Sophie Scamps
Mackellar · Independent · Australia
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Every year, more than 400 Australians die by suicide linked to gambling. That's more than 1,000 lives lost since the Murphy report was handed down.”
“I rise to speak about absolute legend Charlie Verco, the courageous 24-year-old Mackellar local and Newport surf club member who paddled towards the jaws of a shark to save Leah Stewart, who was being attacked at Coogee Beach on 13 June.”
“Charlie's actions reflect the very best of our community and the values that define Australia's surf lifesaving culture. On behalf of the northern beaches community and everyone across Australia, I'd like to thank Charlie for his courage, selflessness and unwavering commitment to serving others.”
“Music, film publishing and broadcasting already operate on licensed use of content at scale. The Copyright Act provides a clear and workable framework. Copyright is not the enemy of innovation; it is what allows creators to earn a living from their talent and their work.”
“This proposal is also reportedly linked to discussions with major AI tech firms about data centre investment in Australia. Investment must never come at the cost of Australian rights. The Albanese government must not sell out Australians to big tech.”
“Right now, we are at a critical crossroad for Australia's creative arts industry, one that may deeply harm this invaluable sector. At the recent AI summit in Sydney, the chair of the Tech Council of Australia, Scott Farquhar, called for copyright reform to encourage AI investment.”
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“The coalition's long-lunch incentives are not serious reform; they are merely a temporary pre-election sugar hit. My team and I have been out doorknocking local small businesses for many, many months, because I know it has been an incredibly hard few years for business. We have many empty shopfronts in our shopping strips. We've dedicated a lot of time to this because, firstly, I wanted to ensure that the businesses were aware of all the supports available to them from all the different levels of government and, secondly, I wanted to hear from them—and I have heard firsthand, over and over, and business owners are telling me it has been tough. I also conducted a local business survey in which an overwhelming 86 per cent of local businesses identified the escalating costs of doing business as their primary concern.”
“Innovative businesses enhance productivity. Thriving businesses grow jobs and our standard of living. COSBOA found that the major barrier to innovation for small business is access to finance. This is the core issue that my small-business company tax cut seeks to address. As I mentioned earlier, my plan revolves around the introduction of a tax-free threshold of $20,000. Below the threshold, no tax is paid. This could equate to a tax saving of up to $5,000 for a small business. And I strongly believe that it is the small-business owners themselves that are best placed to decide how to reinvest the savings into their businesses. Whether it be energy efficiencies, job creation, innovation, renovations or new equipment, they know best. So why develop a tax policy for small business? Firstly, there's a serious policy void in this space.”
“But, last year, 49 per cent of small businesses did not break even. The cost of doing business has hit them hard, with the rise in rents, interest rates, insurance, wages and energy costs. Combine that with the downturn in consumer spending, and many businesses are doing it tough. Sadly, a recent CommBank study reported that 52 per cent of business owners have experienced negative impacts on their mental health due to these economic pressures. COSBOA, the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, has for many years strongly called for the tax burden on small business to be eased. The coalition's recently announced policy which incentivises some bosses to take long lunches is simply not going to cut it. I want to make it easier for small businesses to grow, to innovate, to invest in efficiencies and to thrive.”
“This week I announced my new company tax policy to provide relief for our small business community—a company tax cut for small business in the form of a tax-free threshold of $20,000. Personal income tax reforms were completed last year. I voted to make those cuts fairer so that, in the cost-of-living crisis, all income earners received the much-needed benefit of more dollars in their pocket. This is the next critical step in the tax reform process. On the Northern Beaches of Sydney, as in regions across Australia, small businesses are not only the backbone of the local economy; they are central to our community. Small-business owners are our friends and our neighbours. Sometimes they are the people we see every week or even every day: our tradies, florists, cafe owners, audiologists and butchers.”
“Fewer and fewer physios will be able to continue providing the care our veterans need and deserve. So I urge the government to raise the DVA reimbursement rate to align with NDIS rates so that our veterans can continue to access the important care they need. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide clearly highlighted the serious struggles many veterans face, and we must ensure our veterans have access to the healthcare services they need.”
“Today I raise a serious issue about access to health care for our veterans. I've been contacted by several physiotherapists in my electorate of Mackellar. They are deeply concerned about the veteran community's access to essential physiotherapy services through the Department of Veterans' Affairs funding scheme. Currently DVA reimbursement rates are insufficient to cover the cost of care, including pain management, rehabilitation, fall prevention and musculoskeletal health. These services are essential to veterans' physical and mental wellbeing. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide highlighted the impact of chronic pain on veterans' mental health. I've been told that many physios, out of commitment to their veteran patients, have continued to provide care despite incurring out-of-pocket costs. This is unsustainable.”