Kristy McBain
Eden-Monaro · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I move: That in accordance with section 5 of the Parliament Act 1974 , the House approve the following proposal for work in the Parliamentary Zone, which was presented to the House on 22 June 2026, namely: Commemoration of Nangar (Jimmy Clements) and Ooloogan (George John Noble).”
“This piece will be located on the lawns opposite Old Parliament House in a setting purpose-built to suit the sculptures. Works are intended to be completed by May 2027 to align with events to mark the centenary of Old Parliament House. A design and construction team has been selected to deliver the commemoration.”
“These two men, well into their 80s at the time, had walked barefoot from the Brungle Aboriginal mission across the Brindabella Range—a multiday trek of some 150 kilometres—to attend the opening. On arrival, they were nearly evicted for their lack of appropriate attire.”
“I thank the member for Lingiari. She's a fierce advocate for her community, and her community has been severely impacted by floods and cyclones. Thank you for all the time you've spent with me in my office speaking about that.”
“I saw firsthand the impacts on our communities, from Harcourt in Victoria and Dolphin Sands in Tassie to Julia Creek in Queensland and Katherine in the NT—homes and livestock lost, businesses closed and major infrastructure damaged. And, tragically, we lost community members, including first responders.”
“They play a critical and trusted role providing services in our communities, and we know our communities rely on those. The Albanese government has a longstanding commitment to local councils, and our budget reaffirms that.”
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“There are a lot of local recipients, so I'm going to table all of these names for the Hansard and for all of our major towns, which are incredibly important. I also acknowledge and congratulate those who have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, the Public Service Medal, the Australian Fire Service Medal and a range of defence service medals. I am going to table all those names. A quick shout-out to local champion Nikki Ayers, who was the first Paralympic gold medallist from Dalmeny who received an OAM for her service to the sport. Well done to Robyn Reynolds, who received the Australian Fire Service Medal and who has contributed so much to the Pambula Rural Fire Brigade. I want to give a shout-out to a very special person in our community turning 100 on 1 April this year.”
“This one family gave so much, and it's important and right that we acknowledge them and honour them. We are eternally grateful for the contribution this family has made, and I thank the Lucas family for letting me join them at the commemoration. It was a huge day, and a huge congratulations to everyone on Australia Day who received awards across the Eden-Monaro. I was fortunate enough to attend citizenship ceremonies and Australia Day services in Goulburn, Captain's Flat and Queanbeyan to welcome new citizens to the community and to celebrate local award winners. Congratulations to all the Australia Day award winners and nominees. Thank you so much for your commitment and service to our communities.”
“I recently had the great privilege of attending a last post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to honour Private Dudley Lucas and his brother Private Basil Albert Lucas. The Lucas brothers were from Brogo in the Bega Valley, and in 1941 they answered the call and enlisted in the Army. Incredibly, nine of the 10 Lucas brothers served in the Second World War, often enlisting multiple times until they were accepted for service. Basil and Dudley gave their lives in service, with Dudley's body sadly never being found. Basil died on 25 November 1942 aged just 18, and Dudley was presumed dead on 15 January 1942. I first heard about the story of the brothers when I was mayor of the Bega Valley. In 2017, I was fortunate enough to work with the Lucas family to have a plaque installed outside the Bega Commemorative Civic Centre.”
“I'll finish by saying that, on this side of the House, we actually believe in investing not only in roads and in infrastructure but in service delivery because regional communities deserve that. And, as an inner-city elite who apparently lives in a smaller town than most of you over there, I will say—”
“Our record investment, which is cleaning up the mess that those opposite left us, is connecting more than 2.1 million premises across the nation, many in our regions. And we want the NBN to stay in public ownership because privatisation means worse service. We've seen that time and time again under those opposite. I am nearly out of time, but I need to tell you this. On this side of the House, we invest in making sure our communities are more prepared for and more resilient to disasters, with $750 million already out the door in Disaster Ready funding and $519.1 million in Future Drought Fund programs to help Aussie farmers and regional communities be more resilient.”
