Gordon Reid
Robertson · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I rise to oppose this MPI on so many fronts. I want to call it out for what it is: a shabby, cynical little stunt from a Liberal Party trying to crawl out from under the wreckage that they created. For those opposite to come into this chamber and lecture Labor on older Australians is not just hypocrisy; it is gall on stilts.”
“And now, apparently, after years of neglect, they found a conscience—conveniently located somewhere between a press release and a media opportunity. As a doctor, I know a bad handover when I see it, and I'm seeing one right now. The Liberal Party handed over an aged-care system in distress—understaffed, underpaid, neglected and unstable.”
“We are delivering support at home so older Australians can stay independent, supported and connected in their own homes, and we are backing aged care workers with real wage increases, because you cannot fix aged care while treating the people who provide it like an afterthought.”
“But now, in opposition, this Liberal Party slithers back into this chamber, draped in concern, pretending that they are the champions for older Australians. Please just spare us the performance. This MPI is not about older Australians. It is about the Liberal Party trying to torch the evidence before anyone reads the file.”
“What they don't deserve is to be dragged into what we've all witnessed here today, this grubby, little memory-loss exercise of the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation. This MPI should be rejected for exactly what it is.”
“Sue Lamb has dedicated an extraordinary 38 years to nursing, sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience throughout her career. Her unwavering focus on patient care combined with a strong commitment to supporting and encouraging her team to uphold the highest standards of practice has left a lasting influence on all of those who have w…”
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“Not only are people able to go there and get urgent care for non-life-threatening issues if they are too sick for the GP but not sick enough emergency; people are attending here as a first stop for their medical condition and then ending up being referred to the emergency department because it is potentially a life-threatening issue, but the management of that condition has already started. I'm talking about life-threatening arrhythmias; I'm talking about rapid atrial fibrillation; I'm talking about acute myocardial infarction—a heart attack, a blockage of the artery; I'm talking about severe pneumonia—these types of conditions. I've spoken to the doctors in my urgent care clinic. These conditions are starting to be treated in our urgent care clinics. Then an ambulance is called, and they end up going to emergency.”
“We're talking about the management of ulcers with IV antibiotics; we're talking about mild COPD and asthma exacerbations; we are also talking about the suturing of small lacerations—just to name a few. I know that across the Central Coast Local Health District—which includes Robertson, Dobell and a bit of Shortland—we have now seen a reduction in triage category 4 and category 5 patients because our urgent care centres are working. Thousands of Central Coast residents are now attending our urgent care centres to get the urgent care that they need.”
“The Albanese Labor government is strengthening Medicare through our urgent care network. Can I just say this new model of care in Australia was only possible with the election of the Albanese Labor government in 2022, and it has only been possible to expand that network with our re-election with 94 seats in the 2025 federal election, when people voted overwhelmingly for our health policy. So let's talk urgent care. If you were too sick for the GP but not sick enough for the ED, under the coalition government you did not have a place to go. You either went to your GP and then went on to the ED or spent hours in an emergency department. Well, we now have a solution for this issue, and that solution is urgent care medicine for a few conditions that are emergent or urgent but not life-threatening.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. What contribution has former Australian of the Year Richard Colyer made to cancer research and advocacy, and what steps has the government announced today to build on Professor Scolyer's work?”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How are homes, businesses and community groups embracing the opportunities of clean energy, and what obstacles stand in the way of that clean energy?”
“'The Peninsula Path' has been marvellously put together by local businessowner and passionate local Kate Toon, with design assistance from Sue Waterson. Kate owns and operates the cosy bookshop Umina Beach Book Nook and is so optimistic about our peninsula community. Kate has lived in the area for 16 years and has seen the peninsula transformed from a sleepy seaside community to a thriving destination that's only an hour's drive from Sydney. 'The Peninsula Path' helps tourists discover hidden gems and must-see businesses, including Margarita Daze, Pro Juice, The Box and many others. It's an evolving project, and 'The Peninsula Path' will continue to add local businesses as it develops. Thank you, Kate Toon and all those involved in this magnificent app.”
