Libby Coker
Corangamite · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Well, it's finally open. After years of planning, investment and construction, the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre is now welcoming visitors. While it's on Geelong's waterfront, the benefits won't stop there.”
“Participants and their families deserve confidence that the workers entering their homes and providing essential supports are appropriately trained, properly supported and accountable.”
“That's what makes this project so important. It's an investment that strengthens Geelong as the gateway to everything my part of Victoria has to offer, and it's already delivered 1,400 jobs, with more to come. It builds on the work we're doing across the Bellarine and Surf Coast to support growing communities.”
“It should be noted that, throughout this inquiry, the committee made clear that choice and control are the foundation of the NDIS, and they must remain at the centre of any reform. During this inquiry, the committee heard from people with disability, families, advocates, providers and experts.”
“The NDIS was built on trust—trust that participants would receive the right supports, trust that providers would act in the best interests of the people they support and trust that public funding would be used for its intended purpose. As the scheme has grown, the risks facing it have also evolved.”
“This includes a greater focus on fraud prevention and detection, stronger oversight of providers, improved collaboration between agencies and reform to better protect participants. During the committee's inquiry, what was highlighted was the importance of such continued work.”
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“By 2026, families will be entitled to a full six months of paid parental leave, an invaluable six months where parents can focus on their children without the stress of juggling work and family pressures. At the same time, payments will be higher. Since we came to government in 2022, families have been around $12,000 better off—about $200 more each week. In my electorate of Corangamite, almost $24 million of paid parental leave was claimed in the last financial year. That is a real relief at a time when every dollar counts. For the first time, superannuation is also being paid on paid parental leave. On average, it means $4,500 more in super, delivering greater financial security in later life. As part of our changes, there is now more flexibility.”
“Firstly, I thank the member for Canberra for moving this motion and for her strong advocacy on behalf of families. Paid parental leave changes lives. It gives parents precious time with their newborns, it gives children the best start in life and it gives families the support they need when it matters most. That's why Labor introduced paid parental leave, and it's why this government, the Albanese Labor government, is strengthening it. When families thrive, Australia thrives. On 1 July this year, Australian families experienced the biggest improvements in paid parental leave for more than a decade. Parents now have an extra two weeks of leave, and next year they will gain another two weeks.”
“Having two daughters that have been through university, I know that, for them, these bills will help. We need to ensure that students who go to university feel safe and supported and can be their absolute best. This is the decisive action our universities, our staff and our students need and deserve.”
“I want to thank everyone who contributed to making these reforms possible—the universities accord panel, the expert reference group, education ministers, departmental officers and, most importantly, the advocates and survivor voices who have fought for these reforms for so long. Their work has transformed advocacy into law and practice. In closing, these bills will help ensure that our universities are safe, supportive and accountable institutions for all and they will provide staff with the tools, authority and support to act when it matters most. They are a national benchmark. They'll create a culture where prevention, support and accountability are inseparable, where students and staff can trust that their safety is the highest priority.”
“These bills put students first. They put accountability first. They put safety first. They transform advocacy into action, policy into enforceable practice and good intentions into tangible protections. These reforms provide clarity and consistency. They ensure that every student, every staff member and every campus meets nationally enforceable standards. They strengthen the foundations of trust between students, staff and leadership. They recognise the dedication of staff and the courage of students. They empower leadership to act decisively. They embed prevention, accountability and support into the culture of higher education.”
“End Rape on Campus has now closed not because the work is finished but because Australians have a government that is acting. The advocacy of groups like End Rape on Campus laid the foundation for these bills. Their work is now embedded in the Ombudsman and the enforceable code. The evidence is clear. Significant numbers of students experience sexual assault or harassment and many feel that their complaints have not been taken seriously. This must change, because these numbers represent real people, students navigating fear while trying to learn, grow and succeed, students whose horrendous experiences are likely to affect them for the rest of their lives. Our response must be robust—as robust as the challenges are real. Universities should be places of opportunity, learning and growth, not fear, not harassment and not silence.”
