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…”
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“Reporting from last week from the Australian Conservation Foundation found that, by 2030, the increased level of solar and batteries will lift renewable energy's share of the power supply by 4.5 per cent above that estimated in AEMO's current projections. That's pretty good. I said then, and I repeat now, that this is the missing piece of the puzzle—helping households store excess solar energy and use it during peak periods instead of buying it back from the grid. As with any scheme of this size, we must remain alert and vigilant to emerging problems in the implementation and be prepared to amend the program to ensure households are getting the right battery for their needs and to crack down on any dodgy providers seeking to take advantage of the scheme.”
“I spoke in Indi about how a home battery could help the average household take control of their energy, not only in terms of lowering their bills but addressing the issue of power blackouts or brownouts experienced by many people. The message really cut through. This was practical, sensible reform that would deliver for families, small businesses and the broader economy. My community really backed me on this one. Finally, in April this year, with an election looming, the government acted, and, boy, is it taking off. More home batteries were installed in the first six weeks of this program than in the first six months of 2024. Just this week, we hit 40,000 batteries since July. This is public policy that is working.”
“Solar might generate power, but, without a battery, households are forced to sell cheaply in the day and buy back at night at a higher price. I said then that batteries are the critical link between clean energy, cheaper bills and local energy security. That simple truth shaped the home energy bill I first introduced in 2022 and again in 2023. My proposal was simple but powerful: to extend the small-scale renewable energy scheme—the same mechanism that drove rooftop solar to include home batteries. I'm very pleased that the government has done the same through a regulatory amendment to the bill I sought to amend. During the recent election, the cost of living was, of course, a key issue. It still is.”
“When you listen to people, craft practical solutions, work with government in good faith and keep at it, you can and do shape national policy. When I was first elected in 2019, I heard from my constituents that energy security was a top priority, as was the transition to clean energy. So I got to work with this community, and, in 2020, I launched the local power plant—a blueprint to drive investment in locally owned renewables in regional Australia. It set out how locally owned renewables could thrive when government gave communities the tools they needed to succeed, and it became clear to me that we couldn't talk about local energy if we didn't talk about home batteries. This is because rooftop solar without storage is really just half a solution.”
“In fact, I'm proud to say that Indi is leading Victoria in new battery installations, proving once again that regional communities are ready to embrace the charge towards a more resilient and cleaner energy system. I commend the government for rolling out the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, but we know that this policy didn't actually start with government. The people of Indi know that the Cheaper Home Batteries Program is actually an Indi policy. It's the outcome of years of steady work—work that began in Indi and that I carried into this parliament on behalf of the people I represent. Major political parties like to say that independents have no power, but I think this shows the absolute contrary.”
“Solar businesses in my electorate, like Solargain in Wangaratta and Solar Integrity in Wodonga, say demand is through the roof, but, most excitingly, they tell me it's not the usual customers coming in. They tell me that the customers walking in the door are younger. They're younger couples or they're busy families who've never considered a battery up until now. They simply couldn't afford one, but, with this program, they're lining up to take control of their energy. These are exactly the people the scheme is set up to benefit—households struggling with the cost of living and the rising cost of energy. I am so glad people in my electorate are jumping at the chance to keep more of the power they generate.”
“Small-scale batteries are now eligible for an upfront discount of around 30 per cent. This is not a loan or a rebate paid later. This is a point-of-sale discount applied directly by the installer. The Clean Energy Regulator will oversee the program, issuing small-scale energy certificates just as it does with solar panels. For a typical household battery—say, a 12-kilowatt system—the saving is around $4,000, bringing the price down from roughly $13,000 to about $9,000. Larger households, small businesses or community organisations that invest in bigger batteries could see discounts of tens of thousands of dollars. Even with this program, batteries have a big upfront cost, but this program means it will take less time for the battery to pay for itself.”
“Australian households have been supported to do so by the federal government through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, the SRES, which reduces the upfront cost of solar panels. This scheme was set up during the Howard years, and it was then—and continued to be, over a long period of time—a roaring success. But, of course, as we frequently hear, the sun isn't always shining, and we know feed-in tariffs are not what they used to be. Until recently, despite the benefits, installing a household battery to complement the solar panels was financially out of reach for most Australians. This is where the $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program comes in. The program is simple in design but powerful in its impact. It works by extending the existing SRES to include home batteries.”
