Phillip Thompson
Herbert · Liberal National Party · Australia
“The schedule ensures that a former partner is not excluded from support services simply because their relationship with the serving member has ended. Facilitating access to assistance for safe separation and improving the safety of victims-survivors are objectives the coalition strongly supports.”
“The general public around the country expects members of our ADF to be at the highest standard, and so do I, because when the time comes—and history shows it will—we will ask our brave men and women to travel to a foreign land, to stand side-by-side with our allies with the Australian flag on their shoulder and their will to win.”
“There is a word that used to mean something in this country—trust. Trust was the commitment a government made to the Australian people. This Labor prime minister said from this dispatch box whilst in opposition: … you can only lie to people once. Well, it's clear that this prime minister doesn't take his own advice.”
“Effective oversight will be the key to ensuring that lessons of the royal commission are translated into lasting and systematic improvements. The coalition supports the objectives of this bill. We are mindful of the history of reform in this area. For too many, the system has been the source of frustration rather than support.”
“We approach this debate in a spirit of constructive engagement, acknowledging the valuable work of ex-service organisations, advocates and families who have fought for these changes. However, our support is cautious.”
“These are the metrics by which the parliament and further governments will be judged. The coalition supports the referral of this legislation to a committee inquiry in the Senate. This process is not about delay; it's about diligence.”
The complete record
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“If you were to listen to the member for Wright, Scotty Buchholz, you would know that he's in the transport industry. He's the only truckie in this parliament, but no-one's reached out and said, 'What do you think we should do? How can we make this better?' All we're seeing is politics from this Labor government instead of action, and that's a shame.”
“People are trying to live their lives, and now they can't afford fuel, and these petrol stations that are jacking up prices need to be held accountable. I absolutely agree with that. I absolutely agree that that has to happen, and right now this parliament should be working together. Right now elected members should be putting together the plan to make sure that people can afford fuel at the bowser so that it isn't an extra cost on them and it doesn't impact the cost-of-living crisis that they're already facing. Around the country, the real discussion is going to happen when parents wake up on Easter Day and say, 'The Easter bunny won't be coming today,' because they can't afford to buy that little bit extra that they're used to. They can't afford to drive to the shops to get it or to buy the groceries because everything has gone up.”
“The real concern isn't about what happens in the bubble; it's what's happening around the country. People can't afford to put fuel in their cars. We heard from the minister. He stood in here—I think it was yesterday—and he said, 'We have the same amount of fuel as we did before the war in the Middle East.' If that is the case, why are petrol stations and fuel supplies running low? Why have fuel and petrol stations closed down? Why are people drilling into farmers' fuel tanks and draining their fuel? It is because what he said is not true. We've heard the Prime Minister previously say, 'The Australian people should only take what they need.' If you couldn't afford it a week ago, you're not going to be able to afford it in two weeks, when it goes from $3 up to $4 in Townsville.”
“Then it can go to the Senate and also go out into the community to make sure that big business and those fuel companies aren't ripping off the consumer.' That's what we did. As the Manager of Opposition Business was doing that, the Leader of the House saw an opportunity to play politics with a national crisis. He added a little part, an amendment, that said he wanted to ram through the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026, which was introduced this morning and which we haven't had the ability to go through—and which the Australian public hasn't been able to look at, scrutinise and then give their feedback on. So we are reserving our right, as the shadow ministers right now are rushing through this bill as quickly as they can. But it's just politics after politics with this government.”
“We're the Labor government.' I don't and neither do the majority of the Australian people, because as we've seen continually under this government—we have seen them hoodwink them. We've seen things hidden in bills. That's what's about to happen or is trying to happen under this government. The coalition support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026. We got it yesterday. We spent last night going through it. We looked for where all the sneaky by-lines normally are. We support it. We came in today and we offered the government an olive branch and said, 'We want to bring it on quickly—earlier—for debate so we can get it passed through here.”
“What we just heard in that diatribe is so far from the convention of this place. It is disgraceful that members of the government come in here to give speeches to say: 'Why won't you vote on a bill that we haven't given to you? Why won't we vote on a bill that we haven't shown the Australian people and we haven't been honest with this parliament about? Why won't you do that?' Because it's bad, bad governance—it is ridiculous to have government ministers who want to be all tricky and go, 'Oh, well, we'll just add this in at the last minute.' We haven't been able to go through the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill. It was introduced this morning, and now you want to somehow try and ram it through and say: 'Trust us.”
