Mike Freelander
Macarthur · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“She started the longest and biggest prospective study of allergy and anaphylaxis in the developed world, called HealthNuts, which is still ongoing. She had a PhD, and her PhD thesis was on liver cell transplantation using a mouse model of Wilson's disease, a very rare but well-known cause of liver failure.”
“I knew Katie Allen in a professional capacity prior to her entering this place as the second paediatrician to be elected to the House of Representatives. I dealt with her professionally in her role as the head of the Centre for Food and Allergy Research in the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.”
“She was a really deep thinker, a really decent person and someone—like many paediatricians—who understood the implications of the social determinants of health and was willing to work hard to make sure that Australia led the way in paediatric health care. She was brave and she was steadfast. She was someone who stood up for her views.”
“Recently, we celebrated Australian Made Week in Macarthur, and to mark that occasion I visited the fantastic team at Sebel, a manufacturing business which produces chairs, stools, tables, desks and storage units in Minto in my electorate of Macarthur.”
“It's great to see the Sebel tradition of high-quality products being maintained now in my electorate of Macarthur. Harry and Queenie are long gone, but their legacy continues with a business that is employing lots of people and providing innovative products and 21st century manufacturing, including recycling.”
“It was founded by my friend Ross Doonan in 2004 and has gone on to national and international acclaim, producing products with coating. You often see them on railway stations—the signs and chairs that have wood coatings on aluminium products. I myself am doing a home renovation that will be using DECO products.”
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“Over the past 70 years, the group has presented more than 240 musical and dramatic productions, performing across venues throughout the Macarthur region. Since 1980, it has proudly called the Town Hall Theatre in Queen Street its home. This historic venue stands today not only as a heritage listed building but as a symbol of what can be achieved when community and government work hand in hand. Through the leadership of Gordon Fetterplace at the beginning and the dedication of countless members, the group partnered with council and secured government support to transform the former town hall into a dedicated theatre. It looks fantastic. That effort, supported by funding, volunteer labour and sheer determination, ensured that the arts would have a permanent home in Campbelltown.”
“I'd like to acknowledge and celebrate a remarkable milestone in our local community: the 70th anniversary of the Campbelltown Theatre Group. For seven decades, this not-for-profit organisation has been at the heart of the performing arts in Macarthur—and I've been to several fantastic productions put on by them—bringing together people from all walks of life united by a shared passion for theatre and the performing arts. The Campbelltown Theatre Group was formed following a public meeting on 21 June 1956, and less than a year later it staged its very first production, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance at the Town Hall Theatre, then known as the old town hall. That inaugural performance marked the beginning of what has become a rich legacy for Macarthur's creative arts community.”
“There are many more things we need to do, but this is continuing the progress towards a better and better health system, which Mark Butler and the Albanese government are committed to, and I'm very proud to be part of it. I know that we can—”
“This bill also looks at how we can make private health insurance more transparent and reduce the ability of private health insurers to change insurance programs and products willy-nilly, to phoenix some products and to continue to make large profits at the expense of people who are paying significant amounts for health insurance. My own personal view is that having three tiers of private health insurance is counterproductive to making sure our hybrid health system continues to work well. I would like to see private health insurance be one product—you either have it or you don't—and to have a community rating of risk through that private health insurance, rather than different levels of insurance, but that is something for another day.”
“The scheduling of new treatments for pregnancy control and for endometriosis et cetera has really made a dramatic difference for many women around the country. This is part of the government's commitment to ongoing improvements in our very equitable health system. We do not want an Americanised system, in spite of what many in the opposition would want. We will deliver on our election commitments but we will also do more. This is a gradual process. We can't fix every issue immediately, but we are gradually working towards improvements in our health system that will make sure it is the best in the world. The introduction and passage of the genetic information bill has been really important, and it's something that the government committed to over a long period of time. It's yet another improvement in our health services.”
“In my own field of paediatrics, in some areas of western New South Wales, for example, the waiting times to see a paediatrician are measured in years, not in months or weeks. This is delaying health care for some of the most vulnerable. There is much more for us to do and we are certainly working on it. We also need to look at more innovative ways of getting specialist opinions for people who live in rural, regional and remote areas. Improvements in telehealth, which have been a real focus of the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, have been a really important change in improving access to specialist opinions. Our women's health packages have been dramatic in improving access to pelvic pain clinics and endometriosis treatments.”
