Colin Boyce
Flynn · Liberal National Party · Australia
“We all know the recent budget was a disaster. However, there's an initiative that I do welcome, and that is the $10.7 billion fuel security package, comprising $7.5 billion to establish a fuel and fertiliser security facility, $3.2 billion for a government owned Australian fuel security reserve and $10 million for a feasibility study into…”
“We will restore common sense to housing and immigration by ensuring Australia only brings in as many people as it can house. Under the coalition's policy pledge, net overseas immigration will be capped each year at the number of new homes completed in Australia.”
“After four years of higher taxes, more debt, fewer homes, weaker borders and falling living standards under Labor, the coalition is putting forward seven policies to restore Australia's standard of living and protect our way of life. Under Labor, inflation has pushed up prices, wages and tax bills.”
“We'll deliver more fuel, more storage and more security for Australia and reduce pressure on families and small businesses by scrapping Labor's safeguard mechanism, a carbon tax on business that will cost refineries, for example, around $165 million by 2029-30.”
“It is a clear opportunity to build on that strength and secure Gladstone's future as a powerhouse of industry and energy. With the right backing, this project can drive economic growth, support local businesses and provide greater certainty for families across Central Queensland.”
“By increasing defence spending to three per cent of GDP, the coalition will provide increases to defence spending so that the men and women of the Australian Defence Force have the proper platforms, equipment and protection to fight for us.”
The complete record
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“The information session also heard from Christie McLennan, the local chemist, who has been supporting the Taroom community with banking services over several years. It's clear as day that the impact to small businesses, community groups and individuals will be vast and significant if Bendigo Bank walks away from the Taroom community. Bendigo Bank describes itself as 'the better big bank', but actions speak louder than words. The four big banks have agreed to keep their regional branches open until at least 2027, and Bendigo Bank needs to do the same. I'm calling on the bank to put their money where their mouth is and keep this agency open for the community of Taroom.”
“For my first 90-second statement of the 48th Parliament, I was hoping to speak on a positive topic but, once again, it's all about the decline of banking services in regional Australia. This time, it's concerning the potential closure of the Bendigo Bank agency in my hometown of Taroom, in Central Queensland. I'm beyond disappointed in this decision by the corporates at Bendigo Bank. They've got absolutely no understanding of what this closure will mean for my community. On 16 July, over 75 people from Taroom attended an information session presented by the Mundubbera Bendigo community bank board, and residents expressed their concerns about the future viability of community events due to cash-holding and the limitations of telecommunications.”
“Today, I call on the federal government to increase the untied funding to all councils to at least one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue indexed annually with payment timing and certainty. These are some of the policies that I will continue to call out as the federal member for Flynn. Whether you're a blue-collar worker in Gladstone, a grazier in the Burnett, a truck driver in the mines in the Central Highlands, a support worker in Gracemere, a veggie grower in Bundaberg, a boilermaker at a small business in Biloela, a nurse in Woorabinda or someone who's just trying to have a go, I will continue to represent you and all your people. I will continue to work hard for our region and ensure we are strongly represented in federal parliament by putting the people of Flynn first.”
“Furthermore, the Labor government's unrealistic capital gains tax is not only economically reckless but also fundamentally unfair, and it sets a dangerous precedent in the Australian tax system. This proposal should be abandoned. It is fiscally flawed, ethically questionable and an administrative disaster. Australians deserve a tax system that is fair and transparent and that rewards, not punishes, prudent financial planning. I have concerns about the sustainability of local government. This concern has been amplified by the North Burnett Regional Council's decision to increase its rates across the area by 25 per cent. While there are many factors that have led to this decision, including the effects of the flawed Local Government Act in Queensland, the current funding model from the federal government is outdated and inadequate.”
“If Australia continues to go down the road of 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050, I fear a repeat of the mass power outages that we've seen in Spain and Portugal, which are countries that are both heavily reliant on renewable energy. To kick the idea of nuclear power into the long grass for the future is an absolute tragedy. Nuclear power, just like coal, is among the safest and most reliable energy sources in the world. Nuclear energy is something Australia needs to consider for the future of business and industry in this country. There are many countries around the world increasing their nuclear capacity, and they understand that renewable energy is not reliable.”
