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.”
The complete record
Every one of 480 lines we hold for Jerome Laxale, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 10.
“We had a government that had more energy policies than they had underwear in their top drawer. They couldn't pick which one they'd go with, and they then tried another one, the nuclear policy, at the last election. Well, the electorate nuked them. It absolutely wiped out that policy. They told us to go further with renewable energy, and that's what we will continue to do. The Capacity Investment Scheme is unlocking 32 gigawatts of renewable energy generation, and we see that being taken up at the household and small-business levels with our home battery subsidy. More than 80,000 home batteries have been installed from 1 July—which is incredible—because households understand the transition. It's like the only ones who don't understand the transition are others opposite, those who tried to laugh our projects out of here. They don't get it.”
“Since we've come to government, low-emissions vehicle sales have risen from two per cent to 10 per cent. That is in just three years, and we know that there's more to do. We've approved over 100 renewable energy projects. That milestone was reached just a week or two ago. That's enough to power over 11 million households. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 53 million tonnes every year. As for the detail, there are 43 solar farms, 22 onshore wind farms, 13 large-scale renewable-energy storage systems and some hybrid systems where you've got the solar farm and the battery on the same site, which is what the 100th approval was. We're transforming Australia's energy grid because we have to. We know that coal is exiting the system. We need a government that takes energy policy seriously. That's not what we had for nine years.”
“I know my community want us to get there sooner than that. I certainly want to get there sooner than that, but net zero by 2050 is the minimum. You just need to read the papers and the speeches in this place to see that many of those opposite don't even agree with that. They don't even get to the bare minimum, and we have members sitting here laughing at this. The bare minimum is net zero by 2050. We have to get there, and to get there we've got a plan. We've rolled out our New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. We've got the EV discounts, a tax cut for people getting low-emissions transport. This is incredibly important. We know that the transport sector is hard to abate, and switching people to low-emissions vehicles is incredibly important.”
“That's why in 2022 and again in 2025 Bennelong voted for a government that would take climate change seriously and had a plan for climate action that was grounded in science, not in politics—and for a government that would deliver on that, not delay it. Since coming to office, we've upheld our end of the bargain. We've done more for emissions reduction and climate change in three years than the coalition did in a decade. We lifted our emissions reduction target from 26 per cent to 43 per cent by 2030 and we've set an ambitious target of up to 70 per cent reduction by 2035, with that range of 62 to 70 per cent. Of course, we believe and are working towards net zero by 2050, because that's the absolute, bare minimum. The science and the experts tell us that the absolute, bare minimum is net zero by 2050.”
“In my electorate of Bennelong, people expect their government to act on climate change. They're not interested in the climate wars, they're not interested in the dithering and delay of the former government and they're not interested in the arguments that the former government are having amongst themselves right now. They want a government that takes clear action and makes progress, and I see that will from people in Bennelong every day. Families are adding rooftop solar to their houses. Small businesses are investing in renewable energy technology. They're taking up some of the grants of the Albanese Labor government to help them. Schools are teaching kids about sustainability. It's part of what Bennelong is. They're practical, forward looking and determined to leave their climate and environment better than they found them.”
“Compare that to what the Liberals proposed—a $600 billion nuclear scheme funded in part by cutting the public service, an attack on work-from-home provisions and an outrageous super-for-housing scheme whilst blocking construction of more housing, increasing income taxes and opposing necessary cost-of-living measures. No wonder the electorate rejected that scorecard. The great myth of Australian politics, that the Liberals are the great economic managers, has been nuked. Their economic credibility has been left in tatters.”
“This includes sectors like the care economy and the NDIS and aged-care systems, both of which are undergoing consistent review and reform to fight structural pressures. We fostered the creation of over 1.1 million jobs, and, importantly, women's workforce participation is at a record high. We've made sure that these jobs are supported by living wages, which has reduced the gender pay gap to an all-time low. Women are now earning $255 more per week on average than they were in 2022, all because of a Labor government. We've increased wages in aged care and early education. We've improved paid parental leave, and we announced $790 million to deliver a women's health package that delivers better health outcomes for women and also puts dollars straight back into the pockets of Australians.”
