Tania Lawrence
Hasluck · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“There are no wild brumbies in Hasluck. We do, however, have a really fine equestrian community, including being home to the State Equestrian Centre, Yarrada Farm Riding School and Magic Millions. I grew up in York surrounded by animals, including horses, which I deeply love.”
“These programs use a vaccine known as PZP that is delivered to the mares, often by remote darting, and works by preventing fertilisation without affecting the animal's natural hormones or behaviour. It doesn't remove the horses from the landscape, and it doesn't break up the herds.”
“Every person in Hasluck who's ever been to one of our three fabulous urgent care clinics, in Morley, Ellenbrook and Midland, knows they have already demonstrated their value and worth—and just to give you a sense of the numbers, 38,000 have already visited the clinic in Morley, 32,000 in Midland, and just over 6,000 our recently opened cl…”
“Alpine peatlands, waterways and native species habitats are being degraded. These are places that simply cannot withstand that level of pressure. So, yes, action is required. Doing nothing is not an option, but how we act matters just as much as whether we act at all.”
“West of here is Hasluck, and what matters to my community in Hasluck is making sure that we deliver. I'm absolutely proud, under the Albanese Labor government, to be their representative and to deliver on what they need.”
“There are also ground based culling approaches that, where necessary, can be conducted under stricter welfare conditions and oversight, significantly reducing the distress associated with aerial methods. This is a complex challenge. It does require coordination.”
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“The legislation has civil and criminal penalties for breaches, with oversight by ASIC. Laws must evolve alongside our knowledge. Genetic science has advanced rapidly. Our understanding of prevention and personalised medicine has grown. It is our responsibility to ensure Australians can benefit from those advances without unintended harm. I spoke about the changes being based squarely on the evidence of harm created by the current laws. This legislation also reflects something fundamental about fairness. Fairness is at the heart of Labor policy. Australians believe in a fair go. They believe that people should not be penalised for taking responsible steps to protect their health. I agree, and I commend the bill to the House.”
“But, under the previous framework, the same information could affect access to life insurance, so people hesitated. They questioned whether it was safe or not to know. As Dr Tiller's research has demonstrated, even the perception of disadvantage can be enough to deter people from acting. By removing this barrier, we will enable Australians to make decisions based solely on their health, not fear of material disadvantage. It will be good for individuals but will also support greater participation in research and strengthen the foundations of a more preventive healthcare system. When more Australians engage with genetic testing, we improve our understanding of disease, we enhance our ability to develop targeted treatments and we build a stronger and more resilient health system.”
“It provides certainty that Australians can engage with their health care without fear of financial penalty. It is also important to be clear about what this reform does not do. It does not prevent insurers from assessing risk altogether. They will continue to rely on clinical diagnosis, symptoms and family history. The fundamentals of underwriting remain intact. This bill removes a specific and harmful practice: the use of predictive genetic information in a way that discourages people from protecting their health—not overreach, just targeted and proportionate reform. In my earlier contribution in this place, I spoke about families who have benefited from genetic screening and were able to take preventive action because they had access to critical information. This is what this technology enables.”
“Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is the biggest genetic killer of boys. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a world of difference to a child's life, as treatment can slow down deterioration. We need to have a legislative framework that supports those families. I acknowledge my colleague the member for Macnamara, who brought a motion to the parliament then to help raise this awareness. The current legal framework has been holding Australia back. This bill responds directly to that reality. It introduces a clear and enforceable ban on the use of adverse genetic test results in life insurance underwriting. It amends the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 and aligns with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 so that our legal protections reflect modern science and community expectations.”
“It is simply the case that, when people choose not to know out of fear, we have a failure of the system to support healthy decisions. The Australian Medical Association has publicly supported reform, stating that no-one should avoid a potentially life-saving test because they fear it could be used against them. That position has been widely reported, including in coverage by the Guardian , which highlighted the medical community's concern that insurance settings were undermining preventive health care. Similarly, reporting in the Sydney Morning Herald drew attention to the experiences of Australians who declined or delayed testing because of uncertainty about how results might be used by insurers. Back in August 2023, Duchenne Australia held an event here in the parliament.”
