Jerome Laxale
Bennelong · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The interim report makes 13 recommendations in time for the government and the parliament to consider their implementation before the next federal election. The committee has recommended reviewing the thresholds under the significant third party and associated entity framework to capture coordinated involvement in elections at scale.”
“Many describe this assault by third parties identified in submissions to the committee, like the Plymouth Brethren and ADVANCE, as a fundamental disruption to the foundations of our free and fair voting process. This parliament cannot ignore this evidence.”
“On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I present the committee's interim report incorporating dissenting reports entitled Inquiry into the conduct of the 2025 federal election . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).”
“These recommendations respond directly to the many accounts of overwhelming, unsafe and intimidatory experiences at polling places during the 2025 federal election in targeted electorates.”
“It is also considering universal voter access and the suitability of authorisation requirements, noting our rapidly changing communication technology. The inquiry is also looking at domestic interference in our electoral processes. There have been 360 submissions to the inquiry to date.”
“In order to protect the electoral process, the committee recommends that the matter of domestic interference be considered and addressed as a priority.”
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“It has meant millions of dollars saved on cheaper medicines and visits to a bulk-billed doctor for local families and retirees, providing real cost-of-living relief. We hear a lot of that term and this is real progress in families' budgets, where they're not spending as much on pharmaceutical medicines, where they're not spending as much to go and see a doctor. It has meant more people being able to see their doctor, being able to look after their health without reaching for their credit card, without punching a hole in that weekly or fortnightly pay packet, and it's meant real cost-of-living relief delivered through a health system that people trust and that Australians expect to have their back.”
“When this government was elected in 2022 and then re-elected in 2025, Australians made it clear that they wanted Medicare—the entire system—to be strengthened, not just protected but made to work better in practice. Of course, they were responding to nine years of Liberal neglect of Medicare, where the Medicare rebate was frozen for six long years by the former leader of the opposition and the current Leader of the Opposition. Left alone, the cost of medicines at the pharmacy would have reached $50 without Labor's intervention. Bulk-billing clinics were harder and harder to find. People elected us to reform Medicare and to reverse that neglect because Medicare is something that people rely on every single day. In my electorate of Bennelong, strengthening Medicare has meant real and measurable change.”
“Starting at Hunters Hill, they now have over 1,400 clubs across Australia and New Zealand, and over half a million members have been involved since 1976. I'm so proud that all of that started right in the heart of Bennelong. This week, on 3 February, the club celebrated its 50th birthday, and attending were Michael Ransom, chairman of Probus; Josephine McBride, who is the current president of the Hunters Hill Club; the local mayor; and my predecessor, former prime minister John Howard. Unfortunately, due to parliamentary commitments, I couldn't be there, but thank you to Hunters Hill Probus Club for all that you do.”
“Today, I am eager to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Hunters Hill Probus Club, the first and oldest Probus club in the country that is right in the heart of Bennelong. Their inaugural meeting was held on 3 February 1976, and, 50 years later, Hunters Hill Probus Club is thriving as it fosters wellbeing, inclusion and connection right across Australia. Probus remains a non-for-profit institution run by members for its members. Probus club memberships are open to retirees, semi-retirees and those soon to enter retirement. Through activities, programs and social initiatives that solidify community relationships, Probus ensures that Australians of all walks of life can maintain a healthy, active and stimulating lifestyle as they age.”
“Their engagement supports not only the committee's work but the broader accountability framework that underpins the operation of Australia's intelligence community. I commend the report to the House.”
“The committee notes the ongoing modernisation efforts across the NIC, including work to strengthen shared systems, enhance ICT platforms and uplift workforce capability in response to emerging national security challenges. Although much of the committee's work understandably occurs in classified settings, the outcomes reflected in this report demonstrate that the parliament, through the committee, continues to exercise strong bipartisan oversight of intelligence administration and expenditure. This oversight is essential to maintaining public trust in agencies whose work, by necessity, is largely unseen. The committee thanks all agencies, officials and oversight bodies for their cooperation throughout this review.”
