Elizabeth Watson-Brown
Ryan · Australian Greens · Australia
“We terrified the major parties because they knew it was popular and they were going to lose votes if they didn't do something. So they caved. Both Labor and the Liberals committed to 50 cent fares permanently. In 2022, we won bigger taxes on coal corporations in Queensland with the same method. We announced our policy.”
“Labor MPs were sitting around a table with Sportsbet at the Midwinter Ball last night, and this morning they introduced gambling reform designed to appease the gambling lobby. Gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry built off the losses of everyday people. People are losing their livelihoods and their lives over this.”
“This is the motion that Labor just tried to stop me talking about: the need for essential public services to return to public ownership. Instead, Labor replaced it with their own topic. I've never seen this happen before in the entire time I've been here.”
“It's no wonder that they want to stop me talking about it. They don't have the solutions. The real solution is staring us in the face. We have to end 40 years of privatisation and corporate rule. If you're out there in the real world listening to this, I just want to say something.”
“on indulgence I also acknowledge that it's a very good idea that we do have a conversation about this because it's a critical thing. We here on the crossbench are representing our constituents, and we are giving them a voice here in this parliament. Any potential suppression of that is a suppression of the voices of our constituents.”
“That's why I reckon we can win a gas tax, but only if we organise. We know the people in Labor and the major parties are still too close to big corporations to really put everyday people first, so we'll have to replace them. But you know how we replace them? By getting organised.”
The complete record
Every one of 365 lines we hold for Elizabeth Watson-Brown, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 8.
“Let's look at the cost of living. How can we honestly say that Coles and Woolies are putting up their prices because of immigration—or insurance companies or energy corporations? Studies by the OECD and the Australia Institute show that around 50 per cent of inflation in recent years has been caused by corporate price gouging, largely a result of monopolised and unregulated industries. For those worried about the environment, immigration, again, is not the cause of the lack of regulation on wasteful plastic production, the lack of regulation on damaging suburban sprawl, the lack of regulation on native forest logging. It is true that our roads are clogged. Our services are struggling.”
“They say that facts don't persuade anyone these days, but I have a fundamental belief in the intelligence of the Australian people, so I figure I'll give it a shot. The fact of the matter is that immigration is simply not the cause of our current ills. Take housing—if immigration were really causing the housing crisis, how do we explain the fact that house prices shot up astronomically during the COVID period, when we actually had net negative immigration? Over the last 10 years, the population has increased by 16 per cent, and the number of dwellings has increased by 19 per cent. We're building more homes than there is growth in population, yet prices keep rising. The fact that Labor and the Liberals have rigged our housing system in favour of property investors and the banks is the cause of this terrible situation.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate the question of immigration in Australia. People are not wrong to look for someone to blame for the considerable squeeze and stress we've all felt over the last few years. People aren't wrong to want to live in a peaceful and harmonious community, and they want to know why it feels less and less like we live in one. At face value, I can understand why people might look at immigration and assume that's where the problem lies. I disagree, of course, and I'm going to get into why. Before I do, I want to say that I feel like this conversation can get very heated from all sides, and it's not helpful to anyone if you go around calling everyone woke or racist all the time. I want to deal with this in a measured way.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. In response to President Herzog's visit, who was found by a UN commission to have incited genocide, peaceful protesters were last night subjected to horrific brutality by the New South Wales police. Your invitation has—”
“That is what we, in this parliament, as representatives of all Australians, have a serious responsibility to demonstrate and to uphold. I reflect in gratitude on the incredible bravery of Ahmed Al Ahmed, who risked his life to save others. I thank the thousands of Australians who, in the days after the attack, donated much-needed blood. It is these acts of kindness that must define us as a nation.”
