Madeleine King
Brand · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The Albanese Labor government is delivering record funding for the Rockingham and Kwinana region. We're investing over $550 million in significant road upgrades to Anketell Road, including an overpass at the Rockingham Road intersection, which means it'll be easier and quicker for all the workers, and the truckies and their freight, to ge…”
“And I want to thank all the GPs and all the staff and workers at those practices right across the suburbs of Rockingham and Kwinana for the work they do for their community. These are vital services, and the importance of providing free and quality health care for the community cannot be overstated.”
“There are now 15 medical practices across those two towns that fully bulk-bill your GP appointments. Labor believes in Medicare, and we invest in Medicare so that the communities of Brand can get the health care they deserve.”
“Together with the Cook Labor government in Western Australia and St Pat's, we are delivering 26 new homes for those in need. This is an example of two great Labor governments working with an excellent community based organisation to get things done for the Kwinana community.”
“The experience in the United Kingdom of what started as a 25 per cent windfall tax on oil and gas production is that in four very short years 5,000 jobs have been lost, the industry has declined, production has reduced by 40 per cent and the UK is likely to import the vast bulk of its oil and gas by the 2030s, not to mention the end of th…”
“I thank the member for Clark for his question. The state and territory governments regulate much of the mining rehabilitation around the country, and they are responsible for ensuring that regulatory requirements indeed exist but also are met by mine owners.”
The complete record
Every one of 217 lines we hold for Madeleine King, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 5.
“I just want to reflect once more for a few moments on the election itself. As we all know, politics is a team sport, and nobody who makes it to this place has done it alone. I've spoken about how families support each of us here, and it takes a really great and dedicated team to get any candidate elected. So I want to give my deep thanks and lasting gratitude to the team who supported me, not only in the campaign but throughout my time in parliament. To all those volunteers across Brand: I want to thank you. To the supporters and branch members who keep turning out time and time again, not only to our great branch meetings but also at the polling booths and at the prepoll: your commitment and unwavering support across the campaign was truly special, particularly since it was only two months after the WA state election.”
“She was first elected in 2007, lost her seat in 2013 and was re-elected again in 2016—you've got to say something for her persistence! Throughout her life and parliamentary career, Louise has been an incredibly strong advocate for the rights of the LGBTQI community. Her tireless work has left a positive impact on the lives of all Australians. It has been a privilege to work alongside Louise in standing up for Western Australians here in Canberra. Her retirement marks the end of a remarkable parliamentary career, defined by tireless advocacy and passion, and I wish her and all her family the best. Bec has been by her side for many years now, and I remember their wedding—I think it was up in Broome—and their lovely young son, Jasper. I wish them well in her retirement.”
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the retiring Labor members that I had the really great good fortune to work with in past parliaments. These all retired at the election: Linda Burney, the former minister for indigenous affairs; Brendan O'Connor, the former minister for skills and training; Bill Shorten, the former minister for the NDIS and government services and the Leader of the Labor Party when I was elected in 2016; Stephen Jones, the former assistant treasurer and minister for financial services; Maria Vamvakinou, the former member for Calwell; Brian Mitchell, the former member for Lyons; Graham Perrett, who was a wonderful friend and a great travel companion when we went on some committee trips together; and the now retired senator Louise Pratt. I would like to pay a special tribute to Louise in mentioning her.”
“I'm sorry if I never responded, but I remember each and every one of your kind wishes. I also want to thank my ministerial office and my electorate office staff, who kept the wheels turning and provided enormous support for me and Jamie at a very challenging time in my life. They're really good, hardworking people. They care for the community. They care for the policy that we work on in this place. They care for our nation and for ensuring it is well placed into the future. I thank them for their commitment to me as an individual—and, I guess, as their boss but I hope as a work colleague—and for helping me out. I am sure that's the same for many of us here that have experienced such loss. We really rely on our teams; they're very good people.”
