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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“If we consider the budget that we delivered last night, that was $785 billion. So when you look at this one expensive idea, it is, honestly, off the charts. Also, let's get real about workers. The future is clean, fast and affordable. It's funny: there's a really great book written by a guy called Charles Duhigg called Smarter, Faster, Better , and I can't help but think that this idea is dumber, slower, crapper. Renewables are powering homes already. The biggest form of electricity growth that we have seen in Australia has been rooftop solar. People are enjoying seeing the democratisation of their electricity. What we are seeing is that renewables are delivering jobs and delivering investment, and it's honestly cheaper because—guess what. We don't pay when the sun is shining and when the wind is blowing.”
“That's too late to hit our climate targets and too late to support coal workers and communities going through the transition. It's not just about timing; it's also about cost. Nuclear is the most expensive form of electricity. It is expensive to run. Let's be truthful about this policy. This policy really is about kicking the can down the road on climate change action. Let's be honest, because Australia has no commercial nuclear experience, and we're told to expect a 100 per cent premium on build costs. That's right: double the price. Who's going to pay for that? Is this a commercial idea? No. The proposal is for taxpayers to pay for this—me, my electorate, all of Australia. If we are talking about dollar figures, we're talking about $600 billion—that's a lot of coin.”
“It won't be on time or on cost, not even on the proportion that it will contribute to the electricity grid, and it's simply not appropriate for Australia. This inquiry asked two questions: can nuclear be rolled out fast enough, and can it compete on cost? The answer, based on the evidence from the real experts, is clear. It's a resounding no. Can it be compatible with the future electricity grid? We should have an idea on what this can do, and, when we asked if it could be rolled out fast enough and compete on cost, the truth is it cannot, and so I think that we should throw it in the trash can. Even if we lifted the ban and started right now, we wouldn't see a single nuclear power station until the 2040s—that's nearly two decades away.”
“I think it's also important to say that, yes; we do have a current nuclear industry. The nuclear industry plays a really important role in our health sector. The medical isotopes that are produced by Lucas Heights are lifesaving across the country. I'm going to say that I think that the Australian public is smart enough to understand that, but when we're talking about nuclear power generation, this is a very different proposition. We also heard directly from First Nations communities, environmental organisations and everyday Australians. All raised serious concerns about the trust, transparency and social license for nuclear power energy. The interim report makes one thing abundantly clear. Peter Dutton—whoops, sorry!—the opposition leader's nuclear fantasy is indeed a nuclear nightmare. It doesn't stack up.”
“It's not just because I've worked in steel capped boots in the mines but also because I've had the opportunity to work in decarbonisation for over 12 years. Looking at the energy transition, electricity grids and future energy needs have been my bread and butter for over 12 years. That insight has brought some skills and expertise to this inquiry. As an engineer, I believe in evidence based decision-making, and this report provides that evidence. Over the course of this inquiry, the committee held 19 public hearings right across the country. We heard from a wide range of voices, from global nuclear experts to Australian scientists, engineers and energy and climate change specialists. We listened closely to our federal agencies responsible for Australia's existing nuclear activities.”
“It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to speak on this committee inquiry report. As a member of the committee, I saw this as a really important inquiry. An interesting observation is that there is some talent in the coalition, and there are some ideas. Sometimes there are big ideas, but big ideas don't necessarily mean good ideas. This is an example of not just a not-good idea but a terrible idea. It is great to have the opportunity to reflect on the interim findings and share some insights with the chamber today. As the only engineer in the Labor Party caucus, I was naturally excited to participate in this work. The expertise has served me well through my time in this place and especially in this inquiry.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services, I present the committee's report entitled Wholesale investor and wholesale client tests . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).”
“The thing I would say is that, at this election, we have a choice. I think we have been on the right track, and we will continue to work hard every day to deliver real results for households.”
“The opposition leader rocked up to a press conference twice! We can't wait for the election campaign. That's going to be a pressure cooker environment, and Australians and Western Australians are going to see his true colours. You can try to be controlled inside the House; this is a place where there are creatures that have developed here. But we and the public will see the true colours of the opposition leader and the opposition. There's a saying that I heard: 'What's Dutts going to cut?' Who knows? Is it veterans' affairs? Is it Medicare? Is it access to child care? Is it women's equality? Who knows. We're going to be back to chaos and conflict on climate change. I'm going to say I don't think that it will be back to secret ministries. I don't have that vibe from the opposition leader, but, you know, who knows—right? Who knows?”