“These programs are not optional; they are an expectation and they are a leadership responsibility. Vice-chancellors and CEOs must demonstrate that these initiatives are prioritised. They must ensure programs are implemented effectively and continuously evaluated for impact. Leadership at every level matters. Where leadership is visible, accountable and committed to cultural change, students and staff feel safer, they feel supported and they feel confident to speak up. I want to acknowledge the advocates who have fought tirelessly for these reforms over many years. Organisations like End Rape on Campus campaigned for years to make universities safer. They worked tirelessly, often unpaid, amplifying student voices and highlighting gaps in protections.”
“Staff provide counselling, they run education programs and they respond to disclosures with professionalism and generally with care. Student leaders work tirelessly to create peer support networks and advocate for their fellow students. These reforms do not diminish that work. They strengthen it. They provide clarity and ensure that good practices are consistent everywhere. Prevention is a central pillar of this legislation. Evidence shows that proactive education and training reduce incidents of gender based violence and build a culture of respect, accountability and safety. Staff and students trained in bystander intervention, respectful workplace practices and trauma informed response are empowered to act early, preventing harm before it occurs.”
“The universities accord report underlined the urgency of addressing sexual assault and harassment in universities. It demonstrated that prevention and response systems must be consistent, robust and nationally enforced. These bills respond directly to those findings. They embed accountability in the highest level of leadership. Vice-chancellors and CEOs will be personally accountable and compliance will be rigorously monitored. Importantly, civil penalties, infringement notices, compliance notices and injunctions will ensure that institutions act to better protect students, but, at the same time, these bills acknowledge the hard work universities already do. Across the country, universities like Deakin University in my electorate strive to provide safe, inclusive and supportive environments.”
“By embedding innovation and continuous improvement into the framework, the bill ensures that universities are proactive and not reactive. It encourages them to build on the work they are already doing to anticipate risks, evaluate programs and adapt strategies to changing circumstances. It also provides opportunities for staff and students to contribute ideas, research findings and lived experience to national policy discussions. In doing so, it helps ensure that universities continually evolve to better protect their communities. This approach recognises that safety and wellbeing are dynamic goals. They require vigilance, creativity and shared responsibility. These reforms are not imposed lightly. They build on years of advocacy, research and lived experience.”
“This bill recognises and harnesses that capacity. It encourages universities to engage in continuous improvement and to research and implement the most effective strategies to prevent and response to gender based violence. It acknowledges the important role that staff, students and researchers play in developing innovative programs that strengthen campus safety and wellbeing. Universities have been testing peer led initiatives, trauma informed curricula and digital reporting platforms, all designed to create safer environments and empower students to speak up. The code supports these initiatives and ensures that successful innovations can be shared and scaled across the sector. And it is not punitive; it is collaborative. It builds on the partnerships that already exist between students, staff, leadership and specialist organisations.”
“Under these bills we are making it absolutely clear that safety cannot be outsourced. The stories we hear and the statistics we read provide the clearest basis possible for swift action now—and it's not only students who carry the burden. Staff, too, often carry the weight of these experiences. It is often counsellors, student support officers and academic staff who frequently manage disclosures and provide guidance while balancing heavy workloads and emotional strain. Many have spoken of the emotional toll of navigating complex situations while trying to uphold the safety and wellbeing of students. I want to take a moment to recognise all those officers and staff who have long advocated for this reform. Universities are not only places of learning but also places of innovation, research and evidence based practice.”
“Support must be immediate, safety measures must be enacted without delay and students and staff must have clear, accessible avenues for assistance. Universities will be required to report deidentified data. This monitoring will drive improvements. It will contribute to a national evidence base on what works. Student accommodation is also included. Many students live on campus, and many incidents of harm occur in this environment. Following disclosure or a formal report, universities must immediately implement safety measures and provide urgent support services. Where accommodation is affiliated but independently operated, universities must secure agreement to meet code requirements or risk losing the benefits of that affiliation. Universities cannot pass responsibility to private colleges or other entities.”