“Diana Morris loved coming here to share in the excitement of these events and the work of the parliament. She was a fine Australian. She will be missed by many, but in particular me. Many members and senators lose loved ones while serving in this parliament, and some of those losses are so much more tragic and heart-wrenching than the natural order of things of a parent passing. While the public often—indeed, usually—see this place as the height of contest and debate, it is also remarkably kind in the manner in which colleagues from all quarters offer their sympathies and kind affections in those very sad moments. So I thank all of those colleagues who wrote to me, or simply spoke to me about it, after my mum died a couple of years ago. It means an awful lot.”
“I think of all the volunteers across all of our communities and reflect that, without volunteers in our communities doing all manner of things, we would not have the fine communities and support that we all need. Mum and Dad's home in Shoalwater has been a place that all of our family have returned to again and again for over 60 years—us, our partners, our families, my nieces and nephews, their partners and their children, and, of course, all of the very many Morris dogs. I was really fortunate that my mum was able to travel here to the parliament to see me sworn in as the member for Brand in 2016 and then as a minister in 2022. She was an integral part of three campaigns, and, as I noted when I spoke at her memorial, I really lost a superb campaign asset in 2023.”
“Mum and Peggy worked together in that shop, The Family Traders, for a number of years. It was a much-loved meeting place for many women in the community. There was always lots of chatter and lots of laughs. It's been over 30 years since Mum and Dad retired and sold The Family Traders, and for a long time the shop itself has not been there, but locals still mention it fondly as part of their memory of old Rockingham. Like so many retirees Diana volunteered in the community for many years. Diana, with her great friend Faye Winter, volunteered at Meals on Wheels for what seems like forever, delivering meals to those who needed it at their homes. She only stopped when her knees could no longer help her get in and out of the delivery van.”
“She would remind me that she was the first in her family to own her own home. Her mother lived with us, and her grandparents retired from the Goldfields to social housing in West Perth, where my mum grew up. It goes to show, I think, that homeownership has not always been a matter of course for many working families in this country. We talk a lot about the importance of homeownership, and it is really important, but for many in Australia the dream of homeownership is only, maybe, one generation old and heading into its second generation, and it cannot be taken for granted. John and Diana were both pioneers of Rockingham, having lived there since the fifties. I often refer to my mother's shop, her family drapery and haberdashery on Railway Terrace at Rockingham Beach. My office now is literally five doors up the road.”
“That was not true, but it was a kind lie so that Diana had something to say that wouldn't draw scorn and judgement at school when she was asked. When Mum was born, there was pressure for Peggy Pizer to give up her baby for adoption, but my nan did not do that. Her parents and her sister supported Peggy and gave her and Mum all the love and help they needed to stay together and make a really courageous choice for the times, in spite of those societal expectations. Much has changed since then, and that is a very good thing. These were not good old days when women and families had to go through such sad subterfuges to remain a family. Diana and John Morris built a home together in Shoalwater, and it was in this home that they raised a family. Mum lived there from 1959 until she died in 2023.”
“We don't much think about all of those jobs that happen until we run into them, usually in the midst of some pretty serious grief, and I want to thank them all for what they do for our entire community. I personally want to thank those strangers who helped our Morris family in the last week of April and into early May in 2023. Diana Morris had an interesting start in life. She was born in 1936; her name then was Diana Pizer. She was raised by her mother, Hannah Pizer, known as Peggy, and her grandparents Thomas and Mary Ann Pizer. In the very conservative Perth of the 1930s and 1940s, it wasn't socially acceptable to have a child without being married, so Mum was raised in the belief that her father had died in the war.”
“This is my very belated thanks to all the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other staff at the Rockingham emergency department and at the Royal Perth Hospital for their care of our mum and of me and my brothers, Matthew, John and Peter, and our sister, Rebecca, in those moments when we, quite frankly, didn't quite understand what was happening and we had to make some very serious decisions as a family about our mum. Our health workers deal with these very intensely emotional and painful moments every single day, and there are the police officers and other workers who assist the coroner and assist families like ours who have to identify a loved one.”
“After finishing up on a very rainy Anzac Day a couple of years ago, I got a text from our next-door neighbours Bob and Dorothy saying that Mum had had a fall and been taken to Rockingham General Hospital, and that is where we had our last conversation. She died peacefully two days later in the wonderful care of the staff at Royal Perth Hospital, just over the road from St Mary's Cathedral, where she and my dad, John Morris, were married in 1959.”
