Helen Haines
Indi · Independent · Australia
“on indulgence I just want to acknowledge the Leader of the House and thank you for considering this in the way of a conversation with us. I think the crossbench has become a large crossbench because of the way that we engage with legislation in a very detailed way and seek to collaborate and seek to improve legislation.”
“I move amendment (4) on sheet 1, revised 30 June 2026, as circulated in my name: (4) Schedule 1, item 92, page 35 (line 31) to page 36 (line 4), omit subsection 25A(2), substitute: (2A) Treatment may not be appropriate treatment for a person's impairment or impairments if the person's individual circumstances restrict the person from acce…”
“(5) Schedule 1, item 97, page 39 (lines 3 to 7), omit subsection 25B(6), substitute: (6) Before making National Disability Insurance Scheme rules declaring that a support is an alternative support for an impairment, the Minister must be satisfied that: (a) it is not appropriate to fund or provide a support for the impairment through the N…”
“My amendment would give them greater clarity about why decisions have been made and how the evidence they've provided has been used. Again, I hear consistently from people in my electorate that they want to understand the 'why'; they truly do.”
“by leave—I move: (6) Schedule 3, page 101 (after line 12), at the end of the Schedule, add: Part 4 — Whistleblower protections National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 18 After subsection 73ZA(2) Insert: (2A) The disclosure of the information by the discloser qualifies for protection under this Division if it is made for the purpose…”
“Now, the government's recently made improvements to NDIS whistleblower protections, and I really welcome those. But I think many Australians, in fact all Australians, would be very surprised to learn that, under this legislation more broadly across the NDIA and NDIS, whistleblowers may not legally be allowed to talk about their own situat…”
The complete record
Every one of 574 lines we hold for Helen Haines, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 12.
“The legislation tightens the meaning of permanence by reducing access where an impairment is otherwise considered treatable. The NDIS was established to support people with permanent and ongoing disability, and, in principle, that's what Australians expect it to do. But the practical effect of this change matters. As drafted, the bill creates an extra barrier for people in rural and regional Australia, because it requires them to have undertaken 'all appropriate treatment'. Aside from the question of who determines whether a treatment is appropriate and on what clinical basis—which we're told will be considered in the future by an expert group that doesn't yet exist—this completely fails to account for whether treatments are genuinely accessible and available.”
“The bill creates a new power for the minister to reduce funding for certain support types as a whole, not in response to individual circumstances but for every single participant. The government have said this power will only be used in relation to two categories: social and community participation, and certain capacity-building supports. But the power is not limited to those areas. There are no guardrails to prevent it being used in the future to reduce funding for essential personal care, allied health services or equipment. People with disability deserve certainty that funding approved for daily living will not be reduced below what they need, and I intend to move an amendment that prevents this ministerial power from being used to reduce funding for support to complete activities of daily living.”
“The registration requirements won't come into effect until 1 July 2027, and I urge the government to engage with providers during this period to minimise these costs where possible. For the most part, these are sensible, welcome changes that seek to improve quality and accountability under the scheme. Providers in Indi have told me that the streamlined payment system in particular could be game changing, making it easier to upload invoices and be paid promptly for services they deliver. But, as with so much of this bill, the devil may not be in this legislation but in how it is operationalised in reality, especially in thinner regional markets. Schedule 1 makes radical changes to NDIS access and plans. As I've said, the NDIS is worth radical change if that's what's required, but I have concerns with many of these changes.”
“The timeframe to submit a claim will be reduced from two years to 90 days from the date of service. Schedule 2 also expands mandatory registration requirements for providers delivering personal care. There are more than 275,000 active NDIS providers in Australia, and just six per cent of them are registered. It's staggering. Not only do NDIS providers receive public funding; they regularly interact with some of the most vulnerable people in our community, often in deeply personal settings. It's not unreasonable for there to be an accreditation process. Now, I understand some providers are concerned about the impact of these changes, particularly the financial burden that registration may place on small operators.”