“Since I was first elected, in 2019, I have sought to understand the needs of communities across my electorate and to come together to craft solutions—practical solutions—that address the problems we face. It's why I am so glad to speak today on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 and related bills, and, specifically, to address the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. These bills, in total, provide $415 million for the first year of the program. This program is, indeed, long overdue but welcomed by communities across Indi and right across Australia. Australian households are the world's most enthusiastic generators of solar energy. With an abundance of sunshine, we've made our roofs work for us and reduced our emissions and reliance on the energy grid.”
“Since this bill was introduced, many of my constituents have already phoned and emailed my office, one just a few minutes ago, urging me to oppose it. The rule of law either applies to us all or doesn't. We've said so many times in this place that in our country no-one is above the law. Well, this bill should remind us that no-one should be beneath the law. I urge the Senate to send this bill to a full inquiry for adequate scrutiny so that we can understand the full impact of these proposed laws. Until such a time, in its current form, I will not support this bill.”
“The Human Rights Commission has said that the bill 'raises significant concerns about the rule of law'. It said: Rather than a patchwork of reactive responses, we need to ensure principled migration and asylum policies that maintain the integrity of Australia's migration system while also upholding our human rights obligations. That sounds reasonable. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is concerned that the bill is drafted so broadly that its removal of fair process could apply not only to the NZYQ cohort but also to anyone on a bridging visa issued on departure grounds, potentially thousands of people. Already they've told me about being contacted by people with no connection to the NZYQ cohort, terrified that this bill's removal of due process could in fact apply to them. And what reassurance can we give them?”
“This could create a very real risk of a new offshore warehousing program. If the Australian public want to know how much the government is spending to do this, that will only be revealed by freedom-of-information requests or Senate estimates hearings. At the time, I said: I've got real concerns about ensuring the transparency of such a use of taxpayer money. Well, here we are. We now know two things. Firstly, the government is creating a new offshore warehousing regime. Secondly, it's going to cost $400 million upfront and $70 million per year after that. The Human Rights Law Centre has gone on to say that the legislation would save the government from having to even ask basic questions in relation to the people it's looking to deport to third countries forever.”
“The Human Rights Commissioner said that the bill 'may give rise to retrospective criminal liability'. She continues: This raises significant concerns about the rule of law and requires careful scrutiny. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre says the bill would validate 'incorrect decisions that were made in the past, preventing the right for these decisions to be corrected'. It continues: The Bill even allows the government to continue to prosecute criminal charges that were brought as a result of incorrect decisions. Surely, colleagues, this cannot be the standard of legislating we hold ourselves to in this place—is it? When the government introduced another bill last year relating to the NZYQ cohort, I said: … under the bill the government can now pay countries to take people they're deported to.”
“This would be a breach of Australia's international law obligations, a risk the Department of Home Affairs themselves have acknowledged. The simple fact is that Australia has legal obligations to ensure these people won't be returned to face persecution or death. It's absolutely not clear to me as a parliamentarian that the government can guarantee this. I have deep concerns about that. The removal of due process would mean, if someone were wrongly sent to Nauru, including those who have not been convicted of any offence, they would have no way to challenge their removal. Just think about that for a moment—no way to be heard in court. No justice. It's a big decision we're making here. Legal bodies, such as the Law Council of Australia, also have serious concerns about the retrospective measures proposed in this bill.”
“This, according to the Refugee Council of Australia, means there would be no consideration of whether a person faces a real risk of persecution or harm if sent to Nauru or indeed any other country. There would be no consideration of whether they would receive adequate health care in the third country, for example. While the government says that these people have already 'had their day in court', the decision to forcibly remove them to another country should not be brushed aside and has broader consequences, which this parliament is being given no opportunity to scrutinise. Refugee law experts say that this bill poses a real risk of chain refoulement, which means there is nothing preventing Nauru or other undisclosed third countries from sending people back to harm, persecution or death in their countries of origin.”
“I need to know what the impacts are that of the bill I'm required to vote on, and I cannot support a bill where the government has not allowed adequate scrutiny for me to understand and have confidence in this legislation. My crossbench colleague the member for Curtin moved a motion for this scrutiny yesterday—a motion that was voted down by all but the crossbench. Then there is the content of this bill, which undermines vital principles of our legal system and the rule of law in this country. That is important. The decision to remove a person to another country is fundamentally distinct from the decision to approve, revoke or refuse the visa to be in Australia. This bill does not just have consequence for the NZYQ cohort but for others, and it could result in people subject to remove to a third country having no legal rights to be heard.”