“Talking about where we could be going, if the opposition were to be elected we would be back to rising inflation. We'd be back to keeping wages deliberately low. We'd be back into an aged-care crisis. Bulk-billing would be in freefall. We'd be going back to child care being out of reach, forcing parents, especially women, to choose between work and caring for their kids. We'd be back to chasing manufacturing offshore. We'd be back to deficits as far as the eye can see. I was thinking about numbers earlier today and I thought about the number two. What was the number of surpluses we delivered? Two! How many times did the opposition leader do a press conference? Two! I just find that mind-boggling. We delivered something that the coalition could not do in nine years. What do they have to show from a 'two' perspective?”
“When we came into office, inflation had a six in front of it. Now inflation has a two in front of it. We've been working consistently and deliberately, and we've been fine tuning, and we are on the right track. It's fascinating because I remember that decade under the coalition and being used to not getting a pay rise, but I didn't realise that this was a deliberate design feature of the coalition policy. We are in a time where households are absolutely doing it tough, but the thing that Australia has managed to do is get inflation down and have record levels of employment across the country. One of the ways that you can deliver prosperity is people being in a job, and I think that our Assistant Treasurer and Treasurer have been doing a very intentional job. It's because we care about people.”
“Thank you to the member for Menzies for his kind words about the class of 2022, but I am going to vigorously disagree with him. When we talk about power and prosperity, the Labor Party is fundamentally about bringing power to the people, power to the workers and power to our communities. One of the things that we did within the first two weeks of being elected was back minimum wage workers. You talk about prosperity, but I'm talking about prosperity for those that were working night and day during the pandemic—those who deserved our respect. Guess who had their back? Labor did. We had their back. The reason why I'm on this side of the House is I want all Australians to succeed. I want to be very intentional with the way that we do that, and, the truth is, we have been doing this day in, day out.”
“I will continue to work hard every day for the people of Swan because our community deserves nothing less—and everybody knows that, under the opposition leader, Australia will be worse off.”
“There are so many achievements to list, but I'm incredibly proud of the progress that we have made as the Labor government. I believe in listening to the people of Swan, championing local voices and delivering real, tangible outcomes that make a difference in everyday life. Whether it's securing better health care, improving infrastructure or supporting our essential workers, I'm committed to working alongside Swan locals to achieve lasting change. We've accomplished a lot, but there is more to do, and the cost of living, housing and secure jobs are my top priorities. Swan is a better place under Labor, and I am proud of the real difference we have made.”
“This is assisting young people in reducing social isolation and engaging with education and training. There's $5.4 million to upgrade sporting facilities at the local grounds within the City of South Perth. There is almost $1 million to Football West to promote female soccer, and $7,000 to our local sporting champions. I've made promises and I've delivered them. This includes $2.5 million to upgrade the McCallum Park Active Area. It's delivered. We're in the process of delivering funds of $5.3 million to upgrade the Queens Park Open Space. There's $2 million to upgrade commercial kitchens at Bentley TAFE. This is being implemented right now. There are funds for Forestville Primary School's basketball courts. There's also $10 million in funding for cleaning up urban rivers. And that's not all.”
“My goal when I was elected as the member for Swan was clear: to work hard every day, building a fairer, stronger, greener and kinder Australia. I wanted to make a real difference in the Swan community, and I've worked hard every day in this place to advocate for Swan and to listen to the people of Swan, to the things that matter most to them, and my track record has demonstrated just that. In Swan we have delivered almost half a million dollars in energy efficiency grants across the entire electorate; almost $100,000 in volunteer grants to support our dedicated community groups; and $360,000 to Curtin University's AI empowerment project, which will help autistic adolescents with education and employment challenges. There's $350,000 to the PeopleKind Group ARC light project.”
“My question is to the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. How will the Albanese Labor government's policies on critical minerals help build a better future for Australia, and what would make Australian workers and the resource sector worse off?”
“Instead, they'll push tax-free lunches for big bosses because looking after the top end of town is what they know and all they care about. They don't care about a fairer Australia. They don't want a fairer Australia. They want an Australia that only benefits the few at the top end. We will always stand up for workers. Labor will always stand up for a fair go. For one year, closing the loopholes has been doing exactly that.”
“Tomorrow marks an important anniversary. It will be one year since Labor's closing-the-loophole reforms became law. This was fundamentally about safety, security and fairness for workers, making workplaces safer, making sure that jobs could be more secure and ensuring fair and better conditions for Australian workers. They gave casuals a fairer path to a steady job. These changes have made a big difference because for a decade the coalition kept wages low on purpose. This was their strategy to hold workers down. The opposition have confirmed they will repeal our closing-the-loopholes law—that's right, back to undermining workers in favour of big business. The right to disconnect? Gone. Fairer conditions? Scrapped. Secure jobs for the future? None.”
