Susan Templeman
Macquarie · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The three key focuses of the government's action are, firstly, to disrupt and dismantle border threats to stem the flow of illicit tobacco and vapes to Australia before they make it to our shores; secondly, to enhance detection, disruption and destruction of illicit tobacco and vapes at the border and within the community; and, thirdly, t…”
“AUSTRAC is working with the banks and service providers to shut down the money flows that keep illicit tobacco profitable. Hundreds of accounts have already been closed and payment systems stopped.”
“We need to keep fighting it and not blame each other. Those opposite need to recognise that, just as we supported the steps they made, we need their full support in taking these actions.”
“That's not good enough for participants, it's not good enough for employers and it's not good enough for the economy. That's why these reforms are so important. This is the most significant change to employment services in 30 years. At the heart of these reforms is the end of the one-size-fits-all model.”
“The Commonwealth, states and territories are working together to reverse the equation for organised crime at every step and in every way to make the illicit tobacco trade more risky and less profitable, disrupting the illicit supply chain and shutting down illegal shops. This bill is another step in that process.”
“Mr Robert, at that time, spoke of the actions they were taking and the changes they were making on duty liabilities being paid when tobacco is imported into Australia.”
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“My question is to the Treasurer. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help Australians with the cost of living, including by providing more tax cuts to help people get ahead? How does that compare to other approaches?”
“And, as we hit 1 July, all compensation and rehabilitation claims will be determined under a single ongoing act, the improved MRCA. So what you have is a system that's being strengthened across multiple fronts, and I'm very proud of the work that we've done. Not every veteran is broken. The vast majority go on to have amazing careers in the civilian world. But they all need our support to do their very best.”
“As part of standing up the agency, the government is transitioning funding for a broad range of existing wellbeing support for veterans and families into the new agency, and that includes funding for organisations like Invictus Australia, Bravery Trust and the wonderful Kookaburra Kids. Families are really key. The Veterans' Children Education Scheme has also been rolled into the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme. This is another way in which we support kids. And eligibility has been retained. Anyone in receipt of VCES is keeping access to all their payments. At the local level, we have the Hawkesbury Veteran and Family Hub operating while its permanent home in Richmond is being renovated.”
“I think it's worth remembering that of the 122 recommendations in the royal commission's final report, 32 were implemented by the end of last year, and we expect two-thirds of the government's response will be implemented by the end of this year. In the 2026 budget, $770 million was allocated to specifically address royal commission recommendations, including that biggest increase in 20 years in allied health fees paid to providers to support veterans. An important component of the effort that we're making is the creation of the veteran and family wellbeing agency, which commences operations from 1 July. Its role is to bring a more coordinated and proactive focus to the wellbeing of veterans and their families, particularly during the transition from military life to civilian life.”
“The need to increase the fees that are paid to providers was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, and it's the result of feedback from the veteran community that the current fees limit their access to allied health services. The strict 12-session treatment cycle is being removed in favour of an annual monetary limit of $5,000, so veterans can access more appointments without needing a new referral, but, where a veteran requires additional support due to the complex or acute nature of their needs, there will continue to be pathways for care beyond the standard threshold. We'll be talking to the veteran community over the coming months to design this system and other aspects of the new arrangements so it works for them.”
“In this financial year alone, we expect to spend nearly $5 billion more on compensation and treatment for veterans than the Morrison government spent in their last year of government. They spent $10.05 billion. By the end of June next week, we expect to have spent $15.05 billion. The Albanese government is also making allied health more accessible with increased funding and payments for services. It's the biggest increase in funding in 20 years and will come into effect from July next year. As an example, physio standard consultations which are currently paid at $75.10 will increase to $110. A standard podiatry consultation will increase to $110, and a standard 50-minute psychology consultation will increase to $260.”
“Support for veterans and their families is one of the most serious responsibilities that we have as a government. When we came to office, the system supporting veterans was under considerable strain—I think that's the polite way of putting it. There was a significant backlog of claims, including 42,000 claims that had not even been looked at by anyone in the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Previous Secretary of the DVA, Major General Liz Cosson, said that with the resourcing provided by the previous government, the backlog would never be cleared. We didn't think that was good enough, so we've increased funding to not only ensure claims are assessed but so that DVA has the funding for health care, support and the compensation that veterans deserve. I'd like to talk specifics.”