“One respondent said: … at the moment it is better to be in the dark … Another admitted: It has caused family members to hold off on very important gene testing … A third stated: … if I'm aware of my genetic condition and keep up with my screening, I don't think I should be discriminated against. I should be rewarded for being proactive … This really is the nub. We all know that, in relation to any disease, early diagnosis is crucial. Dr Tiller and her group underline their work by reference to 'Shona', whose screening betrays a predisposition to breast cancer. With screening and treatment, her prospects are good. Without it, they are much worse and, at the same time, much more likely to occasion high costs to an insurer.”
“Doctor Tiller's work, particularly through the Australian Genetics and Life Insurance Moratorium: Monitoring the Effectiveness and Response, A-GLIMMER, report has shown that genetic discrimination is not hypothetical. It is occurring, and it is influencing behaviour. Dr Tiller found that Australians were very variously declining or delaying clinical genetic testing due to fears about potential insurance discrimination. She also found that there was a general lack of knowledge in the community around whether life insurance companies were legally allowed to use genetic test results in underwriting, and that there was strong support for the proposal that government should introduce legislation to protect genetic test results and almost no opposition to that proposal. Some of the comments recorded in the studies are revealing.”
“For example, coverage of Monash University's DNA screening program highlighted that a significant proportion of participants withdrew or hesitated because of fears about insurance consequences. As reported by ABC News, concerns about life insurance were a key reason some Australians chose not to proceed with potentially life-saving testing. That is squarely our business because, when people avoid testing, they miss the chance for early intervention, scientific progress is slowed, and health outcomes are worse. I have met with Dr Jane Tiller a number of times over the past three years to discuss the real-world impact of genetic discrimination and the urgent need for reform. Those meetings are the sort of meetings I like to have—ones that are grounded in evidence and experience.”
“I'm glad to say that this is what this bill, Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025, fixes. In this place in 2024, I reflected on how genetic screening being so new can feel confronting, even unsettling, but also how it represents a profound opportunity for prevention and care when handled responsibly. This legislation supports people in their use of this technology because the evidence is clear. Treasury analysis shows Australians are delaying or avoiding genetic testing due to concerns about life insurance. Participation in research has also been affected. The departmental advice is backed by public reporting and independent research.”
“Sometimes the law has to play catch-up with developments in science. Way back in the 1950s, science fiction writers like Alfred Bester in his novel The Demolished Man grappled with the idea that human potential might one day be biologically measured and then used to restrict people's lives. Science fiction is full of warnings about how knowledge and power can be misused. Genetic testing, once the stuff of science fiction, is no longer theoretical. It is a part of modern healthcare, helping Australians understand their risks, take preventive action and, in many cases, save their lives or the lives of their children. But the rules governing how that information can be used have to keep up, and, because of that, Australians have been forced into an unacceptable position, weighing their health against their financial security.”
“Governments can and should act, but government alone cannot solve this problem. Support must also come from inside the home, and I implore everybody to take a role and to work hard to combat the rise in misogyny.”
“One school teacher described her experience of working with children who had fallen into this trap, saying, 'I had a year 9 boy complete a creative writing exercise that basically described an act of gang rape towards me.' These attitudes are not harmless online bravado. They have real-world consequences. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in four women has experienced violence from an intimate partner. When young men are taught to see women as objects, or enemies or less than human, those statistics become more likely not less. The Labor government is working to protect our children from this radicalisation. We have introduced new online safety codes, on the back of the under-16s social media ban, to limit children's access to the R-rated material that is often used as a hook by these groups.”
“They misrepresent men as victims of the current social and political climate. They describe the hard-fought equality that women have achieved over many years as 'things having gone too far', as if you can have too much equality. Some of these misogynists use terms like 'female humanoid organism', an insult meant to suggest women are not only less than men but less than human. There are also self-proclaimed pick-up artists, who teach members how to coerce and manipulate women into sex and who openly mock the idea of sexual consent. Research and reporting from Australia's eSafety Commissioner has warned about the way social media algorithms can funnel young users towards increasingly extreme misogynistic content. What can begin as curiosity can quickly become radicalisation. This content infects our children. They are exposed to it online.”