“As many in this chamber may already know, my electorate of Robertson incorporates the magnificent peninsula on the New South Wales Central Coast. The peninsula is home to the suburbs of Woy Woy, Blackwall, Booker Bay, Ettalong Beach and Umina Beach. The peninsula is where I was raised and where I went to school, and it's home to so many of my happy memories as a child. It is also blessed with natural beauty and is surrounded by the iconic Brisbane Water National Park, as well as sparkling waterways and family-friendly beaches. As a popular visitor destination during the summer months for Sydneysiders and people from all parts of Australia and, indeed, the world, a new tourist guide to explore the peninsula has been created.”
“Both causes are close to their hearts, and it means a lot to the staff of the Black Wolf Collective to offer their community a way of making a real difference. I would like to take this opportunity to formally commend the Black Wolf Collective, owner Alex Molloy and its staff, including Jackson Quinell and Norma-Rose Bell, on their support for these two organisations. Thank you for also creating a positive space in your business to share and speak up. Many thanks go to my good friend the Special Envoy for Men's Health, Daniel Repacholi, for making every effort to visit Robertson and the Central Coast and for supporting businesses that are supporting men's health.”
“The owner of the Black Wolf Collective, Alex Molloy, says that they have seen firsthand how mental health affects people of all ages, including teenagers, and that's why part of their mission is to break the stigma early, starting in high school. Through their space, their podcast and their fundraising for the Black Dog Institute and by starting conversations, the Black Wolf Collective are showing that it's okay to speak up no matter what your age. The Black Wolf Collective wanted to make giving back feel easy and accessible to everyone who walks through the door. Whether it's a dollar or more, every donation counts, and its clients get the choice to support either the Black Dog Institute for mental health or RizeUp to help those affected by domestic violence.”
“The Black Dog Institute believes in creating hope for those experiencing mental illness by improving mental health outcomes for all Australians. RizeUp is a community-driven organisation of passionate men and women dedicated to supporting the many families affected by family and domestic violence. The Black Wolf Collective also helps raise funds for both organisations through its businesses. By having deep and meaningful conversations with its clients, the business promotes a welcoming and safe space. Clients are supported through their visit and provided with the opportunity to donate any sum, great or small, to either organisation. To date the business has raised over $5,000, and it has said it will continue to support both the Black Dog Institute and RizeUp into the future.”
“Recently I had the pleasure of welcoming the new Special Envoy for Men's Health and member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi, to the Central Coast to discuss men's health in the region. Dan and I visited the Black Wolf Collective, an awesome local business offering barber, tattoo, piercing and tattoo removal services in Erina. The Black Wolf Collective has partnered with two amazing organisations, the Black Dog Institute and RizeUp, to help bring awareness to men's health and to support other services. The Black Dog Institute is a proudly independent, not-for-profit, globally renowned mental health research institute connected to the University of New South Wales in Sydney. It is the only medical research institute in Australia that investigates mental health across the lifespan, from childhood through to adulthood.”
“We know from the shenanigans that were undertaken yesterday by the shadow minister that the Liberal Party really don't have any concept of what workers' dignity or effort is. All they do is simply talk; they don't act. That's what the Labor government does here on this side—act in the best interests of working Australians.”
“The safeguards in the enterprise bargaining framework will remain unchanged, and parties would still be able to bargain at the enterprise level to reduce existing penalty rates and overtime rates so long as the commission is satisfied the enterprise agreement meets the better off overall test. Finally, this is a bill that goes to the heart of what Labor values are—and that is ensuring that penalty rates and overtime rates are protected. It is ensuring that we protect the fairness, equality and dignity of all workers right across this country, not just on the New South Wales Central Coast but right across New South Wales and right across Australia. I know that as the federal member for Robertson I will continue to defend that, and I know that everyone on this side of the chamber will continue to defend penalty rates.”
