Anne Stanley
Werriwa · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Time today does not permit me to speak on the other parts of our health system, particularly the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and this government's support for our public hospitals across the country, but suffice it to say that, along with the pillar of bulk-billing, the picture looks wonderful.”
“Previously, more than 1,400 of these were mixed billing practices. The upshot of this means that approximately 97 per cent of the population is now within a 20-minute drive of a bulk-billing practice.”
“My parents and our country were excited for Medibank; there would be no more bankruptcy to stay healthy. The disdain for the universal healthcare system from those opposite was established from the outset, as far back as 1975.”
“Indeed, Medicare and the PBS are among the most trusted federal public services in the country. Medicare is central to Labor's philosophy and DNA. We will always defend it and strengthen it. To that end, the matter before us today is yet another step in the Medicare story.”
“By introducing these amendments, the government will strengthen the way it provides financial incentives to primary care providers and ensure the integrity of existing and future incentive programs.”
“Since the urgent care clinic network commenced in 2023, there have been more than 623,000 bulk-billed visits in New South Wales. In Werriwa, the newly opened urgent care clinic in Austral has seen thousands of patients, which both helps those who need to see a GP and takes the pressure off our stretched public hospitals.”
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“We really do get the importance of a well-functioning road network, and I understand because I've lived there all my life and I learned to drive on this road. If the $1 billion upgrade of Fifteenth Avenue isn't enough proof of Labor's commitments to our local roads, it is on top of the $19.3 billion Western Sydney roads package that was announced in the last budget. Over 22,000 vehicles travel along the congested Fifteenth Avenue every day, with eight per cent of those being trucks. By 2041, it is estimated that an additional 63,000 people will be living in the area. So not only is the upgrade of the road good news for now but it also future proofs it for our future residents, and the benefits for improving the connectivity with the Western Sydney airport are obvious.”
“Well, those days are over. While the Liberals procrastinate, ignore and deflect, Labor delivers. It was my honour on 19 January to host the Prime Minister, New South Wales Premier, New South Wales Minister for Infrastructure and other New South Wales ministers to announce a joint federal and state government funding agreement of $1 billion for Fifteenth Avenue. Let me be specific, this is not a promise to upgrade the road; it is a guaranteed commitment from the budget and it will happen. The announcement that a Liberal opposition will match Labor's announcement is nonsense. Labor understands the needs of Western and south-western Sydney. We understand the commute; we understand the distances between home and work, home and shopping, and home and leisure.”
“The need to upgrade Fifteenth Avenue has been known for years. I know that because it was an issue I started working on as a councillor more than 12 years ago. The council's expenditure of $100,000 for an external lobbyist just before the recent council election did not get the commitment over the line. What did was meticulous data and, as the New South Wales Premier put it, 'being a pain', but, more importantly, it was federal and state Labor government members who value and respect their community. The council petition, active for several months, fell short of its 20,000 signature target by 18,000 signatures. Despite my constant campaigning over 12 years, successive Liberal governments have ignored our community even after they announced the Western Sydney airport, and Liverpool City Council has been ineffectual.”
“Getting this car park built was a community campaign over years with my colleague the member for Macquarie Fields. Another example of a road not fit for purpose is Fifteenth Avenue at Hoxton Park. This thoroughfare, because you can barely call it a road, has been left in the too-hard basket for years by successive Liberal governments at both state and federal levels. Ostensively a rural road, it is no longer fit for purpose given the growth of Austral and the new housing built over the last decade. It is seriously a disgrace in terms of both its condition and provision for tens of thousands of cars that use it every day. Everyday road users are stuck in traffic jams, resulting in massive disruptions to the lives of thousands of people and millions of dollars lost to the economy.”
“Victories as a local member come in all sizes, big and small. Small victories are just as important as the large ones, such as helping someone with Services Australia, the NDIS or a visa. But then there are also the big victories—those that impact entire communities, suburbs and regions. I've spoken many times in the chamber about the rapid, unprecedented growth in my electorate. In many parts of the electorate, where fields and market gardens existed just a few years ago, there are now houses and growing communities. Paddocks have been replaced by rows of houses. Despite this growth, the provision of infrastructure, especially the upgrading of roads, as been woefully inadequate. The truth is there have been improvements in local public transport, such as a 2,000-space car park at Edmondson Park railway station.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport. How is the Albanese Labor government investing to help aged-care workers upskill, earn more and keep more of what they earn? How does this compare to other approaches to aged care which would leave people worse off?”
“In November last year, first works were started for the upgrades so long overdue and neglected by successive Liberal governments. The Albanese government has also committed to a university study hub to give residents opportunities to go to university that they've not previously had. There have also been upgrades for James Meehan High School. The list goes on and on, and 90 seconds can't do it justice. But making glib remarks about the people who live in Macquarie Fields isn't helpful and isn't okay. I will miss representing Macquarie Fields, but I know the friendships that I have there will endure.”
