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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“There have been some reports and studies done in the past, including in WA, and, for every woman that is murdered at the hands of a perpetrator, there are many more that commit suicide because of the emotional and physical abuse that they have experienced. I think that this is a really important area, and I hope that this inquiry sheds some light into this issue. Fundamentally, we need better data, better systems and better prevention, because one death is too many. Financial abuse, as an aspect of this, is something that I have seen and investigated through the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services. Financial abuse is insidious and often hidden and has devastating long-term impacts.”
“Tragically, Molly committed suicide. What is particularly shocking about this form of domestic violence is that even death does not stop perpetrators from continuing to abuse you. The perpetrator was successful in getting Molly's superannuation, which was pretty shocking. That's something that Julie Adams, her mother, fought about, and this is something that this government is continuing to work on. I also welcome the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry into the relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide. Domestic violence related suicide numbers are not understood very well within our communities.”
“The renewed National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence responses will deliver over $700 million in new, matched investment across the Commonwealth, states and territories to support frontline services. This includes specialist services for women and children and men's behaviour change programs. This matters because a plan on paper is not enough if a person can't get timely help when they reach out. Harrowingly, as we explored the role of financial abuse as a form of gender based violence, the link between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide came into view, and we heard devastating stories like Molly Wilkes. Molly experienced severe emotional and sexual abuse. She had tried to leave her perpetrator six times since they married, and the last three times were in the last five months of her life.”
“So this person was going through this traumatic break-up and did not know that this domestic violence leave was available. She made it to the last day of the school term and then had a conversation with her principal before she almost broke down. That was a barrier, and the thing that we have to continue to do as a government is look at the barriers that exist for women to ensure that they can leave relationships. For all the barriers that we lower, we have to continue to do that. The program enables eligible victims-survivors with up to $5,000 in assistance, alongside safety planning and referral pathways. We must back frontline services.”
“We are standing up for vulnerable women, and we will continue to do that because our goal is to end all forms of domestic, family and sexual violence. A significant matter raised in this report is the scale of the challenge and the need for sustained and coordinated action. Since the national plan was launched in 2022, the Australian government has invested over $4 billion in women's safety initiatives. Safety must be practical, not theoretical. I'd also say that financial insecurity is a major barrier to leaving violence, and that is why making the Leaving Violence Program permanent matters. I remember speaking to a woman who was in the process of leaving their partner. As a schoolteacher in some states, if you don't work on the last day of the school term, you don't get paid for your two weeks of school holidays.”
“I rise to make a statement on the significant matters arising from the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's yearly report to the parliament. I want to acknowledge the commissioner and her team for work that is evidence based and grounded in the experience of victims-survivors. I recognise that this is a really challenging topic and that this continues to be a national crisis. The thing that I think is fascinating about this topic is that it is rare to have a conversation with a woman that has not been directly affected or had a close friend or family member that's been affected. This is something that is really grounded in the first experience of many people here. I'm really proud to be a part of a federal government that listens and acts and backs women.”
“What's really interesting about the Belmont Dads Group is that Shaun, who's a local legend, stood back and saw that there was a need for men and dads to come together, to carve time for each other and to spend quality time with their kids. Because of this amazing initiative, Shaun became father of the year in 2024, which was amazing. We've also seen that this has inspired others in the community to say, 'Hey, I want a dads group too.' We see this as an opportunity for spaces for men to form lifelong friendships and also look after themselves. We also had the opportunity to have a look at mental health providers in the electorate, which was very exciting.”
“It was an opportunity to exchange ideas and share stories about real lives and real pressures, and about what helps men show up for their families and their friends. It was fabulous to have the opportunity to showcase some of the amazing social infrastructure that's happening within the heart of Swan. We were joined by Belmont Dads Group and by Dads United for the Children of Kensington, also known as DUCKs. We had local legends Shaun Chandran and Ben Dunlop and the fabulous Conrad Slee. So many dads joined us—Anthony, Jeff, Glen, Lloyd, Rosario, Kasem, Sam, Francis, Simon, Shane, Roger, Anthony and Andrea. We also had the Fathering Project join us—Paul, Wayne and Adrian. It was such a great opportunity to take a step back and think about what's important.”