“We've all heard about services that go from $30 to $200 as soon as those four letters are mentioned. Dodgy providers are ripping off not just the taxpayer but also Australians with disabilities. Something has to change. The question is whether the bill before us makes the right kinds of changes and strikes the right kind of balance, and I'm not entirely confident that it does. This bill proposes significant changes to the way the NDIS operates. Schedule 2 of the bill contains measures for fraud and integrity. These include improvements to the NDIS regulatory and information-gathering powers and the minimum record-keeping requirements in relation to payments and receipts. There'll be new civil penalties for things like providing false information to the NDIA.”
“But what kind of support? The NDIS was never meant to be everything to everyone, but it's now so large that it's crowded out a lot of other services and programs. For too many people and their families, it doesn't matter if a NDIS plan is really the best option, because, frankly, it's the only option there is. I know of a 23-year-old man who's currently supported by Mansfield Autism Statewide Services. He receives a small amount of funding for help with things like job applications, grocery shopping and attending community events. A small amount of support is all that's needed to make sure this young man doesn't become isolated, underemployed and, indeed, hungry. At the moment, there is really nowhere else to get this kind of support outside of the NDIS, especially in regional towns. Of course, there are concerns about fraud and rorting.”
“Thanks to the NDIS, Pete has been able to access additional therapies that have significantly increased his function, including support from an occupational therapist who helped Pete learn how to feed himself. Patricia said, 'I don't know how we would have learnt this without NDIS support.' The NDIS, as we know right across the chamber, is literally a life-changing program. Stories like this show what is at stake and why we must protect the NDIS for the long term. I think we can all acknowledge that, for the long-term viability of the NDIS, it does require structural reform. It's simply not sustainable for the scheme to continue to grow at its current rate. It's already supporting close to double the number of participants it was designed for. That's not to say people don't need and deserve support; they absolutely do.”
“I rise to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. The NDIS is a vital program that people in Indi and across the nation value deeply. Before entering this place, I spent most of my career as a nurse, midwife and rural health researcher in a pre-NDIS healthcare system. From that perspective, I know how far we've come in improving care, support and opportunity for people with a disability. I regularly hear from constituents in Indi about the independence, the dignified care and the opportunities that the NDIS has given them and their loved ones. Patricia from Benalla wrote to me recently about her adult son, Pete, who has cerebral palsy.”
“Yet time and again we see this important process sidelined in the name of expediency. 'Never let a crisis go to waste' might be a well-worn phrase, but it should not be applied to legislative practice. It should not curtail scrutiny, transparency and oversight. As I've been clear, I support measures that limit the impact of the current fuel crisis being faced by Australia and the world as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, but these powers are more enduring than the crisis of today. Where a framework already exists, powers are there and have been used and the case is not clear that reasonable or urgent action is being obstructed, I'm simply not convinced of this bill. I cannot support it until we have further scrutiny or indeed that we see sensible amendments.”
“There are six-month limits to declarations, but that can be extended in rolling three-month increments, with no cap, and the new powers themselves don't sunset. The ACCC keeps a register of authorisations, but publication of the register does not have to occur while the declaration is in place. The consequence of retrospective provisions should always concern us as legislators. They alter legal consequence after the fact, and the government has simply not made the case for declarations, class exemptions and authorisations to be retrospective to 1 April. Committees exist in this parliament to interrogate legislation, to give opportunity for questions to be asked and answered and for stakeholders and impacted persons to share their views with parliament. It's how we make good policy.”
“The government itself has confirmed that the ACCC can already grant authorisations. As I said before, it already has done so during the current crisis. But the government says the existing process is burdensome and slow for what Australians might face, yet the ACCC was able to grant an authorisation quite expeditiously in March, and I've not heard nor seen evidence that the ACCC experienced any exceptional problem in doing so. There are some guardrails in this legislation, including that the ministerial declarations be disallowable—I'm happy about that—and this bill was improved in the Senate by an amendment to make class exemptions disallowable. But these instruments might come into effect before the parliament has an opportunity to meaningfully scrutinise them.”