“The 60-day prescribing for common pharmaceuticals has been of tremendous benefit to patients. The maximum fees for pharmaceuticals, including making the maximum fee $25 for non-healthcare cardholders and just over $7 for healthcare cardholders, have made medicines much more accessible. Our increased training positions for nurses and doctors have made health care much more accessible. Our increasing scope of practice for pharmacists, nurses and allied health professionals has made accessibility much better. There is much more to do; we know that. In rural and regional areas there are huge difficulties in attracting specialists and in getting people access to specialists.”
“It is very important to understand that there are some procedures that we do now that weren't available in the time of the advent of Medicare. Because the rebates don't exactly fit the procedure, sometimes the costs are much higher than for the previous treatments. It is reasonable, though, that specialists make their fees available for patients. The bill delivers on yet another commitment by the Albanese government—to make health care more accessible for all. When you look at the things that we have already done in a relatively short period of time, they have made health care much more accessible and much more equitable—things like the bulk-billing incentives. In my electorate of Macarthur, over 90 per cent of GP consultations are now bulk-billed, which is a huge turnaround.”
“The training is now very prolonged. Many people go into medicine after a first degree. Their medical degree is their second degree and their specialist qualifications are often their third degree. The costs of running a practice, including insurance, have increased a lot. Rents have increased a lot. Equipment fees, which some specialists, such as ophthalmologists, require have become more and more expensive. The Medicare rebates haven't kept pace with the actual costs of doing medical business, if I can put it that way. This bill does increase transparency and it does mean costs will be findable by patients prior to their consultation or hospitalisation. It is really important that people do get that transparency so they can find out how much doctors will charge them and how much they will have to pay out of pocket.”
“What has happened over time, of course, is that the gaps got bigger as the rebate didn't increase in line with inflation. But we now have a point where many of the gaps are bigger than the actual scheduled fee, particularly for things like cataract surgery and some subspecialty consultations. They are often opaque; the patients aren't aware of them when they have their first consultation. The gaps can vary from specialist to specialist. Often these are not advertised, can be difficult for patients to find and can be quite a shock when they first see a doctor in consultation—especially with some of the procedural specialists, who charge quite large gap fees. I'm not going to get into arguments about whether they're too much or too little. The reasons for specialist fees can vary. The costs of specialist practice are quite expensive.”
“The introduction of Medicare meant that the scheduled fee was 100 per cent of the recommended fee, and the Medicare rebate was 85 per cent of that scheduled fee. The 15 per cent gap was not paid by the government for bulk-billed patients, but the rebate was. That was because, by bulk-billing, you remove the cost of privately billing people and sometimes having to chase them for fees afterwards. That used to happen occasionally; we had to make sure that we could follow people for the fees because we didn't charge people upfront. They were allowed to pay the full fee once they received their Medicare cheque, usually in the mail. That 15 per cent gap was supposed to be the cost of having to get the fees from privately billed people.”
“Instead, what I hear is an ideological position that leans away from collective responsibility and towards an individual burden of health care. The member for Goldstein is always talking about how Medicare is broken and how people should pay their own way. He really has some crazy ideas about health, and I think that's replicated in many other members of the opposition. This legislation is really important legislation that improves the transparency of our health system. As I've said, I ran a private practice for 40 years. I did have a position where I would bulk-bill people who I felt should be bulk-billed—including all those with healthcare cards, but also many with chronic illness—and privately bill others.”
“We have the now shadow Treasurer making comments like our healthcare system being 'a system designed to keep people ill to feed the benefits of the unions and the people that they are paid to represent and to maintain the political control by the Australian Labor Party'. What absolute tripe! This is coming from the shadow Treasurer. Can you believe it? It's just crazy. That is a quote from Hansard . So, too often, I hear those opposite talk about Medicare as if it's a burden, as if it's a thorn in the side of their attempts to privatise and make Americanised our healthcare system. When I hear contributions from the member for Goldstein, I don't hear a defence of Medicare. I don't hear support for one of the best health systems in the world. I don't hear a commitment to strengthening universal access to health care.”
“I started my private practice, which I ran for 40 years, on the same day that Medicare became operational in Australia, introduced by the Hawke Labor government. I saw patients whose families couldn't afford to see a paediatrician in the past; they'd never seen a paediatrician in spite of the fact they often had significant disability. This was really a sign to me that Labor is the party of health care, and it's continued along those lines. It's really important to note that, since the start of the first Albanese government, I can hardly remember a question being asked by the opposition about health care in this House at question time. I can't remember one.”
