Kate Thwaites
Jagajaga · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How has the Albanese Labor government acted to strengthen Australia's fuel security and shield Australians from the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East? What policies would leave Australians more vulnerable?”
“The Albanese government is committed to ending violence against women and children. Within this portfolio, support for victims of gender-based violence who have to interact with the courts and the justice system is particularly important.”
“This completes the national rollout of these services and builds on announcements of the establishment of new pilots across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania and the extension and expansion of existing pilots in the ACT and WA.”
“This will be very important for those people who are facing courts and justice systems as part of their process. I note this funding is in addition to approximately $2.5 million per annum ongoing funding provided to support solutions for domestic and gender-based violence.”
“In this book, Heather shares her experience of advocating for Eddie's education, for his inclusion and for his place in the wider community. The book was cowritten with Meryka Alexander, who has also been part of the Hebbard family for more than 25 years as Eddie's teacher, advocate, adviser and trusted supporter.”
“I really want to congratulate Eddie. I want to especially congratulate Heather for the success of Educating Eddie and for the effort they have made to share his story. I wish them all the very best for the future.”
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“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How has the Albanese Labor government acted to strengthen Australia's fuel security and shield Australians from the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East? What policies would leave Australians more vulnerable?”
“This will be very important for those people who are facing courts and justice systems as part of their process. I note this funding is in addition to approximately $2.5 million per annum ongoing funding provided to support solutions for domestic and gender-based violence. I want to acknowledge all the people who work on the front line in this very important area, and I want to acknowledge how important this funding is. In concluding my remarks, I'd like to ask the Attorney-General to outline some of the key measures in the budget which strengthen frontline responses to family, domestic and sexual violence to keep women and children safe.”
“This completes the national rollout of these services and builds on announcements of the establishment of new pilots across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania and the extension and expansion of existing pilots in the ACT and WA. These pilots are aimed at creating and expanding a legal service delivery model that is trauma informed, victim- and survivor-centric, culturally safe and accessible. I'm really pleased to see the Albanese government build on this investment in the 2026-27 budget, with the item 'support for specialist family violence legal services' providing $11.7 million to support victims of family violence from being cross-examined by their perpetrator in family law proceedings.”
“The Albanese government is committed to ending violence against women and children. Within this portfolio, support for victims of gender-based violence who have to interact with the courts and the justice system is particularly important. The prevalence of domestic and gender-based violence in our country is still too high, and the barriers and burden of proof too often still prevent victims-survivors from reporting these crimes. When victims-survivors are brave enough to report their experience and bring about charges, they can sometimes be retraumatised through the legal process. I want to acknowledge that in May the Albanese and Allan Labor governments announced joint support for the expansion and extension of the specialised trauma-informed sexual violence legal services pilot in Victoria.”
“We have also provided for a new off-leash dog park in the area, meaning the sporting fields can be used for sport while there's a dedicated space for dog walkers. I am really excited also to have seen landscaping works protecting the natural environment in the area, and recognising the contributions from the Friends of Eltham Lower Park and the Friends of Diamond Creek in the area. It's wonderful to be able to support our local community sporting clubs and our local community more broadly with investments like this.”
“I really want to congratulate Eddie. I want to especially congratulate Heather for the success of Educating Eddie and for the effort they have made to share his story. I wish them all the very best for the future. Recently I had the pleasure of joining my state colleague Vicki Ward, the Nillumbik mayor Naomi Joiner and local residents to mark the opening of upgraded community facilities at Eltham Lower Park. This is a great area. It's used for recreation and used for sport. In particular, we were marking the upgrade of the pavilion there, which the cricket club and the lacrosse club both use. I was really pleased to see the $2 million that we, as a government, have contributed deliver some important upgrades, delivering more modern facilities that will better support these community clubs.”
“In this book, Heather shares her experience of advocating for Eddie's education, for his inclusion and for his place in the wider community. The book was cowritten with Meryka Alexander, who has also been part of the Hebbard family for more than 25 years as Eddie's teacher, advocate, adviser and trusted supporter. Together they paint a moving and an honest picture of a family and a community who are absolutely committed to Eddie's wellbeing. The book explores the realities of navigating Eddie's safety needs, his routines, his obsessions and his phobias, all while really celebrating the love that Heather, his family and his community have brought to shape Eddie's life. I was so proud, some years ago, to present Eddie with a Jagajaga volunteer award, and that's a moment that is also captured in this book as part of his story.”