“It's not just for this reason alone that I will be opposing this bill. I am deeply concerned about the speed in which this government seeks to rush through this legislation and the lack of transparency around it. When I'm deciding whether to support or oppose a bill, I ask a fundamental question: is this good governance? Good governance means good process. It means proper time for scrutiny, proper time for consultation and proper time for negotiation. This bill was only introduced last week, with a 10-minute briefing provided to the crossbench. It has not gone through a Senate inquiry nor the opportunity for scrutiny by legal experts who can determine its potential impacts beyond those in the NZYQ cohort.”
“Like it found in the NZYQ case, the High Court ruled that in the case of YBFZ the government was, again, breaching constitutional principles of the separation of powers by imposing punishment on individuals when this is solely within the remit of the courts. This bill before us today is also likely to be subject to a High Court challenge, with a reasonable chance it too will be overturned. On that basis alone, I cannot support this bill. We must remember that every High Court challenge to government legislation costs a significant amount of taxpayer dollars and uses valuable court time. I must be able to satisfy myself that the legislation I'm voting on has been protected as much as possible from this occurring. Right now, I cannot assure myself nor the people I represent that this is the case.”
“It seeks to remove the rules of natural justice and procedural fairness, when trying to remove people from Australia and send them to Nauru or other undisclosed third countries. In the last parliament, in response to the NZYQ decision, the government rushed through legislation, with the support of the opposition, that meant any person released from indefinite detention must be subject to ankle bracelets and a curfew. I opposed this legislation at the time, in part, because I had concerns that it would not withstand a High Court challenge. It turns out I was right to be concerned, because the High Court then considered the case of YBFZ, an Iranian person released following the NZYQ decision who was subject to these restrictive curfew and ankle bracelet conditions.”
“The court found that there was no real prospect of the removal of a detainee from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future. It was unconstitutional. There are now over 300 noncitizens from the NZYQ cohort in the Australian community on bridging visas. Many of this cohort do not belong in Australia, and I acknowledge their legal status is a wicked problem. With no legal right to remain in Australia and the government unable to detain them or return them to their country of origin, clearly, there is no simple solution. But a wicked problem does not justify a wicked solution. We must remember the old legal adage, 'Hard cases make bad law.' An extreme case is a poor basis for a general law that would cover a wider range of less extreme cases. The bill before the House will remove a bedrock of our rule of law.”
“I rise today to speak on the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No.1) Bill 2025. This bill is the latest in a long chain of legislation to the House in response to the NZYQ cohort decision made in November 2023. What this bill does, effectively, is to: (1) remove the right to procedural fairness for persons subject to removal to a third country, and (2) retrospectively validate relevant visa decisions made prior to the NZYQ case. I, along with human rights groups and the country's leading legal bodies, have serious concerns with this bill, on multiple fronts, which I will outline here. In November 2023, the High Court overturned the Al-Kateb ruling, which had permitted indefinite detention.”
“The government has a quality review before it, with robust recommendations that would make a real benefit to regional Australia. Implement these recommendations, make us safer and unlock significant economic potential and productivity gains. The government have been sitting on this review now for over six months, so it's time they stood up, responded and laid out their plan for regional telecommunications over this term of parliament, built on the solid progress made in the last three years and demonstrated that regional communities matter.”
“It's businesses that miss out on sales because EFTPOS machines drop out of connections; it's farmers forced to buy expensive signal boosters just so they can run the farm using modern technology; it's parents who struggle to work from home because the internet can't handle online meetings. This unfair burden falls onto regional Australians just because of where they live. It's not right, and I'm disappointed that affordability was not a focus of the government's review. I am encouraged, however, by the NBN's recent announcement that it will offer satellite internet at affordable rates to regional Australians. This is encouraging. It's a development I was glad to see, and I was glad to meet with NBN directly to discuss this promising development.”
“Another key recommendation that I took to the election was the need for more generators and batteries to provide backup to mobile phone towers when the power goes out. I have put forward a policy, costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, to install 24-hour power backup at mobile phone towers in high-bushfire-risk areas. I hope the government and the opposition will support this practical and cost-effective policy which the committee backed. Affordability is another issue, and I simply don't accept that a regional internet tax is the price we must pay for living outside of the major cities. The regional internet tax comes in many forms.”
