Andrew Leigh
Fenner · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation—Deco…”
“The proposed works were referred to the public works committee on 3 March 2026. Following its inquiry, the committee has recommended that the House of Representatives resolve that it is expedient to carry out the proposed works.”
“When the Leader of the Opposition became leader, getting rid of the first woman to head the Liberal Party, he said that his party needed to 'change or die'. I don't think many Australians thought that they were going to choose door 2, but that's what's happening right now. The modern Liberal Party won't change, and it's choosing to die.”
“From today, Labor is putting in place six months of paid parental leave. But the shadow treasurer has called paid parental leave 'a very bad scheme', saying: … that is not my choice that women have children; it's not. It's genetic. From today, Labor is delivering tax cuts for every working Australian.”
“But when asked the same question, the Leader of the Opposition said things like, 'I don't quite know what you mean by that question,' and, 'Do you want to define it for me?' and, 'There's all these vague words running around.' Asked seven times, he couldn't back in multiculturalism.”
“For small business, we've changed the R&D tax credit so that every dollar of R&D tax credit drives 20 per cent more research and development. For Australians who are looking to afford medicines, the health minister has been putting a record number of drugs through the PBS and driving record funding through our hospital system.”
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“The bill will increase the visibility of providers operating in the market, particularly telecommunications retailers, through the establishment of a carrier service provider registration scheme and will allow for more effective regulation of carriers. Where a carrier has been found to pose an unacceptable risk to consumers or to have caused significant consumer harm, the Australian Communications and Media Authority is able to block them from operating. Of course, that would only be applied in the most extreme cases, but it is critical that that powerful deterrent is in the hands of the regulator. This is critical for ensuring that Australians are looked after in their dealings online, which are, as I said at the outset, an increasingly large part of our lives.”
“When the penalty is commensurate with the offence, then you see firms improving their action. You incentivise better firm behaviour. You don't need to deploy those penalties. The penalties framework under this bill will be aligned with those in other relevant sectors, like energy and banking, and the penalties under the Australian Consumer Law. There will also be an additional change to expand and clarify the government's ability to issue the infringement notice penalty the ACMA can issue for all applicable breaches, including for consumer protection rules—another tool in the armoury of the ACMA to be able to stand up on behalf of consumers.”
“Further changes will allow penalties for codes, standards and determinations to be based on the value of the benefit obtained from the offending conduct or the turnover of the relevant provider, allowing for penalties greater than $10 million in certain circumstances. That's exactly the approach that we've taken within competition law. Our increase in penalties ensured that the size of the offending conduct—the ill-gotten gains, if you like—could be taken into account when considering the appropriate penalty, as could the size of the entity. That's why for supermarkets, worth billions of dollars, the penalties can be in the millions of dollars. That is appropriate for the most egregious conduct. We hope that those penalties will never have to be used, and the experience in many other areas is a positive one.”
“We've also increased the penalties on supermarkets who do the wrong thing by suppliers under the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. The food and grocery code, set up by the Liberals and Nationals as a toothless, voluntary code, was empowered by Labor. Labor's mandatory supermarket code carries multimillion dollar penalties. Extraordinarily, when the legislation came to the parliament, the Liberals and Nationals voted with the supermarkets. They voted for negligible penalties against Labor's tougher law. This bill also increases penalties, increasing the maximum general penalty for breaches of industry codes and standards under the Telecommunications Act from $250,000 to approximately $10 million.”
“Then—and only if noncompliance continues—can it take further action. This bill, once passed by the parliament, will allow the ACMA to take quick and appropriate action in response to breaches to immediately address consumer harm and hold telcos to account. We've also increased the penalties. This has been an important priority of this government to ensure that penalties are commensurate with the problem they're seeking to address and that they are not simply treated as a cost of doing business. In the competition space, one of our first reforms in late 2022 after winning office was to increase the penalties for anticompetitive conduct. We did this because we looked around the world and saw that comparative nations had comparatively larger penalties. We increased those penalties for anticompetitive conduct.”
“There have been a range of high-profile incidents in the telco sector—the Optus data breach, significant service outages and claims of irresponsible selling practices, which the previous member referred to. In that context, it is vital that we update the consumer protections that are provided by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, in order to boost its enforcement powers and penalties. Part of this is about removing the two-step process. If you're doing a barn dance, a two-step is a terrific thing! If you're making a complaint to the telecommunications ombudsman, it is not quite so terrific. What this two-step process currently requires is for the ACMA to issue a direction to comply to offending telcos. It has to do that, no matter how significant the breach.”