“But it doesn't stop there. International ratings agency S&P has endorsed the economic progress of this government by reaffirming Australia's AAA long-term sovereign credit rating under Labor, only one of nine countries to have been rated with this merit. It backs in the confidence that I have in our leaders. S&P have praised the nation's fiscal performance, recognising the strong standing of our government's economic position. These achievements don't happen magically. They are a result of time, resources and funding invested into the Australian people and our economy. They're supported by practical, reasonable and substantial actions to back key areas of our economy that mattered most.”
“The government understand that long-term sustainability doesn't happen automatically, and our record shows that we've been putting in the work. Despite the huge Liberal deficits that we inherited, our fiscal position remains the envy of the world. Our three final budget outcomes have delivered a cumulative underlying cash balance of $28 billion, which directly benefits the Australian people. We've given every taxpayer a tax cut, and we're going to continue to do so. The ABS has reported that underlying inflation fell in August and has remained within the RBA's target range for a consecutive nine months, and we've got headline inflation at its lowest rate in four years. This means that we're helping individuals pay off debt, supporting cheaper loans and mortgages and boosting spending that will support our economy.”
“Then we came to government, and, through political and economic discipline, Labor have delivered two budget surpluses, and last year's financial position is around a fifth of what was forecast by the former government. Our $100 billion budget turnaround was the highest nominal budget growth in Australian history. Our strong economic position has occurred due to decisions we've made. We've strengthened the labour market by building employment opportunities. We've invested in the Australian people through delivering cost-of-living relief that lowered childcare and healthcare expenses and provided energy bill relief. We adapted our spending strategy to meet the needs of this nation and moved far away from the stagnant action of the previous government. We made this progress knowing that it would lay a strong foundation for our economy.”
“Responsible economic management drives the decisions of this Albanese Labor government, now approaching four years in office, and these decisions have led to decreasing inflation, record low unemployment levels and paying down huge Liberal debts while also providing support for Australians for cost-of-living challenges. The myth that the Liberal Party is best placed to manage our economy has been well and truly busted not only by the past four years of Labor economic management but by comparison of that record against the nine years of rorts, waste and deficits of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government. Let's not forget that it was they that promised us surpluses in 2013 and every subsequent year of their government but didn't deliver one—none from nine.”
“This bill changes that, allowing disclosures where needed to prevent harm and assure the public that issues are being addressed. This will give the public confidence in the charities sector. It will also give donors confidence that their contributions are well placed and support our goal of doubling philanthropic giving by 2030. Again, it's another cog in the wheel of broader reforms in transparency. There's much more to this bill, but the aspects that I've highlighted are incredibly important, and I commend them to the House.”
“Essentially, schedule 1 means that the public will have better access to ownership registers of corporations, shining a light on who really controls these companies—again, another measure building on what we did last term to increase world-leading transparency measures on corporations. We've got public country-by-country reporting, disclosures of subsidiaries' tax residency and greater accountability for firms bidding for government contracts. Schedule 1 of this bill seeks to extend that principle. Schedule 2, on charities, is really important as well. Public trust in charities is too important to be undermined by secrecy. Currently, the ACNC, the national regulator, cannot confirm whether or not a charity is under investigation, even in cases of gross and serious misconduct.”
“Schedule 7 of this bill and our commitment to deliver an extended instant asset write-off build on what we've done to support small businesses in our term-and-a-bit in government. I would hope that the coalition cooperate in passing this bill through the House and through the Senate as soon as possible so that, in particular, schedule 7 gives small business the confidence to invest up to that $20,000 cap, a really important measure. I'll talk a little bit about some of the other schedules in my remaining time. Schedule 1 is all about corporate transparency. These provisions will align us with international best practice to stop hidden build-ups of influence in listed companies. It'll give ASIC sharper enforcement powers to ensure compliance.”