“It says much about how highly regarded Adelphe King was in York that her contribution, and that of Walter, to the restoration of the riverbank landscape of Avon River has been acknowledged by a charming memorial by the well-known waterway. Thank you so much, Adelphe, for all your support over the years for the whole of the extended King family. It is something of an indulgence to speak here about a constituent that you are related to. All of us who serve here know that so many of the people in each of our constituencies all around the country are worthy of tribute—the salt-of-the-earth, hardworking, caring people who make our communities what they are. One of these people was Diana Morris. Diana was a pioneer of Rockingham and Shoalwater Bay, having lived there since 1959, and she was also my mum.”
“She married Walter King and raised Jamie and his sister and brothers from a very young age after the loss of their mother. I'm enormously grateful to Adelphe for being so welcoming to me as part of the remarkable and joyful extended King family over 25 years ago. Adelphe and Walter were fixtures of the historic town of York, the oldest inland town in Western Australia. They were both conservationists and environmentalists in the true sense of the word and volunteered extensively at the local tourist centre. A few months ago I attended a memorial for Adelphe at the Holy Trinity Church in York, where she and Walter had been parishioners and volunteers for many, many years. It was a wonderful, joyful and very full memorial.”
“Those absences are often greater for MPs and senators from Western Australia, and, indeed, for my friend from the Northern Territory the member for Solomon and those from other areas that are a long way from Canberra. I take this opportunity to pass on my thanks to my husband, Jamie, for his constant support during the campaign and throughout my parliamentary career. I don't think it is possible to serve in this place without the support of family and friends, and I would like to take a few moments to talk a little about some people who have been very important to me and supportive of me as the member for Brand. Toward the end of May, shortly before her 94th birthday, we said our final farewells to a wonderful woman, Adelphe King. Adelphe is my husband's stepmother.”
“Many of you work in the resources sector and, like my dad, work in the Kwinana industrial area. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 17:53 to 18:07 In continuation, I also thank delegates from the Mining and Energy Union, the AMWU and the MUA, all of whom engage productively in all areas of policy. I want to thank Sally McManus and the ACTU for their support. The union movement has always stood up for working people by fighting for fair pay and safe workplaces. I welcome their engagement on policy development just as I welcome the participation of industry and the wider community. As the Prime Minister has noted, families often pay a high price for the long absences, travel and demands of us as elected representatives in this place.”
“But no campaign is fought alone, so I'd like to thank all of the amazing staff and volunteers who stood by Tracey and have supported her throughout her campaign, including, of course, her very lovely husband, Pete. The member for Pearce's return to this House is a victory for her community and for compassion in politics. I'm immensely proud to call the member for Pearce a friend, and I really look forward to continuing our work together in WA. I want to extend my thanks to the trade union movement supporting my campaign and all of my campaigns, including Ben Harris from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, Tim 'Smoky' Dawson from the Transport Workers Union of Australia and all the great members of the Australian Workers' Union.”
“I do want to make a very special mention of one returning member of the House, and that's the wonderful member for Pearce, Tracey Roberts. During the election campaign, Tracey bravely shared some of the serious health challenges she is facing, but even a diagnosis of multiple system atrophy, as well as an injured ankle, couldn't stop her from engaging with the community she has worked for over two decades. The member for Pearce just kept on working hard and reaching out to people because that's who she is. The people of Pearce re-elected her with confidence. They know she puts her community first. And it's also because she has delivered so much in just one term as the first ever Labor member for Pearce.”
“I want to make a very special acknowledgement to Senator Glenn Sterle, an extraordinary advocate for northern Australia who has served WA for 20 years in the other place. I see him regularly in the Kimberley and the Pilbara doing great things, representing the long-haulage truckies that make this country tick and helping out the communities by personally driving many thousands of kilometres to deliver donated mattresses and other goods for those who need it in the north. I want to congratulate all new members and senators. I've enjoyed the many and varied first speeches of the new parliamentarians. There are far too many new MPs and senators to mention, and I look forward to getting to know you all better as we serve together in this great place.”
