Mary Aldred
Monash · Liberal Party · Australia
“It's a privilege to rise for my 100th contribution to this place. In doing so, I want to address a barbeque-stopper of a conversation topic in my electorate of Monash, and that is homeownership. I'm deeply concerned. Building approvals dropped in May for the third consecutive month. This is an impact of the budget's housing tax changes.”
“You can measure the budget deficit of this government in numbers, but nothing compares to the deficit of trust it has created in Australia. We need to unlock supply and enable local infrastructure like Weebar Road in Drouin, in my electorate of Monash, which I've been fighting very hard for.”
“This Friday is 3 July, and it is the 12-month anniversary of the swearing-in of the class of 2025. It is a momentous occasion for that class among us.”
“I've got a constituent right now who's living with her abuser in fear because leaving means she will be separated from her special needs son and pets, and she cannot afford to move out. There are a couple living in a tent in a stranger's driveway in my electorate, and they cannot afford anywhere to rent on their $450-per-week budget.”
“Our wonderful CFA volunteers in Victoria answer the call in the middle of the night and step away from their work in the middle of the day to protect our community year round. As the daughter of someone who was a CFA volunteer, I know this very well.”
“For all the smirking and the back-patting and the preening that this prime minister carries on with, Australians right now deserve so much better from their government. Look at health.”
The complete record
Every one of 624 lines we hold for Mary Aldred, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 13.
“Farmers and small businesses understand risk. They live with risk every day. Markets, fuel prices, labour shortages and rising costs are all part of their lives. What they should not have to contend with is uncertainty created by their own government. Regional Australia does not need more complexity. It does not need more paperwork. It does not need more reasons for investment decisions to be delayed and undermined. It needs confidence. It needs stability. It needs a government that understands that every decision made in this place eventually lands on the kitchen table of every Australian family. The coalition believes there's a better way. We believe aspiration should be encouraged not punished. We believe family businesses should be supported not burdened.”
“At a time when confidence should be encouraged, this government is creating more doubt. At a time when investment should be rewarded, this government is creating more hesitation, and, at a time when Australia should be backing the people who produce, build and create, this government is making it harder for them to plan for a future ahead. What concerns me most is the signal this sends to younger Australians, particularly in our regional communities. We hear speeches in this place about innovation. We hear speeches about backing aspiration. But what message is this Labor government sending when every time someone works hard, takes a risk, builds a business or creates wealth the government's first instinct is to look for another way to tax it. The people I represent do not expect success to be easy.”
“Meanwhile, one regional accounting practice has had 150 calls from those clients about those 50 promises. If that doesn't tell you who Australians are believing, I don't know what does. They want to know that, if they work hard, invest in their business, employ local people, play by the rules, those rules won't suddenly change underneath them halfway through the game. The reality is that regional Australia is already carrying a very heavy load under this Labor government. Farmers are dealing with rising input costs. Small businesses are dealing with higher energy prices. Transport operators are facing increased operating expenses. Manufacturers are battling with red tape and global competition. Many family businesses are still recovering from years of economic uncertainty.”
“If this is what is happening in one country town in my electorate of Monash, it is happening in farming communities and regional centres right across Australia. For many people in my electorate, this debate is not about tax law. It is about whether decades of hard work can be passed on to the next generation. It is about conversations around the kitchen table. It is about whether a son or a daughter can afford to come home to the farm. It is about whether a family business stays in local hands or is eventually sold off because the costs and complexity are just too much, and that is why so many people are worried. They are not asking for special treatment. They are not asking for loopholes. They are not asking for favours. They just want a fair go. The Prime Minister said 'no new taxes' more than 50 times. He told us himself.”
“Why is this Labor government making life harder for the very people who produce our food, create local jobs and keep local communities strong? The local accountant's assessment was blunt. The proposed changes to trust taxation will force many small businesses and primary producers to consider expensive restructures. These are businesses that have followed the rules, businesses that have already adapted to previous ATO changes and businesses that simply want certainty so they can focus on growing food, employing local people and investing in our regional communities. When one regional accounting practice is reporting 150 clients in a state of genuine distress, this Labor government should be paying attention.”
