Melissa McIntosh
Lindsay · Liberal Party · Australia
“The working homeless are one of our country's most worrying trends. When a working mother escapes violence only to trade fear inside her home for fear inside a parked car with her children, we should all be asking how Australia has come to this.”
“They told me they have women living in cars while waiting for transitional accommodation, women that are working jobs, women trying to keep their children safe and women doing everything right yet unable to secure a rental property because the market is simply too tight.”
“In my own electorate of Lindsay, the number of people sleeping rough in the Penrith local government area has increased by over 30 per cent in just one year. For every person counted sleeping rough, there are many more living in cars, couch surfing or remaining in unsafe situations because they simply have nowhere else to go.”
“More than four million Australians live in poverty, rents have soared, childcare costs continue to rise, and homeownership is slipping further out of reach. Mortgage arrears have risen by 6.8 per cent over the past year, while credit card arrears among Gen Z have surged by almost 29 per cent.”
“OzHarvest's latest frontline report reveals more than 350,000 people are seeking food relief every month, while more than 74,000 are being turned away because services cannot keep up with demand.”
“It cuts me to the core to hear the Penrith Women's Health Centre say that around 10 per cent of their clients are now working homeless. These are women fleeing violence, often with little more than the clothes on their back. Last year alone, the centre supported 750 women escaping violence in their homes.”
The complete record
Every one of 448 lines we hold for Melissa McIntosh, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 9.
“Yesterday in question time, the Minister for Communications was asked to confirm that neither she nor her office was notified of the catastrophic outage that occurred on Thursday 18 September before the afternoon of 19 September when Optus advised the media. The minister stood here, right across from where I am now, and said: Yes; I can confirm we were not notified of the catastrophic outage until late afternoon on Friday 19 September. Let me tell you where that story falls apart. On 25 September, David Swan from the Age newspaper published a story titled 'The emails that reveal how Optus downplayed the triple zero disaster'.”
“What on earth did they do with the subsequent emails that Optus sent that provided updates on the outage? These are the questions that I have been asking for three weeks, yet the department and the regulator, ACMA, are unwilling to speak about it. That old adage that silence is the greatest admission of guilt has never been more true. Worse, the Albanese Labor government have been praying that this would just go away. In fact, the Minister for Communications has found plenty of time to go to New York and the AFL grand final in Melbourne and attend last week's NRL grand final in Sydney, just to name a few. We have the selfies to prove it. But she didn't have time to tell you, the people of Australia, who are dependent on triple 0 in your greatest time of need, what she is doing to protect you and to fix this broken triple 0 system.”
“He did have time to meet with the minister yesterday and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. I hope they had a nice cup of tea. Optus have said this was human error. What does this even mean? Did someone forget to flick a switch, plug something in or code something correctly in their systems upgrade? What was this error, and how can we ensure it doesn't happen again? It is everyone's guess right now, because no-one is talking—19 days on, we know little more than we did on the evening of 19 September. But Optus are not the only ones who have failed here. They are not the only ones whose systems are broken. The department of communications and the regulator, ACMA, have also failed. Exactly what did they do with the first notifications that came through on 18 September from Optus? Optus had to let them know by law.”
“They have failed in not detecting this abhorrent error in their systems, which denied Australians in emergency situations connection to help—help that we promise will be there in people's greatest time of need. This is a service which the minister yesterday agreed is the most critical service in our telecommunications system. Optus also failed to tell Australians what was going on for more than 32 hours after this catastrophic failure of their network. They have failed to be open and transparent about what actually went wrong. On Saturday 19 September, the CEO of Optus, Stephen Rue, promised he would provide daily updates. He fronted of the media just three more times—then radio silence. I have tried to secure a meeting with the CEO twice now—more radio silence.”
“It astounds me that anyone who calls their telco provider saying they can't get through to triple 0 is not taken seriously. It is completely unacceptable. From the information we have right now, more than 600 calls failed to connect with emergency services during that 13-hour outage. But we don't know if that is all. We don't know with any certainty how many more there might be. Tragically, as I said, four people lost their lives. Their families and their friends are mourning the loss of their loved ones. This is not politics; this is real life. People have died. And it breaks all of our hearts here. I cannot emphasise enough how absolutely and unequivocally unacceptable this outage was, and the way it was handled by everyone involved is a disgrace. Optus has failed Australians.”