“Libby Mettam, the leader of the WA Liberals has said, 'We will support this measure.' That's because they understand WA and they understand the resources sector. It has been supported by industry, too. Rebecca Thomson, CEO of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, said, 'This measure recognises the federal government's commitment to supporting industry.' Perhaps the federal coalition should listen to WA and not overrule the WA Liberals once again. Processing critical minerals will turbocharge our resources sector and create jobs all across WA.”
“Under the Liberals, inflation would have soared, real wages would have fallen and living standards would have declined. They have no plan; they have no vision. Under Labor, inflation is down nearly a third of what we inherited, real wages are rising and living standards are improving. The extra 1.1 million people in jobs are grateful that these jobs are existing. But we must take steps to secure jobs for the future, and we won't let the Liberals hold us back. Their slogan is 'Back'—back to six per cent inflation, back to higher unemployment, back to wages going backwards. Right now, the federal coalition are turning their backs on WA by not supporting this plan. They're turning their backs on Western Australians. Unlike the federal coalition, the WA Liberals and the Nationals understand the importance of the Albanese government policy.”
“We have the opportunity to lay the foundations for our future, and we have a plan—the most significant initiative for Australia's resource sector in a generation, a plan to secure jobs and to secure our future. This includes a 10 per cent production tax incentive to boost critical mineral processing. As a former process engineer, I think this is pretty cool. That is a $17 billion investment over 14 years. The risk? Zero—no production, no tax credits. Today's motion recognises the role that tax credits will play in critical mineral processing, and yet once again the coalition says no. A plan for the future? No. The support for industry? No. Secure jobs for Australians? No. It is not surprising the Liberals voted against tax cuts, higher wages and cheaper medicines.”
“It highlights that our strong economic growth and jobs creation plan is working. Our policies are delivering real results. Initiatives such as fee-free TAFE are equipping people with job-ready skills. Infrastructure investments and wage growth are strengthening our economy and creating opportunities. But there is more work to do. We all know that Western Australia is the engine room of the Australian economy. WA has an abundance of minerals below the ground, but we also have amazing renewable energy resources above the ground. Our critical minerals are essential for solar panels, battery storage and wind turbines. As the mighty federal mining minister said, 'The world's pathway to net zero emissions runs through the Western Australian outback.' So it makes sense for us to explore the opportunities that are right under our feet.”
“Last month's job numbers show that Labor governments have delivered the lowest average unemployment for any Australian government in 50 years. And this isn't an accident; it's not a black swan event. This has been by design. This is something that Western Australia cares deeply about, and this is something that matters to Swan. What does this actually mean in Swan? ABS data shows that there has been a six per cent job increase in the south-east region of Perth in December 2024, compared to December 2023. This region includes the entire Swan electorate and surrounds. This has resulted in almost 340,000 jobs for people in Swan that were employed during that period. Unemployment fell from 14,200 in December 2023 to 11,500 in December 2024. What a fantastic result!”
“I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges that the Government has created more than a million jobs; (2) commends the Government for standing up for Western Australia and for recognising that Western Australia is the engine room of the economy; (3) recognises that production tax credits for critical minerals will encourage critical mineral processing in Western Australia and create secure jobs in the resources sector; and (4) calls on the Opposition to support the production tax credits instead of blocking jobs and investment in Western Australia. During the 2022 federal election, the former Prime Minister said that his top priorities were jobs, jobs and jobs. But guess who actually delivered? That's right—the Albanese Labor government. This government has created over a million jobs, and that is a record.”
“This is something the federal government should be looking at. There are so many reasons why we are in this situation at the moment. If we have a look at the policy details that have been released by the coalition, I think the member for Reid was saying not one single dollar will go from the coalition to actually build a house. I'm sorry, but Australians are pretty clever, and they know if a federal government is serious about housing they're actually going to put dollars into bricks and mortar, as opposed to this other made-up stuff where you've got to do it out of your retirement funds, which is—”
“Everyone should have access to a house. That is true, and I think that that's something everyone on both sides of this House recognises. One of the things you have to also have a look at is megatrends, the way that things happen over a period of time, and how long it takes to change some megatrends. The truth is the coalition government weren't really interested in housing. In fact, I think it was the Abbott government who got rid of the housing minister, because the fundamental thing is they don't really care about housing. The thing I would say is that when the Albanese government took over we stepped into, I'm going to say, multiple crises happening at once. We have a plan, and the plan will take time, but this is something that we're actively working on. This is something that will actually work.”
