Ged Kearney
Cooper · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I rise to inform the chamber of the opening of the 1st Preston Scout and Community Centre. This was a project that I was incredibly proud to attend and speak at alongside wonderful families and volunteers in my electorate of Cooper.”
“We're taking the next step towards a fairer, more sustainable system. The reality is that the current system makes it easier to buy your 10th home than your first, and that is not fair for young Australians. It's not fair for renters. It's not sustainable for the future of our country, and those opposite do not care.”
“Let me tell you the coalition likes to talk about taxpayers. But we on this side—Labor—talk about workers and people getting up early, finishing late, juggling bills, raising children, caring for family members and just doing their best to get ahead.”
“We are doubling maximum penalties to $100 million and providing almost $68 million to strengthen enforcement. Unlike those opposite, we match our words with action. The coalition spent the last parliament opposing sensible and responsible cost-of-living relief while taking higher taxes to the last election. Workers know this.”
“Those opposite want Australians to forget that when they were in government wages were deliberately kept low. Suddenly they're pretending they're the friends of workers, when they deliberately kept wages low. Productivity stagnated and living standards went backwards under them, and working people fell further and further behind.”
“Limiting negative gearing to new builds means these concessions will continue to be available to people who legitimately want to build wealth, but only where they are helping to build the homes that Australia needs. We're reforming capital gains tax.”
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“The ambulance officers, the police and first responders who ran towards danger, the nurses and doctors who treated the injured, and healthcare workers and thousands of Australians who lined up to donate blood, with queues stretching across the country. I also think of Australians who risked their own lives to protect strangers on that terrible day, including Ahmed al-Ahmed. In the aftermath, al-Ahmed's father has said: 'When he did what he did, he wasn't thinking about the background of the people he's saving. He was think of the people dying in the street.' I think of those who refuse to stay silent in the face of hate and all those who showed up for the Jewish community in grief, in love and in respect for humanity.”
“It was an attack on all of us, on our values, our social cohesion, our belief that people should be able to practise faith freely and live free from fear. Every one of us must be vigilant against attacks on our values, attacks on peace, and we have to be vigilant against the embedding of hatred towards Jewish and other communities in our society. We must hold those who seek to divide and harm others accountable. As the member for Macnamara said today: Not every act of hate ends in violence, but every act of violence begins with hate. Through the pain, we should remember all those who showed up for others in the wake of Bondi. They showed who we truly are. They showed us love, and they rejected hate.”
“This was a targeted antisemitic act of terror, an attack directed at Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, a time that should be marked by light, faith and celebration. Australia has been a place of refuge for so many Jewish people in the aftermath of the Holocaust. We are a country that promises peace, safety and solace not only for Jewish people but for so many people who migrated for a better life or travelled to our shores as refugees seeking safety. We are a fiercely proud multicultural society. It's part of our national character and one of our greatest strengths. Our promise of peace must never be broken by any of us. While Bondi will mark Australia forever, the question now is how it will do that. We must remember that this attack was not only an assault on 15 people nor only the Jewish community.”
“For each life lost there remains empty chairs at family tables, faces no longer at community gatherings and a warmth missing from the moments that shape a life. Even the moments that should be joyful are forever marked by absence. Today and every day I extend my deepest condolences to the families whose lives have been torn apart by the attack at Bondi. I want to take a moment to especially acknowledge the parents of young Matilda. No parent should ever have to bury a child. There are no words that can ease your pain, but I'm so deeply sorry for your loss. I also extend my condolences to the broader Jewish community, because the loss of these 15 lives was not random.”
“Today in this building we have heard 15 names, each one etched into our national memory. They are the names of those whose lives were taken far too soon at Bondi's horrific terrorist attack. This profound act of violence has shaken our nation. This was an attack on our shores in a place so special to many, an iconic place we all know and love. The names of those we've lost represent an Australia that is forever changed. We are a nation now in mourning and in shock that this happened in our home. As a mother, grandmother and sister, I carry the fear of losing a loved one with me every day. Anyone who has lost someone they love knows that grief does not end. It stays with you, and it eternally comes in waves.”