“We want to make sure that we provide fairer school funding for every student in every public school across the country, and we are delivering cheaper and universal access to child care with more than $1 billion invested to improve not just affordability but accessibility for regional kids. Those opposite talk a big game and they talk about childcare deserts, but they did nothing about it in their nine years in government and are voting against it, saying it's a bad policy. Go back to your regional communities and tell them you don't want more childcare places in your communities then. But I'll go on because the facts speak for themselves. We are delivering an additional $3 billion to complete the NBN because we take connectivity seriously. We need it to run our small businesses, access education services and work from home.”
“Regional apprentices will benefit from $10,000 in incentive payments from 1 July this year to top up their wages during the lives of their apprenticeships if they're working in the housing and construction sector. We're raising the allowance paid to apprentices living away from home, the first time the payment has increased since 2003. We have opened more regional uni study hubs because you shouldn't have to pack your bags to build your future. From Tumut in my electorate to Clermont, Hughenden and Moranbah in Queensland, west to Northam and Kununurra in WA, and south to Kangaroo Island, we are investing in young Australians being able to study closer to home. We're making TAFE free permanently because it is a big success.”
“We've also opened 61 free walk-in Medicare mental health centres across Australia, 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain specialist clinics in every state and territory and 87 Medicare urgent care clinics from Queanbeyan to Broome to Mount Gambier to free up our emergency rooms and get people seen sooner. We heard the calls from nursing, teaching and social work students who needed help with the cost of living, so we said, 'We'll provide you with mandatory prac payments.' Those payments are available from July this year. We understand that regional development isn't just about investing in roads and infrastructure; it's about investing in people and their skills and training.”
“I noticed that those opposite, who are great defenders of regional Australia, just had a whinge about regional health care but didn't say, 'Well done on delivering more money for hospitals across our regions.' I'm glad I've got your attention now, because it is incredibly important to deliver not only good-quality health care but cheaper medicines for our communities. In my electorate of Eden-Monaro alone, residents have saved $7.6 million because of the Albanese government's cheaper medicines policy—a policy that these people voted against. We have tripled the bulk-billing incentive and, thanks to our landmark investments, have added 2.2 million bulk-billed visits in regional and rural Australia.”
“But all this is at risk because the Leader of the Opposition wants to wind back these laws in favour of his big business mates and their long lunches. While we're at it, we'll talk about regional health care because I know that that was a focus for the member for Page. We're actually focusing on delivering good-quality health care across the country. In fact, just before question time, the Prime Minister and health minister announced an increase of $1.7 billion for our hospitals around the country.”
“We introduced the same job, same pay laws, which the Leader of the Opposition said would close down Australia and take us back to the Dark Ages, but, in reality, these laws are delivering Australians the pay rises they need and deserve. Regional Aussies are earning more and keeping more of what they earn because of our government. In fact, here are a couple of examples of how same job, same pay works: workers at a meat processing facility in regional Queensland have had wage increases of up to 42 per cent; and 90 workers in a New South Wales coalmine operated by Boggabri Coal have had pay increases of between $15,600 and $35,000. We've also increased wages for aged-care workers and early childhood educators. We've expanded paid parental leave to 26 weeks, and we're adding super on top of it.”
“The mayor of Temora Shire Council in the member for Riverina's electorate, Mayor Firman, said: This funding is a significant contribution to the enhancement and maintenance of our roads and will have a positive impact on our community. The commitment of your ministry to improving our road network is greatly appreciated. We are helping more Australians get into home ownership with our Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. Eighteen thousand regional Aussies have benefited so far because we expanded the eligibility criteria to help more people in our regions. We have delivered tax cuts for all and created a million jobs so far.”
