Allegra Spender
Wentworth · Independent · Australia
“Estimates are between 0.5 per cent and two per cent of all abortions over 20 weeks. They are generally because of late diagnosed anomalies, genetic syndromes or severe fetal growth problems.”
“The bill is useful, it is technical, it's incremental, it has useful schedules, it has 'tell us once', it has streamlining and it has technical fixes. These are all good things, and I do not underestimate the effort that goes into getting useful changes like this.”
“Across Australia, we're seeing rising threats to women's access to abortion care. We see it in bills in state parliaments. We see it in the way some politicians talk about this issue, using misinformation and scare tactics to drive divisions, tools straight out of the Trump playbook.”
“They're saying they're waiting up to 18 months for the ATO to make a decision on how an investment would be treated, so the foreign capital just goes away. We need to change the culture here, and this is why—while I support this government's actions in this space—I urge the government to go further. This isn't about bad people.”
“I've seen firsthand how drone technology is at the forefront of some of these problems because government is slow to make decisions. There's no accountability from many government departments in terms of the speed of their decision-making.”
“I support the government's work on the fund, but I think it's currently around one tenth the size of the original 1990s National Competition Fund. If we expect that to move the dial, as it did back in the 1990s, we are going to have to put more firepower behind it.”
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“That reason alone is enough to support the bill, but at the same time this will provide important support for our healthcare system. This will mean that patients and members of our community can more easily access the health care they need when they need it, and that is another incredibly important reason to support this bill. We know there is international evidence that these models of care can work safely and effectively around the world. I've seen some of this personally, in my own experience working in the UK healthcare system. I believe this bill strikes the right balance. It expands the scope of practice while maintaining strong safeguards. That's what I think Australians want from us.”
“These pressures are not going away; if anything, they are intensifying, and we cannot meet these challenges by relying on outdated modes of care. We must be innovative in the ways we deliver health care, and we must make better use of the resources and talent we already have. Even if our healthcare system didn't have these constraints, I would still support this bill because it allows nurses to work to the full extent of their capacity, and does that in a safe way for patients but also in a way that gives professional satisfaction for nurses. These highly trained individuals, these important members of our community, should have the satisfaction of being able to work to the full extent of their training and their capability.”
“These changes are not radical; they are sensible, evidence based reforms that flow directly from the recommendations of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce and the Scope of Practice Review, both commissioned by the government following the 2022 election. At its core, this bill recognises something that many Australians already know to be true: our nurses are highly skilled professionals and are more than capable of working to the full extent of their training and expertise, and we want them to. Empowering healthcare practitioners, particularly nurses, is essential for our healthcare system to remain resilient in the face of an ageing population, rising rates of chronic illness, a growing mental health crisis and increasing demand in regional and rural communities.”
“I rise to support the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. This bill amends the National Health Act 1953 and the Health Insurance Act 1973 to allow authorised nurse prescribers who meet strict criteria to prescribe certain pharmaceutical benefits under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The types of medicines that can be prescribed will be clearly specified by the minister, and there will be appropriate safeguards in place. This includes oversight by the Professional Services Review, which will now extend to PBS prescribing by authorised nurse practitioners.”
“We must ensure that free speech does not become an excuse for speech intended to generate hate and excuse violence. We must ensure that we have effective deradicalisation programs in place to steer vulnerable people away from radicalisation. We must ensure that our police and security forces have the necessary tools to prevent this violence before it happens. Those protections must extend to all Australians, including, absolutely fundamentally, our Indigenous Australians and their allies, who were targeted at the Invasion Day rally in Boorloo/Perth. We must act. We must stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and we must ensure that no-one in this country is made to fear for their life simply for exercising their democratic rights.”