“We haven't even had time, because it came to us with less than 24 hours notice, to stress test or scenario test it. Those scenario tests will now have to happen in real life, and with that come extraordinary risk as to whether the legislation will actually work. We are only debating this today because of the catastrophic Optus outage that happened on 18 September this year. This was no ordinary outage. This outage went on for around 13 hours. It was completely undetected. People in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were unable to call triple 0 in their greatest time of need. There were warning signs that this was going to happen, but those were ignored. There were customer complaints to the Optus call centre from people who couldn't connect to triple 0, yet none of these raised an immediate red flag.”
“I rise today to speak on the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025. What a disgraceful display of behaviour by those opposite, refusing to have scrutiny in this parliament when it comes to the triple 0 network and allowing all those Australians who have experienced triple 0 outages and our emergency services personnel to have their say, or to have light shone onto the disasters that have been happening in the triple 0 network—the crisis of the triple 0 network. We are here today discussing this because we have a rushed piece of legislation. It's policy on the run in its worst form. This legislation is far from perfect. If it had been moved 18 months ago—even 12 months ago—would it have stopped the September outage, when four lives were lost?”
“It's our job as parliamentarians to do the hard work, to get across our briefs and to not go missing in action when the going gets tough. Our communities expect us, given the shocking triple 0 outages, to apply the blowtorch to the entire system, and that's exactly what this motion tries to do. I call on those opposite, especially the Minister for Communications, to join with the opposition in a bipartisan way, and in the national interest, to support this motion for the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into the triple 0 ecosystem.”
“I envisage that the object of this motion, a select House committee, would be able to hear directly, for example, from affected emergency service personnel and telecommunications experts. This may be inconvenient for the government, but, as they have sought to put the blame for the tragic outages solely on Optus, I would have thought they would welcome some additional scrutiny and transparency. In view of the Minister for Communications being new to the job, the opposition is working in the national interest. We allowed for the triple 0 custodian bill to be introduced yesterday without notice, and, despite the fact that it is against the conventions of this place, debate on this bill will resume later this morning. I pause here to say that we support this bill being wrapped up before the House rises tomorrow.”
“We have repeatedly called for a thorough investigation into the health of our nation's emergency call service. In light of the gross and tragic mismanagement of the Minister for Communications and the recent Optus network outages, this is a necessity. A formal parliamentary inquiry has special powers which no other inquiry currently underway has. It can compel witnesses; it can hear evidence in private sessions and travel across the country to hear directly from Australians. It is not a tick-and-flick exercise either. The work and findings of a parliamentary inquiry are fulsome and frank. These are essential qualities which the other inquiries kicked off by the minister and the telcos may not have.”
“This should be an uncontroversial motion, so I will be relatively brief. Standing and sessional orders must be suspended so that this House can have a vote on whether to establish a parliamentary inquiry into the triple 0 ecosystem. It's as simple as this: do we, as members representing our communities across Australia, which is on the cusp of bushfire season, want more scrutiny of this vital emergency service, or less? If we do, the committee's work can start today and this House can work together to ensure all Australians can have confidence in triple 0. If not, members voting no must be prepared to explain why they don't support robust oversight of this vital life-saving service by our nation's parliament. The opposition have been consistent.”
“I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Lindsay moving the following motion immediately: (1) a select committee, to be known as the House Select Committee on the Triple Zero Ecosystem, be appointed to inquire into and report on the health of the triple zero ecosystem; (2) the committee consist of eight members: five Members to be nominated by the Government Whip, and three Members to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or by any crossbench Member; (3) every nomination of a member be notified in writing to the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (4) the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that not all members have been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy; (5) the members of the committee hold office as a select committee until presentation of the committee's final report or until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time, whichever is the earlier; (6) the committee present its final report no later than 8 December 2025; (7) the committee elect a Government member as its chair; (8) the committee elect a non-Government member as its deputy chair to act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee; (9) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee, the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting; (10) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote; (11) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee; (12) the committee have power to appoint subcommittees, consisting of three or more of its members, and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; (13) the committee appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a casting vote only; (14) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee; (15) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum; (16) the committee or any subcommittee have power to: (a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced; (b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit; (c) sit in public or in private; (d) report from time to time; and (e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the House of Representatives; and (17) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.”
“We have categories for leadership, healthy active living, community service and business and, of course, people who teach our kids. Each category reflects values that define our region—courage, kindness and commitment to community. We've had volunteers, teachers, coaches and business owners win past awards. They truly embody the heart of our community. This award and the local pink-up event that I'm holding are a true testament to the fact that when our community comes together we can do extraordinary things.”
