Julian Leeser
Berowra · Liberal Party · Australia
“Third, the bill gives the minister unilateral power to impose conditions on higher education providers under the new section 36-65 of the HESA, which is introduced by this bill. The current version of section 36-65 of the HESA requires that there be an agreement in place with the provider. The new version does not.”
“Presumably, if you're a university and you get a bad decision, then your only recourse is judicial review, litigation or a constitutional writ. It's not a great option when the target of your litigation will be the minister who will make the future decisions that shape your ongoing financial viability.”
“This bill changes it from capped funding to capped places, but the places cost different amounts depending on the course. The Commonwealth contribution to a history degree is $1,316; agriculture costs $32,400. Could a university which typically teaches history be allocated 100 places and decide to convert them to agriculture?”
“I said very clearly that I understand the value of international students to Australia. I also said: We will want to make changes to the settings around international students, but I want the sector to know that we want to work closely with you to develop these policies and announce them in due course.”
“This so-called system steward, ATEC, can be bypassed at any time by a minister choosing to exercise this power. Again, this means universities are, under this bill, subject to extraordinary control by this minister or any future minister.”
“He said that Australian kids should be taught Australian values, which he defined as democracy, the rule of law, basic freedoms and a fair go.”
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“In 2023-24, that increased to 4,681 people. These aren't just numbers; they're someone's parent, someone's son, someone's daughter, someone's partner or someone's mate. Over the past year, I've come to know a man in my community called Adam. Adam is a man of great courage. He's 25 years old. He's faced hardship, and instead of staying silent he has chosen to speak up, and he's called on me to speak up today. He's been a strong advocate for improvements to our local health system, highlighting the strain that Hornsby hospital and its mental health unit are put under every single day. Doctors and nurses on the front lines are completely overwhelmed by the high number of patients being admitted.”
“We also saw the recognition of several scouts on that day, including twins Zara and Zoe Williams, who earned the Australian Scout Award, the peak award for Scouts in the Scout section, and spoke with great enthusiasm for everything that Epping Scouts had meant to them in their lives. Peter Buckley, the eternal leader of the Epping Scouts, also received a certificate of recognition. Today, I want to touch on an issue that's deeply personal to me. As many know, I am a strong advocate when it comes to better mental health and suicide prevention policy. Every day, we lose nine people to suicide in Australia. For every death, there are approximately 20 attempts. Locally, 4,041 people presented at the North Shore public health network emergency departments with suicidal thoughts and other intentional self-harm in 2021.”
“The hall's construction was completed in 1925 at a cost of 695 pounds, and it's been used continuously ever since. The Epping Scout Group is one of the oldest continually running groups in Australia, formed in 1915. From aerial soccer to meetings and Scout sleepovers, the hall has hosted it all. In 1975, it even hosted a concert by the local band the Clones, putting it into the Australian Music Database. A plaque to commemorate the hall's centenary was unveiled at the recent celebrations. Incredibly, in attendance at the events were locals who have been associated with the scouting group for more than 60 of its 100 years. I want to acknowledge Epping Scout Group leader Simone Haider and chair Hannah Chim for their wonderful work in organising the celebrations.”
“She has taken part in Dragon Skin, whitewater kayaking and two jamborees, and she has earned certificate II qualifications in both workplace skills and outdoor recreation. Alyssa has served on the unit council. She has performed in the Hornsby Gang Show since 2019 and supported younger Scouts as a youth leader. She has bushwalked over 500 kilometres and camped 95 nights and continues to contribute as a Rover. Alyssa is a role model in every sense, and our community is incredibly proud of her achievements. A wonderful milestone in our community occurred recently with the Epping Scout Group. The Epping Scout Group has some of the best facilities and traditions in scouting in my community, and they have a wonderful scout hall, which they hire out to other community groups in the Epping electorate, and that scout hall turned 100.”