“It means prevention is no longer an option; it is a core responsibility—it is a leadership responsibility. Universities will be required to implement evidence based prevention, education and training for both staff and students. They must consult with students, staff and people with lived experience to ensure programs are practical and responsive, and recruitment and promotion practices must take into account any history of gender based violence. Leadership will also be informed by evidence and best practice. Non-disclosure agreement will only be permitted at the request of the survivor. When incidents occur, responses must be trauma informed, person centred and respectful of educational outcomes.”
“One in 20 university students report being sexually assaulted on campus, one in six report sexual harassment and half of all students who have made a complaint feel their concerns were not taken seriously. These are not abstract numbers; these are real people navigating study, life and sometimes profound trauma. The code strengthens the work in prevention and response to gender based violence already undertaken by universities, and it ensures consistent national standards across every higher education provider. The ombudsman is central to this framework. Independent, authoritative and empowered, the ombudsman ensures that student and staff voices will be heard and that recommendations are acted on. It transforms advocacy into action. It makes the complaints process more transparent, accountable and effective.”
“They will give students the confidence and pathway to make a complaint, to be heard and respected and to have their complaints—many shocking, serious, criminal and life-shattering—acted on to achieve justice. These bills give the National Student Ombudsman the authority it needs. They establish enforceable standards to prevent harm, respond effectively when incidents occur and hold universities accountable. They are built on evidence, extensive consultation and the tireless advocacy of students, staff and survivor groups. I would like to acknowledge every young person who has shared their traumatic story so that tomorrow's students are better protected and supported. What we know is that, across the nation, many students report experiences with sexual assault or harassment or feel that their complaints have been ignored.”
“Gender based violence has no place in Australia. It certainly no place in our universities. Universities should be places of learning, opportunity and growth—places where students feel safe, supported and empowered. When I began my time as a university student I had left home to live on campus. I was young, living away from home for the first time, excited, open to what lay ahead and keen to learn and experience everything on offer. My time at university was amazing, but for some of my friends it was not always the case. It is for these students, for every student, that I rise today in strong support of the bills before us—bills that establish the national higher education code to prevent and respond to gender based violence. These bills are a decisive step.”
“That's why I'll continue working with WILD and the Empowering Women 50/50 Network to grow their reach, strengthen community and champion diversity across our local government, from Surf Coast to Queenscliff, from Golden Plains to Kalka Way to Greater Geelong. This is an ambition worth fighting for, and I know that together we'll get there.”
“It takes leadership, commitment and collective action, and we are making progress. Australia has just achieved its highest ever ranking in the World Economic Forum's gender gap index. We're now sitting 13th out of 148 countries. That is up by 11 places. It reflects the impact of deliberate sustained action in areas like political empowerment and economic participation and education. Federally, we now have the highest proportion of women in government, at 56 per cent of government members, and for the first time we have a majority of women in cabinet. These milestones matter, not just symbolically but because they help deliver better, fairer outcomes for all Australians.”
“This goal is ambitious and absolutely necessary to achieve gender parity by the 2028 local government elections. I'm honoured to be the patron of WILD and to work alongside the extraordinary women leading this effort, including Jenny Wells, a tireless advocate who recently stepped down as president, and Kate Lockhart, who brings great energy and vision to the role. Recently I joined Jenny, Kate and many others in Geelong for the inaugural Empowering Women 50/50 Network oration, delivered by Victoria's first gender equity commissioner, Dr Niki Vincent. I want to thank Dr Vincent for her leadership and for her powerful address. That night was a celebration of how far we've come and a rallying call for the work that still lies ahead. We know gender equality doesn't just happen by accident.”
“When women do well, we all do well. When women are represented in government, policies are better designed to improve lives and address the unique challenges women face in our communities. The Albanese government is an example of this in action, and that didn't happen by chance. It happened because Labor recognised that, when women are at the table, policy outcomes improve everyone's lives. Some perfect examples of this are Labor's 26 weeks of paid parental leave with super on top, 10 days of paid family violence leave, and endometriosis clinics right across the nation. This principle is also driving action in my electorate of Corangamite. A local group, Women in Local Democracy, or WILD, is leading the charge to improve gender representation in our councils.”