“The government says this is necessary where circumstances might arise that do not meet the existing criteria under the National Emergency Declaration Act. Under this law, the declarations and authorisations can be retrospective to 1 April 2026, and the bill includes civil penalties for breaches of the oil code of conduct. I speak often—actually, more than to my liking—about the erosion of scrutiny and safeguards in the name of broader powers. Too often, we see governments step beyond the fair, the necessary and the proportionate in the name of urgency. Because there is an existing framework and because the ACCC has powers, I am not yet convinced that this bill is proportionate to the needs or has undergone the scrutiny that should be given to changing our competition laws.”
“Our competition laws exist to ensure consumers are protected, markets are fair and operators are accountable. This includes powers already in place for the ACCC to authorise particular conduct that would usually be in breach of competition laws when in the public interest to do so, including in response to a national disaster as declared under the National Emergency Declaration Act. Indeed, we saw the flexibility of these powers in action earlier this year, when the ACCC granted urgent interim authorisation to allow the coordination of fuel supply by distributors to address shortages. This bill goes further in providing a new power for the minister to make 'exceptional circumstances' declarations. It also allows the ACCC to authorise or declare a class exemption for conduct that would otherwise breach our competition laws.”
“Farmers are forced to make tough decisions about planting crops in an environment of deep uncertainty, and people have little buffer in their budget or flexibility in their options if the fuel pumps are dry. When this crisis began, I asked the Minister for Climate Change and Energy for assurance that the government would work closely with industry and intervene where necessary to prioritise fuel supplies to regional communities, such as the people of Indi. I acknowledge the steps the government has taken to shore up supply where possible, and to develop and release to the public a structured response to what is, indeed, not a short-term shock. In considering this legislation, I'm not just giving heed to the global environment we face today but also considering what this legislation means for the long term.”
“I rise to speak on the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 2026. This legislation was introduced by the government in response to the serious global fuel security issues rising from the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. This conflict has disrupted—in fact, halted—the passage of fuel, fertiliser and other goods through the Strait of Hormuz. The consequence of this conflict cannot be understated. It's put our industrial, agricultural and transport industries under significant strain, and everyday Australians, who are already under pressure to make ends meet, saw their fuel costs skyrocket. In regional areas, this impact has been particularly acute. There are limited and often non-existent alternatives for transport.”
“I commend the work of the member for Clark. I call on the parliament and on the government to get on and do this. It's fundamental. It assists us all in doing our job as representatives. It assists our democracy. Most importantly, it absolutely protects fundamental rights that every Australian should take for granted. I commend this bill to the House, and I thank the member for Clark for his work in bringing it to us yet again.”
“In those jurisdictions and across other parts of the world, the existence of human rights protections has not created a barrage of litigation or unduly limited the powers of parliaments or governments to carry out their functions. Instead, it has provided a vital safeguard for the basic principles Australians would expect from their democracy—dignity, equality, fairness. There have been many times I've had concerns about legislation in this place, including some very recent examples when my concerns would have been lessened if statutory human rights protections were in place. Australia is the only liberal democracy without a comprehensive national mechanism to protect human rights. It's in our hands as parliamentarians to rectify that. As the member for Clark said so eloquently, everyday Australians are staggered that this does not exist.”
“This bill operates by codifying existing civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights under the United Nations human rights covenants. These include things like the right to education, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to free speech and the right to a fair trial. The bill introduces a requirement for other legislation to be interpreted in a way that's compatible with human rights. It means public authorities must act and make decisions in a way that is consistent with those rights. Similar legislation is already in place in Queensland, the ACT and my own state of Victoria. In fact, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the Victorian human rights charter—and to quote the parliamentary committee report, well, the floodgates have not opened.”
“I second the motion. It's an absolute pleasure to rise in support of the Human Rights Bill 2026, moved by the member for Clark, who has been a stalwart in this space for so long. I know this is a longstanding interest of his, and I absolutely applaud his commitment to bringing legislation before the parliament again, and I back him all the way. This bill is based on the model developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission and considered by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in its report into Australia's Human Rights Framework in 2024. The committee acknowledged and I quote, the 'clear need for a rights-based legal framework' and recommended legislation be introduced to establish an Australian human rights act.”
