Zaneta Mascarenhas
Swan · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The additional thing that I think is useful for us to think about—and I'll put my engineering hat on—is that in the mining industry one of the things that we do intentionally is something called preventive maintenance.”
“For my cousin, who had emergency heart surgery—basically, when they got to the moment of, 'You have a leaky heart valve; we need to perform emergency surgery on you'—the question was: 'How much will this cost? And can you afford it?' So I'm incredibly grateful for the Australian Medicare system.”
“The committee concluded its examination of all legislative instruments within the disallowance timeframe. While the committee observed an improvement of the timeliness of ministerial responses to requests for information, the fast paced parliamentary legislative program prevented the committee from providing timely scrutiny on some occasi…”
“This bill sets out clear guidelines to maintain the quality of these programs, and it makes sure they are run properly, with the same safeguards that protect other dollars spent across Medicare.”
“I remember another one of my friends, who was a lawyer from Melbourne travelling in the US, and he talked about going out hiking. He basically got this massive, deep wound in his leg and he's like, 'I'm not going to see a doctor because it's going to cost me a lot,' so he continued to make sure that he kept it sterile.”
“That looks like more people seeing a doctor instead of putting it off. The lingering cough that you keep meaning to get checked out, the blemish on your arm that doesn't look quite right or the stubbed toe that turns out to be properly broken—that is what these incentive programs are really for.”
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“Peace and stability, technology sharing arrangements—yes, I am indeed talking about AUKUS. I thank the member for Wentworth for raising this matter. Scrutiny of a program that is this significant, a program that represents the single biggest industrial project in Australia's history, is exactly what this parliament is for, so I will be direct about where this project stands and what its delivering. Australia is operating in the most complex and contested geopolitical environment since World War II. We all remember when Russia illegally and immorally invaded Ukraine. Australians felt the impact of that war. Then we saw the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the immense suffering. Every life matters—Palestinians and Israelis—in particular civilians, including women and children.”
“My question is to the Minister for Housing. What is the Albanese Labor government doing through our Homes for Australia plan to tackle the Australian housing crisis? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?”
“I was not anticipating how amazing the new train stations would be and how much more productivity there'd be in our community, but Long Park, which is a six-kilometre park, is outstanding, and I've been to at least three birthday parties at the train station now, which is something that I could not have imagined. We've also seen $5 million to upgrade Maniana Park, which is in Queen's Park, a community that has often been overlooked. And we've seen $5 million to upgrade the Langford netball centre. These are tangible ways that the Albanese government is making a difference in the community of Swan.”
“This will transform Belvidere into an active main street that puts pedestrians and cyclists ahead of cars, with green space for markets and events, and a pocket park, better lighting and support for local businesses. It will be a safer, greener, more vibrant heart for Belmont. The Albanese Labor government has continued to deliver for my community. There is a long pipeline of projects. The Boorloo Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges that we have in Western Australia. It connects Victoria Park to East Perth. It is stunning, it is beautiful, and commuters, walkers, joggers and cyclists have all embraced it. I also have to say that upgrades to Metronet have been outstanding.”
“It will also be safer for kids getting to school, easier for commuters and better for families heading to Cannington Leisureplex. The Albanese Labor government is also providing $840 million in community infrastructure through programs such as Thriving Suburbs, Growing Regions and Stronger Communities. This funds things like libraries, parks, community centres, and sporting and cultural facilities that make our community a much stronger place. In my electorate, the Thriving Suburbs initiative is helping the City of Belmont deliver the Belvidere Streetscape Revitalisation Project with $4.7 million from the Australian government.”
“Closing the loopholes that enable financial abuse requires continued work, and this budget is a much-needed step forward. Finally, the government has continued its commitment to our communities. As someone who loves riding to school with my kids, I was delighted to see that the budget delivered an extra $500 million for the Active Transport Fund, bringing our total investment to $600 million to build new and upgraded walking and cycling paths right across the country. In my community of Swan, the city of Canning received more than $1 million to build and upgrade paths connecting Metronet's railway with the Canning River through the centre of Canning. This rail-to-river pathway is funding that will make a tangible improvement to my local community.”
“Services Australia will also be able to refuse applications that are clearly being used to harass previous partners. There will also be stronger actions against parents who delay their tax returns to distort what they owe. The ATO now has stronger powers. And anyone that has a debt of more than $10,000 and keeps travelling overseas can now face a departure prohibition order. Idiotic parents who refuse to pay their fair share of child support will get stopped on their junket flights to Bali and other destinations. That's because we want to bring fairness to the system, and this is fundamentally about helping children. These reforms are about our government's broader investment to end family and domestic violence—$4.4 billion.”