“It is a government that believes penalty rates are a right, not a privilege, and it's a government that will keep fighting for fairness, respect and better pay for all Australians. I commend the bill to the House.”
“If we believe in fairness, in dignity and in decency, we can't stand by while the wages of our lowest-paid workers are quietly eroded. This bill draws a line. It says: 'Enough. No more hiding pay cuts in the fine print. No more trading away penalty rates without scrutiny. No more quiet reductions to the pay of people who already earn the least.' This bill protects what's fair. It protects what's right. It protects the thousands of Australians who keep our economy running, our shops open, our hospitals staffed and our communities cared for. I want to thank unions and workers who have fought tirelessly for these protections. You have made your voices heard, you have stood up for your mates and we have listened. In closing, let me say that this is a government that stands with working people.”
“What this bill does is protect the floor so no-one falls below it. For many workers in Corangamite, this is personal. I've had people come up to me in the street stalls in Belmont and Leopold and tell me: 'I work weekends because I have to, not because I want to. Penalty rates are the reason I can keep up with my rent. Without them, I'd be in real trouble.' These are workers we rely on in aged care, in child care, in food service, in our regional health centres and in our small business. They're not asking for more than they deserve. They're asking for the bare minimum to not go backwards, and that is exactly what this bill guarantees. As I said at the beginning of my speech, this is a matter of principle. If we value people's time, we should show it. If we ask people to work when others rest, we need to reward that.”
“This is not about heavy-handed interference; it's about giving the commission a clear mandate to protect core entitlements and give workers confidence that their penalty rates are not up for grabs. Just as importantly, this bill supports the continued success of enterprise bargaining. We want to see more enterprise agreements—agreements that deliver better pay, better conditions and more productive workplaces. That's why we've reformed the system, making bargaining more accessible and more meaningful for workers and employers alike. This bill does not interfere with that. It preserves the better off overall test, which ensures that workers are in fact better off under enterprise agreements, and it continues to support the idea that genuine negotiations, with safeguards in place, can lead to win-win outcomes for business and workers alike.”
“This bill doesn't impose anything new. Employers already have a legal obligation to pay their workers according to the award. If the award says a casual worker gets an extra 25 per cent for working Saturday nights, that's what they should be paid. This bill doesn't change that obligation; it reinforces it. It gives certainty to employers who are doing the right thing, and it stops the race to the bottom for a handful who aren't. We've consulted widely to make sure these changes are fair, balanced and workable. I thank the minister for the work that has been done on this bill. Importantly, this bill respects the independence of the Fair Work Commission. The commission will continue to apply the law in a careful, consultative way, taking into account the views of workers, unions, employers and other stakeholders.”
“It requires the Fair Work Commission to make sure that penalty and overtime rates in awards aren't reduced and that awards don't include terms that substitute those entitlements in a way that cuts take-home pay. This means the commission will still have flexibility to do its work but it will have a clear principle it must follow: protect the pay of workers who rely on penalty and overtime rates. This change is carefully designed. It targets the kinds of changes that would reduce the percentage of pay a worker receives for penalty hours or roll those penalties up into a flat rate that's worth less overall. It doesn't impact individual contracts, it doesn't apply to enterprise agreements and it doesn't stop good faith efforts to modernise awards. It stops pay quietly being cut for the people who can least afford it.”
“We've introduced the right to disconnect, making it clear that workers have a right to switch off at the end of the day, and we're reinvigorating enterprise bargaining. Since our reforms, more than 9,800 entrepreneur agreements have been approved, covering more than nearly 2.5 million workers. As of March this year, almost 2.7 million Australians are covered by an active enterprise agreement—the highest number on record since enterprise bargaining began in 1991. The average wage increase under those agreements is 3.8 per cent, well above the five-year average before our reforms and higher than inflation. These are real outcomes for real people. This bill strengthens that progress and locks in protections for workers on modern awards. Let me explain exactly how the bill works. It amends the Fair Work Act to introduce a new section, 135A.”