“He put his hands up in the air and said, 'I'm done.' He threw the toys out of the cot. He can't blame Australians any more. He can't gaslight you. He has no solutions, and people are going to be paying more at the bowser. This isn't good enough. People are already doing it tough. We need a government that puts Australians first, not one that gaslights them and tells them that they've done the wrong thing. People are filling up now because they won't be able to afford it in a week's time when it's $3.50. People are filling up their cars because Australia is a tough place to do business. (Time expired)”
“Fuel security is national security, and this government is gaslighting Australians. Last sitting, it was: 'There is no problem. There is no issue.' This sitting, it's: 'The Australian people are the ones who are taking too much fuel, and we still have lots of fuel to go around.' If that was the truth, then we wouldn't see fuel stations shut up—can't get fuel—people not being able to fill up their cars and businesses going without. It's not just people around the country that are doing it tough because of this failed Labor government's policy on fuel security. Small businesses like Sun City Skips are doing it tough. Meals on Wheels, who provide an essential service to give meals to the most vulnerable, are feeling the pinch. We heard today from the Minister for Climate Change and Energy.”
“The Australian Defence Force is made up of professional men and women, and they need to be supported by this weak Labor government.”
“That means rebuilding capability, strengthening recruitment and retention, restoring morale and funding defence for the strategic reality we face, not the political comfort zone of the Albanese Labor government. Peace is preserved through strength, and right now Labor is asking Australia to accept weakness. We must do everything to ensure that the Australian Defence Force has the equipment, the ability to fight and to win and is supported, because right now we have a recruitment, a retention and a readiness issue, and it has not been addressed by this Labor government. It has been glossed over and pushed to the side. Members of the Australian Defence Force are worried. They know that they need the equipment now. You need to train like you fight. And they can't, because of poor investment and poor leadership.”
“RSL national leadership has warned that the government risks hollowing out the ADF and pouring money into select high-end platforms, while neglecting manpower, retention and readiness, and they are calling the outsourced recruitment model an abject failure. Let's get real. You can't deter aggression with slogans. You can't recruit with spin. You can't ask Australians to wear the uniform while refusing to give them the tools, the numbers, the support and the certainty that they deserve. The strike near Al Minhad should be a wake-up call. If our people can be placed in harm's way overseas, then this parliament has a solemn duty to ensure they are properly protected, properly equipped and properly backed. That means real investment. That means urgency.”
“They warned that public demonisation of serving personnel has harmed morale, damaged esprit de corps and undermined recruitment. Those concerns are real. Those concerns are justified, and they are not isolated. RSL Australia has publicly called for the government to immediately lift defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, and then to three per cent within 12 months, warning that Australia needs a balanced force, stronger recruitment and retention and more investment in defence equipment. In its pre-budget submission, the RSL also warned the government must properly resource both ADF capability and the implementation of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide because a hollowed out Australian Defence Force and a broken veteran system is a betrayal of those who serve.”
“While Labor boasts about headline announcements, the reality is this: defence spending remains stuck at around two per cent of GDP. It is at 2.05 per cent in the 2025-26 budget. Even in the government's own long-term trajectory, it only reaches over 2.3 per cent by 2034. In a far more dangerous world, this is not urgency; this is drift, and Australians know it. The Port Macquarie RSL subbranch recently wrote to its local federal member, warning of deep concern about defence spending and recruitment. They said that members fear we will not have the resources to procure the armament required for modern warfare, and they are calling for a much stronger national commitment. They also raised concern about the ongoing fallout from the Brereton report and the way that it's been handled.”
“Last week, Australians learnt sobering news that an Iranian projectile struck near the Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE, where Australian Defence Force personnel were stationed. An accommodation block was damaged. A medical facility was damaged, and while, thankfully, no Australian personnel were injured, the message to this parliament could not be clearer. The world is becoming more dangerous and faster than this government is acting. This is not theoretical. This is not strategic abstraction. This is not a line in a white paper. This is an Australian linked base under attack. And yet, at precisely the moment our servicemen and women face rising risk, Labor continues to tell the Australian people that what they are doing is enough. It is not enough.”
“These organisations show enormous heart and commitment, but the reality is that the demand is rising and they are under enormous strain. The challenges facing Townsville are real. They deserve the full attention of this government.”