“Over the last six months, interjurisdictional relationships between the Commonwealth, states and territories have rapidly improved and we've seen a strong new cooperation through the National Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Coordination Forum. I really want to give a shout-out. South Australia and Queensland are already showing illegal trade falls when enforcement hits 100 per cent of an area, and Victoria is moving to strengthen closure and landlord laws. These are really good things to see. The Albanese government remains committed to working with our state and territory partners to continue to tackle the illicit tobacco trade, and I would hope those opposite are with us all the way.”
“The three key focuses of the government's action are, firstly, to disrupt and dismantle border threats to stem the flow of illicit tobacco and vapes to Australia before they make it to our shores; secondly, to enhance detection, disruption and destruction of illicit tobacco and vapes at the border and within the community; and, thirdly, to have better connection and coordination of efforts across the Commonwealth and states and territories, including through the establishment of the national disruption group. Since January 2024, more than 14 million vaping products and accessories have been seized by the Australian Border Force. In just the last six months of last year, more than a billion illicit cigarettes were also seized. This government's focus is simple: shut down illegal shops, choke off the money and make this trade unprofitable.”
“In that context, this bill seeks to achieve two objectives. One is to rebalance the risk-to-reward calculation for criminal actors by raising offence penalties to match the severity of the harms being caused by the illicit tobacco trade. The other is making the proceeds-of-crime regime more effective to go after the profits generated from illicit tobacco, which is of course the main motivation. Since 2023-24, the Albanese Labor government has provided $346 million in funding to the Australian Border Force to crack down on illicit tobacco and vaping products. We also appointed the first ever Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner, with $21 million allocated in the 2025-26 budget to help coordinate those national efforts that are now underway.”
“We need to keep fighting it and not blame each other. Those opposite need to recognise that, just as we supported the steps they made, we need their full support in taking these actions. The Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Cigarette Commissioner report estimated that the value of the illicit tobacco market was between $4.1 billion and $6.9 billion in 2024-25. Organised crime groups are earning between $4 billion and $7 billion in profits, funding other crimes like trafficking scams and money laundering. We know this trade fuels violence, firebombings and intimidation and risks the unwinding of decades of success in tobacco control policy and lowering smoking rates in Australia. These are not victimless crimes. They harm communities, honest retailers and workers, and they make the public less safe.”
“AUSTRAC is working with the banks and service providers to shut down the money flows that keep illicit tobacco profitable. Hundreds of accounts have already been closed and payment systems stopped. This bill expands law enforcement powers to investigate illicit tobacco related offending and increases the consequences for criminal actors involved in the illicit tobacco market. It's a crucial step in addressing the rapidly expanding illicit market. We know illicit tobacco is no longer just a health or revenue problem. It's a serious organised crime activity and is a major source of funds which are used to fund other serious harms and crimes. The illicit tobacco trade, as I said at the start, is not new, nor is it a problem isolated to Australia. It is a global problem. The first strike team, in fact, was set up under Border Force in 2015.”
“The Commonwealth's Combating Illegal Tobacco Bill 2026 that we're debating today will raise penalties, activate intelligence and law enforcement techniques, such as wiretaps and computer intercepts, and strengthen proceeds-of-crime laws. Hitting criminals where it hurts means using every single tool and more rapidly taking their profits, cars, cash, houses, boats and other toys away. Priorities identified for states and territories include licensing seizures, shutting down illegal shops, going after landlords and lifting resourcing of frontline enforcement. The Commonwealth funding to states and territories is now flowing, with $84 million extra to help put trained people on the ground, improve licensing and enable joint operations.”
“At the border and post border, Australian Border Force data tells us that in 2024-25 they achieved record levels of seizures, supported by $188 million of extra Commonwealth funding. They seized 2.66 billion cigarettes, and that's up more than 320 per cent on four years ago. The national disruption group, led by the Australian Border Force, is up and running, bringing together Commonwealth agencies and all states and territories, with national weeks of action planned across the country. The Police Ministers Council's received advice on 50 pieces of legislative reform and laws that are now being strengthened.”
“Retailers who are found to be noncompliant with closure orders may be subject to further enforcement actions or penalties. A local New South Wales court can issue a long-term closure order of up to a year if it's satisfied that illicit tobacco or illicit vaping goods have been, or are likely to be, sold or if tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products are sold without a licence. To disrupt the illicit tobacco trade, we have to think about things at every single stage—pre border, at border and post border. Preborder intelligence sharing has been enhanced with partners such as the UAE, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka and others. The best container of illegal tobacco is one that never even reaches Australia's shores.”