“The bottom line is that a worker should not be asked to barter away their rights and conditions of work that we, the great labour movement and unions, have fought so hard for. That's why this legislation matters and that's what we're doing; we're acting. This bill builds on the strong workplace reforms we've already delivered. Since forming government, we've made it our mission to get wages moving again and to restore fairness to our workplace laws. We've backed every increase to the minimum wage, including a 3.5 per cent increase from 1 July. We've closed loopholes that kept wages low, with same job, same pay laws now delivering up to $60,000 extra to some workers. We've made gender equality a key principle of workplace law, helping drive the gender pay gap to its lowest level ever.”
“These are not high-flying executives we are talking about. These are workers on modest incomes, the very people the award system is meant to protect. It is happening right now. The Fair Work Commission is currently dealing with cases where employers are trying to lock in these kinds of arrangements. The opposition have made it clear they won't stand in the way of these employers. Their leader says without hesitation, 'We don't propose to depart from the current arrangements.' Well, we do, because we believe the award system should act as a safety net, not a ceiling. We believe a full weekend of retail work shouldn't leave you short on rent and we believe that, if you're asked to give up your nights, your holidays or your family time, your pay shouldn't quietly go backwards.”
“We know that workers who rely on modern awards are more likely to be younger, more likely to be women and more likely to be casual, part time or in insecure work. Many of them work in sectors like retail, hospitality, aged care and health care, and many of them live in communities like mine in Corangamite. They rely on the fairness that is at the heart of penalty rates. Right now, that fairness is under threat. There's a loophole in the system, one that allows employers to propose terms that roll out penalty and overtime rates into a single rate of pay, even when that means workers are left worse off. Some employers are using that loophole. They are applying to the commission to reduce what low-paid workers are entitled to by replacing penalty rates with flat pay structures. Let me be clear.”
“He asked, 'How many small businesses will be impacted by this legislation?' None. This legislation doesn't change current penalty rates; it enshrines and protects them. But what it does do is stop the bartering away of workers' rights and their penalty rates. Workers deserve certainty now, and that's what this bill delivers. The bill makes a straightforward but powerful change to the Fair Work Act. It says the independent umpire, the Fair Work Commission, must not make changes to awards that reduce penalty rates or overtime entitlements or roll them out into other arrangements that leave workers worse off. This bill is all about fairness. It's about decency. It's about standing up for the people who often have the least power in the workplace but who give so much of their time and energy to keeping our country running.”
“Let me start with a simple principle. If you are working weekends, public holidays, early mornings or late nights, you deserve to be paid fairly. That time matters to workers, to families and to our communities. That's what penalty rates are all about—making sure working Australians are properly paid for giving up their precious time that could be spent with family or friends. This legislation, the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025, delivers on a clear promise we made to Australians to protect the penalty rates and overtime pay of those covered by modern awards. It delivers on this straightaway, not after delays, as proposed by those opposite. I would like to take a moment to reject the comments of the previous speaker, the member for Goldstein.”
“To all Australians with a student debt and to the 18,000 who have student debt in my electorate of Corangamite: you will soon receive a text from the ATO. It will be good news. It will cut your HECS debt, and please know that it is your Labor government that has enabled this reform, because we do not want financial burden to be a barrier to grasping the opportunities that come with a tertiary qualification.”
“They said Australians want a government that's focused on building a future and that listens to them and responds to their needs, and they said Australians want a government that' is focussed on their futures. That's what Australians voted for and that's what the Albanese Labor government will continue to deliver. We'll continue to back in Australians to provide help with the cost of living and to ensure more people get ahead. That's why this bill is the first piece of legislation that we introduced in this new term of parliament. In closing, education allows students to grow and flourish as people and as Australians, and it gives them hope for the future. Education is an investment. It is never wasted, and that's what the bill represents.”