“As for our Cheaper Home Batteries Program, you heard the responsible minister say that over 78,000 home batteries have been installed through that. We've made sure that small businesses are eligible to accept that. They will be eligible for up to 50 kilowatt hours of battery storage capacity. I would love to see some stats on how many small businesses are taking up that battery subsidy rebate, because we acknowledge that small businesses also want to decarbonise and reduce emissions and also want to access battery technology to help reduce their bills. We've supported the hospitality sector by pausing indexation on the draught beer excise, and we've extended unfair trading practices protections to small business by strengthening the enforcement of the Franchising Code of Conduct.”
“All 1.5 million of those sole traders—including tradies, hairdressers, coffee shops and other small businesses—across the country benefit when we change the income tax rates. We know that the Liberals and Nationals went to the last election with the policy of not only opposing our tax cuts but actually repealing them and trying to increase taxes. Those over there are not Menzies's party, and perhaps that's the reason why someone like me was re-elected in a seat like Bennelong. We're here supporting small businesses and workers, including sole traders. We have, of course, delivered additional energy bill relief, with another $150 in rebates until the end of the year. This builds on specific and targeted small-business electricity rebates we rolled out in the last term.”
“We provided over $60 million to help small businesses uplift their digital and cybersecurity capabilities, a huge and growing cost and concern for small businesses, particularly those that don't have the technical know-how of how to roll out a firewall in their local IT systems or how to deal with training of their staff—'Don't click on this,' and, 'Don't open that email.' Having the Cyber Wardens program and the Digital Solutions program is a way in which we understand that problem, and we're trying to help small businesses overcome these high-risk situations. Of course, there are our tax cuts, famously opposed by the Liberals and Nationals. Having tax cuts for every taxpayer benefits 1.5 million sole traders.”
“We've invested $33.4 million to improve payment times for small businesses, including $25.3 million in the 2024-25 budget to support the overhauled Payment Times Reporting Scheme and to enhance the regulator's ability to deliver payment outcomes for small businesses—another cash flow measure, just like the instant asset write-off. Being paid on time saves small businesses headaches in chasing up their delinquent debtors, but it also means that they can get money in their bank accounts to reinvest.”
“We understand what small businesses go through, and we're here in this place representing them as much as we are workers across our economy. In our last parliamentary term, that manifested itself as more than $2 billion in targeted supports. I'll just focus on the targeted ones for now; obviously, there are the economy-wide reforms that we put through as well. We've got a $900 million National Productivity Fund working with the states and territories to unlock productivity and cut red tape, particularly for small businesses.”
“There are 1.281 million small businesses in New South Wales that can benefit from this measure and will benefit from this measure sooner, with confidence, the quicker this TLAB gets through the House and through the Senate. This is one measure of how this re-elected Labor government is really ensuring that we are supporting small businesses, and it's growing, I think. I know many, many members of the class of 2025 mentioned small businesses in their first speeches. They either have come from a small-business background, have worked in them or have family that have worked in them. This is the modern Labor Party—one that has roots in our industrial base but also has real connection to small and medium-sized businesses right across the country.”
“Those over on the other side claim to be all about small business, understanding the economics of running a small business, fighting for small businesses. Yet they sowed doubt in the small-business community about whether or not they were going to support an extension of last financial year's instant asset write-off, only passing it at the eleventh hour. Let's hope the processes go through as outlined by the member for Fairfax. Let's hope that they can get through to the Senate, that they can have a look at this bill, which they're entitled to do, obviously, and send it off to a committee and that they don't sit on it and team up with others to delay this TLAB for an unnecessary amount of time. All that will do is slow down investment from small businesses and create doubt in their minds.”
