Carina Garland
Chisholm · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Having seen them again last week, I can say the students of St Roch's are absolutely leaders. They debated whether video games should be an official sport, if plastic packaging on all food items should be banned, whether museums should return ancient artefacts to countries of origin and whether smartwatches should be banned in the classro…”
“We're also clarifying the CFMEU administrator's biannual financial reporting requirements, which currently require a report effectively immediately at the conclusion of a given financial year. In this bill, we're also committed to ensuring truckies get a fair go.”
“This government is giving them the tools to do just that, and I'm really proud to be able to represent so many bright young people in this place. Just last week, I had the great pleasure of visiting St Roch's Catholic Primary School in Glen Iris as a guest adjudicator for their year 6 civics and citizenship debating competition.”
“The intention here is to ensure that more truck drivers can access our quick and easy process to challenge an unfair contract in the Fair Work Commission.”
“It's important to highlight that our reforms are essential in ensuring that our workplace relations framework continues to be fit for purpose, continues to deliver fairer wages and secure jobs not just in my electorate of Chisholm but right across Australia.”
“We know that secure jobs drive participation in communities. I spoke about this in my very first speech—that, when people have certainty over hours and wages, they can make commitments to their local communities. They can put down roots. They can know that on their weekends they'll have time to give to their local sporting clubs.”
The complete record
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“We owe their teachers, students and families a standard of education that reflects a wider commitment to improved student-to-teacher ratios, stronger initial teacher education and getting our educators the respect they deserve for the incredible work that they do. That's why, for the first time ever, our government is delivering paid prac, curbing the teacher shortage by incentivising degrees in education and providing practical financial support for practical training. It means giving the most important jobs in the world a secure pathway for training so that, when the time comes for our aspiring educators to teach professionally in the classroom, our students get the very best. I have many teachers in my family, including both of my siblings, and we have some absolutely incredible teachers right across the Chisholm electorate.”
“This represents the biggest new investment in public schools by any Commonwealth government. It represents real resources for our schools, real funding for our teachers and real tools to give our children the quality education that they absolutely deserve. It's not just about money, though. It's about making sure that the money is going to the right places. It means investment in phonics checks and numeracy checks, areas that we know are absolutely essential in children's development. This money will go to evidence based teaching and catch-up tutoring for kids who do need that little bit more support. We owe our schools the very best.”
“When I came to this place in 2022, it followed a campaign that was committed to undoing the damage of a near decade of neglect experienced by our public schools. It followed a commitment to putting public schools on a pathway to full and fair funding, and we continue delivering upon that commitment today. I really want to thank everyone who was involved in the campaign to deliver full and fair funding. It was a really important focus for the election campaigns but, more broadly, a really important public policy conversation to have. The better, fairer schools agreement delivers on full and fair funding, a 10-year agreement with state and territory governments putting an extra $16.5 billion in the education system over the next decade and another $49 billion the decade after.”
“I'm really pleased to rise today to speak on what the Albanese Labor government is doing to improve our education system. I thank the member for Lalor for bringing this motion to the House. We're really putting the effort in to ensure that the system of education in this country is fairer, more accessible and better resourced. It's so important that we do this work so that all children and our teachers have assurance that the system is going to support them and their ambitions. Our government understands that our job is to keep advancing the aspirations of our youth, ensuring that those who care for them are secure, and we know that that starts with full and fair funding for our public schools.”
“As a personal commitment, my door is always open to members of the Iranian Australian community in my electorate of Chisholm. It has always been a pleasure to work alongside them, and I look forward to continuing to do so even in these darkest of days.”
“The IRGC are complicit in the oppression of the Iranian people. They continue to violently suppress domestic protests and threaten lives in and outside of Iran. I will not stop, and I know this Labor government will not stop, fighting for the Iranian people. The killing of protesters must end, arbitrary arrests must end, telecommunications blackouts must end, and the blatant human rights abuses must end. To the Australian Iranian community in my electorate of Chisholm and across the country, I have one message: know that you are not alone. During this time, we share your horror at the events in Iran and we understand that you may be distressed by the actions of the Iranian regime, but know that we will always support you.”
