in the forming of policy and the decision-making that will impact their future. Engaging and consulting with young Australians should be genuine and not an afterthought. Through the annual Burt Youth Leaders Forum, I'm able to elevate the concerns of young people in our community to the federal parliament, sharing what they want to see from us as national leaders.”
“Last week I held the ninth annual Burt Youth Leaders Forum, our biggest yet, hosting two student leaders from eighteen high schools from across my community to share the issues that they see as the most important to Australia. From Kenwick in the northern end of Burt out to Piara Waters on the western edge and Byford in the south, students from all over our community had their say. Just because they can't vote yet doesn't mean that their voices shouldn't be heard by the parliament. The students raised important issues that affect all of us, with topics including the cost of living, housing affordability, AI deepfakes, education and innovation, community division, global instability, the importance of the family unit and recognising overseas qualifications, as well as mental health and overdiagnosis.”
“These support ex-service organisations in providing free-to-use advocacy services for our veterans. We're also providing greater funding security for those ex-service organisations so that they can employ and provide training to their advocates, who are free to use for a veteran, and to support them by making these grants, instead of just for one year, for three years. These changes address recommendation 99 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This will mean that veterans can better access free-to-use advocates to assist them with making their claims with DVA. This is all part of how the Albanese government is committed to delivering the care, services and supports that our veterans community not only needs but deserves.”
“In some cases, we saw commercial advocates had been charging commissions as high as 29 per cent of a veteran's statutory compensation payment or charging contract break fees in excess of $27,000. Of course, that means we, as a government, are taking action. We are investing more than $203 million to improve DVA's integrity measures and to expand the support for free-to-use advocacy services for veterans and the families of veterans. This will ensure that veterans and their families receive safe, high-quality services and that taxpayer dollars are going towards the support of veteran wellbeing, rather than looking after those that are trying to take advantage of our veterans. We've doubled the funding for the Building Excellence in Support and Training Grants Program, the BEST grants.”
“I thank the member for Braddon for her question. I've had the great opportunity of visiting many veteran services in her electorate with her—including the Burnie hub, which we were able to open during the last term of the Albanese government. The Albanese government, from day one, has been focused on delivery for our veteran community. Our significant investments in the Department of Veterans' Affairs have improved claim processing. We are now determining more claims than ever, and we're improving support reaching our veterans and the families of veterans. But we've seen an increase in unscrupulous commercial veteran advocates taking advantage of our veterans. We heard in a recent Senate inquiry the urgent need to increase the capacity and the capability of 'free' to the veteran advocacy services.”
“It will also mean we are able to continue to undertake great advances in medical science by having people able to participate in research. The Albanese government is delivering these protections so that people can take charge of their own health, fixing a problem those opposite ignored despite the pleas from the committee of which I was a member. This bill does many other things in other schedules. I support all of them, and I commend the bill to the House.”
“We shouldn't have to be relying on oncologists and medical professionals to advise of the need to seek further financial advice at a time of dealing critically with one's health. This reform has real consequences for non-compliance as well. It establishes civil and criminal penalties and places enforcement authority with ASIC, which ensures these protections are backed by strong oversight. We are acting because vulnerable Australians deserve a system that supports their health decisions, not one that punishes them. This will have positive outcomes in the long run for our economy too. We're getting ahead of disease. By treating people early and enhancing prevention, people are well for longer. This enhances productivity in the billions. People will be able to work and contribute to our economy for longer because they will be well.”
“But more than half of potential participants who had the opportunity to be armed with this information lost out, unable to prioritise their own health due to a fear of hip-pocket pain or risk to their family's long-term financial security. Australians have had to choose between genetic testing that could save their life and potential financial implications for their life insurance. This bill will end that discrimination and that fear, and enable Australians to make decisions about genetic testing and genetic research without worrying about life insurance. These amendments ensure our antidiscrimination laws keep pace with modern science. We are aligning the Insurance Contracts Act and the Disability Discrimination Act so Australians have certainty and protection rather than fear and confusion when making decisions about their health.”