“It reduces their costs with their accountant, which we all know can be high sometimes, and they can write it off for 12 months to buy new and, importantly, second-hand assets. This measure was first introduced by Labor, because we know that cashflow measures like this really support small businesses. It means they'll be able to immediately deduct eligible assets costing less than $20,000 rather than, as I said, tracking those assets over time. Importantly, up to 4.1 million small businesses across the country can access this instant asset write-off. The member for Fairfax just said that they're going to reserve their right. The last time an instant asset write-off TLAB came to parliament, the coalition blocked and delayed it for at least 12 months, creating a whole heap of uncertainty for investment from the small-business sector.”
“If you take a walk through Eastwood you can see them all, vibrant and making our high streets places to go, places to be. When you go out and talk to these small businesses in our electorates, they often talk about reducing red tape and making things easier for them. They understand that compliance is important, but how can we make that simpler? The $20,000 instant asset write-off is absolutely one of those things that makes the everyday running of a small business easier. It means a cafe can upgrade its coffee machine or buy new hardware for its point-of-sale software. It means companies can invest in those higher-price items, up to $20,000, without having to carry the depreciation over the schedule.”
“Having a more simplified tax system, encouraging investment in assets of up to $20,000, was a really important measure introduced by the Rudd-Gillard government way back in the early 2000s—not created by the Liberals and Nationals, as claimed by the member for Fairfax, but a Labor policy that we implemented, that we supported when we were in opposition and that we continued in government. It's really an important thing to extend, because it improves cash flows and reduces compliance costs for small businesses. I've got some incredible small businesses right across Bennelong—in Eastwood, West Ryde, Gladesville and Lane Cove. They are mum-and-dad small businesses, including a lot of people who have just come to Australia for the first time. Migrant communities have a high representation in small-business ownership.”
“Continuing on with schedule 7, this bill will implement the government's election commitment to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses until 30 June 2026—a really important measure for small businesses. I used to run a small business. I grew up in one—the family business—and spent a good 15 years running it, growing it and making sure it paid my bills and the family bills and also employed 10 to 15 workers during its peaks and troughs.”
“But taking advice from those opposite on energy policy is absolutely laughable. As we've heard, there are seven schedules in this bill. Overall, what this bill does is seek to strengthen confidence in our markets, improve the ways that regulators operate and support long-term economic growth. It obviously, like most TLABs—again, this is not unique—covers a wide range of areas, from corporate disclosure and charity oversight to financial regulators, energy market protections and taxation. But, at its heart, this is a bill about investment, transparency and accountability—the foundations of stronger productivity and public trust, particularly in our economy.”
“I was going to talk about schedule 7 first, but, given the member for Fairfax's contribution, I might start on schedule 6. The energy market protections were due to expire. What this bill does is the right thing. It does a bit of maintenance on some of these expiring protections, and it will extend the consumer safeguard in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Act until 2031. An independent review found that these protections were effective in constraining market misconduct and protecting households and businesses. By extending them, we are ensuring that affordability and fairness remain at the centre of the energy transition. That is what good governments do. They look at policies, they review them and, if they're worthy of extension, they extend them.”
“They took another one to the last election, and it was nuked by the Australian public. They want to bring that back as another energy policy. They'll probably change it a little bit again, and we'll start racking up triple digits, perhaps, on how many energy policies they've brought in here. So, when the member for Fairfax comes here and says how fantastic the coalition were at energy policy, you need to laugh, because history suggests the total opposite. What we are doing, though, is modernising the energy market. We are transitioning to the cheapest form of new energy. We will make the decisions, like we are in this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025, to extend measures that were due to expire.”
“I haven't been in this place for too long. It's only my second term. But, in my short time here, I've learned two things pretty quickly. One is not to take history lessons from the coalition—the Liberals or the Nationals. We just heard a claim that the instant asset write-off was a policy created by the coalition, when it was, in fact, the Rudd-Gillard government that started the instant asset write-off and a Labor government that supported small-business cash flow. I'll talk to that as part of schedule 7. The second thing I've learnt while being in this place for a short time is certainly not to take any advice on energy policy from those opposite. Just quickly then I tried to google how many failed energy policies they've had since 2013. I think it's over 20 failed energy policies.”