“Today I am acknowledging an extraordinary member of our community, Eddie Hebbard. Eddie is a volunteer at the Sycamore Tree Cafe in Heidelberg. He is a previous winner of a Jagajaga community volunteer award. Eddie was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, and throughout his life Eddie has shown incredible determination, resilience and strength of character. His story is really one of perseverance and of community. Eddie is surrounded by a wonderful support network of family, advocates and medical professionals who really work with him to ensure he lives a life of dignity, of inclusion and of connection—in particular, his mother, Heather, who I know is so proud of Eddie, and who has just launched her book Educating Eddie .”
“My question is to the Minister for Housing. How have experts and advocates received the Albanese Labor government's housing reform package to help first home buyers? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches to these reforms?”
“Those opposite continue to divide and seek to double down on dirty power. On our side, our government, the Labor government, is getting on with the job of providing Australians with clean, reliable, sovereign, renewable energy. This is a fantastic opportunity before us. It is one our government will continue to support Australians with so that we have the opportunity to power our future.”
“So, after failing to do anything when he was the energy minister—after failing to secure Australia's energy supplies, after being part of a then opposition that doubled down on nuclear as a solution and being roundly told by the Australian people that it wasn't—the Leader of the Opposition is now offering up dirty, ageing coal as the expensive solution to Australia's power needs. We then have One Nation pushing conspiracy theories instead of real solutions and flying around in planes bankrolled by billionaires and mining magnates. At a time when communities across Australia are already experiencing more frequent and severe natural disasters due to climate change, this approach is reckless and irresponsible. It is not the approach of a credible or a viable alternative government. It is wrecking.”
“Make no mistake, when the Leader of the Opposition says that he will work with coal-fired power station owners to keep plants running harder and longer, what he is really saying is that he wants to drive up household energy bills and drag Australia into the climate wars of the future, because coal is dirty and coal breaks down. Our ageing coal-fired power stations break down, and that means they are more expensive. It means that household electricity prices are more expensive.”
“The Leader of the Opposition, who, as the energy minister under previous Liberal governments, failed to secure our energy future, is now doubling down on dirty, expensive energy. After wasting nearly a decade in government arguing against climate change and failing to invest in the transition to reliable sovereign renewables, the opposition leader was then part of an opposition that was pushing an expensive nuclear fantasy before it finally abandoned net zero. They have now moved on to say that they want to keep dirty, expensive coal running for as long as possible.”
“I've had pensioners and others on fixed incomes say to me that it means they're not worried about bill shock in the way that they were before. They can see the future. These people can see the energy transition that is underway in Australia, the energy transition that the Albanese Labor government is supporting households, communities and businesses to make in Australia. They see this benefit from cheaper bills and more reliable power. Of course, this is the future that our government is building in our communities, in our households and across our country. Unfortunately, those opposite are focused on the past—in particular, in this case, it seems, in bringing back dirty coal.”
“Of course, this investment comes on top of our incredibly successful Cheaper Home Batteries Program. There are now more than 400,000 of these batteries in homes in suburbs and regions right across Australia, helping households to get their power, and to get it in a more reliable and cheaper way. I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of homeowners who have recently installed cheaper home batteries, including Andrew in Diamond Creek, Liz in Cranbourne and many more. They tell me that they are so pleased to now be able to control their power bills and have this sense that they know that they will have this secure power source and that their power bills are coming down as a result of this investment they've been able to make with our Cheaper Home Batteries Program.”
“One of the consequences of the war in the Middle East and the international fuel crisis has been that it has demonstrated to us the importance of having secure power sources here at home. Fortunately for Australia, we have sun, wind and hydro power opportunities in abundance. We are able to build more reliable sovereign renewable energy—homegrown Aussie solar, wind and hydro. These are opportunities our government is leaning into. Just this weekend, we announced the largest renewables boost in the history of the national electricity market—19 new wind, solar and battery projects across New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and in my home state of Victoria. That's enough to power four million homes with cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy.”
“These appropriation bills say that our government wants an Australia where hard work is rewarded, where Medicare remains universal, where young people can aspire to own a home and where more Australians can get ahead. The Albanese Labor government is getting on with the job of building Australia's future.”