“We spoke against Labor's misinformation laws, opposed the cancellation of heavy-vehicle safety and productivity programs, advocated that Australia Day remain 26 January, opposed the digital ID bill and spoke on behalf of constituents of Flynn in the federal parliament approximately 110 times. Going to this term of parliament, it's about holding the Labor government to account and protecting the future of Central Queensland and the Wide Bay area. I have grave concerns for our regions and their future and for our traditional industries. The simple fact is that rural and regional Australia is being bulldozed by Labor's reckless renewables rush, and what the government does not understand is that you cannot rely on renewable energy alone.”
“With agriculture, we've successfully advocated for increased measures to protect Australia against foot-and-mouth disease, successfully lobbied for improvements to the PALM scheme, opposed Labor's live sheep export ban and lobbied to protect live cattle exports. We successfully lobbied against Labor's fresh food tax. Other initiatives that we've introduced include a motion in the federal parliament addressing cost-of-living concerns. We've criticised the banks for closing regional branches and supported a Senate inquiry into banking closures. We've prevented franking credit changes detrimental to our constituents, opposed Labor's truckie tax, opposed Labor's divisive Voice to Parliament proposal, successfully lobbied for changes to the HECS system and criticised delays and called for improvements regarding Centrelink wait times.”
“We've helped thousands of constituents with federal government inquiries and successfully lobbied for the building of a high school in Gracemere. On the energy and environment issue, we've criticised Labor's reckless renewable energy rollout, and we will continue to do that. We've hosted energy forums in Gladstone, Biloela and Gracemere. We've hosted nuclear forums in Gladstone to discuss the energy form. We've opposed Labor's car tax and ute tax. We spoke at the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Bill inquiry. We've called for and achieved changes to renewable energy legislation. We've advocated grant funding for Heritage Minerals at Mount Morgan to rehabilitate that mine project, and we've provided submissions to various state and federal inquiries.”
“In respect of community initiatives, we've announced funding for various community organisations and local athletes, ensured Flynn has received its fair share of funding by ensuring that the Labor government honours its election commitments, actively opposed the Labor government's funding cuts to ag shows, successfully advocated for funding through the Strengthening Rural Communities grants, announced funding for community initiatives through the Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program, opened a new office in Gayndah to better serve constituents in the southern part of the Flynn electorate, conducted and released results of Flynn's biggest survey and hosted hundreds of community mobile offices at various locations across the Flynn electorate, including at regional shows.”
“We've called on the Labor government to make changes to the Roads to Recovery program, which disadvantages all regional councils, and we've called on the federal and Queensland governments to prioritise and bring forward funding for upgrades for the Gin Gin-Rockhampton section of the Bruce Highway. In respect of telecommunications, we've called for further investment into regional telecommunications and have initiated and collated information from telecommunication blackspots in the Flynn electorate with federal funding. We've called for the reinstatement of funding for mobile black spot programs and achieved a Senate inquiry into regional telecommunications.”
“We've secured funding for the Palm Drive culvert upgrade in West Gladstone; secured funding for Agnes Water Skate Park via the Growing Regions Program; called for an extension for the Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program; called for the reinstatement of the Beef Corridors funding; delivered the Drynan Drive upgrade in Calliope, funded by the previous coalition government; delivered the Rookwood Weir project along with the Central Queensland LNP team, which was partly funded by the previous coalition government; and opposed Labor's decision to cut funding to Paradise Dam.”
“We've secured reinstatement of funding for the Rockhampton ring road along with the Central Queensland LNP team. We've continued to fight to fund the North Burnett evacuation route and deliver the John Peterson Bridge, near Mundubbera, which was also funded by the previous coalition government.”
“We've called out cuts to mental health support, advocated for the fast-tracking of urgent care clinics in Rockhampton and Bundaberg, achieved positive changes to the 60-day dispensing rules, advocated for aged-care changes following the closure of the Mount Morgan aged-care facility and hosted regional health roundtables in Gladstone to address these regional health issues. We've renewed calls for an investigation into district workforce shortages of cardiologists in the Wide Bay-Burnett region and welcomed construction of the Emerald rural health training centre, funded by the previous coalition government. With regard to infrastructure, my staff and I have opened a school of manufacturing in Gladstone, funded by the previous coalition government.”