“After personally reading his coverage, I was able to raise it directly with the then minister for communications. That led to direct engagement with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, who opened an investigation into provider delays and poor customer service. Importantly, because of that extra attention, many of the issues uncovered by Jack and In the Cove's journalism were fixed. The Walkleys are the gold standard of Australian journalism. For a young reporter like Jack to be recognised at this level is an extraordinary achievement, and it just shows how important local media like In the Cove is to our democracy. On behalf of Bennelong, thanks to Jack and thanks to In the Cove. (Time expired)”
“I rise today to congratulate Lane Cove journalist Jack Kelly on his nomination for a Walkley Foundation Mid-Year Media Prize in public service journalism. Jack reports for In the Cove, a local news outlet that so many in our community turn to for trusted grassroots reporting. In the Cove also run the local chat group, the source of brilliant posts about all sorts of things, including 'breadgate', the mysterious bread saga of River Road. I digress, though—back to Jack and his nominated story 'Cabling cowboys'. This uncovered serious risks posed by cabling operators in the Lane Cove community. It was thorough, fearless reporting that shone a light on a problem few knew about but many were affected by. Jack's work didn't just inform the public; it actually helped deliver change.”
“Richard Scolyer has been that advocate. Yesterday the Prime Minister announced $5.9 million to establish the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research at the incredible Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. This funding will support a professorial chair, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants and scholarships. It will expand clinical trials, accelerate research and help translate discoveries into better patient outcomes. Importantly, this will acknowledge the incredible work that Richard Scolyer has done, and all those before him who have fought for brain cancer research to be properly funded. (Time expired)”
“This is a government that cares about health care. We've passed legislation to make medicines more affordable, we're delivering new Medicare urgent care clinics across the country and yesterday we made an announcement that is personally very special to me. Back in April, I attended a brain cancer fundraiser hosted by Hunters Hill Rotary and organised by president Barbara Enright and Kerry O'Brien. My partner, Jo, lost her father to brain cancer, and we wanted to contribute to the cause. The guest speaker that night was a remarkable professor, Richard Scolyer, former Australian of the Year. That night his message was simple: Australia needs to invest more in brain cancer research. Historically, this work has been underfunded because, tragically, patients aren't alive long enough to be advocates for themselves.”
“This bill builds on historic investments we've already made in Medicare, it strengthens compliance and enforcement, it supports timely access to medicines, and it cuts red tape for pharmacists. These are all really important improvements. Most importantly, it ensures that Medicare, the program that has cared for Australians for over 40 years, will remain strong and sustainable.”
“But, for the overwhelming majority, this bill will provide confidence that their hard work is protected, their reputation is upheld and the system that they serve and participate in remains strong. Our government is strengthening Medicare in every sense of the word. We are investing in more doctors, more nurses, more urgent care, more mental health support, cheaper medicines and better women's health services. Through this bill, we're also protecting the system itself, ensuring integrity, sustainability and trust. Labor created Medicare; only Labor will protect and strengthen it. We're delivering on these investments, reforms and integrity measures to ensure that Medicare remains strong and sustainable for generations to come.”
“When fraudulent claims are made, when prescriptions are misused and when loopholes are exploited, patients are often the ones who suffer. The Philip review emphasised that patient safety must be at the centre of these integrity measures, and this bill delivers on that recommendation. By strengthening the powers, by harmonising enforcement across our health schemes and by closing loopholes, this bill will ensure we can respond quickly and proportionately to misconduct. Only a small percentage of practitioners and businesses will ever be affected by these measures. Those who deliberately and repeatedly do the wrong thing will have to be held accountable.”