“For some, 26 January is a day of mourning; for others, it is a day to come together and celebrate. We must make room for both. I am a very proud Australian, but I recognise that, for many Indigenous Australians, the celebration of Australia Day is a painful reminder of the impact of colonisation on their people. For some Australians, the Invasion Day protests are an affront to their national pride. But we must accept these differences and recognise the importance of the rights of all to express their views. This is something I think all Australians can unite on. We and everyone in this country should be able to gather peacefully without any threat or fear of violence. We cannot tolerate those who turn difference into extremism and violence.”
“Binding us together is a shared tolerance that accepts the rights of all to practise their faith, enjoy their culture and express their opinions in a way that accepts difference and acknowledges the reciprocal rights of others. This attack on this march was not just an attack on a protest. It was an attack on our shared values; on the right to gather peacefully without fear, hatred, racism or violence motivated by racial hatred; and on the safety of Indigenous Australians to simply stand together in a public space. I welcome the fact that the Western Australian Joint Counter Terrorism Team is now investigating this incident as a potential terrorist attack. That acknowledgement matters because it reflects the seriousness of what occurred. But acknowledgement is not enough. Differences of opinion are inevitable.”
“It should not be an image that any community has to imagine, and it should stop every one of us in our tracks. Tragically, Australians now find it easier to imagine the horror of terrorism. Many Australians are understandably afraid that hatred has motivated another attack—this time on the Invasion Day protest. Australia is a nation woven from many sources. First Australians trace their history on this continent back 70,000 years, but most Australian families have come to this place through migration. The strength of Australia is, to paraphrase Noel Pearson, braided from ancient Indigenous history and culture, British institutions and multicultural achievement.”
“Children were there. People were marching peacefully to express their support for Indigenous Australians, exercising a fundamental democratic right and calling on the government to do better. At approximately 12.40, it is alleged that a homemade explosive device was thrown into that crowd, landing among women and children. By sheer luck, it did not detonate. This was not a hoax bomb. This explosive was reportedly packed with ball bearings and nails to deliberately inflict maximum injury and death in that peaceful crowd of families. This bomb reportedly failed only because of a faulty fuse. The thought of what could have happened is horrifying. Police confirmed that, had this bomb exploded, this could have been a mass casualty event.”
“I second the motion and I rise to speak in support of it. I unequivocally condemn the horrendous attack against peaceful protesters marching in Boorloo/Perth on 26 January and acknowledge the deep fear, anger and grief that this attack has caused, particularly for Indigenous people but also for Australians right across the country. For decades, protests on 26 January, often referred to as Invasion Day marches, have been held every year. This year, in capital cities and regional towns alike, tens of thousands of people gathered peacefully. They gathered to recognise the suffering of Indigenous Australians, the enduring impacts of colonialisation, the trauma of stolen generations, ongoing racism and the devastating reality of deaths in custody. In Boorloo, around 2,500 people came together peacefully. Families were there.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Radical extremism, Islamist and other forms, is a threat to Jewish Australians and all Australians, as we saw so devastatingly in Bondi on 14 December. We have had deradicalisation programs in place for many years, but extremism is still taking root. How does the government measure the current effectiveness of these deradicalisation programs, and how effective are these programs at all? We have the Richardson review and part of the royal commission coming up, but is the government planning to take any other actions in terms of deradicalisation in particular before then?”
“As a parliament, we have to fight for that, but we need to fight for the safety of all Australians. The targeting of hatred against any Australian should not be acceptable to this parliament. The laws need to apply broadly and equally so that those people are not forced to go through this, and to recognise that the hatred against them does not matter as much. I think that is actually better for the social cohesion of our country rather than worse.”
“I am a gay man, and the hatred and homophobia he directed to me over a number of years was of an order that Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said she had never seen. He sent thousands of emails to everyone I knew—family, board members, colleagues, associates. He left multiple phone messages every day; came to my home and workplace; generated pornographic and other images of me; and accused me publicly of all manner of terrible crimes and so on. I was forced to sell my house, move jobs, resign from several boards and more or less live as a hermit for some years, with security guards accompanying me. That is the case for some people in our community.' I have been there and have talked to Jewish community members who are afraid to go out in their country and do not know if they will ever be safe again.”