“I want to acknowledge Trish Cook, the first member for Bullwinkel; Tom French, the new member for Moore; Ellie Whiteaker, our new WA senator; Tania Lawrence, the member for Hasluck; Tracey Roberts, the member for Pearce; Patrick Gorman, the member for Perth; Zaneta Mascarenhas, the member for Swan; and Sam Lim, the member for Tangney. I also want to acknowledge those I was first elected with in 2016—Matt Keogh, the member for Burt; Anne Aly, the member for Cowan; and Josh Wilson, the member for Fremantle. I also want to congratulate Senator Varun Ghosh on his first election to the Senate after his appointment in February 2024. I also want to congratulate Senator Sue Lines on being elected once again as the President of the Senate.”
“After 2 July 2016, Labor held five seats in WA. In 2022, that number increased again to nine seats, and, after the recent 2025 election, Labor now holds 11 of the 16 seats in Western Australia. That support is founded on a great many things, such as trust in our government to deliver on our promises, to deal with the unexpected challenges that inevitably arise and to implement policies that reflect the concerns and needs of the community. But it is also due, in large part, to the hard work of great candidates, their teams of volunteers and supporters and the commitment of their families.”
“In March this year, Western Australians also expressed their strong support for my friend and member for Kwinana, Premier Roger Cook, and elected him and his government for another term. I want to congratulate the state MLAs in the Brand electorate—Magenta Marshall, Reece Whitby, Paul Papalia and Premier Cook himself—and I look forward to working with each of them over the coming term on continuing to build our community together. And, at the opposite end of the Perth metropolitan area, I want to congratulate my good friend and WA Labor president, Lorna Clarke MLA, who is the newly elected member for Butler. It's fair to say federal Labor and WA have come a long way since I was first elected in 2016. On the eve of my first election, the Australian Labor Party held just three Western Australia seats in this federal parliament.”
“It remains a great privilege today—as it was just over nine years ago, when I was first elected to be here in the Australian parliament—to be re-elected as the member for Brand in this 48th Parliament. I'm deeply honoured that the community I was born in, grew up in and live in have chosen to elect me for a fourth time to represent them and the wider community of Western Australia. As many know, I was born in Calista at the Kwinana Maternity Hospital that was built for the community that emerged to build and then support the extraordinary Kwinana industrial precinct, which has been integral to the WA economy since it was created in the fifties and remains to this day. I've spent much of my life in Shoalwater and Rockingham and I'm very honoured to represent my hometown here.”
“That might go to some of the confusion opposite between gas and critical minerals—as we know, they have named gas as a critical mineral in the past. I hope they won't do that again. I thank the member for Kennedy for his question.”
“One of the concepts we put forward as a government was around a framework to ensure that domestic supply is secured for the east coast. Another part of our resources reservation policy goes to the Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, which is about building up a national asset to make sure that we not only have a supply of critical minerals but also are a reliable supplier of critical minerals and rare earths to our partners right around the world. It will allow us to work with our partners, together, against disruptions and from a position of real strength. I look forward to the member for Kennedy's support for that reserve. I note that those opposite were very quick to dismiss the reserve and, indeed, oppose it, which is quite unusual, given they support a gas reserve but not a critical minerals reserve.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister. The member for Kennedy referred to a resources reservation policy, and I'm happy to discuss that briefly. There are now many calls across many parts of the community for reservations of gas, in particular. This is something brought on by industrial users and manufacturers. Indeed, even those opposite have announced a reservation policy of their own—a great change from when they failed to support the Western Australian reservation policy, which has proved enormously successful for the price of gas and access to gas in Western Australia. At the moment, the government has reviewed the gas market regulations. There is a consultation paper out, and there have been many submissions to it.”
“They do remarkable work across Brand, with over 100 regular volunteers providing food and clothing to about 700 people a week. That's going to help them purchase solar panels to support the financial viability of the organisation by bringing down their power prices. The White Knights Baldivis Cricket Club has also got some funding, nearly $7,000, for installing publicly accessible, fully monitored defibrillators which will be available 24/7. This is crucial life-saving equipment for both the club and the wider community out at the Baldivis sporting hub, which is a great place for the community to gather.”