“Although genetic testing is on the rise, a recent study from Monash University saw more than half of people who signed up to participate then subsequently discontinued their involvement in the study because of concerns around accessing affordable insurance. In this DNA screening study, some 10,000 Australians between the ages of 18 and 40 were assessed for their risks of preventable cancer and heart disease. Seventy-three of those were from my community of Burt in Perth's south-east. They found that one in 50, or two per cent, of those tested are at high risk. This information armed these individuals with the knowledge to be able to then do something about it. They were able to access preventive treatments and early interventions, and make lifestyle changes that would benefit them in the long run.”
“They have to warn patients that results may have to be disclosed to life insurers, and it may negatively affect their ability to be insured. This results in many, despite family history, not getting tested when they should so that they can make their own properly informed life decisions. Our intention is that these reforms will support greater uptake of genetic testing and thereby save lives. It will also mean more Australians will be willing to participate in much-needed genetic research to save many more lives in the future, without the risk of becoming uninsurable. That means better prevention, earlier treatment, stronger public health outcomes and advances in scientific knowledge that benefit every Australian.”
“The passage of this legislation ensures Australians', especially those at high risk of inherited conditions, decision to undertake genetic testing that may enable them to undergo treatment that could save their life, or indeed demonstrate that they will not have that condition, will not jeopardise access to life insurance or force them into more expensive or restrictive policies. This includes conditions like breast cancer. Genetic testing can be used to identify a fault or a mutation in the BRCA genes, which increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer within a family. This testing can help individuals make decisions about how to reduce their risk of breast cancer and what sort of surgery you might want if you have been diagnosed. Unfortunately, the statistics bear out what my oncologist friends tell me.”
“Life insurers will no longer be able to use an individual's adverse genetic test results to determine whether they can get cover or to set terms for that cover. We are changing the law to put people's health needs ahead of insurers' profit margins. Genetic testing does save lives, and Australians should not have to choose between their health and their ability to access life insurance. This bill will make sure that we're keeping people well for longer. Under the current law, Australians have been delaying or avoiding genetic testing because they are worried about being penalised by insurers or being refused insurance, including through superannuation, or facing exorbitant premiums. We are fixing that.”
“During the course of this debate, those opposite have tried to take issue with the fact that we announced this legislation a year or so ago and we're bringing it forward now, but they had five years, after the committee that I was a member of provided its report to the then government, in which they did nothing. So I find it a bit rich that they now complain about us having taken action to progress this legislation during our first term in government. Genetic testing saves lives through getting in early and preventing disease. This bill delivers on the Albanese government's commitment to ban the use of adverse genetic test results in life insurance. We're protecting Australians from being discriminated against for playing an active role in their own health care.”
“At the completion of the inquiry, there were a number of recommendations—9.1 to 9.4—that went to this issue, recommending that the Financial Services Council, in consultation with the Australian Genetic Non-Discrimination Working Group, assess the consumer impact of imposing a moratorium on life insurers using predictive genetic information unless the consumer provides genetic information to a life insurer to demonstrate that they are not at risk of developing a disease. Despite this work on a moratorium—and, in some ways, because of it and the self-regulatory approach—a legislative approach is needed. Some of us are not surprised. Fast-forward eight or so years and we now have this legislation before the parliament—legislation that our government committed to in its first term.”
“The terms of reference for this inquiry went to the need for further reform and improved oversight of the life insurance industry; the benefits and risks to consumers of the different elements of the life insurance market; whether entities were engaging in unethical practices to avoid meeting claims; and possible reform and oversight of the industry. Throughout the inquiry, concerns were raised about privacy and genetic discrimination relating to genetic testing in health care, and to this end I want to pay particular tribute to Jane Tiller and the great advocacy work that she has been doing, prior to that inquiry and ever since, to ensure that legislation like this can come to fruition today.”