“In regional Australia, we face a future of more frequent, more intense disasters, and the government must do more to ensure communications systems are as resilient as they possibly could be.”
“Communications resilience grants The final pillar of my bill is to put disaster resilience alongside payphones, the National Relay Service and the emergency call services as eligible public interest telecommunications spending. It's an overdue amendment that would make it easier for the Commonwealth to invest in things like Cells on Wheels, which can be rapidly deployed to disaster affected areas. Similarly, it would allow the Commonwealth to continue a long-term investment in satellite internet, routers and battery backup for halls, community centres and schools right across regional Australia. Conclusion This bill, if implemented, would save lives when the next fire, flood or storm arrives.”
“It's why I've recommended at least 24 hours of power backup—and why I had the Parliamentary Budget Office cost this policy at last year's election. Mandatory power backup has the support of the Victorian government, who have called for 'long-duration battery energy storage solutions that deliver more reliable power supply to key telecommunications infrastructure that can support power loads for 24 hours'. Similarly, the government's own Regional Telecommunications Review backed my recommendation, calling for 'minimum power backup periods for new critical telecommunications infrastructure, with existing assets to be captured over time'. But the government hasn't acted—so I am. This bill will require the Australian Communications and Media Authority to identify high-risk sites and determine the minimum power requirements of these sites.”
“Frankly, this hands-off approach isn't good enough for my electorate, where bushfires this summer have destroyed hundreds of homes and left communities disconnected. I welcome that the government is now saying that it hopes TDR will be implemented before this summer. But with the telcos dragging their feet, and the start of summer only six short months away, hoping simply isn't enough. The government must show leadership—pull Telstra and the other telcos into line—and get it done. Mandatory power backup Another key issue exposed by fires in my electorate is the lack of power backup at towers. We know that when a mobile phone tower has a battery or a generator onsite, sites stay up longer and enable people to receive life-saving information, or to communicate with their loved ones.”
“TDR would allow a person in a disaster affected area to temporarily connect to another mobile network when their usual network is unavailable or severely degraded, so they can still make and receive calls and text messages during an emergency. Some countries have had disaster roaming in place for years, and it's been recommended by inquiry after inquiry here in Australia, including the government's very own Regional Telecommunications Review in 2024. However, despite saying it was looking into disaster roaming over two years ago, the government is still yet to act. When I asked for an update last year, I was told that the government hopes to implement TDR soon, but it's an industry led initiative.”
“The SCiND bill That's why today I'm introducing a bill to strengthen communications systems through natural disasters. This bill will do three things. First, it will require the regulator to identify phone towers in high-risk areas and set out minimum power backup requirements for these sites. Second, it will enable the government to implement temporary disaster roaming, which could save lives in an emergency. Third, it will create a clear pathway for the government to invest in community wi-fi and satellite internet at community halls or other technologies that can be deployed during a natural disaster. I'll now explain these reforms in detail. Temporary disaster roaming I continue to push for the implementation of temporary disaster roaming, or TDR.”
“As I've travelled through affected towns in recent months, I've seen communities showing up for each other, town halls turned into relief centres, neighbours helping neighbours, people giving all that they can. Indeed, Minister McBain is here today, and she's accompanied me on these tours. In the worst of times, our resilience and strength is clear. However, resilience isn't limitless. For many communities, this is the second or third catastrophic disaster in just a few short years. What were once-in-a-century events are now happening once in a decade, or even more often. Unfortunately, as climate change makes disasters more intense and more frequent, government investment in our communications network resilience has lagged, with serious consequences. We must do better for our regional communities.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. My electorate of Indi in north-east Victoria is no stranger to disasters. Floods are a fact of life for communities along rivers such as the Goulburn, the Broken, the Ovens, the King and the Murray, and recent floods in 2022 and 2023 show the devastation they can cause. Already this century, we've experienced the Black Saturday bushfires, the Black Summer bushfires, and now the January 2026 bushfires. Two fires in Indi this summer, known as the Longwood fire and the Walwa River Road fire, left more than 300 homes destroyed, and over 250,000 hectares of land burnt. These communities are now on a long road to recovery.”