“Ultimately, budgets are about people and about the types of communities we want to build and the type of country we want Australia to be. We are very clearly setting out in this budget that we want Australia to be a country, and the communities that I represent to be communities, where people have a fair go and where that aspiration and ability to get ahead is there for everyone. Contrast that with those opposite, with the Liberal-National-possibly One Nation opposition—still fixated on higher power prices through an obsession with dirty, expensive coal, determined to drag Australia back to the fights of the past not to invest in the future and the opportunities that come with it but to play out culture wars they import from elsewhere, and hope that that'll reverse their electoral fortunes.”
“We make sure that the benefits of Australia are available to all Australians, that the healthcare that people should be able to get depends on their Medicare card and not on their credit card. These bills deliver cost-of-living relief. They strengthen Medicare, they support housing affordability and they invest in Australia's long-term resilience in an uncertain world. I know how important these investments are right now and will continue to be to my local community. I know what it means when a local family can access free, urgent health care close to home. I know what it means when a young person gets a fairer shot at buying their first home. And I know what it means when governments invest in the communities they represent.”
“Our budget is also supporting our public hospitals, including our local Austin Hospital, and we continue our work to strengthen bulk-billing and to make medicines cheaper. More GP clinics in our community are now bulk-billing as a result of our increased support. We now have 15 clinics locally who are bulk-billing patients—eight more since our changes. We've capped PBS medicines at $25 and at just $7.70 for concession card holders, meaning more than 2.5 million cheaper scripts have been filled since our cheaper-medicines changes. As I've said, these changes don't happen by accident; they happen because Labor fundamentally believes in Medicare and because Labor supports Medicare. When we are in government, this is what we do.”
“The new Eltham Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which opened in December last year, has already supported more than 5,000 visits from local families needing urgent health care close to home. I visited that clinic last Friday with the member for Eltham, my colleague Vicki Ward, and they were telling me there how the clinic has become such an important piece of the local healthcare infrastructure. It is very busy on the weekends at the moment, with football injuries and all that that brings in. But what a difference to local families to have that support, to have that access to urgent care when they need it close to home without having to wait at a hospital emergency department.”
“Australians should not continue paying the price for instability overseas. Some of the most important investments in this budget are in Medicare. As ever, Labor is the party of Medicare because we believe health care should depend on your Medicare card and not your credit card. We are making Medicare urgent care clinics a permanent feature of our health system in this budget. That means locals can continue to access urgent but non-emergency care without waiting hours in a busy emergency department and without paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket. In Jagajaga, these Medicare urgent care clinics are already making a difference. The Heidelberg Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has now seen more than 45,000 patients since opening in 2023. It's actually one of the busiest clinics in the country.”
“But, as I said, these bills before us are not only about immediate relief; they are also about strengthening Australia's long-term resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. To better protect Australia from global shocks, our government is investing in our energy future, including in reliable sovereign renewables. We will establish a $3.2 billion Australian fuel security reserve and strengthen our national fuel security by increasing Australia's diesel and jet fuel reserves. We're also supporting the implementation of a domestic gas reserve where LNG producers will be required to reserve 20 per cent of exports for the domestic market. These are important reforms that will help put downward pressure on domestic gas prices and better shield Australians from global price volatility.”
“While Labor is focused on building more homes, strengthening Medicare and easing cost-of-living pressures, the Liberals and One Nation are offering more delay, more division and higher costs for local families. This government very clearly supports hardworking Australians. From 1 July, every Australian taxpayer will receive more tax cuts. Working Australians will receive an additional, permanent tax cut worth $250. We're also introducing a new $1,000 instant tax deduction without receipts, making it easier for working people to claim the deductions they are entitled to. Alongside this, we've been cutting fuel taxes to help ease the pressure every time Australians fill up at the petrol bowser. These are practical measures designed to make a real difference in people's lives.”
“They're opposing the clean energy transition, and they're standing against the very housing programs that are helping to deliver more homes for Australians. We know that those opposite's, the Liberals', policies would leave Australians paying more for energy while also missing out on the jobs, investment and industries of the future. It is really concerning that, alongside One Nation, the Liberals have now become a part of a dysfunctional coalition that is built on grievance and division, not real solutions. This is not the party of Menzies. This is not their grand legacy. This is dog whistling, leaning into the lowest common denominator and pulling Australians away from the future that they should have.”