“I was unable to speak earlier on the formal Bondi condolence motion brought to this parliament, so I rise today to express my support for that motion. My heart goes out to the victims of the horrific, antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December last year. I, again, extend my condolences to those victims, to their families and to the whole Jewish community. It was an appalling, reprehensible act of terrorism targeting Jewish Australians at what should have been a joyous celebration. Fifteen lives were cut far too short, including 10-year-old Matilda. Her parents chose that name because it's so iconically Australian. We must remember what terrorism is by definition designed to do, and that is to sow hate and division. We must reject that hate and division across the board.”
“My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. CommBank, CSL and Qantas were all privatised by Labor, and now you're set to follow those footsteps and let Airservices Australia sell off billions in firefighting assets, though Airservices will lease these back anyway. Why let Airservices sell out our hardworking aviation firefighters and risk aviation safety with an accounting trick that will cost more in the long term?”
“The Albanese Labor government could repeal the Job-ready Graduates fee hikes and funding cuts today. They could do that today. They could live up to the promise of the universities accord by establishing a truly independent ATEC that is able to fulfil the role of stewarding a struggling but absolutely crucial sector. Given the flaws with this bill and the inexcusable delay to reforming Job-ready Graduates, the Greens will be abstaining in the House, and we'll be reserving our position in the Senate. It is abundantly clear that this bill needs comprehensive amendments to make it fit for purpose.”
“Students, staff and university leadership have been clear that the most urgent issue facing the sector is the failure to reform Job-ready Graduates, a disastrous package that has sent student debt skyrocketing and has hollowed out public funding for universities. Everyone bar the Albanese Labor government has been unanimous in their calls for JRG to be repealed. The government kicked the can down the road for years while we waited for the accord process to conclude, and now they are kicking that can further down that long road. It appears that it will be years before we see the end of $50,000 arts degrees. Indeed, with an ATEC beholden to the minister, we may never see it at all. How does that advantage university students and the whole sector?”
“The model put forward by the government is essentially setting up an extension of the Department of Education without adequate powers to instigate their own research or recommendations or to act independently. The actual sector has been very clear in their criticism of this bill. Universities Australia has said that, as currently drafted, the bill does not deliver on aspirations for an independent body to design and drive the longer term reform that is absolutely, desperately required. Their view, which has been echoed by a number of stakeholders, is that the bill should not be passed in its current form. Amendments are required to ensure that the ATEC is sufficiently independent and sufficiently resourced to deliver the reform that is required.”
“I saw some wonderful, young schoolkids up in the gallery just before. I want them to have the same opportunities that my generation had, and that is clearly not the case at the moment. The cost of degrees is spiralling, and the government has let four years pass with no action at all to repeal the disastrous Job-ready Graduates Package, which Labor's own accord said required 'urgent remediation'. The creation of a truly independent tertiary education commission, a core recommendation of that universities accord, would create the opportunity to reform our higher education sector for the better so that our universities can actually return to their core purpose of high quality, accessible public education and research. The Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025, unfortunately, does not represent that vision.”
“Our higher education sector is in crisis. Corporatisation and a dangerous, generational neoliberal agenda have hollowed out our universities. I say 'generational' as one who, gratefully, started their studies at UQ, the University of Queensland, in my electorate, courtesy of free education in 1974. I still have an association with that university. I'm still an adjunct professor there. I've actually lived this history that we're talking about today. The crisis in tertiary education has sort of tracked that generational time span, and I believe it's clearly for the worse. Casualisation, wage theft and job cuts are absolutely rife in the sector. These are actual truths and are to the clear detriment of the most important people involved in the sector—the teachers, the researchers, the students and, indeed, the future of Australia.”
“That crisis led to the Senate inquiry into bank closures conducted in 2024, which made a number of recommendations, good recommendations, that could likely have prevented this Kenmore branch closure and other branch closures around the country, like looking at a public banking option and a mandatory code of conduct for branch closures. These recommendations, made by a multipartisan committee, were handed down in May 2024. Since then—utter radio silence from the government. They were meant to respond within three months. Instead, their response is almost two years overdue. It's frankly disgraceful, and it's hugely disrespectful to the countless Australians affected by this issue. I have written about this to the minister responsible, the Assistant Treasurer, and I know my constituents in Ryan are expecting a timely response.”