“That's why we need a building rural and regional hospitals fund to provide a solution that's good for our health. These needs can only be met by pursuing bolder reforms. The member for Kennedy is quite right. We need to grow the revenue cake. We should be taxing gas exports. It was a missed opportunity to boost our revenue and use that revenue to do the things that we are seeking to: invest in the regions in the way that we need to grow the productivity of the nation, because regional Australia needs and deserves equity. It's why rural and regional Australians get mad. It's why they get angry. It's why we've seen that play out across the nation. We have the same ambition. We need the investments, and we need to deliver to our regions.”
“The housing crisis impacts regional Australia too, and a major handbrake on that supply is the pipes, the power, the poles and the roads that make new homes possible. The enabling infrastructure gap has been my focus and why I've been pushing for a regional housing infrastructure fund, and I congratulate the government for taking my policy initiative forward and committing 25 per cent of funding to regional Australia. Now, I recognise this as a restrained budget and that the fiscal environment is difficult, but every line in the budget is a choice, and the budget does not deliver enough to address the pain and frustration regional people are feeling. Just one example is that we need an open, competitive grants program for regional health infrastructure. The case is clear for Albury Wodonga Health in my electorate.”
“We roll up our sleeves, we do the work, we engage with communities, we develop ideas and we push for practical change. In this pursuit, I've introduced bills, amendments, petitions and policy proposals and have made some progress, like the cheaper home batteries, the mobile phone towers, the sustainable agriculture facilitators and the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Lasting and durable change is rarely immediate. It takes steady and persistent work to make a difference. Unfortunately, this week's federal budget does not do enough to shift the dial on the key drivers of regional inequity, but there are welcome elements. I'm pleased to see further funding for the Growing Regions Program, but its sister program, the rPPP, has been axed and replaced with nothing else.”
“Regional Australia accounts for around 40 per cent of national economic output and employs around one-third of Australia's workforce. Regional Australia's productivity already exceeds our population per capita. So I put this to you: at a time when Australia is trying to boost stagnant productivity, investing in the regions is the smartest measure that any government could do and will deliver even greater benefit to the whole nation. Beyond the economic contributions, regional Australia has strong, connected, networked natural beauty, enduring resilience and local leadership. It's clear the potential of regional Australia is immense, but this potential can only be realised with the fundamental infrastructure and services to support it. In my electorate of Indi, we focus on solutions.”
“It's a small-business killer and a huge frustration, and it is basic infrastructure. Would people in Melbourne or Sydney accept endless power outages? The answer is clearly no. The lack of such basics should not ever be accepted as an inevitable part of country life, because they are not inevitable. Regional inequity is, in fact, a policy choice. I want choices that value our regions, partner in our ambition and invest in our future. Regional Australia is not just a place of need; it's a core contributor to our nation and a source of enormous opportunity. Our regions grow the food and fibre that sustain Australia and our export markets. Agriculture, forestry and fishing leads Australia's multifactor growth, but we also have thriving manufacturing, tourism and small-business innovation.”
“If governments want support from regional Australia, then they must deliver tangible outcomes for regional Australians. For too long, regional communities have endured worse outcomes in health, education, connectivity and aged care. We're poorer, we suffer chronic diseases at higher rates and we die younger. Dying earlier shouldn't be a tax for rural Australia. We're too often the last to receive services and too often the first to lose them. Look at the banks. Look at the post offices. We are the wide brown land, but we need more houses on it. We need better roads. Our connectivity lags well behind the cities, and we lack sufficient investment in our hospitals. In Euroa, in my electorate of Indi, persistent energy insecurity means people don't know whether the power will stay on from one day to the next.”
“As a result of our examination, the committee has made three recommendations to the National Anti-Corruption Commission around addressing the backlog of referrals, exploring ways to communicate more effectively with referrers and building public confidence and trust in its systems and processes. I look forward to monitoring progress against these clear objectives. Parliamentary oversight is a crucial part of the federal integrity system. I take my role as deputy chair of this committee very seriously. The establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission was a hard fought reform, and I stand committed to seeing it succeed.”