“But, if you've got consumers locked up, then there is more of a risk that monopolies will abuse their monopoly power to take advantage of consumers. We've seen an uptick in complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. The latest data from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman shows that complaints progressed to the TIO increased 13 per cent between October and December 2024 compared with the previous quarter. There was also a 12.8 per cent rise in small-business complaints following four consecutive quarters of decline and a spike in 3G shutdown complaints. All of that is for the last quarter of last year, the most recent quarter for which we have Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman data.”
“This sits alongside Labor's legislation to ensure the NBN stays in public hands—legislation that the coalition voted against. Not only would they cut services if they were to win office; they could well privatise the National Broadband Network, a measure which would be disastrous for competition. It's the competition lens with which I come to this bill today, the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025, as the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury. We do so often see in the competition space that it's monopolies that tend to treat their consumers badly. If you're fighting for market share in a highly competitive sector, then you're more likely to be thinking about how you can best serve consumers.”
“His work on scams, in conjunction with the communications minister, has been quite remarkable. The communications minister has also been focused on delivering better broadband across Australia. The National Broadband Network was a Labor initiative announced by the Rudd government, but the ball was dropped by the incoming coalition government, who took Australians back to a copper rollout. That copper rollout has meant worse services for millions of Australians. We've now announced that we're finishing the job. The communications minister and the finance minister provided an additional equity injection, up to $3 billion, to NBN Co, which will ensure that NBN Co has the resources it needs in order to finish the rollout.”
“The communications minister has announced additional funding to keep communities and emergency services better connected in times of disaster by extending wi-fi services for evacuation centres. The communications minister has announced that a re-elected Albanese government would work to build on the network of low-Earth-orbit satellites to provide mobile coverage in emergency situations. We saw during Tropical Cyclone Alfred the outages in the mobile network that were caused. Low-Earth-orbit satellites provide much better coverage than additional base stations can do. And we've seen the Minister for Communications working on the issue of scams, alongside the Assistant Treasurer, the member for Whitlam, who, alas, will be leaving parliament this election.”
“Telecommunications are the way in which people access emergency services, with the triple 0 service receiving over eight million calls a year. Small business relies heavily on quality telecommunications. Over seven out of 10 Australian small businesses use mobile broadband. So it is really pleasing, in that context, that we have a minister for communications who is so attuned to the importance of modernising our structures and systems so that they serve a digital economy. We saw today the communications minister announce a new memorandum of understanding between the eSafety Commissioner—currently the terrific Julie Inman Grant—and the Australian Federal Police to combat child sexual exploitation online.”
“Telecommunications really are fundamental to modern Australia. More than 99 per cent of Australian adults own a mobile phone; 93 per cent own a smartphone. Over a third of Australians worked from home regularly, according to the most recent ABS survey—which, in passing, does make you wonder what would happen if the Leader of the Opposition were ever to become Prime Minister and ban public servants from working from home. Suddenly public servants in the regions with disabilities or with caring responsibilities would find themselves out of a job. Digital health is mainstream. Over nine in 10 Australians have a My Health Record, and telehealth accounted for more than 25 million services. Online education is widespread, and we saw this particularly through the pandemic.”
“I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water—Southern Ocean research aquarium. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is proposing to develop a replacement cold-water marine research aquarium to be co-located at the University of Tasmania's Taroona site. The proposed works include the production of research areas, a deep tank, a sea-ice research freezer, feed and culture rooms for phytoplankton and other species, a marine laboratory and cold room, and supporting infrastructure and services.”
“The proposed works were referred to the public works committee on 6 November 2024. Following its inquiry, the committee recommended that the House of Representatives resolve that it is expedient to carry out the proposed works. Subject to parliamentary approval, construction is expected to commence in mid-2025 and be completed in mid-2030. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank the committee for undertaking a timely inquiry. I commend the motion to the House. Question agreed to.”
“I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water—Davis Station critical infrastructure works. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is proposing to undertake a program of works to sustain and renew infrastructure at Davis research station in Antarctica. The scope of works will include a new water production and main power facility, new vehicle workshop, refurbishment of trade workshops, and the decommissioning and demolition of redundant structure. The estimated cost of the works is $251.7 million, excluding GST.”
“The proposed works were referred to the public works committee on 20 November 2024. Following its inquiry, the committee recommended the House of Representatives resolve that it is expedient to carry out the proposed works. Subject to parliamentary approval, construction is expected to commence from October 2025 and be completed by March 2027. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank the committee for undertaking a timely inquiry. As a member for the ACT, I would like to thank those involved in this exciting project. As a sports nut, I am extraordinarily excited by what the new AIS will become. I commend the motion to the House. Question agreed to.”
