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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“I know that in Perth, in my electorate, there was a petrol station selling diesel at $3.97 a litre, but that was an accident. Unfortunately, it was a typo. They meant to enter $2.97, and they will be refunding customers not just a dollar but $1.04. I see this as a timely reminder to all fuel stations. The nation is watching. If you intentionally gouge Australians, you will be found out and the ACCC—you will feel the full force of the law.”
“I know that people have been feeling pain at the fuel pump. That is why the Albanese Labor government has taken 26c off fuel per litre by halving the fuel tax. This is timely and targeted relief. I know that those opposite might like to think that it's all their idea, but I'll let you know that the backbench of the great Labor Party is also very active in making sure that we are prosecuting great ideas to help our constituents. Not only are we helping households; we're also helping truckies. That's because we're cutting the heavy vehicle road user charge. Yes, that's 32c off fuel per litre. We're doing this because we want to keep people moving. We also want to back farmers to keep on producing, and we want to help truckies get the produce to the shops. But this is not the only thing we're doing.”
“Urea is not just a fertiliser for our farmers; it has many uses, including use in modern trucks through the additive AdBlue. Urea is important to the supply chains. It helps modern trucks run and it literally helps food grow. By investing in domestic urea production, we are making sure that the next time the world is hit by a global shock, Australia is not scrambling to secure supply from the other side of the world. That's long-term thinking that our country deserves. That's what responsible government looks like. These fuel and fertiliser actions did not come from nowhere. Over the past four weeks, the government has released 762 million litres from the strategic reserve, changed fuel standards to unlock more supply, doubled penalties for price gouging and secured a supply agreement with Singapore.”
“Then we have level 4, which is about protecting critical services. This is the most serious setting, where fuel is directed to essential users, hospitals, emergency services, utilities and life-supporting infrastructure. The Prime Minister has been clear. We hope that we do not exceed level 2, but having levels 3 and 4 planned means that Australians can have confidence that we have planned for every scenario. While we manage the immediate fuel challenges, we're also building for what comes next. The other thing that we need to make sure that we're aware of is what the fuel crisis means for fertilisers. One of the things that the Albanese government has helped support is a new urea plant in Western Australia. This is a $6 billion facility that's under construction right now.”
“For level 1, which is plan and prepare, the government needs to understand and trace the supply chain. Also, there is updated supply and price reporting. We are now at level 2, which is about keeping Australia moving. At this level, supply is still operating, but there are localised disruptions. The government is taking precautionary steps to shore up supply, releasing reserves, working with international partners and asking Australians to make voluntary choices. Take only what is needed. Use public transport where it is possible. If conditions worsen, then we will go to level 3, which is about taking targeted action. This means that the government will coordinate more actively to ensure that fuel gets to where it is needed most and also give people practical measures to help reduce demand across the entire economy.”
“For freight operators keeping food on the shelves and critical supplies moving, the squeeze is just as real. That's why the heavy vehicle road user charge is also being cut to zero for three months. This is so they can keep on doing work for Australia that Australians depend on. I'm particularly proud to be a part of the Albanese government today—a government that has brought every state and territory leader together around a single, unified National Fuel Security Plan. I want to explain what that plan means for everyday Australians because people deserve to understand it clearly. The plan has four levels. The first is around planning and preparedness, the second is about keeping Australia moving, the third is about taking targeted action and the fourth is around protecting critical services for all Australians.”
“I want to talk about what's been on the minds of many Australians over the past four weeks, and that's the price of fuel at the fuel pump, whether fuel will be there and what it means for the weekly shop, for getting to work, for keeping a small business open or for farmers. These are questions for everyday life, and because of the conflict in the Middle East these questions have become urgent questions. Australians deserve a government that listens and acts, and today the Albanese government delivered. From this Wednesday, 1 April, the fuel excise will be halved. That's 26c off every litre of petrol and diesel. The ACCC will be watching to make sure that these savings reach every single person at the pump, and any retailer who thinks otherwise will need to answer for it. Motorists are not the only ones feeling it.”
“We've amended the fuel standards to get more product into the market. We've also appointed a Fuel Supply Taskforce, and we've empowered the ACCC to protect motorists from unfair price rises. Australians always look out for each other, and right now everyone can do their part too. Only buy what is needed so the benefits can be shared fairly across the country. These are uncertain times, but we are responding the Australian way by looking after each other and looking after each other's backs.”