“There is a clear trend: more people are asking for help with the basics, with their food, with bills and with keeping their household functioning. Importantly, they are seeing more first-time help seekers—people with jobs, people who simply can't keep up with the rising rents, energy bills, groceries, the cost of fuel. People who once were able to stand on their own two feet are now needing the support. Those who only needed help occasionally are coming back more often. Vinnies are also seeing the impact through their retail store, which is experiencing strong growth. When household budgets tighten, people look for value. These stories are of families stretching their budget, trying to save everything they can, spreading the money further. They also help fund this charity that supports those doing it tough.”
“The hub isn't funded for housing, yet they are helping between 30 and 50 families and individuals every month with the basics of food, showers, laundry, somewhere to charge their phone, mental health support and help covering temporary accommodation or rent. These are frontline workers stepping up because this government isn't and someone has to. St Vincent de Paul is seeing the same shift. In Townsville, they have supported more than 16,000 companions in just 12 months. That's not a statistic; that's thousands of locals who need a helping hand. They have provided more than $931,000 in direct assistance, much of it going straight to rent, car expenses and electricity—and soon to be fuel. On top of that, furniture and voucher support has reached more than $535,000.”
“I rise today to speak about something that has been felt in homes, streets and community centres right across Townsville. Our local support organisations are doing everything they can, but the pressure on them is growing every single month. North Townsville Community Hub is now giving out four to five tonnes of free food every month. That is food that keeps local families going when there's nothing left in the cupboard. Their emergency relief program is seeing around 240 people in crisis each month, and that number doesn't include the people they simply don't have room to see. Families tell them the same thing over and over again: food costs are up, housing costs are up, and they are struggling.”
“People cannot afford to fill up their cars. Businesses will close. This is not good enough. This minister should be walking in today and going, 'This is the break-glass moment,' not another round table. Shaq might be flying over to attend, like the Labor Party have done previously. We want action from this minister. We don't want more equivocation; we want this government to put Australians first. Get out of the bubble and start fixing this problem.”
“People are working harder for less—and fuel security is so important. Minister Bowen has come into this place and on TV and said: 'There's no need to panic. There isn't a problem.' Well, when is the break-glass moment for this government? People can't get fuel. People can't afford to fill up their cars. People can't afford to go to the service station. But this minister is more worried about what's happening in the bubble than his actual job. How long does the Australian Defence Force have its fuel security for? The buck stops with this minister. Minister Bowen should be in this place making solutions for the Australian people. Instead he goes on TV, and he tells everyone in the gallery and around the country, 'No problem; nothing to see here. I'm great at my job.' Well, Minister, the time to act is now.”
“That's why there are a lot of coalition members coming in here today to speak against some of the most drastic and draconian tax policies that a government has tried to ram through this place—at least in my lifetime.”
“The coalition stood side by side with our small businesses, with our farmers, and said, 'We will not support it.' We had to take the fight up to the government. I don't think that a lot of the policies the Treasurer has tried to rush through will help Australians. I think we'll see the pain. It's normally after politicians have left this place, when they're in retirement somewhere. That's when the pain will flow through the hardest. The Treasurer, the Labor Party and this Labor government need to listen, work and deliver for the Australian people rather than listen, work and deliver for their mates in the unions and the CFMEU—well, not the ACTU because they came out and they didn't support this policy.”
“Make no mistake; they have run out of money. They have not prioritised the Australian people correctly. They are trying to cut programs, tax you, raise revenue wherever they can and blame everyone else. I'm sure something that's happening in the Middle East, or somewhere around the world, will be the cause of this treasurer trying to sneak in another sneaky tax. The Australian people, the community—those who came out so hard, in their masses, and said, 'We do not support taxing unrealised gains'—and small businesses have got better things to do than fight a government on a tax they're trying to creep in. They are the engine room of the economy. They're the ones that keep the lights on here—the private sector, our small businesses—not the government.”
“Rather than confronting waste, rather than prioritising programs and rather than restoring fiscal discipline, Labor has chosen to hunt for new pools of capital to tax. Trust is fundamental in tax reform. Australians accept reform when it is principled, predictable and based on consultation. They do not accept retrospective tinkering, ad hoc changes and ideological experiments dressed up as 'just modest adjustments'. This proposal reinforces a broader pattern: high spending first, then new taxes to pay for it later. That is not reform. That is fiscal mismanagement. Tax policy cannot be designed in isolation when retirement income settings need confidence and the entire system is eroded. This Labor government is once again trying to leave the door ajar to come after hard-working Australian tax dollars.”