“I think that it is not good for the message that we're trying to send the country: that we are all equal in front of the law and that hatred matters to everyone. While, again, I have very much stood for and fought for antisemitism protections in the last parliament and in this parliament, I have always done it in consultation with the Jewish community. They have said, 'Don't single us out; make sure that this is protection for everyone.' I raise this particularly because I represent the biggest Jewish community in the country, and I think I probably represent the biggest LGBTQI+ community in the country as well. I'm going to read something that someone sent to me about this: 'For much of my life I was a senior banking executive. Due to my public role, I attracted the attention of a man who sought to destroy my life.”
“Given what has happened in my community, I wouldn't be standing in this space on this without having spoken to the Jewish community. What they have said to me is that we need to protect all Australians from hatred and vilification. We need to draw bright lines across this country and we need to make sure that everybody feels that they are equal in front of the law. I really cannot understand why the government, in this case, would bring in what I think is an appropriate piece of legislation but then, in terms of this part of the bill, not apply it consistently. That is actually inconsistent internally with the rest of the act. So just from the point of view of good governance this is bad, because we have laws applying to some in some ways and not in other ways.”
“In a time of unprecedented antisemitism, particularly directed to those in my community and across the country, and in the wake of the abhorrent attack on 14 December, we must take action to show that hatred is not acceptable and draw bright lines—and this is a fitting way to do so. However, I remain concerned that the groups designated within this provision are too narrowly defined. Consideration of this hatred should not be limited by race, or national or ethnic origin. Hatred can be enacted through violence and crime against members of our LGBTQIA+ community, for example; those with a disability; and those from religious communities. As I've said previously, the Jewish community has not asked for special treatment in relation to these bills and I think that is really relevant.”
“I rise today in support of the bill, but also to put forward amendments. I'm introducing an amendment to part 3, the aggravated sentencing factor. This provision is a matter which must be considered by the court when sentencing persons for federal offences if the factor is relevant and known to the court. This factor is whether the offender's conduct was motivated by hatred of another person or group and, if so, whether that hatred was because of the person's belief that the target person or target group are distinguished by race or national ethnic origin. I support this provision. A federal offence which has been motivated by hatred, especially on the attributes which are inherent to an individual or group, is an offence which deserves additional punishment upon consideration of the court.”
“(3) Schedule 1, item 11, page 8 (line 28), omit "the particular race, or national or ethnic origin", substitute "the particular race, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status or disability, or because of the target person or target group's personal association (whether as a relative or otherwise) with a person who is distinguished by any of those attributes". (4) Schedule 1, page 8 (after line 28), after item 11, insert: 11A After subsection 16A(2AAD) Insert: (2AAE) In subsections (2), (2AAC) and (2AAD), association with another person includes: (a) being a near relative of the person; and (b) living with the person on a genuine domestic basis; and (c) having a formal business or employment relationship with the person.”
“(2) Schedule 1, item 11, page 8 (lines 24 and 25), omit "the race, or national or ethnic origin, of the target person or the persons in the target group", substitute "the race, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status or disability, or because of the target person or target group's personal association (whether as a relative or otherwise) with a person who is distinguished by any of those attributes".”
“by leave—I move: (1) Schedule 1, item 10, page 8 (line 12), omit "distinguished by race, or national or ethnic origin", substitute "distinguished by race, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status or disability, or because of the target person or target group's personal association (whether as a relative or otherwise) with a person who is distinguished by any of those attributes".”
“But we also need to lead a better conversation in this country about how we disagree well, and I think that means drawing bright lines against hatred.”
“But I do believe that the coalition has really stepped back from what the Jewish community has deliberately asked you for in this case, and that is a terrible shame. So when I hear the words—and I hear them constantly, and I think they are well meant—saying there is no place for extremism and that we need to stamp this out, my question is: what other mechanisms are you saying we can use now? You have rejected something that the Jewish community has been calling for for a long time. I put that forward in the previous parliament, and you also rejected it then. The final thing I want to say is that we have a long road ahead of us. The security of the Jewish community is absolutely critical. The antisemitism envoy's packages and the actions taken there are absolutely critical. The royal commission is critical.”