“We're halving the fuel tax for three months, and that's to save people 26c a litre every time they fill up. Conflict overseas is pushing up prices at home, and we know that Australians have been feeling the pressure. Whether it's getting to work, dropping the kids off at school or running a small business, every trip counts. People have been facing pain at the pump. Every litre counts; every cent counts. That's why the Albanese government is making every litre of petrol and diesel 26c cheaper. That's right. It is the Albanese Labor government that is implementing this. This is policy that will be in place from April to June, and this is real relief for every household at the bowser. We have been doing not just that but also more. We have also boosted fuel supply by releasing reserves.”
“It is why we targeted relief specifically at regional areas, where supply chains are the longest. It's why this government has delivered tax cuts for all 14 million Australian taxpayers, with the average worker to be around $43 a week better off from 1 July. This motion condemns the government for failing to act. The facts say otherwise. We implemented the obligations that they only promised. We kept open refineries that they let close. We store fuel here, not in Texas. But the most important thing that I can say is not about them; it's about the families in our electorates, the farmers in regional WA and the truckies keeping this country moving. Australia needs a government that's focused on them and not on fighting the opposition. That's what we're doing. We're fighting for the good people of Australia.”
“When BP closed the Kwinana refinery, the only refinery in Western Australia, he said: Closure of the refinery will not negatively impact Australia's fuel supplies. When ExxonMobil closed Altona, he said it again. He was wrong. And, rather than build storage here, the coalition spent $100 million storing oil—less than two days of Australia's supply—in Texas, 14,000 km away on an entirely different continent and in a different hemisphere. The people of Australia are not watching this debate to see who scores points. They're watching because they are worried, because they are filling up the tank and watching the number climb, and because fuel prices flow through to groceries, to freight and to everything on the shelf. The pressure is real, and that's why we've empowered the ACCC with strengthened penalties to go after price gouging.”
“We have also convened the National Oil Supplies Emergency Committee six times since 1 March. And this weekend the Prime Minister announced that the government will underwrite additional fuel shipments directly, carrying the financial risk so that suppliers can secure cargoes that otherwise could not be afforded. This is legislation that will be introduced into the House today. Independent energy analysts have called this the right move. We are making changes to protect Australia's security. But those opposite deserve a moment because they brought this motion. Four refineries closed under the coalition. Two of them closed while the current opposition leader was the energy minister.”
“We're doing this because we recognise that farmers, truckies, regional families and those people in cities as well are feeling what is happening at the fuel pumps right now. Interestingly, the motion that is before us calls for actions that we have actually already taking. Minimum stockholding obligations—we've implemented them. The minimum stockholding obligation covers 98 per cent of all diesel and 100 per cent of petrol and jet fuel in Australia, and we strengthened the diesel requirements further in 2024. On the question of transparent reporting, we publish the MSO stock data every Saturday. When the crisis hit, we moved fast. We released 762 million litres from the strategic reserve. We amended the fuel quality standards to unlock a further 100 million litres of fuel supply per month.”
“I recognise that households, businesses and farmers are facing fuel uncertainty right now, and I know that this is something that is having rippling affects across Australia. The thing that I also know is that the people of Australia recognise that it was not the Australian government that organised the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and that it's not because of the Australian government decisions or actions. What we are seeing right now is the largest disruption to global energy supply since the 1970s. This is a crisis that we are currently living through which has been triggered by a war, a war that has blocked the channel through which 20 per cent of the world's oil passes. Australians deserve to know that this government is a government that is listening and acting, and we are continuing to act immediately and decisively.”
“We are the party of lower taxes. We are also the party that wants to see wage earnings increase, whether that's for the minimum wage, aged-care workers or childcare workers. We have people's back pockets, and we have their backs. We will continue to work hard every day to make sure we do that.”
