Aaron Violi
Casey · Liberal Party · Australia
“I think it's really important when we have this discussion, that we separate the intent versus the outcome. Now, it's clear the intent is to make sure all those under 16 do not have access to social media.”
“CFA volunteers give back so much to our community, and today I want to pay tribute to a good friend of mine, someone I've known for 20 years: Tim Mitchelson, better known to all of us as Loaf. He's stepping back from the BMT at the Wandin Fire Brigade, but he has served our community with distinction.”
“We see time and time again that the backbench has to follow orders. They can't get what they want on gambling reform. They have to take the sandwich from those. They have to follow the Prime Minister's lead on a bad budget, and they have to continue to follow the minister that is failing when it comes to social media.”
“You spend a lot of time rushing legislation through this House for political means, but doing your job is getting the legislation right. This legislation is not working. Young— A government member: How? How is it not working? I will explain to you if you stop interjecting and listen. Young children are still on social media.”
“The coalition is saying, 'Let's take the time to have an inquiry, to do the work, to understand why it has failed and why we can get it right the second time.' As the member for Berowra said, we don't want to be back here in six months' time having to amend it again. The detail was wrong the first time.”
“They weren't prepared to look at the detail and understand. Let's look at history. This legislation was introduced on Monday this week. This government wants to ram it through the house on Thursday. But let's look at December when the first legislation was brought in.”
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“This initiative won't achieve its goal without increasing access and supply, because it's only going to be harder for working families to find a childcare place if more people are trying to put their children into childcare without more places being available. That's supply and demand, demand and supply. That's economics 101, which we know is not the strong suit of this government. And, in addition, there are several issues with the bill, including the removal of priority access for working families. It does nothing to increase flexibility for families and it does not address the rise in childcare costs under the Albanese Labor government. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak about the childcare desert in my community.”
“Well, the problem with that in my community is that there is not guaranteed access to child care because my residents are not able to get into a childcare centre, because we, like so many other communities, particularly regional, rural and peri-urban communities, have a childcare desert. I know many members on this side and on the crossbench get frustrated when our comments are construed as anti-childcare, because they're not. Being in government is about choices and priorities and where you invest those taxpayer dollars. This three-day guarantee will provide all families, up to a combined income of $533,000 a year, with access to 72 hours a fortnight of subsidised childcare. As I said, that guarantee is only there if you can find a place.”
“We all want to see adequate and affordable childcare services available to Australian families. That's not the debate that we are having here. The question we are talking about is how we do that and the best and most efficient use of taxpayer funds to achieve that objective. Child care is crucial to allow parents to work, to make an income and to contribute to their communities. Unfortunately, like so many bills we debate in this House, this is another bill by Labor with a catchy headline but that underneath the spin will make accessing early child care even harder for working parents and all parents. Those opposite use the phrase 'guaranteed access'. Every speaker is talking about guaranteed access.”
“For the Australian people and for the members, residents and communities of Casey, if it's been this bad for this long under this government, imagine the damage they will do if they get another three years to send this country further and further into trouble.”
“I want to thank Belinda for her continued advocacy, and I look forward to continuing to work with her to make sure that our residents can get the communications that we need. But, unfortunately, we have seen under this government the spin about how great we have it as a country, but the reality is everyone is going backwards. Under this government, we've seen 27,000 small businesses go under. There have been no solutions to the challenges that small businesses face in my community or many communities across the country. We have seen, through these challenges, the failures of this government for the last three years.”
“I will continue fighting for our fair share of telecommunications infrastructure to keep our community connected—every day but also in emergencies. In our community, communications are crucial. When you're living in the Dandenongs or the Upper Yarra, it is not 20 metres to your neighbour; it is kilometres. Local residents need that. I want to pay tribute to Belinda Young and the team at the Mums of the Hills in the Dandenong Ranges, who have done great work advocating for communications upgrades in the Dandenongs and all across Casey. They know how important it is, particularly for stay-at-home mums, who are looking after children and need to be able to call for support if something goes wrong.”