“When someone—typically a woman—leaves an abusive relationship, the child support system can become another tool for their partner to control that person. It can look like refusing to pay, underreporting of income, or dragging out tax returns for years. It is financial abuse and it keeps the cycle of coercive control going long after the relationship has ended. As of March this year, almost $2 billion in child support debts sat unpaid. That's money that's supposed to be used for children, money that pays for school supplies, uniforms and groceries. This budget delivers more than $182 million to make the child support system safer and to help more children get the support that they are owed. Parents move from private arrangement to agency collect, so the government can do the chasing instead of the survivor.”
“We are also making medicines cheaper through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, listing more treatments so that Australians can get life-changing care without being priced out of it. We are also making new investments in our public hospitals so that the system is there for you when you need it most. In Western Australia this budget delivers $4.3 billion in health and hospital funding next year, rising to $5.1 billion by the end of the decade. This is health care that puts people before profits. This is what strengthening Medicare looks like. I want to spend a moment on something that does not make the front pages but matters enormously to the people that it touches, and that's the child support system.”
“The test is not what the commentary says; the test is whether the system is fairer than it was before. Under this government, it is. This budget is about continuing to strengthen Medicare as well. We are making urgent care clinics a permanent feature of the Australian healthcare system—not a trial, not a pilot but permanent. In Western Australia, 14 of them are now operating. Since the network began, they have delivered more than 300,000 bulk-billed visits. We are making it easier to see a doctor too. Since beginning the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program, there are now 234 fully bulk-billed practices across WA. In Swan we've seen the number of bulk-billing practices double.”
“He said it's because he sees it as, fundamentally, the right thing to do. That is my community, and I'm so proud to represent them. Let's be honest: Australians are not mugs. Australians are struggling to buy a home to live in, not to hold as an asset. They want homes to live in. A house, first and foremost, should be a home. It's a roof, it's security and it is the place where you grow your roots and build a life, and every Australian deserves a fair shot at one. This change balances the scales. The system is tilting back towards first home buyers, back towards young families and back towards the generation that has been locked out. These changes will help 75,000 more Australians realise the dream of homeownership over the next decade. Some will say that these changes go too far. Some will say they don't go far enough.”
“This one per cent have the loudest voices and the deepest pockets. What they do not have is the right to lock a generation out of a home. These are Australians I hear from every day, and of course I hit the streets last week when I was back in the electorate. I spoke to a young man who was grateful for the 20 per cent cut to HECS and recognised that we were trying to make the housing system more affordable for his generation. I also spoke with an older gentleman, Garry, who explained that he loved the changes and wanted them to go further. Labor is, indeed, trying to govern for all. Just yesterday I spoke with Shane North, who called the office to say that he was absolutely behind our changes. He explained that he worked hard and bought his own home and that he wanted this for the next generation—and not because he's a father.”
“Negative gearing for residential property will now be limited to new builds, and the capital gains tax discount will return to the way that it was always meant to work—that is, taxing real gains after inflation with a 30 per cent minimum rate so that everyone pays their fair share of tax. I want to make something very clear. For too long, our capital gains tax settings have distorted the housing market—a market that is now heavily weighted against first home buyers. Eighty-three per cent of the current capital gains concessions go to the top 10 per cent of earners in this country, with over half of that gain going to the top one per cent. In the past week, that top one per cent have tried to drown out the positive generational tax reform—a reform that tips the scales back towards the average Australian.”
“This is the group with the fastest-growing rate of homelessness in our community. What the Housing Australia Future Fund is delivering is real homes for the people who need them most. But we know we need to build more, so in this budget there's an extra $2 billion for enabling infrastructure. That's $2 billion to put in the water, power, sewerage and roads that will unlock up to 65,000 homes across the country. We're also securing social housing for more than 4,000 young people at risk of homelessness, with an additional $59 million for states and territories. All of this takes our Homes for Australia plan to more than $47 billion. This is the biggest commitment to housing this country has seen in a generation. We are changing the way that capital gains tax and negative gearing work because it is the right thing to do.”