“Instead, they'll just keep reaping profits off mortgage holders and small-business owners, which will increase especially now thanks to yesterday's rate rise announcement. It's not too much to ask that they continue to provide basic, accessible service to the community. The Commonwealth Bank was privatised by the Keating Labor government in the nineties, and the Howard coalition government then finished the job when they were elected in 1996. It was a bipartisan affair. They sold it off without any guarantee of service levels to the public, and now we're in an absolute crisis of bank closures in regional, remote and outer suburban areas.”
“We also need to ensure that these new technologies and services don't displace traditional banking services for those that still use them. We've seen far too many closures of local bank branches in this country, including the impending closure of the local Commonwealth Bank branch in Kenmore in my electorate of Ryan. The closure of the Kenmore branch will have a devastating effect on the community, particularly older and more vulnerable residents who are reliant on in-person banking services. The Commonwealth Bank made a $10 billion profit last year—$10 billion; that's more than the other major banks—and yet they just can't seem to manage to actually service the community. They can't bring themselves to do that.”
“The Greens will be supporting the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 to regulate digital assets under Australia's financial services laws. Under the current laws, there are major gaps in the regulation of these digital assets. We must ensure strong consumer protections and fair regulations that align with other equivalent financial products. It's incredibly important that ASIC has the power to regulate these platforms and that our laws are tailored to actually apply to these new technologies. We need to make sure, though, that people are not left vulnerable to scams and exploitation—something that's happening far too often in this space—while also ensuring an innovative and competitive market.”
“This is the fault of decades of privatisation, deregulation, tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy by both Labor and Liberals. The number of billionaires in Australia doubled over the last decade, and one in three big corporations pays no tax—wealth flowing upwards, out of your pockets. It's time to turn the page on this hopeless politics. We all share more in common with a migrant than we do with a billionaire. We all deserve a decent, comfortable life, and Australia can afford it if we take our wealth back.”
“In 2024, their wealth increased by $3.2 million every single hour. It's time to make them pay their fair share. People aren't stupid. It's a controversial statement sometimes in this parliament, isn't it? But it's true. This Labor government wants to tell you that everything's fine, that all we need is a few tweaks here and there. But if you get to the end of a fortnight and you have far less in your bank account than you used to have, you're not falling for that. If you're shocked by your weekly shopping bill, if you can't buy a house no matter how hard you work, you are not falling for that. People know that things are getting harder and that someone's at fault, but now the entire establishment is trying to shift blame onto migrants. Well, they're wrong.”
“Every time you get price gouged for groceries at Coles and Woolies, that's your wealth being taken out of your hands by ultra-wealthy corporations. When you're in a mountain of debt for your first home and you're paying exorbitant interest to the bank, that's your wealth being siphoned off into record bank profits. When our gas, which we all own, gets ripped out of the ground for free and exported for massive profits, that's our wealth going to ultra-wealthy investors. As wealth accumulates further and further at the top, the big corporations and billionaires naturally consolidate their control over our political and economic system. No wonder it's getting harder and harder to get ahead. One in three big corporations pays no tax. The wealth of Australian billionaires is increasing at a staggering rate.”
“The cost of insurance, mortgage payments and flights are through the roof and are definitely contributing to people's struggles in this cost-of-living crisis. This is why the Greens amendment also calls on Labor to implement an economy wide ban on price gouging. Experts, including the former head of CQC, Professor Allan Fels, have recommended a ban across the economy. No other international jurisdiction, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, have a ban on price gouging that singles out one sector. It's your wealth and they're taking it from you. It's time to take it back. Taxing big corporations, taxing billionaires fairly, is not asking for handouts; it's people asking simply to keep hold of some of their own wealth, some of their own money.”