“Industry analysis has found the claim by the government that it would only hit a small number of Australians is a furphy; it was going to hit 1.8 million Australians. Those are the Labor heavyweights saying that this is a bad policy, yet, if the Treasurer saw an opening, he would take it, because he knows that he, as the Treasurer, and the Prime Minister cannot manage a budget. They've run out of money. They've run out of ideas. Now they're coming after Australians' money. The problem confronting our country is structural spending growth that is outpacing sustainable economic growth. Labor has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. When governments spend beyond their means, they reach for new taxes to fill a gap—to fill the hole. This is precisely what we are witnessing here.”
“Labor said it would only target the few, but even Labor's mates are out there calling out the fibs. The Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Sally McManus, warned: I do think it's got to be indexed because you've got to make sure eventually people don't end up there. Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has said: I think taxing unrealised capital gains is bad policy. It distorts the effective tax. Changes your income flows, and if it was on superannuation generally, there would be a revolution about it. It would destroy super. The father of the superannuation system, Paul Keating—the person that Treasurer Chalmers looks up to the most—has said that workers would be caught up.”
“In life it's been harder for hardworking Australians to pay the mortgage, to pay the energy bill and to make ends meet. Right now around Australia people are making hard decisions, whether they're paying insurance, cancelling sporting events for their children, putting food on the table or making those tough sacrifices because of how hard it is to make ends meet in this country. The fact of the matter is that inflation and high interest rates have beaten this treasurer and this government. When Sally McManus, Bill Kelty and Paul Keating say the family-savings tax is a bad idea, it's a bad idea. If your Labor front line, union officials and Paul Keating come out and say this is a bad idea, that Labor has lost its way and is not doing the right thing, then the Labor government should listen.”
“Major structural tax changes should be put clearly and transparently to the Australian people. Instead, this proposal appeared out of nowhere, with limited to no consultation and a rushed legislative timetable. That is why this debate has resonated so strongly. Australians instinctively understand when something has been slipped in without their consent. When it comes to retirement savings—the nest eggs built over decades of hard work—the bar for legitimacy must be higher. We have a government that cannot be trusted. We were promised by Labor, by this treasurer, that they had beaten inflation and higher interest rates. We were told by this government that they were going to make life easier for families, yet families have had less flexibility and less choice.”
“If it wasn't a flawed policy, it was a sneaky trick to take more of your hard earned savings. The government's backdown demonstrates one thing clearly—this was never settled policy grounded in principle. It was a blatant revenue grab that was exposed and collapsed under scrutiny. Tax policy reform should not be done with haste; it should be done in consultation. It's my belief that this Labor government can't be trusted. They say one thing in the community and do another thing here. At the last election, Australians were not presented with a policy to tax unrealised gains in superannuation. They were not told that longstanding superannuation settings would be fundamentally altered. They were not warned that indexation would be stripped away. Promises matter in a democracy.”
“The flow-on effect to our economy would mean fewer farmers, less Australian produce and less of the choice that you have to buy Australian at the supermarket. To propose taxing paper gains, particularly in volatile asset classes, was not just a minor tweak. This was a structural shift that would have set a dangerous precedent across the whole tax base. Equally concerning was the government's refusal to index the $3 million threshold. In an inflationary environment being made worse by this treasurer and his willingness to pour debt petrol on the inflation fire, failing to index thresholds was a silent tax hike. Over time, more Australians would have been captured, not because they were in some wealthy top one per cent, but because inflation eroded the value of the threshold. That is bracket creep by design and a flawed policy.”
“This was not a proposal that was aimed at hurting retirees; this was aimed at hurting future generations, stealing the future of young Australians, and stealing it away from them without their knowledge. We exposed a clear breakdown in the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Treasurer. The original design to tax unrealised gains represented a fundamental break within the longstanding principles of the Australian tax system. Australians have always understood that tax is paid when income is realised—when cash is actually in hand. You cannot tax people on what you think they might make. A one-paddock grazier who hasn't had a good season would go bankrupt and lose the farm. They would lose what they have always lived on and grown up on.”
“The Coalition and community pressure has forced Labor to abandon the taxation of those unrealised gains and the indexation freeze, but, make no mistake, given half a chance if the door was left open, then this Labor government would come after your hard earned money and come after your life savings, because that's what they do. This government have been found out and are retreating under pressure thanks to sustained scrutiny from the coalition, from the superannuation sector and, most importantly, from small businesses, the backbone of this nation, as well as from everyday Australians who saw a government trying to sneak through changes to try and prop up their budget. We forced Labor to step back from the most outrageous elements of this proposal.”