“The opposition want Australians to be stuck with unreliable coal from the 1970s, nuclear reactors that won't exist for decades and rising power bills. Labor wants Australia to become a clean energy superpower with investment certainty, good regional jobs, energy security and cheaper, more reliable power for households. That's what Australians want. It's what they deserve, and it's what they will get from an Australian Labor government—an energy system that works for them, not one mired in chaos, denial and division. We will keep going. We will keep building. The coalition can either come with us or keep their heads in the sand, where they can only dream of the coordinated and wonderful action that this side of the House is taking. The Labor Party cares about Australian people.”
“Do we remember the empty rooms the former prime minister spoke to in Glasgow? That will not be us. We will be leading global climate negotiations from the end of COP30 through to COP31 in partnership with our Pacific family. We'll host a Pacific pre-COP. We will elevate the voices of those most vulnerable to climate impacts. We'll help shape the global agenda and Turkiye will host the summit in 2026—a partnership built on trust, respect and real diplomacy. This is leadership. This is what it looks like when a government takes climate and energy seriously. This is what it looks like under the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, who I believe is the strongest minister the portfolio has ever had, supported by an exceptional team, including the member for Fremantle and the member for Jagajaga.”
“The Australian Energy Market Commission has warned that delays to collecting renewables and transmission will push prices up. That's why we're pushing ahead, not dragging our feet like those opposite. Let's not forget, when we came to government, the coalition had kept hidden from the Australian people a 20 per cent electricity price rise. They hid it from Australians and they want to lecture us about energy costs. Under the coalition, emissions flatlined for a decade. Under Labor, we're already 29 per cent below 2005 levels and tracking towards 42 per cent by 2030. We've delivered the biggest fall in non-land emissions ever recorded outside the COVID lockdowns. And now the world is taking notice! Australia has secured the presidency of COP31, not just a seat at the table, but chair of negotiations.”
“That means stopping sneaky price-hikes by capping retailers to increase one a year, ensuring no customer pays above the standing offer when their discounted plan ends, banning excessive fees, guaranteeing fee-free payment options and putting a stronger obligation on retailers to support hardship customers. Our Solar Sharer plan will also require energy retailers to offer three hours of free electricity each day during the peak solar generation period. This is real reform, real action flowing directly into people's homes. We're not stopping there. We've launched the Solar Saver retail offers. We've made home batteries cheaper. We've capped gas prices. We've delivered bill relief, and wholesale electricity prices fell by a third last quarter.”
“Renewables have hit 50 per cent of the national grid for the first time. In September, renewables hit 70 per cent for half an hour on 81 per cent of days. We've green lit 111 renewable projects, enough to power more than 13 million homes. More than 1,000 home batteries are installed every day; there are more than 500 new solar households every day. That means that one in three households now has rooftop solar, more than four million installations. More than 120,000 household batteries have been installed since July alone. We're also reforming the energy market so consumers come first.”
“Except it's not a life boat, it's a sketch on the back of a napkin. It won't deliver a single watt until the 2040s or the 2050s, and only after taxpayers foot a multimillion dollar bill. They claim they'll cut subsidies for renewables, but what they're really cutting is the cheapest energy available to Australian people. Investors know the truth. In 2024, two-thirds of global energy investments went to renewables. The market has chosen, and the coalition hasn't noticed. While they fantasise, we deliver. In just a few years, the government has supported around 1,000 Australians a day getting behind the wheel of a cleaner, cheaper-to-run EV or hybrid. We've just recorded the strongest year ever for electric vehicle sales. Big batteries are coming online at record speed. Transmission upgrades are underway across the country.”
“Because of that, we're now playing catch-up on the fact that of the mere 23 energy policies they announced, they couldn't land a single one. Their new plan boils down to two fantasies: (1) coal will magically last forever, and (2) nuclear reactors will arrive overnight—never mind the cost, the laws, the timelines, the geography or the expert advice. The experts are crystal clear: nuclear is the slowest, most expensive, least flexible form of energy. Every credible authority—the CSIRO, the Australian Energy Market Operator, Treasury—says the same thing: the cheapest new energy is renewable energy, backed by storage and transmission. The CSIRO's latest GenCost report confirms this again. No amount of political spin changes the economics or the facts, yet the coalition cling to nuclear like a life boat.”