“The amendment I have moved calls on Labor to support the Greens' push to impose an excessive profits tax on corporations. We took this policy to the election. A 40 per cent tax on the superprofits of Australia's largest companies would ensure that corporations pay their fair share of tax so we can properly fund the services people need, like affordable housing and expanding Medicare to include dental and mental health. During the election campaign, Labor finally got on board with the Greens push to ban price gouging, at least in the supermarket sector. This is a good thing, a great thing, but it needs to apply right across the country and right across the economy. Supermarkets are not the only corporations that are pushing up prices to increase their own profits.”
“The Greens will be supporting the Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) Bill 2025 as it fixes a technical inconsistency to ensure certain fees collected by ASIC are valid. However, it is telling that when Labor mentions the word 'corporations' in a bill, it is to fix a technical error and is not the bold reform this country desperately needs. The most recent ATO tax transparency report found that one in three of Australia's largest corporations, including fossil fuel, gambling and airline corporations, paid zero corporate income tax in the 2023-24 financial year. This means that a single nurse or teacher in my electorate of Ryan paid more income tax than fossil fuel corporation Adani, streaming giant Netflix or the parent company of disgraced telco Optus, which is Singtel.”
“I move the amendment as circulated in my name: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that: (1) one in three of Australia's largest companies paid zero corporate income tax in the 2023-24 financial year; (2) Labor and the Coalition have created a tax system where a single nurse or teacher paid more income tax than fossil fuel corporation Adani, streaming giant Netflix or the parent company of Optus, Singtel; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) introduce an excessive corporate profits tax to make sure big corporations pay their fair share of tax; and (b) extend the ban on supermarket price gouging to corporations across the economy".”
“Amnesty International reasonably asked the federal government to implement the Australian Human Rights Commission's anti-racism framework and expand the royal commission into antisemitism to cover all forms of racism and far-right extremism. This was a targeted act of violence against a First Nations led rally and must be treated as a hate crime. Repeated attempts to frame or downplay the incident as anything less misrepresents its seriousness and risks normalising violence directed at First Nations people. This warrants a clear and united response from this parliament—from us. It's racism, plain and simple. It is hate directed at First Nations peoples in this country, and this hate is rising. We all must stand united against it.”
“The same voices that are ignoring and turning a blind eye to the fundamental historic and ongoing violence committed against the First Nations peoples of this country since colonisation and the embedded institutional racism, the reason we march together on 26 January, are also ignoring this attempted terror attack. Amnesty International Australia, and many other groups and organisations and legal experts, has condemned the attack at the Boorloo Invasion Day rally on 26 January and has called on the WA police and the government to conduct a proper investigation of this as a hate crime, with charges that properly reflect the severity and the intent of the alleged conduct.”
“The significance of this attack on 26 January—on Invasion Day, a day of mourning for First Nations people around the country—cannot be overstated. For decades, First Nations people and allies have marched peacefully on 26 January to mark that day of mourning, and they've been attacked and criticised for it by many politicians and much of the media. This thankfully unsuccessful terrorist attack is a major escalation, and it should be treated as such. The initially muted response from the major party politicians and the media is nothing less than shameful, offensive and irresponsible.”
“I speak in support of the very important motion brought by the member for Curtin to this place—and which was moved by Senator Thorpe in the other place. The failed attack in Boorloo/Perth on an Invasion Day rally was an attempt to kill First Nations people—it was attempted murder; let's not mince words—and it needs to be taken incredibly seriously by authorities, by politicians and by the media. I—and I would assume all of us—am hugely grateful that the device didn't detonate. But the intent was crystal clear: this was an attempted terror attack. The definition of terrorism is a violent attack attempting to sow hate and division. That was clearly what the Boorloo Invasion Day attack was. We must reject that division and come together to take care of each other and show solidarity with our long-suffering First Nations brothers and sisters.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Australia's billionaires increased their wealth by almost $30 million a day in the last year, according to a new Oxfam report. They now hold more wealth than the bottom 40 per cent of the population combined, while everyday Australians struggle to get ahead. Will your government implement a billionaires wealth tax so that all Australians have what they need to live a good life?”