“Rockingham and the suburbs around it are some of the areas with the highest boat ownership in Western Australia, and, with an amazing coastline, a lot of people get out on the water. I really want to thank Marine Rescue Rockingham for what they do. I went along to their volunteer thankyou dinner last Saturday, and I want to join in congratulating all the award winners, the life members and all the volunteers for their achievements. Thank you for always, as they say at Marine Rescue, standing by. The WA Police and Community Youth Centre in Rockingham has received a grant to deliver a project that supports and celebrates Whadjuk Noongar culture. It's a vital organisation that will empower young people and provide social benefits to the wider community. The CREW in Rockingham has received $9,000.”
“It's a wonderful little school, and this investment will create safer and more enjoyable areas for the kids in this great Kwinana school to play and have fun. I look forward to having a visit—although I must say I probably won't be doing the climbing! I also want to congratulate Marine Rescue Rockingham, who received $10,000 under the Stronger Communities Program. This funding will enable them to enhance their rescue capabilities by purchasing a state-of-the-art water drone—it's called the Dolphin; I've seen it myself—and a life-size and apparently life-weight manikin for training purposes. Marine Rescue Rockingham do a really fantastic job. About 90 volunteers form boat crews, radio operators and administrative support working 24/7 all year round to ensure local boaties and fishers get some help if they run into trouble.”
“Today I would like to congratulate organisations in my electorate of Brand for receiving funding from this government under our Stronger Communities program. I want to congratulate the Seaside Camp for Children at Point Peron, who were awarded $10,000. Formerly known as the Alfred Hines Seaside Camp, this is the first camp to offer camps, getaways and respite for young people with disabilities. The camp has served the community for more than 65 years, and it will use the funds to improve wheelchair access and enable all kids to have a really great time by the beach. Thank you for the work you do at the seaside camp. Congratulations also to Calista Primary School P&C, who received $20,000. That will fund upgraded playground facilities, including new climbing frames and shade structures.”
“It was about making gas a critical mineral. Yes, that's what those opposite proposed. Way back in April, they wanted to make gas a critical mineral. Of course, it can't be because it's not a mineral. Those opposite might have thought that everyone forgot about that little thought bubble. We absolutely did not. I tell you what no-one has forgotten about—”
“The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility has invested $735 million in critical minerals projects across northern Australia, including Alpha HPA's high-purity alumina project in Gladstone, Arafura's project in Alice Springs in the NT, Element 25's Butcherbird manganese project in the Pilbara, the Thunderbird mineral sands project in the Kimberley and the Pilbara Minerals lithium project in Port Hedland. All of these projects will add up to jobs in the north. The NAIF has also supported great projects like BCI Minerals's Mardie salt project and the Perdaman urea project in the Pilbara, which will produce fertiliser for our farmers. I was asked about proposals that might threaten the resources sector and, therefore, the critical minerals industry. I've got one proposal that I've heard of, and it was made in April this year.”
“We've invested $3.4 billion in resourcing Australia's prosperity so that Geoscience Australia can keeping accumulating the all-important precompetitive data for industry. Combined with contributions from the Critical Minerals Facility, Export Finance Australia and the National Reconstruction Fund, it adds up to a $28 billion investment in the future of Australia's resources sector, which will create new jobs and new opportunities. No government has done more for the resources industry than the Albanese Labor government. I'll turn to the NAIF for a moment.”
“I thank the member for Bullwinkel for her terrific question. Australia has all the critical minerals the world needs to reach net zero and all the rare earths we need for our national security. The Albanese Labor government is committed to creating new jobs by boosting the all-important critical minerals industry. We want to mine, process, concentrate and refine more critical minerals and rare earths here in Australia, and we're making that happen every single day in this place and around the country. We've introduced $17 billion of production tax credits for critical minerals to process more here and create thousands of jobs in the process. One of the proposals that might threaten that is the opposition's continuing opposition to production tax credits.”