“There was also funding for Kalorama, but unfortunately an appropriate location could not be secured. We also funded towers for Silvan and Menzies Creek under the Peri-Urban Mobile Program, with those locations being secured. I'm working with the telecommunications providers to make sure we can get those locations and get those towers up and running as soon as possible. So it was disappointing to learn in the 2024 May budget that Labor plans to axe the Mobile Black Spot Program and Peri-Urban Mobile Program, with no funding for mobile programs from 2027-28. As I said in my first speech, we must invest in technology to provide reliable access for the safety of our citizens. A working phone line can be the difference between life and death.”
“Everyone is going backwards, despite the Prime Minister promising to reduce energy bills by $275 and despite promising to reduce mortgages. Mortgages have gone up 12 times. Interest rates have gone up 12 times under this Prime Minister. There is not one Australian, not one member of Casey, that is doing better today. Another crucial issue that impacts my community every day, but particularly in emergencies, is telecommunications. We know how important reliable communications networks are for our community in the Dandenongs, in the Yarra Valley and in the Upper Yarra in particular. The coalition has a proud history of increasing local telecommunication capabilities, having delivered towers in East Warburton, Steels Creek, Mcmahons Creek, Mount Evelyn, Reefton and two in Chum Creek, all under the Mobile Black Spot Program.”
“The reason health care is so hard and roads can't be funded is the cost-of-living crisis that we are seeing under the Albanese Labor government. Data published last week by the ABC showed what I and many in my community know—that they're under pressure. Mortgage stress is at 42.3 per cent and rental stress is at 74.7 per cent in my community. Everyone in my community is hurting. There is no-one that is doing better today than they were when the Albanese Labor government came to power in 2022. We sit here in question time and hear the hubris from the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Prime Minister and the Treasurer about how Australians have never had it better, how great it is and how lucky they are. But Australians are struggling, with a 21-month per-capita recession.”
“Community members are now paying record high out-of-pocket costs to see a doctor under Labor's cost-of-living crisis. Our nation is also facing a shortage of GPs. The coalition has a plan to build our GP workforce by incentivising junior doctors to become GPs, particularly in regional and rural communities like mine. The Liberals will deliver quality health care, including doubling mental health sessions back to 20, after Labor cut this vital Medicare subsidised mental health support despite a report recommending that it stays. My community needs that support more than ever. The last census showed that the community of Casey unfortunately overindexed on those with mental health challenges relative to Victoria and the nation. I will prioritise quality health care, something that all Australians and all residents in Casey deserve.”
“I want to thank all those in the community who have added their voice to my petition and our campaign for this upgrade, which is so sorely needed. Health care is a fundamental right for all Australians. Despite what those opposite say, the facts are that, under a coalition government in 2019, in my community, bulk-billing was at 84.3 per cent. In 2023, under the Albanese Labor government, it had dropped to 73.2 per cent. Not only is bulk-billing down, but, due to the peri-urban and regional nature of my community, families are finding it harder to see a GP and the cost of visiting the doctor has skyrocketed in the last three years. GP bulk-billing rates have collapsed not only in my community but also across the country. From 88 per cent they've now fallen to 77 per cent.”
“I remember, when I was growing up in Yarra Glen and my uncle lived in Mooroolbark, that we had to go down Victoria Road, which then becomes Mooroolbark Road, and go through the underpass to get onto Hull Road, and I vividly remember the conversations my parents had about the frustration of being stuck at that intersection. That was over 30 years ago, and in that time the traffic has got worse. More people have moved into our community, which is a wonderful thing. We've had the development of Kinley, which has just started; there are more houses coming in—4,000 houses, 8,000 residents, right at that intersection. So it's crucial that we upgrade it, so that our community can get home sooner and safer. I will continue to fight for that upgrade.”