“Science and research may not have the cashed-up lobby groups of these industries, but we desperately need them. Australia's already lagging way behind the rest of the OECD on R&D spending, and we are ranked very low globally for economic complexity. We're heading further and further down the path of a distorted, dependent economy. The Treasurer said productivity would be the focus of this government. Well, the underfunding of the CSIRO gives the lie to that. CSIRO has brought us fast wi-fi, the Hendra vaccine and insect repellent, among many other great things. CSIRO needs investment to deliver the innovation we need for a resilient and prosperous future for Australia.”
“Labor and the coalition, instead of using the wealth generated from our resources to diversify our economy to make Australia more self-reliant and more sovereign, have actually doubled down on our dependence on primary industries, finance and our relationship with the US. As a case in point, Labor has overseen 800 job cuts at the CSIRO in the past 18 months. Now there are another 350 jobs on the chopping block. There are only around 6,000 workers at CSIRO. We are talking nearly one in five jobs lost. These job losses are worse than under the former coalition government. This government claims it can't properly fund the CSIRO, but it can fund $15 billion in fossil fuel subsidies each year. It can fund $375 billion for nuclear submarines that we probably won't even receive. It can fund $15 billion for property investor tax breaks each year.”
“We know from Senate estimates that the minister regularly meets with Qantas, Virgin, the airports and lobby groups but in over three years has not made any time to actually meet with Brisbane residents affected by their operations. So it's no wonder that this response is so profoundly disappointing and, frankly, insulting. But let's not lose heart. I won't stop fighting for real action, and I know Brisbane residents won't either. Here's a general economic rule. If the government doesn't invest in public research for the public good, you get an economy skewed towards the most base, extractive and profit-seeking sectors.”
“But the government won't commit to doing it, referring only to their predictive sequencing trials, which are at high altitude, not at the lower altitudes where noise reduction is most needed. Recommendation 6 would have meant restricting night operations to only aircraft that meet the chapter 14 ICAO standards—so newer aircraft that are actually quieter. This could have presented perhaps the most significant change for Brisbane residents because, according to the final inquiry report, it would mean moving the notoriously loud and disruptive 2 am Emirates flight, operated on the massive A380 aircraft, out of night operations. But, just like with the other recommendations, the government can't bring itself to do anything meaningful that would negatively impact the profits of the aviation industry.”
“Recommendation 4 was to prioritise SODPROPS usage, which is a mode where all flights land and depart over water to minimise noise. The government did actually support this one because, theoretically, they had already implemented it via a 2024 ministerial direction secured thanks to Greens pressure. However, that direction has failed to get even close to meeting the Airservices target of 5.3 per cent. It's barely half that. Recommendation 5 was around continuous-climb-and-descent operations. This means steady climbs and descents without levelling off at a particular altitude which creates more noise. This one really should be a no-brainer. It also saves fuel and, therefore, emissions.”
“It's almost a year that Brisbane residents have had to wait for the government response to the Senate inquiry into flight noise that the Greens secured back in 2024. Almost a year we've waited for the government response, and there's not much to show for it. Only four of 21 recommendations were supported, with no meaningful action for residents actually affected by flight noise. And, to add insult to injury, the response is dated April 2025, suggesting that it has been sitting on the minister's desk for six months. It's incredibly disrespectful to a community that was holding out hope for actual change from these recommendations. The recommendations most directly affecting Brisbane residents were 4, 5 and 6, so I want to break down what those would have meant for noise reduction.”
“Good things are possible. We can have housing that's affordable, more quality time to spend with our kids and grandkids, and beautiful nature that's preserved for future generations, but that's only possible if we have a government that actually stands up for everyday Australians instead of big corporations and its billionaire mates.”