“It's through the annual report that we learned the NACC has held 24 private hearings over more than 30 days in its purpose built hearing room but not one single one in public. It was my questioning that revealed the commissioner's understanding of his conflicts of interest is not shared by his deputies. We heard from the inspector about the types of complaints her office is receiving and the underlying issues they point towards. I thank the inspector for her frank and open engagement with the committee. I'd also like to acknowledge the work of the chair, the member for Jagajaga, and of the other members of the committee as well as our hardworking secretariat.”
“by leave—The year 2024-25 reflects the second year of operation for the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and these reports represent the second time the parliamentary joint committee has undertaken its statutory function of examining the annual reports of the NACC and the NACC inspector. This is an important part of the committee's oversight role because it provides a yearly opportunity to review the performance of Australia's federal integrity body and its watchdog. Are these offices properly resourced? How are they spending their time? What activities are they focused on? Are they fulfilling their mandates? We ask these questions on behalf of all Australians, who have a right to expect a federal integrity body that delivers real accountability.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. Leslie and Bernice from Wodonga in my electorate are 90 and 85. They've been approved for home support services but have been told it will take at least nine months for the funding to come through. Pamela and her husband from Alexandra have been trying to access home supports since 2024. They're in their 80s. I've written to you about all of them. Minister, are these delays acceptable, and, if not, how will you fix them?”
“They've established trust by meeting farmers where they gather for conversations about health and mental health. I hope this investment works with existing services such as Yea hospital and supports models that are already working. Murrindindi, Strathbogie and Towong have faced multiple significant bushfire disasters over recent years. We can't just fund mental health services when there's a disaster. The Commonwealth and Victorian governments should deliver ongoing investment in mental health services to give the communities of Indi certainty that care will be there when they need it.”
“I welcome the $4.9 million in funding for mental health services for Strathbogie, Murrindindi and Towong shires, which are recovering from the recent devastating Longwood and Walwa bushfires. I've been advocating for immediate and ongoing mental health funding under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, and I thank the Commonwealth and Victorian governments for their commitment. However, I am concerned that these expanded services are coming from over 100 kilometres away and that this funding runs out in 12 months time. People impacted by disasters want accessible, trusted and long-term mental health services that are delivered close to home. The Yea Saleyards program, run by Yea and District Memorial Hospital, is a strong example of existing trusted local health services. Yea hospital brings health professionals to the saleyards.”
“We know that teaching, social work, nursing and midwifery students are already eligible and benefiting from the Commonwealth prac payments, and I'm hearing very positive reports of this. In fact, Demi, a teaching student from Bathurst, in regional New South Wales, told me that the Commonwealth prac payment significantly reduced her financial stress. Last month, in collaboration with Allied Health Professions Australia and Senator David Pocock, I launched a national petition calling for the expansion to include all allied health and medical students, and already, Minister, 20,000-plus—and counting—people are on that list. In summary, I thank the member for Fowler. It is a postcode lottery in Australia, and we need to do more to breach it.”
“We know that regional students who complete their training rurally are more likely to stay and work in rural communities. That's one of the best pieces of evidence we have. So increased funding for rural medical training is a logical solution, to support our regional students to complete their degrees, and I commend the progress that we've made on this. But we need more. We could triple the Murray-Darling medical program. When we do recruit doctors, we must have enough housing, childcare and education options for them to bring their families and actually build a life and stay. Another practical solution is to help all healthcare students complete their study, and I've been very loud in this place in calling on the government to expand the Commonwealth prac payment program.”
“People living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisation, but they don't have the luxury of choosing between several nearby hospitals. The one that they can access then needs to be reasonably equipped to treat them. One way to tackle the postcode lottery is to give regional and rural hospitals a clear, transparent pathway to seek funding from the Commonwealth for the infrastructure for the communities that they are trying to serve. Next we need to concentrate, of course, on workforce. Health workforce shortages are another factor that contribute to the postcode lottery. This is well known. These shortages are particularly acute in regional Australia, and there are many pieces of the puzzle required to ensure that we have enough of the healthcare professionals that we truly need.”