“It will ensure award-reliant workers continue to be fairly compensated for working overtime; unsocial, irregular or unpredictable hours; weekends, public holidays or shifts. The bill preserves the commission's existing powers under section 144 to insert flexibility terms into its awards. That allows employers and employees to enter into individual flexibility arrangements, including to vary penalty and overtime rates, as long as the existing legislated safeguard of ensuring they are better-off compared to the standard terms is met. The bill also preserves the commission's existing powers under section 160 of the act to vary a modern award to remove any ambiguity or uncertainty, or to correct an error.”
“In closing, to outline the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025, it adds a new section to the act, 135A, to establish a clear principle requiring that, when exercising its powers to make, vary or revoke modern awards, the Fair Work Commission must ensure that specified penalty or overtime rates are not reduced, and: … modern awards do not include terms that substitute employees' entitlements to receive penalty rates or overtime rates where those terms would have the effect of reducing the additional remuneration … any employee would otherwise receive. The bill will commence the day after it receives royal assent, reflecting the government's election commitment to move quickly to protect penalty rates and overtime rates for Australia's lowest paid workers.”
“Let us be clear here today: the Australia we should all be fighting for is one where work is valued, effort is rewarded and no-one is left behind simply because they don't work Monday to Friday, nine to five. That is why this government, the Albanese Labor government, will always defend penalty rates, whether it be in this chamber or out in our community. We will always fight to secure and safeguard penalty rates. We will stand with every nurse, every retail assistant and every shiftworker who simply wants to be paid fairly for the time that they sacrifice, because, in the Labor Party, we don't just talk about supporting workers; we act.”
“They deserve pay that reflects not just the hours that they work but the hours that they sacrifice—it's the birthdays, the barbecues and the weekends away. It is the time with their children that they are sacrificing. Penalty rates are about justice. They are about balance. Above all, they are about respect for time and effort and are for the people who carry the weight of this country on their backs every single day, every minute of every hour. To those who seek to abolish them or those that seek to diminish them or those that seek to block penalty rates, like we saw the shadow minister do yesterday, I say this: you aren't pursuing reform; you are pursuing regression. You are not supporting small business; you are punishing workers. You are not modernising this economy; you are eroding its very foundations of fairness and of equality.”
“Let's remember they are overrepresented in sectors like hospitality and retail, which are among some of the lowest paid in our economy. Stripping penalty rates from young workers is more than just unfair; it's short sighted and it is economically reckless. How can they save for a home? How can they plan for a life, when their income is subject to the whims of a workplace deal or a regulatory backflip? We should not be building a future that asks the next generation to accept less—less pay, less stability, less opportunity than the one before them. The Labor Party stands for fairness—we always have. It's in our DNA. We believe that workers should not have to fight for the crumbs at the end of the table. They deserve a seat at that table.”
“Conversely, when wages stagnate and when penalty rates are stripped away from workers, what we see is a hollowing out of demand, an increase in casualisation and a dangerous widening of the inequality gap. Penalty rates also matter for productivity too, a major focus of the Albanese Labor government in this term, because when you pay people fairly they stay in their employment, they show up, they learn and they do more. They become experienced. They become dependable. They become proud of the work that they turn up to do. That's how you build a productive workforce, not by slashing the pay and churning through underpaid staff like they're disposable. Young Australians are particularly vulnerable to these attacks on penalty rates and overtime rates.”
“What happens when you cut penalty rates? It means the working men and women of Australia have less money in their pockets. They spend less at their local cafe. They delay filling that prescription. They cancel a class. They cancel a dental check-up. They cancel a trip to see family. The economy slows, not because of this conjured-up concept that people are lazy but because they're stretched too thin. Wage-led growth is not some abstract economic theory; it's common sense. When working people earn a decent living, they often spend that money in their communities. They stimulate demand. They keep our local businesses afloat, and, yes, they pay tax—supporting the very services that we all rely on: our schools, our hospitals and our transport systems. They buy coffee. They buy burgers and meals at our local restaurants.”