“But, when it comes to actions, it has not followed through, and the coalition could have and should have supported laws against vilification that the Jewish community called for before 14 December and is calling for even more strongly now. We do need to protect the Jewish community. I have had people come up to me constantly, saying: 'How is it possible, Allegra, that somebody can call for the final solution to the Jews without this being an offence in this country? How can people hatefully target the Jewish community in their words, when we know that words lead to action, without this being an offence in our country?' We do have stronger laws, but they are a patchwork across our country, and this is the opportunity for the federal parliament to lead.”
“Muslims and migrants are increasingly made to feel suspect by association. By failing to confront hateful individuals and ideologies directly, we drift towards a culture of guilt by association rather than accountability. We know that radicalisation thrives in environments where blameless people are persistently blamed, excluded or treated as inherently suspect. This is the consequence of a parliament that has failed to legislate clear standards of behaviour and failed to draw strong lines between what is offending, what is disagreeing and what is directly promoting and inciting hatred in our country. I talk to the coalition here because the coalition has rightly spoken up on antisemitism very strongly for the last two years, and I commend it for that.”
“These groups do not merely offend; they normalise dehumanisation and incitement. Their rhetoric corrodes our social fabric and creates a condition in which violence becomes possible. But let's be honest: this bill does not get to the heart of what I believe we need to do as a country. There is extremism in Australia. There is Islamic extremism. There is Neo-Nazi extremism. These ideologies are a direct threat to Jewish Australians, and they are a threat to all of us. But this is not only a question of immediate security; it's also a profound challenge to our social cohesion. When parliament fails to address the direct causes of extremism and hatred, entire communities end up carrying the blame for the actions of a violent, extreme minority. This is what deeply concerns me about the current trajectory of our national conversation.”
“We know that violence does not start with weapons. It starts with words. It starts with hate. I acknowledge that in this bill there are some important steps to deal with the spread of hate, which leads to the spread of violence. I support the bill. I support the aggravated offences measures, particularly for hate preachers. I support the strengthened measures in relation to hate symbols. I support the actions in relation to hate preachers, and I support the fact that the home affairs minister now has the framework to proscribe certain groups—which should include, in my mind, groups like the National Socialist Network and Neo-Nazis and Hizb ut-Tahrir, who openly spread and promote virulent antisemitism as well as vile hatred against other groups in our country.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. These are modest changes in this bill, but they are necessary. But let us be completely honest: neither this bill nor any of the actions of the parliament to date will eradicate antisemitism or keep the Jewish community safe in the future. There is much, much more work that needs to be done. The fourteenth of December is one of the darkest days in modern Australian history, and it is a day that my community, Jewish and non-Jewish, will never, ever forget. Fifteen innocent people were violently murdered while celebrating their Jewish faith, customs and community. It was an attack on Jewish Australians and it was an attack on all of us as a country and all of our Australian values.”
“But, in his words, Australia must become a nation 'where kindness is louder than hate, where decency is stronger than fear'. This was the most violent attack of hatred in modern Australia. I do believe that we as a country can emerge more united, more steadfastly committed to our common values and our shared humanity, than ever before. The stories from Bondi show us the way. The courage and the care of those Australians show us the way. This is what we owe those we have lost. This is how we honour their blessed memories. As Rabbi Ulman reminds us, this work is urgent. Let us not wait for tomorrow. Let us start today. I thank the House.”