“I rise to speak on three matters of local importance to the Berowra community. It was a pleasure to join the 1st Hornsby Heights Scout Group recently to recognise an outstanding young woman from our community, Alyssa Eden, who received the King's Scout Award. Alyssa is the first King's Scout from Hornsby Heights in its history. The King's Scout Award is the highest honour a Venturer Scout can achieve, and Alyssa has earned it through years of commitment, service and leadership. She joined Scouts at the age of eight and has completed every stage—Cubs, Scouts and now Venturers—completing leadership courses in each level. As part of her King's Scout journey, Alyssa led a six-day expedition in Tasmania, including four days on the Three Capes Track.”
“I believe this should be a matter that is raised and taken up as part of our general foreign relations with Japan, who is a very friendly country and whose future is dependent on us as much as our future is dependent on them. In conclusion, on this very good motion, can I say to all those who served in the Pacific: we salute your service. Lest we forget.”
“The Australians and other prisoners of war survived because they could dream of a life beyond captivity. For my grandfather, it was his love of his family and the prospect of opening a hardware store when he returned. He successfully did that, opening what was at one point the largest hardware store in the Southern Hemisphere, in Merrylands. He employed many of his former POWs there, too. In the years following World War II, the Germans have done a very good job educating the next generations about the atrocities committed by Germany during the Second World War. Sadly, I don't think the Japanese actually understand enough about the atrocities that were committed by the Imperial Japanese Army during that war.”
“He spent days lying in the hard stone floor in the makeshift hospital, and, when he could get up, he virtually had to teach himself to walk again. The burns on his legs were so bad that he was scarred for life and the hair never grew back on them. The Japanese were absolutely brutal, and they were just as brutal to the local Singaporean Chinese population and the Malay Chinese population as they were to the Allies. The Chinese were a completely different story. They often smuggled food and other supplies to the prisoners, but the Japanese always took revenge on them. Once, my grandfather was marched into a village and saw Chinese men had been executed, with their heads placed on spikes to demonstrate to the local population not to fight the Japanese.”
“He talked of being starved and trying to work while watching his mates die all around him. He survived the horrors of the Burma railway, where the Japanese guards would beat prisoners to death leaving them to die on the side of the road. If their mates tried to help them, they too would be beaten. Disease was rife. Malaria was bad, and cholera was worse. My grandfather told to his children the story of holding a mate who had developed gangrene while the doctor sawed off his leg, and the image of that occasion never left him. People who have seen the gruesome dramatisation of T he N arrow R oad to the Deep North will have a sense of how bad those conditions were. My grandfather was badly burnt by a guard who threw a pot of boiling water over his legs.”
“Hornsby Shire acted as a training ground for Australian troops—the Army used the old Thornleigh Quarry as a shooting range, and the crew of the Krait trained in Cowan Creek before their daring commando raid in Singapore harbour in September 1943. Singapore's a good segue to speak about my own family's involvement in the Pacific war. Singapore was meant to be an impregnable fortress, yet Singapore fell to the Japanese forces in only a week, with 80,000 troops taken as prisoners of war, including 15,000 Australians. My grandfather Sam Goldman served in the 2nd/26th Battalion of the ill-fated 8th Division and was there at the fall of Singapore. After the fall, he was taken prisoner in Changi and he was kept in brutal conditions, forced to survive on a cup of rice a day.”
“The Hawkesbury River became a place of shipbuilding, and there were antisubmarine nets installed on the railway bridge between Brooklyn and Dangar Island and Little Wobby. To make the Hawkesbury more impassable, the naval control board impounded small boats. In Operation Berowra Boat Guard, over 2,000 boats were gathered at Crosslands Reserve. The task of keeping them away from Japanese hands became much easier when there was a major storm and flash flood which caused those boats to be stacked on the river flats. Although there were no air raids in Sydney, blackouts were practiced and brownout shields were placed on all streetlights. There were regular air raid drills, and all schools were provided with trenches.”