“It is proof that representation matters and I'm proud to be part of Australia's first woman-majority government party room, and across the country women are increasingly present in leadership roles in business, education and public life. But make no mistake, this progress has been achieved by having women at the table, by women being directly involved in the decisions that shape their futures. Australia needs to have a serious conversation with itself. There is an online undercurrent that is sweeping some young men away. The 'manosphere' is a loose network of largely predominantly online groups that, sadly, in many cases, are promoting misogyny and in some cases are radicalising men towards violence against women. These groups are united in their opposition to feminism and in their holding of very traditional views of gender roles.”
“These restrictions are not ancient history. They exist within living memory for millions of Australian women. But now, in 2026, we are at the precipice of real change. The median gender pay gap sits at just 16.4 per cent, the lowest it has ever been. Women are now being paid superannuation on their Paid Parental Leave, further closing the retirement savings gap that has historically left women with significantly less financial security in later life. Women will not pay more than $25 for birth control or menopause support on PBS prescriptions. These changes matter because the cost of health care should never be a barrier to women's wellbeing. Australia is now ranked 13th globally for gender equality by the World Economic Forum, our highest ranking ever. Just a few years ago, in 2022, we sat at 43rd.”
“As you well know, at Federation, women did not have the right to vote. Once granted the right to vote, it took until 1943 to see the first female representatives in this parliament. Even then, the legal and economic barriers facing women were profound and long-lasting. We couldn't open a bank account until 1971 without a male guarantor—may well you laugh. For decades, women in the Commonwealth Public Service were subject to so-called 'marriage bar', which required them to resign from their jobs when they married. We couldn't even get a loan or a mortgage until 1984. It was only with legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act in 1984 that discrimination on the basis of sex became unlawful in workplaces and public life. In 2023, Australia fully decriminalised abortion across every state and territory. That was only three years ago.”
“Just a day before that event I was at an opening of the Intensive English Centre at Ellenbrook Primary School, where children from all over the globe were singing in harmony. Before that, I was at the Chinese New Year ball celebrating the energy and passion for the Year of the Horse. Our lives are truly enriched by the communities that have made Australia their home. As leaders, let us ensure that our communities feel encouraged to keep sharing those gifts, reinforcing that they belong.”
“In an increasingly uncertain world, one where there are all too many conflicts, it is useful to remind ourselves that as local leaders we must encourage peace and harmony in our own communities. As Minister Aly said, harmony is something we have to build, something we have to strengthen and something we have to defend. Many recent arrivals and citizens in Western Australia have made their home in Hasluck. Our communities welcome me to their celebrations every week. In fact, I'm still finding colours in my hair from the Kingz Multicultural Club Holi festival I attended in Beechboro. I thank the Tamil Association of WA for bringing the Pongal Harvest Festival to Midland and the Cook Island community for bringing Pacifika. I thank Aliaa from the Alnoor Community Language School for hosting a fantastic iftar and dance in Ellenbrook.”
“They modernise our defence capability. They safeguard our security while reinforcing social cohesion. They act to address the housing needs of communities like mine in Hasluck. Importantly, they are extensions. They are backed by four years of demonstrated delivery. In Hasluck and across Western Australia, people are not interested in political theatre. They want to see government that identifies challenges, invests responsibly and then follows through. That is what these appropriations do; they invest in households, in health, in security and in the future resilience of our nation. For these reasons, I commend the bill to the House.”
“Already in Hasluck funds have been committed through the first rounds of the construction of 537 social and affordable homes in Ellenbrook, Bassendean, Woodbridge and Midland. All of them are adjacent to the railway line, which is now completed, from stations through to the extension of the rail line out to Ellenbrook. That will soon mean 537 families in Hasluck will have access to housing that they are currently finding difficult to obtain. More than 2,260 people in my electorate have been able to access the five per cent deposit under the Home Guarantee Scheme. A home means security, and we all need a place to call our home. These appropriations are further evidence of the commitment of this government to govern for all Australians. They support climate action that lowers bills. They strengthen Medicare and protect the NDIS.”