“I do wish the former minister for resources and member for Hinkler all the very best in a very important ambassadorship at a very important time for Catholics right around the world but particularly here, of course, in Australia. Pope Francis lived a life of service, faith and vocation. He taught us to fill our lives with love and love for others. His life was a reminder—and a reminder, always, of my mum—that we should look beyond our material things to seek to improve our community and our world. Pope Francis will be missed. Vale.”
“I joined with parishioners of my local churches in praying for Pope Francis for his eternal rest and for Pope Leo XIV as he leads the Catholic Church into the future. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the former member for Hinkler and former minister for resources, Keith Pitt, who is now serving the Australian community again in his role as Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Pitt joined Governor-General Sam Mostyn, trade minister Don Farrell and the member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, in Rome for the mass to mourn and celebrate the life of Pope Francis. Ambassador Pitt, of course, also hosted and accompanied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate in May earlier this year.”
“The passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo was a sad but hopeful time for the many Catholics right across the country and, of course, in my electorate of Brand. I was deeply honoured to attend mass for Pope Francis at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth—as it happens, where my parents were married in 1959—and also a mass at the church where I bid my mother farewell over two years ago, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Parish in Rockingham. Pope Francis's passing and the election of Pope Leo XIV was a significant event for all Catholics across the electorate—those at St Vincent's Catholic Church in Kwinana, St Teresa of Calcutta parish in Baldivis and Saint Bernadette's Catholic Church in Port Kennedy.”
“He chose the name Francis, as he said, inspired by the words of his friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes, who said to him, 'Do not forget the poor.' Of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis said: …he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good relationship with creation. It is well acknowledged that Pope Francis adopted a more progressive approach on a number of issues. Pope Francis famously said, when asked about homosexuality: Who am I to judge? It was an important step in a less judgemental and more merciful, forgiving and inclusive Catholic Church. He was renowned for his compassion and humanity. Catholics, like me, around the world will miss Pope Francis, and, of course, we pray for him and his successor, Pope Leo XIV.”
“Indeed, my father, John Morris, was educated by the Jesuits at Stonyhurst College, near Clitheroe in Lancashire, in the United Kingdom, a college established by the Jesuits in 1593, demonstrating their commitment to a Catholic education in Britain—which was a place of not so many Catholics at that time. Teachings of social justice are the basis of Jesuit beliefs but, importantly, with an emphasis on turning those beliefs into action. Jesuits such as Pope Francis view the world through the eyes of the poor and the marginalised.”
“His official Vatican biography features his famous quote: 'My people are poor, and I am one of them.' Those words sum up his character and approach to his role as a spiritual and pastoral leader. It was Pope John Paul II who appointed Pope Francis as a cardinal in 2001. In 2005, Pope Francis took part in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Following Benedict XVI's resignation due to ill health, Francis was elected Pope on 13 March 2013. As I mentioned before, significantly for Australians, he was the first Jesuit Pope. Many in this place would be very well aware of the role Jesuits have played in shaping our nation through their commitment to education.”
“They were at opposite ends of the earth but had a shared faith; they were both from the Southern Hemisphere, though! It was a link that meant a great deal to my mum, as a convert to the Catholic faith later in life before she married my dad. Pope Francis drove important reforms in the church over 12 years, promoting openness and inclusion. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, he was ordained a priest in 1969 and rose to become the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He was well loved in Argentina, where he had a well-deserved reputation for humility and compassion. He lived in a simple apartment, cooked his own meals and was known to travel on public transport.”
“I join with the Prime Minister and other members, including the member for Wannon, with his fine words, in offering condolences to the family and friends of the late Holy Father Pope Francis, the bishop of Rome, and to Catholics right around the world. I was truly sad to hear of the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday earlier this year. Pope Francis was the leader of over one billion Catholics around the world. From Argentina, he was the first non-European pontiff for more than a thousand years and the first Pope from the Americas. He was, as has been noted by many before me, the first Jesuit Pope and the first to take the name of the Saint of the Poor, Francis. Pope Francis was born on the exact same day as my mother, Diana Morris.”