“It's important to understand that he's the one that introduced the original Medibank, the first national health insurance program, designed by Scotton and Deeble, two health economists, in late 1960s. It was done for a reason. It was done because we had an inequitable healthcare system where people who could afford it were getting very good health care, and many people were missing out on health care because they couldn't afford it. It's a little-known fact—but it is a fact—that the most common cause of bankruptcy in Australia prior to the introduction of Medibank was health costs. People were sent to the wall because of the costs they were incurring in providing health care. For me, Labor is the party of health care.”
“First of all, I thank the member for Gorton for her very kind remarks, which were probably undeserved, but I'm very grateful. I'll start by saying, if I can be allowed a short preamble, it's often said in my profession that, if you put 100 doctors in a room and ask them how to fix the health system, you'll get 110 answers. I admit my biases, and I have a very personal view of how we can improve our health system. I've worked in health care in the public hospital system now for over half a century, and I'm in this House as a Labor member because the Labor Party is the party of health care. This was identified very well by my great hero, Gough Whitlam.”
“We should all be proud that this is something we are doing that will advance health care for many years in the future in Australia. It's great to be a member of a parliament that can make this happen to benefit all Australians, and to be involved in 21st century health care around the world. I'm proud to be here on the day that this legislation is being debated. I'm wearing the badge of Genetics Australia, and I'm proud to do that. I thank all my colleagues who have supported this legislation.”
“It's one of the most important pieces of legislation to pass through this parliament in the 10 years I've been here; I really do feel that. This will open the way for further advances in health care based on genomics that we know will be coming towards us as a tsunami in the next few years. The people that have promoted this bill—I'll mention Jane Tiller again, from Monash University, and Stephen Jones, Daniel Mulino and many other members of parliament that we've heard speak—need to be proud of the fact that this parliament is looking to the future in health care by introducing this legislation. I congratulate my paediatric colleague Monique Ryan, who's here today, who I know has also been a very strong supporter of this legislation, as have many other members of parliament—too many to mention.”
“It makes sure that genetic testing can still be used to improve quality of life, save lives and support medical researchers to prevent, treat and monitor a whole range of disorders, including inherited metabolic disorders, genetic disorders and, in some cases, genetically based cancers and cancer predispositions. And, of course, in families of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, like mine, they have a higher risk of certain cancers if they carry the so-called BRCA genes, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Many of us, without even knowing that we carry at-risk genes, can be reassured that, if we do get tested, the information will be used in the right way. Across the parliament there's pretty uniform agreement on this legislation, and this is something the whole parliament can be congratulated on.”
“We're acting because vulnerable Australians deserve a system that supports their health decisions, and we are acting because this government is focused on 21st-century health care that not only provides protections for people but also provides incredibly strong public health policy. It will make sure that people won't feel disadvantaged if they do undertake genetic testing or if their other family members undertake genetic testing. Genetic testing, we know, can save lives and improve quality of life, and, certainly, in the paediatric space, it can help in a whole range of things, including family planning. The bill makes amendments to the Insurance Contracts Act to implement the ban and related amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act to make sure Australia is aligned with antidiscrimination laws.”
“That means better prevention, earlier treatment and, really, stronger and more focused research that will improve public health across the country and allow us to participate in international programs and take advantage of advances in scientific knowledge that will benefit every Australian. This legislation has been carefully designed, and it has taken some time. Once again, Minister Mulino needs to be congratulated for making sure that that's the case. Individuals can volunteer their test results if they've given their consent to other organisations, and insurance providers can still use family histories and diagnoses to make sure that policies are properly risk rated. We're delivering fairness, we're delivering certainty, and we're delivering knowledge to the people who can best use it in a healthcare setting.”
“This government has been really focused on making sure that there is certainty, and this legislation will give that in letting Australians know that their genetic information will be used for their good and no-one else's in the first instance. Their decision to undertake genetic testing must be made on a medical basis. People must be sure that it won't jeopardise their access to life insurance or force them into more expensive or restrictive policies, and it should not affect other insurance. These reforms will support greater uptake of genetic testing and, in particular, participating in medical research. We have a government and a health minister that are focused on supporting our medical research community.”
“Kathy North from Genomics Australia has been a really fantastic advocate as well. And many of my paediatric colleagues have done a lot of work in this space and are really grateful that the government has brought this legislation forward. Genetic risk is, of course, risk; it's not a certainty. But it is important that people can have certainty, when they do get genetic testing, that the information will only be in the hands of people who want their good, not other organisations who may use it for financial gain et cetera. The Treasury's analysis is clear that some people are holding back from essential testing and even from participating in research projects because of concerns about their genetic information being used against them. That is not good enough.”