“Yet, time and time again, election after election, debate after debate, we have seen attempts by some to undermine and to cut penalty and overtime rates, and that is a shame. It is often under the disguise of workplace modernisation and workplace flexibility. But let's call this out for what it is. It's the erosion of dignity. It's the calculated effort to weaken the value of the worker, to strip away compensation for unsociable hours and to shift the balance further in favour of profit and further away from people. The economic arguments made by those seeking to cut or to slash penalty rates are flawed at best. They say cutting penalty rates will create more jobs, but we know it doesn't. They say it'll help small business. Well, we know it won't. And they say workers will benefit in the long run. Well, no they won't.”
“They are recognition of the sacrifices made by millions of workers—workers who give up their weekends, who give up their night, who give up their public holidays and who give up their precious time with their families, with their loved ones, in order to keep our great country running. It's the retail worker who opens up the shop on a Sunday, the cafe worker who's serving you your coffee, the nurse working on Christmas and New Year's Day and the aged-care worker who, on Anzac Day, is looking after our most vulnerable. For many, especially our young people, penalty rates can be the difference between scraping by and saving for a better future for themselves and for their family.”
“Today in this chamber it is with great pride that I speak on the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025, a bill that protects the penalty and overtime rates of Australian workers. It is a bill that goes to the very heart of Labor values: the protection and safeguarding of the working men and women of this country. Penalty rates are a critical pillar in Australia's industrial and employment relations framework and one that Labor has always fought for and will continue to fight for now and into the future. Penalty rates are a lifeline for millions of Australians, and they are not a perk; penalty rates are not a privilege.”
“I will continue to support our public hospitals. These are important not just to the Central Coast but to New South Wales and Australia more broadly.”
“Ultimately, that will reduce the disease burden not just on yourself but also on our society more generally. The member for Goldstein comes in here and talks about us underinvesting in Medicare, despite everything that we did in the 47th Parliament and despite everything we are doing now. One of the first pieces of legislation this fortnight was to cut the cost of medicines. As Minister Butler, the Minister for Health and Ageing, continues to say, bulk-billing is the beating heart of Medicare, and Medicare is the beating heart of Australia. It truly is. I know, as the Labor member for Robertson, I will continue to support universal health care. I will continue to support cheaper medicines. I will continue to support the expansion of women's health care and access to health care. I will continue to support our mental health services.”
“I'll make a final point, on what has often been a taboo subject in Australia: mental health. Under this government, in the last parliament and now in this parliament, we are making sure that we are talking about mental health and that we are investing in mental health. That is a really important part of the healthcare journey of a patient. My good friend the assistant minister and member for Dobell, Emma McBride, along with the broader health caucus, and the Prime Minister and every Labor member in the parliament have backed the introduction of the Medicare mental health centres. These will be walk-in clinics where you can access psychologists, where you can access counsellors, where you can talk to people—bulk-billed, importantly—about your mental health issues and either have them addressed onsite or be referred to a specialist pathway.”
“Locally, on the Central Coast, there are those federal policies, but there are also the local policies. We are investing millions of dollars in our maternity services on the Central Coast, making sure that, after the closure of our private hospital, women have a choice about where they can give birth, making sure they don't have to go to Newcastle, making sure they don't have to go to Sydney. They can give birth in our public hospital, Gosford Hospital. We're making sure there is up-to-date, world-class infrastructure in our maternity and birthing units. We're making sure that our gynaecology and our colposcopy clinics are adequately funded and making sure that people have access in our public hospitals to world-class, world-leading obstetrics and gynaecology services.”
“Out-of-control misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of endometriosis impacts lives. It impacts lives and it impacts families, and, quite frankly, the chronic underfunding of women's health care under the previous government was just not good enough. It took our prime minister, our cabinet and our majority-female Labor government to take a stand and to say, 'That's not good enough, and we need to invest in women's health care.' It's the endometriosis clinics. It's the pelvic pain clinics. It's access to contraceptive options. It's making sure that, when women see the GP, they can actually see the GP for a timeframe wherein they can actually address the issues that affect women in their lives and affect women in their healthcare journey. And I believe that is really, really important.”