“Labor created Medicare, and we will protect it. We are delivering $1.7 billion more for public hospitals and health services next year. Stronger Medicare, better hospitals—a better Australia. This is unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who gutted our hospitals and gutted Medicare. Why? Cuts, cuts, cuts, obsessed with cuts—that's the Liberal way, and he will not say what he will cut next year.”
“Some financial institutions are embracing this, but it must be universal and across all financial services and across government. We must build protections in our systems that prevent harm before it happens. The committee's recommendations tackle these issues head on. I thank Senator O'Neill for her leadership. I thank the deputy chair and all the committee members for their commitment. To the witnesses who bravely gave evidence: thank you. Your courage was inspiring. Our committee are not often brought to tears, but you brought us to tears on multiple occasions. Your stories made it real and tangible and showed the true extent of the problem. It is no longer invisible. Your voices have been heard. The national conversation has been a game changer. Now we have a game plan. There are 61 recommendations, and I'm deeply proud of this work.”
“The report is titled Financial abuse : an insidious form of domestic violence , and it is. We just uncovered exactly how insidious it is. Senator Deborah O'Neill, the committee chair, called it 'a quiet but raging epidemic', and I think she's absolutely right. We have seen how systems and financial products are weaponised to inflict harm—harm that stops victims-survivors moving forward. Superannuation, credit and debit card products, mortgage arrangements: all can be turned into tools of abuse. It does not discriminate. It crosses boundaries: age, wealth, culture, gender. The impact is devastating. This is outrageous, and we must make sure that it stops. We all have a role to play. As an engineer, I believe in designing systems that work for people. Systems should protect them, not harm them. Safety by design is key.”
“I met with Shenane, and she encouraged me with her positive outlook and determination to help others. I wanted to raise their voices at a national level, which I did. Then there's Julie Adams from WA. She lost her daughter, Molly, to domestic violence related suicide. Her alleged perpetrator received Molly's superannuation. Julie's advocacy has been courageous. She is an inspiration. This inquiry has revealed the devastating impact of financial abuse. The statistics are shocking. One-point-seven billion dollars in unpaid child support is just one example. We uncovered issues that we had not anticipated. And this is the power of democracy. Parliamentary inquiries shine the light on issues that impact everyday Australians. Financial abuse is one of them.”
“There was one conversation that stayed with me. It was with a father who was living with his adult daughter. He explained how his daughter was leaving a coercive relationship. It was a coercive relationship to the point where the daughter did not have the financial means to buy sanitary products. That's a level of coercion that I have not heard about before. Also, early in my term, I met Shenane, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman who was living in my electorate. She courageously spoke about her abuse. She had been financially exploited. From her domestic violence relationship, she had ended up in a nine-month coma, drowning in debt. It turned out that her ex had racked up tens of thousands of dollars of debt. These stories inspired me to look at the way that we look at our systems.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services, I present the committee's report, incorporating a dissenting report, entitled F inancial abuse : an insidious form of domestic violence . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—I'm grateful to speak on this report today. It is the report of the hardworking Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services on the financial services regulatory framework in relation to financial abuse. I thank the deputy chair, the member for Mitchell, for giving me the opportunity to present this report, and also the chair of the committee, Senator O'Neill, who chaired an incredible committee inquiry. During the 2022 election campaign my team and I visited 49,000 homes.”
“If every big boss took this up, it would cost taxpayers $10 billion. There would not be many childcare workers, aged-care workers or minimum-wage workers at those lunches. This is a Liberal policy for the big bosses at the top end of town. When the big bosses and the Liberals graze, the public purse pays. Aussies know there's no such thing as a free lunch.”
“When Australia's lowest paid workers asked for a $1 pay rise, our Prime Minister said, 'Absolutely.' When aged-care workers asked for a pay rise, did we back them? Absolutely. When early childhood educators said that they wanted a pay rise, did we back them? Absolutely. Now wages are up, inflation is down and unemployment is low. Meanwhile, did the Liberals back an increase for Australian minimum-wage workers? No. Did the Liberals back aged-care workers? No. Did the Liberals back childcare workers? No. Do we have anything on the menu? No. It took the Liberals all summer to come up with this policy nugget or potato gem: tax-free lunches for bosses. This would be a $1.6 billion tax paid fee. Gosh, it better taste good at that price. What would be on the menu—lobster, caviar or truffles?”