“However, it's critical that New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory governments do the same thing, and I'll continue to call on the Labor government to protect Australia's aquifers and oppose these proposals to sequester carbon dioxide in the Great Artesian Basin in particular. I've also achieved substantial wins for the electorate in health, aged care, infrastructure, energy, the environment, telecommunications, agriculture and other community initiatives. For health and aged care, my office and I have initiated and secured thousands of signatures for the reinstatement of the Gladstone Hospital maternity ward.”
“The Nationals fought for a commonsense solution to ensure our farmers' communities have confidence in the approval process of carbon sequestration projects by asking for all of these projects to be assessed under the federal act as well. The current EPBC Act does not go far enough in ensuring an appropriate approval process is in place, and it was a disgrace it was voted down by both the Labor government and the Greens. I commend the work of the Queensland state government, which banned carbon capture and storage in the Great Artesian Basin in Queensland, and I note an enormous effort put in by AgForce Queensland to achieve this result.”
“Since then, I've written countless letters, made countless calls and had countless meetings to stop this madness from occurring. In December last year, the Labor-Greens government quashed any attempt by the Nationals in parliament to ensure important safeguards were put in place to protect Australia's aquifers and, indeed, the largest underground potable water source in the world. The Nationals moved an amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act so that the Commonwealth, as well as Queensland government, undertakes the appropriate assessments of carbon sequestration projects.”
“I also welcome Adele Austin to the team, who will be part of the Gladstone office team while Nicole is away on maternity leave. In the last term of parliament, my team and I were able to achieve some positive things, despite an incompetent Labor government. I am most proud of protecting the Great Artesian Basin, something I have been fighting for for many years. In 2018 I expressed my strong opposition to anything that would compromise the Great Artesian Basin waters, and this was outlined in my maiden speech as the member for Callide in the Queensland state parliament. Back then, I had stopped the proposal to inject industrial waste into the Great Artesian Basin at Wandoan. A couple of years later, in 2023, I found out about a proposal to inject industrial waste into the Great Artesian Basin near Moonie in southern Queensland.”
“I would like to thank everybody who's supported me along the way, especially my staff, who work tirelessly serving the thousands of constituents in the Flynn electorate. This includes my Gladstone team: my media advisor and campaign manager, Cody Vella; and electorate officers Melanie Kent-Ford, Kellie Wilkie, Natalie Ross, Leanne Ruge and April Vock; as well as support staff Liz Purnell-Webb, Julie Murphy and Rae Cowie. Thank you to Lane Buffington in my Emerald office and Margie McIntyre in my Gayndah office. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my office manager, Nicole Lobegeier. Nicole is about to head off on maternity leave, and I would like to wish her, Aaron and Ollie all the best for their future and for the safe arrival of their new addition to their family.”
“Behind my successful re-election campaign were hundreds and hundreds of people who supported me, from volunteers who handed out how-to-vote cards, householders who had a sign in their yard, people who'd put up their hand and people who put their hand in their pocket to support the campaign financially. While I'm unable to individually thank everybody—it's difficult to single out everybody in this speech—I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of that support. To my wife, Terri, and my children Sarah, Tom and Scott, and their partners: thank you for your support and for keeping the family business going in my absence. To my Flynn FDC executive Tim Eversham and Rachael Cruwys and my campaign team: thank you so much.”
“The electorate is made up of many hardworking men and women, and I'm proud of my local workers who have helped me keep the lights on and who have built products or grown produce Australia and the world will need for many years to come. As such, it's critical that these industries and these people are supported by our government and not hindered. Since being elected in 2022, I've vowed to fight to protect these jobs in Central Queensland which have been under attack for far too long. I'm pleased to report a 4.6 per cent swing in my favour and I've increased my margin to over 10 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, despite a negative swing against the coalition nationally.”