“I support our GPs on the Central Coast and right across Australia, and I know that the Albanese Labor government supports our general practitioners, through the tripling of that incentive. There is one more thing I want to talk about that I think is important and that has been chronically underfunded for decades, to be frank, by governments of every persuasion, but particularly by the former Liberal-National coalition government. That is investment in women's health care. Investment in women's health care is so important, not just for the fact that women make up half the population of Australia but for the fact that the chronic underfunding of women's health care has meant time off work and significant morbidity and, in some cases, mortality in the female population. That's just not good enough.”
“I know that, following the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive—which is now going to be expanded to every Medicare card holder to make sure that we can improve access to bulk-billing right across this country so that people can access a GP—preventive health care is important. It stops people going to the emergency department in the middle of the night. We treat the hypertension. We treat the hypercholesterolaemia. That stops it from becoming a myocardial infarction. That stops it from becoming a CVA. That stops people from becoming critically unwell and needing those tertiary- or quaternary-level services. That's what general practice and preventive care is all about.”
“The whole package of health care that this Albanese Labor government has brought forward in both the 47th Parliament and now the 48th Parliament is one for the history books. It is fantastic. We are looking at making sure that pathology and imaging services are more widely available for the Australian people. But let's talk about urgent care. If you're too sick for the GP but not sick enough for the ED, now you've finally got somewhere to go, and it's bulk-billed. I can only imagine what those opposite would do if they decided to set up some sort of network like that. You would be paying for it and you would be paying deep into your pockets for a privatised health system, and that is just not good enough. Let's move on from urgent care; let's talk about the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive.”
“People can't get access to the pathology services and imaging services that they need to live long, happy, healthy and productive lives. And that's what made me run for parliament. When we heard the first speeches of some of these amazing Labor members who sit in this chamber here today, they talked about the importance of Medicare, because it is important. It is important. Medicare is important, and bulk-billing is the beating heart of Medicare; it is the beating heart of Australia. It's what allows us to do the things that we want to do and not have to worry that going to the doctor, going to the hospital or having surgery is going to bankrupt us and send us onto the street. That's why Medicare exists. It's not just about Medicare.”
“And I remember the former member for Cook, the then prime minister of Australia, continuing to parrot the lines that the Liberal-National government were continuing to invest in primary health care, in the health care of Australians and in Medicare. I looked around in that waiting room and I looked around at the sick people who couldn't access health care because it had been chronically underfunded, and that was part of a tipping point for me. That was part of a moment that—like the member for Goldstein just said—made me a Labor MP. That made me put up my hand, doorknock tens of thousands of houses, talk to constituents right across my electorate, talk to people in Dobell and in Shortland—the great Central Coast region of New South Wales—and say, 'Hey, this isn't good enough.' People are waiting too long in EDs. People can't see a GP.”
“A lack of courage! What a fascinating statement—a lack of courage. Can I just say that it was the courage of this Albanese Labor government that invested in Medicare after 10 years of Liberal-National neglect. They decimated our universal healthcare system, making it harder and more expensive for people to see a doctor, whether that be to access a GP, pathology, imaging or an emergency department. They chronically underfunded our nation's hospitals through the national health agreement. It was an absolute travesty. I still vividly remember—this is pre COVID—standing in the emergency department, looking out through the window, and there was a TV in the waiting room.”
“My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How are medicines listed on the PBS helping to improve the lives of Australians? Why is the government so determined to make PBS medicines cheaper for Australians, and why is this necessary?”
“At its core, scouting is about developing well-rounded individuals. Through the youth led, adult supported philosophy, young members set their own goals, plan activities and review their progress. Scouts Australia fosters resilience, leadership and confidence in a fun, adventurous and supportive environment. I want to take this opportunity to thank Holly for all of her work at the 1st Avoca Beach Scouts Group and, more broadly, in her role in Scouts Australia. Scouts Australia is a tremendous organisation with so much history supporting communities right across Australia.”