“These changes will cut red tape, reduce administrative burden and deliver timely access to medicines in communities. The bill also makes important adjustments to the Therapeutic Goods Act and the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act to support broader reforms. It strengthens the government's ability to manage therapeutic goods shortages, supports compliance with vaping reforms and ensures tobacco regulations are clear and enforceable. Together these measures safeguard Medicare for the future by protecting taxpayer funds, by strengthening patient safety and by ensuring sustainability. Integrity in Medicare and our systems is not only about protecting taxpayer dollars; it's about protecting patients.”
“They will strengthen compliance and enforcement powers, allowing for the proper investigation and deterrence of fraud and misconduct. They will modernise investigative powers that are currently inconsistent and fragmented, ensuring that serious offences—particularly in relation to pharmaceutical benefits—can be prosecuted effectively. The bill also shortens the timeframe for Medicare claims on bulk-billed services from two years to one. This will reduce the risk of delayed or duplicate claims whilst preserving the minister's discretion to allow late claims in truly genuine cases. The bill will also improve the efficiency of the process for approving pharmacists by combining two stages into one, reducing repeat applications and extending the term of appointment for members of the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority.”
“He found that our systems had not kept pace with modern challenges and recommended reforms to better identify and deter noncompliance, to safeguard patient safety and to ensure that every dollar goes where it should—that's right into patient care. In response, the government established the Medicare Integrity Taskforce in the 2023-24 budget, and we provided further funding in the 2024-25 budget to continue this work. This bill is the next step on that much-needed and important reform. The Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 implements a key recommendation of the Philip review. It amends the National Health Act, the Health Insurance Act, the human services act and the Dental Benefits Act. The changes are targeted but significant.”
“But, in a system that processes more than a billion claims every year, there will always be some who don't. Sometimes, that noncompliance is unintentional, sometimes it is deliberate and fraudulent. Either way, it costs taxpayers money, it undermines confidence, and, in the worst cases, it puts patients at risk. That's why, in November 2022, our health minister commissioned respected economist Dr Philip to conduct an independent review of the Medicare integrity and compliance measures. His review made it clear that integrity measures across Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule needed to be strengthened.”
“Tenders are out right now, and I look forward to delivering that in this term of government. In Ryde, we'll also deliver a Medicare mental health centre, which means that locals can get walk-in mental health support when they're in crisis. These are real changes, improving the lives of families in Bennelong and across the nation. Strengthening Medicare is not only about expanding services or cutting costs but also about ensuring the system is sustainable and trusted, because when a program is as essential to Australian life as Medicare is, we have the responsibility to protect it, to protect taxpayer funds that underpin it and to protect patients from harm. The overwhelming majority of doctors, pharmacists, dentists and allied health professionals are honest and hardworking. They do the right thing, often under enormous pressure.”
“We've invested half a billion dollars in women's health, funding more contraceptives, and new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics—just like the one in Hunters Hill—for treatment for menopause and perimenopause. This is what strengthening Medicare looks like in practice: cheaper medicines, more bulk-billing, more urgent care, better mental health services and historic investment in women's health. This is what it means in Bennelong. Families in Bennelong have already saved more than $8.6 million on cheaper medicines since 2022. We've opened that Medicare urgent care clinic in Top Ryde, which has seen more than 10,000 presentations. I'm proud to tell the House that another one is coming soon to Chatswood, which will relieve pressure on Royal North Shore Hospital.”
“Just last week, this parliament passed legislation to cut the maximum price of a script to just $25. That is the price it was in 2004. On top of that, we've delivered urgent care for families. We only promised 50 Medicare urgent care clinics; we've delivered 90 across the country. Already, more than 1.8 million Australians have walked through the doors of these clinics, getting free urgent care without waiting hours in a hospital emergency department. These clinics, just like the one in Bennelong, at Top Ryde, are open extended hours, seven days a week. All you need is your Medicare card to get urgent care. On top of that, we're delivering new Medicare mental health centres, creating walk-in support, so Australians can access mental healthcare when they need it most.”