“The electorate of Flynn was named in honour of Reverend John Flynn OBE, who lived from 1880 to 1951, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and who harnessed both flying and radio to relieve suffering and to save lives in remote regions of Queensland and, ultimately, Australia. Flynn extends from Gladstone in the east and encompasses many regional communities, including Wondai and Proston in the south, the Central Highlands district in the west, and Gracemere district in the north. The electorate is one of the largest economic generators for the Australian economy, comprising agriculture, mining resources, power generation, heavy industry and transport.”
“It is an honour to once again be standing here and to be elected to the federal Parliament of Australia as the member for Flynn. I want to start by thanking the people who have entrusted me to represent them for another three years, the people of Flynn particularly. This is a diverse electorate of over 132,000 square kilometres, almost twice the size of Tasmania in area. It consists of eight local government council areas: the Banana Shire Council, the Central Highlands Regional Council, Gladstone Regional Council, North Burnett Regional Council, Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council, part of the Bundaberg Regional Council, part of the Rockhampton Regional Council and part of the South Burnett Regional Council.”
“A dedicated facility would improve the process and provide a dignified, private, secure area for families, patients and medical staff. Gladstone Airport saw more than 700 aeromedical transfers last year, so there is an immediate need for this facility. The proposed facility will cost around $5 million to build. The federal government has announced just over $1 million for this project via the Regional Airports Program, and that is not even close to what is required. I strongly support the proposed Gladstone Airport patient transfer facility and will continue to advocate for this critical project to be fully funded.”
“Since the closure of Gladstone's Mater Hospital and the downgrading of the Gladstone Hospital from level 4 to level 3 by the former Queensland Labor government, there has been a significant decline in the availability of maternity and other medical services at the Gladstone Hospital. Due to this, Gladstone Airport has had a massive increase in aeromedical and emergency transfers. This has supported the need to develop a fit-for-purpose facility to improve operational efficiency and give patients and their families greater dignity and comfort in their time of need. The current facility is no longer suitable to meet the needs of emergency services, and, built as a temporary facility, the current site does not provide shelter from the elements during the transfer from ambulance to aircraft.”
“We, as Australians, should be having sensible debates about what our future holds and how we are going to provide reliable and affordable energy for our consumers that has longevity attached to it.”
“If we ask the government how much renewable energy will cost us, they won't tell us. They don't have a figure. I find it quite appalling to saddle Australians to these enormous projects, particularly when they've got issues like the Capacity Investment Scheme, where Australians will be asked to underwrite the power generation of these projects even if they don't produce any power. That's quite a ridiculous notion. Nuclear energy, as I said, is widely accepted where I come from. I understand there is angst amongst communities everywhere. Everybody uses these silly little memes of three-eyed fish and so forth. What nonsense! What absolute nonsense! As I said, there are over 400 nuclear facilities around the world, providing the cleanest and most reliable power to the biggest industrial nations on the planet.”
“We know from facts that are there now—Lotus Creek, for example, is a $1.3 billion project for 46 turbines. If you do the math there, that's $28 million a turbine. I've done a lot of work with Steven Nowakowski mapping all of these turbines right around Australia. There are some 21,000 of them that we have identified and we have mapped. If you do some ballpark figures on that, use a nominal figures of $20 million per turbine and multiply that by 20,000 turbines, you're talking $400 billion dollars, and that's just for the wind turbines. When you start adding in the transmission lines, the pumped hydro, all of the network charges and everything that's got to happen to make it work—Princeton University in America and the University of Melbourne's estimation of $1.5 trillion by 2030, in my humble opinion, is more like the ballpark.”
“You need a system of batteries and pumped Hydro—an enormous investment—to make it even feasible to work. This is another argument that has come up in this report: cost. What does it all cost? I know we're only coming up with ballpark figures, and the coalition has engaged Frontier Economic to do their estimations on it. They've come up with a figure of approximately $330 billion, and that's expensive. I recognise that. But so is renewable energy. Again, Frontier Economics came up with a figure of over $600 billion for renewables. I would argue that it's going to be a lot more than that, and I'll tell you why that is. In my electorate again, we are having these enormous wind turbines been built. I'm dealing with over eight proposals in my electorate alone.”