“It has meant that we have more breast care nurses in our local Nepean Hospital, which is a public hospital, to support those families that are going through their toughest times. We've held events over many years. I'd like to acknowledge Gai Hawthorn for running Pink Up Penrith—it's part of the CBD corporation—and all our supporters over the years. It is such a worthwhile cause. While celebrating community, I'm also proud that nominations are open for my Lindsay Awards. These awards are an annual celebration of the people and organisations that make Lindsay such an extraordinary place to live. They recognise those who lead, serve and inspire others through their dedication, compassion and drive to make a difference. We're honouring local heroes.”
“It's about women supporting women and raising vital funds for the McGrath Foundation, helping ensure that no families face breast cancer alone. There will be prizes for the best dressed. Lots of small businesses will be involved and we have some incredible donations. I want to thank Astina Penrith, the Log Cabin, Alexander's at Panthers, Cables Wake Park, Boss Consulting, Hoyts Penrith, Insignia Salon and the Nepean Belle for their generosity and community spirit. It is really important to hold events like this in communities. I am talking about how fun it will be, but it is about raising awareness and funds for breast cancer. The Penrith community has done an extraordinary job.”
“In Lindsay we know how to come together to support one another, to celebrate community and to make a difference. This October I have two wonderful initiatives happening in my electorate that celebrate the strength, generosity and community spirit of Western Sydney and the people of the Lindsay community. On Saturday 18 October I'll be joining the amazing team at Fernwood, Penrith, for FernyRox. This Hyrox inspired challenge is a woman's fitness event like no other—strength, connection and community for women aged 14 and over teaming up to run, lift and laugh their way through a series of workout challenges. You can do it in teams of two, three or four. I encourage all the women of Lindsay to participate. It's not just about having fun and fitness.”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. When exactly did the minister personally find out about the triple 0 outage on 18 September, and how was the minister personally advised of this outage?”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. Minister, I note that just today you are urging Optus to go faster, three weeks after the devastating outage where lives were lost. Minister, why did people have to die before you instructed your department to accelerate the implementation of triple 0 guardian legislation as recommended by an independent review to your government over 18 months ago?”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. It has been 565 days since the Bean review made 18 critical recommendations to government to fix the triple 0 network after the first Optus outage. Eighteen months on, with a triple 0 crisis and, sadly, deaths, why hasn't the government implemented all the recommendations, and will the minister apologise for the government's delay in acting on these vital recommendations?”
“Why is the minister appointing ACMA as the investigator? Australians deserve a thorough independent investigation into the whole triple 0 network. We should also have an assurance that there's transparency in the system. There needs to be a register that records every single triple 0 outage so Australians can have confidence that, when they pick up the phone in their greatest time of need, it'll be answered. Right now, the government should be protecting every single Australian, not spending their time on overseas jaunts.”
“Whether you're on the benches, in the gallery or anywhere across Australia, when you call triple 0 in your greatest time of need, you expect your call to be answered. But, sadly, three weeks ago people's calls were not answered, and four people have died. There have been many questions of Optus over these last three weeks, but there are also questions of the government. Why did the minister appoint ACMA, the regulator, as the investigator and then choof off to New York? Here we are three weeks later, and all of a sudden it's so urgent for us to rush through legislation to protect Australians. ACMA should not be the investigator in this case. ACMA was part of the failed process. ACMA heard of the Optus outage on Thursday, but the minister says she did not know about it until Friday. Why is that?”
“Once again I say, as we have this win for Australians, it is with sadness that we have had to get to this place. We stood up for older Australians across this country when the Albanese Labor government abandoned them. This situation should never have happened. The money was in the budget. The capacity was there. It is only Labor that stood in the way. It is a black mark on the government that they were purposely withholding support from hundreds of thousands of older Australians who have given so much—hundreds of thousands of older Australians who desperately needed it. Quite frankly, people were dying while they waited—5,000 in the past year alone. This is a crisis of the government's own making, and we on this side will continue to fight for every single Australian. Question agreed to.”
“Then he passed away. You can't want to be a parliamentarian that serves your community without feeling really deeply the hurt for so many thousands of Australians that have had to go through this. We are pleased—I don't know if 'pleased' is the word or if 'satisfied' is even the word. We accept that we are now in this position where the government has relented and agreed, through huge pressure that we've given on behalf of the Australian people, to make these amendments, to approve them, to bring them back here. It's an historic amendment for this parliament. It's a testament that, even though we may be small in opposition, every single member of parliament here is loud in the support that we have for our people right across Australia.”