“I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Institute of Sport revitalisation project, Canberra. The Australian Sports Commission is proposing works to revitalise the Australian Institute of Sport campus in Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, and not before time. The proposed works will provide three new facilities: a new athletes village, a multisports dome and a high-performance training and testing centre incorporating sports science and sports medicine. The estimated cost of the project is $249.7 million, excluding GST.”
“The estimated project cost is $35.9 million, excluding GST. The proposed works were referred to the public works committee on 12 December 2024. Following its inquiry, the committee recommended that the House of Representatives resolve that it is expedient to carry out the proposed works. Subject to parliamentary approval, the works are expected to commence in June 2026 and be completed by August 2027. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank the committee, ably chaired by the member for Moreton, for undertaking a timely inquiry. I commend the motion to the House. Question agreed to.”
“I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Electoral Commission—Proposed fit-out of new leased premises at 26 Narellan Street, Canberra. The Australian Electoral Commission is proposing works to fit out leased premises at 26 Narellan Street, Canberra, ACT. The new office will consolidate three existing commercial tenancies for which leases will expire across 2026 to 2027. The new tenancy will then allow the commission to consolidate its staff presence and improve operational efficiencies for enhanced collaboration, as well as provide for an uplift in security.”
“We've had significant and valuable research from the e61 Institute; the Grattan Institute; the Productivity Commission; and the competition taskforce, ably headed by Jason McDonald and Marcus Bezzi. I want to acknowledge the work of Dan Andrews, Jack Buckley, Ewan Rankin, Bjorn Jarvis and Iain Ross in working through the issues behind non-competes. Labor wants to unleash ambition, to boost wages, to increase productivity and to put downward pressure on prices. Our non-compete reform will do just that.”
“No-poach agreements between businesses could also be harmful, and in last night's budget the Treasurer made clear that we're looking at arrangements such as those that franchise chains McDonald's, Domino's and Bakers Delight have that prevent a worker from moving from one franchise outlet to another. I've heard stories of workers who want to move to a McDonald's closer to home, but they've been told they cannot do so because of the so-called no-poach clauses. The employee isn't even a party to these clauses, but they're hurting worker mobility. Finally, Australia has been well-placed to learn from other countries. Spain, Finland, the UK, the US and Austria are among other countries dealing with non-competes. We put out a Treasury issues paper last year and garnered feedback on that.”
“Employers who pay above the $175,000 threshold wouldn't be affected in the first instance by our reforms. And non-competes for the sale of a business aren't affected. We also know that there will still be an ability to constrain workers from working for another employer at the same time—these so-called concurrent non-competes. There are better options for employers. Indeed, our approach will provide simplicity to employers and employees. It's a red tape reduction mechanism, removing an approach which has been confusing and has led to litigation and replacing it with one which provides simplicity and precision.”
“It's no great surprise when you consider the fact that going to court can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. People don't litigate their non-competes; they simply sit out, costing the economy and costing workers. Businesses have better options to protect their interests. In last night's budget, the Treasurer made clear that we're cracking down on non-compete clauses for those earning under the high-earner threshold of $175,000, but we're not changing the rules on non-disclosure clauses. Employers still have intellectual property protections. There's a statutory protection under section 183 of the Corporations Act which prevents any director, other officer or employee of the corporation from improperly using information obtained in that position for their benefit, the benefit of someone else or the detriment of the corporation.”
“These clauses can be complex negotiate out of and complex to handle, and they can often come in the form of cascading causes. One contract which went to court said that the worker was banned from working for a competing employer for 15 months or, if that was, invalid for 13 months or, if that was invalid, for 12 months. And 'competing employers' meant those employers in all of Australia or, if that was invalid, in the state or, if that was invalid, in the metro area. So who's to know what's the true non-compete clause? US research on this has found that even in places where non-competes have been unenforceable—like California, where they've been unenforceable since the 1870s—non-compete clauses can still have a chilling effect on worker mobility.”
“They're not just applying to surgeons but to servers. They're not just applying to accountants but to aged-care workers. Non-competes aren't just applying to those folks whose jobs involve guarding trade secrets but also to the bloke whose job is to guard the car park. They're not just applying in the boardroom; they're applying in the mailroom too. The Australian Bureau of Statistics survey found that most businesses that apply non-compete clauses do so to 75 per cent of their employees or more, and US research found that when confronted with a non-compete clause only a tenth of prospective workers choose to negotiate. Who wants to negotiate a non-compete when you're just starting off your employment relationship? We know too that non-compete clauses can have a chilling effect on workers, impacting labour mobility.”