“Submissions also covered the impact of the legislative changes on agency operations, workforce pressures in specialist fields, recruitment and retention challenges, and the coordination of intelligence activities across the NIC. The committee received detailed material from all six intelligence agencies as well as from the Australian National Audit Office and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. Classified hearings assisted the committee in discharging its obligations while ensuring national security was maintained. The report highlights the sustained high tempo at which intelligence agencies continue to operate and the importance of ensuring that administrative systems, governance structures and financial management remain robust.”
“Their public reporting is necessarily limited to protect sensitive capabilities and operations, so this annual parliamentary review is an important mechanism by which the parliament receives assurance on these agencies' governance, resource stewardship and administration. The committee sought evidence on each agency's performance against its objectives, its budget situation and the health and integrity of its financial statements. This included examination of strategic priorities, organisational governance, risk management practices, workforce capability, security arrangements and major ICT and information-sharing initiatives.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's report entitled Review of a dministration and e xpenditure N o. 23 ( 2023 - 24 )— Australian intelligence agencies . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—This annual review is undertaken in accordance with the committee's statutory responsibilities under the Intelligence Services Act 2001. It examines the administration, expenditure and financial statements of the six agencies that make up Australia's National Intelligence Community, the NIC—ASIO, ASIS, AGO, DIO, ASD and the Office of National Intelligence. The committee's review is part of a strict oversight and accountability framework within which these agencies operate.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government getting on with the job of building cleaner, cheaper energy? Why is focusing on the needs of Australian families important, and what are the risks to delivering the reliable, fair and modern energy grid Australians deserve?”
“It provides law enforcement with clearer tools to intervene earlier. It criminalises organised hate groups that exist to radicalise, recruit and intimidate. It holds leaders and authority figures to account when they abuse positions of trust to spread hate, and it recognises and criminalises the serious harm caused when adults deliberately radicalise children. I support this legislation, as should everyone in this place.”
“That moment shattered any lingering belief that this kind of violence and hate could not happen here. Disgustingly, in the days and weeks following Bondi, more hate was distributed in my community of Bennelong—again, material designed to threaten and divide. It was redacted and shared on our local Love Gladesville group, and I'm so proud that my local community called it out. Sara said, 'These views are not welcome in my home or my country.' Aiden said that these groups are 'an enemy of peace'. Martin hit the nail on the head when he said, 'We need to send a very strong message that their BS and lies are not tolerated and these dropkicks are not welcome in our community.' To Martin, Sara and Aiden: this bill is that strong message. This legislation strengthens penalties for those who incite hatred and violence.”
“That is how organised hate operates. It seeks to fracture social cohesion by creating fear across communities, normalising division and emboldening those who thrive on hate. This is where the real risk lies. Hate cannot be allowed to organise, because it will be normalised. The more it becomes organised the more it becomes visible, and when that happens it's not institutions that absorb the damage; it is people. Hate does not begin with violence, but all violence begins with hate. On 14 December last year, Australia was forced to confront the reality of hate-inspired Islamic extremist violence, when the deadliest terrorist attack on our soil occurred at Bondi Beach. It's a place associated with everyday life, community and joy, and it became the site of a devastating loss.”
“Taking on Nazis and Islamic fundamentalists is something this parliament must do with conviction and with haste, and that is what this law intends to do. Even in Bennelong—beautiful, diverse and safe Bennelong—we have seen the real-world impact of hateful activities. Too regularly, white supremacist material finds its way into local letterboxes. Too often people in my community, where I live and raise my family, are targeted not because of chance but because of what they look like and what they believe in. In Marsfield more than half of the residents speak a language other than English at home. In Eastwood nearly half of the community identifies as having Chinese heritage. The vile material they receive is not distributed to persuade or debate; it is distributed to threaten, to signal that they are not welcome in their own home.”