“In my electorate alone, we are delivering 524 new social and affordable homes, and 487 of those homes are coming from the Housing Australia Future Fund, a fund that the coalition voted against, a fund they tried to stop. Now, that fund is delivering homes for Australians who need them most despite every effort that those opposite made to try and block it. Last week, in my electorate of Swan, in a suburb called Victoria Park, we did a groundbreaking ceremony for 15 new units with an organisation called Connect Victoria Park. It is an extraordinary social housing organisation, and this is their first project in 37 years. I want to thank the CEO, Luke Garswood, for his amazing work and thank his entire team. Ten of these affordable homes will be built for older women over the age of 60 who are at risk of homelessness.”
“That is a gap that this generation is being asked to close, an ask that has locked too many out of homeownership. Too many young people in the past have not seen a pathway to creating a deposit. Too many families want nothing more than to get a foot in the door of their own home. That's why the Albanese Labor government is coming at the housing challenge from every responsible angle. We are building more homes, we are making rent fairer, we are also backing first home buyers and now we're making the tax system fairer. Let me start with supply because, contrary to what those opposite believe, you can't fix housing without building more of it.”
“This is a government that is not afraid of reform, and this budget proves it. It's interesting, because what I heard from those opposite is that renters don't want to buy their own home. What we're seeing across Australia is the number of renters increasing, particularly the age brackets, because they cannot afford to get into their own home. But the Albanese Labor government is indeed changing the system. At the heart of it, our housing system has been broken. A part of that is because the coalition did not have a housing minister for five of their nine years. For too long, Australians' dream of owning their own home has drifted further out of reach. Young people are paddling furiously and going nowhere. Since 1999, house prices have risen more than 400 per cent. That is greater than twice as fast as incomes.”
“It's interesting, because I'm going to say the opposite—what we see is someone pretending to care about poor people when the truth is that it is the Albanese Labor government that backed minimum wages. The member for New England was a part of a government that deliberately wanted to keep wages low. That was part of their economic architecture. What we're seeing is cosplay, quite frankly, in the parliament of pretending to care about the most vulnerable people in our country—absolutely ridiculous. Do you know what this budget is about? It is a choice. It is a choice about a first home buyer getting into their own home or someone wanting their third investment property. It chooses people who want to live in a home over people who want to profit from homes. That is a choice that this government is proud to make.”
“In my electorate alone, 524 homes will be built through social and affordable housing. How many houses did those opposite build during nine years for the entire nation? They built 373. That is pathetic. We are also fixing the housing tax system. We're doing that because it is right. This is a government that is doing the right thing for the next generation for today and tomorrow.”
“To those opposite: I think sometimes what we need to do in this place is think about people. I remember, in 2022, during the federal election campaign, meeting a woman who was playing a clarinet at the park by the Perth Zoo. She was experiencing homelessness. One of the fastest growing rates of homelessness that we've seen in Australia is for women in their 60s and older. But do you know what? We're not just a government that listens. We are a government that acts. That's why we have committed to 55,000 social and affordable homes. This is not just a number. This is actually happening. In the week of the budget, I got to go to Victoria Park and Clark Court, where 15 homes are being built. Ten of those homes will be for women. Connect Victoria Park is an extraordinary organisation that is doing the work to get the job done.”
“For more than 30 years, he was the President of the South Perth Senior Citizens Centre, and he played a key role in establishing a volunteer meals service that still delivers food to older residents today. Bill Grayden leaves a legacy of outstanding and selfless public service. On behalf of the people of Swan, I would like to express my gratitude. To his children, grandchildren and his great grandchildren: what an incredible man. I offer my sincere condolences. His state funeral will be on 2 June in St George's Cathedral in Perth. We'll be thinking of him from Canberra.”
“Today, I would like to mark the passing of the Hon. Bill Grayden AM, who died on 28 April at the extraordinary age of 105. Bill Grayden held the federal seat of Swan for the Liberal Party from 1949 to 1954. Bill lived a full life of service to his local community, to Western Australia and to the nation. He enlisted as a young man and served through the Second World War in Syria, the Middle East and Papua New Guinea. He went on to a political career spanning both state and federal parliaments from 1946 to 1993. He has the remarkable record of the longest-serving parliamentarian in Western Australia's history. Of course, his service did not end when he left parliament.”
“Before the debate is resumed on this bill, I remind the Federation Chamber that it has been agreed that a general debate be allowed covering the Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Repealing Offences) Bill 2026 and the Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Sunsetting Provision) Bill 2026.”