“Because of the pressure, another 20,000 will be released by the end of the year; 43,000 by the end of the financial year, in line with a promise this government made prior to the election, a promise this government made to every Australian family, to our older Australians, to families looking after parents and grandparents. I can just imagine the dismay people are feeling across our country right now that it had to get to this. It has had to get to the government being embarrassed in public to release these places. We've heard personal stories and anecdotes. The member for Mayo got up in tears and told the story of how she held a gentleman's hand in her electorate before she passed. The gentleman shouldn't have been in that position. He should have had that place. He should have had that package, but he didn't. He waited.”
“They have grandparents or parents going through this. This is real life stuff. This isn't just about parliamentarians making decisions in this place; it's about parliamentarians making decisions for the good of our country, and there is no greater good than protecting those who have done so much throughout their lives. We dragged the government through the House, through the Senate, through the public sphere, through the media, to finally make a decision that 20,000 places will be released now. There are 108,000 on the waitlist, and 20,000 released now.”
“I'm quite sad that I'm having to stand here and speak on this Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025; it shouldn't haven't gotten to this stage. I'm sad for those we have to protect. The No. 1 role of any government is to protect its citizens—our youngest citizens, those that are working so hard throughout their lives and into retirement, and our oldest citizens who need the greatest care; it is what they deserve. Unfortunately for 108,000 older Australians, they haven't got the care that they deserved. They have been on the waitlist, waiting while this government drags its feet, waiting while this government removes the promise it made prior to the election that there will be aged care in their homes. Any person who has older parents, all of us in here, know what I'm saying.”
“I move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes the Government's telecommunications failure: (1) on the botched closure of the 3G network that has left many Australians without telephone services in peri-urban, regional, rural and remote Australia; (2) to respond to the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee Report which was tabled in December last year to ensure regional communities have access to reliable telecommunications; and (3) to release the consultation paper on the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation, despite committing to legislate this by the end of 2025".”
“Notwithstanding the failures I have just highlighted, the coalition will support this legislation. It does provide stronger protections for consumers and strengthens the integrity of the sector. I commend the bill to the House and move the second reading amendment.”
“They have spent an absolute fortune doing so, and, after the 3G closure, many businesses had their equipment fail. Worse still, where these locations no longer have coverage, they can't call for help on their properties when they need it. People with life-saving health devices are having to charge them constantly because the devices are searching for a signal that just isn't coming. It renders the device useless because it isn't on them; it's on charge. At their own cost, because of this government's failure, people are installing Starlink satellites for their homes and properties because of the lack of access. It's quite literally threatening lives and livelihoods. It isn't good enough, and the Albanese Labor government should be ashamed of their lack of response to help people impacted by the closure of the 3G network.”
“This bill makes important changes to strengthen protections for consumers and the integrity of the telecommunications industry. They are changes which the coalition will support, but let's not forget about the failures of this government when it comes to telecommunications. The Albanese Labor government's botched closure of the 3G network has left many areas right across the country with little or no telephone service. Their shutdown of the 3G network was a complete mess. Thousands of consumers have been left with worse coverage or no coverage at all, particularly those in regional, rural and remote areas. Our farmers have had their ag tech equipment, like soil monitors and weather stations, rendered useless. For years, we have been pushing our agriculture sector to upgrade their business operations with the newest and best technology.”
“These changes will strengthen ACMA's powers to ensure the regulatory regime is as robust as it can be and that operators are held to the highest standards—as all Australians expect. Finally, the bill will increase penalties issued to providers for breaches of industry codes and standards from $250,000 to $10 million. The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have long advocated for civil penalty reform to ensure penalties for breaches reflect the severity of the breach and the harm caused. The increase in the penalties will address this and align the telecommunications penalty framework to those in the energy and banking sectors, competition legislation and Australian consumer law.”
“The changes in this bill will strengthen ACMA's powers and the speed at which they can use them, to provide an even greater protection for consumers and ensure we have responsible operators in our telecommunications sector. The changes in this bill will make compliance with industry codes mandatory in the first instance, removing the requirement for a two-step process before ACMA can take enforcement action. There'll be no more warning shots, ensuring more immediate action can be taken for breaches of codes. I will note, given much scrutiny of the telecommunications sector over recent years, that this is a change the sector itself has called for. Notably, the Australian Telecommunications Alliance, which is a peak body for the industry, has been calling for these reforms since 2023.”