“Over recent years, I've spoken directly with Jewish Australians in Bennelong who are feeling increasingly unsafe in ways they never expected to feel in this country. Parents have spoken about their children being targeted. Young people have spoken about hiding their identity, and students have spoken about feeling isolated and unsupported. This reality must be named clearly. Antisemitism is not vague. It is specific, it is persistent and it causes real harm. Yesterday, members of parliament from all sides named that hate clearly in this House. I'll single out a contribution from my friend and neighbour the member for Berowra, who spoke very powerfully about the need to confront these threats head-on. On many elements of his speech, I agree with him.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. I do so not just as a member of this government but as a local MP who has seen at close range what hate is and what hate does to members of my community. Bennelong is one of the most multicultural electorates in the country. It's a community where people of different faiths, cultures and backgrounds live side by side and contribute to our shared Australian story. But, despite our diversity and despite our prosperity, hate emerges from time to time. These laws today are designed to target that hate, because when hate and extremism emerge in a community like mine, they are felt immediately. They divide my community, and they make communities feel unsafe.”
“I've also seen that solidarity expressed in simple meaningful ways. In Bennelong, in the days after the attack, a community gathered for a Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony and, throughout Hanukkah, kept the Canopy screen at Lane Cove illuminated with the candles of the menorah. We had the lovely show of support by households across my community putting a lit candle in their front windows. The great Australian instinct to stand together is one of our greatest strengths. It's how our communities endure loss and overcome adversity. It is also how this parliament should respond—with unity and dignity in honour of those precious lives lost.”
“One member of Bennelong's local Jewish community put it to me in a way that has struck a chord. He said to me, 'My wife and I have two children, who are now adults, who we had to take through security to kindergarten, to school and to synagogue. Now we have grandchildren, and we are doing the same with them—only the security required has increased, not decreased.' To say this is disheartening is an understatement. As a country, as local communities and as this parliament, we have to smash that reality, which has existed for too long in this country. Antisemitism has to stop. I'll advocate for and support laws designed to stop it. In moments like this, the way communities respond matters. I've seen people reach out quietly to one another across faiths, backgrounds and beliefs to offer support and reassurance.”
“For many in the Jewish community, concerns about safety and targeting have been raised for a long time, and there's a strong sense that the seriousness of those concerns has not been understood or heard. That sense of fear was made real at Bondi on 14 December. Just 20 minutes away, local families from my community in Bennelong were in St Ives; they were gathered to celebrate Chanukah on the Green at the same time as the attack in Bondi. Children and families there were placed into lockdown, frightened and uncertain about what was happening in Sydney. What I've heard for a while, but even more since Bondi, is a clear message: that living in fear should not be normal and Australia can no longer accept that the Jewish community need to live this way.”
“Antisemitism must be called out and condemned wherever it appears. Further, hatred directed at people because of who they are—their race, their religion, their gender or their sexuality—has no place in Australia and mustn't be allowed to fester in our communities. The response of this parliament, both from the government and the opposition, must be to root this hate out and pass laws to eradicate it. I'd like to thank the members of Bennelong's local Jewish community and the leaders and members of North Shore Temple Emanuel. Since October 7, they've shared with me their stories of exhaustion and worry. They've spoken about a deep sense of grief and sadness but also about a feeling that this attack in Bondi did not come as a shock to them.”
“I'm carrying the voices of people right across my community, in Bennelong, who have reached out to me over the last four weeks, sharing their sadness, their shock, their anger and their disbelief that this tragedy could happen here in Australia. Over recent weeks, I've spent time with our community in Bennelong, who, like all of us, are trying to make sense of what has happened. People have spoken to me about fear for their families, about the shock of seeing such violence occur in our suburbs and about the weight that they have been carrying since 14 December. For many in the Jewish Australian community, it has compounded existing fears and anxieties and reinforced legitimate concerns about antisemitism and personal safety. This reality needs to be acknowledged openly and plainly.”