“The Albanese Labor government, when in opposition, committed to the program; there is a press release from the Prime Minister himself talking about how important this program was to improve safety in my community. Yet he cut that funding, and that cut impacted over 450 local roads that were due to be sealed. Again, as I have for 2½ years, I call on the Albanese government to honour their word, to honour the commitment that they made to provide funding to our community so that we can continue sealing local roads. When I'm out doorknocking, talking to locals, particularly in Mooroolbark but also in Mount Evelyn and Lilydale, one of the biggest issues raised with me is the single-lane underpass at Hull Road and Mooroolbark Road. The underpass has been a bottleneck since I was a kid.”
“Whether you're in the suburbs dealing with traffic congestion, dodging potholes on the Warburton Highway or the Melba Highway, or driving on unsealed roads in the Dandenongs and across the Yarra Valley and the Upper Yarra, it is clear that our road network needs improvement and additional investment. I've been advocating for better local roads, including for our local roads to be sealed, to end the days of dust, potholes and dangerous driving conditions. Now, one of the first things that the Albanese Labor government did when they came to power was to cut funding from our local road sealing program. This was a program that was committed to by the former Liberal government. It was being delivered on time and on budget, in collaboration with the Yarra Ranges Council.”
“The upgrades will allow families, walkers, runners and children to continue to enjoy our beautiful local environment at Lillydale Lake and will bring more tourists into our community. The upgrades will deliver enhanced and activated parklands, as well as improved local access, including pathways, car parking, recreation and fitness facilities for local residents and families as well as tourists. I continue to look forward to working with the Yarra Ranges Council on that project as it gets delivered. There is no doubt that one of the biggest issues, if not the biggest issue, that's raised with me when it comes to underinvestment in my community is roads.”
“We shared stories, and the part of that evening that was so special was, unfortunately, reminiscing about it being 16 years on from Black Saturday and the impact of it on our community. There were many past players there who I'd played with and hadn't seen for a long time. We came together, and it was like we were back at the club. That's what sport does. It builds a connection that is stronger than anything, and we need to celebrate and make sure that those clubs have the facilities they deserve. Lillydale Lake was also able to get an upgrade for improvements of over $1.5 million, again through the Thriving Suburbs Program. It's one of the busiest local destinations in the Yarra Ranges.”
“I'm talking to all these clubs about the need for new facilities. The need is large in our community. Having this funding for Healesville means there is another club that we can deliver for, so that we can continue to work through the needs in the community, because sport is really part of the core fabric of our community. It's what binds many people together and gives them that sense of purpose in how they communicate and how they spend time with each other. As a great example of that, I was lucky enough to visit an event on Friday night to catch up with a good friend of mine Allan Pearce and his wife, Paula, to celebrate their commitment of over 20 years to the Healesville Cricket Club, as they move to Gippsland for their next adventure.”
“I'm proud that over $5.7 million in funding was secured through the Yarra Ranges Council as part of the Thriving Suburbs Program to build a new multipurpose pavilion and associated amenities. I know the football club at a senior level and also the junior football club are now working together with the soccer club to make sure that the whole pavilion, the whole facility, and that reserve can be fit-for-purpose for all those clubs. The upgrade will allow current and future generations to continue enjoying the benefits of sport. There are many other clubs in my community, like the Lilydale Football Club, Lilydale Cricket Club, Mooroolbark Football Club, Mooroolbark Cricket Club, Belgrave Football Club, Belgrave Cricket Club, Yarra Glen, Coldstream and the Wesburn Junior Football Club, where I was on Sunday for their family day.”
“We've had some wins in my community, which is great, and we celebrate those when we can. The Don Road Recreation Reserve is one of the busiest reserves in the Yarra Ranges, within my community. It's used by over 10,000 locals. I've been working alongside Healesville locals and the Healesville Football Club to advocate for an upgrade to the pavilion. Recently, I had the shadow minister for sport, Anne Ruston, visit, catch up with the committee, tour the facilities and have a look at what needed to be upgraded, as we've seen a great growth in female and women's sport, but we need the facilities to match that. It's clear that the Don Road Recreation Reserve is long overdue for an upgrade, as Healesville's population grows, and women's participation grows as well.”