“My commitment to the families of Bondi is that I won't move on from this when other people do. Australia is one of the most diverse societies in human history. It is remarkable, but it is not easy. Social cohesion must be consciously built. Each of us, including everyone in this House, must personally reflect on how we contribute to that cohesion, and each of us must do better. We will disagree passionately, but we owe it to one another to disagree well. We must not dehumanise one another. We cannot fight hate with hate. As Rabbi Ulman reminded us on the last night of Hanukkah at the vigil on Bondi Beach: Darkness is not defeated by anger or force. Darkness is transformed by light … People are angry now, and rightly so.”
“As one mum said to me, 'How do I explain to my kids that so many people hate them?' When Jewish Australians tell me they are thinking of leaving this country, where they were born, it is a tragedy for all Australians. As a parliament and as a country, we need to be both strong and soft right now—strong in confronting the hate that drove the attack, resolute against violent Islamic extremism and all types of violent extremism, and clear eyed and fact based about what it will take to keep the Jewish community safe; and soft so that we do not lose our common humanity in our strength. If we meet difference with suspicion rather than with curiosity, the terrorists will truly win. This work belongs to all of us, in all our workplaces, universities, schools and home and online spaces. It is not the work of weeks but of years.”
“Now, as a local MP, I encounter guards and barriers at almost every Jewish school or synagogue I visit. When I think of how we must change, I look to an Australia where we don't need those guards. We don't know how long it will take, but it violates our Australian compact when a community has to pray, congregate or educate behind security. We must not tolerate it, and we must not tolerate the violent extremism that makes it necessary. Antisemitism has become normalised in this country in a way I never thought I would see. This includes a friend of mine being sworn at as a South African Jew when asking someone to inch their car forward, and an eight-year-old girl being abused at the lights because she's holding the hand of her Orthodox father.”
“One Jewish woman told me that the light she found in the darkness was that people she had not heard from in decades reached out simply to say, 'I am with you.' We will not let the terrorists win. Australia promises that your safety and acceptance do not depend on your religion, your ethnicity or who you love. I am proud of that promise. But we must make it real for Jewish Australians, who belong here too. There have been Jews in this country since the First Fleet. Their contribution across our institutions and endeavours is boundless. They are our friends, our neighbours and our colleagues, yet many of them no longer feel safe or welcome. Security fences and guards around Jewish schools and synagogues are normalised. When I attended the bat mitzvahs of my school friends, we walked straight through the front door.”
“That is the modern Australian spirit, one of courage and care. I saw that care in the quiet procession of thousands of people—locals and people who had travelled for hours, schoolchildren, sports teams, people alone and in groups, people of all faiths—laying flowers to say: 'We are devastated too. You are not alone.' I saw the care in the Paddle Out of Thousands, with the beach lined by surf lifesavers, strangers hugging, and local businesses giving coffee to first responders and flowers to mourners. I saw the care in the tears and stories that we shared at the memorial and our mitzvas. I saw our kind, melting-pot Bondi community trying to process the destruction with care for one another.”
“I think of Boris and Sofia, a couple in their 60s who tried to stop the gunmen with their bare hands, whose courage leaves me in awe; of Reuven, who took on the terrorists only armed with a brick; of Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Syrian refugee who saved many lives by disarming one of the attackers; and of Chaya, a child herself, who put her body in front of other children. I think of so many who risked their lives to protect others: locals, surf lifesavers and guards, young CSG guards, police, first responders, Hatzolah and tireless healthcare workers. Some of those people are in the galleries here today. Thank you, each and every one of you, for what you did when it really mattered. Many recount the long-ago stories of Gallipoli as exemplifying the Australian spirit. I believe the stories of Sunday 14 December deserve to be cherished equally.”
“May their memories be a blessing. In the words of the poet Zelda: Each of us has a name given by God and given by our parents. As parents, we often name our children for our hopes. The hope for Australia captured in Matilda's name is heartbreaking. How badly we have let down her parents and her family. How badly Australia failed the Jewish community that day. When I think about the terrorists who attacked that Sunday, it's easy to despair. But then I think of the other stories of the day.”