“It did take a long period of time to make sure that we were using the right information and that everyone was aware of the necessity for this bill and I thank Stephen for that. It's also fantastic to have in the House today Daniel Mulino, the Assistant Treasurer. I don't want to push him to think that I'm ingratiating myself with him, but he has been like a dog with a bone and has been the one person that has pushed this through the parliament, and he deserves the highest congratulations and thanks for what he has done. There is clearly a long list of other people in the genetics community—genetics Australia et cetera have done an incredible job. My friend and colleague Mimi Berman, the previous head of genetics Australia, has been fantastic and really tireless in making sure that this legislation was to the fore.”
“I know that the government is working very strongly on that issue to make sure that people, if they do have at risk genes identified, are able to access genetic information. Before I go any further, I'd like to congratulate Professor Jane Tiller from Monash University for the work that she has done. She's here now and it's great to have her here. This project has taken so much time over such a long period of time, and Jane has been the one person who has never failed in her commitment to the cause. I congratulate her and thank her from the bottom of my heart for making sure that we were all focused on getting this bill through the House. I would like to also thank my friend and colleague Stephen Jones for the efforts that he put in.”
“We know already that some people are avoiding getting testing done because of concerns about that information falling into hands that could use it to financially affect them. I think there are other possibilities as well that we need to be thinking about. If this information gets into the hands of a prospective employer, it may sometimes affect their willingness to employ people, so we need to be very careful about how genetic information is allowed to be given to other people. Sometimes it may well be because of careful family histories that people are implicated as being at risk despite the fact that they may never have had a test done. There are also concerns about access to genetic counselling and access to the correct information for many people who may have at-risk genetic profiles.”
“We recently had a situation in Sydney at the Royal North Shore Hospital fertility IVF clinic, which, some years ago, made a mistake and inadvertently transferred two embryos to a mother who was not the genetic mother. Only recently, because of genetic screening through commercial program, were these twins found to be not the biological children of the person they thought was their mother for over 30 years. Genetics is remarkable in its advances, and it's a cascading situation where you're seeing more and more advances, but it also comes with some dangers if that information is not in the right hands. This legislation delivers on the government's commitment to ban the use of adverse genetic test results in life insurance.”
“Recently I heard from a group led by a paediatric colleague of mine, Srinivasan, who's an endocrinologist at the children's hospital, about a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia. This is a condition where cholesterol is so high that it causes very early onset cardiovascular disease and heart attacks and sometimes death in the 20s and 30s. This can be prevented by treatment and can be picked up in very early childhood. There are lots of at-risk genes for a whole range of disorders. Many people have these tests done or have relatives who have these tests done. Through family history, that can affect people even though they may never have had a test done and may until that time be unaware that they are at risk of certain diseases.”
“Now, over 40 are routinely tested for, and that is a remarkable change since my beginnings as a paediatrician, when only three or four conditions were tested for. There are remarkable differences, remarkable changes and medical advances that are leading to better health care and leading to good quality of life for many people who previously would have been quite disabled. However, with that, there have come concerns about the availability of genetic information and how that is used by different organisations, including insurance companies, financial institutions et cetera. This is expanding very rapidly. We know that there are risk genes for a whole range of common disorders—diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease.”
“Just as an example, when I started my training as a paediatrician, about 90 per cent of people who had intellectual handicaps were described as being 'idiopathic'—in other words, no cause found. That is now totally the opposite, where 10 to 15 per cent were described as having an idiopathic intellectual handicap and over 90 per cent now have a cause, mostly genetic. We've done some remarkable things. We now have treatments for some of the previously fatal genetic disorders of childhood, for example, spinal muscular atrophy, which, in its most severe form, usually caused death by age 3. It now has a curative treatment available because of genetic intervention. We are doing remarkable things. We know there are many inherited disorders that can cause disability in children that can be picked up by newborn screening.”
“Genetics has come a long way since Mendel and his peas in the 1860s, and it has been absolutely remarkable, in my medical lifetime, to see the advances in genetics. There was slow progress for over a hundred years until we got to the Human Genome Project, which really opened up the field of medical genetics to all of us in the 1990s and 2000s. The Human Genome Project was started in October 1990, and it was projected to take 15 to 20 years. In fact, it was done after 13 years, so it was finished early. This then opened up the field of human genomics to medical researchers and scientific researchers, which led to a tsunami of new treatments and new medical interventions in the last few years.”