“I want to commend the member for Forde for that contribution. Like him, my community has gone through the same situation with bulk-billing. It was 84 per cent in 2019. In 2023, it was 73 per cent, under the Albanese Labor government. I'll talk more about that, but it's a great example of the spin of those opposite, when the facts and the data don't actually match. It's a little bit awkward for those opposite. They don't like to talk about it, but the numbers are there, and it's the reality. These appropriation bills, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2024-2025 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2024-2025, are important, because they bring together government spending, and we always need to make sure that that is appropriate and well targeted.”
“Every time there is a fire, it can cause challenges for many people. I would say those people are feeling the stress of the Grampians fires. They are feeling the stress in my community from the memories of Black Saturday. I was at an event on Friday night, talking to some people and reliving the events of Black Saturday, 16 years on. It's not something that leaves us. I want to say to those that are struggling at any time: please seek the help that you need, because you are not alone. There are many to support you, and we need to continue to support those in the Grampians today and in the months and years to follow.”
“This is an ongoing challenge in the Grampians, but, in many communities, including my community, whether it's due to the bushfire risk or the storms that the Dandenongs have had repeatedly in the last four or five years, many businesses and homes cannot get the insurance they need. We need to continue to work in a bipartisan way to find some solutions, because it is not an easy fix; it is a challenging dynamic. We've seen the floods up in Townsville. Many communities are going through disasters. We need to continue to work together to find solutions and to make sure that Australians and businesses can get the insurance that they need. It is something that is, as I said, an ongoing stress. It's also so hard for many people in our community because it brings back memories of other fires that they've had to go through themselves.”
“It couldn't have come at a worse time for those in the Grampians. It's a key tourist time for those businesses. They've been devastated by many cancelling, so I urge people: if you can, please visit the Grampians to support those businesses. As the Deputy Speaker would know, it's really challenging when you go through that short period of loss, but then there are also ongoing effects. It is never just about the days and weeks of that tragedy; it is about the months and years afterwards—the mental strain and the economic strain—that then put more pressure on businesses. We know that many are now unable to get insurance, as the member for Bendigo said.”
“Our volunteer CFA members protect their own communities, but they are prepared to leave their families and their friends and their loved ones to go to another side of the state or into another state to protect another community. They do it for two key reasons. They do it because they know it's a core part of their responsibility to serve—to serve as volunteers—no matter where the need is. But, just as importantly, they do it because they know that if their community is in trouble and their community needs support—like our community needed support 16 years ago on Black Saturday and in the months afterwards—the CFA brigades from the Grampians and from all across Victoria, as well as firefighter volunteers from all across Australia, will come to help. It is that volunteer spirit that we need to continue to celebrate while we rebuild.”
“It's not just the Grampians community that have been impacted—they have been impacted directly, but the brilliant thing about Victoria is that we all come together to support each other. On the weekend, I was having a listen in post in Mt Evelyn, and Rick, who is the captain of the Mt Evelyn CFA was walking through. We were having a good chat; he had just got back recently from the Grampians, having been over there as part of the strike team keeping the community in the Grampians safe. On Sunday I was presenting an Australian flag to the team at Coldstream CFA, and many of them, including their captain Sean, had been in the Grampians helping out. Many brigades in my community have been in the Grampians supporting them, and that is the vital nature of our volunteer spirit.”
“I commend the member for Hawke for his contribution. He commended the member for Mallee and the member for Wannon, which I will do in a minute. Sometimes in this House there are—rightly—political disagreements. We go at each other politically when we need to, but motions like this have bipartisan support. I thank the member for Hawke for his service—I know he is a volunteer firefighter in the CFA. I'm happy to hold him to account politically, but thanks is due to the member for Hawke for his contribution, as well as to the member for Bendigo, the member Mallee and the member for Wannon. Many communities have been devastated by bushfires over so many years. Unfortunately, it's the Grampians that have gone through this tragic event in the last six weeks.”