“They are so far away from where Australians are it's beyond belief. Their argument that they can walk away from net zero while still honouring the Paris Agreement simply doesn't stack up. The treaty requires countries to show progression and ambition. Backsliding breaks trust, damages our credibility and holds back our national economic interest at the very moment that global markets are shifting. The coalition love to talk about power prices, but for a decade they refused to replace ageing coal plants they knew were breaking down and indeed closing down. When coal breaks down, your bills go up. Twenty-four out of 28 closures were announced on their watch. They left households exposed, the grid exposed and prices vulnerable—and now they want to lecture us on energy. Please!”
“They're the Ds that the Leader of the Opposition should be talking about. The tail is wagging the dog, with the Nationals calling the shots, and the Liberals are letting it happen. Meanwhile, this government is building the modern energy system Australians deserve. The Liberal Party once claimed it would 'meet voters where they are'. Well, Australians overwhelmingly support climate action, clean-energy jobs and cheaper renewable power. The problem for the Liberals is that they've walked away from every one of those priorities and are wandering in a wasteland. They abandoned their commitment to net zero by 2050—a commitment backed by business, by agriculture, by energy investors and by the vast majority of Australians. Just months after promising to stick with it, the Leader of the Opposition dumped the target entirely.”
“We have the Leader of the Opposition taking the last MPI of the year in what sounded like a desperate leadership-saving speech. We have leaders on this side who don't need to make leadership-saving speeches because we're respected around the world as leaders. Australia is stepping onto the world stage with credibility and purpose, and those opposite cannot stand it. They cannot stand that Australia is respected once again as a powerhouse around the world for change and for good—that we have a government that understands both climate change and affordable energy, and that we're united, coordinated and actually delivering. Instead of celebrating Australia's world leadership, the coalition is wandering around with their heads in the sand—sandhills filled with denial, delay, dysfunction and division.”
“I don't know of any other space where anyone can drop in for a cuppa to reduce their isolation, collect a food parcel, speak to a support worker, learn a skill, volunteer, join an activity group and the list goes on. All of these activities provide support to improve the wellbeing of community members. This is not a flippant statement; it is a fact. Neighbourhood houses contribute $21.94 of value for every dollar of funding they receive. I'm sure there's not an MP amongst us that doesn't appreciate the value of neighbourhood houses. To all the workers in neighbourhood houses across Victoria: thank you for putting community first. Your responsiveness is what brings care, compassion, knowledge and dedication.”
“And, while these are not exclusively female domains, it happens to be women from neighbourhood houses who have provided timely and effective services to the community over many decades—great women like Marie Goonan, Angie Davidson, Gina Wittingslow and Colleen Duggan, who all left our community stronger and more resilient through their tireless work and advocacy. I thank sincerely Jenny and all the workers in neighbourhood houses. These are amazing spaces designed to meet hyperlocal needs centred in neighbourhoods with the diverse needs of each location in mind and in heart. They are spaces that provide friendship, support, learning and wellbeing.”
“She organised hampers for Christmas, delivered meals and ran activities like the popular chalk drawing competition during COVID. All these programs and activities are about connection. They're about people centred, community centred care. They are programs designed to meet real need on the ground, programs that can't be easily accessed elsewhere and that foster healthy, connected living while addressing unmet need and essential support for anyone who needs it in our community. When I think of Jenny and her work, she embodies the essence of community work done right across Victoria through our neighbourhood houses. It reminds me of the many wonderful community workers now in retirement.”
“Today I rise to honour Jenny Rayner. She's a longstanding and beloved community worker who recently retired after 18 years of service to the most vulnerable members of my electorate, Cooper. Jenny's retirement from the Jika Jika Community Centre, a local neighbourhood house, gave us all pause to reflect on her work over almost two decades. Jenny ran playgroups at the beginning, critical for connection between parents and for the development of children. She then worked providing outreach to the residents at the Walker Street public housing estate, where she ran homework programs and advocated for the public housing tenants there. At the High Street housing estate, Jenny ran everything from cooking classes to putting in vegetable gardens and caring for the residents there.”
