Luke Gosling
Solomon · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Yesterday marked one year since the Albanese government's landmark $3.9 billion National Access to Justice Partnership 2025-30, the NAJP, commenced. It represented our government's largest investment in legal assistance.”
“I acknowledge and thank these local providers and the private sector practitioners supporting them for their professionalism, their expertise and their unwavering commitment.”
“The bill also modernises and clarifies the Defence health system framework by establishing a dedicated legislative basis for Defence health services, including clinical governance, health monitoring, quality assurance and improvement activities, enabling lawful, proportionate use of health data to improve health care, suicide prevention a…”
“Critically, the bill supports a more integrated approach across Defence, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and other portfolio agencies, including the new Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency that was launched this morning, and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission that began last year.”
“Purposefully, we need members of this place and senators to take their responsibility to lower anxiety and to provide proper information. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 13:03 to 13:12 We are making it so the DVA can operate better, with increased efficiency, to deliver a level of serv…”
“Our government is working at pace to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Acknowledging the national tragedy of veteran suicides, this government called for the establishment of the royal commission while we were in opposition, and we have supported the work of the royal commission since…”
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“Our government thanks the member for North Sydney for moving this matter of public importance. As the member for Canberra did also, I want to personally thank her for the spirit in which she has engaged in her work in this parliament, and I wish her well for the future. The truth is that our government does have some serious runs on the board when it comes to protecting nature and biodiversity. We completely agree that this parliament should set aside its political differences and work to do more to protect Australia's incredible nature and biodiversity. But it was a bit remiss of the previous speaker and others to try and pretend that the coalition, those opposite, haven't partnered with the Greens political party to block more action in this regard. But we persist, and we are doing more and more to protect nature and biodiversity.”
“These challenges include higher rates of mental health issues, difficulty navigating specialist women's health care, service-related health impacts, and interrupted career trajectories from balancing service and care responsibilities. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide identified some harrowing experiences of women in our ADF. We have listened and we are seriously looking into better ways to support our women veterans. We are consulting women veterans, and I look forward to holding an engagement with women veterans in my electorate, in Darwin, Palmerston and the greater rural area, next week to hear firsthand from their experiences. The Australian Defence Force is a very proud organisation in our country, and we're going to look after every member of it.”
“Australian women represent a vital and growing segment of the Australian Defence Force and receive extensive training in critical areas to defend Australia and our interests. Supporting women veterans throughout their service and when transitioning is crucial to maximising Australia's defence capability and ensuring that we maintain a highly skilled workforce into the future. Like servicemen, we must retain servicewomen and look after them following their service. Women veterans face distinct challenges during service and transition, which can impact their wellbeing and ability to fully contribute to society and to live their best life.”
“My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel. What has the Albanese Labor government done to get through the backlog of veteran compensation claims, and are there any threats to this progress that would leave Australian veterans worse off?”
“As we know, partners and families are the backbone of our ADF personnel. Our ADF members can't do the difficult job that they do for us as a nation without the support of their families, and that's why our government, the Albanese government, has released the Defence and Veteran Family Wellbeing Strategy from this year until 2030, known as the family strategy. It's identifying better ways to support our Defence personnel and veterans, and that's why this event in Darwin on the weekend was so important. Well done to all involved.”
“It was fantastic on the weekend to meet some of the newest Australian Defence Force families that have been posted into the Territory at the Defence Members Families Support's, DMFS, Welcome to the Top End event. Our ADF personnel, veterans, ex-service organisations and many other community and sporting organisations came together in the Darwin Convention Centre to show what we have to offer in the Top End for our new families. It was great to speak with many of the serving members and their partners, wives, husbands, daughters and sons to hear how the move to the Top End was going. It was great to see whether the spouses had found work and whether the kids had settled into schools okay and to make sure that they understood how valuable they are to us as a community and how welcome they are in the Top End.”
“My electorate, Darwin and Palmerston, is very much known for its rich multicultural community, with diasporas from around the world in Darwin—something that I'm very proud of as the member for Solomon. I will always support these organisations. I love the fact that they run events that celebrate Australia but still hold to the traditions of the lunar new year that their families have been marking for generations.”
