Andrew Charlton
Parramatta · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I rise today to recognise the seniors of Parramatta and the extraordinary contribution they make to our local community. Our seniors built the Parramatta we know today.”
“It's designed for anyone who'd rather keep information on the kitchen table than have to search for everything online. It's a guide that matters, as the government continues to deliver new measures to address the cost of living for older Australians, including cheaper medicines under the PBS.”
“They are materialising around the world, and almost every country that was slow to address the data centre boom has had problems caused by it. The United States let the market lead and is now improvising after-the-fact fixes amid a huge public backlash.”
“To get those benefits we need to shape and shepherd AI to make sure that it works for Australians and not the other way around. Late last year the government released its National AI Plan.”
“Around the world, data centres are pushing up prices in countries where these centres have not been well managed. In the United States, it's already happening.”
“It's important to note that the AI boom is no small thing. The investment now flowing into data centres is on a scale that is difficult to overstate. Moody's expects global data centre investment to reach $3 trillion in the next five years.”
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“He was a passionate advocate for sustainability, proud of the six-star green rating for the civic hub PHIVE and the carbon-neutral certification of Parramatta Square. With the Parramatta 2050 vision, he laid the foundations for the city's economic transformation. Beyond elected office, Pierre has given more than three decades of service to the labour movement. Chairing the Dundas-Rydalmere branch for over 30 years, his contribution to our party, our city and our people has been immense. Few individuals have shaped the City of Parramatta as profoundly as Pierre Esber. His dedication, vision and unwavering belief in our community have helped build the vibrant and dynamic city we know today. On behalf of this parliament and of a grateful community, I thank him for his service and commend him for his achievements.”
“That achievement capped a quarter of a century of tireless service to his community. Pierre's mantra as lord mayor was 'All roads lead to Parramatta'. He believed profoundly in the potential of our city to be the true heart of Greater Sydney. Under his leadership, Parramatta grew in confidence and in reputation as a place to live, work, raise a family and build a business. He championed diversity, creativity and opportunity, and he never wavered in his commitment to making Parramatta the best place it could be. His background in construction gave him insight into the city's growth. He worked with vision to create a river city that is internationally recognised for resilience, regeneration and recreation.”
“I rise today to pay tribute to Pierre Esber and to place on record this parliament's recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the City of Parramatta. Pierre Esber is in every sense a true son of Parramatta. Born in Parramatta hospital, raised in North Parramatta, educated at Parramatta Marist and raising his own family there, his story is woven into the fabric of our city. With entrepreneurial skill, he built a successful business and created jobs and apprenticeships. He carried that same spirit into public life. Elected to Parramatta City Council in 1999, Pierre went on to serve for 25 years. He was re-elected again and again because of his deep commitment to the people he represented. Along the way, he served as deputy lord mayor and in 2023 he became the lord mayor of Parramatta.”
“The government will not be supporting the referral of this bill to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. As a matter of course, the human rights committee considers all bills that are introduced to parliament as part of its normal scrutiny process. In its scrutiny reports, the committee may make minor comment on legislation, provide its assessment on an advice-only basis or seek a written response from the minister. The government does not support any referral to the committee beyond that.”
“My question is to the Minister for Education. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to build a better and fairer education system? What approaches to education would leave Australian students worse off?”
“Thank you again to everyone who made it such a special occasion. I look forward to celebrating with you all again next year.”
“These values are at the heart of the Tamil community, and they're values that make Australia stronger. As the member of parliament for Parramatta, which is home to the largest Tamil community in the country, I am incredibly proud of the contribution that Tamil Australians make right across the board, whether it's in business, education, health care or the arts. Your impact is profound, and our nation is richer because of it. This month we also celebrate Tamil Heritage Month, an opportunity to reflect on the deep history, resilience and cultural legacy of the Tamil people. It's a heritage that spans thousands of years and it's one that continues to flourish here in Australia. As we reflect on yesterday's celebrations, let's carry forward the joy, the unity and the spirit of Pongal throughout the year ahead.”