“When I began talking about this several years ago, some people said, 'We've seen these surveys out of the US that say that 18 per cent of American workers are subject to a non-compete, but that's an American thing.' Then we surveyed Australia with the help of e61 and Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the e61 survey came back showing that 22 per cent of Australian workers were subject to a non-compete—a higher share than in the United States. Non-compete clauses are widespread through the economy. Non-compete clauses aren't just applying to high-wage workers. They're not just applying to barristers but to baristas. They're not just applying to traders; they're applying to waiters. They're not just applying to auditors; they're applying to janitors. They're not just applying to coders; they're applying to cabbies.”
“As people will know from their own careers, some of the biggest wage gains you get come when you switch jobs. Switching jobs is a bit like the run rate in cricket; it is a measure of the health for how the economy is going. Worryingly, it declined under the former government. We know from work by the e61 think tank that workers can increase their wages by thousands of dollars by shifting to a better job. It's a productivity boost too, as workers find a job that's a better match for their talent. Non-compete clauses put sand in the gears of job mobility, which is so critical to a productive and efficient economy. Second, non-compete clauses are more widespread than we'd thought.”
“She then received a letter from her former employer saying she'd breached restraint of trade clauses. Or there's Patrick, a 21-year-old boilermaker who decided that he would take up a new opportunity working not for a competitor but in-house for a former client. He was branded a troublemaker and sent a letter from his former employer saying he breached his post-employment obligations. These clauses are spreading across the economy. Once was the time when people would say non-compete clauses only applied to highly paid executives, who were required to take a period of gardening leave. Now it's just about the case that gardeners are being hit by non-compete clauses. The case against non-competes is in several parts, and I want to take the House through those. First of all, we know that job mobility is important to the whole economy.”
“She was forced to quit after experiencing harassment. Months later, she took a job at a different dance studio and immediately received a warning letter from her former employer. It said she'd breached a restraint of trade clause to not work or even volunteer for a competing business for 36 months within a 15-kilometre exclusion zone. Her former employer went so far as to contact the new dance studio. Or take Mia, a disability support worker who is registered for a National Disability Insurance Scheme provider. Mia was offered a new contract with a lower hourly rate that she'd been on. So she went out on her own as an independent and joined a rival registered provider. Without cajoling, several former clients decided to transfer their care plans over.”
“In last night's budget, you heard Labor put forward our positive economic plan: a new tax cut for every taxpayer, more energy bill relief, growing wages, even cheaper medicines, cutting student debt, strengthening Medicare, making it easier to buy and rent a home, permanent free TAFE and a fair go for families and farmers. You'll hear much more about that from the other Labor speakers in this debate. I want to focus my remarks today on non-compete clauses, which are an important part of Labor's competition reforms. The fact is, if you had a competition agenda, then you would be pretty worried about something called a non-compete clause. The clue is in the name. These are affecting real people across Australia. Let me start with a couple of stories. Charlotte, a 17-year-old, landed her first casual job as a dance teacher.”
“You have to hand it to the shadow Treasurer. Really, you do have to hand it to him because he doesn't have it himself. The fact is that this bloke has a three-part plan: (1) criticise Labor; (2) pause; and (3) hope no-one asks him for point 3! He's continuing as he has this entire term—a policy-free zone. Tomorrow night, we're going to hear more spin than substance from the Leader of the Opposition—the man whose only serious policy proposal has been that Australians should spend $600 billion on a madcap nuclear fantasy that won't deliver until the 2040s.”
“Through randomised trials of this kind, we are learning about the impact of early childhood education and the importance of extremely high-quality early childhood education for extremely disadvantaged children. It's another area in which randomised trials are shedding insight on how to shape better public policy in Australia.”
“Those randomised trials showed very clearly the benefits of early childhood education for the extremely disadvantaged cohorts who were targeted by them. A similar randomised trial was conducted by Yi-Ping Tseng and Jeff Borland and a range of other researchers at the University of Melbourne. They set up a centre in Heidelberg West, providing high-quality early childhood services to children who had been exposed to domestic and family violence. Like the US randomised trials, the Melbourne randomised trial focused on a group of extremely disadvantaged children, and the Early Years Education Program, as it's known, is producing results as those children are tracked through into older years.”