“Too many young people are working hard and doing everything right, and they still cannot see a path to homeownership. Too many families want nothing more than to get their foot in the door of their own home. Some will say that these changes don't go far enough. Some will say that they will go too far. But the test is not what the commentary says. Rather, it is whether the system was fairer than what it was. And, under this government, it is. More Australians deserve the chance to own their own homes, and this is what this government is determined to deliver. This is what a serious housing plan looks like. This is what intergenerational fairness looks like. This is what a Labor government looks like.”
“This government is making sure that our policy is backed by the funding needed to deliver the homes. Today I've seen news outlets rage over our tax reform changes. Now, let me be clear. We are a government that listens. We're also a government that acts. On the weekend, or maybe two weekends ago, there was a straw poll in my community in one of my local councils in the City of South Perth. They said that housing affordability was the No. 1 issue. This is also one of the most affluent parts of my electorate. They want to make sure that we fix housing for this generation and the next. We are a government that wants to see Australians get into their first home. We're doing this by making the tax system fairer for the next generation of homebuyers. For too long, too many Australians have been locked out of the housing market.”
“On Friday this week, I will get to turn sod on 50 new units in Victoria Park. Ten of those units will be reserved for older women over the age of 60 who are at risk of homelessness, and this is the fastest-growing group of homeless in Australia. This Housing Australia Future Fund is delivering, on the ground in my electorate, real homes for real people who need them most. But we know we need more. That's why the Albanese Labor government is investing $2 billion in a new local infrastructure fund. That's $2 billion to build the water, the power, the sewerage and the roads; that will unlock 65,000 more homes across the country, with $500 million of that reserved for regional Australia, because, let's be honest, you can't build a home without connection to electricity and water.”
“We are coming up with solutions to the housing challenge from every responsible angle. We are building more homes, we are making it better to rent and we are backing first home buyers. And, as announced last night, we are making the system fairer. I'll start with housing supply. In my electorate of Swan alone, we are delivering 524 new social and affordable homes. Let me just put that in context. When the coalition was in government, they built, over their nine years, across the country, 373 homes. Federally, Labor has committed to 55,000 affordable and social homes. Of those that are being built in my electorate, 487 came from the Housing Australia Future Fund—a fund that the coalition voted against. Despite the coalition's best efforts to stop homes being built, this fund is now delivering for so many Australians.”
“My year 6 and year 7 teacher, Mrs Wilson, in Kambalda, taught me the importance of making a positive difference. I recognise that people who run for federal parliament and are elected into this place do that because they believe in a better Australia—and that is exactly what our mighty Treasurer delivered last night, in last night's budget. This is a government that is not afraid of reform. As we saw from the announcements yesterday, we are delivering the biggest commitment to housing this country has seen in a generation. For too long, the Australian dream of owning your own home had moved further out of reach, with global uncertainty, with conflict overseas, and, frankly, with housing tax arrangements to which the Albanese government has shown courage to create change during these uncertain times. Doing nothing was not an option.”
“The committee considers that, while the measure is accompanied by some safeguards, it is not clear that these are adequate. It has therefore been demonstrated that the measures are compatible with the prohibition on removing noncitizens without due process. Further, as the measure will potentially increase the number of extradition requests accepted, the committee's underlying human rights concerns with the extradition process generally are enlivened. The committee has reiterated the previous recommendations to amend the Extradition Act to improve its human rights compatibility. I encourage all members to consider the committee's report closely. With these comments, I commend the committee's scrutiny report No. 5 of 2026 to the House.”
“In this report, the committee has also concluded its consideration of extradition regulations relating to Denmark, Iceland, Japan and the Republic of Fiji. This instrument removes the mandatory grounds for refusal, which automatically prevented Australia from extraditing persons to these countries if the alleged offending was committed wholly or partly in Australia or where the relevant limitation period for the alleged offence has expired in accordance with Australian law. The committee considers that it has not been demonstrated that the measures pursued are legitimate objectives, noting that the measures do not appear to be strictly necessary to prevent a person from evading justice, as the person could be prosecuted in Australia where the relevant offending occurs in Australia.”
“The Combating Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026 would amend the Commonwealth acts to expand telecommunications interception warrants, create a new warrant power for tobacco offences and expand coercive powers in the proceeds of crime regime. These measures engage and limit the right to privacy by expanding powers to covertly intercept private communications and authorising frisk searches and access to personal information and property. The committee has had a longstanding human rights concern with the acts being amended by this bill and has accordingly recommended that the government undertake a foundational review of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 for compatibility with human rights.”