“According to data from the Mitchell institute, in Coldstream, there has been an improvement locally in childcare availability, but, even with that improvement, there are nine children for every one long daycare place available. In Silvan, in Monbulk, in Sassafras, in Wandin and in Seville, the ratios are ranging from 10 to 50-plus children per childcare place. In Ferny Creek, there are three to seven children per childcare place and seven to eight children per long daycare place. In Olinda, there are two to five children per childcare place and eight to 30 per long daycare place. But we haven't seen any focus on increasing places from this government. Two and a half or three years in, prices are up over 22.3 per cent under the Albanese Labor government.”
“The situation is particularly severe in some suburbs, where ratios range from 10 to 50-plus children per place, making it nearly impossible for working families to access early childhood education and care. Many residents in my community have to travel outside of our community for work. The average commuting distance is 28 kilometres, and this is significantly higher than the Victorian average of 16.7 kilometres. So, for these families, access to long daycare hours is essential to account for the commute time. There's limited access to this long day care. It's leaving families without adequate care for their children, leaving parents making typical compromises between career advancement and the family obligations.”
“I'm very lucky in my community to have a wonderful group called Mums of the Hills, led by Belinda Young, who does a lot of strong work advocating for many issues, particularly in the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley, including access to child care. Last year I was able to take the member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell, the shadow minister for child care, to meet with Belinda and speak to mums that are impacted. I will share some of Belinda's analysis of the local childcare landscape and the childcare desert that we have that this government has not addressed in the last three years. Data from 2024 continues to show that parents in the Yarra Ranges struggle to secure spots for their children.”
“Since the government introduced their so-called cheaper child care policy, out-of-pocket costs for families have skyrocketed by 12.7 per cent. Almost 30 per cent of childcare services are charging over the hourly rate cap under the current government. Under the previous government, it was at 21 per cent. One of the reasons for that is, when you invest taxpayer money into subsidies without investing money into increasing the supply, you are going to drive prices up. It's economics 101, which we know is not this government's or the Prime Minister's strong suit. More supply with the same amount of demand will bring prices down, but the government has not focused on increasing supply of child care at all through this term of government.”
“I'll move on, but I wanted to treat the member for Wills with respect and answer his question about the coalition's cost-of-living initiatives. It does link to child care, because families are struggling at so many levels. They are struggling to pay the groceries, they are struggling to pay for mortgages, for rents, for petrol—everything is going up. They are also struggling to pay for their childcare bills, which is why it is a real slap in the face to working families in Casey when the government continue to talk about the supposed savings that have happened under this government when the reality is completely different. As the member for Moncrieff has outlined in her motion, in the three years since the government was elected, the cost of child care has increased by 22.3 per cent.”
“Before I get into child care, and before the member for Wills leaves, I will take his challenge on. Divestiture of supermarkets, the toughest possible way to hold the supermarkets—the big two—to account would bring prices down for families that are struggling with their childcare bills, and they opposite voted against it. There's the answer to the member for Wills' policy on the cost of living—feel free to follow up with a prime minister. With the Prime Minister, we get a wet lettuce—mandatory code when the voluntary code is not working. He brags about it and it doesn't come into effect until 1 April 2025. Only in the Prime Minister's world can he take credit for a cost-of-living measure that hasn't even come into effect yet.”
“Thank you to the committees of the Belgrave clubs and the Men's Shed for your continued advocacy for the upgrade. I particularly want to thank Mel Davey. Mel's passion for women's sport is unparallelled, and she has been an incredible advocate for upgrading the facilities for all in Belgrave. It's time that the Belgrave Recreational Reserve pavilion was upgraded to support the growth in female participation and become a community hub for the wider Hills region. And I will continue to be a strong local voice for this upgrade, and together, we'll keep fighting to get it done.”
“I've been working with the Belgrave Football Netball Club, the Belgrave Cricket Club, the Belgrave Junior Football Club and the Belgrave Men's Shed to upgrade the pavilion at the Belgrave Recreation Reserve. The Belgrave Recreation Reserve pavilion was built in 1950 and doesn't have facilities that allow our community to come together. While the women's teams are growing, the outdated facilities are holding them back. I've been out to the club and seen firsthand the sense of community it provides for all who are part of the Belgrave family. There's been strong community support for an upgraded pavilion at the reserve that doubles as a community hub for the hills in the event of an emergency. We have now received over 1,070 signatures on our petition.”