“In an unprecedented diplomatic step, we've declared Iran's ambassador to Australia, along with three other officials, persona non grata. They've been expelled and we have withdrawn Australia's ambassador to Iran. We've also sanctioned more than 200 Iran-linked persons and entities, including more than 100 IRGC-linked individuals and entities. Since 3 February, we have imposed further targeted financial sanctions on Iran and have taken this action in coordination with our international partners, including the UK and the EU. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our sanctions have the maximum impact. Those sanctioned under our further financial sanctions include senior officials and entities of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This builds on the Australian government's listing of the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism.”
“We condemn the Iranian regime's agenda of violence against its own people and will continue calling on Iran on the international stage to protect the rights of its citizens to peaceful protest. Our government has taken stronger action to hold the Iranian regime to account than any other Australian government to date. We've bolstered our autonomous sanctions framework to target those involved in oppression inside Iran, including against women and girls. In 2022, we were at the forefront of international efforts to remove Iran from the Commission for the Status of Women, and we co-sponsored the successful Human Rights Council resolution establishing an independent investigation into human rights violations in Iran.”
“I've long had friends from Iran who have shared with me pretty horrifying stories and who have lived through some things that I would not imagine anyone should have to live through. I will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran against the brutality of the Iranian regime, today and every day. I really want to acknowledge that many people in our community, many people who I know and care about deeply in the diaspora community, carry trauma with them. I really want to acknowledge the courage that they've shown in sharing their stories with me and with other members of this House. Our government stands in solidarity with the Iranian people in their brave struggle against oppression.”
“I think it's really important that we conduct this debate with grace, and I have no intention of demeaning this debate by responding to some pretty poor comments from the previous speaker. What I do want to do, though, is thank the member for Menzies for putting this motion to the House. He is my neighbour in our adjoining seats in Melbourne. The human rights situation in Iran is dire, and I want to speak in support of the Australian Iranian community. We know how appalling and horrifying the situation is, and I know how deeply it affects the Iranian community that call Chisholm home. More than a thousand Australian Iranian people live in Chisholm. Long before I became a member in this place, I stood in solidarity with the Iranian people. I have stood in solidarity with Iranian people for years, attending many events over the years.”
“I'm really proud that I can deliver something like that for my community, making sure that people get the care that they need when they need it. This is a real game changer for people. It's real cost-of-living relief for families. Again, I thank all of the healthcare professionals who work in private practice for their dedication and care and for their commitment to people being able to access equitable health care. Of course, we've delivered cheaper medicines too. We're investing in mental health care. We know how important it is that Australians have governments that protect and expand our healthcare services in this country, and I'm really proud to speak to this motion.”
“I'm really grateful to the medical professionals who work in the urgent care clinics for their compassion, care and dedication. Our government has, of course, gone beyond funding just Medicare urgent care clinics to funding privately owned practices as well with our investment of $8.5 billion to deliver more bulk-billed GP visits each year and to expanding bulk-billing incentives, creating an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk-bill every patient. This means that nine out of 10 visits to GPs will be bulk-billed by 2030, boosting the number of fully bulk-billed practices to around 4,800 nationally, which is triple the current number of practices. I can see how this is taking hold in Chisholm. In my electorate, we now have 29 bulk-billing practices, which is an increase from the 11 that were previously mixed billing.”
“In our first term of government, we delivered more doctors, more bulk-billing and medicines cheaper than what had been delivered for some time, and we opened 87 Medicare urgent care clinics. I've got an urgent care clinic in my electorate in Chisholm that has already opened—in Mount Waverley—and we've also got one on the way in the Stonnington council area. We've also committed to opening another 50 urgent care clinics across the country. A total of 122 urgent care clinics are currently open. The data shows us the benefits of these bulk-billed urgent care clinics, with over 14,000 people in my community receiving quality, timely care, which, importantly, takes pressure off emergency departments and allows people to be seen sooner for their needs.”
“It has improved the overall health of the country, increased our life expectancy and eliminated medical related bankruptcies, which did happen with frequency in this country before Medibank and then Medicare were implemented. When we first came to government in 2022, bulk-billing was in freefall after an appalling decade of cuts and neglect, and it had never been harder or more expensive to find a doctor. That's not what I want for Australia or for our communities. It's not what anyone on this side of the House wants. That's why strengthening Medicare was a key focus of our election platform and has been a consistent focus for our government. We're a government who follow through with our commitments.”