“We know this through a series of important randomised trials conducted in the 1960s: the Perry Preschool Project, the Abecedarian Project and the Early Training Project. These studies were critical because they used random assignment to assign children to high-quality early learning or to a control group. That meant that, as in a medical trial, we could be sure that we were seeing causal impacts of early learning. Those causal impacts didn't just show up in social skills and school readiness. They carried through until the children were in teenage years, at which point the girls were less likely to become teenage mums and the boys less likely to commit crimes, and they carried through to participation in university and higher earnings.”
“We do know that the activity test has made early learning harder to access for many families, including disproportionately affecting those families that may be experiencing disadvantage. The Parenthood's Georgie Dent said the activity test is 'a barrier that disproportionately locks out children who stand to benefit the most from participating in quality early childhood education and care'. In 2021, only 54 per cent of children from the most disadvantaged areas were enrolled in early childhood education and care, compared with 76 per cent of children in the highest socioeconomic areas, and that is despite the fact that the most disadvantaged children are those who are most likely to benefit from early education and care.”
“The activity test has been at the centre of the debate over this bill, and I want to take a moment to talk about our rationale for scrapping the activity test, which was introduced by the Liberals in 2018. As Jay Weatherill from Thrive by Five states: The Activity test was intended to encourage parents into work but in fact it has done the opposite. It has limited choices and made it harder for parents—especially single parents—to make an income. An evaluation by the Australian Institute of Family Studies found no evidence that the introduction of the activity test caused any increase in workforce participation. The Productivity Commission found that the effects of the activity test on workforce participation were ambiguous.”
“This reform journey is absolutely critical if we are to improve the accessibility of the sector. The Productivity Commission has noted that ensuring that all children aged zero to five years have access to some form of high-quality, subsidised early childhood education and care—at least three days a week, 30 hours a fortnight, for 48 weeks a year—would accommodate the needs of families and the benefits to children from ECEC participation. This three-day guarantee is about making sure that every child can have the best start in life. It's about ensuring that we get rid of the Liberals' activity test, which locked out children and families. Instead, we have put in Labor's three-day guarantee. It's a crucial step in delivering on the commitment to universal early learning.”
“I'd encourage members to look at the way in which that journey is set out, going right out to 2036, acknowledging the importance of steadily building up the workforce and the number of available early childcare centres—we're going to have to build more early childcare centres in order to expand accessibility—and the importance of ensuring that early childhood care remains affordable. Recent data shows an Australian family on an income of $120,000 a year, paying an average quarterly fee for 30 hours of child care per week, has saved approximately $2,768 since September 2023. Our cheaper childcare policy is delivering for Australian families, as our Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Act is delivering for the early childhood educators.”
“We've seen vacancies in the early childhood education and care sector plummeting over the last 12 months. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, internet vacancy rates are down 22 per cent in that sector, since December 2023. It is good that we are seeing an increase in the workforce in that sector. We know that a universal early learning system will require a significant journey. One of the things that strikes you, when you read the Productivity Commission's doorstopper report on early learning, is that it lays out a pathway for reform. The bill that is before the House today is part of that journey, but it's not the end of the journey.”
“When we came to office, we brought in our cheaper childcare package, which cut the cost of early education and care for more than a million families. We implemented a 15 per cent pay rise for early educators. This is part of a package that establishes the billion-dollar Building Early Education Fund to build and expand childcare centres in areas of need. We have understood, as part of our reforms, the importance of ensuring that we're raising quality while also tackling affordability. That is why, in our reforms, which saw the 15 per cent pay rise, we linked that wage rise to caps on fees. For providers to be eligible, they must not increase their fees by more than 4.4 per cent in the first year and 4.2 per cent in the second. That is putting wages up for workers and keeping costs down for families.”
“Also, around one in seven children aged five to 12 attend outside school care. The report noted that the expansion of early learning has enabled an increase in parents' labour force participation, particularly of mothers of children aged zero to four. It noted that, in 2023, three in four mothers with children aged zero to four were in paid employment. But the report noted, too, that not all families benefit from early child care. The report reads: In parts of the country, services are scarce and for some families, ECEC may be unaffordable or not inclusive of all children. Children experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability, while most likely to benefit from ECEC, are less likely to attend. That has led the government to put in place this bill, which builds on our prior reforms.”