“The Chinese lunar new year has been celebrated in Darwin and Palmerston for many years, and this year is the Year of the Snake. I've been delighted to attend a number of events around Darwin and Palmerston in the last couple of weeks to celebrate the lunar new year. There have been events held by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of the Northern Territory. The NT Timor Chinese Association held a great celebration, and, on Australia Day, the Australia China Friendship Society NT ran an excellent event. I want to give a shout-out to these fantastic organisations for hosting these great events. Still to come are the Chung Wah Society's dinner and the Vietnamese Community in Australia NT Chapter's events. I'm very much looking forward to those. These events celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism that makes our country stronger.”
“I want to end with a message to all road users. Please think about how your actions today are impacting tomorrow's drivers. Your behaviour behind the wheel and on our roads is influencing that next generation of drivers every day. It's up to all of us to teach our kids how to be safe on the roads.”
“This is underpinned by the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-2025, in collaboration with all states and territories and all local governments, because road safety is a shared responsibility across all levels of government. We are doubling the Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million to $1 billion a year. We're on that path. I know, because I'm the chair of the black-spots NT committee, that we've substantially increased funding for the Black Spot Program, which is rising from $110 million to $150 million per year, and I think we can do more. As a government we know there is more to be done, and that's why our Labor government is continuing to work with the states to get the road toll to zero. We understand the importance of investing in our infrastructure and for making our roads safer.”
“As the AANT or the Australian Automobile Association reported, this 87.1 per cent increase in only one year made 2024 the deadliest calendar year on Territory roads since 2008. Already, four Territorians have lost their lives in 2025, and we're only in early February. These lives are not just a statistic, of course. As I said, Deputy Speaker, and as you know well, they're someone's loved ones. Just this year, there are four loved ones who won't come home, which is why it is absolutely essential that the Australian government does its utmost to reduce the road toll. We are implementing the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.”
“They provide the vital links across the north but also between the north and our southern hubs, providing a key supply chain for economic prosperity and for the defence of our nation. But, in all of this—the importance of our industry and the importance of our Defence—we must do everything we can to make sure that all road users are safe. I know it's something the ADF takes seriously and that industry continues to look at. We implore visitors, when they're touring to the north, to slow down and not be in a rush. Don't think that you've got to overtake on every overtaking lane, because we see that impatience on our roads causes crashes, injury and death. Last year, 60 Territorians lost their lives on Territory roads. That is nearly double the 31 lives lost the year prior, 2023.”
“I don't need to tell you, Madam Deputy Speaker Scrymgour, given you're from the Territory as well, where we had a really bad year on our roads last year, that it's devastating to see the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and children and grandchildren that have been killed on our roads or have otherwise been left with a big gaping hole in their families through road trauma and road deaths—those who leave home with no expectation that they won't make it to their destination. It truly is not just in the Territory; it is a national tragedy. As the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia, our roads in the north are a key focus of mine.”
“I thank the member for Barker for raising this motion on the very important subject of road safety and the horrendous road toll we have currently. Every year, hundreds of Australians lose their lives or are seriously injured in road crashes, and the devastating road toll calls for action on both sides of this place. It is something that we must all do together, across jurisdictions and across levels of government. Surely that's something we all can agree on—that we must lower our road toll. We must aim for zero deaths on our roads.”
“He carried these qualities across into his civilian life, as evidenced in all the condolences from his family and many friends and colleagues across Australia and overseas. Stephen touched the lives of us all with his kindness, generosity and mentorship. He built relationships, fostered collaboration and conveyed complex ideas to drive the Northern Territory forward. My condolences to his friends, colleagues and golf buddies, and we know he is now with his wife, Alma, who passed away a year before him. To both Stephen and Alma, rest in peace.”
“I was honoured to attend a celebration of the life of a great Territorian, Stephen Goodall, last month in Darwin. I'm wearing one of his ties and his matching pocket squares here, and I want to thank Karen Green for distributing those to Stephen's friends at the event. It is a great way to remember him. He made significant contributions to the Northern Territory's business, community, workforce and policy landscape, with an unwavering dedication to the Territory's growth and development. Like some other great Australians, Stephen was actually born a Kiwi in New Zealand, but he made Australia his home, and he personified the best of the Anzac spirit in that dedication to his new home of Australia. He was identified in the Australian Army as a leader in the military with ambition and true grit.”
“It was the single largest attack ever mounted on Australia by a foreign power, and it hit our home of Darwin. We will continue to be nationally significant into the future, with our place at the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific oceans, and that is being more recognised by our allies and partners. The Japanese announced at the end of last year that their Ground Self-Defense Force will rotate for training through Darwin, as the US Marines do. Their Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade will train with our 1st Brigade and others in the north. I'm proud to represent the people of Darwin and Palmerston, and all Territorians, and I look forward to being in Central Australia again soon with my friend Marion Scrymgour, the member for Lingiari, who is doing a fantastic job representing Territorians as well.”