“One year ago, the Liberal Party rejected income tax cuts. Ten months ago, the Australian people elected the biggest Labor majority government ever. Five days ago, South Australians elected another Labor government—four South Australian Liberals were elected to the lower house. If you can't tell, I'm doing the numbers. The final number I'll share is that 14 million Australians now have a tax cut because of the Labor government. This government has been focused on one practical objective: making sure that we are working for Australians to keep more of what they earn. That is exactly what our tax cuts are doing. They are delivering real relief to millions of working Australians, relief that the opposition tried to block. When these tax cuts came before the parliament, there was a clear choice, and Australians knew who stood with them.”
“The committee considers that while this measure pursues the legitimate objective of national security, there is a risk that it may not be proportionate limitation on the right to a fair hearing and it may restrict a person's access to an effective remedy for violations of their rights resulting from compulsory questioning warrants. I encourage all members to consider the committee's report closely. These are important findings that we have provided, and we are ensuring that we are improving the scrutiny of legislation in this place. With these comments, I commend the committee's scrutiny report 3 of 2026 to the House.”
“I also note that this bill passed both houses within seven sitting days of introduction. This expedited process meant that the committee was unable to examine this bill prior to its passage. The committee considers that parliamentarians ought to have the benefit of this committee's human rights advice prior to passing legislation. This is important to ensure that the legislation we pass in this place is more robust and has greater insights from a human rights perspective. In this report, the committee also commended the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 2025. Among other things, the regulations restrict lawyers' access to security information for proceedings relating to a remedy for a compulsory questioning warrant.”
“These measures pursue the important objective of supporting a royal commission to receive information and documents that are relevant to its terms of reference. This is particularly important where a royal commission's terms of reference are aimed at investigating and preventing arbitrary loss of life, as is the case with the antisemitism royal commission. The committee is seeking further information as to whether the limitation on the right to privacy is proportionate, including the effectiveness of safeguards that regulate the sharing of intelligence information. The committee is also concerned that a derivative-use immunity has not been provided in relation to the disclosure of intelligence information, and is seeking further information in relation to this matter.”
“This bill facilitates the provision of intelligence information to a royal commission in circumstances where disclosure of such information would have otherwise been prevented by Commonwealth secrecy provisions. A royal commission can communicate this information to other agencies in certain circumstances. Information given to a royal commission under these measures is not admissible as evidence against the person disclosing it in secrecy proceedings in court. These measures apply specifically to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion but could be expanded to other royal commissions in the future. Because intelligence information is highly likely to contain personal information, these measures engage and limit the right to privacy.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human r ights s crutiny r eport : report 3 of 2026 . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—In this report, the committee considered eight new bills and 195 new legislative instruments, and commented on one bill and six instruments. The committee has sought further information from the Attorney-General in relation to the human rights compatibility of the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026, which finally passed both houses on 12 March 2026.”
“My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government helping more Australians get the skills they want for the jobs we need with fee-free TAFE and apprenticeships? Are there any risks to this program?”
“But we're also ensuring that our businesses have the workers that they need. If people want to study these areas, we want to make sure that we send that signal. These are the ways that the Albanese government is making sure that we not only transform the lives of Australians but our workforce as well.”
“She had been working in kitchens most of her life, but now, with her kids in school, she wanted to get qualifications towards a career that she can do for the next 20 years. This is a really big deal. As Kayla told her kids, 'I'm going to school to get a better job so we can have a better life.' Fee-free TAFE is a reform that only a Labor government is willing to provide to Australians, and it is targeted towards building skills for students and aligned for the WA workforce priorities. The difference between having fee-free TAFE versus a paid TAFE course is the difference between someone deciding they want to study this course or not. We are trying to do two things. One is lower the barriers for students because we want them to have access to education—something that the Albanese Labor government will always invest in.”
“The Prime Minister has twice visited this campus, and this reflects the government's commitment to Swan and to building a skilled workforce for our venues for tourism businesses and hospitality, because we want to keep the doors open and lift the service quality and showcase what Western Australia has to offer. For a school leaver taking their first step, a parent retraining or a mature-age workout that is changing careers, the Bentley Pines restaurant upgrades turn ambition into practical skills that translates to more shifts, more jobs and more income for West Australians. In a previous visit to this campus, I met Kayla, a single mum and one of the thousands of Australians benefiting from fee-free TAFE. For Kayla, not having to find money to cover course fees meant that she finally had the opportunity to improve her skills.”