“The Flynn electorate in Central Queensland is one of the big economic engine rooms in Australia. We have the coal industry, the alumina industry and the coal-loading terminal at Gladstone, which is the world's fourth-largest coal-loading terminal. There is the gas industry, heavy industry of all sorts, the railways and all of that sort of thing. It needs a constant, reliable source of energy. People up there know you cannot run the alumina smelter and the two refineries there on wind turbines and solar panels; it simply won't work. You cannot run the electric train system to the Central Queensland coalmines, which deliver 70 million tonnes of coal to the Port of Gladstone, on wind turbines and solar panels. It's illogical even to suggest that you can.”
“We've already signed up to the AUKUS agreement with the possibility of having nuclear-powered submarines. Why can't we have this logical debate in respect of nuclear energy and let the experts make these decisions and feed into these conversations instead of to-ing and fro-ing with politicians such as me who really know nothing about it. We're only scratching the surface. The former speaker talked about social licence. Up in Central Queensland, where I come from, as I said, there's a proposal by the coalition to build a facility there should we become the government. I have held many forums—a dozen, in fact—on this very subject, and, of all 3,000 people who responded to us, 68 per cent of them were in favour of pursuing nuclear technology. It's pretty much a must-have where I come from.”
“Here in Australia we do have a nuclear reactor, at Lucas Heights. It has been there since 1960 or thereabouts. It is recognised as a gold standard medical nuclear facility. There are scientists—and the medical profession in general—who go to Sydney, to Lucas heights, to pursue their profession, to perform studies in respect to medical nuclear technology. All of the waste that has been produced at Lucas Heights is stored onsite, and has been since it was started. There is an argument that, come 2030, Lucas Heights will run low on storage, and that is why the previous government developed a proposal to build a nuclear waste site at Kimba in South Australia, but that has now been vetoed. The point is that we've already got this technology. We're already dealing with it.”
“Having made that decision as Australians—our government has committed some $4 billion to Rolls-Royce to develop the nuclear reactors that will go in those submarine boats—doesn't it make practical, common sense to include industrial and domestic nuclear power? To me it does. These arguments that are very exaggerated in respect to having nuclear energy are very topical and, as I said, very polarising. There are over 400 nuclear reactors around the world providing clean, efficient and reliable power to many industrialised countries. Many of those industrialised countries are revamping their nuclear systems and reinvesting in nuclear systems. For Australia to shut itself out from that possibility is, to me, a tragedy for future generations of Australians. We should be having sensible and logical debates about our energy future.”
“One of the biggest tragedies to me in this whole energy debate is that nearly 25 years ago there was a decision made in Parliament House to put a moratorium on nuclear energy in Australia. What that has led to is a whole generation of people in our education system who have not pursued the science and everything that is involved in respect to anything nuclear. That has put Australia in a very difficult position right now. We know that we have signed up to the AUKUS program, to have nuclear submarines here. We will have to train people to manage, to build and to operate. We will have to come up with the technologies to deal with the waste, the maintenance and everything in regard to having nuclear submarines.”
“I rise to make a contribution in respect to the interim report into nuclear power generation in Australia, particularly from the point of view of my electorate of Flynn, in Central Queensland, where there has been a proposal to possibly build a nuclear facility at the Callide Power Station near Biloela. The whole energy debate is obviously front and centre. It is very topical. There are many different points of view. It is a rather polarising debate, with those that support traditional power generation, coal and gas, versus the renewable energy industry, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, pumped hydro and so forth; and other alternative energy sources, such as the production of green hydrogen et cetera.”
“It is not a 24-hour baseload solution. Wind does not always blow, nor does the sun always shine. Nuclear provides about 25 per cent of the world's electricity, and could easily support the manufacturing industry in Gladstone into the 22nd century, with an expected lifespan of some 80 years. You would have to replace solar panels and wind turbines at least four times over this same period. The waste problems and sheer footprint of these projects and transmission lines are already compounding this. (Time expired)”
“Furthermore, the government has little regard for the regional communities that are having to host these mass-scale renewable energy projects. In my electorate of Flynn, this is ground zero, and it is reckless energy policy, with dozens and dozens of these projects all over the Flynn electorate. The renewables-only dream that the Labor government and the Greens are pushing will not only fail to meet the needs of businesses but also cost Australians $263 billion more than the coalition's nuclear energy policy, while continuing to destroy our environment and agricultural communities that are carrying the weight of these unwanted projects. The Gladstone community and heavy industry rely heavily on reliable, predictable and affordable power. The reality is that wind and solar cannot provide any reliability at all.”