“Across Australia, statistics tell a confronting story. Three out of every four suicides are men, with around 2½ thousand lives lost every year. Men die five years earlier in cities and, startlingly, 13 years earlier in our regions. Often the majority of these blokes have not seen a GP for more than a year. We also see that the rate of prostate cancer is higher than what it should be because men aren't going to see the GP to get a blood test. This cancer is one of the most preventable cancers for men. These statistics and trends are the reason I held a really fantastic event in Belmont with the member for Hunter, the Special Envoy for Men's Health, and we had an opportunity to sit down with local dads and listen. This wasn't a formal announcement or a policy briefing.”
“The committee has previously raised concerns that such conditions may not be compatible with the right to a fair hearing, the right to liberty and criminal process rights. I encourage all members to consider the committee's report closely. With these comments, I commend the committee's scrutiny report 2 of 2026to the House.”
“In this report, the committee has also commented on legislative instruments that implement or amend legislative frameworks which the committee has repeatedly raised human rights concerns about. For example, measures in the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Regulations 2025 relate to post-sentence orders. The committee has consistently raised human rights concerns about such orders because they are based on an assessment of a person's future risk of engaging in criminal conduct. Separately, measures in the Migration Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2025 relate to the imposition of community safety conditions on certain bridging visas.”
“The committee also notes that several aspects of new hate offences do not appear to adhere to the best practice principles, as outlined by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. However, having regard to the broader context in which the hate offences were introduced, the committee considers that the new offences are justified. I also note that these bills were introduced and passed by both Houses on 20 January 2026. This expedited process meant that the committee was unable to examine these bills prior to their passage. It is the committee's firm view that parliamentarians ought to have the benefit of this committee's advice to be informed of the human rights implications prior to the passage of legislation.”
“The committee notes that these laws were introduced and passed after the massacre at Bondi Beach where 15 people died and many more were injured at a Jewish festival on 14 December 2025. These bills do a number of things, including: These measures could promote several human rights, including the right to life and security of person. However, the measures also engage and limit other human rights, including the rights of freedom of expression and association. The committee considers the measures pursue important objectives, including protecting national security and preventing the commission of terrorist attacks. The committee notes that, while there are some important safeguards accompanying these measures, it is not evident that these safeguards would be sufficient in all circumstances.”
“I am pleased to table Report 2 of 2026 of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). I ask leave of the House to make a short statement. Leave granted. In this report, the committee considers 21 new bills, three deferred bills and 132 new legislative instruments. It has commented on 10 bills and eight legislative instruments and concluded its examination of two bills. The committee has sought further information from the relevant minister in relation to the human rights compatibility of these two bills. In particular, the committee has commented on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026 and the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026.”
“We protect workers' rights—the right to disconnect. We delivered same job, same pay, and we are decreasing the gender pay equity gap. Australians deserve a government that respects and protects their rights, not what is happening with those opposite, and that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is delivering.”
“Those opposite might want to hide their campaign review, but I won't hide the important anniversary that it is today. Exactly one year ago today, the Liberals launched their attack on working from home. People in my community could not believe it. Dutton, Senator Hume and the now Leader of the Opposition attacked it. It was like they had not lived through the pandemic. Australia had modernised. We had modernised the way that we work. They didn't know what families wanted. They didn't know what women wanted. I remember doorknocking in Langford and speaking to a woman with an amazing 15-year career. The way that she felt was that Peter Dutton had reached into her lounge room and told her that she could not be both a professional and a fabulous mother. Absolutely outrageous! Meanwhile, what is it that the Labor Party does?”
“In Swan, approximately 1,400 households are already benefiting. Households want results now, not in the distant future. The Albanese government is delivering. This is in contrast to the coalition's policy, which was offering seven nuclear reactors or, as I like to think, a nuclear fantasy somewhere in the distance in the next few decades. Households want to not just be consumers. They can be generators and maintainers of the grid as well. This is great for Australia.”
“Bill-busting batteries—these have been helping households where it hurts the most, which is the hip pocket. Now, across Australia, we've hit a major milestone. Over a quarter of a million households and small businesses have installed these batteries. In fact, half of them have paired this with new or upgraded solar. This means lower bills and more control, energy that works for households and a step towards energy independence. This doesn't just reduce greenhouse gas emissions; it is fantastic for bills as well. They also cut exposure to peak electricity prices. It strengthens the grid and pushes costs down for everyone. Seventy-seven per cent of this uptake has actually been in outer suburban and rural and regional communities, not the inner-city suburbs. These are the suburbs and regions that are leading the way.”