“On behalf of Bennelong, I express my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the terror attack at Bondi late last year. Their loss is immeasurable and their grief is something no words in this place can ease. I want those impacted to know that they are not alone and that their loss and trauma is recognised and mourned in this place, in Bennelong, and right across the country. The lives lost were sons and daughters, partners, friends, community leaders and colleagues. Fifteen lives were lost: people with routines, plans and futures that were cruelly taken away from them in an instant by a despicable act of terror and hate. As I come into this place today, I know I am carrying more than my own words.”
“She did it in honour of her grandfather, the late John Shanahan, a much-loved Lane Cove local who, sadly, passed away from congestive heart failure. Charlotte's determination to support heart health in his name shows maturity and compassion well beyond her years. Her family and our entire community should be very proud of her. Of course, these results don't happen without strong leadership. I'd like to acknowledge Miss Amelia Richards for coordinating this event so successfully and acting principal Mrs Roslyn Gee for fostering a school environment where kids are supported to step up and make a real difference. Well done, Lane Cove West Public School.”
“I'd like to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity, commitment and community spirit displayed by the students, staff and families of Lane Cove West Public School. It gives me great pleasure to inform the House that this wonderful school community has raised an outstanding $32,969 for the Heart Foundation through this year's Jump Rope for Heart program, making them the school with the second-highest amount of fundraising in the country. This is not just a great achievement; it's a powerful example of how young people can step up and support a cause that touches so many Australian families. I'd like to give a special shout-out to the school's top fundraiser, Charlotte Shanahan, who raised a remarkable $2,305 all on her own. Charlotte's effort wasn't just about skipping ropes.”
“He was recognised with an Order of Australia for his contribution to entertainment, and his generosity continued later in life when he donated more than a thousand pieces of memorabilia to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia—preserving our cultural history for generations. Col Joye showed us that Australian artists could make their mark on the world stage. He brought joy to millions, inspired countless musicians and carried himself with warmth and humility. We remember him not only as a pioneer of Australian music but as a valued member of the Bennelong community. May his legacy continue to inspire.”
“I also rise today to acknowledge the life and legacy of Col Joye, a music pioneer, a household name and—for us in Bennelong—a much-loved local from Woolwich. Col was one of the first greats of Australian rock-and-roll. In the late fifties and sixties, his warm voice and cheerful stage presence helped shape a new sound and a new confidence for our country. In 1959, his hit 'Oh Yeah, Uh Huh' became the very first No. 1 single by an Australian pop artist—an achievement that opened doors for many who followed. But Col's story wasn't just about chart success. He gave young artists, including the Bee Gees, opportunities, and he worked behind the scenes to strengthen Australia's music industry.”
“Thousands of locals flock to Hunters Hill throughout the year to experience a slice of France—its flavours, its artisans, its music and its warmth. As the chair of the Parliamentary Friends of France group, I've had the privilege of seeing firsthand how cultural events just like this strengthen the relationship between our two nations. Le Marche has become one of Sydney's most vibrant examples of that friendship in action. Solveig's leadership has been central to this success. Her determination, her years of hard work and her deep commitment to community building have created something very unique, and we are so blessed to have it in Bennelong. I congratulate Solveig and the entire Le Marche team for their wonderful recognition last night, and for their commitment to the enduring friendship between Australia and France.”
“I rise today to acknowledge an outstanding achievement by a much-loved market and a much-loved person in our community, Le Marche French Market and its founder, Solveig Coulon. Last night, at the French embassy in Canberra, Le Marche was awarded the French-Australian Excellence Award for Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Events. It is national recognition of the contribution this market has made to Australia's cultural life. It is an honour that they have well and truly earned. For those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting it, Le Marche hosts its Sydney market at Woolwich Dock in Hunters Hill. What they've created down there is remarkable. It's not simply a farmers' market; it's a celebration of French culture, creativity and community spirit.”