“Cherished community member Edith Brutman; adventurous young traveller, Dan Elkayam; Boris Gurman and Sofia Gurman, who instinctively and courageously tried to stop this atrocity; Alex Kleytman, who survived the Holocaust but died in the country where he sought refuge; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, who chose a life of devotion; former police officer and community stalwart, Peter Meagher; Reuven Morrison, who lost his life courageously challenging the gunmen; caring grandmother Marika Pogany, who delivered meals to those in need; Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a giver, and someone I was lucky enough to know personally, whose goodness and warmth I experienced firsthand; Adam Smyth, a local father, husband and friend; Boris Tetleroyd, a gentle, much-loved man and gifted musician; Tania Tretiak, who died shielding a child from gunfire; Tibor Weitzen, a great-grandfather who gave out lollipops at Bondi Chabad; and, finally, 10-year-old Matilda Britvan, a light.”
“The question is who we become now—how we honour the memories of the 15 beautiful people we lost and how we honour and care for the dozens who are physically injured, the countless who can never forget the trauma and bloodshed of the day, and the families who will live with the scars forever. Every person we lost that day was a precious gift to their family and their community. Simple words are inadequate to express their light. But saying the names of those we have lost has a special place in Jewish culture. People are not gone if we continue to say their names and remember them. Rabbi Yossi Friedman tirelessly led the reading of names for 30 days at Bondi Beach, and I'll continue that here.”
“Bondi Beach was perfect that Sunday: hot, clear skies, cool waves and people excited for the coming holidays. Around the country, and especially in Wentworth, Jewish Australians were coming together for the start of Hanukkah. Chabad Bondi had celebrated Hannukah at Bondi Beach for years—a joyous, open celebration of music, face-painting, donuts, games and light. I left Bondi Beach with my family just an hour before the horror began. Sunday 14 December was one of the darkest days in modern Australia. One part of our community—Jewish Australians—was murderously targeted. It was an attack on them and an attack on our Australian values. Our country will never be the same, nor should it be.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Many constituents complain to me that question time is 'question time', not 'answer time'. That is driven by the standing orders that don't actually force real answers from the government. They say to me that it means that we don't hold the government to account in the same way that they expect us to in this House. I ask the Prime Minister: have you considered reforming question time to give a greater expectation of answers and a narrowing of relevance so we can get better answers in this House?”
“Only six per cent of statues in New South Wales are women and most of them, apparently, are royal women. It's important that trailblazing sportspeople like Pauline are also immortalised in our public spaces. This public statue has been a long time coming—not just for Pauline and her partner, Sam, but for the Pauline in Bronze campaign led by Christopher Nelius, who has been pushing tirelessly for this recognition for over five years. I want to thank the artist, Cathy Weiszmann, and Waverley Council for helping to secure this perfect location. I'm so proud that the Wentworth community and visitors alike will be able to see Pauline in her place overlooking Bondi, and I know her legacy will continue to live on in the dreams of the next generation of women surfers.”
“Last week, I was honoured to attend the unveiling of a bronze statue of Pauline Menczer, which overlooks the waves of Bondi Beach. Born and raised by the beach, Pauline is Bondi's only world champion surfer—winning the title in 1993. But her path to that achievement was far from smooth. Pauline told us at the unveiling about how she battled sexism, homophobia and debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, and, unlike her male counterparts, she received no sponsorship support. Her success is a testament to her extraordinary resilience and determination. She said, 'If you don't have sponsors, you can't offend them when you speak your mind.' Initially, Pauline didn't want a statue, but she was convinced to have one because she could see the role it would have in inspiring the next generation of female sportspeople.”
“Young people show that when they're trusted and heard, they can lead with courage, clarity and compassion, and that gives me great hope. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 16:09 to 16:20”
“One student said to the roundtable that 'it got me thinking about how we can solve these problems in our school and in our community.' Another said that the most powerful lesson was learning to step outside your own bubble and approach others with empathy. Rabbi Zalman Kastel, founder of Together for Humanity, noted the burden placed on young people who face racist jokes and reminded us that while they show great resilience they should not have to carry this responsibility alone. By the end of the session, the optimism in the room was clear. Students began imagining practical ways to build bridges, strengthen belonging and support young peers. Early next year, we'll bring them back together for a co-design for a shared initiative in 2026.”