“It takes immense dedication to bring an event like this to life, and every year it just keeps getting better. To the talented dancers, musicians and performers: your artistry was breathtaking. Thank you to the Canberra Tamil Association, BollyFit dance studio and Cultural Martial Arts. You brought Tamil culture to life with every step, every note and every beat. The passion and pride of your performances were truly inspiring, and I know everybody in the audience felt the same. Pongal is more than a festival. It's a celebration of gratitude, hard work and togetherness. It reminds us to appreciate the blessings that we have and to honour the contributions of our families and communities. It reminds us to look forward to the future with hope and optimism.”
“Housing is about more than numbers; it's about people. It's about ensuring that every Australian has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home. That's what we're fighting for, and that's what we'll continue to deliver. What a fantastic celebration we had yesterday. Pongal 2025 was bigger, brighter and more joyful than ever, and it was truly an honour to be part of it. The energy, the warmth and the incredible spirit of the Tamil community made it an unforgettable event. Pongal is an ancient festival celebrated in the south of India and Sri Lanka. It's about thanking the sun, Mother Nature and the farm animals for their contribution to a bountiful harvest. I want to take a moment to thank the Tamil Arts and Cultural Association and, of course, Anagan Babu for their tireless efforts in organising such a spectacular gathering.”
“For those aspiring to homeownership, our government is making it easier for first-home buyers through the Home Guarantee Scheme, which is already helping a third of all first-home buyers into the market. We're pushing for the passage of the Help to Buy Scheme, which would help 40,000 Australians including nurses, childcare workers and teachers achieve their dream of owning a home. Building more homes is the long-term solution to this crisis, and that requires all levels of government, industry and the community to work together. We need to train more workers, invest in modern construction techniques and remove unnecessary barriers to development. In Parramatta, we're already leading the way, but we must ensure that our community's voice is heard, that our heritage is protected and that our city remains a great place to live.”
“Our planning system is too slow, limiting the ability to increase housing supply where it's needed most. The Albanese government understands the scale of this crisis and is acting decisively. We've set an ambitious national target to build 1.2 million homes over the next five years. To achieve this, we're working in partnership with the states, industry and local councils to streamline planning approvals, boost construction productivity and increase the skilled workforce. We're also making the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade through the Housing Australia Future Fund. Additionally, we've increased Commonwealth rent assistance, putting an extra $1,000 a year into the pockets of more than a million households, and we've introduced new laws to strengthen renters' rights.”
“Parramatta is doing its fair share, and so it's only fair that Parramatta residents have a meaningful say in how our city evolves. Of course, the housing crisis is not just a Parramatta issue; it's a national challenge that has been brewing for decades. As minister Clare O'Neil has explained, the fundamental problem is that Australia has not built enough homes to meet demand. The data is clear: house prices have far outpaced wages growth; homeownership rates have plummeted, particularly among younger Australians on lower incomes; and rental affordability is at crisis levels. We need to build more homes, more quickly. But right now the construction industry is grappling with significant shortages of labour, skyrocketing material costs and financing challenges that make many developments unviable.”
“Thousands of homes are planned for North Parramatta, Westmead South, Rydalmere and the Parramatta CBD. These numbers reflect the fact that Parramatta is pulling its weight, and then some, to meet the housing demand in our growing city. But with this rapid development comes the responsibility to ensure that growth is balanced and sustainable and that the voices of our residents are heard. Parramatta residents understand the need for new housing and support the growth of our community. We know that, without new homes, affordability will continue to worsen, locking more Australians out of homeownership and driving up rents. But our community also believes that development should be done the right way: preserving green spaces, protecting heritage sites and ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with population growth.”
“Housing is one of the defining challenges of our time. It's not just about bricks and mortar; it's about affordability, stability and opportunity. It determines where we work, live and raise our families. As the member for Parramatta, I'm proud that our community is leading the way in addressing this challenge. The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Parramatta has approved more dwellings than any other local council area in New South Wales: 1,620 so far this financial year. That's more than 10 times the New South Wales council average of 145 new approved dwellings. In fact, Parramatta is No. 1 out of 125 local government areas in New South Wales when it comes to housing approvals. On top of these approvals, we have large new developments in the pipeline.”