“The Commonwealth, states and territories are working together to reverse the equation for organised crime at every step and in every way to make the illicit tobacco trade more risky and less profitable, disrupting the illicit supply chain and shutting down illegal shops. This bill is another step in that process. I think people have asked themselves, 'Can I do something if I see shops selling illicit cigarettes or illegal vapes?' The answer is yes. Any one of us can make a report. There are three different ways to do so. You can report suspicious sales or illicit products to Border Watch on their 1800395706 number or at borderwatch.gov.au, to Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 or crimestoppers.com.au or through NSW Health, in New South Wales, for local enforcement of tobacco and vaping laws.”
“What goes along with those stickers is a three-month closure for that tobacconist. I've seen these stickers in the Riverview Shopping Centre in Windsor, which is just up the road from my electorate office; inside the Richmond Marketplace in Richmond; and on the main streets of some of our towns, including, in Springwood, next door to Dbl Ristretto, a very popular coffee shop. They are a welcome indicator, right in front of our eyes, as we go to our local shops, that you can see of actions being taken at the state level to combat the availability of illicit cigarettes, vapes and loose-leaf tobacco in our communities.”
“"This will reduce criminal activity, protect law-abiding local businesses and provide an estimated $3 billion in revenue to the Commonwealth," Assistant Treasurer Robert said. That was obviously very well intentioned. But clearly, from September 2018 to now, we have not seen those measures make a significant difference, so we are taking further steps, as we have done all through our time in government, to tackle an issue that both sides agree is a problem. In the way that we were supportive when we were in opposition, I look to the support of those opposite for the efforts that we're making. Across Macquarie, we're seeing those bright yellow stickers on the front windows of tobacconist shops suspected of selling illicit tobacco products or selling tobacco without a licence.”
“Mr Robert, at that time, spoke of the actions they were taking and the changes they were making on duty liabilities being paid when tobacco is imported into Australia. The release said: Together with the newly established, Australian Border Force-led Illicit Tobacco Taskforce and the proposed import permit requirement for tobacco announced in the 2018-19 Budget, the Government is ensuring the Australian border is even more resilient to organised criminal groups that facilitate tobacco smuggling. "Tackling duty evasion and black economy activities in the tobacco warehouse environment will disrupt illicit tobacco supply chains and deny organised crime syndicates access to the illicit profits that fund their other criminal and black economy activities," said Assistant Treasurer Robert.”
“It's pretty disgraceful hearing a member opposite talk about lack of action. These are not newly emerged issues. These are issues that, when the member for Goldstein was last in government, we supported that government in trying to take action on. Did they go far enough? No way. But we supported those steps. I'm going to read to you from a media release, put out in September 2018 by the then minister, the Hon. Stuart Robert MP. It talked about cracking down on the illicit tobacco black market. This is not something new that's just happened since we came to government. This has been something that has built up, and governments prior to us have failed in being able to stop it.”
“Bowel cancer is really treatable if caught early, so I thank Andrew and Mieke for their advocacy and I support them in the things they want to see—more research and more awareness about the fact that young people can get bowel cancer.”
“She told me she wants to see clinical practice guidelines for GPs regarding age bias, and that's because she had too many people telling her she was too young, and too many people are told, 'You're too young to have bowel cancer.' The Bowel Cancer Australia pin that I'm wearing has a light green ribbon with an apple in the centre, which was very fitting for Andrew, whose family had an apple orchard in Bilpin in my electorate of Macquarie when he was growing up. Now, as a busy tradie with a young family, Andrew didn't raise his intermittent symptoms for some time until he told his wife, and, fortunately, he listened to her when she told him that he needed to see a doctor.”
“There's a group of people in parliament today raising awareness about early-onset bowel cancer. I met with Mieke and Andrew, two young people who've each battled early-onset bowel cancer. Their message is: you are never too young. Bowel cancer is the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 54. Bowel cancer rates are two to three times higher among Australians born in the 1990s than those born in the 1950s. Mieke travelled to Canberra from Leura in my electorate.”
“The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth, came to Macquarie to hold the first Western Sydney forum to discuss the changes with me and around 80 employment providers, community groups who provide support to unemployed people and local business representatives, and I thank them all for their attendance and the discussion. These changes won't be implemented without deep discussion with the sector, with community organisations and with people who themselves have experience as unemployed persons. Alongside this and our fair wages, we're making these systems better for workers.”
“By matching support to need, we can focus effort where it will have the greatest impact, and that's only possible if there is better assessment of a person's circumstances and barriers right from the start so they're directed to the right support from day one. Participants will have greater ownership of their journey, with the new employment goal plan replacing the current system with a clear pathway tailored to the individual and grounded in the realities of the local labour market. Mutual obligations will be about supporting people into work, not simply compliance for its own sake. They should be practical, relevant and connected to a person's employment goals with activities that build skills, confidence and readiness for work.”