“They work so well for concession card holders that we're going to expand that to every Medicare card holder, ensuring that, by 2030, nine out of 10 GP visits will be bulk-billed—just as it should be. We've delivered the two largest increases of Medicare rebates in three decades, reversing years of Liberal freezes and cuts. Already, bulk-billing rates are climbing in every state and territory, with six million additional free visits to GPs delivered in just over a year. Importantly, we've also taken decisive action on medicines. Australians have already saved more than $1 billion through our reforms. We've slashed the costs of hundreds of common prescriptions. We've introduced 60-day dispensing for nearly 300 medicines. We've lowered the PBS safety net.”
“Medicines were becoming more and more expensive. Hospitals were under enormous strain. It had never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. That was the reality that we inherited. That's why strengthening Medicare was at the front and centre of our election platform. We took a plan to the people, and we've been delivering on it ever since. In just our first term, we've made multiple massive investments in Medicare. In the latest record investment, which we took to the last election, we're putting an extra $8½ billion into delivering more bulk-billed GP visits every year, training more doctors and nurses and making health care more affordable for families. We're expanding bulk-billing incentives.”
“But it was Labor that locked it in. That tells you why people trust Labor to protect and strengthen Medicare in the face of opposition to and ongoing attacks of it by the Liberals and the Nationals. Medicare represents the simple but profound Australian value that access to health care should be affordable and accessible—where Australians can rely on their Medicare card, not their credit card, to see a doctor. Medicare is about fairness, universality and dignity. It's about knowing that, no matter your circumstances, you can get the care you need when you need it. When we came to government in 2022, Australians were facing the toughest conditions in Medicare's 40-year history. Bulk-billing was collapsing after a decade of neglect. Families were struggling to find a GP who would see them without huge and rising out-of-pocket costs.”
“When Australians talk about what they want from their government, fair and equitable access to health care is always near the top of the list. Medicare is one of Australia's greatest institutions and one of the proudest achievements of the Labor Party. Introduced in its current form in 1983, it remains as important today as it was on the day it was made law by the Hawke government. Let's not forget that, if it weren't for successive Labor governments in the 1980s, those opposite would have dismantled Medicare. During successive elections in the 1970s and 1980s, Medicare was opposed by the Liberals and the Nationals. They knocked off Medibank after the Whitlam government, and, had they beaten Bob Hawke, they would have knocked it off again after promising to bring down Medicare after it was reinstated by a Labor government in 1983.”
“Christie Park is the Spirit's home ground, and it's set for a huge $1.9 million upgrade, funding five new synthetic futsal courts—funded by the Albanese Labor government. When I was mayor, I planned for this park and funded the construction of stages 1 and 2, and now, as their federal MP, I hope this will truly be the home of football for the north-west. It'll make it even better—good facilities make for good results for football. To coach David Perkovic, chair Frank Marchi, deputy chair Tony Melham, and every player at that wonderful club—congratulations. You've made Bennelong proud.”
“A massive shout out to Bennelong's very own the NWS Spirit Football Club, who have just been crowned premiers in the National Premier League New South Wales. As a proud local soccer dad and a self-confessed football tragic, I could not be happier to see the Spirit succeed. From early days, only establishing in 2005 as the Gladesville spirit, the club has grown with our community, and their premiership win is a fitting reward for years of hard work on and off the pitch. It wasn't just the men's team who shone this season. The NWS Spirit women's team may have missed the finals, but they finished with a statement—a 3-1 win over Football NSW Institute's first-grade side. That kind of result shows the depth and determination that makes this club so special for men and women, boys and girls. There are some exciting things to come.”
“While Labor invests in social and affordable housing, the Liberals teamed up with the Greens to block the Housing Australia Future Fund. While Labor has made it better to rent, the Liberals tried to abolish tax incentives responsible for 80,000 new rental properties. While Labor has reformed and cut student debt, the Liberals want young people to raid their super for a home. It's only Labor that has a plan to address this crisis. Young people, you all should know that Labor has your back.”