“This policy targets a rate of return below the five-year government bond rate, so we can take on more risk in hard-to-abate sectors. This fund should be operational by mid-2026. We're also set to run in a global AI race. The National AI Plan sets three goals: capture the opportunity, spread the benefits and keep Australia safe. To underpin safety, we're establishing an AI Safety Institute to monitor, test and share information on emerging AI capabilities. There is so much work to do in the STEM field. It's very exciting.”
“In fact, we had the S tatement on the pathway to diversity in STEM review , which sets out a whole-of-life approach, from early learning to school to VET and universities, to make sure that we think about how we have inclusive workplaces. This will be backed by better data through a STEM equity monitor. Its principle is simple: equity is not optional; it is foundational. At the same time, we're wiring the economy to make STEM careers visible, valuable and more secure. The $5 billion Net Zero Fund is set to be operational in mid-2026. It demonstrates globally competitive finance, delivering confidence to investors, manufacturers, heavy industry, Australian workers and communities. Australia is open for business and committed to capturing opportunities of the global energy transformation.”
“Then, after that, I had the opportunity to work in decarbonisation. I worked for an amazing team, for amazing companies all across Western Australia and Australia, and it felt so rewarding to have the opportunity to do that. But that's where I would also say that I do not only want more people to think about STEM fields; I also want people to think about parliamentary careers as well. Whether it's cultural backgrounds, gender or work skills, I think the more diversity that we have in this place the better decisions the we will make as a whole. I want to continue to see that diversity, whether it be in STEM or the federal parliament. This government has been working intentionally to look at diversity in STEM.”
“I want to make sure that the next generation think about all the career paths that they have and that they see STEM professions as something that they can contribute to and make a wonderful contribution to. This is something that Katherine shares wholeheartedly. I think that we need to make sure that we look at the ways that we can incorporate more people into this field, whether it's the sports field or the STEM field. For me, a STEM profession hasn't taken me exactly where I had imagined. I did start my career in steel capped boots on a mine site, and then I had an opportunity to think about whether I would go to America and work in Virginia or go work for the World Bank in Bangladesh. I picked the opportunity to go work in water and sanitation in Bangladesh, which was wonderful.”
“They do have a lot of exciting television shows about them. I argue that it is, indeed, engineers, specifically through access to clean water and sanitation. One of the things that we've seen from, I guess, an industrial revolution perspective is the improved life expectancies of people. Access to sanitation has improved people's life expectancies. That's what happens when you've got clean water and you've got good sewerage systems. That's just one example, but I think that there are so many different ways that people can actually improve our world. People can think about what their impact will be and what their legacy will be, and this is a way that you can do it on quite a grand scale.”
“STEM, at the moment, for some industries and for some people, can feel like it's a bit of a boom-bust grind to see how long you can last in the field. Sometimes people go, 'This is enough,' or sometimes it's a boys club. If this continues, we will keep on losing brilliant minds. I think that's such a shame because I see STEM as one of the most exciting fields of work to work in. When I go and visit students and speak to schools, one of the things I talk about is careers and the way that you can have an impact that's a positive difference on people's lives. I see STEM professions as being one of the most profound ways to do that. Sometimes one of the questions that I ask students is, 'Which profession has saved the most lives?' This is probably debatable, but I would say that it's not necessarily doctors.”
“Too many young people, especially young women, despite having talent in maths and science, don't pursue careers in STEM. The social data on what exactly leads to this decision is not settled. However, we cannot be blinded by the obvious barriers, and these statistics reflect unacceptable structural and cultural barriers. What makes our Australian of the Year even more remarkable is that she surmounted them all. She is, indeed, Australia's first astronaut, and the thing that I would say is really cool is she won't be the last. I'm going to say this: sisters, step over the glass; the glass ceiling is cracked. We will see more astronauts happen in Australia. I don't know what that timeframe is though yet.”