“I'm really proud to be able to advance our healthcare system here as a member of the Albanese Labor government. Of course, Labor is the party of Medicare, which was first introduced through Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's government as Medibank; was then, unfortunately, abolished by the subsequent Liberal government; and was then reintroduced as Medicare by the Hawke government. We've got, on this side of the House, a very strong track record in actually establishing, protecting and enhancing public health, as opposed to those opposite, who abolish and undermine universal health care in this country. Having a system like Medicare is a fundamental part of what a lot of us think of as the Australian way of life. This is a really great example of Australian exceptionalism.”
“I really want to thank the member for Macquarie for putting this motion to the House. This is really important to this side of the House and important to me. On this side of the House, we believe that, no matter someone's postcode or income, they should have equitable access to free, quality care. Protecting and enhancing Medicare is one of the reasons that I put my hand up to run as a member of parliament. I feel so strongly about making sure Australia has a really strong healthcare system. Part of this is because I grew up in a family where my dad was a GP, my mum was a nurse and they ran their own medical practice. The importance of equitable access to health care is something that has been instilled in me from a very young age.”
“This is an opportunity to build something that our country can be really proud of and will set us up not just for now but for generations into the future. On that, I commend the bill to the House.”
“I also acknowledge and thank university vice-chancellors; peak bodies, including Universities Australia; state and territory ministers; the Department of Education; and the Accord Implementation Advisory Committee for this cohesive approach, and the National Tertiary Education Union for their engagement. I especially thank the interim commissioners of ATEC—Mary O'Kane, Larissa Behrendt and Barney Glover. The ATEC was a headline recommendation of the accord, and now we have the opportunity to turn those words into reality. I'll end on this note: if we're not here to make life better and fairer for the next generation, and the generation after that, and the generation after that, then why are we even here at all?”
“That was a key moment in the history of higher education, and Labor supported Menzies in this pursuit. We have a similar opportunity in front of us now to have genuine cross-parliamentary support for the bills before the House to build the foundations that set us up for the future, for a higher education system that works for everyone. I acknowledge and thank the Minister for Education, Jason Clare; the Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles; the Assistant Minister for International Education, Julian Hill; and the former Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor, for all their efforts.”
“ATEC, together with this reporting mechanism, will ensure there are enough places at universities to allow more people to access the opportunities that we know higher education can deliver. That equitable approach has deep bipartisan roots in the parliament. The first Universities Commission was established in 1943 by the Curtin Labor government, and over the four following decades that commission and its successors oversaw significant reform of our higher education system. It is important to remember that John Curtin may have started this but Sir Robert Menzies continued it, and in 1959 his government introduced the Australian Universities Commission Act, which, for the first time, embedded the commission under its own standalone legislation.”
“The report will set out current and emerging trends and issues, and system level changes needed to meet these challenges; progress on tertiary participation and attainment targets; the extent to which the higher education system is meeting Australia's current and future student skills and knowledge demands; and how well we are doing in breaking down the barriers between vocational education and university education, and breaking down the systemic barriers faced by Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds. ATEC will also publish a work plan and statement of its strategic priorities for the tertiary education system every two years, starting from 1 January 2027.”
“They'll be able to provide advice around ways to improve coordination and collaboration between the vocational and higher education university systems, and how to improve access, participation and outcomes for people facing systemic barriers to education, including Indigenous Australians, Australians with disability, Australians from a low socioeconomic background and Australians living in the regions and in the bush. A key part of ATEC is that it will also be required to produce and publish a 'state of the tertiary education system' report every year, with the first report to cover the period starting from 1 January 2026.”
“It will include the cost of teaching and learning in higher education and overall higher education funding amounts, including on a per student basis; student demand, skills demand and the capability of the system's ability to meet Australia's workforce needs; the strategic direction, governance, size and diversity of the higher education system; and the financial sustainability of higher education providers—and that includes not just universities but other non-university higher education providers.”
“The ATEC will have its own decision-making powers and will take on responsibility for new mission based compacts with individual universities, setting out the number of domestic and international students in line with the government's strategic direction. It will take over responsibility for the higher education standards framework from the current Higher Education Standards Panel and provide advice on it to the Minister for Education and the sector regulator. The Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training will also be able to request advice from ATEC on a range of matters, so our future reforms and decisions take the sector with us.”