“That's not good enough for participants, it's not good enough for employers and it's not good enough for the economy. That's why these reforms are so important. This is the most significant change to employment services in 30 years. At the heart of these reforms is the end of the one-size-fits-all model. In its place, we're creating three distinct service streams. The first is a digital service for those who are ready to work and comfortable online. The second is a targeted provider service for those who need more personalised support and guidance to find work. The third is an intensive service for people who are further from the labour market and require more time and assistance to build their capacity. This approach recognises a very simple truth: different people need different kinds of help.”
“In my era it was the Commonwealth Employment Service, the CES—essentially a jobs noticeboard. Employment services were fully privatised in the late 1990s, and now the Commonwealth spends around $2 billion each year on this system. But the one-size-fits-all system currently operating is ill-equipped to respond to the diverse needs of the more than one million Australians who access it each year. People who are job ready have been treated the same way as those who are facing complex and long-term barriers. We've seen too many people cycle through the system without lasting results. We've seen job placements that don't endure because they're not the right fit, and we've seen people disengage because requirements have not always been meaningful or tailored to their situation.”
“Under the Albanese Labor government, we've seen the lowest average unemployment of any government in 50 years. More than 1.2 million jobs have been created across the country, and those numbers matter. Behind each of them is a real person and their family. It's someone gaining opportunity and stability. But low unemployment does not mean everyone has an equal chance in finding work. Many Australians still face barriers that make participation difficult. It might be because they have caring responsibilities, health challenges, limited skills or simply a lack of confidence after time away from the workforce. Australian governments have always recognised their role in supporting unemployed people into the workforce. That's where the employment services system plays a critical role.”
“I rise to speak in support of this motion and the biggest reform of employment services since last century, and I thank my friend the member for Calwell for bringing it before the House. It goes to some really fundamental things. One is the dignity of work, and the other is that, as a government, we have a responsibility to ensure that those who are out of work have the appropriate supports to find a job. Work is more than a pay packet and the economic security and certainty it provides. Those are very important; however, work can also build confidence, create a sense of purpose and connect people to their communities. That's why Labor governments have always placed such importance on employment: it's both an economic priority and a social one.”
“These are urgent works and will be done over 10 weeks, 24 hours a day, with the road open at all times. You'll also see new speed limit restrictions, but I'm advised the aim is to minimise any delay to travel times, which are expected to increase by two minutes. I'm glad that some of our concerns are being addressed by these measures. On top of this work, of course, the Albanese government is delivering $514 million on the new North Richmond bridge, construction of which will begin later this year, plus another $100 million for Bells Line of Road safety upgrades. This is a record investment in these roads to keep the Hawkesbury moving.”
“We all know that the traffic on Bells Line of Road is significantly higher due to the closure of Victoria Pass, and people like Ursula, Alex and others have told me that it's being felt by local residents and businesses. I'm in constant discussion with the New South Wales Minister for Transport's office, passing on the feedback, so please keep letting me know what you're experiencing. There are some changes coming. The New South Wales government and council have agreed to reopen a truck rest-stop, seven kilometres east of Bilpin, so that, when truckies need a break, they have a safe bay to park in and trucks are not impacting local businesses. Significant slope remediation works will also begin this month, to keep sections of the Bells Line of Road stable.”
“This tax package is, across the board, pro-aspiration, pro-worker and pro-investment, and it means we are building a better, fairer, simpler tax system.”
“The following year we're introducing the Working Australians Tax Offset, the WATO, providing another ongoing annual tax cut for more than 13 million Australian workers. This measure comes in from 1 July next year and it will be paid automatically in workers' tax returns. The tax cut is on top of the three tax cuts that the government has already legislated. These flow through every tax bracket, meaning that every taxpayer receives these tax cuts. The measure recognises that for most Australians, particularly young people, income comes from work, and the tax system should reflect that. It's deliberately designed to support younger Australians and millennials, with gen Z expected to make up about two-thirds of the beneficiaries, and it is a really practical way to support that generation.”
“If the opposition votes against this bill, that's what they're voting against: allowing more young people to get into housing at a reasonable age so that they have a chance of having it paid off by retirement. They're also voting against a tax cut for every working Australian, because the other key feature of this bill is its tax cut. From this next financial year, there's the new instant tax deduction of up to $1,000 every year, which will simplify work related expense deductions, delivering 6.2 million workers an average benefit of an extra $205 in that year. And I should point out that if you want to claim charitable donations, union and professional association membership fees, or other deductions they can still be claimed on top of the instant tax deduction. That's about making things simpler and fairer.”