“Decent schools mean that a child who comes from the most disadvantaged circumstances can succeed in life with the right support, and those young Australians coming out of school deserve the opportunity to go to university or TAFE without being held back by the fear of financial burden. That's why this bill is so important and why I urge those opposite to accept what the Australian people voted for on 3 May. They voted for student debt reduction. They voted for it because it does not reek of elitism. They voted for it because it's fair. That's what thousands of local people told me in the pre-poll line and on 3 May. They said reducing student debt is the right thing to do. They said investing in Medicare and establishing more urgent care clinics is the right thing to do.”
“At the heart of our free TAFE agenda is our commitment to helping more Australians get ahead. As part of that agenda, we're continuing our work to take cost-of-living pressures off people right across the nation, from two rounds of tax cuts to significant investments in Medicare, expanding the Paid Parental Leave scheme to 26 weeks with super on top and so much more. The Albanese government is progressing reforms that help people get ahead, start a family, enter the property market and embrace the opportunities our nation has on offer. Our government is committed to building a world-class education system, providing opportunities and pathways for all young Australians. Education is empowerment. I saw it myself as a teacher in the past.”
“Ensuring all Australians can thrive is at the heart of this reform, and it builds on work we've done to empower teaching and nursing students with paid prac. It also builds on our work to strengthen TAFE. Free TAFE is changing lives, and it's delivering new opportunities for people transitioning to a new job or starting a new career. Every day, more Australians are enrolling in free TAFE courses, and, every day, more Australians are completing much-needed qualifications. Data from states and territories shows that, from January 2023 to March this year, there were more than 170,000 courses completed. It also found there were more than 650,000 free TAFE enrolments in the same period. Free TAFE is opening doors to new careers and giving Australians the chance to find secure, well-paid work that they're passionate about.”
“The architect of HECS, Professor Bruce Chapman, said: That is the most important thing that's happened to the system in 35 years. It's a marginal collection, it's much gentler and much fairer than previously—we should have done it years ago. And, when our prime minister first announced the proposal, he said the following: It will help everyone repaying a student debt right now—and it delivers a better deal for every student in the years ahead. Permanent structural reform to boost take home pay for young Australians. This is about putting money into your pocket and putting intergenerational equity back into the system. It's good for cost of living. Good for this generation—and for generations to come.”
“This is an important structural reform. We're replacing the current repayment system with a new marginal repayment system. It'll mean you start paying off your university degree when university starts to pay off for you. For someone earning $70,000, it will reduce the minimum repayments they have to make by $1,300 a year, and, rather than loan repayments being calculated based on the percentage of someone's repayment income, a new marginal system that kicks in at a threshold of about $67,000 will be introduced. By making these adjustments to repayment rates and thresholds, the government is ensuring that more people have more money in their take-home pay right now by smoothing out the time and pace at which debt is repaid. It should be noted that this is a recommendation of the Universities Accord.”
“These are the Australians who will build Australia's future—who are already building it—and this will take a weight off their backs. When this legislation passes, their debt will be cut by 20 per cent based on what it was on 1 June this year, before this year's indexation occurred. This will ensure graduates get the maximum financial benefit and that we honour our promise in full, and it will happen automatically. The Australian Taxation Office will process the changes and, when their work is done, Australians with student debt will receive a text—a text worth celebrating. That's real cost-of-living help. What this means is more money in your pocket—in the pockets of students who have debt, not the government's. It means less pressure on graduates, because we have increased the repayment threshold from around $54,000 to $67,000.”
“We want to reduce the barriers for people with a student loan to buy their first home, start a family or transition to a new career, and that's what this bill does. As promised, it cuts the student debt of three million Australians by 20 per cent. Overall, it will cut all student debt by over $16 billion. In my electorate of Corangamite, this means a lot, with almost 18,000 people about to have their student loan debt cut. That's significant, particularly when we know the average HELP debt today is about $28,000. Most of the people with this debt are young Australians, just out of uni or TAFE, just getting started trying to save to buy a home and thinking about starting a family—teachers, tradies, nurses, doctors and paramedics, engineers, architects, IT workers and AI experts.”