“John returned home and became an economist, rising to become the chief economist of the state bank. Every year, we collect a set of budget papers for him, and I'm the beneficiary of his wisdom and observations into economic policy. John's the head of a very significant family in the electorate, with three children, nine grandchildren and over 30 great-grandchildren, and I had the privilege of speaking at his 100th birthday last year. The Pacific war brought World War II home, with the bombing of Darwin and the arrival of Japanese midget subs in Sydney Harbour. In the Berowra electorate, the threat of Japanese invasion led to the formation of what is now the Rural Fire Service.”
“Australia's role in the Pacific war is not as well known as it should be. While the education system focuses on World War I and the horrors of the Holocaust in the second war, it was the Pacific that most impacted Australia. During the last decade, more and more World War II veterans have passed, and now there are very few left. Over 200,000 Australian service men and women served in the Pacific. Over 17,000 died, and 22,000 were taken prisoner. In my own electorate, there are many who served, including 101-year-old John McAuley. John joined the RAAF and was trained as a radar operator at RAAF Base Richmond. During World War II, he served at Merauke in New Guinea. Despite his very great age, John continues to march, on his own two legs, the full length of the Sydney Anzac Day March every year.”
“This is why the shadow Treasurer is going to the government's roundtable, and it's why the shadow minister for productivity, Andrew Bragg, is seeking to establish a bipartisan Senate inquiry into Australia's lagging productivity. If the government is serious about growth, it should welcome the accountability and ambition such an inquiry would bring. In the meantime, we will keep doing what the coalition have always done best, which is standing up for the 2½ million small businesses—the people who take risks, the people who create jobs and the people who give back and build the local communities that I am lucky to represent. I know the small-business owners of the Berowra electorate. They are resilient. What they need now is for the government to back them in, not to hold them back.”
“If Labor isn't willing to have an honest conversation about productivity and efficiency, this process risks being nothing more than a talkfest. A serious conversation about tax reform and productivity means that nothing should be ruled out for discussion. We're deeply concerned that what Labor is actually doing is laying the groundwork for more tax and more union control over Australian workplaces. Let's be clear. This roundtable cannot be used as an attempt for higher taxes. That's the last thing small businesses need in the middle of a productivity crisis. We on this side of the House will always back small businesses, and we'll hold those opposite accountable for turning their back on them.”
“The Treasurer's Press Club speech was an admission of how much damage this government has done to the economy in its first term and how much work is now needed to get it growing again. The coalition supports efforts to hold an economic roundtable, and we genuinely hope good ideas emerge from that. We want our small businesses to thrive once again. We want to see life brought back to our town centres and local villages. But let's be very clear. This won't be achieved by more meetings. We need reform, and that means the removal of the excessive regulation that is strangling our small businesses. While the Treasurer says he's not ruling anything out, he's already taken industry relations off the table. The Prime Minister's also ruled out revisiting the GST.”
“This fails every good test of tax policy. It isn't simple, it isn't fair and it certainly isn't low. It's a tax on ambition and aspiration. It's an attack on the idea that people shouldn't be punished for saving for their future. This, sadly, is part of a broader pattern. We hear talk of reform from this government, but what we get is more taxes and more regulation. In its first term, Labor added over 5,000 new regulations. Productivity flatlined and business investment fell. Australian households are going backwards. The economy grew by just 0.2 per cent in the March quarter, and our real GDP growth per capita has plunged Australia from being 20th to being 60th in just one year. These aren't abstract numbers. They reflect the real worsening pressures on small businesses and families.”
“They employ our neighbours and sponsor our local sporting clubs. They give young people their first jobs. Under Labor they've been left behind. Last year we saw a record number of small-business insolvencies, and this year has been no better. Since coming to government, Labor have made it harder to run a small business. They've created uncertainty through their industrial relations laws, and they've done nothing to shield small businesses from skyrocketing energy prices. Now they're floating a tax on unrealised capital gains, a policy which will hit mum-and-dad investors and small-business owners alike. A misguided tax on unrealised gains in superannuation isn't just bad policy. It's fundamentally unfair and unprincipled. The small-business owners with self-managed superannuation funds will be caught in the crossfire.”