“I rise to recognise Holly Oliver of Avoca Beach for her contributions to the Central Coast community, particularly in supporting young people through her involvement with Scouts NSW and Scouts Australia. Holly is the group leader at the 1st Avoca Beach Scout Group and is also the Regional Commissioner for Scouts Australia. By day, Holly is a regional health, safety and environment manager for a multinational food company. Holly moved to the Central Coast with her family in 2018 and decided to join the local scouts to better integrate and understand her new community, as well as to give back. A scout for 15 years prior, Holly has used her expertise from her day job to assist in her roles with Scouts Australia. Scouts Australia has embraced a diverse, inclusive approach and proudly celebrates 50 years of participation by girls and women.”
“We recall the past not to dwell in conflict but to learn from it, to safeguard democracy, to champion diplomacy and to ensure that never again will we allow tyranny to cast its shadow across our region. On this day, let us recommit to those ideals. Let us honour the fallen, support the living and remain ever vigilant in the defence of peace, the defence of freedom and the defence of justice. Lest we forget.”
“It was underpinned by the courage of the home front—by the factory workers, nurses, farmers and volunteers who sustained our nation in what was indeed a time of crisis and a nation under duress. It was also achieved with the support of our regional neighbours and allies, many of whom suffered enormously under Japanese occupation, especially—and I want to make special mention here—those in Papua New Guinea who fought beside us and often suffered far more than what history has recorded. Let us not forget their struggles and their sacrifices. Their contributions must be honoured, and they must be acknowledged now and into the future. As Australians, we remember victory in the Pacific not to glorify war but to honour peace.”
“Many were sons, daughters, friends and family—ordinary Australians who answered an extraordinary call. It has been one of the greatest honours of my life to care for those in our hospitals who were and are a part of what is the greatest generation. The war came dangerously close to our shores. The bombing of Darwin in 1942 and the midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour reminded every Australian that this was not a distant conflict but one that was ever present. It was a war that redefined our national security. It was a conflict that reshaped our foreign policy, forging a closer alliance with the United States and deepening our own sense of independence and responsibility in the Asia-Pacific region. Victory in the Pacific was not achieved by military force alone.”
“I want to thank the member for Gippsland and shadow minister for veterans affairs for bringing this very important motion forward today to mark Victory in the Pacific Day, a solemn but proud day in Australia's national story. On 15 August 1945, guns fell silent across our vast Pacific, and the war came to an end. It was the conclusion of a brutal chapter, one that profoundly shaped Australia's national identity into the future. For Australia, victory in the Pacific was not merely an end to conflict. It was the culmination of years of hardship, sacrifice and unwavering resolve by the Australian people. Nearly a million Australians served in the Second World War—our Army, our Navy, our Air Force and our merchant navy. Tens of thousands never returned home from the Pacific theatre.”
“We do not politicise intelligence, we do not scapegoat communities and we do not outsource responsibility. Compare that to the coalition. Under their watch, Home Affairs became a bloated, politicised and reactive department, security agencies were thrown into turf wars, cybersecurity preparedness slipped and immigration processing descended into dysfunction. Time and time again, they treated security like a political football—chasing headlines rather than solutions. The coalition talks tough; Labor acts smart. We believe that security is not built on slogans but on strategy, not with fear but with facts, and not by division but through unity and competence. I commend the work of the Albanese Labor government on the Home Affairs portfolio and reaffirm that only Labor can be trusted to safeguard our future.”
“After a decade of neglect and after a decade of fragmentation, under the former coalition government, Labor has provided clear leadership, working with industry to lift standards and defend against malicious attacks. We are also acting on the less visible but equally vital front lines of extremism, foreign interference and organised crime. Under the minister's leadership, the Department of Home Affairs has sharpened its focus on domestic violent extremism and strengthened counter-terrorism coordination while investing in programs to build community cohesion and resilience. But let's not forget national security must be balanced with democratic values, and only Labor strikes that balance, protecting Australians while upholding the freedoms and rights that define our democracy.”