“We are delivering reform for women's health care that had been denied for far too long. We have the women's expert panel for cardiovascular health now being set up by Rebecca White, the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and Assistant Minister for Women. These are dramatic changes done on a philosophical basis that proves that women's health is very important to this government.”
“We're providing additional funding to expand services to provide perimenopause and menopause care, something that was needed here for many, many years but didn't happen under the coalition government. This year, the government will launch Australia's first national awareness campaign for menopause and perimenopause, finally giving women the information and recognition they have deserved for decades and decades. This is historic. This is historic women's health care delivered for people in ways that they can access both geographically and financially. We have now also provided treatment for uncomplicated UTIs directly from pharmacies, repeat prescriptions for the contraceptive pill from pharmacies and more affordable access to fertility treatments, as I've mentioned.”
“These are the lowest medicine prices in over 20 years, giving Australian women more cost-of-living relief and better access to health care that they may not have had otherwise. We also have made major advances in access to genomics and genetics treatments and tests for women who may have had health problems, particularly some of the inherited cancers. This is a dramatic improvement for women with major illness. We're delivering new pelvic pain clinics again. That makes a huge difference to women and their families. We're having over 30 endometriosis clinics open up, providing better, more timely and cheaper treatment for people who have endometriosis, like my daughter Amelia.”
“We have new contraceptive pills listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme—the first in almost 30 years. These are two better contraceptive options, helping over 300,000 women save more than $26 million on 660,000 scripts. We have new menopausal hormone therapies listed where we've had none for 20 years. This supports hundreds of thousands of women and saves them over $50 million across almost two million scripts. Seven-thousand women with endometriosis are accessing over 30,000 cheaper scripts, saving almost $6 million on treatment that previously put major financial pressure on women with endometriosis. We're getting earlier, more affordable IVF treatments for women, with almost 50,000 people getting lower-cost IVF fertility treatment. Since January 2026, PBS scripts are now just $25 and $7.70 for concession cardholders.”
“I myself have been an advocate for many years of first-thousand-days policy that looks at children's health from preconception through their first two years of life, and Labor's changes to women's health care will make a huge difference in the first thousand days for children in Australia. Since introducing the Women's Health Package, more than 700,000 women have accessed over 2.3 million cheaper PBS prescriptions for contraceptives, menopausal hormone therapies and endometriosis treatments. This is really important when you couple this with our 60-day prescribing policies, which were opposed tooth and nail by the coalition. This is a dramatic difference to women's health care in Australia. I'm very proud of it and very proud that we have a health minister who has pushed this policy for the last almost 10 years. It is fantastic news.”
“Women's health is about the big things. It's about philosophy and how this government views the importance of women's health. I'm very proud to be a member of the Labor Party and in particular very proud, after working for half a century in health care, to be a member of a government that understands the importance of women's health across the whole spectrum of health care in Australia. Our $800 million Women's Health Package, announced in the last budget, is driving more choice, lower costs and better care for women and girls across the country. We're already seeing better outcomes. We're already seeing an understanding that women's health is very important in family health.”
“They're working in research and making me very proud of them. My electorate and young people across Australia are really showing us the way forward in the 21st century.”
“It's initiatives like these which allow our students to flourish, and I hope to see many of the students in my electorate benefit from these grants. I want to congratulate the teachers in STEM education in the over 80 public, Catholic and independent schools in my electorate. They do wonderful work. I'm incredibly proud of the students and the work that they do. We're now seeing them in the universities including Western Sydney University—particularly in the medical faculty, where I still do some student teaching. It's great to see many of our local students coming there, showing us their skills and excelling across the medical faculty and further into the future. Now many of our students are advanced specialists doing incredible 21st century work in health care. They're now working in science.”
“I'm proud to see our government invest in STEM education to bolster the STEM teaching workforce; to support STEM educators; to improve participation and achievements in STEM in schools; and to build STEM pathways to encourage more diverse cohorts to take part. I was also pleased to hear the Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science announce that applications for sponsorship grants for STEM science engagement and international competitions 2026 are now open. The Albanese government is providing $1.6 million in sponsorship grants to schools and eligible organisations to support students participating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities, events and competitions.”
“Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. To the teachers, parents and school community, who supported and assisted these students along the journey: you've done wonders to support such an incredible group of students, and I congratulate you. The young minds engaging in STEM across our nation are the minds of tomorrow and the work, thought and dedication that these students put into their studies will pay dividends for both themselves and all of us in the wider community. High-quality STEM education is critical for Australia's current and future productivity. Young Australians engaging in STEM learning and studying STEM subjects in schools across the region will support a pipeline of individuals in STEM skills and careers in the future.”