“In particular, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Bill 2026 seeks to enhance the powers of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to obtain, analyse and communicate intelligence information relating to serious and organised crime. The measures in the bill would engage and limit various rights, including children's rights; criminal process rights; and the rights to effective remedy, fair trial, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom of expression, privacy and work. The committee is seeking further information from the minister to assess the compatibility of the measures in the bill with these rights.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human rights scrutiny report: r eport 5 of 2026 . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—I am pleased to present R eport 5 of 2026 of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, which was tabled out of session last week. In this report, the committee considered 27 new bills and 130 legislative instruments. It has commented on four bills and six legislative instruments and concluded its examination of one bill and one legislative instrument. In this report, the committee commented on two criminal justice bills, which would introduce new warrants and expand existing warrant powers in Commonwealth legislation.”
“The Albanese government has provided over $200,000 to strengthen the Perth Zoo's biosecurity measures for numbats, black cockatoos and the critically endangered western ground parrot. When I visited the zoo earlier this year, I saw this funding in action, including in new roofing that prevents wild birds from entering enclosures. I met amazing zookeepers like Sara Amies and Vicki Power. Their expertise is critical to protecting these species. It was fabulous to be hosted by the CEO, David van Ooran, and Kaylee Martin. It's important that we protect these species for future generations.”
“With H5 avian influenza on our doorstep, the Albanese government's $100 million investment in biosecurity preparedness is critical. It's helping organisations like the Perth Zoo, in my electorate of Swan, to protect threatened species in captivity. H5 bird flu is a growing global threat, and Australia is the only continent in the world where it has not been detected. But experts are clear: this will change. Overseas, H5 has devastated wild bird populations and disrupted agricultural industries that communities rely on. H5 does not recognise borders. It does not stop at our coastlines. It spreads quickly and without discrimination. That's why preparedness matters.”
“The committee has therefore recommended that the instruments be amended to assist with proportionality. I encourage all members to consider the committee's report closely. With these comments, I commend the committee's scrutiny report 4 of 2026 to the House.”
“The prescribed bodies include 107 state and territory police forces, federal intelligence agencies, foreign police forces and foreign intelligence agencies. Disclosing identifying information to these prescribed organisations limits the right to privacy and may engage and limit other rights depending on who the information is shared with and for what purpose. While it is important to ensure the integrity of Australia's border and migration system and protect Australia's national security, community safety and social cohesion the committee considers that it remains unclear whether the disclosure of information to all prescribed organisations would be rationally connected to the stated objectives. It is also not clear whether the safeguards are sufficient to ensure the measure is compatible with various human rights in practice.”
“However, considering the broad scope of the determinations, the inadequacy of available safeguards, the lack of review and the availability of fewer rights-restrictive alternatives, the committee considers that it has not been demonstrated that the limitation on these rights is proportionate. The committee has made some recommendations to assist with the proportionality of the measure, including amending the act to prevent possible detentions of persons who are in transit while a determination is made. In this report, the committee has also concluded its assessment of two migration instruments. These instruments prescribe the bodies and international obligations to which officers may disclose identifying information about individuals.”
“Of particular concern in report 4 is the Migration Amendments (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026, which finally passed both houses on 12 March 2026. This act amends the Migration Act 1995 to provide the minister with the power to make an arrival control determination by legislative instrument. The determinations will apply to a class or classes of non-citizens outside Australia to prevent them from entering Australia from a temporary period with some expectations. Providing the minister with the power to issue arrival control determinations engages and limits various human rights, including the right to protection of the family, and may have implications for Australia's non-refoulement obligations. The committee notes the measure is accompanied by some safeguards, such as the permitted travel certificate scheme.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human rights scrutiny report: Report 4 of 2026 . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—I am thrilled that there are so many people in the House right now to hear about this report that I'm tabling, which is report 4 2026 of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. It is wonderful to see how many members are interested in finding out about the human rights that we comply with and how our bills are looked at in relation to this. In this report, the committee has considered six new bills, one restored bill and 139 new legislative instruments. It has commented on two bills and six legislative instruments and concluded its examination of three bills and two legislative instruments.”
“I want to take a moment to talk about how it's being built because it is genuinely awesome. This is a 12-storey development using prefabricated construction technology with structural components manufactured right here in WA but not onsite. They are manufactured offsite. By building those elements offsite and assembling them in Rivervale, the team is able to deliver this with greater speed and consistency. So, what's the result? These homes will be ready around six months sooner than a traditional build would allow. And, as one of the builders put it, every month cut from a construction program is another month sooner that a nurse, a teacher or a family doing it tough has a secure home to come back to—or, the quicker we build it, the quicker a house becomes a home.”