“People are working harder and keeping less of what they make. People are working double the time in the workplace and extra jobs to keep up with inflation and cost-of-living pressures. Australians deserve clarity from this government, but it's not what they are getting. They need clarity and honesty on the direction that the country is travelling. Is this just an isolated adjustment, or is this the opening chapter in a high-tax, high-spending manifesto? We know the answer. This is exactly what life under Labor governments looks like. You pay more, you get less, and your future is never safe.”
“When this Labor government runs out of money, it comes after yours. This is the same group of people who wanted to go after our farmers. They wanted to tax unrealised gains. This government wanted to tax out of existence those who put grain, food, fibre and meat on your plate. That is an absolute shame. I've never in my seven years here seen a government who is so blatantly going after hard-working Australians, taxing them more to bump up their revenue stream because they've run out of money. They've gone after hard-working Australians and gone after our farmers. We then get the hubris from the Treasurer, time and time again, who says that Australians have never had it so good—they've never had it better, and he's doing everything that the Australian people want. That couldn't be further from the truth.”
“Thank you for your fierce advocacy. Thank you for continuing to be in the fight, because this matters. Saving a life matters—but it's so important because he's your son.”
“'I'm begging the health minister to help save my son's life.' Those are the words from Debbie for her son, Clinton. They join us in the gallery today. Clinton has a cancer, and he needs some medication that isn't listed on the PBS. Debbie has travelled down from Townsville to meet with the health minister and the shadow health minister to talk about this medication that will save her son. Clinton is a father of three. He is a husband and he is a son. Today, he gave a very powerful message to the Australian people. He said, 'I want to walk my daughter down the aisle if she chooses to get married.' Clinton, I can say—on behalf of, I think, everyone in this parliament—that we stand with you, brother. We'll do everything we can to make sure that you get the help, the treatment, the medication and the support you need. To Debbie: I love you.”
“You'll make sure that his family is looked after, that the brothers get the support that they need and don't have to go through this on their own. There's been a failure here, and governments need to do better to make sure that we support our most brave. I just want to say to Simmo's family and loved ones: I'm sorry. I'm sorry you've had to endure this. He was far too young. He should not have died; he should still be here. And, yes, we must do better. Rest in peace, mate.”
“The 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment would be feeling a big hole right now, as one of their veterans is, sadly, no longer with us. I think this does highlight the continued work that needs to happen to make sure that the people we ask to serve in our name, who serve this nation so proudly, get the support and the help that they need and deserve. I know that Simmo had some injuries when he was in Defence. He worked closely to go through his rehab and get better, to be as good as he could be. I've seen tributes just flow for his passing. I want the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment to know that when one of us falls—regardless of unit, regardless of location—it affects all of us and hurts all of us. I know that you'll give him a great send-off.”
“It's with great sadness that I inform the House of the passing of a 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment veteran—8551468, Adam Patrick Simpson, born 28 December 1989, died 26 February 2026. Adam served at the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment from 2009 to 2017. He will be sorely missed by his daughter, friends, brothers and colleagues. Adam served as a mortarman, as an infantry soldier, and his passing has hit personal notes throughout the wider Townsville community and the Australian Defence Force. Businesses have been posting their profound sadness on his passing. I just spoke to one of his former platoon sergeants who informed me he was just a great bloke, a good man and a good soldier liked by all. He had discipline and worked hard.”
“Unfortunately, under this government—under this Labor prime minister—in 2023 her citizenship was reinstated. This ISIS member now lives in Melbourne. Allowing ISIS members to return and roam free puts Australians at risk. ISIS behead people, light them on fire, kill innocent women and children and inspire terrorist attacks. Why won't this Labor government stand with the coalition and shut the door on these ISIS members?”
“'Kill the kafir—the non-believer—in alleyways. Stab them and poison them. Poison your teachers. Go to haram restaurants and poison the food in large quantities. Our husbands die on the front lines; that doesn't stop women in the West from sending their husbands to kill the kafir. Attack the UK, Australia and US.' It wasn't me who wrote this. This is a quote from an Australian 'ISIS bride'. There is no such thing as an ISIS bride; these are ISIS members, ISIS sympathisers. This ISIS member also stated: 'All you have to know is that the next time I will step into Australia is when we come and make it a part of the Islamic State. Oh, I do miss my family. Well, I think you'll miss yours soon.' In 2019 this ISIS member had her citizenship stripped off her—rightly so.”