“Compliance and employment red tape is chewing up more time and more money. Despite continued demand for their products, staff have had to be cut, equipment sold and payment plans negotiated with the ATO just so they can stay afloat. Unfortunately, their story's not an isolated situation. It's a pattern being repeated across the Berowra electorate and right across the country. This is the legacy of the Albanese government. It's turning once proud, thriving small businesses into case studies on how a government's poor economic management and policy indifference break confidence and punish success. The 2½ million small businesses across Australia aren't just numbers. They're our butchers, our bakers, our family-run mechanics, our after-school tutoring centres and our local tradies.”
“If you want to understand the state of the economy right now, to grasp the pressures Australians are facing, you don't need to get a Treasury briefing or to wait for the CPI data. You just need to walk through our local streets. You'll see the 'vacant' or 'for lease' signs on properties or the words 'going out of business sale'. Across my community, from Berowra to Cherrybrook and from Hornsby to Epping—and, indeed, across Australia—small businesses are hurting. I think of the local nursery owner who wrote to me outlining how inflation has hit their family-run nursery, a business that's operated successfully in my community for 33 years. They asked, 'Why is the government stifling us?' Theirs costs—fuel, electricity, machinery—have all continued to climb, rising faster than the business can adjust for.”
“The idea that the teals would try to score some cheap political points by misrepresenting this work shows how unserious they are about foreign and defence policy. It also reveals a significant misunderstanding of the responsibilities of federal parliamentarians, particularly at a time when the rules based international order is under strain. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was a reminder of the value of Australia's engagement, both with our allies abroad and across party lines at home. It was a privilege to represent Australia, and I thank the House for the opportunity to be part of the delegation.”
“Whether it's in defence, health or the safety of our citizens, Canada and Australia face many of the same challenges, and we've much to learn by comparing approaches. Finally, I want to take this opportunity to address an unfortunate episode, from the federal election, that related to this delegation. Teal campaigners in my electorate accused me of missing parliament to go on a holiday to Canada. The claim was disgraceful and significantly misrepresented the nature of the work and parliamentary delegations more broadly. This was a visit of strategic and national importance to Australia. It was an opportunity to advocate for Australia's interests, engage with key allies and ensure that Australia continues to have a seat at the table when matters of collective security are being debated.”
“Ukraine needs more support from the democratic world and from all countries of goodwill to enforce the sanctions regime. In addition to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Senator Pratt and I had a series of meetings relating to the Canada-Australia bilateral relationship, including a very fine briefing from the former high commissioner the Hon. Scott Ryan. I want to thank him and his team for the assistance they provided in organising meetings on issues as diverse as Canadian genetics, the way Canada is dealing with antisemitism and the Canadian nuclear program. While visiting the Canadian parliament, Senator Pratt addressed the finance committee and I helped to inaugurate the Canada-Australia-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group.”
“There were lots of discussions about the admission of Ukraine as a full member of NATO, which would trigger article 5, NATO's collective defence clause. Ultimately, Ukraine's admission to NATO was delayed until the nation has undertaken and implemented governance reforms. But, personally, I think this is more about NATO's reluctance to be drawn into the war than wishing to see Ukraine improve its governance. I had the privilege of meeting with the Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the chair of the Ukrainian friends of Australia, Galyna Mykhailiuk. Their bravery and resolve in resisting Russian autocracy are inspiring. When the coalition was in government, Australia was the largest non-NATO contributor to Ukraine. Ukrainians are grateful for the military hardware support that Australia has given.”
“With our AUKUS partners, we responded to a proposed resolution criticising AUKUS by the French. Thanks to collaborations between the Australian and American delegations, we were able to successfully lobby for its withdrawal. This is a time of consequence for NATO, as Ukraine seeks admission to its membership and NATO members grapple with the ability of Russia to skate around the international sanctions regime. The 2024 parliamentary assembly also took place shortly after the election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States. President Trump had made it clear that NATO members had to increase defence spending as a percentage of GDP, and Canada in particular was in his sights. Country delegations were talking about their own plans to increase defence spending as a percentage of GDP.”