“The opposition leader's budget reply made it clear that he and his party are not interested in levelling the playing field for young Australians looking to buy their home. Instead, the opposition leader borrowed and leant into divisive politics, threatening hardworking migrants in Australia with removal of their access to government services and support. These are people who have helped build, and continue to help build, our country. They are part of our communities, and they are being told by the Leader of the Opposition and those who sit with him—and, of course, his One Nation inspired policies—that they are not worthy of support. At the same time, the opposition leader and the Liberals are backing more dirty, expensive coal.”
“During my time as the member for Jagajaga when those opposite were in power, I certainly was not able to visit new social and affordable housing being built in our community. This is a challenge that Labor has taken up, understanding that we need to level the playing field for new homebuyers and that we need more housing supply and more social and affordable housing. This is what Labor is doing. We're also getting on with the job because we understand that we have a responsibility to deliver now, helping Australians through difficult times while also building for the future. This is in very clear contrast to those opposite, whose policies are clearly now being driven by their fear of One Nation and what it means for their chances at the next election.”
“It was great to join the Prime Minister and Minister O'Neil last week to see these new homes for local residents right on the railway line there, providing much-needed housing to people and families at risk of homelessness and key workers that we need in our community. They are a fantastic investment for us locally. More homes are being built in Ivanhoe, Heidelberg and Greensborough. In Heidelberg West you can see the cranes in the sky, as our government is currently working with the Victorian government to deliver 104 new homes as part of the Bell-Bardia estate development. This is work our government is undertaking because we understand that this is crucial to Australians now and into the future. It is work that was neglected by those opposite during the decade they were in power.”
“The reality is that our government has backed and will continue to back small business. We will continue to back innovation and aspiration. These are of course very important Australian things. We will back hardworking Australians as well as reform the tax system to make it easier for people to get into secure housing. We are also continuing our efforts to build more housing. This budget also continues Labor's investments in social and affordable housing. Locally, we are already seeing the impact of these investments. In Rosanna, 45 new social and affordable homes have just been completed.”
“I hear this often from people in the suburbs of north-east Melbourne that I represent; they want to know that their kids have the opportunity that they had, and that they will be able to live in the beautiful communities that we call home and provide for their families there. We on this side of the parliament believe that governments have a responsibility to tackle the structural barriers that are locking a generation out of homeownership. I think the people in my community understand this, and they do see our reforms as an important step towards improving intergenerational equity in both the economy and the housing market. I do also understand that there are some people who have concerns about these changes, and I am concerned that at the moment there is a lot of misinformation about the budget that is being spread around.”
“So these bills deliver practical cost-of-living relief. They strengthen Medicare, they support housing affordability and they invest in Australia's long-term economic resilience. I know that many young people in my community are working hard and saving carefully, but they still find themselves unable to buy their own home. They're turning up to auctions only to find themselves outbid by investors. The reality is that they've been priced out because of a system that has given people who already have a foothold in the property ladder access to support that new homebuyers don't have. Labor believes young Australians deserve the opportunity to buy a home in the communities that they grew up in.”
“In contrast, our government is focused on levelling the playing field for first home buyers. We are investing in fairness, in opportunity for all and in ensuring that more working families have the opportunity to get ahead. These bills give effect to a budget focused on what matters most to Australians, helping with the pressures people are facing right now, while also building a stronger, fairer and more resilient future. This budget recognises the reality Australians are living through. Families are still feeling pressure at the checkout. Mortgage holders have faced the impact of higher interest rates. Renters and first home buyers are under enormous strain. Global uncertainty, from the conflict overseas to instability in energy markets and supply chains, continues to place pressure on prices here at home.”
“That obviously has serious consequences for these young people, but it also has consequences that don't just affect them but affect all of us. The reality is that when a community is filled with people who can't see that the promise of their hard work is a pathway to a secure roof over their head for them and their family, the result is that we have a community that is increasingly divided. We already see some of the effects of that inequality and lack of opportunity in the divisive politics which is playing out in countries overseas at the moment. Indeed, it seems to be a sort of politics that those opposite—the Liberals and Nationals under the watchful gaze and resurgent popularity of One Nation—seem very keen to bring to Australia. This is not how our government sees the future of Australia.”