“These rules require the telco providers to keep a person's telephone number and address updated so that, when the number calls triple 0, emergency services—police, fire or ambulance—are deployed to the correct address the first time. Adherence to this code is vital. People's lives depend on it. The requirement to monitor and report suspected spams and spoof numbers is another important one. If telcos aren't adhering to the code, the impact on people, financially, psychologically and emotionally, is significant. In 2024, of scam types, phone scams led to the highest overall losses, with more than $107 million lost by nearly 2,200 people. Since the start of 2024, ACMA has issued 10 directions to comply with the reducing scam calls and SMS code, but none of these resulted in a financial penalty to providers, because of the two-step process.”
“As the explanatory memorandum to this bill states, while code compliance is technically voluntary, after ACMA issues a direction to comply or a formal warning to a provider, they can then take enforcement action if the provider continues the noncompliance. Since January 2024, ACMA has issued 19 formal warnings, one remedial direction, 16 directions to comply, four enforceable undertakings and infringement notices totalling close to $16 million. Some of these breaches relate to people's privacy and safety, which are of the utmost importance. For example, there were seven notices issued to providers in 2024 for breaches of the emergency call database rules.”
“If there is a complaint of wrongdoing or a breach of an industry code, ACMA will direct a provider to comply, essentially issuing a warning for them to correct their behaviour and to do the right thing. Should they not, ACMA's enforcement powers then become available. This enforcement action can include penalties through the Federal Court, enforceable undertakings or the issuing of an infringement notice. Currently, part 6 of the act says: Compliance with an industry code is voluntary unless … ACMA directs a particular participant in the telecommunications industry … to comply with the code. This phrasing has led to a misconception that compliance with industry codes is voluntary.”
“Protecting people's personal data and information is of the upmost importance, so ensuring there is swift action when these incidents occur will ensure that Australians' private information is protected from fraud and scams. Full visibility of all operators will also ensure ACMA can target compliance and enforcement activities and, when necessary, take appropriate action. Schedule 2 of the bill amends the act to make registered industry codes directly enforceable by ACMA. The telecommunications industry has a co-regulation model by which industry is responsible for the preparation of codes which are then submitted to ACMA for registration. Once a code is registered with ACMA and enforced, the code must be complied with by the sector. In practice, what has been established under the act is a two-step enforcement process.”
“This will provide ACMA, as the regulator for the sector, with visibility of all operators in the Australian market, of which there are an estimated 1,500. This will ensure ACMA is able to educate, monitor and, where necessary, take swift enforcement action for breaches of any codes or standards. Should providers breach their obligations or pose a risk to consumers, ACMA will have the ability to cancel their registration to operate. These arrangements are similar to those in the energy sector, where the Australian Energy Regulator has the power to exclude operators from the market where there is a risk to consumers. As part of the scheme, providers will also be required to report all cybersecurity incidents. Where there is a cyber breach, the appropriate bodies must be notified and remedial action taken swiftly.”
“The Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 makes changes to the Telecommunications Act to strengthen consumer safeguards, something we should all agree is a top priority. The bill will create a register of carriage service providers, enable the direct enforcement of industry codes, amend the existing two-step process for the application of penalty amounts for infringement notices and increase the maximum penalty for breaches of the codes from $250,000 to $10 million. Schedule 1 of the bill will create a new carriage service provider registration scheme. This new registration scheme will require all telecommunications providers to apply to the Australian Communications and Media Authority for registration to operate in Australia.”
“That Australian flag from Ground Zero … serves as an enduring reminder of the tragedy we shared with our ally, partner, and friend, and of our resoluteness to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in even the most difficult of circumstances. Today, the story of this flag is little known, yet its existence is deeply symbolic. As a patriotic Australian, I know we are strongest when we stand with our friends … It should not take a major world event to remind us of how important our relationship is with like-minded democracies—why we have it, and the generations of custodians who have protected it— so that it may endure.”
“Telling our personal stories today on National Flag Day, it is important to remind us of what our flag represents. Patriotism is not a fixed idea. This is where my story interweaves with the flag: Amongst the dust and rubble of the Marriott Hotel World Trade Centre, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, lay an Australian flag, damaged and torn. The Marriot Hotel nestled beneath the towers was where I was destined to be the morning of 11 September 2001, until my destiny changed when my trip to New York was cancelled the week prior. On September 3 we celebrate National Flag Day. But on September 11, we mourn the 2,977 lives lost in the terrorist attacks, including 10 Australians and 40 people in the Marriott Hotel.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. When the government was asked in August about delays to the rollout of home-care packages, the minister said of the aged-care sector that 'they weren't ready'. However, as part of an aged-care Senate inquiry, every provider that appeared at that hearing, including UnitingCare's representative, said, 'We have capacity to take on people now.' Why is Labor blaming the hardworking sector for its own incompetence and failures?”