“I look forward to continuing to work with the minister and the environment movement, but at this exact moment I congratulate the minister, the government and the environment movement on developing these bills and taking the first steps to make change happen. For the environment, for the climate, for the future, I commend these bills to the House.”
“In fact, Graeme Samuel has been publicly calling on the Greens and other parties to agree with this. The steps proposed in these bills are huge. The steps proposed in these bills are important. The steps proposed in this bill will go a long way to making a difference in protecting our environment now and into the future. We need to pass them now. We need to start that work right away. We cannot wait any longer. As I said earlier, there's always more to do, but those who wait for the final step, before we even start, end up taking no steps at all. We've seen this before and we are committed to not letting that happen again, because every day we delay is a day our environment is degrading. The government remains in communication with environment groups, and the environment movement, about what future steps we can take.”
“I stand here as a proud representative of my electorate, Cooper, whose people view the environment and the protection of our biodiversity as top of the agenda—our most pressing issue. Some parties have been arguing that the bill should contain a climate trigger. In his review, Graeme Samuel cautioned against trying to make the EPBC Act the mechanism to limit emissions directly. There is already legislation that limits emissions, called the safeguard mechanism. These bills, however, will require proponents to disclose their emissions and provide plans around how they will reduce their emissions in line with their safeguard mechanism obligation. These requirements, along with the establishment of an independent EPA and enforcement of the safeguard mechanism, will go a long way.”
“More efficient and robust project assessments and approvals will allow us to better respond and deliver on national priorities, like the renewable energy transition and a Future Made in Australia. We're making strides in the area of renewables. Around half of all electricity in the national grid came from renewable sources in September 2025—the highest monthly rate on record. We are tackling emissions and are confident we have the policies in place to deliver on our ambitious 2030 emission reduction targets. We are also here fighting to get this bill passed and these environmental protections enshrined. We cannot allow for more division and inaction, and we cannot continue to delay.”
“If you can't leave the environment how you found it, it's only right you contribute in other ways to its sustainability. This bill will ensure that projects must leave the environment better off by introducing the concept of 'net gain' for environmental offsets. This is a shift from the current rules threshold, which is a 'no net loss' concept. This will shift the dial towards restoration, giving our native populations the opportunity to regenerate, recover and become more resilient. It means more steps towards improving our environment, not just accepting the way things are. We want to make renewable energy and sustainability the way of the future. This bill package recognises that a more efficient regulatory system is needed to enable better and faster decisions.”
“We can truly make up for the environmental damage of the past—try and reverse what has happened under the Liberals' and Nationals' neglect. We'll support better decision-making for the future and help the public understand and comment on projects. Another area where this bill will make real and lasting change is in ensuring a net gain for our environment. This means that, on the bottom line, we are contributing positively to the environment. Where an organisation can't, there are other avenues to offset that impact. When we enter any of our national parks, we each make a pledge to take only memories and leave only footprints. It's a reminder of our place in this world: to tread lightly, to not damage. This message should be for all individual people and big corporations.”
“It would exercise a range of powers independently of the minister such as compliance and enforcement of the laws and project conditions, and the auditing of state and territory processes for project assessments and approvals against new national environmental standards. It is a needed regulator that will ensure environmental protections. There will be reforms to allow the environment minister to meet the national environmental standards. These standards will set the boundaries for decisions to ensure they deliver improved environmental outcomes. Standards will protect the environment, give businesses clear rules and help decision-makers be fair and consistent. What this means on the ground is that we can get to work on protecting, conserving and restoring important environmental areas and species.”
“I still wonder, to this day, how far down the track we'd be if we had introduced a CPRS over a decade ago. We need to start protecting nature now. These bills will do just that. What are some of the key components of these bills? Under the proposed reforms we will establish Australia's first ever independent National Environmental Protection Agency. This will be a proud Labor legacy, delivering on an election commitment that was proudly campaigned for by ALP branch members. The newly-established National Environmental Protection Agency will be a strong independent regulator with a clear focus on ensuring better compliance with and stronger enforcement of Australia's new laws.”