“Officially, they are called 'in-valids'. They are the healthy ill. They don't actually have anything yet—they may never have. But, since few of the preconditions can be cured or reversed, it is easier to treat them as if they were already sick. This is a quote from the film Gattaca , nearly a quarter of a century ago, that might describe an imaginary future world, but discrimination on the grounds of genetic status, very sadly, is not science fiction. In my first parliamentary term, I was part of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services, and one of our inquiries was into the life insurance industry.”
“They're about strengthening our local community. They're about ensuring that people who need support the most have a safe place to live. Housing security should never be out of reach, nor should a good education. We're investing in early childhood, school, TAFE and university education, as well as housing in our community, because it's only by setting up that strong foundation that we'll change the story of our community—a strong foundation to build a better Burt.”
“We've increased Commonwealth rental assistance by around 50 per cent for people who need help the most, and we've expanded the Help to Buy scheme to help more Australians purchase their first home. And, of course, we have our five per cent deposit scheme as well. We're working with states and territories to unlock land and accelerate construction so that more homes can be built where people want to live. The solution to Australia's housing challenge is clear. It is about supply. We need to build more homes. We need to make sure that the homes we build include social and affordable housing so that everyone has a place in our communities. The investments we're seeing across the south-eastern suburbs of Perth are a really important part of that. They're about making sure people in our community are not left behind.”
“We know that housing pressures have been felt across Perth's south-east. Families are feeling the squeeze. Rents have risen sharply, and community organisations are seeing more and more people needing help. That's why we've taken action, not just with one program but with a comprehensive housing agenda designed to boost supply and help people get into homes sooner. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund, we're delivering 30,000 new social and affordable homes across the country. We're also delivering thousands of additional homes through the Social Housing Accelerator and other programs, working with states, territories and community housing providers. But we know building homes takes time, so we're also acting to support renters and first home buyers.”
“It's about stability, it's about dignity, and it's about making sure people have the foundation they need to build a good life. That's why our government created the Housing Australia Future Fund, the single biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade. Importantly, those investments are happening in our community. In Kelmscott and in Byford, the Housing Australia Future Fund will deliver new social and affordable homes for people who need them most, including women and children escaping family and domestic violence, older women at risk of homelessness and low-income families doing it tough. These homes will provide not just a roof over someone's head but the security and stability that comes with knowing you have somewhere safe to call home. For our community in Burt, this matters enormously.”
“We're backing that in with the new Armadale University Study Hub so that distance is no longer a barrier to our community getting a uni education, should they want one. We're making sure that every child and every young person, no matter their circumstances, has the opportunity to reach their full potential. But, in making sure we're setting up a person to reach that potential, we need to make sure that they also have a stable roof over their heads. One of the biggest challenges facing Australians right now is housing. For too many people, finding a safe, secure and affordable place to live has become harder than it should be. That's something that we are determined to change. Housing is a life-defining challenge for too many Australians. Housing isn't just about buildings.”
“That means that every child in Burt going to a public school who walked through the gates for the first day of school this year was in a fully funded school. WA led the way, signing on to the better and fairer schools funding agreement, and now every state and territory has followed. When we invest in public education, we're investing in the future of our entire community, our entire nation. We're investing in the next generation of apprentices, nurses, teachers, engineers, small business owners and community leaders who will shape the future. We are encouraging more people to get into construction apprenticeships as well, with a $10,000 incentive payment, and we've of course been providing free TAFE.”
“What I see time and time again is dedication—teachers who go above and beyond every single day for their students and, in fact, for the whole school community, doing what they do best in the classroom, of course, but with so many other things as well, like robotics competitions, sports programs, music, programs for parents and the bravery to try something new. But dedication alone shouldn't have to fill the funding gap. That's why fully funding our public schools is so important. It ensures that the commitment of our teachers is matched by the resources that they need to do their jobs. I'm proud to be part of a federal Labor government that's working hand in hand with the WA Labor government to fund public schools with $1.6 billion of additional funding over 10 years.”