“I take this opportunity to recognise Major General Alan Stretton, a significant Australian, for his leadership in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy. While his decision-making and assertiveness during the crisis were not universally admired by Territorians and those in Darwin at that time, I think it is true that he was a leader who took charge and made swift decisions that ultimately benefited everyone and provided the people of Darwin with the direction they needed during that devastating crisis. His great-nephew, who is a mate of mine, reflected this on social media recently; I agree with Max, who is a fine Australian as well. Next week we'll commemorate another terrible national event in Darwin's history, but one that we're proud of—when we defended the bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942.”
“On Christmas morning in Darwin—in fact, across Australia—everyone came together as a community to remember and commemorate, in small ways and big, the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. I thank the Prime Minister, the Governor-General and the Chief of the Defence Force—who is himself a survivor of Cyclone Tracy—for joining us in Darwin. The stories of survivors left a long-lasting mark on everyone. As the Prime Minister has said, even only last week, one of the best things he's done in his life was to be there at that anniversary. It was a very moving experience. It was a significant shame that no-one from the federal coalition could put politics aside and turn up for the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy, but there you go.”
“In 2018 I started an award in Margaret's memory at the Manunda Terrace Primary School in my electorate. Given the special legacy of the name that the school is connected to, the award is for the student who shows courage. I was delighted to attend the school to award Yasmia Belten the Margaret de Mestre award for 2024. She was stoked to receive it, and her mum, Elyce, was super proud.”
“As we approach the 83rd anniversary of the bombing of Darwin, I want to remind people that it was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia during the Second World War, hitting our home of Darwin. The Japanese mounted two air attacks that day. The first attack focused on the town centre and the harbour. Many buildings and ships were destroyed. Of the 47 ships in Darwin Harbour that day, eight were sunk, one was beached and lost, and 11 were damaged. One bomb fell through the several decks of the hospital ship M a nu n da . On that ship was the heroic Sister Margaret de Mestre, who, unfortunately, died from her injuries sustained during that bombing. Before she passed, Sister de Mestre was absolutely adamant that others be treated before her.”
“Our government has done a lot more than any other previous government and will continue to monitor what needs to be done into the future to provide the highest level of protection to Australians, all the while reminding them that the best way to prevent scammers is to be aware and to be preventive and to stop scammers in their tracks.”
“This is intended to incentivise compliance with the framework and to provide adequate penalties to deter entities who may foresee higher possible gains from breaching the framework. Regulators will also have other compliance tools available, such as infringement notices, enforceable undertakings, injunctions, public warnings and remedial directions to ensure that the framework is administered as intended to protect consumers, to protect Australians. This will allow the regulator to implement this framework to protect Australians from scammers.”
“This bill will make sure that Australians can have greater confidence while always maintaining vigilance. The bill will employ resources across our government regulators. We have a multiregulator model involving the ACCC as the regulator for the principles based obligations and ACCC, ASIC and ACMA as regulators for the sector-specific codes, which will capitalise on existing industry knowledge and expertise. This will ensure that no single regulator will be spread too thin as the framework expands to additional sectors, as scam activity will inevitably shift. Regulators have access to significant civil penalties of up to $50 million for the most egregious breaches of the framework.”
“Australians should be able to use a bank transfer to spend their hard-earned money without worrying about scammers or, indeed, to send their hard-earned money to their loved ones or to a service provider—anyone who they intend to send money to in good faith—without these scammers preying on them. Phone calls and social media were the contact methods associated with the highest value of losses, with $116 million and $93.5 million lost, respectively, in 2023. Australians should be able to go about their day and use their phones in a number of ways on a number of platforms and engage with their friends and family on social media without having to worry about scammers, but, because we know that they are insistent, we're continuing to try and educate people about the dangers at the same time as putting the onus on the carriage providers.”
“The sector-specific codes do not relieve a business from their obligations to take reasonable steps in all circumstances, recognising that scams are constantly evolving so businesses must evolve their response continually as well. Banks, telecommunications providers and certain digital platforms offering social media, paid search advertising and direct messaging services will initially be designated under the framework, as they represent key vectors of harm for consumers. Bank transfer was the most reported payment method used by scammers, with $212.9 million in reported losses in 2023.”