“In my electorate of Swan, we are proud to have South Metro TAFE's Bentley campus. This is home to the Bentley Pines Training Restaurant. It's a live-training venue where hospitality and cookery students train in the professional kitchen and dining room. This particular restaurant is booked out for months. The Albanese government invested $2 million to upgrade the commercial kitchen at Bentley Pines and the WA government's contribution to further support to these facilities was completed last year. This is a game changer for students. The upgraded facilities deliver modern equipment, a clear line of sight between the kitchen and the dining area, and a facility that mirrors contemporary industry standards.”
“Fee-free TAFE has delivered more than 34,000 course completions in WA, with additional completions to come as many students choose to study part time while balancing work and family responsibilities. Behind these numbers are regular Western Australians taking these real opportunities—people like Natalie, who used fee-free TAFE to complete a Certificate III in Individual Support and moved straight into disability support work in the same year. She explained: Getting my qualifications at South Metro TAFE has helped build my self-worth and I now have a job in disability support that I love. The guidance you get from lecturers is amazing; they are so encouraging, and no question is a silly question. This is an Albanese government policy helping people with the next chapter of their lives.”
“Fee-free TAFE is transforming the lives of Western Australians, and it is changing the nation and the state of WA. We are building skills not just for today but for tomorrow as well. And do you know what? We are seeing employers needing more skilled workers and we are helping solve that problem. We are also doing this in the areas that matter: nursing, construction, aged care and disability care, early childhood education and of course the tech sectors. Fee-free TAFE is smart design. We are opening affordable targeted training in spaces in fields that are state and national priorities. Since the program began, over 100,000 Western Australians have enrolled in fee-free TAFE.”
“Safety starts with us, with the words that we choose and what we refuse to let pass. Talk to any young person. They want to belong; they want to be seen on our screens and in our parliament. And when they see themselves, they see the future. This day begins in grief, but our response must be action. If you hear a slur, don't look away. If you see exclusion, make space. If you hold power, open the doors wider. If you have a platform, lift others. If you're unsure, listen first. Make space in meetings, on panels, at the microphone. If you hold a chair, share the chair. Know the history of where you stand. This is an incredible country. We can continue to eliminate this.”
“The work that we're doing is not just about representation and celebration; it's about delivering policies that actually invest, listen and include. This representation matters. When our decision-making bodies reflect our communities, trust grows and belonging deepens. Policy can do exactly what we want it to do. And government has a role. Community has a role. We're investing in initiatives that build respect, connection and resilience, and we're strengthening the organisations that bring people together. Inclusion is nation-building, and human rights are Australian values. We need to make sure that we continue to invest in them, especially during the tough times. If you talk to any parent, they want their kids to be safe, whether that is safe in their uniform, safe in a headscarf, safe in a yarmulke or safe online.”
“She has spent her life helping communities stand strong against fear, and is backing that work with real structures and real supports, including the new Office for Multicultural Affairs, which is about inclusion, coordinating settlement services, community grants and a lot more. What's pretty extraordinary is that in the 48th Parliament we have a minister for multicultural affairs at the cabinet table. This is an example of structural changes that governments can make to ensure we are thinking of ways that we can be more inclusive. The minister is also incredibly well-qualified, and has done amazing work in deradicalisation. She has shown that people caught up in hate have a pathway to re-orientate themselves. We have the responsibility as a society to help put people on the right track.”
“I welcome the work of the Attorney-General in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, as it recognised that those who teach hate to children harm our society and harm children in their care. Alongside this measure, the government's new laws against hate, extremism and antisemitism creates penalties for hate crime offences, and new frameworks to list organisations as prohibited hate groups as well as prohibiting hate symbols. We have also introduced new visa cancellation powers for people who spread hate or extremism. I also want to highlight our amazing Minister for Multicultural Affairs.”
“The thing that I see in Australia is that we are one of the most egalitarian societies. We actually hate hierarchy and power dissonance; we have this fundamental belief in a fair go for all. So when I say 'all' I mean all. We need to make sure we let people know what these Australian standards are. If racism is ignored, it does not fade. What happens instead is it mutates and escalates. It finds new outlets in online platforms and in bystander silence. Preventing the next generation from learning hate matters even more. Listen to this: children are not born with hate; they learn it. It is our job to interrupt that cycle with clarity, courage and leadership.”