“This was an invaluable learning experience as they had to respond to a formal brief, present their proposal to industry judges and work under pressure in a three-day design sprint. I was impressed to hear of how hard the students worked, the energy and dedication which they put into their proposal and how well they delivered themselves professionally. These students benefited from the international connections they made and from being active in the competitive STEM community. This isn't the first time I've been impressed by students of the college and their work in STEM. The school and its students have excelled over the years, both in national and international competitions—from F1 to robotics and coding. To these students at Magdalene Catholic College: thank you for your hard work and dedication to your fields of interest.”
“These 10 students—Isibeal Abbey, Isla Attard, Angelina Bampton, Zachariah Belanszky, Sienna Beller, Christine Brazier, Lachlan Campbell, Lachlan Chadwick, Charlotte Hawkins and Luca Saprun—were accompanied by their teachers Mr Chris Ferry, Mrs Jodie Hort and Mr Danny Avalos on this thrilling journey. The students competed over three days alongside 250 students from over a dozen countries to simulate the work of aerospace engineers, challenging students to collaboratively design a large-scale space settlement. For this competition the students had to create a professional engineering tender to design, plan and build a floating or propelling settlement within the atmosphere of Venus in 2075.”
“Every day I'm left astounded by the tremendous accomplishments of our younger generation in my electorate of Macarthur. Recently, 10 students from Magdalene Catholic College, a school within my electorate, travelled to the United States to represent Australia in the prestigious International Space Settlement Design Competition, held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This opportunity came after this team of students were successful at the Australian Space Design Competition national final held in Brisbane early last year, where Magdalene was named national champion. Magdalene Catholic College was one of only two Australian schools invited to compete in this international competition.”
“Today, St Greg's has grown into a renowned and respected K-to-12, co-educational school with more than 1,500 students and over 200 staff across teaching, administration and support roles. It's a cornerstone of education in our region and an icon of Campbelltown. The college is known for its proud agricultural and sporting traditions and for producing remarkable alumni, including NRL players James Tedesco and Alex McKinnon, former chief of the defence force General Angus Campbell and my colleague in this House the member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie. As someone who firmly believes in the power of education, I thank St Greg's and the teachers and staff for a century of service to our community and congratulate the entire St Greg's family on this extraordinary milestone.”
“I'd like to congratulate St Gregory's College Campbelltown as it celebrates its centenary this year. St Greg's opened during the difficult years of the Great Depression, with just three Marist Brothers as teachers and 10 students. The college was established on land generously donated by local landowner Thomas Donovan, whose vision to support the education of boys from rural areas was great. Mr Donovan's generosity extended beyond the land itself. He provided the classrooms, the chapel and the first dormitory—facilities which established a strong foundation for the school. That dormitory proved particularly important during the Second World War, when enrolments grew as families sent their sons to board while parents served our nation.”
“I have a statement to make from the chair. The statement is about Ms Steggall's proposed amendment to Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026. Amendment (10) circulated in the name of the member for Warringah, which appears to make the Commonwealth liable for compensation, would require the appropriation of revenue, thereby being contrary to the constitutional and parliamentary principle of the financial initiative of the Crown and contravening standing order 180. The amendment is therefore out of order and cannot be moved by the member.”
“It's a tribute to the educators that have worked there, to the parents that have supported it and to all the kids that have gone on to flourishing careers since starting at Campbelltown Public School. The present principal, Ms Cathrine Flamos, is wonderful, as are the teachers and as have been the teachers that I've been associated with at that school for the last 40 years. It is a great school, and it is a great tribute to the school that it's been going for 150 years. May it continue to educate the kids of Campbelltown for another 150 years.”
“This Saturday night I'm going to Campbelltown Public School for their 150th anniversary. It's a great school. Campbelltown was named after the wife of Governor Macquarie and has been a longstanding farming community but is now very quickly changing into a commuter area. Campbelltown has a long history of education, and I'm very proud to represent Campbelltown Public School along with the over 80 other schools in the area. I strongly believe in the power of education to be transformative, and Campbelltown Public School has been a symbol of this for 150 years. It started on Wednesday 12 January 1876 and has been providing continuous education for the kids of Campbelltown since that time on the same site. It's a wonderful school.”
“I appreciated all their input from all sides of parliament, including the opposition members. They've all been highly engaged, very supportive and interested in making the lives of families and their members who have disabilities better. I commend this report to the House.”