“Every Australian relies on farmers every single day for the milk on the breakfast table, the cheese in a sandwich, the steak on a dinner plate and the fruit, vegies and grains that feed this nation. So governments that make it harder for farming families to invest, grow and plan for their future are not just affecting farmers; they are affecting the very people who produce the food and fibre that every Australian across this nation depends on. If farming families cannot remain viable, a simple question follows: where does your dinner come from for tonight? Why is the government making it harder to run a family business in Australia? Why are families who have spent a lifetime building a business now facing uncertainty about how they will pass it on to the next generation?”
“Where I come from, our towns revolve around the dairy industry. In parts of my electorate, there are around seven dairy cows for every one person. That industry is the economic heartbeat of our communities. The local machinery dealer depends on it. The local stock agent depends on it. The accountant, the veterinarian, the transport operator, the local cafe, the retail store and the sporting clubs all depend on our local dairy industry. When our farmers are strong, our towns are strong. I always say healthy local businesses sustain healthy regional communities. But, when our farmers struggle, entire communities feel that impact. Without a viable farming industry, many of our regional towns simply wouldn't exist in the form we know them today. They would be shadows of themselves. Let us not forget what is really at stake here.”
“Many of these businesses operate through family trusts not because they're looking for loopholes but because family trusts have long been a legitimate and practical structure for succession planning, asset protection and the transfer of businesses from one generation to the next. These are mums and dads who have spent decades building something they hope to pass on to their children. Long may the family farming model continue in this country; its greatest threat is this Albanese Labor government. These are family farms trying to ensure that the next generation has an opportunity to continue that family enterprise. They're farming families trying to ensure their businesses remain viable not just for themselves but for the wider community and our nation, which depends on their success.”
“For the past three weeks, their days have been consumed by calls from concerned clients looking for the answers, reassurance and certainty that the government has failed to provide. This is not a practice serving multinational corporations or wealthy inner city investors. Their clients are dairy farmers producing milk for Australian families, beef producers feeding our families, contractors, transport operators and small-business owners who keep Australia running. The accounting practice states that, across the practice, around 150 clients have raised concerns or requested advice. Many of them are worried that changes to trusts and capital gains tax could fundamentally alter the way their family businesses and farming enterprises operate.”
“I rise today to speak on behalf of the small businesses, the family farmers and the regional communities who are about to be caught in the blast radius of Labor's latest tax changes. While those opposite try to dress this up as tax reform, people in the real world see it for what it is. This is a government that promised certainty, delivered confusion and has become known for its backflips and broken promises. Accountants across this country are dealing with something very different. Right now, they are not preparing for tax time. They are managing panic. An accounting practice in my electorate told me yesterday that they have never seen anything quite like it.”
“I have serious concerns about the misuse of connected vehicles in domestic-violence perpetration and the breaching of consumer data and privacy, so my question to the minister is: after years of public warnings from national security advisers about concerns around privacy and consumer data, why does the Australian government not have a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework to protect Australia and Australians against these known threats?”
“The Australian Signals Directorate has an advice book urging consumers to note the risks of information collected in connected vehicles via text messages and the like. I think it would be prudent for politicians to take that advice. Smart vehicles are equipped with hundreds or even thousands of sensors that collect real-time information on vehicle status, road conditions, passenger behaviours, geolocation, voice recordings and facial imprints. I note that, in 2024, in a Senate estimates hearing, department officials confirmed that they were still working on connected-vehicle privacy settings. I'd also reiterate the Australian privacy commissioner's warnings in this regard.”
“The privacy commissioner gave a clear and public warning over a year ago now that Australia's privacy protections for consumers in the area of connected cars were simply not up to scratch. The government is years behind other countries, particularly our security partners, in stepping up to protect consumer privacy, especially where a known risk of the misuse of biometric information like voice recognition and health data is domestic-violence-offending. I note that the US trade commission has already announced action against the selling of data, including geolocation information, to third parties without the knowledge or consent of consumers. The fact that the former US Biden administration is still years ahead of where the Albanese government is on recognising the risks and setting an appropriate regulatory regime is a matter of concern.”
“The policy debate in Australia has shifted from whether illicit tobacco is a problem to what combination of excise, retail regulation, intelligence, law enforcement and public health measures can realistically shrink this illicit market. So my question to the minister is: why, when the government claims to be investing record amounts into investigation and enforcement activities through this portfolio, is the tobacco black market continuing to grow out of control, putting the lives of Australians at risk every day? The second issue I wish to raise is connected vehicles coming into Australia. All of these relate to electric vehicles, and many new combustion engine cars have the same capabilities. There is a custom-made ship that has just brought thousands of BYD cars to Australia, with communications systems manufactured by Huawei.”