“There will be more efficient and robust project assessments and approvals that will allow us to better respond and deliver on national priorities like the renewable energy transition, a future made in Australia and the housing that we so desperately need, and greater accountability and transparency in decision-making to give all Australians confidence in these laws. All in all, the government has been guided by Graeme Samuel's seminal report. It's our priority to deliver the Samuel report recommendations as a critical first step. History shows us that progress comes in steps. The steps proposed in these new laws are huge. There's always more to do, but those who wait for the final step before we even start often end up taking no steps at all. We have seen this before.”
“They have been champions of these reforms for years. These bills deliver modern, fit-for-purpose national environmental laws. These laws are a targeted package of reforms to the EPBC Act centred on three key pillars: stronger environmental protection and restoration; more efficient and robust project approvals; and greater accountability and transparency in decision-making. These are stronger environmental protection and restoration laws that won't just deliver better protections for our species and our special places but restore and regenerate them for future generations.”
“After turning their back on the environment while in power—and now actively working against progress—the Nationals and the Liberals are standing in the way of creating a sustainable country. Every day we delay, every day we let them drag their feet, the more it costs us. It costs our country, our beautiful landscapes, the chance for a protected natural environment that will be here long after us. It's why it's an honour to speak on these bills, and I extend my congratulations to the environment minister as well as the former environment minister, the member for Sydney, for all their work. Moreover, I extend my congratulations to everyone in the community who has worked constructively with the government on developing this legislation. In particular, I note, again, the work of the Labor Environment Action Network.”
“The laws do not work for the environment, they do not work for industries and they do not work for the Australian people. This report was delivered with clear directions on next steps, and it sat there for years. Is it any wonder our environment fared so badly under the Liberals and Nationals when, in the last decade, they repeatedly axed climate laws; failed to fix Australia's broken environment laws despite having a widely supported blueprint to do so; sabotaged the Murray-Darling Basin Plan; promised $40 million of Indigenous water plans but never delivered a drop; set recycling targets with no plan to deliver them—the list goes on. Today we are trying to correct the record after inaction and neglect.”
“Indeed, it's one of the hallmarks of Labor governments to work constructively with the environment movement to bring about real, lasting change for the environment. Whether it be working with protesters in Tasmania to save the Franklin, championing First Nation groups to protect the Daintree and Kakadu or collaborating with unions on green bans, Labor has delivered real change for the environment. But the reality is that all this is under threat because Australia's national environmental laws are no longer fit for purpose. The EPBC Act is 26 years old now. In 2020 Graeme Samuel tabled his report for the then environment minister—now the Leader of the Opposition—the member for Farrer. The report showed that environmental laws in this country were broken and in desperate need of reform.”
“In Cooper we have many groups focusing on protecting the environment: Friends of Edwardes Lake, headed up by the indomitable Kate Jost; Darebin Climate Action Now, a tireless group of climate and environment campaigners; friends of all of the creeks I mentioned above, who tirelessly plant trees, remove rubbish and volunteer every weekend; amazing individual warriors like Cath Rouse, who showed me Toolangi Forest for the first time, and the amazing Carolyn Lunt, who helps locals convert their gardens to native Indigenous wonderlands; and, of course, our local Labor members who make up LEAN, the Labor Environment Action Network. I love working with these groups. It's truly one of the highlights of my role as a local representative.”
“Even in my own electorate of Cooper, despite being better known for some of Australia's best lattes and coolest streets, we are home to an abundance of beautiful lands, including waterways like the Merri Creek, the Darebin Creek and Edgars Creek. They are benefiting right now from federal government investments to rewild and protect them and also from the ancient knowledge of Indigenous rangers, including groups that do cultural burns on the waterways, exposing ancient Indigenous grasses and plants that haven't been seen for decades and possibly centuries. In addition to our wonderful First Nations groups who have protected these beautiful lands and waterways, it's been the environment and climate movement and thousands of activists young and old who've played such a big role in championing and protecting our natural environment.”