“But they are not just add-ons or luxuries; they are, taken together, the very foundations of our society and of social stability. They are something that we are deeply proud of within my community—to be able to celebrate culture, language, dance, music, and traditions respecting those who have come from different parts of the world with different perspectives, and to have an open mind and a willingness to learn and build bridges where there are differences. Having that ultimate that respect for each other is what I'm proud that the appropriation for this area will go towards strengthening. The Housing Australia Future Fund is a Labor legacy program that I am proud to have supported in this place.”
“Maintaining Australia's cohesive multicultural society requires investment in community engagement, settlement services and initiatives that build understanding across communities. In Hasluck, I see benefits of these investments in local multicultural associations, youth programs and community events that bring people together. Just by way of example, we have the Ellenbrook Multicultural Festival, the Cook Islands community Pasifika festival and the Kings multicultural—I recently attended their Holi event and still have the colours all across the skin on my back, but one day they will come off. I have celebrated the Iftar dinner with the Alnoor community language school and the Pongal harvest festival with the Tamil Association of Western Australia. These are all extraordinary, fantastic events and I'm honoured to attend them.”
“The events surrounding the antisemitic attack in Bondi and then the further failed attack in Forrest Place on Australia Day, as well as the security and police actions that have nipped plans in the bud, are all a stark reminder that hatred and extremism have no place in our society. The government's response has been firm and principled: protecting community safety, supporting affected communities and reinforcing our zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and all forms of hate. Funding through Home Affairs strengthens intelligence, counter-extremism and community safety measures, but it also supports cohesion because security is not only about enforcement; it is about inclusion.”
“The Department of Home Affairs will receive $881 million to implement programs that safeguard Australia's domestic interests, respond to crises and threats, support the government's response to the antisemitic terrorist attack and maintain our cohesive multicultural society. Australia's strength has always been its diversity, underpinned by our shared democratic values and mutual respect. Western Australia is proudly multicultural. In Hasluck, communities from every continent call our electorate home. Our local schools, small businesses, community groups and places of worship reflect that richness.”
“It means supporting local defence industry businesses that contribute to sustainment, shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing. It means training and employment pathways for young Western Australians looking to build careers in defence and related industries. In Hasluck, many residents work in defence, the defence industry and related supply chains, particularly around sustainment. And very soon, we will be the home of not just army cadets but army reserves as well. Strategic investment supports secure, skilled employment and it reinforces Australia's ability to protect its interests. National security is not a slogan; it is a serious responsibility. These appropriations reflect a government that is meeting that responsibility with clarity and foresight.”
“The Department of Defence will receive over $1 billion, including $985 million brought forward to implement the 2024 National defence strategy and the 2024 Integrated Investment program. Western Australia is central to Australia's defence posture. From HMAS Stirling to the broader defence industry ecosystem in our state, WA plays a critical role in maritime capability and strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific. The updated National defence strategy recognises that we live in a more contested and uncertain strategic environment. Investment must be aligned with that reality. Bringing forward expenditure is about ensuring readiness, modernisation and capability not in some distant future but now. For Western Australia that translates into jobs, industry participation and sovereign capability.”
“These are people like Drew and Pete, who recently wrote to me to bring my attention to concerns they have about some NDIS providers allegedly being in breach of the contractual obligations that they have to the NDIS. That is something we take seriously and are absolutely clamping down on. It reflects this shared commitment that we have for the individuals who are the beneficiaries—from participants to the providers and across all tiers of government——to protect the integrity of this scheme and safeguard participant outcomes. This appropriation ensures continuity of support while reform continues. It is responsible, compassionate and focused on long-term sustainability.”