“I would particularly like to acknowledge the work of Professor Brennan, who I've known for a very long time—since I was eligible for early child care myself and then at the University of Sydney when I took her course on social policy. She has been an extraordinary advocate for a better early learning system in this country. I would like to thank Professor Brennan, as so many of the members the government have, for the important insights she brought to that Productivity Commission report. She is truly a national treasure. Her expertise and deep understanding of the history of reform in this sector, as well as the international experience, really made this a landmark report. The Productivity Commission report noted that nearly half of one-year-olds and around 90 per cent of four-year-olds attend some form of early child care.”
“That national quality framework reflected the fact that the Labor government recognised it was important to have quality as well as affordability at the heart of what was done. We have seen an increase in the number of children attending early childhood centres, but we have also seen challenges placed on the take-up of early learning as a result of the activity test. That was one of the factors that led the government to commission a key Productivity Commission report titled A path to universal early childhood education and care . The three commissioners of that report were Martin Stokie, Lisa Gropp and Professor Deborah Brennan.”
“Yes, there are huge benefits to workforce participation, particularly for women who've traditionally done the lion's share of the caring duties, but there's also a key education benefit, which is why it's so important to ensure that the early learning sector attracts and retains great educators. The early learning reforms in this country really kicked off in 2007 when the Rudd government committed to a series of significant early childhood reforms, and I pay tribute to the work of Maxine McKew in this reform journey. The Starting s trong II report acknowledged that Australia performed relatively poorly on early learning and committed to a national quality framework which would see all early learning centres in the country properly assessed.”
“They would tell the kids about that wonderful moment when, in the land handback, Whitlam poured a handful of sand into Vincent Lingiari's hand and Vincent so generously, so extraordinarily, said, 'We're all mates now.' They played at the piano and gave the kids a love of learning and a love of friendship as well. The times at those centres are ones that shaped all three of our boys. As it happened, we drove by the Acton Early Childhood Centre on the weekend and the kids were immediately telling stories about how it influenced them more than a decade ago. Today 1.4 million Australian children went off to an early learning centre, enjoying the benefits of a quality early learning education. We've gotten well past the notion that early learning is simply babysitting.”
“Their motto is: 'We care, we share, we love to learn.' Wiradjuri had a smaller outdoor space, but they made terrific use of it. They enjoyed taking the kids for walks across the University of Canberra campus. I'm not quite sure what the young students made of these little tackers being taken across the campus, but the educators used the space to their best abilities. What we really appreciated about Wiradjuri was the way it operated as a kind of teaching hospital model, where those students who were studying early childhood would come in and be mentored by experienced early childhood educators. They had two pictures on the wall, one of Gough Whitlam and one of Vincent Lingiari.”
“My three boys are now in secondary school or graduated, but this bill certainly brings back memories of the great benefits that they got from their time in early childhood, attending the Acton Early Childhood Centre. I would sometimes cycle, with one of my boys on the back of the bike, to the campus at ANU. It's a lovely spot, surrounded by areas where the kids could walk and where they could enjoy playing. They had little carts and so they could be out and active in the play spaces. There were chickens for the kids to engage with, and there were educators who were dedicated to spending time with the kids—reading to them, singing to them, nurturing them. Later, we moved our youngest to the Wiradjuri Preschool and Child Care Centre on the campus of the University of Canberra.”
“We intend to have that mandate in place from the beginning of next year. Again, I want to thank the member for Calare for his thoughtful engagement on this and many other issues of public policy. The parliament is better for his energy, for his activism and for his focus on issues that are so often neglected by the National Party, which says that it looks after regional Australia but too often turns its back on the bush.”
“The government will continue to work with regulators, industry and the community to ensure that our regions have access to fit-for-purpose and sustainable banking services over the long term. The Albanese government is standing up for the regions and standing up for vulnerable Australians on the issue of cash. The government's consultation paper is available on the Treasury website. Submissions are open until this Friday—Valentine's Day. So, for those listening to parliament who are wondering what they will be doing on Valentine's Day, well, penning a submission to the government's cash mandate paper is an option for how you can spend your Valentine's Day! The issue of cash acceptance is one of great importance to the government. The government wants to get this right.”
“The government is stepping up to arrest the decline in regional banking services, and we've asked the banking sector to increase its commitment to and investment in regional banking through the new Bank@Post arrangements with Australia Post. Following discussions with the government and Australia Post, the Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac have all reached in-principle Bank@Post agreements, and ANZ has agreed key terms on which it will join the service. That shores up the financial outlook for Bank@Post and provides greater certainty and choice to banking customers, particularly in rural and regional areas. The government also welcomes the decision by Macquarie and HSBC to start negotiations with Australia Post on Bank@Post services.”