“An independent review of the ATEC—its role, its functions and its operations—critically, is also built in after two years and after five years, again to aid transparency. These reviews will be tabled in the House and the Senate to ensure the foundation of our higher education system is continually built on the principles of equity and participation. There will be real accountability there. It will be led by three commissioners: a full-time chief commissioner, a full-time First Nations commissioner and a part-time commissioner. Collectively, they will be required to have expertise in the university education sector and in vocational education and training. The First Nations commissioner must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person with significant understanding of issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
“Like Jobs and Skills Australia, it will be independent and report directly to ministers. The ATEC will be guided by a ministerial statement of expectations. The key performance indicators for the ATEC will be established in consultation with the minister. It will publish its work plan, so that will be transparent. It will provide advice to government and publish reports. It will be able to undertake its own research. Staff will be directed by the ATEC commissioners, governed by a service-level agreement with the Department of Education. Its operations, really importantly, and as I've just mentioned, will be transparent. It will be required to consult. Before entering this place, I worked as an academic, so I can see the absolute benefits that will come about through establishing the ATEC.”
“It will be the job of the ATEC to help drive and steer this growth so that it is grounded both on fairness and to harness the skills our nation needs. This is all building on our government's mission—no-one held back, no-one left behind. It will draft compacts with individual universities. The ATEC will help improve policy, administration and coordination of the sector, and get the sector to work more like a system and will get the vocational education system and higher education system to work more closely together. When I speak to academics, vice-chancellors and students, I know that what they really want to see is a closer engagement between the vocational education system and the higher education university system. The ATEC will provide expert, independent advice, which will help drive real and lasting reform.”
“This is no matter where their postcode or income are set, because not only are we the land of the fair go but that's what the accord told us we will need to do to make sure that our country is set up for the years ahead. We know that more jobs are going to require more skills. At the moment, 60 per cent of Australians working today have a certificate or a diploma or degree. We know—the data tells us—that by 2050 that level will need to increase to about 80 per cent, so there is some work to do. That is a significant increase. Governments must prepare and be ready to capitalise on this endeavour. It means we need to have more people at TAFE, more people at universities, like Deakin and Monash in my electorate and local area, and more opportunities for Australians to harness the potential of higher education through a fairer system.”
“Harnessing the potential of education while creating a better and fairer tertiary education system that delivers for students and on Australia's skills needs now and into the future is absolutely one of our government's priorities, and I know how important the higher education system is to my electorate. When the accord process was first implemented, I undertook a survey in my electorate and received hundreds and hundreds of responses about the kinds of changes people wanted to see. I made a submission to the accord on behalf of my electorate of Chisholm. I'm really pleased to see that we are continuing our work as a government to implement the recommendations from the accord reports. It is really critical that we have an education system that works for everyone.”
“Whether that be through cutting student debt by 20 per cent while making the indexation system fairer, establishing a Commonwealth-paid prac system so students can get paid on placements, establishing a student ombudsman or making free TAFE permanent, we are absolutely committed to making sure that every Australian has the opportunity to pursue a great education in this country. This bill to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, ATEC, was a key recommendation of the Australian Universities Accord, and this furthers our pursuit of opening the doors of opportunity to every Australian so that their lives can be changed for the better via education.”
“In my first speech in this place, I shared how I am forever grateful for the education, the keys to the kingdom, that I received and acknowledged that education changes lives. It changed mine, and it does so for many Australians in our communities. The words I shared in 2022—that I'm passionate about ensuring we have a robust higher education system that values intellectual curiosity and supports people to think, to experiment and to create new ideas, systems and solutions—are beliefs that I still hold, and I'm very pleased to support the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025. The Labor Party is the party of education, and the Albanese Labor government has invested in education ever since it was first elected.”
“My question is to the Attorney-General. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to promote the safety of women and children, and how is the government working towards ending gender based violence in Australia?”
“He knew the importance of education and community and of service to others, stating: … equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community. These words are significant, I think, and cause us to reflect on the importance of unity and of looking after others. As we approach the national day of mourning for the tragic event in Bondi, there are things we can do to remember those lives lost and to shine a light in these dark moments. We can all light candles and perform mitzvahs, acts of kindness for others, and we must commit ourselves today and every day to making sure that an event like the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach never happens again.”
“He is the namesake for the largest municipality in my electorate, Monash council, and the local university, Monash University, where I studied as an undergraduate, and there are just so many local medical facilities and community groups that bear his name too. John Monash's life was remarkable, and there is no question that he shaped so much in Australia and, in particular, Victoria. A distinguished military commander and civil engineer, Sir John Monash fought for Australia in the First World War and later literally helped build Melbourne as an engineer, before heading to the state electricity commission. As someone who was born in the Latrobe Valley, I can say his legacy is large there too.”