“The NDIS is one of Australia's most significant social reforms, but it must be sustainable to endure. In Western Australia, thousands of participants rely on the scheme for support that enables independence, employment and social participation. In Hasluck I regularly meet with families who speak of the transformative impact of properly delivered supports, therapies, assistive technologies and community participation. Over the past four years we've undertaken some serious reforms to stabilise growth, reduce fraud and ensure that funding is going where it is genuinely needed. That work has required cooperation across jurisdictions, including with the Western Australian government, and also with community members—people who identify and call out alleged fraud where they see it.”
“Members opposite really do need to get on board with this. Medicare and cheaper medicines are popular because they relieve cost pressures at the very time when people need help the most, when they or their loved ones are unwell. The Australian people voted for this, and I know firsthand that the people in Hasluck voted for this both in the 2020 election and again resoundingly in 2025. It really is on the coalition to create some sort of health policy prior to the next election that takes account of the fact that the community want investments in health care. Then there is the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The further appropriation includes $876 million for the National Disability Insurance Agency to provide that reasonable and necessary support for NDIS participants.”
“Bulk-billing rates were falling, workforce shortages were biting, and patients were paying more for out-of-pocket costs. Through strengthening Medicare reforms, supported here with $101 million, we have reversed that trajectory. Tripling the bulk-billing incentive, expanding urgent care clinics and investing in primary care reform has made a real difference. Western Australia has seen improved bulk-billing rates and in communities across Hasluck, families are feeling that shift. Access to medicines has also improved. By lowering the maximum cost of PBS medicines and enabling 60-day prescriptions for many common medications, we have reduced costs for patients with chronic conditions. For older Australians and families managing long-term health needs, that is not marginal; it is meaningful.”
“Likewise, all across Western Australia, with our unique grid and our strong uptake of distributed energy, this investment strengthens system resilience while empowering households. It reflects a government that understands the realities on the ground and backs communities to be part of the solution. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing will be receiving over $1.5 billion for programs that improve wellbeing and participation, ensuring access to medicines, strengthening Medicare and delivering reasonable and necessary supports for NDIS participants. In Hasluck, these investments are not abstract line items; they are tangible changes in people's lives. We know that Medicare was under sustained pressure when we came to office.”
“The Cheaper Home Batteries Program builds on the work we've already undertaken, from energy bill relief to investments in grid stability and renewable generation, to ensure that climate action and cost-of-living relief go hand in hand. In Hasluck I speak regularly with families who are doing everything they can to manage household budgets. They want practical solutions, not slogans. Supporting home batteries is exactly that: practical, local, immediate relief combined with long-term emissions reductions. At last count, more than 2,100 batteries had been installed in my electorate, and that number is climbing. That's over 2,100 families who are not waiting for the coalition to come onboard with net zero or with renewables. That's 2,100 families voting with the space on their garage walls.”
“The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will receive over $2.9 billion, predominantly to continue support for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. In Western Australia, particularly in my electorate of Hasluck, this really matters. Households across suburbs like Dayton, Noranda and Guildford are already embracing rooftop solar at remarkable rates. We in the west have recently led the nation in household solar uptake, but until now too many families have generated clean power during the day, have seen it flow back into the grid and then have had to buy it back at peak prices in the evening. Home batteries flip the script. They allow families to store their own power, reduce reliance on the grid at peak times and cut their bills. It's a win-win for the environment and the cost of living. Labor is delivering.”
“Appropriation bills are about priorities. They are about what we value as a nation and whether we are prepared to back those values with sustained investment and service delivery. Over the last four years, the Albanese government has demonstrated that we are prepared to do just that: to invest in climate action that lowers bills; to invest in a health system that puts people first and in a National Disability Insurance Scheme that is sustainable and fair; to invest in a Defence Force that is ready for the strategic challenges ahead; and to invest in a multicultural society that remains cohesive, confident and secure. The appropriations in these bills reflect those priorities in practical terms.”