“The Australian War Memorial belongs to all of us, but for our veterans it holds a special place. It reminds us of mateship, sacrifice, courage and grief. It is a place of remembrance and, for many, a place of healing. As we look to the future, let us make sure that the memorial remains a place where every Australian veteran, past, present and future, is honoured with dignity, respect and truth.”
“For veterans, the Australian War Memorial is not just history; it's a mirror. It forces us to confront the cost of service. It reminds us that we're a part of something bigger than ourselves, and it gives families, friends, loved ones and everyday Australians a place to understand what service truly demands. No government of any side or any colour of shirt should ever try and shape or distort the stories told within those walls. These stories belong to the men and women who served, not to politicians. We owe it to the next generation of veterans to tell their stories honestly. We owe it to the families who sent their sons and daughters to war, and we owe it to the Australian people to help them understand not just why we fight but what fighting costs.”
“It was about ensuring that the next generation understands what our service men and women have done and what they've seen—what they've carried; what they've sacrificed. For me, it's deeply personal. Every time I walk into the Australian War Memorial, I don't do it as a politician; I do it as a veteran. I walk in as a soldier. I walk in as someone who has stood beside mates in uniform—in training, on deployment, in combat—in some of the hardest moments of our lives. When I stand in the memorial, I think of my mates who never came home: those whose names are etched on the wall. I also think about those who made it home physically but continue to fight battles. Too many of them lost that fight. Their names aren't engraved in bronze, but their sacrifice is just as real.”
“And it's one of our nation's most extensive archives, holding the records, stories, letters and memories that help us make sense of what war does to people and to our country. All of this supports its mission to lead remembrance and deepen the understanding of Australia's wartime experience. That mission has never been more important. But, for that mission to stay relevant, the memorial must evolve. That's why the former coalition government made the decision to commit to a major redevelopment, with work beginning in 2020 and set to finish in 2028. The reason was simple: our veterans, those who have served on all operations, deserve to have their stories properly told. This redevelopment wasn't about politics. It wasn't about monuments or buildings. It was about people: our veterans.”
“Today, the memorial doesn't just speak to the diggers of the First World War; it tells the story of every Australian who has worn the uniform—every conflict, every operation, every mission where Australians have stepped forward to help others. It recognises the men and women who fought in major conflicts, those who kept the peace in troubled parts of the world and those who have delivered humanitarian aid and disaster relief when people were at their most vulnerable. What makes the Australian War Memorial so important is that it is there to make sure that our brave men and women have a place to reflect. It's a shrine where we honour those who gave their lives. It's a world-class museum preserving our military history.”
“I'd like to thank my friend the member for Gippsland for bringing this motion to the parliament. I acknowledge all those sitting in here who served our nation. I also acknowledge the many brave men and women who continue to serve and our veterans and their families. The Australian War Memorial is one of the most sacred places in our country. It was built after the Great War to honour those who served, the sacrifice of the men who never made it home and those who came back carrying wounds—some visible, many not. But over the years its purpose has grown, as has our nation's understanding of what service truly means.”
“These are the types of people that this government is turning a blind eye to. They want them back in Australia. They can stop these people from returning. We do not want terrorists brought back to Australia. We do not want these ISIS members to be brought back here. We want to keep Australians safe. I say we leave these ISIS members where they are.”
“The Labor Prime Minister once said, 'My word is my bond.' But, on national security, Australians are seeing the opposite. There is no such thing as 'ISIS brides'. They are ISIS members who set out to cause harm to us and our partners around the world. This Labor government has said it has nothing to do with trying to bring these ISIS sympathisers and members back to Australia, but that is simply not the case. We've seen Minister Burke's friend travel over to Syria to give these ISIS sympathisers their passports so they can travel back to Australia. This simply isn't good enough, because it puts the lives of Australians at risk. We've seen and heard from people with firsthand experience of these ISIS sympathisers. They have spoken about wanting to make bombs. We've heard others say that they want to poison people.”
“No families should be burying their loved ones. No wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters should lose their loved one back here on home soil. We owe it to them to work quickly. We owe it to them to make sure that we're implementing policies that give them support and learn from the mistakes that have been made. I don't think that any government—any colour of shirt at any time—can put their hand on their heart and say they've done everything to support our veterans. This is the opportunity. We need to move quickly. We shouldn't be burying our bravest. The time to act is now.”