“Each and every council in this country is now delivering more local priority projects thanks to the Albanese government. Councils in the electorate of Page, for example, will receive $66.6 million in Roads to Recovery funding, which is an increase of $27.7 million, a figure that the member who just spoke never achieved even in his nine years in government. Whilst I'm at it, those opposite actually froze indexation on financial assistance grants, ripping nearly a billion dollars out of local communities. This has had a dire impact on our communities, which is why the sector has welcomed our record funding increases.”
“As we speak, funding is rolling out for priority community projects under our $600 million Growing Regions Program. We're delivering almost $100 million in funding under our Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program. Round 2 of Growing Regions has just come out. I note that, in the member for Page's electorate, Clarence Valley Council has just got $1.6 million for the Grafton regional aquatic centre waterslide project because at the heart of every regional community is a high-quality swimming pool. While we're at it, let's talk about how we've engaged with regional communities through local councils. We are progressively doubling Roads to Recovery funding to a billion dollars each and every year. Those of us who drive on regional roads are well aware that they are in desperate need of funding.”
“We've been delivering with integrity and transparency, and it'll take me a lot longer than 10 minutes to go through it, but I'm going to give it a crack because I think the member for Page needs to understand that regional Australia is a bit more than a grant program and a bit more than outrage and carry-on. We've put regional Australia at the centre of our government's plan for a prosperous and resilient future which is made in Australia, because a future made in Australia is a future made in regional Australia. We get it, which is why we're investing $22.7 billion over 10 years to attract investment into Australia, to make us a leader in renewable energy, adding value to our natural resources and strengthening our economic security.”
“That was a load of outrage, carry-on and misplaced anger. I've heard just a whole bunch of bumph, because the previous National and Liberal state government are the ones who put additional parks in New South Wales. It was the previous coalition state government that put additional parks in New South Wales. Go and check the record. The member for Page has clearly been taking some random instructions. 'Go out and be outraged; we need a grab.' But he's failed to understand that there has actually been more investment in regional Australia over the last 2½ years than in the previous 10.”
“We're supporting people to train at home so they can continue to work locally, because you shouldn't have to pack your bags to build a career, and that is something that I think everyone should get behind in this chamber. I commend the bill.”
“Just the other week, the Prime Minister announced that, from 1 July, apprentices working in the housing construction sector will receive $10,000 in incentive payments on top of their wages over the lifetime of their training. Under those opposite, courses are cut, costs go up and completion rates go down. They put barriers in place, making a uni or TAFE qualification unattainable. We need this to change. I know it too firsthand, because we've had over 10 apprentices in our local business, and, unfortunately, over the lifetime of the former coalition government, they cut completion incentives for apprentices, and we've seen the number of apprentice completions go down because of it. The Albanese Labor government is building Australia's future, and that starts with investing in people.”
“We will also lift repayment thresholds, keeping more money in people's hip pocket, providing important cost-of-living relief. We've signed a landmark $30 billion five-year national skills agreement with all states and territories. This puts TAFE at the centre of skills and training. We're building a national network of TAFE centres of excellence, and we're uncapping satellite broadband to help regional and remote students better access education. We're supporting teaching, nursing and social work students with the cost of mandatory prac placements, with $319.50 per week to help out. We're investing $66.9 million to double the number of university study hubs across the country, including 20 across regional communities.”
“It wasn't their style. They wanted to develop hands-on skills and give back to their community in really practical ways, which is exactly what they're doing. There's nothing wrong with wanting to go to uni, but it's not for everyone, which is why being able to access a range of vocational courses in our regions is so important. With over 110,000 free TAFE courses already completed to date, this program has made that possible. That is a really positive completion rate getting more workers into our communities where we need them most. It's one of the many ways since coming to government that we've made our education system fairer and more accessible for every Australian, regardless of their postcode. We've wiped $3 billion in student debt and will cut a further 20 per cent from all student loans if re-elected.”