“Thanks to the government grants, we now have now 250,000 installations, and, at last count in WA, Tangney leads the pack, with over 2,300 installations; Bullwinkel is second, with just under 2,300; and Hasluck is not far behind, with 2,100. While people like the member for Canning spend a fair bit of time awkwardly perched on the bonnet of a car and hysterically trying to suggest that net zero is killing industry, the good people of Canning know otherwise and, in fact, have installed over 2,000 batteries under the scheme. Home batteries allows families to store their own power, reduce reliance on the grid at peak times and cut their bills. (Time expired)”
“Households in Hasluck across the suburbs of Midland, Bassendean and Ellenbrook. We're already embracing this with rooftop solar at remarkable rates. Western Australians are, in fact, leading the nation in the rate of household solar uptake. And then we have our Cheaper Home Batteries Program, where the government is investing around $2.3 billion to reduce the upfront costs of household batteries by around 30 per cent, or roughly $4,000 off a purchase price for battery set-up. This combination of solar and then the battery storage can save as much as $2,300 on an electricity bill, and it dramatically reduces reliance on the grid, I'm happy to report, in fact, that our household bill has gone to zero thanks to the installation of the battery system.”
“In the meantime, we've written to the ACCC to ensure that fuel retailers are not using the conflict in the Middle East to price gouge and profiteer, to see this as a commercial opportunity for profit. They're on notice. The government has already increased the penalties available to the ACCC by five times, up to $50 million, and there are on-the-spot fines. What we see now is not just the management of short-term pressures on global energy markets, which is obviously critical; our government is also focused on doing something equally important, which is driving down energy costs permanently for Australian households and businesses. One of the most powerful ways that we can do this is by accessing the technology that's already available on the market. It is for Australians to be generating and storing cheaper power at home.”
“It is, however, outside our control, and while it continues it carries risk both to global inflation and growth. We are not immune to that, but we are well positioned to weather it. We are fuel secure. We are above our minimum petrol stockholding obligations, and fuel does continue to arrive. Now, the price of fuel, of course, is fluctuating. The volatility sees the price of fuel barrels fluctuating on a daily basis anywhere from $80 to $120. So I call on constituents in my electorate of Hasluck to keep an eye on our WA FuelWatch. This helps us identify which fuel stations are offering petrol and diesel at what prices. And in my electorate—in Ellenbrook, Midland and Noranda—there is a 40 cent price difference across the fuel station offerings, so please do check in there.”
“It's all very well for the member for Wannon to want to talk about fuel prices. When this government capped gas prices, the member for Wannon and Senator Canavan voted against it. When this government takes measures to reduce energy bills, to encourage the take up of renewables and EVs, or for tax cuts that help Australian workers with the cost of living, the member for Wannon and Senator Canavan vote against it. Voters deserve a Liberal Party and a National Party that offer real alternatives and not just a policy-free zone, ongoing infighting and heads in the sand. Nevertheless, global events remind us how interconnected the world's energy markets have become. I'm sure all members would wish, as I do, that the conflict in the Middle East might come to an end soon.”
“The uncertainty that faces the world today, particularly with the conflict between the USA, Iran and Israel, inevitably has an effect on us here, back at home. The best way to deal with this is to have a solid, practical government that concerns itself with good evidence based policy: a government that deals with short-term problems and at the same time works towards long-term solutions to the overarching challenges that are confronting us, then works to permanently reduce energy costs. The member for Wannon's party is from time to time in coalition with the National Party—and members of that party have just today elected a climate denier to lead them. Senator Canavan is, of all members of this parliament, one of the least acquainted with evidence based policy.”
“My question is the Minister for Resources. How is the Albanese Labor government working with international partners like Canada to strengthen the global supply chain of critical minerals and create secure jobs here in Australia? Are there any threats to Australia's critical minerals industry?”
“Midland train station is strengthening the area as a hub for workers, services and community life. Good transport, of course, doesn't just move people; it expands opportunity. It means where you live doesn't limit where you can go. The opening day captured exactly that spirit, and the family fun day brought together everyone, from face paintings to formalities emceed by the former WA WBA light-heavyweight champion Danny Green. It really showed how much the community cares and what it serves.”