“In October, the Myhealth clinic at Top Ryde charged a $35 gap fee for patients to see a GP, but, because of our record investments into Medicare, they went fully bulk-billing from 1 November. Since then, they've seen 6,000 patients who didn't have to pay a fee to see their GP; they were all fully bulk-billed. Under the Liberals, bulk-billing was on life support. They froze rebates and slashed billions of dollars from hospitals. As Kendrick Lamar would say, those Liberals—they not like us. Labor created Medicare, Labor protects Medicare and Labor will always strengthen Medicare.”
“It's been nearly a month since Medicare's super Saturday, and it's been a bumper month of bulk-billing in Bennelong. Super Saturday, of course, was 1 November, when Labor's $8.5 billion investment into bulk-billing came into force. And get this—in October, Healthdirect showed that Bennelong had nine fully bulk-billing practices, and today I can report to the House that we now have 14 fully bulk-billing practices in Bennelong. From Eastwood to West Ryde, Marsfield to Macquarie Park, Medicare card holders in Bennelong are now even more able to see their doctor without a fee. In exciting news, many of these 14 clinics made the switch from fee-paying to fully bulk-billing. Here is one example.”
“Just to show how connected to our community these pubs and clubs are, I'd like to give a shout-out to some of the amazing venues in Bennelong: the Eastwood Hotel, who have recently signed up to sponsor the Eastwood Rugby Club down the road; the Bizzo, which hosts the Eastwood Chamber of Commerce; and Moko Eastwood, which runs a great trivia night.”
“They support local footy clubs, they host charity days and they give young people their first job. In total, 160,000 Australians work in hospo and brewing sectors—and that is all connected to beer. This measure gives those small venues a bit of breathing space to stabilise, to plan, to reinvest and to keep their staff on. In Bennelong, where many hospitality businesses operate on tight margins, certainty matters. It matters to the workers behind the bar, to the chefs in the kitchen and to the restaurants that are also businesses within businesses that operate out of these clubs. The more people who come to these pubs and clubs the better it is for them.”
“This is targeted and is designed to support venues where people go out and recreate, venues that support draught beer, helping to manage their costs and facilitate jobs in our local communities, all while keeping prices steady. It's a practical step to help local venues stay successful and be the place, and continue to be the place, where communities come together. There are around 10,000 hospitality venues that stand to benefit from this two-year pause. About 75 per cent of those hotels and clubs are small family-run businesses. As someone who comes from a small-business background—not in the pub or club sector—I'm proud that this government is making this part of our policy offering to them. It is support for small businesses right across the country. Small businesses employ local people.”
“For a small pub or club, another automatic jump in the excise can mean the difference between that little bit of extra margin in hiring another worker or cutting back their hours, and between keeping the price of a pint stable and having to raise prices again on customers who are already feeling it. These aren't abstract pressures; these are day-to-day realities for thousands of family owned venues across the country. We heard this, we listened and we acted, because publicans, brewers and small businesses that operate at these venues asked for relief—and this is precisely what these bills deliver. The bills will pause the automatic increase in excise on draught beer for two years, starting 1 August 2025. It will apply to kegs and containers used in pubs and clubs that are between eight and 48 litres.”
“And when local venues are under pressure, as they have been for a while now, the community feels it. That's why this legislation matters. It's not just economic policy; it's community policy. Our hospitality sector has been riding wave after wave of pressure and a pandemic that hit venues harder than almost any other industry. They had supply chain shocks. They had rising input costs, from energy to transport to ingredients to labour, during the pandemic. Today, an automatic excise indexation that exists in high-inflation years hits small businesses right in the margins.”
“I rise in strong support of these bills, the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the associated bill. For so many Australians, including my community of Bennelong, the local pub or club isn't just a business; it's a place where people gather after work, it's where communities come together, it's where members of parliament like myself hold our events, it's where families meet, it's where sporting teams celebrate or commiserate and it's where local musicians get their start. In many suburban pockets across the country and in regional towns as well, the pub is the social anchor for communities right across Australia. It keeps people connected, it provides jobs for local hospo workers, it supports local charities and it sponsors local sporting clubs.”