“But this past is still present, and truth-telling shows us that. In fact, the member for Bonner shared an amazing story of Uncle Bob here in this place. What we need to continue to do is face our history because honesty and truth-telling make room for healing and justice, and justice strengthens our social fabric. As one of the elders in my community says, you need to know where you're from to know where you are going. I have seen the power of people being seen and heard. When communities share their experience of racism, when institutions listen with humility, we see that understanding grows, and so does connection and so does cohesion. When harm happens, we need to make sure that we let people know what the standard is. I like to reflect on who we are as Australians.”
“When our decision-making bodies reflect our communities, trust grows and belonging deepens. Policy can then do what it should: include. To any little boy or little girl out there who wants to be a member of parliament or even the Prime Minister when you grow up, know that you belong here. I was the first person of colour to be elected to the seat of Swan, and I will not be the last. Harmony Week starts on Monday 16 March and builds towards the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the 21st. It is a week that asks us to practise respect, to listen and to reflect on our past. Our national story began tens of thousands of years ago with the world's oldest continuous culture, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sixty thousand years is an amazing history. This is our shared inheritance.”
“People came from every corner of Australia and every corner of our globe, and everyone worked together to build a living and raise their children. I had an extraordinary childhood where we looked after each other's backs and I felt like I belonged. In fact, everyone felt like they belonged. This is the Australia that I know. This is multiculturalism in practice. Guess what? The modern Australian Labor Party looks like modern Australia. I'm here with the member for Tangney. I was very proud to be elected with you in 2022. We have been able to achieve some incredible things over the last two elections. It is amazing to be a part of the most diverse government in history. This is a government that is reflective of the cultural and linguistic diversity that has enriched Australia for generations. This representation matters.”
“This was the worst terrorist attack Australia had ever seen, and it was motivated by hatred directed at a community for their beliefs. This is not the Australia I know. Across our country, racism has been rising: antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Asian and anti-Black hatred, hostility towards First Nations people and attacks on migrants. This is leaving communities feeling unsafe and unheard. Our neighbours have been targeted. Our institutions have felt the strain. We cannot accept this as normal. I've said it in this parliament before and I say it again today: modern Australia is a multicultural Australia. This is our strength. In modern Australia, there is no room for racism, whether it be online, on a mine site, in a bar, in an office, in our schools or in Parliament House. I grew up in Kambalda, a nickel mining town in regional WA.”
“On 21 March 1960, black South Africans were gathered at Sharpeville. They came to protest apartheid pass laws, which controlled where black people could live, work and walk. Police opened fire on these innocent people. Sixty-nine people were killed, more than 180 were injured and many were shot as they fled. In response, the United Nations marked 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a reminder of the cost of racist laws and policies, and our duty to oppose them. This day isn't just a date in your calendar. It is a day that calls us to act, to listen and to change. Recently, we have seen the cost of hate in Australia. In Bondi, on 14 December, 15 innocent people were murdered in a targeted antisemitic attack.”
“My question is to the Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Cities. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help vulnerable Australians find secure and stable housing? Is the government aware of any alternative approaches to this crucial work?”
“Just last week, I stood shoulder to shoulder with the Assistant Treasurer, the Minister for Social Services and the Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence. This government has begun public consultation to stop perpetrators profiting from victims' deaths. It is not a coincidence that this is one step closer to justice. We are a government that listens and acts. I encourage community groups, frontline workers and members of the public to make a submission before 15 April. This is one step closer to a safer, more inclusive Australia.”
“Financial abuse is insidious and it is persistent. Often, when a woman leaves a physically violent home, the abuse doesn't stop; financial abuse continues to occur. It has a long tail, and it affects women and children predominantly. What's fascinating is that financial abuse does not stop in death, and so what we've seen happen is that perpetrators have been able to access the superannuation benefits of dead victims. This flaw was exposed in the financial abuse inquiry which I helped instigate and was chaired by the fearless Senator O'Neill. Thanks to Julie Adams for her advocacy and strength in sharing her beautiful daughter Molly Wilkes's story. We are now one step closer to closing that loophole.”