“Before you say, 'State governments do hospitals,' I have to remind the House that we see a very different story come election time when the taxpayer funded chequebook comes out and we see investment from the Commonwealth in our hospitals, in particular seats. Now, this is dispiriting. But, to address this disparity, I've come to the House. Last year I called for the establishment of a $2 billion Building Regional and Rural Hospitals Fund. That's a lot of money, but it takes a lot of money. But what I want is fairness and equity. This Building Regional and Rural Hospitals Fund would be a needs based investment in facilities and equipment for hospitals in Modified Monash Model areas 2 to 7.”
“It's a problem that's been caused by years of policy settings that do not appropriately support regional and rural health care, with models tailored specifically for our context. One thing that's missing in non-metropolitan postcodes, in addition to many others, is the necessary health infrastructure. Many regional health services operate out of ageing facilities that struggle to accommodate growing patient volumes and simply aren't equipped to accommodate and deliver modern health care. While urban hospitals receive upgrades and expansions, regional and rural hospitals struggle against a funding gap that's only getting bigger.”
“Unfortunately, we know this is not the case, because the data lays it out very clearly. In Australia, access and outcomes strongly correlate with where you're from, and nobody knows this better than people who live in remote, rural and regional Australia. I've spoken countless times in this place about health inequity in my electorate of Indi. We're more likely to have a long-term chronic health condition and less likely to be able to see a local doctor, dentist, pharmacist or psychologist. In fact, we are more likely to die younger than our metropolitan cousins. This is not a problem caused by regional and rural people. It's not a problem caused by our wonderful healthcare professionals.”
“I rise to discuss a matter of immense public importance that every member of this House I know deeply cares about: the postcode lottery of accessing quality health care in Australia. I thank the member for Fowler for raising this issue and inviting this important conversation. I acknowledge what the assistant minister has just spoken to in the House, and I'm particularly appreciative of the many actions the government have taken, in particular, in regard to PBS and Medicare. But they know—and I'm about to point out to them—that there is more work to be done. Access to health care should not be a game of luck. Whether you live in Cabramatta or Chiltern, or in Liverpool or Londrigan, you should have access to the services you need to look after both your physical and your mental wellbeing.”
“However, I remain concerned that, at least initially, the UOMO won't be truly universal and will favour those with access to the latest smartphones, disadvantaging vulnerable Australians and those doing it tough. So, while I commend this bill to the House, I will continue to advocate for an outdoor mobile obligation that genuinely, truly serves all Australians wherever they live and whatever their means. Debate interrupted.”
“We must recognise that terrestrial infrastructure, the mobile towers and other physical assets on the ground, continue to have a central role in the telecommunications network. That's why ongoing investment to fix black spots and strengthen power backup to mobile phone towers and telephone exchanges is absolutely essential. I support this bill as an important step towards truly universal telecommunications in Australia. The UOMO acknowledges that new technologies, including low-Earth-orbit satellites, are expanding how we connect and that our embrace of these new technologies must benefit all Australians, not just those who are well off.”
“Second, my amendments require the minister to set out a statement of reasons when determining a location that excludes the UOMO. This will improve transparency about decisions that limit the universality of the obligation. If the government is going to limit its universal service obligation, then it must be required to explain why and what impact it will have on affected residents. Finally, my amendments will require performance standards to include fault rectification timeframes. This is a significant issue in regional Australia, where faults take much longer to fix, on average, than in metropolitan Australia. Standards for providing universal access should consider the time it takes to restore reliable service.”
“They will also clarify that 'reasonably available' includes affordability and cost as a key element. In addition to amendments putting affordability at the heart of the UOMO, I'll be moving amendments that make three other changes to the bill. First, I will seek to introduce a power for temporary disaster roaming. This overdue reform has been recommended by inquiry after inquiry after inquiry, including most recently by the government's hand-picked regional telecommunications infrastructure review committee. Despite saying it was looking into disaster roaming over two years ago, the government is yet to act. Now, this isn't good enough for my electorate, where bushfires have this summer destroyed hundreds of homes and left communities disconnected.”