“That means hundreds of families in Bennelong can now see their GP with just their Medicare card. This builds on our network of urgent care clinics, which have bulk-billed since their inception. Well over 87 urgent care clinics have been delivered. They are not only providing fee-free care but also keeping people out of emergency departments. We expect more clinics across the country to make the very sound decision to bulk-bill all their patients. They know that when they do, they get to see more patients and deliver more care to the community. Compare our record of record investments in bulk-billing to the coalition's record of a six-year rebate freeze, zero indexation for GPS and zero structural reform. And they come into this place and they complain. Tell them they're dreaming.”
“This is on top of the 1,600 bulk-billing clinics that exist today. It's working. You reverse the trend by making bulk-billing pay doctors properly, not by freezing rebates for six years. A GP city practice that fully bulk-bills will now earn over $5,300 more than a mixed billing GP. In regional areas, the benefit is almost $24,000 more per year. In Bennelong, we've seen this policy from 1 November deliver results. Before the reforms, less than 24 per cent of GP practices bulk-billed consistently. Now we've had four clinics shift from no bulk-billing or mixed bulk-billing to fully bulk-billed practices. This is just in one electorate. Eastwood Medical Centre, Kang Nam Surgery, Eastwood Specialist Centre and Myhealth Top Ryde have all moved from mixed or no bulk-billing to fully bulk-billed clinics.”
“There were 6½ extra bulk-billed visits across the country. Bulk-billing was up 3.2 percentage points nationally and 2½ per cent in New South Wales. That policy was directed at concession card holders and under-16s. On 1 November 2025, we extended that incentive to every Medicare card presentation at the GP. We've expanded incentives so that practices who exclusively bulk-bill get a bonus 12½ per cent payment when they do so. This rewards the clinics that are doing the right thing and makes it financially viable for the doctors to bulk-bill again. The accumulation of all these policies basically reverses the cuts to Medicare handed down by the Liberals and the former ministers for health, Dutton and Ley. This policy is working. Already, 1,000 practices across the country have indicated they'll become 100 per cent bulk-billing clinics.”
“The biggest driver of rising GP costs wasn't the Albanese Labor government; it was the coalition locking Medicare rebate freezes for six straight years—zero indexation, zero increases, zero support for GPs. Australians, particularly those in Bennelong, aren't buying this weak attempt from the coalition to deflect from their responsibility, and neither is this parliament. We were elected in 2022 and again in 2025 to strengthen Medicare. Medicare was created by Labor, protected by Labor and strengthen by Labor. We've invested $8½ billion to turn around the bulk-billing decline and expand universal access, that real, Australian value of affordable and accessible health care. We tripled the bulk-billing incentive in 2023, the largest investment in bulk-billing at the time, and it worked.”
“This motion is yet another example and attempt by those opposite to pretend that Medicare magically started declining the moment they left office, the moment Australians elected the Albanese Labor government to fix it. Australians deserve honesty. Bulk-billing is under pressure today because the coalition froze the Medicare rebate for six years and because the bulk-billing system was neglected for a decade by those opposite. Every GP in Bennelong knows it. Every patient who struggles to get an appointment knows it. Everyone who continues to pay a gap fee knows it. What we on this side of the House won't do is let the opposite rewrite history to cover their own neglect.”
“Energy bill relief was opposed by the opposition; tax cuts for 1.5 million sole traders were opposed by the opposition; better payment times were delivered by Labor and ignored for a decade by those opposite; Labor's instant asset write-off a couple of years ago was held up in the Senate for months and months and months, providing uncertainty for businesses across the country; and who knows where they stand on reducing merchant and payments costs for small businesses accepting digital payments. When the opposition claim small businesses have been abandoned, they mean that they've opposed the very measures that this government has put out to support small business—and it won't stop there. We'll continue to have the back of small businesses across the country.”