“Since 2023, there have been over 200 firebombings, many in my home state of Victoria, and there is a clear link between the illicit trade and organised crime—even terrorist activities, in some instances. At the same time, enforcement activity has reached record levels without yet reversing the trend. The Australian Border Force reported 23,097 illicit-tobacco detections in the 2024-25 period, seizing nearly 2½ billion cigarette sticks and over 435,000 tonnes of loose-leaf tobacco, but also stated plainly: … we can't seize this problem away. Enforcement at the border … must complement education, health, domestic enforcement and compliance.”
“Australia is in the grip of an illegal tobacco crisis. The problem of illicit tobacco has moved well beyond a revenue loss issue and is now being described by Commonwealth agencies as a public health, community safety and organised crime problem. It is putting at risk the lives of everyday Australians who go about their work, business and family lives. The Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner says illicit tobacco and vapes are a serious and growing threat to public health, community safety and the economy, while the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Institute of Criminology have reported that, in the period of 2023 to 2024, illicit tobacco alone cost Australia $4 billion, a fourfold increase over three years.”
“That's why I believe working with the private sector for private-sector investment and looking at a gas fired peaking station in the Latrobe Valley will support energy security, energy reliability, jobs and industry.”
“Gas fired power can start quickly, respond to sudden changes in demand and provide the firming capacity required to support intermittent renewable generation. It is a perfect backup. The Latrobe Valley is uniquely positioned to deliver this future. Our region already possesses a highly skilled, highly trained workforce, transmission infrastructure, industrial capacity and the energy expertise to support new gas generation projects. Coal fired generation will be retired over the next couple of decades. I'm desperately worried that, in two years time, Victoria will be losing 22 per cent of its baseload energy capacity with the closure of Yallourn, which the Victorian energy minister has not taken into account at all, in terms of replacement capacity.”
“In an increasingly uncertain world, we cannot afford to become dependent on overseas jurisdictions for the storage, processing and security of our own data. Retaining Australian data within our borders strengthens our sovereignty, protects sensitive information and ensures that critical digital infrastructure remains under Australian control. Data centres require one thing above all else and that is reliable, around-the-clock power. That is why gas fired generation has an essential role to play in Australia's energy mix. While renewable energy is one part of the system, the reality is that, when the sun doesn't shine and when the wind doesn't blow, you still need 24-hour dispatchable power. Gas provides that reliability.”
“I give my thanks to those men and women who have worked so hard over many decades. Victoria's electricity demand is not falling. It is, in fact, growing rapidly. The rise of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, advanced manufacturing and data centres is driving unprecedented demand for reliable electricity. Data centres are critical infrastructure that supports everything from banking, cybersecurity and telecommunications to health care, defence and government services. It is important that Australia keeps up and doesn't get left behind. Data centres are also particularly energy hungry. There are a number of compelling national security reasons Australia should be encouraging the construction of more data centres on our own soil.”
“I know the minister has championed the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain Project, which is of strategic significance between Australia and Japan and which also goes to the heart of sovereign capability challenges around fertiliser and other by-products that the Latrobe Valley can bring about. I'm most interested in our gas resources. Gas is a very important feedstock for businesses. It is also a very important fuel stock for businesses like food manufacturers who cannot electrify their processes for a variety of reasons. The Latrobe Valley has powered Victoria for generations. Those hardworking men and women in the valley have kept our lights on in Victoria, kept our industries running and kept our economy moving despite the best efforts of the Victorian Labor government.”
“In the Latrobe Valley, my friend and colleague the member for Gippsland has what were four but now are three coal fired power stations in his electorate, but I am very proud and privileged to do my best job up here on behalf of the many people who work in those power stations. We have, of course, Loy Yang A, Loy Yang B and Yallourn. Previously, we had Hazelwood. In the Latrobe Valley, on current usage rates, we've got 500 years of brown coal resources. It's the largest single deposit of brown coal in the Southern Hemisphere. I'm very keen for that resource not to be left stranded beneath the earth but to continue for important projects.”