“This includes in my own electorate of Eden-Monaro, where we've got TAFE campuses in Bega, Cooma, Goulburn, Jindabyne, Queanbeyan, Tumut and Yass, not to mention the Canberra Institute of Technology and Moruya TAFE, which are used by many of my constituents as well. Free TAFE has supported people to build skills in their own backyard so that they can continue to work locally. We have so many industries across the mighty Eden-Monaro that require TAFE qualifications, from agriculture and tourism to Snowy 2.0 and many of our small businesses. Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Queanbeyan TAFE with the state member for Monaro, who is the New South Wales minister for skills, training and education. We were speaking with bricklaying apprentices. They told me that there was nothing worse than being cooped up in an office building all day.”
“This is cost-of-living relief that's making a real difference for 568,000 people across the country—something that those opposite voted against. When it comes to workers, all we've heard from the opposition is, well, nothing. They've confused signature dish with signature policy. Taxpayers having to foot the bill for long lunches is all they've got. We on this side of the chamber know how important the VET system is for Australians and for Australia's future. We know that this bill will work because free TAFE has already changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians, including over 127,000 people across the regions.”
“It was not long ago that the deputy leader of the Liberals said, 'If you don't pay for it, you don't value it.' Tell this to the apprentice chef that said, 'I'm going to school to get a better job so we can have a better life,' or to the sparky that said, 'I like pulling things apart and putting them back together, so I'm going to go and do that for the rest of my life,' or to the student nurse that said, 'It gives a lot of young people and older people an opportunity,' or to the nurses that have saved over $17,000, the electricians that have saved over $12,000 and the carpenters that have saved nearly $3,000. Those numbers speak for themselves, but all we've seen from those opposite is non-stop nonsense on this.”
“This is important, because, when we came to government, 2½ years ago, we were faced with the biggest skills shortage Australia had seen in more than 50 years—a direct result of the former coalition government ripping $3 billion from TAFE and training and something that the Leader of the Opposition would have no hesitation in doing again if given half the chance. Let's face it: those opposite have form on this. They turned their back on aged care, they barely put a cent towards housing and they promised hundreds of projects without budgeting for them and without investing in the workforce needed to get those projects done. By standing in the way of free TAFE, again those opposite are still at odds with what our communities want.”
“Free TAFE will give Australians the confidence to pursue their dreams, to up-skill without the extra pressure that paying courses can sometimes bring. It will mean we have more nurses in our hospitals, more aged-care workers looking after our loved ones and more tourism and hospitality professionals—sectors which are critical to strong local economies. We'll also support building the pipeline of skilled workers Australia needs to remain competitive on the global stage, ensuring that we continue to grow our local industries and strengthen our national economy. This bill ensures that free TAFE places target industries experiencing current and projected workforce shortfalls. Jobs in construction, the care economy, manufacturing and industry are undergoing a net zero transition.”
“Thanks to TAFE, my mum was able to retrain in her 50s to become an aged-care diversional therapy worker, a job that she says was the best she ever had. This is just my family, but there are so many stories just like this right across Australia. Free TAFE, which has already supported over 568,000 enrolments in the past two years, has had a huge impact in our communities, particularly across our regions, which represent one in three of those places. This bill will support the continual delivery of 100,000 fee-free TAFE places across Australia each year, removing barriers so that more people can gain skills in their own backyard. I'm incredibly proud to be able to stand here today to support this, because it's one of the many ways that the Albanese Labor government is helping people to build their future.”
“I rise today to speak on the Free TAFE Bill 2024, which is an incredibly important piece of reform. It will embed free TAFE as a fixture of our national vocational education system. I know it's important because my husband, my brother, my sister, my dad and my mum all went to TAFE. You could say that that probably makes me the odd one out, but it also means that I know firsthand the huge role that TAFE institutes play in unlocking opportunities and equipping people with skills that they need to get ahead. Thanks to TAFE, my husband is a fully licensed plumber and gas fitter, which has allowed us to run our own small business on the South Coast. Thanks to TAFE, my brother is a qualified chef who's worked in New South Wales, Queensland and the UK in a career that he loved, before moving into food wholesaling.”