“When the regional telecommunications review report was published in late 2024, the recommendations reflected several of my own, which I was extremely glad to see. So I am now calling on the Albanese government to respond to that report and lay out its plan for the next three years. We can't wait until the next fire or flood to build resilience—we must act now. A great local example is in Jamieson, where the STAND program supported the installation of a community energy node at the memorial hall. In an emergency, the hall can now offer satellite internet and power backup for several days. This keeps the community connected, long after the power goes out. My recommendation to the government is simple: replicate this model right across Australia.”
“One clear message emerged, and that is that there's a lot more to be done. I was determined to make a submission that would meaningfully shift the dial and reflect what my community was saying. My submission to the review contained nine recommendations based on local experience and solid community input. My submission was informed by meetings of the Indi Telecommunications Advisory Group, a consultative group of nine local governments, telco representatives and community members—and a group that I pulled together following the great example from my predecessor, Cathy McGowan, who set up the same type of group. Time and time again, ITAG has shown that when we work together we get results.”
“The federal government has a responsibility to ensure regional communities have access to stable, affordable high-speed telecommunications. Our regions simply cannot afford second-rate services. Poor telecommunications are a barrier to prosperity, a handbrake on productivity and create significant challenges for our communities in times of emergency. In May last year, I was glad to welcome the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee to Benalla, in my electorate. In the morning, mayors and CEOs from across Indi's nine local governments joined me for a roundtable discussion with the committee. We were able to share our concerns directly and robustly. Later in the day, a public meeting was held at the Benalla town hall, with more than 50 local people turning up to share their stories.”
“Every three years, the federal government conducts a regional telecommunications infrastructure review. Its purpose is simple: to assess the quality of phone and internet infrastructure and services across regional Australia. It assesses what's working, where the gaps are and what needs fixing. Poor phone and internet connection is one of the top issues I hear about from my constituents and one of the top issues I have worked on since I came to this parliament. So I thank the member for Mallee for this motion. In Indi, we've made great progress delivering more than 65 new or upgraded mobile phone towers since 2013. That makes us the most successful electorate in Victoria, and that didn't happen by chance; that happened by solid, hard, consistent work. It's real progress, but there's so much more to be done.”
“This motion is about listening to older Australians, looking at the data and asking the government to do what is necessary and to do what is right. I commend the member for Mayo for bringing this to the attention of the House, and it's time the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors stepped up and delivered.”
“For example, the Department of Health and Aged Care confirmed the gridlock, admitting last week that there have been no—I mean no—additional home-care packages made available in the last two months. The 2,700 weekly plans often spruiked by the minister are not new packages but plans made available due to older persons dying or moving into residential aged care. While the minister repeatedly says that high-priority applicants would receive help within a month, high-priority applicants in my electorate are waiting months, not weeks. The fact is that the waitlist for home care is getting longer, not shorter, and this is the last thing older persons and their families need—more delays and more uncertainty when they were promised the opposite by this government. This motion is not about political pointscoring.”
“While the member for Mayo's motion notes a waitlist of 86,000 people in March, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing last week confirmed the waitlist is now above 120,000 people—an almost 50 per cent increase in six months. These are people. Now consider this. With another 87,000 people approved but not yet receiving care, this means that there are more than 200,000 Australians—staggering numbers—not getting the care they need and absolutely deserve. It's why the current Senate inquiry into home-care delays is so important. It is already uncovering concerning figures that reinforce the need for urgent action to reduce the home-care waitlist.”
“But here's the rub. The government's six-month delay of the new act was reluctantly supported by the sector, because it is important to get this transition right. However, this delay has real-world implications for home-care support. In particular, the sector opposes the delayed release of 80,000 new home-care packages. The government has consistently rejected calls from peak bodies, such as OPAN and COTA, as well as from members of the crossbench to release, at a minimum, 20,000 packages to hold the waitlist steady until the new system commences in November. Now, despite this commonsense approach, a commonsense call, incredibly, the minister has offered little reason for rejecting the ask and—even more extraordinarily, astonishingly—is accusing them of politicising the issue. Look, I can't understand this.”
“Because of the need to travel further, packages cost more to deliver in regional Australia, and yet the funding model does not adequately account for this reality. So, while the motion before the House notes that people are waiting three to six months for an assessment, I can say that in my electorate that is a conservative estimate. Without home care, families are often to fill the gap, as the member for Mayo has just told us. In regional communities this means adult children juggling work, small businesses, long commutes and unpaid caring duties. It's why I welcomed the Aged Care Act, a new aged care act that we so desperately needed. I was optimistic, and I remain optimistic that finally, when it comes to pass, the new Support at Home program will make home care simpler and easier to access for older persons and their families.”