“Interest rate cuts are now forecast by every major bank, and in fact have been implemented by the NAB, cutting its fixed-rate mortgages last week. Everybody in Australia is looking forward to the dividend of good economic management—except, it turns out, the Leader of the Opposition, who said today that he wants interest rates to stay higher.”
“Here's a question: does the Leader of the Opposition want interest rates to come down next week when the RBA meets, or does he want them to stay where they are? Well, unfortunately, today we got an answer to that question, friends. Today the Leader of the Opposition admitted that he does not want to see interest rates cut. Here's what he said about the decision next week: 'You don't want to cut rates and then find they've been cut too early and have to increase rates later on.' He went on to say that cutting rates too early would obviously be a real concern to economists and families as well. I don't think he's spoken to too many families. Most families know that, with inflation coming down thanks to the Albanese government, it gives more room for the RBA to deliver welcome interest rate cuts.”
“The truth is, Speaker, that the Liberals always get the big economic calls wrong, while this Albanese Labor government has delivered on lower inflation, strong employment and budget discipline. House adjourned at 20:00”
“As Australians head towards the election and reflect on the choices available to them, they will see that there are no solutions to the challenges they face in their daily lives coming from the opposition. This won't be surprising to Australians, because, over my lifetime, the Liberals have always got the big economic calls wrong. They opposed the floating of the dollar in the eighties. They opposed superannuation in the nineties, they voted against the NBN in the 2000s, they dared the car industry to leave in the 2010s and they opposed the energy transition in the 2020s. That's 40 years of wrong economic calls which have left our nation poorer, nearly half a century of economic errors.”
“This brings us to the choice that Australians will face at the next election. Australians will face a choice between this Albanese government, which has delivered that record, and the opposition, which has been high on criticism but low on real solutions. Australians still face many challenges—housing, cost of living, energy—but Peter Dutton and the Liberals present no solutions to any of these challenges. They have a housing policy that does not build a single home. They have a cost-of-living policy that does not deliver a single dollar of relief to families. They have an energy policy that will not create a megawatt of power in the next 20 years. This is an opposition that is always there to criticise but, when it comes to delivering solutions to the problems that Australians face, has no answers.”
“Australia is one of the few countries in this economic cycle—in fact, in modern economic cycles—that have reduced inflation by so much without falling into recession. It's the soft landing, the challenging Goldilocks outcome, that has caused Australia to reduce inflation while maintaining low unemployment—lower unemployment, indeed, over the term of this government than over the term of any recent government. It would be a remarkable fact in any circumstances but is made more remarkable by the fact that we had to do it at the same time as a steep reduction in inflation. We also delivered two budget surpluses, the first budget surpluses in 15 years. So this is a record of falling inflation, maintaining employment, and fiscal discipline—the hallmarks of good economic management, delivered by the Albanese government.”
“These four factors were the legacy of a Liberal government that pursued economic policies that were wrong for Australia. As the Albanese government came to confront these challenges in 2022, we found that some of them were common around the world. Many nations were dealing with high inflation; many nations were dealing with rising interest rates. As different countries around the world battled to bring that inflation down, Australia's performance stood out. Many countries did get their inflation down over the last 2½ years, but they did so through a recession. Japan had a recession, the United Kingdom had a recession, New Zealand had a recession, Finland had a recession and Germany fell into recession.”
“When Australians put their trust in the Albanese Labor government they backed a vision for a stronger, fairer economy, one that delivers for working people, businesses and communities alike. In challenging global times, we've delivered on our commitment to responsible economic management, ensuring that prosperity is shared while protecting the integrity of our national finances. The Albanese government did not inherit easy economic times. In 2022 this government inherited four big economic challenges. First, we inherited high Liberal inflation, running at more than six per cent. Second, that Liberal inflation led to successive interest rate rises, which continued in the subsequent years. Third, the Liberals left us a trillion dollars worth of national debt. Fourth, they left a period of 10 years with virtually zero real wages growth.”