“The 2026-27 budget confirms the federal government is spending over $14 billion on its program Strengthening Australia's Fuel Resilience. My interest and question to the minister is: how much of this is going to support gas security? I'm interested in the minister's explanation of how this spend will allow for continued development of gas availability. I'm very pleased that Minister King is in the chamber for my contribution. I have a high regard for the minister. I cannot say the same for her Victorian counterpart, the energy minister, who has done untold damage to jobs and economic security in the Latrobe Valley. It is a point of interest for me in my contribution today because I'm proud to represent people who grow, make and manufacture things in my region that the rest of Australia relies on.”
“Lucas Baird, in the Australian Financial Review , has shone a light on the super sector, and I commend that. But I want to say to the government: we've well and truly waited enough; it is time to get on with it.”
“It was around the time when complaints to the ombudsman tripled, and we're not talking about a couple of cases. Over 4,000 Australians are waiting up to four years to access their own money. The government said they'd look at the issue of mandatory minimum timeframes on death benefit payouts. That was nearly 1½ years ago. It must act. The evidence is overwhelming. ASIC's claims handling review has released a landmark report that says that 78 per cent of reviewed death benefit claim files were delayed by processing issues. That is not good enough. Under current superannuation law, a fund may be required to pay death benefits to a person who used family and domestic violence against the deceased. That is desperately cruel, it is wrong, it is unfair, and I say from this federal parliament that needs to change.”
“Another point I wish to make briefly is about the mandatory minimum payout terms for superannuation death benefits, because some superannuation giants are taking the absolute micky. I've worked with a number of constituents to help get them their money. It's their money. It's not the superannuation giants' money to muck around with and keep. Many of these constituents are older women, having gone through the profound grief of losing their spouse, that are put through every obfuscating obstacle to get what is theirs. ASIC, the regulator, says that payments should be made 'as soon as practicable'. In other words, there is no mandatory minimum timeframe on which death benefits can be paid out. A few years ago there was a light handed, industry led code of conduct implemented.”
“Ben Bennett from Australian Dairy Farmers says: Dairy country is not easily replaced. Australia already has comparatively limited areas capable of supporting intensive food production systems such as dairy … He went on to say: Once productive farming systems are fragmented or permanently changed, rebuilding that productive capacity elsewhere is extremely difficult. Making that land available that is special and unique for intensive agriculture is important. I think we should be having a national conversation about this because, as I said, food security is national security. A number of constituents have raised this with me and have asked for assistance and representation. Again, I'll be working with Wayne Farnham, the member for Narracan, and standing up for our local community.”
“On the topic of sovereign capability, I want to raise the issue of the continued encroachment upon prime agricultural farmland from renewable energy projects that should not be in those spaces. Community members in these areas have no issue with renewable energy technology on the whole, but they do have an issue with the complete lack of social licence and the further encroachment on prime agricultural farmland. It's a real issue in Victoria. The Australian Dairy Farmers, the peak body, have warned about the overlap of these projects. There's about 1.8 million hectares zoned for these projects in Victoria. Food security is national security, and in places like West Gippsland, where you've got prime horticultural and dairy country, that should be preserved for those purposes.”
“With significant housing targets, we need timber as an available, renewable and sustainable resource for home builds. So, in the infinite wisdom of the Victorian government, they haven't just killed off jobs; they've limited supply, they've brought in blood timber and they've jeopardised our sovereign capability. Fertiliser is another example. We could've been making more of it in Victoria. The Latrobe Valley has got the largest single deposit of brown coal in the Southern Hemisphere, and that coal-to-fertiliser project that was proposed is now up and running in New Zealand. It's a terrible indictment on Australia's sovereign investment reputation and it's a shocking outcome for regional jobs.”
“A case in point this week is an article by Matthew Knott in the Age about the import of Russian hardwood timber via third-party countries to help circumvent the high tariffs put in place following the invasion of Ukraine. You might ask why we need to import hardwood timber when we've got an abundance of hardwood forests here, right across Australia, particularly in my home state of Victoria. The Victorian Labor government is the answer. They've effectively shut the native timber industry in my state. We're talking about timber that on an 80-year rotation is harvested and replanted. In Victoria, you're talking about six per cent of the entire forest estate, so when you're looking at harvesting that it's really one-eightieth of six per cent. Timber is the ultimate renewable because it can be replanted.”
“A new West Gippsland hospital should be a tertiary hospital. It should be a teaching hospital—I believe that passionately—and that means the federal government should be looking to have a conversation with the state government on block funding. I'd be very interested to know if any request from the Victorian state government has been made. I think I know the answer. Drouin is the fastest-growing town in West Gippsland, and Weebar Road is a classic example of infrastructure not keeping pace with population growth. I'm passionate about getting this fixed. My state colleague Wayne Farnham and I are doing everything we can to get this funded, and we won't stop until it's delivered. I'd like to talk about sovereign capability in this country.”