“The energy minister promised wholesale prices of $51 a megawatt hour in 2025, but the reality is Australians' quarterly prices have been more than $100 a megawatt hour in the last year. The Prime Minister and the energy minister promised Australians a $275 cut to their power bills, but instead families are paying up to $1,000 more under this costly and chaotic energy policy. Labor's ideological war on coal and gas has weakened the grid, and as a result Australians have been forced to rely on expensive, unreliable renewables without the necessary back-up power. Labor has no plan for affordability, no plan for reliability and no plan to keep the lights on, and Australian families are paying the price.”
“This is yet another independent warning that the minister for energy's renewables-only approach will hurt Australians, forcing families and businesses to the wall. Labor's renewables-only approach is failing, and industry and small businesses continue to sound the alarm. If the Prime Minister and the energy minister won't listen to everyday Australians struggling with soaring energy prices, surely they will at least listen to the businesses, warning them that their plan is driving them to the wall. Wholesale prices skyrocketed 83 per cent in the past year, with record highs in Queensland, proving that the 2022 pre-election energy modelling was complete and utter fantasy.”
“Both small businesses have seen their energy prices rise some 30 per cent in the last 18 months, and this is simply not sustainable for a small business. There is only so much a small business can do to increase the price of a pie, a can of Coke or their groceries. Small-business owners like Fiona and Hardy are having to absorb these input costs, and that is making it harder and harder to do business, particularly in these small communities. This leads me to why energy prices are becoming unaffordable for householders and businesses. It is because of Labor's reckless energy plan, which is delivering higher prices across the Flynn electorate. Late last week Moody's confirmed Labor's energy policy would cost up to $230 billion over the next 10 years and drive household and business electricity prices up another 25 per cent.”
“This could very well be the last sitting of the 47th Parliament. I thought it was important to speak about small businesses and the significant challenges that they face in respect to energy prices. There are more than 27,000 businesses that have gone insolvent since the Labor government took office, which is devastating. Before parliament resumed this year I spent much of my time out and about in various communities in the electorate of Flynn, speaking to people of all backgrounds as well as hardworking small-business owners that are keeping the Australian economy going—small-business owners such as Fiona at Craig's Bakery in the Sun Valley at Gladstone, and Hardy from the Foodworks store in Biggenden. While they raised many challenges that small businesses face, the No. 1 issue is the cost of energy.”
“The Albanese government's own data makes it clear they have made skills shortages worse and have delivered the worst skills shortage in 50 years. How can a Labor government bring one million people to Australia and have a skills shortage? The coalition has outlined our plan to train our next generation of Australians with the skills required for the workforce of the future, address the supply chain constraints and invest in skills and development, while creating more apprenticeships and traineeships and ensuring the training system is delivering the skills Australians need. Only the coalition has this plan to address this skills shortage and get Australia back on track.”
“I had a history of welding which is recognised, and I don't understand why the same can't be applied for the parents and grandparents with respect to the childcare sector. The one-size-fits-all approach on education is not working and most certainly does not work in rural and regional Australia. We need a government to prioritise the valued tradies and workers, including in our skilled migration intake. For example, Labor has failed to build the homes Australians need and failed to manage the immigration system in a way that provides the right workers to help supplement the meeting of this demand. Instead, this Labor government is putting martial arts and yoga instructors ahead of skilled workers, including bricklayers, painters, roof tilers and stonemasons, in the visa queue.”
“In an industry that employs 200,000 people, 21,000 more qualified professionals are required to address the current shortage. Another 18,000 must be hired to meet future demand. An additional 18,000 will be needed to help realise the federal government's childcare subsidy and expanded preschool plans. This was all found in the federal government's report released in 2024. Furthermore, if Australia wants to improve children's development by offering universal preschool, the early childhood education industry will have to grow by three per cent every year. It is clear as day that the childcare sector is struggling not only to attract but to retain workers. One idea that I've raised that is worth looking into is providing recognition of prior learning for parents and grandparents to attain qualifications to become childcare educators.”