“This is one of the many examples of what the Albanese government is working on, along with work we're doing with the ACCC that the Treasurer has been doing a fantastic job on.”
“By electrifying one of the largest mining fleets in the world, Fortescue is dramatically cutting diesel demand in WA and helping ease the long-term pressure on Australia's fuel suppliers. We're also seeing electrification of transport in my community and projects such as Metronet, which is a great project that the WA government and the federal government have funded. We've seen the rail line raised and we are seeing more people wanting to catch public transport. In fact, you can do that for only $2.80 all across metropolitan Perth. So the thing I'd say is that there is a role for metropolitan centres to be more efficient when they have access to that infrastructure to make sure that the areas that are hard to abate have access to those fuel supplies.”
“The Albanese government has acted and is delivering the standards that experts have been recommending for more than a decade, improving fuel security, cutting emissions and saving families at the pump. But this is also a government that wants to see energy independence and energy security for all. This is one of the reasons we introduced the home battery scheme. In my electorate of Swan, 1,400 cheaper home batteries have been installed, while those opposite were promising nuclear power, which would not arrive for decades. The private sector is not waiting, either. Fortescue is rolling out hundreds of electric haul vehicles and heavy vehicles across Pilbara operations, replacing diesel powered fleets that previously burnt millions of litres of fuel.”
“It's fascinating: Australia has been a dumping ground for inefficient vehicles, because those opposite didn't want to give Australia these opportunities, so they talked down electric vehicles, talked down efficient vehicles. The truth is that people who have those more-efficient vehicles are thinking, 'I'm glad I made that decision.' We have seen from independent research that Australians have paid billions more for fuel because previous coalition governments refused to introduce fuel efficiency standards. A report showed that if the standards had been introduced in 2016 we would have saved almost $6 billion in fuel costs. That's the equivalent of nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide. This inaction, restricting low-emission and electric vehicles, has created a lack of productivity for our transport sector.”
“The thing that's fascinating is that they're lecturing us on a reason to not act on climate change. But if we act on climate change, that means we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which means we become more energy secure. Earlier it was explained to us that we shouldn't have targets. But when we see more fuel-efficient vehicles, when we see electrification, guess what? That actually means we are being more wise with our energy and being more energy secure. What I hear from the other side, and the member for Gellibrand said this earlier, are delusions—absolute delusions. The Albanese government has indeed been working on the way we decarbonise the transport sector.”
“I recognise that it is a challenging time in our world at the moment, and we are feeling some of those impacts here in Australia, whether it be family members affected in the Middle East or, more broadly in the community, fuel pump prices. Wisely, the good people of Australia, at the 2025 election, elected a Labor government, and that is partly because they fundamentally understood that during challenging times we are a government that will have their backs. I am proud to be part of an Albanese Labor government that is strengthening fuel, energy and economic security for the future. A part of that relates to action on climate change. It is fascinating that those opposite are here lecturing us, after a decade of neglect. They had—was it one, two or three energy policies? It was 22 policies.”
“I recognise that there are things we can do in our family household unit, but to achieve the change we need to see I recognise that we need local, state and federal governments and communities working together—to make sure that we stop and end family domestic violence.”
“We acknowledge the progress, but we also acknowledge that it's not enough, and this is why continued reform is important through the second action plan. Victims-survivors' voices are important, and we need to continue to work on evidence based policy. We also need to make sure that we continue to look at things like stopping serial perpetrators, supporting children's recovery and adapting to emerging threats. This report will sharpen our resolve, and the thing that I think is particularly fascinating about this issue is protective behaviours. As a mother that has a son and a daughter, protective behaviours is one of the things that I teach my children. I recognise that one of my children is statistically more likely to be a victim compared to my other child, and that's based on gender.”
“The ABS reports that 16 per cent of women and almost eight per cent of men have experienced partner economic abuse since the age of 15. Victims-survivors and experts have also told us that economic abuse can occur within and through government systems. That is why it's significant that the government commenced consultation on options to combat financial abuse perpetrated through coerced directorships, where perpetrators can use corporate and tax settings to saddle victims-survivors with liabilities. The consultation canvasses options to strengthen consent and removal processes for directors, expand relevant defences, improve responses for director penalty notices and set up safe mechanisms to hold perpetrators to account.”