“Students told us that learning how to disagree well is a skill they urgently need. One group from a faith based school described how eye-opening it was to learn about diversity within neighbouring schools, including active LGBTQIA+ groups and cultural clubs that helped students feel welcome. They reflected on how microaggressions affect not just the Jewish community but also Islamic students and people of different races and cultures and on how seeing other models of inclusions 'opened my eyes to how many different ways of belonging can be supported.' Another group said it was so rare to have the chance for deeper conversations with peers from different schools and social backgrounds.”
“That is what brought us to Wentworth's first student led social cohesion roundtable, hosted by Rose Bay Secondary College last week. School leaders emphasised that meaningful change must come from the ground up. As principal Cathy Archer said, 'We can talk a lot as school leaders, but if we want something meaningful to come out of this, we need to lead with the students.' The roundtable brought together 37 students and school leaders from nine public, private, independent, faith based and non-faith schools, supported by facilitators from Together for Humanity and the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies. Both organisations helped create a space where students felt safe to speak openly, disagree respectfully and explore how trust can even be built when views differ.”
“Australia's one of the most successful multicultural nations, and Wentworth reflects this richness in every one of our schools. Our students come from more than 100 cultural and linguist backgrounds, with the largest Jewish community in the country alongside a large LGBTQIA+ community and various multicultural and multifaith communities. But diversity alone does not guarantee belonging. In recent years, school leaders and students have raised concerns with me around exclusion, prejudice and rising antisemitism in particular against the Jewish community, as well as broader social pressures that our young people face. These concerns lead to ongoing discussions with principals throughout 2024 and 2025 which made clear that the next step had to be student led.”
“It needs to be reviewed, and the question of how we manage what has now turned into an enormous problem which is going to be extremely difficult and complicated to reverse—this is where this growth in excise has left us. I draw the government's attention to this in particular. They should be taking urgent action on this issue. Frankly, they have not done anywhere near enough.”
“Across Australia we've had more than 200 attacks since 2023, but the police tell me that they are simply not resourced to deal with this growing threat. I acknowledge that the government has already made some contributions to the issue, including contributions both this year and last year to step up funding for the Federal Police and the Australian Border Force. But the government is losing the war on this, and much more needs to be done. At the very minimum, I think the government needs to have an urgent parliamentary inquiry into what is needed to actually solve this issue. We should think about having three priorities for excise policy—public health and collecting revenue but also minimising criminal activity associated. At this stage, the current tobacco excise is failing at least two of these measures.”
“What that shows is that the consumption of legal tobacco fell 22 per cent, with wastewater indicating that this is just moving straight out of the legal tobacco and into illegal tobacco, which means that we are now missing around potentially up to one-fifth of our tobacco excise and we are fuelling, through this change, organised crime that is facilitating this trade in illegal tobacco. Consequently cigarette excise is in freefall, with economist Chris Richardson estimating that untaxed illegal cigarettes are costing the budget around $10 billion. Organised crime has grabbed the opportunity presented by illegal tobacco leading to a surge in arson attacks and violence for the control of a growing and highly lucrative market.”
“There is a perfectly sound reason for having a tobacco excise tax, as my economics 101 lecturer would tell me. We want price externalities and to discourage harmful behaviours. For the most part, our tobacco policy has served public health and public finance well. But we've hit an inflection point. The growing disparity between the prices of legal and illegal cigarettes has created a lucrative and largely unenforced black market, which is proving counterproductive to both health and the budget, not to mention the impact it is having on driving organised crime. The consumption of legal tobacco apparently fell by 22 per cent last year. That is frankly unbelievable and is in contradiction to wastewater testing.”