“Sometimes you need to do that big picture thinking to understand what the real problems are. Katherine's message is not all about inspiration and dreams. There is important work to do to ensure that more women can pursue careers in STEM. And the broader picture for women in STEM is, indeed, sobering. Women account for about 15 per cent of people working in STEM jobs in Australia and about 37 per cent of STEM university enrolments. I'm hoping that we see those numbers improve. And we have seen some improvement. The CEO of Engineers Australia, Romilly Madew, reflected last year that women make up just 16 per cent of Australia's engineering workforce and only 12 per cent in construction. These figures don't reflect a lack of talent; they reflect structural barriers and outdated ideas of what an engineer looks like.”
“She was probably not even in formal schooling, but she looked through that telescope, looked at the stars, and thought, 'This is the career for me.' So she knew from a young age that that's what she wanted to do, and I'm proud to see Gemma continuing to have an amazing career as an astronomer in the heart of Swan. But sometimes little girls have their dreams fade and don't have the opportunity to actually follow their dreams. I want to make sure that we lower the barriers, to make sure that everyone can achieve their full potential. Katherine Bennell-Pegg calls astronauts 'scientists in the sky', small parts of a much bigger team on the ground. She reminds us that, from orbit, you can't see borders. She explains that space is not about escaping Earth, but about seeing it with clarity.”
“Now she is blazing a path for space and bringing that ambition home to Australia for the next generation. She matched her childhood dream with study, discipline and teamwork, through survival training, spacecraft systems, robotics and simulations. She was qualified, not because it was easy but because she was driven, and she wanted to make sure that she delivered excellence. It's sometimes rare to see a childhood dream become a lifelong career, and unfortunately it's often very rare for women and young girls to follow that dream. I think of one of the mothers in my mothers group. Her name's Gemma Anderson, and she's a transient astronomer. She talks about how, when she was a little girl, she looked at a telescope for the first time with her father.”
“When a teacher asked Katherine Bennell-Pegg to list three careers, she wrote only one word and that was 'astronaut'; she never added a second or a third. And this was not about wishing upon a star. She wanted to work intentionally and systematically towards reaching for the stars. But she didn't just reach for the stars; she became a star, and she is now Australian of the Year, which I'm thrilled about. In 2024, Katherine became the first person to qualify as an astronaut under the Australian flag, and now she is eligible for missions on the International Space Station. This is so unlikely. She was one of six trainees out of 22½ thousand applicants from 22 countries. Only one in 100 people qualified to be able to go on the International Space Station.”
“Also, practices that choose to bulk-bill every patient receive additional incentives, and we are seeing more clinics becoming fully bulk-billed clinics. We're also making medicines affordable. Women were paying $380 for contraceptives like Yaz, Yasmin and Slinda before they were listed on the PBS. Now it's $25 a script. In just one year, over 600,000 women have saved more than $70 million. The thing that makes this job really rewarding is when a mum at a barbecue says across the aisle, 'Thank you.' That's what we're trying to do: change lives for women.”
“Managing health, caring for our children and supporting loved ones through illness or ageing is difficult enough. After a year of neglect of the healthcare system, Australians were getting used to the idea that wealth could determine access to something as basic as seeing a GP. That's not what Medicare was created for. In my first term, my community told me that bulk-billing was disappearing and that seeing their local GP was challenging. I'm proud to say that this government is turning that around and is deliberately investing in Medicare. Last year, in November, bulk-billing incentives were expanded. GPs now receive funding for every patient they bulk-bill, not just children and concession card holders.”
“The Australian Universities Accord carries that tradition forward. This bill gives the governance and the staying power for that success. For these reasons, I commend the bill to the House.”
“We must maintain trust by maintaining consistent principles that align with our Australian values. Education must be shaped around students, communities and our country. That's why ATEC matters. It provides long-term vision and stability. It puts equity at the core of success. It makes skills planning real, coordinated and responsive, and it lets universities focus on what they do best, which is teaching and research. We must think about the people behind the numbers: the first-in-family student who changes a family's story, the regional student who deserves the same chance as anyone in a capital city, the older Australian who needs to reskill and wants to contribute, and the young person who won't be limited by their postcode. Labor has always known this. Education is nation-building work.”
“This has gone some way to building trust in the tertiary education system, and now we are legislating an authority to ensure that that trust is not lost again. The optimism that I heard at Curtin sits alongside a national tradition. After the war, the John Curtin era set a course for national renewal and stewardship in higher education. Today, with ATEC, we renew that spirit for a more complex age. The mission is the same: keep the doors open, lift horizons and make the future fair. This bill is about trust. It's about trust that education is not for the lucky few; it is for anyone with talent and drive. When we invest in people, they give back to their communities, to the economy and to the nation. The accord recognises a simple fact: higher education cannot simply drift; it must be guided.”