“The Albanese Labor government has strengthened our national security architecture through strategic investment in cybersecurity, in intelligence capability and in border security. Through the Home Affairs portfolio, we have restored integrity and coordination across our key agencies in the intelligence community, the Australian Federal Police and Border Force, ensuring that they are equipped to respond to 21st-century threats. Cybersecurity, in particular, has become the new front line of national defence, and Labor are leading the way with our comprehensive nation-building plan to make Australia a world leader in cyber-resilience.”
“To the member for Canning: enjoy the speeches and enjoy the stunts, but leave the serious security work to those of us on this side of the chamber, who are actually doing the job. In an increasingly complex and volatile world marked by geopolitical instability, evolving cyberthreats and global crime networks, Australians need a government they can trust to protect them, a government that acts with integrity, with foresight and with responsibility. Under Labor, national security is not just a slogan; it is a serious responsibility, and we back that responsibility with real investment, with robust oversight and with an unwavering commitment to keep Australians safe. Let's look at some of the facts.”
“The member for Canning talked about national security and keeping Australians safe, but he failed to mention the decade-long threat posed by his own side's incompetence. We had the chaos of revolving ministers. We had the secrecy of opaque contracts and the brilliance of outsourcing everything but responsibility. Frankly, the member for Canning speaking about national security is like the fox lecturing the hens on henhouse perimeter fencing. It's bold. It's theatrical. But, ultimately, it's not credible. The adults are back in charge now, Member for Canning, and we're not here to play dress up; we're here to govern. Under Labor, the Home Affairs portfolio is no longer a political vanity project. It is a functioning portfolio that protects Australia and plans for the future.”
“Firstly, I thank the member for Canning for bringing on this motion here today. I listened politely and I listened very patiently to the member's contribution—and to that of others—on home affairs and national security. While I appreciate that he was trying to paint himself as the lone sentry at the gates, sounding the alarm while the rest of us are asleep, the problem is that, when the member for Canning was in government, it wasn't just the gates that were left open; it was the entire border of sound governance. Let's not forget here today that this is the same member, part of a coalition government, who sat silent while cybersecurity infrastructure was let to rot, while visa backlogs blew out and while home affairs became less about keeping Australians safe and more about keeping coalition headlines alive.”
“Education is not a cost; it is our most powerful form of deterrence and our greatest source of national strength. A highly educated society is a resilient society, able to adapt to crises, solve complex problems and, more importantly, lead in the region. Let us ensure that the next generation of Australians are equipped with not just the knowledge but also the freedom from crippling debt, in order to use it for the good of this country. This is how we build a stronger, safer and, more importantly, smarter Australia.”
“Graduates often feeling pressure to take higher-paying jobs over meaningful or community focused work—roles that are already understaffed and undervalued. Passion and purpose take a backseat to repayment schedules. Moreover this burden is not shared equally. First Nations students, those from rural and remote communities and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often take on higher debt due to relocation costs, longer study durations or limited access to resources. The system, while marketed as equitable, reproduces existing inequalities. Now, in this 48th parliament, led by an Albanese Labor government, as we promised, we will be cutting student debt by 20 per cent because that is what people voted for. This is not just a question of fairness; it is a matter of foresight.”
“So, when a student from the Central Coast or Western Sydney or even regional Queensland hesitates to enrol in university because of the debt they're going to carry into their 30s and 40s, we are not just denying them opportunity; we are weakening this country. This growing student debt, has become a modern form of economic imprisonment for young people, burdening them before they've even had a chance to build their futures. This growing debt affects their ability to buy a home. Banks consider HECS debts when calculating borrowing capacity, making it harder for young people to get on the property ladder, in particular in places like Melbourne and Sydney, where median house prices are well out of reach. The debt burden also affects career choices.”