“Hot days, strong winds, the smell of smoke and the sound of sirens all take us right back to that fateful day. To all those with memories of that day, please reach out to friends and loved ones. Know that you are not alone as we reflect and remember a traumatic and tragic day for so many lives. It is a day when, as a survivor, I recommit to living my life in honour of those who passed on that tragic day.”
“This Friday, 7 February, marks the 16th anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires. It's a day I remember all too well, as do many residents in my community. Today is a day we remember not only the 173 lives lost but also the many lives lost in the years following as a direct impact of the disaster. On that day, we tragically lost 35 children, and 16 were left orphaned. Today and always, we thank the volunteer firefighters and emergency services crews who showed tremendous courage and saved countless lives while risking their own. While the burnt trees have new growth and townships have been rebuilt, the hidden scars of Black Saturday are still very raw and take a toll on the mental health of many in my community. In an instant, we can go right back there to 7 February 2009 and replay it in our minds.”
“It was a fantastic Australia Day in our community that shone a spotlight on the amazing volunteer spirit we have both in Casey and across the nation. It was great to see so many people celebrate and share our love of Australia.”
“His and his family's contribution is significant, with his son Sean now the captain of the Coldstream CFA. It was special on that day to see life membership of the Coldstream CFA awarded to the late David McClellan. David was a volunteer at the brigade, and it was a bittersweet and proud moment for his wife and family, who were there on the day. He is deeply missed at Coldstream CFA and in the wider Casey community. Congratulations also to volunteers Julie and Steve, who received special service awards. It was fantastic to end the day at the RDCA's Emergency Services Cup to raise funds for the CFA and the SES. Congratulations to the women's SES team and the men's CFA teams who took home the trophies.”
“We were very lucky to have Ian's wife, Margaret, there to present the award in his honour. The Mayor's Lifetime Achievement Award went to both Sue Thompson and Harry Moyle. Sue has an unwavering commitment to local history through her work with the Lilydale & District Historical Society, and Harry has been a longstanding volunteer of Caladenia Dementia Care. I also wish to congratulate Elizabeth Connolly on receiving a certificate of recognition for her environmental work in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges. On the same day, I had the honour of visiting Coldstream Fire Brigade with my state colleague Bridget Vallence to unveil the name of their pumper in honour of Robert Bethell. Robert has been a CFA volunteer for 63 years, including 23 years as Coldstream's captain.”
“On Australia Day it was an honour to present the 2025 Citizen of the Year Award to Maureen of Millgrove Residents Action Group. Maureen is a cornerstone of the community in Millgrove who has volunteered for more than five decades. Congratulations to the Community Group of the Year, Holy Fools. It was wonderful to see Neal and the team recognised for their work supporting people experiencing homelessness in the Yarra Ranges. It was also great to see Debbie from Candlebark Community Nursery honoured with the Environmental Achiever of the Year Award, and Jarvis named Young Citizen of the Year. And congratulations to Eddie Tichelaar, who does amazing things for Montrose, including through Montrose CFA and the Montrose Township Group, on receiving the Ian De La Rue Award for Community Leadership.”
“They've turned the devastation of Black Saturday into this group, which continues to have a positive impact almost 16 years on. In being out in the community on Australia Day, the thing that stood out to me most was that our community is tied together by our amazing volunteer spirit. My day began at the Monbulk Rotary and Wandin Rotary Australia Day breakfasts. Congratulations to Dr Dan, who was recognised with a community award for his contribution to local health care, and to Georgia Knight, a former Monbulk Football Club member, who received a youth award after being drafted to the Collingwood AFLW team. Go Pies! Thank you to the Rotarians and volunteers who organised these events. I then went on to a citizenship ceremony to welcome 46 new citizens, from 21 countries, at the Yarra Ranges Council citizenship ceremony.”