“We have a responsibility to the consumers that are using these platforms and services, who really are the ones that are ripped off here. That's why we're stepping up as a government to protect those who are being deceived. Often they are some of the most vulnerable people in their community. As I said, often it's retirement savings that have been stolen. Regulated entities will be required to take reasonable steps to help these Australians by preventing, detecting, reporting, disrupting and responding to scams and going on the front foot, doing more to help and stop the criminal behaviour. They also need to have governance arrangements in place relating to how they protect consumers from scams. Mandatory sector-specific codes will provide tailored, prescriptive obligations for each sector which are consistent with those principles.”
“This is absolutely essential for the protection of consumers, as it is common for scammers to use multiple platforms and services to deceive and steal from consumers. I sat with a constituent in my electorate office as they interacted with a scammer, and we reported the scammer. They were using her social media and carriage services to try and scam her there and then. When we tried to put a stop to it, they hit her from another carriage service. So all this was happening at the one time, and it was incessant and stressful for the individual. They were being ripped off, literally losing tens of thousands of dollars week by week. It's crushing for the individual and, as I said, has that huge effect on the families as well. It rips families apart in many cases.”
“Consumers face inconsistent protections and responses across different industries and different providers. This bill will certainly help to address that. The framework being introduced in this bill is a central part of our government's broader consumer protection agenda. The Scams Prevention Framework is an economy-wide reform to protect consumers from scams by requiring the private sector to adhere to consistent, principles based obligations and strong, tailored industry codes which are enforceable. It will ensure companies do their part to protect Territorians and all Australians. The framework will ensure that all parts of the ecosystem used by scammers are held to account for implementing strong and effective protections that are tailored to that sector's role in the conduct of a scam.”
“There have been positive signs from this government action and industry's effort to combat scams, yet losses remain unacceptably high. A few years ago, in 2023, scammers stole a staggering $2.7 billion—that's with a 'b'—from Australians, and scammers continue to cause significant psychological and emotional harm for victims and their families. Indeed, the whole community suffers. As I mentioned, I see this day in and day out in Darwin and Palmerston, and I know that Territorians, even in remote communities, are also scammed. That harm is real. It affects those families and it means there's less money to put food on the table and to meet daily costs. Current scam protections have been piecemeal and inconsistent across the economy for too long.”
“The obligations will initially apply to banks, telcos and social media companies, where much of the scam activity currently occurs. If businesses fail to meet the tough obligations, they will be subject to penalties of up to $50 million, a significant amount, and will also be required to compensate victims. Under the coalition, those opposite, scam losses were doubling over that decade of inaction. Under our government, scam losses have fallen for the first time since 2016. This legislation will put Australia at the top of the pack when it comes to preventing scammers. It will ensure that the government delivers on its pre-election promise to protect the community from scammers. Since being elected, our government has committed over $180 million to combat scams and online fraud.”
“We have the Little Black Book of Scams that we actually pre-emptively send out to Territorians, but please know that you can get that support through the Little Black Book of Scams from my office and get assistance at any time if you believe that you're being scammed or that someone in your family or a friend is being scammed. With this legislation and other actions, we're saying enough is enough. We just simply cannot let scammers get away with their criminal activities, which are, as I mentioned, depriving Australians of their hard-earned cash. Losing retirement savings is particularly crushing. We're creating a framework that ensures that companies do their bit to protect Australians, and this world-leading Scams Prevention Framework legislation will put obligations on sectors to prevent, detect, disrupt and respond to scammers.”
“I've seen them take houses—there have been houses mortgaged in order to keep feeding illegal and criminal scamming. It's very sad that it's often our senior citizens that are targeted. They are from a different generation that is more trusting, and unfortunately that goodness of theirs is preyed upon by scammers who are, frankly, evil in their actions to deprive any Australian, but particularly senior Australians, of their hard-earned money. Often, when people come to my office with their story, they're even still a little bit unsure about whether they've been scammed. I think they know in their heart of hearts that there's something wrong, but they come, unsure of what to do.”
“In doing so, you're preventing other Australians from being scammed as well. In addition to this awareness campaign, we've got a world-leading Scams Prevention Framework that will help keep Australians' money safe from scammers. This framework is going to ensure that banks, telcos and social media companies are doing their bit to protect Australians from scammers. We are making Australia the toughest target for scammers to operate in. It's all part of our Albanese Labor government ensuring that Australians keep more of what they earn. As I said, I've spoken to many constituents, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to see Territorians in my electorate lose their hard-earned money because of these scammers. And often these scams take everything.”