“It amends the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Act and the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to enable ATEC to advise on the Higher Education Standards Framework and to facilitate mission based compacts. The governance must line up with the goals. I recall taking the education minister to Curtin University earlier this year. He spoke about the accord's vision. He linked it to Labor's tradition of reform—what Gough Whitlam called the uplifting the horizons and John Curtin's simple call to 'look ever forward'. He also made time, early, to sit with student leaders. We went around the circle. Students could see in dollars what the HECS changes, that 20 per cent relief, would mean to them, and that relief was obvious. It was on their faces. The motivation was real.”
“It will track emerging trends and systems-level challenges, progress on participation and attainment targets, opportunities to better join up VET and higher education, whether we are meeting Australia's skills and knowledge demands, and how well the system is removing barriers for underrepresented groups. ATEC commissioners will also report to the Minister for Education on higher education matters and to both the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training on the joined-up tertiary system. The minister cannot direct ATEC on the content of its advice or instruct it to make a particular decision about a provider. Independence matters. Trust matters. Alongside this bill is the University Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025.”
“ATEC will advise government on policy settings and strategic direction; on the cost of teaching and learning; on student demand; on how to meet current and future skills and knowledge needs; and on lifting access, participation and outcomes for people who face systemic barriers. ATEC will also advise on how to bring higher education and VET closer together. ATEC will work closely with Jobs and Skills Australia, TEQSA, the Australian Research Council, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research and, of course, the states and territories. Its advice and decisions will be informed by the best evidence across sectors and jurisdictions. Every year, ATEC will publish a state of the tertiary education system report.”
“This system uses system-wide levers to meet the national needs. ATEC will be responsible for implementing new mission based compacts with universities. This will give universities room to pursue their goals and their missions. They will also drive diversity in the system, deliver on national priorities and respond to student and community needs. ATEC will also implement a new funding system to do two things: provide demand driven places for equity students at a systems level and deliver demand driven, needs based funding that recognises the number of low-SES students, First Nations students and students studying at regional campuses. Access is vital. Participation and completion are vital too. The new settings do both.”
“The interim ATEC commenced on 1 July 2025. It was initially led by Professor Mary O'Kane, Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt and Professor Barney Glover. Professor Tom Calma and the Hon. Fiona Nash have since been appointed commissioners, replacing Professor O'Kane and Professor Behrendt. Professor Barney Glover is now acting chief commissioner alongside his role of Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia. Their work has laid the foundation for the permanent commission, which this bill establishes. The accord spans more than one budget cycle. It will outlast one ministerial term, and ATEC will give us the capability and continuity to deliver. When directed by government, ATEC will also allocate the number of domestic student places, within a system allocation set by government, and allocate international places when required.”
“It must bring coherence across the VET and higher education sectors. It must monitor progress. It must keep reform moving. This bill establishes that steward, the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, or ATEC. Creating a system steward was a key accord recommendation. It is essential to building the tertiary system that our future needs. What will ATEC do? It will start by encouraging provider diversity, different missions, shared purpose and better choices for students. It will also provide expert advice to government on higher education settings, stable rules, clear signals and evidence based change. It will monitor skills and equity targets, track what matters and fix what isn't working. It will help keep the system honest. It will also join up the system so students can get the qualifications they need when they need them.”
“We need to make sure that students feel safe on campus irrespective of their religious background, their gender or their sexuality. We have made HECS fairer. A 20 per cent cut has been made to HECS debts, and indexation is capped at the lower end of the CPI or the WPI. We have also established marginal repayments and higher minimum repayment thresholds. This lightens the load so graduates can build their futures. This is a tangible way to help young and new professionals as they start out their careers. These are not abstract changes. They make study more accessible. They make campuses safer. They make the cost of learning fairer. Tangible ambition in education cannot slide backwards. It needs a steward. If we are serious about the accord, we need an institution that can think long term.”