“We'd like to say an enormous thankyou for the fantastic changes the Albanese government has made to ending the unfairness of capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing that favours investors over first home buyers.' Amanda wrote to me that it's unfair to see our children unable to buy a house and watch the wealthy getting wealthier. She said: 'The government's doing the right thing. I'll forever blame John Howard for the mess he made of real estate in Australia.' And Kyle says: 'I'm writing to commend the government's steps in the federal budget to address longstanding distortions in the housing market. These policies have contributed to housing affordability challenges by disproportionately favouring speculative investment over access to secure housing.' This is the playing field that we are levelling.”
“If they haven't heard that message then they are just not listening to young people. What's interesting is that I don't hear it just from young people. I hear it from their mums and dads. I hear it from their grandparents. That is our objective: to address a really fundamental issue and, over time, make it much easier for people to buy their own home. There's been some comment about the data showing the numbers of people in various electorates who negative gear. I want to give a shout-out to people who have looked at the situation and said that, on balance, what we're doing is the right way ahead. There's Michelle and Andrew, who say: 'We don't have children ourselves, but we worry about all young people struggling to afford life, given the housing crisis, amongst other things.”
“We're applying these changes to capital gains arrangements to all assets to ensure we're not introducing new distortions into the system. This is about reducing distortions, encouraging people to invest in the best possible place for them, and that is not just investing in the housing market through old houses but by building new ones. If the opposition really cared about this issue, we would have seen it when they were in government, and, clearly, we didn't. But what I've heard in their speeches is very disturbing. They seem to pretend that there is no problem. But listen to the abject despair you hear from people in their 20s, 30s and even 40s, who are saying they do not feel they will ever have the chance to own their own home in spite of holding down good, full-time jobs and having saved.”
“These changes mean that, in the future, investors aren't taxed on inflationary gains, only their real gains. This is about returning the capital gains tax discount to its original purpose and removing that big distortion introduced by Howard and Costello in 1999—interestingly, the point at which housing took off and housing prices rose dramatically, much faster than people's incomes rose. That was the root of the problem. That distortion, which coincided with house prices increasing much faster than wages, was because the playing field was changed. It was unlevelled, and our job is to level it back. Property investors who buy new builds will be able to choose either the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount or indexation and the minimum tax when they sell the property.”
“We're reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions so that we level the playing field for first home buyers but grandfathering arrangements for some of the measures, to respect decisions that current investors have made. If you've already negatively geared or own an investment property, you can continue to do so. If investors still want to use negative gearing on additional property in the future, they can do so on new builds, so that their investment goes towards creating more housing supply—more homes for more people. We're replacing the 50 per cent discount with cost-base indexation for gains accrued after 1 July, with a 30 per cent minimum tax. These changes fix the tax treatment of capital gains so that the system operates as originally intended and helps direct investment to where it's most productive.”
“We've also helped first home buyers with five per cent deposits and Help to Buy, and that has helped more than 1,350 people in Macquarie move from being a renter into their own home. But what we've done so far is not enough, and I know my community expects me to keep finding solutions for the problems that we face. One of our stated aims in the budget we just brought down was to make it easier for you to buy your first home, and that's what this bill is: a recognition that, as a government, we will continue to do what's best to provide opportunities for secure housing for people. Secure housing is something I was able to do as a matter of course in my 20s, and I think younger generations deserve to be able to make the same choices.”
“That meant training workers, and I'm so pleased to see the figures today showing that more than 25,000 Australians have already started an apprenticeship in housing construction in just 10 months, thanks to the Albanese Labor government's $10,000 Key Apprenticeship Program, which provides $10,000 in incentives to new tradies. That program is helping to build a pipeline of skilled tradies in the critically important housing construction sector, ensuring that there are more Australians building more homes in communities across the country, including mine. It's also tackling critical skills shortages that we were left with after the former coalition government left office with shortages at a 50-year high.”
“The trajectory of renters is rising, and through the 2030s and 2050s that will continue unless something changes. Australia is moving from the norm of most people owning their own home by the time they retire to one where many will still have a mortgage or not have bought a home ever by that stage of life. That's the scale of the problem that we have in Australia. It's the problem we've been tackling ever since we came to government, after a decade of no action by those opposite. We've recognised that in the first instance we needed to get supply happening.”