“It's hurting our entire economy. I want to say to the cafe owners, the mechanics, the farmers and the retail shop owners in my electorate: I'm there for you. The coalition is there for you, and we will stand up against state and federal Labor governments trying to punish you. I want to speak again about the West Gippsland Hospital. In October 2022, then premier Daniel Andrews pledged up to $675 million for a new West Gippsland hospital, telling our community the project had been 'costed, planned and funded'. Construction was meant to start in 2024. Patients were supposed to be in the new hospital by 2029. Four years on, not even a single brick has been laid. The latest state budget delivered only a fraction of the original commitment, with no funds to start construction. That is an absolute broken promise.”
“Payday super starts on 1 July, and many small businesses are not prepared, not because they don't know it's coming but because their cash flow is already seriously impacted and they are in dire straits. In Victoria, on many metrics, it's worse than it is in other states across Australia. The Victorian Labor government, who cannot control their spending, are raking in money through the punitive payroll tax and land tax on top of rising energy costs. I always say that payroll tax is a tax on jobs, and it's why businesses are really struggling. There's a genuine fear that many large international employers in Victoria will close their operations and move either interstate or offshore completely. That's not helping Australian workers. It's not helping small businesses who rely on those larger organisations for contracts.”
“The economic stress that we're seeing around Australia is being felt in every country town and regional town. More than ever, clients of bookkeepers are requesting payment plans from the ATO to spread their BAS payments, due to bill shock. In one instance, a dairy farmer in my electorate, wanting to amend their payment plan with the ATO, was knocked back because 'struggling with cash flow' was not a good-enough reason. Well, I say to the ATO: that's not good enough, and it goes against the fanfare of the government's media release only a month or so ago. The ATO's message is that they will be lenient on small business, but the lived experience of struggling small businesses, certainly in my electorate, is that they are being anything but.”
“They know what is going on. A local bookkeeper said to me over the weekend: Small business are hurting. The official figures might not show it yet, but we are living in a recession and have been since Labor took power. Most of my clients are feeling the stress and have had enough. Small businesses are looking to sell. They have resolved that, if they can't sell before the lease on their shop or factory is due for renewal, they won't be signing a new lease. Instead, they'll be looking, in many cases, to close their business or move it online permanently, operating from a shed or from home. You can think of a florist in a town who's already had to put off her staff because customers are being more careful with their discretionary spending.”
“Back in April, we had a joint media release from the Treasurer and the Minister for Small Business announcing with much fanfare that small businesses under stress because of the fuel crisis would be shown leniency from the Australian Taxation Office. Admittedly, a lot of these announcements shifted the responsibility to industry bodies and regulatory bodies to action, but the media release did say that the ATO would play a role in facilitating leniency and compassion to stressed small businesses. It is not what the sentiment is on the ground. This is not the case. Bookkeepers in my electorate are at the coalface of small-business sentiment. They prepare the invoices, they've got real-time understanding of the P&Ls of many small businesses and they know the debtors-and-creditors lists like the backs of their hands.”
“I want to say to the people of Wonthaggi and to the communities right across the Bass Coast: I will stand up and fight for manufacturing businesses to be able to grow and develop in our region. It's really important. I want to stand up for blue-collar workers. I'm very proud of the products and services that you provide to our regions. The coalition will back you. I will back you. You deserve better.”
“For decades, cyclone shovels and tools have been made in Wonthaggi, and those products have been used in gardens, farms and work sites right across Australia. At its peak, the factory employed around 200 people and became an important source of employment for the town, particularly following the closure of the state coalmine back in 1968. It is an example of how the cost of energy, the cost of doing business and the cost of making and manufacturing things in Victoria and Australia right now are just becoming too much for so many businesses. Victoria was built as a manufacturing state. Businesses like Cyclone Tools have proudly contributed to the history and legacy of manufacturing in Victoria. We should be making more things in Victoria and across Australia. I'm really sad to see this business close its doors.”