“We worked together and we achieved some amazing things, and I can't wait to see what amazing collaboration happens between the student unions and universities to make sure that our universities are fantastic places. We had such a productive relationship with that vice-chancellor that we named a bar after him—the Twomey bar. In addition, we have demand driven, Commonwealth supported places that are now available to all First Nations students when they meet the entry standards. Equity means real access, and people who want to take the step and get access to a tertiary education should not be held back. We have established the National Student Ombudsman and a national code to prevent and respond to gender based violence. Safety and accountability should not be negotiable.”
“Providers now must allocate at least 40 per cent of the student services amenity fee to student led organisations—because a student voice matters and campus life matters. Often what happens at university, not just in the classroom but on the campus, are the things that help prepare you for the rest of your career. The conversations that I had at the tavern or in the library were just as important and those in the classroom. I was lucky enough to be Curtin Student Guild president, and what I'd say about student voices is that the goal is to make your university the best place to study, and that happened to also be the goal of the vice-chancellor, who at the time was Lance Twomey.”
“We are doubling the number of university study hubs, with 20 new regional and 14 suburban hubs. This brings higher education closer to students. It cuts the distance and the cost. As someone who grew up in regional WA, I see that it's important that we lower the barriers as much as possible. I've seen people from regional communities or from outer suburban areas drop out of uni because the travel was just too much. We are increasing the number of free university bridging courses. More people can take the first step with confidence. We also, for the first time, introduced paid prac for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work. These are skills that are in demand, and placement poverty should not be a barrier to care based professions.”
“It's important that we remove invisible barriers that hold too many young people back, especially in our outer suburbs, regions and the bush. This legislation is about stewardship and a system that is aligned, planned and fair, so I rise to support the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill. In February 2024, the government released the final accord report. It set the path for reform, recognising the need for additional skills and the rising demand. It made clear that, to reach this 80 per cent goal, we need more students not just starting both TAFE and university but succeeding in them, so we must act now to set up our tertiary system. This government has already implemented 31 of the 47 recommendations in part or in full. Students can already see the change. They can feel it.”
“That means more people at TAFE and more people at university, and action is needed now to make sure that we prepare our tertiary system for Australian skills needs, not just for today but for tomorrow. This is not only an economic task. It's about fairness. We must break the old divide between vocational education and higher education. I think that that's particularly important because often what we see in workplaces is the best collaboration that happens is through those that have had vocational education backgrounds, who often have much more practical experiences, as opposed to university educated people, like me, who are based in a lot of theory. Together those people can collaborate, and that's where we can see the next level of innovation.”
“Education has the ability to change the trajectory of a person's life forever. Education is one of Labor's deepest values. Its transformative power has the ability to change potential into opportunity. It widens the circle. Where you start out in life should not limit how far you go, and that's what this debate is about. The Australian Universities Accord is not a quick fix; it's a long-term plan for reform over the next decades and the decades after that. The accord is clear about the future—more jobs will need more skills—and this is about building trust that you can carry throughout your education and trust that the sector and the government want you to succeed and thrive. Over the coming decades, we must lift the amount of workers with a certificate, diploma or a degree to about 80 per cent.”
“My question is to the Minister for Resources. How is the Albanese Labor government working with our global trading partners, strengthening the global supply chain of critical minerals and creating secure jobs here in Australia? What is threatening Australia's critical minerals industry?”
“The prescribed bodies include 107 state and territory police forces and agencies, federal intelligence agencies, foreign police forces, and foreign intelligence agencies. The committee notes that prescribing the bodies and international organisations to which identifying information may be disclosed for specified purposes engages and limits the right to privacy and may engage and limit further rights. The committee considers that further information is required to assess the compatibility of these measures with these rights, and, as such, has sought advice from the minister. I encourage all members to consider the committee's reports closely. With these comments. I commend the scrutiny report 8 of 2025 and scrutiny report 1 of 2026 to the House.”
“I recall the death of Mr Ward an Aboriginal elder in 2008 in Western Australia. Mr Ward was being transported across the Goldfields in a prison van with faulty air conditioning. This resulted in a death in custody. While this was under state jurisdiction, it is important to understand the risks of vehicle detention. In Report 1 of 2026 , the committee also commented on the Migration (Disclosure of Information to Prescribed Bodies) Instrument 2025 and the Migration (Disclosure of information To Prescribed International Organisations) Instrument 2025. These legislative instruments prescribed the bodies and international organisations to which officers may disclose identifying information about individuals.”