“My New Year's resolutions for 2026 are to get outside and do more Mount Coot-tha bushwalks; fight to make big corporations and billionaires actually pay real tax; eat more of those delicious danishes from Riser bakery, in Toowong; do everything I can to make housing affordable by scrapping tax breaks for property investors and building housing people can actually afford; swim in Enoggera Reservoir at least once a month; hold Labor and the Liberal-National coalition to account for scapegoating migrants for the cost-of-living crisis instead of focusing on the billionaires and the big corporations that are actually responsible; spend more time with my grandkids at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, in Fig Tree Pocket; say no to new coal and gas developments that will devastate our planet, serving coal and gas corporations with massive profits while they pay next to no tax; catch more movies at independent theatres like Eldorado in Indooroopilly; and call out Labor and the Liberal-National coalition for serving big corporate interests over those of everyday Australians.”
“The legacy of Expo 88 is one of the most iconic locations in Brisbane. What will our legacy for the Olympic Games be? Join me on 28 February, and let's build that vision together.”
“That's what it's going to take: the community coming together to push back against the wholesale handover of public assets and opportunities to private capital—against the venality of the property industry. We already have a lasting example of what an historic, community campaign can win for Brisbane: South Bank. One of the ongoing legacies of Expo 88 is the beloved South Bank precinct. The original plan was to sell that entire site to developers for wall-to-wall high-rise development, instead of creating public parkland. The only reason South Bank exists as it does today—a remarkable, free, accessible public parkland and recreation area right in the centre of the city—is that the community came together to fight back against private development. The community has done it once and we can do it again.”
“The Paris Olympics delivered 50 kilometres of new bike paths linking different parts of the city. The Montreal Olympics delivered 20 kilometres of new metro lines, growing the city's public transport system. The Barcelona Olympics delivered a significant rehabilitation of industrial areas and created beaches, leisure areas and a marina for the people. There's no reason why Brisbane couldn't aim even higher. That's why I'm co-hosting the Olympics for the People Summit on 28 February 2026. This summit is our opportunity to come together and work out what locals, not the property industry, want the Brisbane Olympics to be. They need it to be a legacy. We need to work out and discuss how we fight for that, to build a shared vision for Brisbane.”
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our city—a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a world-class public-transport system, to build public and affordable housing for our growing city and to provide more public parkland and better sporting facilities to shape the next generation of Olympians. Locals should be able to afford to attend these games, and locals should be the ones to enjoy the investment and the legacy that an Olympics can bring. That's the kind of vision the Olympics should provide for our city. That is not happening. Right now locals are an afterthought. Wealthy property investors are already using the Olympics as an excuse to drive up house prices. Large parts of the city are being privatised, and events will be way too expensive for many families. Profits are being put before people.”
“The Queensland government has already sold off huge chunks of prime inner-city land, abolished social-housing requirements and reduced our public parkland. Every second property investor mag is talking about how the Olympics will drive up house prices. What I'm calling for is an Olympics for the people—a games that you can afford, that Brisbane can afford—not a bonanza for the megawealthy. Brisbane, we deserve an opportunity to dream big. The Brisbane Olympic Games should be our opportunity to imagine a better city for all of us.”
“Incredible pole vaulting—that's what the Olympics should be about, not skyrocketing rents. Having a few drinks with mates and watching the gold-medal soccer match is what the Olympics should be about, not pushing house prices up even further and shutting more people out of the housing market. Taking your whole family to see Australia win gold in the Olympic swimming and it not breaking the bank is what the games should be about, not privatising huge chunks of inner-city land for developer profits. The Olympics should be about the people of Brisbane. They should be about us not about money or profits. But right now Labor and the Liberals are doing just that—delivering an Olympics that'll make enormous profits for developers and wealthy property investors at the expense of the rest of us.”