“While the opposition wants to pretend that the pandemic, global inflation and geopolitical uncertainty never happened or haven't had an impact, this government has been doing the real work to help small businesses recover and rebuild. If the opposition were serious about supporting small businesses, they would have been supporting the practical steps of this government or putting up their own solutions themselves. Let's be very clear on their record here.”
“Our digital and cyber programs are helping small businesses navigate a really tricky policy area with the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service and the Cyber Wardens program as well. Our campaign to end surcharges and to reduce costs for small businesses just for accepting digital payments will deliver tangible savings to small businesses across the country. Now, if you read this motion, you see that the Liberals want us to believe that small businesses are being abandoned, but the facts are very different. They tell a very different story. There are 2.66 million small businesses operating in Australia today. They contribute nearly $600 billion to our economy and employ over five million Australians.”
“And that's what we're doing. Nearly one million small businesses have now accessed targeted energy bill relief—up to $800 in support—since the last budget. Small businesses around the country have accessed our small business energy efficiency grants, upgrading technology in their business just like the IGA supermarket in Epping, who upgraded their equipment to save 30 per cent on their energy costs, or AustGrade Swim School at Top Ryde, who got new pool covers to trap heat from their swimming pools to save on their energy costs too. We've got Labor's instant asset write-off giving businesses the confidence to invest and help with their cash flow. Our payment times reforms are making sure small businesses get paid faster and reliably.”
“Small businesses deserve better than these fear campaigns and slogans that the opposition roll out when it comes to small business. They deserve practical support, calm leadership and serious policy, and that is exactly what this government is delivering for small business. In Bennelong, I speak to small-business owners every week, from cafes in Gladesville navigating high merchant service costs for accepting digital payments to family restaurants in Eastwood juggling staffing to big and small tech companies in Macquarie Park struggling to find trained and skilled workers. None of these businesses I speak to are asking for the political theatre that we're seeing from those opposite. They're asking for certainty, for practical support and for government to have their backs through what is a tough economic cycle.”
“Anyone who has spent time in or around a small business knows the truth: the pressures are real, the hours are long and the loads on families are heavy. Small-business stress doesn't stay in the shop. It follows owners home. It affects sleep, relationships and, too often, mental health. I know this because, before coming into this place, I ran a small business for 25 years, working in the family business before making the move to federal parliament. I know the stress exists. This reality deserves honesty and respect, and yet here we are debating a motion that takes those real pressures and tries to turn them into a political punchline. We heard some of those political punchlines from the member for Dawson—all fear, no solutions.”
“The remainder of the transcript will be published progressively as it is completed. The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Lawrence): took the chair at 09:30”
“This was a true team effort, right across the club, led by coach Graeme Harrison and captain and clubman of the year Ben Rosada, who also celebrated his 150th game for the Woodies earlier this season. Lachie Shelley is another remarkable young talent, who finished as the top try-scorer across the Shute Shield competition. I'll also give a shout-out to those in the women's rugby program at the Woodies, who have continued to build momentum and grow. They are currently preparing for the Dubai sevens. The Ryde Dragon Boat Club, Lane Cove Swim Club and Eastwood Rugby Club have embodied the spirit of Bennelong brilliantly. As their MP, I'm determined to continue to represent them and back them, because I know they back our local community. The House transcript was published up to 20:00 .”
“It's a club with a very strong connection to Eastwood and Bennelong. The Woodies are renowned for fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging, which is essential to making sure that our young local athletes stay active and are supported. For years, the club has been actively investing in the development of their players, and this year it has met with great results on the field. At the junior level, both the under-15 and under-17 teams reached their respective finals, with the under-15s crowned state sevens champions at Mudgee. Their success was guided by coach Matt Gonzalez, an Australian Olympic sevens representative. And there was the big one: the Woodies celebrated winning the Colin Caird Shield, the club's first premiership in a decade.”