“If you think about the times in your life that can be milestones for leaping into homeownership, it's getting a full-time job, partnering, starting a family. It's just not possible for the same decisions to be made by today's younger people as it was for my generation. Saving for a deposit takes longer, and we've seen that the price rises in housing mean that, in spite of hard work and saving, homeownership remains out of reach for so many. The data shows us that the likelihood of owning your own home in your 20s or 30s has fallen for each successive generation, and we on this side of the parliament don't believe that that is good enough. The most recent data shows that just 55 per cent of millennials were homeowners compared with 62 per cent of gen X at the same age in 2006 and 66 per cent of boomers at the same age in 1991.”
“Importantly, it delivered exactly what is needed in situations that require urgent attention without the necessity of attending a hospital emergency department. He asked me to particularly acknowledge Dr Roy Mariathas, who treated him. Dr Mariathas is a constituent in my electorate. I'm very proud to have local doctors working in this new local facility. Our decision to have ongoing funding to make sure these clinics remain a permanent part of the health system is another change from the Albanese Labor government to keep the cost of living under control but also to give people the best possible health care.”
“This urgent care clinic, which I promised in the 2025 election, has already treated thousands of patients quickly and efficiently and saved people from presenting to Hawkesbury hospital. Just this week, one of my staff heard from Bridget from Kurrajong, who said, 'Tell Susan I said thank you for the urgent care clinic.' Last month I received a more detailed letter from Stephen, who wrote to me about his treatment at the Windsor urgent care clinic. He said: This is a genuinely outstanding initiative. Having used the clinic last Monday evening to treat a leg injury, I experienced first hand what an efficient, well run and highly valuable service it provides to the community. The clinic was accessible, prompt, and professionally managed throughout.”
“One of the reasons the improvements are happening is that we've grown the health workforce, with an extra 17,000 doctors joining the Australian health system in the last two years. That's more than at any other time in the last decade. We'll continue to give students more opportunities, and to train more doctors and nurses, with the largest GP training program in history and hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills and qualifications. Now, there's always more to do. But these improvements are making a real difference. Something else that I know is making a real difference in the Hawkesbury part of my electorate is the Windsor Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.”
“The benefits of our investment in health care are being felt right across the electorate of Macquarie. We've increased bulk-billing rates so that more people in Macquarie are able to see a GP without any out-of-pocket costs. Prior to our reforms, it was pretty common for GPs to offer bulk-billing only for pensioners, kids and concession card holders across Macquarie. Being a fully bulk-billing practice was the exception rather than the rule. Since the Albanese Labor government's successive boosts to bulk-billing incentives, the data collected in March of this year showed that we now have nearly half of all GP practices across Macquarie bulk-billing every single one of their patients—every single one. From the top of the mountains down to the Nepean River and across to the Hawkesbury, we have 26 fully bulk-billing GP practices.”
“These sorts of shipments, arriving in Australia in coming weeks, give confidence to small businesses growing turf and vegetables in the Hawkesbury that they'll be able to keep doing what they do best. Our efforts to help people with the cost of living, through this budget and previous ones, is seen starkly in health. This budget contains more work in the healthcare area—like making medicines cheaper by listing new and amended medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, including treatments for cystic fibrosis, chronic kidney disease and various cancers, with $5.9 billion provided over five years. An additional $25 billion over five years will strengthen our public hospitals. We're also securing the future of Medicare urgent care clinics, with $1.8 billion over five years, with ongoing secure funding.”
“Securing more fertiliser is also part of the Albanese government's actions to help Australia's agriculture industry manage the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East. In Macquarie we have fruit growers and vegetable growers providing produce not just for local farmers markets and produce stores but for markets and customers further afield. Everyone knows how vital Hawkesbury-grown turf is for the backyards, footy fields and landscaping all around Sydney and beyond. Just this week, we made another announcement: around 80,000 tonnes of additional urea, now locked in through the government's $7.5 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility.”
“We've also strengthened the fuel security services payment to protect the future of our two remaining refineries, and we've committed $10 million for feasibility studies into expanding our domestic refining capacity. Since the budget, we've been able to announce a number of fuel deals, including 150 million litres, or 900,000 barrels, of additional diesel in three new shipments, through partnerships with Ampol, Viva and regional supplier IOR, and discussions between Australia and China helped to secure an extra three shipments of jet fuel, totalling more than 600,000 barrels, or about 100 million litres. This is all part of working with the industry to keep people and goods moving.”