“We need to do everything we can to make sure that this education campaign is as widely understood in the Australian population as possible—stop, check and protect—because overwhelmingly it is prevention, rather than work after the fact, that is going to lead to less criminal behaviour that results in Australians being deprived of their hard-earned cash. After all, our government is about exactly that. We are making sure that Australians both earn more and keep more of what they earn. What scammers try to do is illegally and criminally take money from Australians by deceptive means. So remember to stop and think before sharing your personal information; check that you absolutely know who you are dealing with; and then protect against scams by reporting them to Scamwatch.”
“There are three simple and memorable steps to empower Australians to identify sophisticated scam tactics. They are to stop and think before you share personal information; to check that you know who you're dealing with, whether it be online or on the phone; and to protect against scams by reporting them to scamwatch.gov.au. In some cases, some of the constituents I've assisted have been able to get some funds back, and that's been appreciated and satisfying. But, as previous speakers have mentioned, that is happening a small percentage of the time.”
“The Scams Prevention Framework Bill 2024 addresses an issue that's really important to people in my electorate in Darwin and Palmerston, to Territorians generally and, of course, to people around Australia. All members in this place, whether they're in the government with us, in the opposition or on the crossbench, know that Australians are being ripped off by scams every day. I've helped a number of my constituents when they've been scammed. Often, of course, it's too late and they've already suffered great losses, but at least we've been able to show them the new resources, and through legislation like this we are strengthening the ability to protect Australians. Last year, we launched the Fighting Scams awareness campaign to equip Australians with tools to protect themselves against scammers.”
“When it comes to the Navy, I was privileged to witness the commissioning of four Cape class patrol vessels at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin. They are the backbone of our border protection. It was great to visit the future of the Australian Defence Force in the form of our cadets: the 71st Army cadet unit in Larrakeyah Barracks in my electorate. These children and young adults are the future of the Australian Defence Force. And finally, but certainly not least, there are the families. I look forward to meeting the newest Territory ADF families this weekend as we run the Welcome to Darwin event at the convention centre.”
“I'm a fourth-generation veteran and I'm a fierce advocate for our Australian Defence Force personnel and their families. I'm proud to be working with the ministers for defence, veterans, and northern Australia as a special envoy. A quick around-the-grounds: when it comes to the Army, it was a privilege to recently join our hardworking ADF recruiting team as they enlisted three Aboriginal Australians into the Army on the Australia Day public holiday. Thanks to all our public servants who are dutifully working on public holidays. The Air Force: thanks to the Spartan crew of No. 35 Squadron, who flew the Prime Minister, the infrastructure minister and me into Lake Nash Station, a cattle station in the Northern Territory, over Christmas.”
“Australians know that those opposite, given half a chance, will cut TAFE again. We've heard it from their very mouths just recently. The Liberals—those opposite—do not respect our public TAFEs. They don't understand or value the importance of strong TAFEs in our local communities. Our government is investing in young Australians to give them the skills that they need. A strong vocational education and training sector is absolutely critical to ensuring that Territorians and Australians around the country get a secure, well-paid job. This is critical to building the Territory's future. There is a clear choice at this election. Peter Dutton and the Liberals will cut free TAFE and Australians will end up paying more for TAFE, but, under our government, the Albanese government, free TAFE is here to stay.”
“We're reversing the damage of a decade under those opposite and we're rebuilding our TAFEs for communities across Australia. Labor made the landmark $30 billion five-year National Skills Agreement with the states and territories, lifting investment in skills across Australia, alongside our government's growing investment in fee-free TAFE. We are going after the dodgy providers so that quality providers can do their work properly. The Albanese government has tightened up regulations, set up a tip-off line and increased funding to the independent regulator. This is directly leading to the exposure and deregistration of fraudulent providers. It only takes a few bad apples to bring a sector into disrepute, but it takes a genuine national partnership to support our great TAFEs. What have those opposite ever done to support TAFEs?”
“Time and time again, I've seen education delivering a future for young Territorians, whether it's through catching up with Clontarf or the STARS program up in the NT, and seeing what some added assistance and mentoring does for those young Territorians. Staying in school longer, getting a trade and going into higher education or into the workforce is absolutely vital. Federal Labor believes in equal opportunity. By making TAFE free we are removing those financial barriers that I've mentioned. We will ensure that everyone has a chance to pursue a career that they love and to achieve their potential. As we've heard from previous speakers, this is not something that we have newly embarked upon. Supporting vocational education and training and TAFE is in federal Labor's DNA.”