“Around 1,000 workers contributed to this build—engineers, planners, tradespeople and apprentices. This is what shared investment means. It means jobs. It means skills. It means real training pathways for young people. Through initiatives like our fee-free TAFE and the support for apprenticeships, the Albanese government is making sure that we've got the skilled workers to deliver projects just like this one, not just in Midland but right across the whole country. For families across Hasluck, the benefits are immediate. Better public transport means safer access and stronger connection to their jobs, education and, of course, services. With the state government's $2.80 go-anywhere fare, every tap on and off is real cost-of-living relief. When household budgets are tight, affordable public transport really does matter.”
“And I especially thank the member for Midland, Steve Catania, and the Midland and Districts Historical Society, who championed preserving the old station clock. That clock now stands proudly within the new development, linking Midland's history to its future. This new landmark station sits adjacent to Midland's historic railway workshops, the railway worker cottages and the new Bellevue railway workshops. From my electorate office just literally down the road, I've been able to watch this project take shape week by week—steel, concrete, cranes and now a modern, accessible station that is genuinely one of the most impressive on the network, with local Indigenous artwork fully incorporated into the whole design. Let's be clear. Infrastructure is not just about buildings.”
“Sunday 22 February was one of those days that mattered. Thousands of locals came down to celebrate the opening of the new Midland train station, and I was proud to attend on behalf of the federal minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government, the Hon. Catherine King. This wasn't just a ribbon cutting. It was a community event, a celebration of shared investment, a sign of what is possible when governments work together and deliver. With more than $400 million invested through Commonwealth and state partnerships, this project is a clear example of cooperation creating public good. I want to acknowledge the Premier, Roger Cook, and the Deputy Premier and minister, Rita Saffioti, for their focus and their commitment over many years to bring their vision of METRONET to life.”
“The moment it starts to get a bit cooler, we all get together and celebrate community around the fire pit. I know Dan has rated it as the best burgers in Australia.”
“Under the leadership of President Peter Hodyl and CEO Jarrad Wright, players are encouraged to utilise their support networks regularly, not just when times are tough. I'm very proud to be the co-patron of this club, where both the physical health and the mental health of players is front of mind. When you come to Hasluck, if you hear Lisa calling out 'bacon burgers', 'CRAMS', 'Alfred's special' or 'pea and ham soup', you know exactly where you are: you're at Alfred's Kitchen. Alfred's Kitchen in Guildford is 80 years young and a very well-known landmark. It's run by locals Daniel, Neil and Jenny Lawrence—a namesake but not related—and it absolutely does make the best burgers in Australia. It also provides an organic space of connection.”
“As a proud patron of the mighty Swan Districts Football Club, I did my bit to recruit the member for Hunter to the club, at least as a supporter—although many of the members were asking him to try out in the ruck. We met the coaches, players, executives and staff there on the hallowed grounds at Bassendean, and the dedication and love for the game was really clear. One of the newest recruits was even from the member for Hunter's home town, so I think we almost got him to convert. It was great to hear his pep talk to the team about keeping physical health at an optimum but also about how having a high performing team relies on your mental performance, too—and that also needs a coach.”
“Both Alex and the member for Hunter spoke about asking, 'Are you okay?' and listening to the response—seeing if you can make a difference in someone's life by providing a lifeline and being the first step in your workmate seeking the help that they need. The member for Hunter made the salient point that, in many workplaces, there is still a culture of silence, a stigma around mental health and a fear about sharing concerns. He really encouraged everyone on the workplace floor to look for the unofficial leaders, and then he called on those unofficial leaders to go above and beyond for their workmates by challenging themselves to step up and get training in mental first aid to maximise that help that they're already providing on the workshop floor.”
“Strong leadership in a workplace is critical to creating a supporting environment and ensuring that tradies, particularly on a workshop floor, are working at their absolute best and are focused on the task at hand. AES general manager Alex Cooper spoke to the importance of workers looking out for each other. So often, young men carry the weight of depression without saying a word, and it's colleagues on the workshop floor who are often the first to notice something amiss. He spoke about how you can see it on their face, in the way they look at you, and you don't actually have to even hear it being said.”