“I've had many conversations in my community in Melbourne with young people, with their parents and with their grandparents who want to know that the promise that has been there for them and the promise that has been there for previous generations—that if you work hard you will get the opportunity to have a secure roof over your head—will be there for the generations to come. But the reality is that, right now, too many young Australians are being priced out of homeownership. House prices have risen 400 per cent over the past two decades or so. They've gone from four to eight times incomes over the past 20 years, and ownership is down seven percentage points for young people. Just 44 per cent of Australians aged 25 to 34 own a home of their own.”
“Thank you to my fellow committee members, including the deputy chair, the member for Indi, for their work, and to the committee secretariat for their ongoing support. I commend the reports to the House.”
“These complaints include the NACC not investigating a particular referral; challenges in communicating with the NACC; and concerns about the time it takes the NACC to respond to referrals. The committee has noted the inspector's decision to investigate the complaints received about the NACC commissioner's involvement in defence related referrals and his ongoing role with the IGADF, as complaints of agency maladministration or officer misconduct under section 184(1)(e) of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022. The committee acknowledges the considered approach the inspector is taking to this issue, and we appreciate the transparency with which she's communicated with the committee and the public. I want to thank the NACC and the NACC inspector for their engagement throughout this examination and this report.”
“These are focused on improving the timeliness of the NACC's processes, improving the effectiveness of the NACC's communication with referrers, and improving the focus the NACC brings to building public confidence. Further to this examination, the committee has also commenced a standalone inquiry into aspects of the commission's performance in fulfilling its functions. I look forward to examining emerging issues in greater depth as part of the committee's broader oversight responsibilities under the NACC Act. The committee has also examined the NACC inspector's annual report and acknowledges the significant work of the inspector during the 2024-25 reporting period. During this period, the inspector received 75 complaints, compared with 50 complaints in the first year of operation.”
“In the committee's examination of the 2024-25 reporting period, the committee has noted the growing scale and complexity of the NACC's work. The NACC has received a significant volume of referrals and progressed assessments, preliminary investigations and corruption investigations across a range of matters and subject areas, including procurement, recruitment and senior public sector decision-making. The committee's examination has recognised this important work the NACC has undertaken, and we have also identified areas for further improvement. It's important for me to note that the committee does not oversight or reprosecute individual investigative outcomes, as this is not part of our oversight role. The committee has made three recommendations as a result of our examination.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission, I present the following reports: Examination of the Inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission annual report 2024-25 and Examination of the National Anti-Corruption Commission annual report 2024-25 , incorporating a dissenting report. Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—The NACC holds a very significant role in Australia's democratic architecture. Its role in investigating and deterring serious or systemic corruption is central to maintaining trust in Commonwealth governance and institutions. This is supported by the NACC's broader work and its functions in anticorruption education, monitoring and reporting.”
“They talked tough, but they didn't act for communities like mine and those across the country. They let penalties sit at levels that big corporations could treat as the cost of doing business. They failed to properly empower regulators to crack down on misconduct, and Australians paid the price for that. People in my community paid the price for that. There was less accountability and a growing sense for people that the system just wasn't working in their favour. Well, that's the difference here. This government wants to ensure that the system works for Australians. We want to make sure that people are getting a fair go. We understand that this is a difficult time and that global events are putting pressures into our system. As a government we take that seriously. We take our responsibility seriously and we are acting.”
“We've begun the release of 20 per cent of Australia's fuel reserves. We've changed petrol standards to get more fuel flowing. So I would invite those opposite to keep up to date. Pay attention. I do want to be very clear for them: this is a moment. We came in this morning and we saw a stunt from the opposition—not a very well-thought-through stunt, but nevertheless it was in fact a stunt. I think what communities like mine will see from that is that those opposite actually have a disregard for what they are feeling at the moment. Those opposite come in here to pull stunts, but we come in here to do the work for the Australian people. We come in here also knowing their record from when they were in government, which I'm afraid to say was appalling.”