“I rise today to speak on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and the proposed reforms. These reforms will ensure the future and prosperity of our beautiful country and environment. Of course, while speaking on these beautiful lands, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples and indeed all First Nations people. For tens of thousands of years, they have cared for and acted as stewards of the lands, air, waterways and oceans of this country. It is within this tradition of stewardship, protection and care that I speak on these bills. Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, from mountain ranges in the east to breathtaking beaches in the west. It is home to a rich biodiversity unlike anywhere else on the planet.”
“The story of superannuation is a story about what Labor does best. We take good ideas and we make them universal. We don't just look after a few; we build systems that lift everyone up, and we improve those systems as time goes on. And that's what we'll keep doing. We'll keep defending the superannuation system for the workers who rely on it. We'll keep strengthening it. We'll keep defending it when it's under attack. And we will keep ensuring that the next generation of Australians can look forward to a retirement with dignity, built on those three pillars. They will have a retirement that is not uncertain and precarious but one built on security and dignity, knowing that they have worked hard all their life to achieve it, and that is exactly what will happen.”
“If employers want to avoid these penalties, all they need to do is the right thing and make sure workers get paid their super on time into the right account with the right amount. Superannuation is a vehicle for fairness, for long-term investment and for nation building. We're incredibly proud of our superannuation industry. I think around $4 trillion is now held in assets for workers in this country. That is amazing money that is being invested in infrastructure, in health care, in all sorts of things that make this nation better. But we must always remain vigilant. We can't listen to those opposite who, every few years, try again and again to undermine the superannuation industry. Labor will always defend superannuation, because we know what it stands for: fairness, security and shared prosperity.”
“The updated super guarantee charge includes notional earnings, and this compensates employees for the investment returns they missed out on due to late payment; an administrative uplift, which is an additional charge to reflect the cost of enforcement and to incentivise voluntary rectification; and choice loading, an additional penalty if the employer fails to pay into the employee's chosen fund. Employers who continue not to pay, even after the ATO has raised an SG charge, will face higher penalties of up to 50 per cent of the unpaid amount. These changes are designed to prompt employers to fix mistakes quickly and ensure workers are fairly compensated when employers fall short.”
“This change will make it easier for employees to track their super, and for the ATO to detect missed payments earlier, before debts become unrecoverable—this is a critical part of this legislation. It also updates the superannuation guarantee charge, which is the penalty employers face when they fail to pay super on time, because failing to pay working people what they are owed is not okay. Under the new framework, the super guarantee charge will apply for each payday an employer fails to pay super in full and on time.”
“One of the things she is absolutely fiercely passionate about is making sure that all her fellow employees know how to check their super and make sure they're getting paid. Labor believes super should be paid on payday, just like wages. It's a simple idea that makes a big difference, ensuring every dollar workers earn works for them straight away. It's why the Albanese Labor government is introducing this bill, and why I am speaking so passionately in support of it. This legislation is a once-in-a-generation reform to fix unpaid super, and from 1 July 2026 employers will be required to pay superannuation guarantee contributions at the same time as wages. Employers must ensure that contributions are received by the employees super fund within seven business days of payday.”
“She just happened to see there was a super payment there, but didn't really take much notice of what was in her super account. It became apparent that she had not been paid her super for years. She worked for the one employer; she trusted him and he let her down. For three to four years he'd put no superannuation in her account at all. When we discovered this, she alerted her fellow employees and, just as the previous speaker my good friend the member for Bendigo said, the employer went bankrupt and disappeared. He had no money to pay what was owed to those employees. This is a story that we've heard time and time again. I'm very proud to say that, years later, my stepdaughter is a mum, she has a good career and she is also a union delegate.”
“In fact, the Australian Taxation Office estimates that $5.2 billion in super went unpaid in 2021-22 alone. That's $100 million every week that workers earned but never received, $100 million that should have gone to support their retirement, $100 million a week that would have supported them to live their lives with dignity. This issue isn't impacting the top of the town. It disproportionately affects younger workers and those in insecure work. These are people who can least afford to miss out on their retirement savings. These are the people who the Australian Labor Party is here, proudly, to support today with this legislation. People like my stepdaughter, who worked casually in hospitality, like so many people young people have done and still do. She would check her pay packet regularly.”