“Last month I had the pleasure of visiting the Fireside Crafters, a group of women who meet every Wednesday at Steels Creek Community Centre. The group started in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires as a place for women to find social connection and take their minds of the devastation. Some had lost everything. It was great to meet founding member Barbara as well as president Debbie, secretary Cheryl and treasurer Carol and hear about the many quilts that they have made for patients in the palliative care unit at Healesville Hospital. The group also make clothing items for organisations like HICCI and give them to local police to pass on to those experiencing homelessness. The Fireside Crafters are a great example of the community spirit we have in Casey.”
“He's taken money from taxpayers, from all of us, given it back to us, 'Give me a pat on the shoulder.' Even with that subsidy, power prices are up over $1,000 under this government, but they won't stand there and apologise. They talk about cuts to health and Medicare and these phantom issues. Let's look at the actual delivery of the Albanese government. They cut Medicare funded mental health sessions—20 under the former government cut to 10, despite a report saying that it needed to stay. Don't look at what the government say; look at what they do. For three years, they have failed to deliver for the Australian people.”
“The second problem with that is that of course minimum wages are going up, because the Fair Work Commission look at inflation. Under this government, inflation has been out of control. The Prime Minister doesn't like to talk to it, but it got to 7.8 per cent at its highest under his watch—7.8 per cent under this prime minister. It's started to drop off because it's a reflective compounding impact, but Australians are still struggling. We have a prime minister that, when he was asked to apologise about his $275 reduction in power bills, couldn't do that. He didn't apologise to the Australian people. We saw more spin about the $300 cut that he hasn't paid for—the Australian taxpayer has paid for it.”
“They think if they throw a line out that it's going to make a difference, but it doesn't. You have to address the core problem at the cause and the symptoms, and they can't do that. They're not prepared to make the tough decisions. We had more spin from those opposite when the Minister for Home Affairs—who I note seems to spend more time in question time talking about his former portfolio than his current portfolio, which could explain some of the challenges we face when it comes to national security—claimed how great it was that the minimum wage was going up record levels. 'Record levels, how lucky; We've done a great job.' Again, They completely park two facts. They park that the Fair Work Commission is independent. They're really happy to take credit for the independent Fair Work Commission but walk away from the independent RBA.”
“We've got the mandatory code of conduct.' Let's park, for a minute, that the mandatory code isn't actually about supermarkets and prices for consumers, so it's not actually going to bring prices down. It's about how supermarkets treat suppliers, which is a really important issue, but it's not actually a cost-of-living measure. Let's park that for a second. The Prime Minister was willing to claim the mandatory code of conduct as one of their policies that have brought prices down and brought inflation down. There is one big problem with that claim by the Prime Minister: the mandatory code doesn't come into effect until 1 April 2025. Last time I checked, we're in February of 2025. It is a classic example of the spin from this Prime Minister, the spin from this Treasurer and the spin of those opposite.”
“The reality is they have no answers to the collapse in living standards that Australians are facing. There's been an 8.7 per cent fall per capita since this government was elected, yet the Prime Minister and the Treasurer are telling us: 'Don't worry. We failed for three years, but trust us; we'll be better next time. We're really sorry we were no good. We couldn't deliver for you, but just trust us.' But we know that they can't deliver and that all they have is spin. In question time it was interesting when the Prime Minister refused to talk about how much food and groceries have gone up. That's because they have gone up 12 per cent under his watch. But he said: 'No, we're doing things.”
“After two months at home, some time with the family and time out with my community, I was hoping that those opposite might have spent some time in their community and that the Prime Minister might have got out. But, no, we're back again in February, and we've got the Prime Minister and the Treasurer telling the Australian people again how lucky they are and how they've never had it better. They're now getting to unfounded spin and scare campaigns. Suddenly we've got members opposite talking about lunches for the top end of town. We now know that, apparently, a small business with $10 million in revenue is considered the top end of town by the ALP and the government. Apparently that is the big, rich people—those earning a revenue of $10 million—but that's not true. It's more spin from the Prime Minister and the Treasurer.”