“For many, access to home-care support is often the difference between staying at home in their local community or having to pack up, leave town and go to a regional centre where residential aged care is available—uprooting their lives. People are having to do that faster than they should because of this problem with aged care in the home. The reality is home care is harder to access in the regions than in the cities. In Indi, families face long waits, not just because there's the assessment backlog but because there are fewer home-care providers willing or able to service rural towns. In places like Bright, Corryong, Kinglake and Alexandra, older Australians are often waiting longer simply because providers cannot staff those areas.”
“I'm pleased today to rise in support and to second this motion from the member for Mayo, and I thank her for her longstanding commitment to improving aged-care services over many years, particularly home care, in her electorate and right across Australia. And she has good reason to be angry this morning. Like Mayo, my electorate of Indi has an older population with a median age above 45 years, and both of our electorates are amongst the oldest electorates in this country. So we know this issue extremely well. Accessible aged-care services are vital to communities in our electorates, as they are right across regional Australia.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. Last week the department of health and aged care confirmed that there are more than 120,000 people waiting for a home-care assessment on top of the 87,000 people waiting for a package. The department also confirmed that no additional plans have been released beyond the attrition rate. Will the government release 20,000 new home-care places now to stop the waitlist growing longer?”
“The loss of life in the line of duty is the ultimate sacrifice and a painful reminder of the risk borne by those who serve in our police forces. What is very clear is the courage and commitment of our police service right across this great nation. They walk amongst us, live alongside us, serve us and protect us, and they are in danger every day of their lives, and yet they still go out and do their work with such honour and grace. We will never forget the names of those who have lost their lives in service to us. And, Neal and Vadim, we will never forget you. You are heroes. Your families have so much to be proud of, and we grieve with you today and ongoing.”
“Our thoughts are with both their families, with their friends and with the wider police community. We know that your hearts are broken, and we know that this is felt right across the nation. We continue to pray for the recovery and healing of the officer who was seriously injured in the line of duty, and for all those at the scene whose mental trauma cannot be underestimated and will live with them and, indeed, their families forever. To the beautiful people of Porepunkah: I acknowledge that you are living with grief and shock and that this event is not over for you yet. I stand in this parliament in solidarity with you, today and beyond, and I thank you all for everything you are doing right now to support the emergency services, who are undertaking a most difficult and traumatic search for the offender.”
“Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, based in Melbourne, was supporting Wangaratta police on temporary assignment over winter—a beautiful young man, as you've heard; a native of Belgium. While they were respected officers, we also remember Neal and Vadim as people, with family, friends, interests and passions beyond the uniform. They so deserved the chance to keep living those lives, and it is with deep, deep sadness that we honour them and their service. You've heard that Neal was an adventurer who loved the outdoors, and he was within days of his retirement with his beloved partner, Lisa. Vadim grew up in Belgium and loved travel, and our region—what a place to travel to!—was another in his long list of beautiful places. He was welcomed, and he had so much to explore in what is an outdoor playground.”
“on indulgence—Thank you, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, for your beautiful words that will bring great comfort and recognition to my community in north-east Victoria, in the seat of Indi. Alongside my community in north-east Victoria, I mourn Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who so tragically lost their lives in the line of duty at Porepunkah on Tuesday, in a beautiful, idyllic mountain village at the foot of Mount Buffalo, a place that is characterised by magnificent scenery, by good people and by a gentle lifestyle. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson was a long-serving and so deeply respected member of the Victoria Police and a much valued member of the Wangaratta community and the Moyhu community—so greatly loved.”
“People supported by the organisation have life-changing experiences and often leave asking themselves, 'If I can do that, what else can I do?' It's people like Phil and all the volunteers at every alpine resort that make this possible. Without volunteers sharing their time and expertise, groups like DWA simply wouldn't be able to do the incredible work they do. It was a privilege to meet Phil and visit their Mount Hotham headquarters. I commend DWA and all of the volunteers at Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller for making snow sports available to people of all abilities, because we all love the snow.”
“Since 1978, Disabled Wintersport Australia has supported thousands of people of all abilities to enjoy the snow. whether they are a first timer or an aspiring Paralympian. I recently spent time with Phil Knight, who manages operations at Mount Hotham in my electorate. Phil has been volunteering and working with Disabled Wintersport Australia for 25 years, an incredible achievement. Phil is just one of more than 100 people at Mount Hotham who share their time and knowledge to ensure that the snow is accessible for all. Through generous community donations and government grants, Disabled Wintersport Australia provides experienced guides and advanced equipment such as sit-skis, outriggers and apparel designed to support those who are vision impaired.”