“For instance, North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, demonstrating the axis that exists between authoritarian regimes in Europe and Asia. Our participation in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is a clear signal that Australia stands with nations that respect the rules based international order—nations who believe that might is not right. At the NATO assembly, Australia's voice was strong. Senator Pratt and I both contributed in various committees, advocating for Australia's interests and values. I took part in deliberations of the Economics and Security Committee, and the Science and Technology Committee, where we examined the state of the Russian economy, Canada's Indo-Pacific policy and the growing importance of AI and semiconductors to the strategic challenges faced by the West.”
“I also want to thank the delegation secretary, Ms Jenny Adams; her professionalism and her attention to detail ensured that we were fully able to participate in the deliberations of the assembly and in the broader visit to Canada. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization comprises 32 countries of the Western alliance. Australia, as one of the Indo-Pacific Four, has a special status at NATO meetings. It's very important for Australia to be represented at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is not a talkfest; it's a serious engagement between nations from across the Western alliance. The geostrategic movements in Europe are tied to the issues that Australia faces in the Indo-Pacific.”
“I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Canada and to the 70th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ottawa and Montreal from 20 to 28 November 2024. This delegation was led by the former senator Louise Pratt. There would be few people in the parliament with perhaps more diametrically opposed views than myself and Louise Pratt, but I want to place on record that Louise was an excellent delegation leader. Despite our differences, we focused on the national interest, and I want to thank Louise for her constructive approach. I also want to take this opportunity to wish her well in her post-parliamentary career.”
“Thank you to Yves and Leila and the El Khoury family for all you have done for me, for our community, for our party and for our country. It's wonderful today to take the opportunity to salute you in our parliament.”
“He's been a long-serving branch president of the Liberal Party since John Howard's time and has been a wonderful counsellor to New South Wales Liberals, including to my predecessor and me. Yves was one of the key advocates of the royal commission into banking and financial services, which wouldn't have happened without his tenacity. The El Khourys always run wonderful events with guests representing the melting pot of our community, and Leila makes the best tabouleh this side of Beirut. Their children and their grandchildren are their greatest legacy, with sons, Lewis and Savio, running Two Brothers Mediterranean restaurant in Castle Hill; their daughter, Shiraz, in the property industry; and Monaya, a make-up artist, making their own way in the world.”
“As I've been listening to the maiden speeches this week, a truism of politics has come to mind. All of us are here not by dint of our own efforts but through the efforts, support and encouragement of others. Today I want to speak about Yves and Leila El Khoury who have played an outsized role in me being here. The El Khourys are a wonderful Australian migrant success story. Born in the village of Miziara in northern Lebanon, Yves came as a young man and, as with so many migrants, saw things in our country that those of us born here take for granted. Yves's been a successful entrepreneur in the property, hospitality and childcare and service station industries. He's given back to our community, being a leader in the Lebanese and broader Australian community.”
“I make no apology for calling out those who to seek to spread disinformation and misinformation about nicotine products contrary to health advice. I make no apology for standing strong against the scourge of those who'd see our children face a life of dependence and addiction.”
“It puzzles me, for instance, that in my home state of New South Wales, while stringent approvals and licensing for liquor stores are required, as they should be, tobacconists can operate with minimal oversight, minimal approval and minimal licensing. I note the coalition has proposed a $250 million illegal tobacco and vaping taskforce led by Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force to tackle illegal vapes from the border to the shopfront. This will provide desperately needed federal leadership to crack down on organised criminal activity and protect Australian children. The duty to protect our young people lies with every single one of us, especially those elected to represent our communities. I make no apology for calling out those who seek to market nicotine products to children.”
“What's often overlooked is how the black market boom is closely linked with rising vape and e-cigarette sales. In my own electorate, we're seeing a sudden rise in the number of tobacconists sprouting up in nearly every suburb, especially near transport hubs frequented by schoolchildren. These shops are strategically marketing chocolate, lollies and other sweets to deliberately entice children onto the premises. The tactic isn't accidental. It lures our young people into the stores, transitioning them into illegal nicotine products as they grow older. I think the next parliament has to look at this.”