“These are people who served our community, and they deserve to live in the community where they live and work. We would love to call them our neighbours. Thanks to the Albanese government and the Housing Australia Future Fund, this development will deliver homes in well-connected locations, close to public transport such as the Great Eastern Highway and the Graham Farmer Freeway. It's only five kilometres from the CBD and also close to essential services. Let's be honest. All Australians deserve to live in a home. These affordable homes will be prioritised for frontline workers, seniors, veterans, Indigenous Australians and women at risk of homelessness, including those who are leaving domestic violence relationships. This means that the people who hold our community together will not be priced out of it. This is a huge win for Swan.”
“We're not just talking about housing; Labor is building it. I'm thrilled that works have commenced in Swan for 171 new affordable apartments in Rivervale. This isn't just a construction update; this is real, tangible change for people in our community. I want to take a moment to talk about who those people are because behind every one of these 171 homes is a story that deserves to be told. Think about the nurse who finishes a double shift at 2 am and faces a long commute home because she simply cannot afford to live close to the hospital where she works. Think about the veteran who served our country with honour and dedication who now struggles to find a stable and affordable place to call home. These are the people that these homes are for.”
“We basically want to ensure that fuel made in Australia can be sold to local places, but we cast the net wider and we can import more oil from other places.”
“We have looked at boosting the tax office and making sure that the tax avoidance team has the resources to make sure we don't see this happening again. I continue to see the role that oil and gas play in our society. The thing we're seeing across our communities at the moment is what comes out of our ground, but also what comes out of our bowsers. And do you know what? Households have been doing it tough. This is the reason why we introduced the fuel tax offset, which is basically 26c off fuel from April to June. And while we have been doing that, we have also been looking at supply. One of the things we did is change the fuel standard. Rather than it being 10 parts per million of sulphur, we have changed it to 50 parts per million of sulphur.”
“And one of the things we did during our first term was to have a look at the petroleum resource rent tax. Basically, we want to make sure that offshore gas companies pay more tax and they pay more tax sooner. This was a change we made, and it was absolutely the right call. An additional change we also looked at was in relation to big multinational companies. We want to make sure they pay their fair share, and that's something we have worked on. We now have a 15 per cent minimum tax for these companies. We are also making these companies publicly report how much tax they pay. One of the things we saw under the coalition government was basically tax avoidance, where PwC effectively sold tax advice to help companies basically pay less tax. So dodgy!”
“What I'd also say is that with all dance partners, sometimes you might look around for alternatives. One of the meetings I had today was with Graham Arvidson from Australian Vanadium. Australian Vanadium isn't just a mining company. They're an integrated supply chain that's looking at making vanadium flow batteries. These are large batteries that can be scaled up significantly, and it'll be interesting to see its role in the grid in the future. Going back to the social contract, a part of that is also about making sure that taxes are paid. I will point out that the Albanese Labor government's tax policy has not changed, but we are the party where households are getting tax cuts, which we're delivering for every taxpayer this year and next year.”
“There's also an importance for making sure we maintain strong environmental standards. When I was a little girl growing up out at the mines, we actually learnt how to rehabilitate mine sites. Again, a part of that social contract is action on climate change, and one of the things that I think is particularly interesting is that in Western Australia what we've seen over the last 10 years is a continual decarbonisation of our grid. What we've seen is more households integrate more solar onto their rooftops. What we've also seen is that coal-fired power stations are ill-equipped to deal with the modern grid. We've seen an introduction of gas into our system, and we've seen our emissions drop which has been fantastic. Gas has been a good dance partner for solar power.”
“I'll start by doing a little bit of a throwback and recognising that WA kept Australia strong during the pandemic, and when the resource sector is strong, Australia is strong. What we saw during the pandemic was WA's iron ore and LNG exports keeping the nation afloat. What I also recognise is that the resources that we have below the ground are not owned by companies. They are owned by all Australians, and a part of this means that there is a social contract. This social contract includes things like making sure we pay workers fair wages. My dad's a metal worker. He worked at Mt Charlotte out at Kalgoorlie and then out at Kambalda at the nickel mines, and he was a proud member of the AMWU. Another part of the social contract is around keeping workers safe. My dad is from a generation of workers where he has 9½ fingers.”
“My question is to the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. How is the Albanese Labor government creating new jobs and strengthening our economic resilience by growing Australia's critical minerals industry?”