“I know you must be anxious as you follow the information and advice from the Victoria Police. You've already done so much. I want to particularly acknowledge the principal, Jill Gillies, and her staff at Porepunkah Primary School, who kept students safe and calm during yesterday's lockdown for many, many hours. I know you will all continue to do what is needed until this terrible matter is resolved. You will have my support. You will have my support now and ongoing for as long as it's needed.”
“This appalling event has shaken not only Porepunkah but communities right across the north-east of Victoria and indeed across our nation. We may be geographically spread, but we are close-knit, and, in moments like this, we feel the loss together. The ripple effects through the entire community will continue to be felt for a long time to come. And, of course, this is not over. I want to acknowledge and thank the police and emergency services, who are continuing to respond to this ongoing incident, and they are doing so in very, very difficult terrain. We can only imagine how it must feel to know the danger and to continue to put yourself in harm's way in order to keep others safe. My mind is also constantly with the community in Porepunkah and surrounding towns. I know you must be scared.”
“I rise today in solidarity and sadness with my community in Indi, particularly in Porepunkah and with emergency services personnel from across the Alpine Shire and Wangaratta. We are shocked and devastated by the tragic killing of two serving police officers in the line of duty and the serious injury of a third officer. To the families, friends and colleagues of the two police officers who lost their lives, my heart breaks for your immeasurable grief. I join with all our community in standing by you in this, the most terrible of times. To the third officer, seriously injured also in the line of duty, I join in the prayers for your recovery. Everyone deserves to make it home at the end of their shift. It is utterly heartbreaking that two members serving our community will not do so.”
“I was pleased to see the coalition make the same commitment during the election, and now I call on the government to step up to the plate and do the same. This 48th parliament is a big opportunity for this place to come together and solve some of the big problems that Australians face. I want to be clear that I come into this parliament with the spirit of collaboration, with the spirit of bringing solutions to difficult problems, and with the community of Indi firmly in my mind every time I stand to speak in this place.”
“I hear from my constituents and Indi's nine local governments about how our roads are disintegrating before our very eyes and how we simply do not have the funding to fix them. To solve this, I want to see the return of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. This program provided untied funding for local governments to invest in the maintenance and upgrade of their local roads, of which they have thousands of kilometres to look after. Through my work as a member of the Regional Development Infrastructure and Transport Committee, I know that untied funding is vital for small rural councils. The nine local governments in my electorate frequently raise the need to reinstate this funding. I am glad to support them, and this government should do so.”
“Thriving communities also rely on reliable internet and phone connections to run businesses and healthcare services and to simply stay connected when there's an emergency. In the election, I put forward a costed policy to ensure all mobile phone towers in areas of high fire and disaster risk are equipped with battery backup. This is crucial, because, when mobile phone towers and internet systems fail, entire towns can become cut off. During emergencies, like fires or floods, that can cost lives. By requiring all towers in high-risk areas to have at least 24 hours of backup, we will increase our resilience and keep businesses and communities online even when the power goes out.”
“Like long day care, outside school hours care is another key pillar of education in small rural communities. That's why, in 2024, I fought hard for eight local providers when they had long-term funding under the Community Child Care Fund withdrawn. These providers are the only services in their areas and are mostly based in small rural primary schools. The funding cut meant some services were at risk of closing. Last year, hundreds of providers across Australia were found to be in need of this funding, but the funding pool was just too small. During the election campaign, I argued that this could be solved if the Community Child Care Fund was a demand-driven grant, not a competitive grant. If we want young families to come and stay in the regions and grow our communities, we must have available child care.”
“We know that childcare deserts exist right across regional Australia, occurring at more than double the rate that they do in major cities—yes, double the rate. In north-east Victoria there are three children for every childcare place. This means that many children miss out on all the benefits of child care and parents are unable to work to their full capacity, meaning that our whole community misses out on their skills. I'm working with communities in my electorate to prepare for the Building Early Education Fund, or the BEEF, which, if delivered well, can make a meaningful difference in childcare deserts like those in my electorate. But, frankly, this fund is too small, and more funding will be needed to meaningfully increase availability across regional and outer-urban Australia.”