“I want to say a few things briefly about this issue because it's one of increasing importance to our community. If the next parliament takes up this inquiry, I think it has a duty to examine the growing impact of e-cigarettes, vaping and nicotine addiction on our young people. In recent months, I've had concerned parents write to me about the ease with which their children get vapes and I've heard anecdotal stories about the illegal tobacco trade operating even in our own community, and I've raised these issues with local police. Young Australians face a heightened risk of nicotine dependency, increasingly fuelled by the surge in vaping and e-cigarette use. Stories in the media in recent months indicate that the illegal tobacco trade is thriving across our nation.”
“While we've heard from many advocates of harm minimisation, the committee hasn't heard from state and territory law enforcement and other broader community stakeholders to better test these strategies. I therefore want to make a special call to state and territory police to participate in any future inquiry. We need to hear from the men and women at the forefront of keeping our community safe. Secondly, I want to turn to the question of nicotine addiction. In this report, we make the following observation: While the use of vapes or e-cigarettes is not the focus of this inquiry, the Committee acknowledges the concern that has been raised by witnesses regarding the use of these products, as younger people are at greater risk of developing nicotine dependence than adults.”
“Therefore, what we've produced is an issues paper that a future parliament might pick up and that witnesses might respond to in helping any future committee arrive at recommendations for policy reform. Nothing that appears in this issues paper should be taken as the committee expressing a concluded view about the evidence presented to it. This issues paper highlights areas requiring deeper exploration and careful analysis before drawing conclusions. I want to bring attention to two issues today which I think it's very important for any future committee to consider. Firstly, chapters 3 and 5 raise controversial discussions around harm minimisation and approaches to law enforcement. Speaking for myself, I would have real difficulty supporting a so-called harm minimisation approach to dealing with illicit drugs.”
“by leave—Let me begin by thanking my friend the member for Macarthur, who chaired this inquiry and is hugely respected across this parliament for his knowledge, wisdom and experience as a medical practitioner but also for the way that he's conducted not just this inquiry but committees over the entire parliament. It is really a privilege to work with him. Let me echo his words about our excellent secretariat and the other members of the committee, with whom it's been a privilege to work. Let me also thank all those who have made submissions to this inquiry. In the short time since this inquiry was referred to the committee, we have not had adequate time to hear from the full range of witnesses or consider an adequate range of evidence to allow the committee to draw conclusions.”
“Supermarkets need to be held to account for exploiting suppliers and consumers through new competition policy, including divestiture powers. These are changes only the coalition will deliver. My community can no longer bear the brunt of these reckless economic decisions of the Albanese government. They're ready for a government that will get Australia back on track.”
“What they want is an explanation from this government of their record. Why have Labor, the Greens and the teals allowed this crisis to continue? Why have household energy prices increased dramatically when the Prime Minister promised close to 100 times that they would be reduced by $275? The Albanese government has been fast and loose with its wasteful spending for too long, putting the burden on taxpayers. The people of Australia and the people of my community of Berowra want change. Wasteful government spending needs to be reined in, limiting the rate of inflation and bringing interest rates down. Energy prices need to be lowered for a balanced energy plan that incorporates a mix of renewables, gas and zero-emissions nuclear.”
“I also think of the local nursery owner who recently wrote to me, outlining how hard inflation has hit her nursery. She wants to know, in her words, 'why the current government is stifling us after 33 successful years in business'. The prices of her fuel, electricity and machinery have increased dramatically, causing financial strain to her business's bottom line. Compliance and employment red tape have also stretched their business earnings thinner. Despite business growth, staff have now been cut, machinery has been sold, and payment plans have been arranged with the ATO. The nursery owner's plans to expand in 2025 have now turned into plans for survival. This is the legacy of the Albanese government. When my community speak with me about their cost-of-living struggles, they're not asking for a silver bullet to solve the crisis.”