“This is making sure that the independent Fair Work Commission can act quickly to deal with these issues, as I said, recognising that this is a critical part of Australia's daily economy. The truck drivers, these businesses, are ensuring food and goods are delivered to where they're needed, and, as they're doing it, this government is with them. We have their backs. This of course builds on action we've already taken. We've heard some posturing from those opposite about how this government has done nothing. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. This government has already increased penalties significantly and strengthened the powers of the ACCC, including expanding petrol price monitoring on-the-spot fines to crack down on bad behaviour. We have appointed a national fuel supply taskforce coordinator.”
“When they are doing this, the least they can expect is that the system is fair and that companies are playing by the rules. That is what we are achieving with this bill. With the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026, we are also making sure that hardworking truckies and smaller road transport businesses are not pushed to the brink by severe cost shocks. We know that truck drivers and businesses are a critical part of Australia's daily economy. They are the people ensuring that food and goods are delivered where they're needed, and this government has got their backs. We know that truckies and transport operators need to be protected from fuel price rises, and it is important that costs are shared fairly through the supply chain.”
“Let's be very clear: what this legislation, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026, is very clear about is that those global pressures are not an excuse for misconduct. They are not an excuse for misleading conduct or price manipulation, and they're certainly not an excuse for big corporations to treat Australian consumers like mugs. That's why the bill doubles penalties for those who do the wrong thing, lifting maximum penalties to $100 million per offence, because, if you're looking to rip off Australians, there should be real consequences for it. I'm certain that in my community people expect nothing less. I really understand that, at the moment, households in my community and others are doing all they can to manage their costs. People are shopping around. They are budgeting carefully.”
“This is a government that is serious about protecting consumers in communities like mine in Jagajaga and right around this country. We do understand that, when prices go up, people feel it at the supermarket, in their bills, and at the moment they are feeling it at the petrol pump. At this time of global uncertainty, people in my community do want to know: 'Am I getting a fair go here?' And that is what this legislation is about. It is about a fair go—about making sure Australians are not taken for a ride. We do all understand that global events at the moment are impacting fuel prices. We know that conflict is creating volatility. There is uncertainty in global supply chains, and we are feeling the effects of those here in Australia.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. With the ongoing war in the Middle East impacting supply chains and fuel security around the world, how is the Albanese Labor government taking action to support Australia's fuel security and supply?”
“The Albanese government has continued our strong commitment to the Global Fund, investing $266 million to combat TB as well as HIV and malaria, with a clear focus on our neighbours. I'm proud to once again serve as chair of Parliamentary Friends of Australian TB Caucus in this parliament, and I look forward to working with the members for Mackellar and Monash as we continue raising awareness and pushing for practical solutions to tackle TB. While we may not always see it at the moment, it is very real, and together we can be part of a global movement to end TB.”
“Tomorrow is World Tuberculosis Day. For many Australians, TB can feel like a disease from another time. Consumption was in some ways seen as a romantic disease in the 18th and 19th centuries. It claimed the lives of artists such as Keats and Emily Bronte. But the reality is that TB is not just a historical anomaly. Despite being preventable and curable, TB remains the world's deadliest infectious disease, claiming around 1.25 million lives every year. Here at home, rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are around four times higher than among non-Indigenous Australians. And in our region the challenge is great, with the Indo-Pacific carrying more than half the global TB burden. The health burden falls on our neighbours in PNG and in communities linked there in the Torres Strait. That's why Australia's role matters.”
“That is why today I am saying, on behalf of my community, that we value the places we have built where people from different cultures and faiths have come together to build communities where everyone can belong. When Senator Hanson singles out Muslims, when she singles out Australians based on their faith or background, it chips away at this sense of belonging that holds our communities together. That should concern all of us in this place. We do live in difficult times. There is so much happening in our world that is terrible, and that is affecting many people in our communities at this time. It is on all of us to show the leadership and the responsibility that holds our communities together and that brings together those values of respect so that we can move forward together.”
“When Senator Hanson suggests there are no good Muslims, people in my community hear that and know it is an insult against Australians they know and the Australia they know. It is why, on behalf of my community, I am calling it out. Our country works because we've built a society based on fairness, respect and inclusion. It will be to the detriment of us all if we give that up, if we decide that those places where we can come together—our sporting clubs, our schools, our local organisations—don't count as much as the places that the algorithms send us to and if we are not willing to champion these values of fairness, respect and inclusion.”