“Skills shortages have worsened since the Albanese government took office and remain higher today than under the coalition. From June 2022 to June 2023, skills shortages increased by 12.5 per cent, and the latest data indicates 33 per cent of all occupations are in shortage, which is higher than under the coalition government. More than 27,000 businesses have gone insolvent since the Albanese government was elected, and Labor's economic failures have made it harder than ever to put on an apprentice or a trainee. With issues such as the skills shortage, it is incredibly important that we start to think outside the box and address this significant problem. One massive issue is the lack of childcare providers, and this is particularly relevant to small communities throughout Australia.”
“Many years ago, I went to Roma TAFE College and received my qualifications in engineering through recognised prior learning. Sadly, since my time, it has become harder and harder for apprentices and trainees to come through the system and into the workforce. Now, here are the facts that Labor don't want you to know about. There are fewer Australians being skilled under the Labor government. Australia has lost over 80,300 apprentices and trainees, a loss of one in five. There are 34,685 fewer women apprentices and trainees in training, and new starts for women in skills have nearly halved, a loss of 44,605 equivalent places. There are fewer trade apprentices in training with a 25 per cent drop of new starts, and there are fewer construction trade apprentices in training with a 26 per cent drop in new starts.”
“I rise to speak on this motion as it is critical that the skills shortage is not only understood but addressed. The Flynn electorate is full of qualified trade professionals, including electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters, automotive service technicians and mechanics, painters, nurses, dental hygienists, chefs, bakers, hairdressers, bus drivers and child educators, just to name a few. According to the 2021 census, over 30 per cent of people over 15 in the Flynn electorate have a certificate III, certificate IV, an advanced diploma or a diploma in technical and trade skills. The Flynn electorate's top response for occupation is also technicians and trade workers. Before entering politics, I was a boilermaker—a high-pressure pipe welder working on the gas pipelines to Curtis Island, near Gladstone.”
“He will also deliver $32.5 million in security funding packages requested by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry without any strings attached, including funding armed guards at schools and synagogues. Unlike the Albanese government, which has restricted funding to armed guards only, Mr Dutton would commit $8.5 million to see a centre of Jewish life and tolerance become a reality and provide $7.5 million over three years in additional funding to Crime Stoppers to enable this. This is what leadership looks like. Peter Dutton and the coalition are committed to stamping out antisemitism, and that's what we intend to do should we become the government at the next federal election.”
“He wants to issue a new ministerial direction to the AFP to direct them to prioritise and address antisemitism, including any unsolved crimes against the Jewish community such as doxxing, public display of terrorist symbols, incitement, harassment and other offences. He would direct the antisemitism taskforce to refer any visa holders involved in acts of antisemitism for immediate cancellation and deportation. If necessary, he would amend section 501's character provisions of the Migration Act to ensure this antisemitic conduct is captured by the law and applies retrospectively for all acts of hatred towards the Jewish community since 7 October 2023 and the terrorist acts against Israel.”
“He want to amend draft laws currently before the parliament to make it a hate crime to urge or threaten violence towards a place of worship, punishable by imprisonment for five to seven years, in the case of an aggravated offence. He would introduce mandatory minimum sentences of 12 months imprisonment for the display of prohibited antisemitic terrorist organisation symbols and related behaviour in public and increase the maximum penalty to five years in prison. He'd create a new dedicated antisemitic taskforce led by the Australian Federal Police and incorporating the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analyst Centre, the Australian Border Force and the state police.”
“Through his actions he sent a very clear message that despite what he might say, there would be no real consequences for those who target and attack Jewish Australians. This was the second green light for antisemites. Let's now look at the leader of the coalition, Peter Dutton, and how he has made announcements to combat antisemitism. The list includes taking a national leadership role expected of the Commonwealth government, including convening a national cabinet to combat antisemitism and extremism. He will strengthen the sentencing regime for terrorism by legislating for a mandatory minimum term of six years imprisonment for all acts of terrorism under Commonwealth law.”