“There is university, with HECS debts cut by 20 per cent—as people get into the workforce, helping them again with the cost of living. Through the whole cycle of education in this nation, it's only federal Labor that has a plan and that is legislating to assist Australians through their journey of learning the new skills that we need in our economy. It's the economy that benefits, as well as the individual, our families and our communities. It's education for all. Australians, no matter what their background or financial situation, should have equal access to education. That's our mantra and what we strongly believe in. No-one is held back; no-one's left behind.”
“We know that we have a responsibility to help people here and now, and, by making free TAFE permanent through this bill, we are reducing the barriers. By giving additional financial assistance to those doing an apprenticeship, we're making it easier for apprentices to make ends meet and to make that investment in their education and training so that they can manage the cost of living whilst they study and get those vital skills that our economy needs. We do owe a duty to the next generation of Australians—to our kids and, later, the grandkids coming through—to build an economy in this nation that liberates their talents and rewards their efforts. That starts with education for all, with the three days of early education and then universal primary and secondary school education.”
“Those opposite obviously haven't picked up that our government is tackling the cost of living robustly every day. By the way, every time we've put in a measure to help Australians with the cost of living, those opposite have voted against it. Young people doing an apprenticeship, doing some trade training, can often find it difficult to make ends meet. I'll put a quick add-in for parents or grandparents who are listening. If your children or grandchildren are interested in doing a trade, know that we are backing them. The federal Labor Albanese government is backing your sons and daughters, in that we'll be giving some additional financial assistance to apprentices as they go through their training, after six months, 12 months, 18 months et cetera, to help with those cost-of-living challenges.”
“This is absolutely vital to transform the Territory into a clean energy powerhouse and to provide projects like SunCable with the skilled Territorians that they need to deliver renewable energy for Australia and the world, such as our partners in Indo-Pacific nations like Singapore. The reality is you can't have a strong VET sector without strong public TAFE at its heart, and the Labor government will never consider that free TAFE is, to quote the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, 'wasteful spending'. Someone who calls fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending' is obviously from a background of significant means and doesn't understand the transformational power of education and trade training for young Australians—in particular, those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.”
“We plan to develop a renewable energy centre of excellence at CDU that brings together CDU, industry and unions, such as the Electrical Trades Union, in a powerful collaboration—pardon the pun there, Deputy Speaker Freelander—to drive skilled jobs across the Territory. One thing the Territory has got is a lot of space and a lot of sunshine, so we are going to convert that Territory sunshine into electrons for the renewable energy that we'll need to power an increasing industrial footprint on the ground in the Northern Territory. Working with industry and working with Charles Darwin University, we will make that a reality.”
“We need a pipeline of skilled young Australians. Our fee-free TAFE will deliver these skills that we desperately need to build this massive workforce. Last year the member for Spence and I visited the team at BAE in his electorate in South Australia and spoke to some of the young apprentices there. What really hit home for me was that these young Australians are delivering our future ADF capabilities. Up in my electorate, in the Territory, we are training and developing a workforce that is equipped with practical skills essential for not only a growing defence sector but also the net zero transformation that our nation has embarked upon. I acknowledge the work of Professor Suresh Thennadil and his team at REMHART, down at East Arm in Darwin.”
“Labor's providing cost-of-living support for more Australians to access high-quality, affordable training through the measures that we've put in place, delivering the skills and training needed to grow the economy, building the extra homes that we need, creating a future made in Australia, ensuring all Australians can get quality care as they age—and, when they need care, through a good health system—and building the capabilities, which are increasingly technical in nature, that our Australian Defence Force needs. As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of AUKUS, I speak to many stakeholders involved in the national endeavour that is AUKUS with our partners in the US and the UK. I know that we need young Australians with the skills required to deliver AUKUS. It's not just going to happen automatically.”
“The Free TAFE Bill 2024 will establish ongoing cost-of-living relief by removing those financial barriers to education and training that I mentioned, particularly for groups that typically experience economic disadvantage. The bill also ensures that fee-free TAFE continues to deliver a coordinated response to those workforce shortages that we all know. We see them in some industries that are certainly local but also national priorities, and we'll help build the pipeline of skilled workers that Australia needs now and into the future.”