“Spending by the Albanese government is out of control, causing reckless government fuelled inflation. Under this government, interest rates have gone up 12 times, tripling payments on mortgages; annual electricity bills have increased by up to $1,000; grocery prices have increased 12 per cent over the last two years; fuel is up 36 per cent; and rent is up 17 per cent. At the same time, Australians are looking around the world and watching other countries bring inflation under control. When I look at these statistics, I think back to the local stories I hear at home. Increases like this mean families need to make difficult choices: enrolling their kids in the upcoming football season or purchasing a new pair of shoes. James from Cherrybrook has seen his home insurance prices skyrocket by $2,000 under the Albanese government.”
“From Galston to Glenorie and Beecroft to Berowra, no issue is raised with me more often than the cost of living. Small-business owners, young families and retirees, no matter what their circumstances—everyone is feeling the impact of this crisis. Australians are resilient. They know the economy fluctuates, particularly when significant events occur abroad, but there is also an understanding that during these times government should do what's needed to navigate the challenges ahead. They should tighten their own belt and rein in government spending and improve productivity. Most importantly, Australians once looked to the future knowing that our nation would come out stronger on the other side, but that longstanding trust and understanding has been broken by the Albanese government.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. The Greens political party is a racist, antisemitic party. Will the Prime Minister join with the Leader of the Opposition in committing to putting the Greens last at the coming election?”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Under this Prime Minister, thugs were allowed to chant antisemitic hate speech on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The Prime Minister refused for months to establish an AFP taskforce or convene national cabinet, and Jewish places of worship, schools, businesses and homes have been relentlessly threatened and vandalised. The Prime Minister promised Australians that social cohesion was his priority. Prime Minister, with antisemitism getting worse, not better, what has our country become under your government?”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. For the last 15 months, Jewish Australians have been subjected to harassment, doxxing, firebombing, death threats and terror plots. Today we have seen revelations of NSW Health workers calling for Israeli patients to be refused treatment, and claiming to have murdered Israelis under their care. Prime Minister, the Australian Jewish community is living in fear. How did the country get to this point?”
“I know what it takes to maintain postal services for Berowra's communities. When the Brooklyn post office closed in 2023, I fought hard alongside the community to ensure that postal services remained in Brooklyn, and today a new post office is up and running there as a result of our efforts. That's why I've launched a petition calling on Australia Post to maintain its presence in Pennant Hills with hundreds already signing it over the weekend. I've also written directly to Australia Post CEO, Paul Graham, and the Minister for Communications requesting meetings to discuss possible solutions, including finding an alternative location for the post office in Pennant Hills shops. I'll keep fighting to retain these essential services for our Pennant Hills community.”
“Last week we learnt that Australia Post has been asked to vacate its Pennant Hills premises by April 2025 with no clear plan for the relocation of its services. This closure isn't just an inconvenience; it will have real consequences for the 7,760 residents and the many local businesses, schools, higher education providers and service providers who depend on it daily. After Hornsby, Pennant Hills is the most significant post office in our shire, providing essential services such as bill payments, parcels and PO boxes. With no banks left in Pennant Hills, the local Australia Post office has been a vital lifeline, allowing residents to conduct their banking and postal services in person. Losing the post office would create unnecessary hardship not just for seniors but for so many in our community.”
“It's only the coalition that will stand up for families in Berowra and across Australia who dream of homeownership but feel like it's slipping out of reach, and it's only the coalition who will take action where Labor has failed. Only the coalition government will allow people to realise their dreams of homeownership.”
“In my electorate of Berowra, the coalition's policy will provide individuals with the opportunity to purchase a $515,000 unit in Epping or a $540,000 apartment in Hornsby that otherwise may be out of reach as they try to juggle the increasing rents and energy prices seen under this government. Countless times I've heard from families in my community who are worried about homeownership, including parents watching their children moving out of the area and, in some cases, out of Sydney due to being locked out of the housing market. This isn't acceptable. As I've said, only the coalition has a plan to bring the Australian dream back into reach.”