“We said we'd do it, and we've done it. Today the Albanese government has passed through this House a bill to reduce student debt by 20 per cent. On average, that's a $5½ thousand reduction for all those with a student loan debt. The Albanese government has done this because we believe that one of the keys to a bright future is a good and fair education, and getting that education shouldn't mean a lifetime of debt. I know this principle is close to the heart of our education minister. I would like to acknowledge his passion and commitment to reducing barriers to educational achievement and his unwavering commitment to enabling this reform. We want everyone to have opportunity regardless of their financial circumstances.”
“We are committed to forging a future that opens the door to opportunities for families not just across the Bellarine and Surf Coast in Geelong in my area of Corangamite but across our nation. It's a future where workers are supported, communities are connected, infrastructure is actually delivered and our manufacturing industries are revitalised.”
“For women and families, our government is expanding the Paid Parental Leave scheme to 24 weeks and then 26 weeks for parents, with super payments included. It's a policy that is truly life changing and a clear example of how Labor governments are prepared to support families not just in cities but in our regions. It doesn't matter if they live in metro Melbourne or St Leonards in my electorate, this policy will make a positive difference to the lives of so many families. The Albanese government is committed to a better NBN, protecting penalty rates for regional workers, reducing student debt in our regions and providing access for cheaper child care in our regions.”
“Incentives to ensure we have more GPs and nurses in our regions are underway. So, no matter how much the opposition tries to spin it, the data speaks for itself. We also know that free TAFE is changing lives for so many people across my region and regional Australia. Australians are embracing this opportunity and embarking on a new journey as builders, electricians and workers in the aged-care and broader care sector. Data from the states and territories shows that, from January 2023 to March this year, there were more than 170,000 courses completed. It also finds there have been more than 650,000 free TAFE enrolments in the same period. TAFE is opening doors to new careers and giving Australians the chance to find secure, well-paid work—and, in regions, this matters.”
“And more than $3.3 million in federal funding has been provided to improve safety at 11 crash-prone sites across the Surf Coast and broader Geelong region. These sites are dangerous. There have been several serious accidents at these sites. Our government recognise this and we are acting. We are also strengthening Medicare for regional Australians. Our government is rolling out Medicare mental health hubs and urgent care clinics across our country, including one right in the heart of my electorate in Torquay. Bulk-billing rates are on the up, enabling more people to see a GP without it impacting their bank balance. Medicare billing data shows that, under the Albanese government, we are reviving bulk-billing. Locals in regional Australia have had an additional 586,003 visits to a GP just in the past year. That's a fact.”
“From the $318 million upgrade of the Barwon Heads Road to upgrades of Grubb Road in Ocean Grove, we're building the roads we need now and for the future. During the election campaign, we committed $5.4 million to upgrade the Drysdale Hawks netball courts, and $1 million in support to ensure Grovedale netball courts are fit for purpose. We're also restoring integrity in grants programs, with the $600 million Growing Regions Program and the $400 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program. On top of that, the Albanese government is progressively increasing the Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million to $1 billion per year over the next five years, delivering much-needed road upgrades across the region.”
“I'd like to begin by thanking the member for Page for moving this motion today because it gives me as a proud regional member of parliament the opportunity to strongly reject it. The Albanese government is backing in rapidly growing regions like mine. Labor understand the importance of regions, and we will always support them. So here's what we are doing, in my electorate of Corangamite alone. We're delivering critical investment to build a better future for locals—from major road improvements to massive rail duplications, and from new facilities for football and netball clubs to new learning centres for schools. We're supporting men's sheds and community houses; building new swimming pools; supporting surf lifesaving clubs and food relief services; and supporting farmers and primary producers.”
“My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel. How is the Albanese Labor government addressing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide?”