“It will remain integral to the economy for many years to come, and it will remain very important to hundreds of thousands of families around this country, as the breadwinners and sometimes their partners go and participate in this industry, whether it be in fly-in, fly-out communities or drive-in, drive-out communities, right around the country. Really importantly, and the question around energy—”
“I thank the member for her question on this occasion. I refer to the member's question. I would just like to point out the importance of Australia's role in regional energy security. This is something that is perhaps not as well understood as it could be or even should be. Australia indeed does export gas, and it does export coal. It also exports iron ore. It exports gold. It exports lithium. It exports a great many things that are essential to our economy, and indeed the three greatest exports of this country are iron ore, coal and gas, which add to harbour prosperity and support regional communities, which people on this side of the chamber realise, as do those on the other side.”
“They all lined up to have a crack at our largest trading relationship while the CEOs of Rio Tinto, BHP, Fortescue and Hancock Prospecting lined up alongside this Prime Minister on his successful visit to China to support the ballast of our trading relationship, the great iron ore industry of the Pilbara that employs hundreds of thousands of Australians. This blinkered and dense response of the coalition's is the same one that saw them vote against the production tax credits for critical minerals.”
“This $8 billion investment is the single largest investment Mitsui has ever made anywhere in the world in its nearly 80-year history in the Pilbara, in the resources sector, and its importance cannot be underestimated. It demonstrates the stable investment environment that policies of this Albanese Labor government are creating to ensure a future made in Australia. In June, I attended the opening of Rio's $2 billion Western Ridge iron ore mine with Premier Cook, and that's a significant extension of the Channar mine and builds on the important relationship between the Australian resources sector and China's Baowu Group. It says a great deal about how disconnected the coalition is from our exceptional resources sector.”
“I thank the member for Tangney for his question, and I congratulate him on his re-election in the wonderful seat of Tangney. As he knows, Australia's resources sector has been the bedrock of our nation's prosperity for decades. The sector underpins hundreds of thousands of jobs right across this great country, and will be integral to a future made in Australia. Today, the iron ore industry alone is exporting well north of $100 billion a year of this commodity, and investment in new iron ore mines remains strong. Take, for instance, Mitsui's $8.4 billion investment in Rio Tinto's Rhodes Ridge iron ore project, which is a magnificent vote of confidence in the Pilbara. Mitsui is one of Japan's premier global investment houses and has been a driver of Australia's iron ore industry since the sixties.”
“I commend the team at the urgent care clinic at Rockingham, who I know are delivering care for people who need help with those little things that we don't really want people going to emergency wards for. All of these things were at stake in the last election, and people overwhelmingly supported Labor's vision to build Australia's future. Labor's priorities are Australia's priorities, and we're getting on with the job of implementing them. As we did in the 47th Parliament, we'll do so again in this one. Since 4 May, we've been getting on with that. Meanwhile, the coalition have prioritised splitting up and getting back together again, completely neglecting the Australian people—does everyone remember that? It was only a few weeks ago, really, when the Nats and Libs decided to split up.”
“We are delivering more bulk-billing, which is at the heart of our health system. This government is making medicines cheaper by capping PBS medicines at 25 bucks for everyone from next year. If that isn't addressing a national challenge and a national priority for the people of Australia, I don't know what is. Then, of course, there are concession cardholders. The most they will pay for a PBS medicine is $7.70. That affects everyone on those concession cards, those people who are really feeling the pressure of the cost of living. We're going to open another 50 Medicare urgent care clinics, on top of the 87 that we already opened in the last term.”
“They failed to understand in the last term—and I can see it's continuing into this term—the challenges that are facing Australians. The Labor government, under Anthony Albanese, has ensured Australian workers will earn more and keep more of what they earn. The same job, same pay legislation has literally transformed lives. I know the member for Hunter is here and I think the member for Paterson is here—coal industry workers in their electorates can now work alongside their comrades with the same skills, doing the same job, and be paid the same. That is fair. That is what Australians know and deserve, and it is the right thing to do. We have delivered. Of course, health is a priority for all Australians, and they only trust Labor to strengthen our health system. Under our health minister, we've seen Medicare reinvigorated.”