“I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) the Queensland State Government has not meaningfully engaged with the people of Brisbane, or with urban planning and architecture experts, on its plans for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games; (b) urban planning and architecture experts are calling for an independent oversight committee and panel of architects and planners to help set a cohesive and coordinated framework and list of goals, as well as the establishment of a master plan; and (c) the Brisbane 2032 Olympics Games are an opportunity to leave a lasting and positive impact for the regular people of Brisbane, not just deliver profits for property developers; and (2) calls on the Commonwealth Government to work with the Queensland State Government and Brisbane City Council to: (a) ensure genuinely affordable and public housing is delivered as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics legacy; (b) undertake a review of the entire Brisbane public transport network; and (c) meaningfully engage with the people of Brisbane and with urban planning and architecture experts for the construction of a master plan for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.”
“Everyone should be able to live the Heeler family dream and own a beautiful home, have secure jobs and a heap of time for the kids—whether that is playing keepy-uppy, octopus or zoo—access to beautiful natural spaces and natural surrounds. Everyone should be able to walk up to the lookout at Mt Coot-tha, play a game of cricket in Wittonga Park in The Gap, or head to the city for a day at South Bank. Sure, the parents are tired—being a parent is tiring—but they've got what they need to live a good life. They could use more public transport, to be honest. Here is the thing though: the Heeler family wouldn't be able to afford their place if they were buying now. More and more people are further and further away from this Bluey dream. In a wealthy country like Australia, that's just not right.”
“The Greens will support this bill in the House, and reserve our position in the Senate. I want to speak a bit more about the importance of our local screen industry and perhaps one of Brisbane's greatest home-grown success stories. I am very proud to say that Bluey and the Heeler family live in my electorate of Ryan. That's disputed by some. There are people out there who claim that Bluey lives in Red Hill. But I know they live in The Gap or maybe Bardon, or the western part of Ashgrove or Auchenflower or Toowong or indeed Paddington. In any case, I'm proud of what Bluey represents—that is, Brisbane at its best.”
“The Greens have long campaigned for local content quotas on streaming platforms. Big tech companies, like Netflix and Amazon, who make massive profits from Australians, should be required to have Australian content that gives back to the Australian economy and contributes to a stable, thriving local screen industry. Australians deserve to have ourselves, our community and our stories reflected on our screens. It helps us make sense of who we are. It's even more important that these stories are told in our kids' content. Generations have grown up on shows like Play School , Round the Twist , which was a favourite for my kids—was that really last century?—and Bluey . Our kids deserve better than a diet of generic American cartoons. They need to hear stories told about our community, too.”
“My question is to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, the member for Boothby. The 2023 Murphy report of the social policy and legal affairs committee recommended implementing a comprehensive ban on all forms of gambling advertising. Can you confirm for the House that this was the recommendation of the committee and that the government has not responded to the report and inform the House of any procedural steps taken by the committee to secure a response to the report from the government?”
“Raising the next generation of people to become wonderful, flourishing individuals and community members takes actually investing in what matters: better conditions and pay for teachers, including reducing after-hours work to a minimum; smaller class sizes—Finland has an average class size of 19 while our teachers struggle trying to educate 30 kids at a time; free breakfast-and-lunch programs at all schools, so no kid tries to learn on an empty stomach; and dignified, readily available public housing for everyone who needs it, so every kid has a secure place to call home. The only reason Labor and the Liberals don't do this is that they think multinational gas corporations are more important than our teachers and more important than our kids.”
“There's no standardised testing system that will deliver better results. There's no little rule change to fix behavioural issues. There's no shortcut. But that's exactly what the major parties always look for, because they don't want to tax huge corporations like the gas multinationals.”
“Class sizes are way too big, too many schools are overcrowded and teachers are having to use their own money to pay for basics like stationery. There's next to no support for classes with kids with behavioural issues or for teachers experiencing workplace violence. On top of all this, teachers are not being paid enough for the work they do. So no wonder there's a teacher shortage. No wonder there's major teacher burnout—solidarity to the teachers who just aren't settling for substandard deals. Sixty-seven per cent of teachers in the Queensland Teachers' Union just voted no to the state government's recent best and final offer. These teachers want a real pay rise—above inflation—but, more than that, they want real change in their industry. These teachers know that there's no shortcut to educating the next generation. There's no AI bandaid.”