“We all must, as decent Australians, not let darkness take hold, and we must shine a light as a parliament and in our communities to make sure the horrific event that saw lives lost on 14 December never happens again. We must engage with one another with respect and good faith and show kindness to our neighbours. We must do all of this, as well as ensuring that we have laws fit for purpose, to make sure we can truly root out the hatred that exists and keep people safe. Jewish Australians have long been an incredibly important part of our national identity and the fabric of this country, and they continue to be. In my community, the legacy of one of Australia's most well-known Jewish Australians is visible virtually everywhere you go, and that is the legacy of General Sir John Monash.”
“We need to do all we can to ensure that prejudices such as antisemitism cannot take root in our communities. It is critical that we work together as a parliament and as a nation to do this. My own community comprises those who are Jewish. It's a very diverse electorate and we are home to Mount Scopus, a Jewish school. I stand with all in my community, and I support you. I am so profoundly sorry that this event occurred and that antisemitism has caused so much harm in our beautiful nation. The event on Bondi Beach on 14 December was to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah and to celebrate Jewish resilience and hope—the triumph of light over darkness.”
“We are all mourning those lost lives, and, on behalf of my community of Chisholm, I offer my solemn sympathies and deepest condolences to all those impacted by the incident at Bondi. So many innocent lives were lost: Matilda, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Boris Tetleroyd, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Reuven Morrison, Edith Brutman, Marika Pogany, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Tibor Weitzen, Alexander Kleytman, Dan Elkayam, Adam Smyth and Tania Tretiak. We remember their names. May their memories be a blessing. I remember the moment when I first found out about the horrific events at Bondi that Sunday evening. I felt shock, sadness, anger and disbelief that something like that could happen in a country like Australia—an unimaginable incident and one that we need to ensure never happens again.”
“On a Sunday in summer, families and community came together to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at the iconic Bondi Beach. This should have been a joyous moment. But darkness descended that evening on 14 December, and evil actions robbed 15 people of their lives, leaving families, communities and the nation scarred. There are survivors who are still grappling with their injuries, first responders who confronted catastrophe and are dealing with trauma, and so many friends and families of those who lost their lives who are contending with terrible grief. We acknowledge the fine work of first responders and the courage of all of those who sought to fight off this attack and protect and care for others.”
“Finally, I would like to thank the following people and organisations for their support in making the ceremony such a great success. To the Principal of Avila College in Mount Waverley, Michelle Cotter: thanks for hosting the event. Thanks to the Cloud Concert Youth Orchestra for their string quartet, Allan, Carlos, Jame and David. To Waverley Enterprises for their catering—a great organisation that provides secure employment to people with disabilities in the area—thank you. Thanks to my wonderful staff, who work so hard with me for our community and to my state colleague John Mullahy MP, the member for Glen Waverley, for his assistance as MC. Congratulations to everyone, and merry Christmas, Deputy Speaker!”
“These are the 2025 award winners: from Ashburton Primary School, Kalinga Berg; from Ashwood High School, Leah Reid; from Ashwood School, Roby Saab; from Avila College, Orlagh Hijner; from Brentwood Secondary College, Daniel Wojak; Burwood East Primary School, Isabella Ye; Camelot Rise Primary School, Tiara Grover; Emmaus College, Jaimeson Carter; Glen Iris Primary School, Alex Chen; Glen Waverley Primary School, Joshua Vani; Glen Waverley South Primary School, Raiden McAlister-Meehan; Hartwell Primary School, Olivia Avram; Highvale Secondary College, Alexia Bastas; Holy Family School, Lauren Bernardo; Huntingtower School, Mimi Roberts; Lloyd Street Primary School, Matilda King; Malvern Valley Primary School, Paige Mills; Mount Waverley Primary School, Srilasya Kappara; Mount Waverley Secondary College, Catherine Fardon; Parkhill Primary School, Saige Yew; Presbyterian Ladies College, Tanvi Nair; Sacre Coeur, Gabrielle Noonan; Solway Primary School, Jensen McLean; St Cecilia's Primary School, Michaela Jess; St Justin's Parish Primary School, Talia Iazzolino; St Mary's Primary School, Amalia Punch; St Roch's Primary School, Kimberly Cheng; St Scholastica's Primary School, Ellie Kavouris; Syndal South Primary School, Ameyaa Madhusudan; and Waverley Meadows Primary School, Keira Ternes.”