“These failures are hitting Western Sydney harder than most, yet through all this, small businesses, family businesses and hardworking Australians like those in either group are showing exactly what makes our community strong—resilience, innovation and determination. They are a generational business and they're working hard to get ahead, employing locals, leading the way on sustainability and diversity. Llandilo in Western Sydney is the heartland of our nation, with an international airport about open and a region central to Australia's economic future. We need governments that back businesses like Eather Group not hold them back.”
“These aren't abstract policy debates; they are real, on-the-ground issues that impact whether businesses can employ locals, grow and keep Western Sydney moving. What's Labor's response to this? A productivity roundtable in Canberra, another carefully choreographed talk-fest behind closed doors. Businesses don't need more PR exercises; they need practical action that cuts red tape, delivers a real skills pipeline and gets housing construction moving again. Under Labor, businesses are going insolvent at record rates, energy prices are higher, construction is slowing and Australians are paying more for almost everything, from health to housing, while productivity flatlines.”
“What also makes Eather Group so remarkable is their commitment to people. They're an employer of choice for diversity. Around 25 per cent of their workforce are First Nations Australians, and around 35 per cent are women. That's well above the industry average and an extraordinary achievement in a sector still dominated by men, and it shows the strength that comes when businesses back their people and invest in their community. But, despite their innovation and leadership, Eather Group, like so many other small and family owned businesses in Western Sydney, is under immense pressure. They told me firsthand about the challenges they face, the slowdown in housing construction, pipeline blockages, and a critical shortage of skilled drivers and workers.”
“It's always a pleasure to spend time in Llandilo in my community. The people there have really hardworking values, and Eather Group, a small business there, is a perfect example of this. Peter and Sally-ann Eather have built their family owned company over the past 15 years into a business that's not just about trucks, machines and earth moving; it's about innovation, sustainability and the circular economy. Their focus is on waste not, want not and is about finding sustainable solutions and replacement materials to drive productivity while caring for our environment. They've won awards both here at home and overseas for their sustainable practices and were national winners of the 2024 Telstra Best of Business Awards. This is the future of Australian industry, and it's right in my community in Western Sydney.”
“This policy is meant to protect Australian content and ensure local media companies and journalists are paid for their work that big tech host online. This is another failure by the government. It has been 294 days since the United States President was elected. We now have a postal service that is disrupted, halted policies and businesses on edge. It begs the question: why hasn't the Prime Minister put Australians first and met with the President to discuss the tariff dispute which continues to impact our economy?”
“The tariff dispute our nation finds itself in with the United States keeps getting worse. Yesterday Australia Post announced it would immediately stop some postal services to the United States and Puerto Rico. This decision will have major economic impacts on so many small businesses right across Australia. Australia Post is our national postage service, and the Albanese Labor government must get answers on when this will be resolved. As we all know, there are more tariff issues going on in the communications space. The Prime Minister gave an iron-clad guarantee that we would have an answer on this as soon as possible and that it was not up for negotiation when it came to the news bargaining incentive. We're still waiting. We're in the dark on the consultation paper, and this was promised early this year.”
“Furthermore, the coalition believe in our PBS, and we note the Prime Minister's failure to secure a meeting with the President of the United States to advance Australia's interests in relation to possible pharmaceutical tariffs and other issues. I commend the bill to the House.”
“I move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House: (1) notes with concern the Government's continuing delays in implementing the recommendations of the Health Technology Assessment review; and (2) condemns the Prime Minister's failure to secure a meeting with the President of the United States to advance Australia's interests in relation to possible pharmaceutical tariffs and other issues". This amendment highlights the need for the government to progress the health technology assessment review. It is very disappointing that we have not seen any movement since the already delayed release of the health technology assessment review in September last year.”
“It was already delayed, yet this government has done nothing. We say to the government: the time for reviews has passed. Patients are waiting and action is overdue. While we support this bill, we call on the government to do more: to properly resource the PBS listing process, to end the delays, to deliver on the health technology assessment review and to ensure that Australians have timely, affordable access to the medicines they need. The coalition will always back Australians when it comes to affordable medicines. We led on cheaper medicines at the 2022 election. We committed to a $25 PBS copayment and we will continue to hold this government to account for its record of delays and failures.”