“The federal redistribution takes suburbs like Macquarie Fields into the seat of Hughes. From my first day as the member for Werriwa I have been proud to represent the hardworking people of Macquarie Fields. I have friends—too many to number—who call 2564 home. You'll never find more decent folk than those where Macquarie Fields is located. To correct the record: Macquarie Fields does indeed have its own beach—Simmos Beach, at the end of Fifth Avenue. It's a beautiful area used by locals for years and years for swimming and picnics. But, on a more serious note, I'm proud of Labor's track record for Macquarie Fields. With my state colleague Anoulack Chanthivong and the election of a New South Wales Labor government, Transport for NSW are upgrading Macquarie Fields Station.”
“I know I speak for the entire delegation when I offer our sincere thanks to the people of Belgium and Norway for their hospitality and to the Australian officials for their excellent support during a very busy visit. I'd also like to thank Charlotte Fletcher from the Senate, who supported the delegation on our trip, and the International Parliamentary Relations Office, especially Shannon Karppinen and Luke Hennessy, for logistical and informational support. I encourage all members of the House to consider the report, and I commend it to the House.”
“The facilities available to inmates, including a small house where inmates may request visits from family, are impressive and about providing pathways back into society. We received a detailed overview of the prison and Norway's criminal law system more generally from staff. Norway has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world and has a restorative justice system that is often referenced as a model for other countries. It was very instructive to see how this system works in action. During our travels in Belgium and Norway, the delegation was ably supported by Australian officials, led by Her Excellency Caroline Millar, Australian Ambassador to the EU, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg; and Her Excellency Kerin Ayyalaraju, Australian Ambassador to Denmark, Norway and Iceland.”
“We were also privileged to visit the Norwegian parliament and meet with the Norwegian Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, as well as the head of the Norwegian Asia delegation. A particular highlight for the delegation in Norway was our visit to Bastoy prison. Bastoy prison is an open, unwalled, low-security prison for adult male sentenced prisoners. It is located on a small island close to the mainland. It is for prisoners who've completed part of their sentences or are nearing the end of longer sentences. The delegation enjoyed a tour of the facility and visited the island's small supermarket, at which inmates could purchase their own food to cook their own meals using an allowance provided to them.”
“We were privileged to be accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Carney Elias, Australia's Defence Attache to Belgium and the Netherlands, to meet with Belgian volunteers who have been holding the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate each day since 1928. This was a moving tribute to fallen soldiers who fought in Belgium and a strong reminder of Australia's close bonds with Belgium today. It was a humbling experience to be asked to read the ode and lay a wreath on behalf of Australia and the delegation. The delegation then travelled to Norway. During our visit we were pleased to visit Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, Norwegian cybersecurity agencies and the National Authority for the Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crimes.”
“The members discussed critical political and security developments, including the 2024 elections in the European Parliament, the Russian war against Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and the situation in the Korean peninsula and across the Taiwanese strait. The Chair of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand, Mr Sean Kelly MEP, thanks Australia for its solidarity in supporting and protecting Ukraine. The delegation also had the opportunity to meet with senior representatives of the NATO parliamentary assembly and senior representatives of the Belgian train sector, and we visited the Belgian parliament. But a particular highlight for the delegation in Belgium was our attendance at the Last Post Ceremony in Ieper.”
“On this occasion, we were privileged to attend the 43rd Australia-EU Inter-parliamentary Committee Meeting at the European Parliament and to continue to strengthen Australia's connections with the European Union. We also travelled to Norway to strengthen Australia's connections there. Delegations such as this are vital in building on those existing relationships and strengthening our shared commitments to a secure, peaceful and prosperous world. The 43rd Australia-EU Inter-parliamentary Committee Meeting was an opportunity for all members to discuss a range of current issues relating to Australia and EU cooperation, including the free trade agreement negotiations; economic relations; climate change and its impact in Europe, Australia and Pacific nations; and opportunities relating to renewable energy and critical minerals.”
“I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Belgium and Norway from 1 to 6 December 2024 and ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report. Leave granted. I'd like to begin by acknowledging my colleagues who were part of this delegation to Belgium and Norway. It was a pleasure to travel with Senators Helen Polley and Tammy Tyrrell; the member for Capricornia, the Hon. Michelle Landry; and the member for Leichhardt, the Hon. Warren Entsch. I thank them all for their keen engagement during our time in Europe. It was a privilege to lead the delegation. Australia maintains a biennial commitment to visit the European Parliament in Belgium.”
“He was a staffer and activist, a member of the AAT and the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, chairman and CEO of Worksafe Australia, and a life member of the ALP. I received word a few weeks before his death that he'd like me to come and see him and have a chat. Jim was at that point in a nursing home. He'd spent most of his time in that home making sure that they all voted for me, and had done that over my time here. I'd like to give my condolences to his family. I appreciate very much that they let me speak at his funeral.”
“I rise to let the House know that a stalwart of the Labor Party in my part of the world died just before Christmas. James Brassil was more affectionately known as Jim, and it was my honour to attend his funeral and speak on behalf of the party. Jim was Labor through and through. He worked for Labor royalty, including Gough Whitlam's deputy, Lance Barnard, as his chief of staff. When he was a child, he met Ben Chifley, who was then the Prime Minister. But it was his role on that day, 11 November 1975, that ensured that Jim and Gough Whitlam could make his famous speech on the steps of parliament. Jim made sure that the power kept that microphone on so that Gough could utter those now very legendary words. He had all the credentials.”