“Last Friday evening, I was delighted to host my fourth Community Spirit and Leadership Award ceremony. Every year, I ask each principal from schools in the Chisholm electorate to nominate a student who best embodies the community-spirit intent of this award. The event is all about giving recognition to the many young people who make a positive difference in our Chisholm community. It was so heartwarming to read the many reasons why students were nominated for the award—students who display great kindness and compassion to their school peers, students with a passion for social justice, students who volunteer to support those in need, students who have a positive attitude to learning and students who are fantastic role models for younger students and display great leadership skills.”
“In addition, further consideration will be given to other recommendations in the accord, including that the government work with tertiary education providers, state and territory governments, industry, business and unions to consider further support to employers to mitigate any risk of financial hardship and placement poverty for students in other fields. This is not a plan for one budget. This is a plan to build for the next decade and beyond. I really do thank the member for Indi for bringing this matter to the House. I will take any opportunity I can to talk about higher education and why it is so important to my community. I look forward to working with everyone in this House to build a stronger higher education system.”
“But I know that there are other students who do need to undertake practical placements, so building a review into the legislation, as we have, to examine the performance of this program after three years of operation is really important to consider the effectiveness of payments provided to students and the appropriateness of expanding payments to other courses, including allied health. This decision to begin with the cohort that we have started with was informed by recommendations from the universities' accord process.”
“This starting point of students studying teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work receiving paid prac payments is what was recommended by the Australian Universities Accord. As I said, I was quite engaged in that process on behalf of my community. This year, 2025, the payment is $331 a week, which is benchmarked to the single Austudy rate. There are over 67,000 applications already who have applied for this payment. More than 80 per cent of those applications have been processed and more than 80 per cent of those have been approved. I think this shows we are tackling placement poverty head-on, giving future teachers, nurses and social workers the practical support they deserve.”
“We expect this will support at least 68,000 eligible higher-education students and 5,000 VET students to complete their practical training each year. This support means they can afford to go to class and to complete their courses by going to placements, and it also means we have people with the skills we so desperately need in our communities right across the country. For too long, unfortunately, it is true that students have had to choose between finishing their degree and paying their bills. We're ending that unfair choice. No-one should be pushed into delaying or dropping out of study just because they can't afford to do their placement, which is what so many students need to do to complete their courses.”
“I undertook a survey of my electorate on higher education ahead of the Universities Accord process and received hundreds and hundreds of responses with lots of really important feedback that I passed through to the process, making my own submission on behalf of my community. I'm proud to be part of a government that is supporting teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students to complete their practical placement courses. On 1 July this year, paid prac became a reality for those studying teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work. I heard from students and from the families of those studying these courses that it was really challenging to manage study and living expenses. I'm proud to be part of a government that, for the first time, has provided financial support for mandatory placements.”
“I thank the member for Indi for bringing this important matter of public importance to the House. Those of us on this side of the House recognise that it's incredibly vital that we support students to get an education that sets them up for great jobs to support our communities. I know very well how important higher education is to my own electorate of Chisholm in Victoria. I have Monash University to the south of my electorate, and I have Deakin University in the heart of my electorate. I know from doorknocking and speaking to so many people at train stations, on the phone and out and about on street stalls how important higher education is to my electorate and how important the matter of paid pracs is to my electorate.”
“My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering important infrastructure projects that will improve the lives of Australians? What other approaches to infrastructure have been put forward to the government?”
“I also had the great honour of addressing the 30th anniversary event with former leaders like Margaret Reynolds, Claire Moore and Sharman Stone, who spoke with warmth about the group's rich history. There is so much more work to do, but I'm really confident that we can work across different party lines across the parliament, across this place and the other place, to ensure that we're making a real difference to the lives of many people in our country and, indeed, in our region.”
“Strengthening these connections through dialogue, collaboration and shared advocacy will help to build resilient, inclusive systems that reflect the needs and values of local communities. This will require coordinated whole-of-society action. There have been many different events that we have held so far this year. We've heard from people speaking about their experiences as PALM workers and the challenges that they faced in accessing health care in Australia. We've also heard about solutions to address these challenges, like the Health in My Language program, which delivers in-language education to migrant and refugee women. The work that we've been doing is a reminder that, when we invest in culturally safe services, we empower people to make an informed choice and live with dignity. We've had many briefings with experts.”