“And, my goodness, it will go a long way to closing that gender pay gap. That's why we are here today. We know that too many workers are missing out. They're missing out because some employers only pay super once a quarter or, worse, fall behind all together. When super isn't paid every payday, workers lose out on the compound interest that makes super so powerful. It's their money, earned through their labour, and it should be in their account when they're paid, not months later. In addition to this, quarterly payments make it harder for workers to track what they're owed, and it's easier for those dodgy employers—and I want to make the point that there are not many of them, but there are some out there—to delay or avoid paying super at all.”
“They seem to think that it is an absolute anathema that workers should accrue such capital. Even more offensive to them is that workers have control of that capital. You see, workers sit on industry superannuation fund boards and are part of a very important governance structure of that industry. When I was president of the ACTU—and, indeed, secretary of the nurses' union—we fought off attack after attack from conservative governments on that system. We on this side of the House are in absolute agreement that we need to build on these systems. That's why, in the last term of government, the Albanese Labor government expanded paid parental leave to include the payment of superannuation, to ensure people who take time away from work for parental leave don't miss out on lost super.”
“And when the Building Workers' Industrial Union of Australia got that over the line with their members, other unions followed. It was an amazing beginning. Tom McDonald went on to be a great supporter of the superannuation industry, and I'd like to acknowledge his contribution today. Superannuation has made Australia one of the most secure retiree nations in the world. But, like any system, we know it can always be improved. There's always more work to do. It seems that those on the other side want to spend a great deal of their time tearing down some of our great institutions. We know what they've tried to do to Medicare over the decades and over time. We've heard that many times in this House. They have constantly launched attacks on our superannuation system.”
“They thought that that money was better off going directly into the pockets of workers and not into a fund. So there was a lot of debate and a lot of discussion about establishing the superannuation industry. But thanks to union legends like the great Tom McDonald—the late Tom McDonald, I'm sad to say. He was the national secretary of the Building Workers' Industrial Union of Australia at the time. He believed passionately that superannuation was going to be one of the most important assets that workers could have. He ran an amazing campaign with his building workers at the time to convince them that this was a good idea. He did that. He held a members meeting one day, and they voted to forego their pay rise to establish their superannuation fund.”
“Many people might forget that at the establishment of the superannuation industry, workers forewent a three per cent pay rise in one year to establish their funds, putting that hard-earned money, or that hoped-for pay rise, not directly into their pockets that year to spend but into a superannuation fund that would grow with compound interest—that amazing thing—over their working lives to give them a decent retirement. Some of these workers were very low paid, so foregoing a three per cent pay rise was actually a great sacrifice to them. Not everybody supported the concept. Definitely, I would say people on the conservative side of politics and a lot of employers did not support it, but neither did a lot of people on the progressive side, including some workers and some unions.”
“It extended the promise of a decent retirement to women, casual workers, people in low-paid jobs and those who were too often left behind. It established the three pillars of retirement: the pension, superannuation and personal savings. Today, the superannuation industry holds trillions of dollars in superannuation savings that belong to the workers of this country. That's not just an extraordinary asset. It's a testament to the power of a collective vision, to hard work and, yes, to sacrifice.”
“In the 1980s, unions and the Hawke and Keating Labor governments came together to tackle one of the great injustices of our economy: that only the wealthiest Australians could have a decent retirement. At that time, it was only a small percentage of Australians—and, I've got to say, mostly men—in fairly high-paying jobs that had any form of superannuation at all. These superannuation funds were run by their employees. They were industry based and all run under different legislation and different rules. We wanted that to be uniform and available to everyone, and, through bold Labor reform, that changed. The introduction of universal compulsory superannuation in 1992 transformed our entire economy. It definitely transformed the lives of millions of Australians.”
“It is the absolute embodiment of a simple but powerful idea: that after a lifetime of work, every Australian deserves dignity, independence and financial security in their retirement. Let me tell you this: it did not come easily. Superannuation wasn't handed down by very generous employers. No, it was fought for, tooth and nail. It was envisaged to be part of that great idea of the social wage. This was a view and a vision of the Hawke-Keating era and of that great trade unionist Bill Kelty. It was established along with other great measures of the social wage like Medicare, another great implementation that we are incredibly proud of on this side of the House.”