“At that business breakfast, those small-business owners shared with me their pain and the fact that they are running on financial and mental reserves right now, grappling with the federal budget. We had broken promises on capital gains tax, negative gearing and family trusts, and that is being felt very acutely in the Latrobe Valley by small-business owners. I want to thank those small-business people for sharing their feedback, ideas, challenges, hopes and aspirations for a better Gippsland region and a brighter future for Australia. I also want to recognise that this week our community learned that the 75-year-old Cyclone Tools factory in Wonthaggi will be closing its doors in October, ending an era of local manufacturing and costing 15 local workers their jobs.”
“I'm proud to represent the Latrobe Valley in this federal parliament, and it's a privilege I share with the great member for Gippsland, my friend and colleague. We are both passionate about standing up for the Latrobe Valley. People across Victoria owe the Latrobe Valley a debt of gratitude. The Latrobe Valley has helped set up Victoria as a manufacturing state, and it keeps our lights on today. I was very privileged recently to speak at the Latrobe City Business Chamber following the federal budget. In the Latrobe Valley we have a quantum of heavy industry, but also an ecosystem of small to medium enterprises. I'm proud to represent people who make things with their hands and spend long hours on their feet. We make world-beating product made by world-leading people in the Latrobe Valley.”
“At a time when cost-of-living pressures are already placing a massive strain on households and businesses and when stability in major regional industries is unsure, legislation like this does matter. It doesn't mean ignoring change or pretending that industries don't evolve over time, but it does mean recognising and respecting the contribution that coal workers and coal communities have made and continue to make to this country. It means ensuring that workers who have spent decades contributing to these industries are treated fairly and have confidence in the systems designed to protect their entitlements. It strengthens the Coal Long Service Leave Scheme, protects workers' accrued long service leave hours and provides businesses with a realistic pathway to compliance. That is why I support this legislation.”
“It recognises that retrospective liabilities can create enormous commercial pressure. It recognises that insolvencies would help no-one—no-one in those regional communities, none of the workers, none of the associated small businesses and certainly not Australia's sovereign investment reputation internationally or any of those country towns that still very much rely on those businesses. It recognises that workers lose when businesses collapse. And it recognises that protecting entitlements and protecting jobs must go hand in hand. Australia's black-coal industry continues to play a significant role in our national economy. It supports tens of thousands of direct jobs and many thousands more indirectly. It contributes export income, regional investment and economic activity that many communities rely upon.”
“It's about ensuring that workers' entitlements remain secure while also ensuring businesses remain operational and communities remain economically stable. The Australian Industry Group has acknowledged that many businesses would be facing hardship and potential insolvency if historical levy debts had to be paid immediately. Importantly, they recognised that this bill needed to strike a balance among the interests of workers, the interests of employers and the long-term sustainability of the scheme. I would add to that our broader economic needs and imperatives which go into big decisions like this. That balance matters. Good legislation is rarely about ideological slogans. Good legislation is about practical problem solving. This bill represents the best elements of some of those goals around practical problem solving.”
“It's not just confined to the power sector. I know that, for example, there are many outage workers that go between the power stations and Opal Australian Paper's pulp mill doing outage work. If you take one of those out of the region, you disrupt that whole broader economy of SME businesses and contractors who bring highly skilled, highly paid jobs and discretionary income to those communities. It's not isolated just to energy and coal. We've seen that with the timber industry as well and the devastating impact that the Victorian state Labor government have had by closing the native hardwood timber industry in regions like mine. When uncertainty hits the industry, the effects are felt far beyond the mine gate. That's why legislation like this matters.”
“There's a great sense of pride and responsibility about the contribution that generations through those families make. In regional Australia, industries like coal are not just economic sectors; they underpin entire local economies. They support cafes, mechanics, sporting clubs, schools, community groups and small businesses. A few years ago, when I was CEO of the Committee for Gippsland, I actually did a study of the small to medium enterprises attached to just one power station. I came up with a list of about 250 small businesses in the Latrobe Valley, from the car dealership to the newsagent that would sell newspapers to the tea room every day, the dry cleaner and the local sandwich shop that would do catering. All of those small businesses are connected to that broader quantum of larger industry.”
“Whether it's underground miners in black coal regions or workers operating in massive open-cut mines and generation assets like in the Latrobe Valley, these industries have always depended on hardworking, highly skilled Australians willing to undertake difficult jobs in challenging circumstances, and those workers deserve respect. They deserve support. There are communities where generations of Australians have worked shifts through nights, weekends and public holidays to ensure homes have electricity, industries have power and businesses can operate. I know there's that sense of pride in the Latrobe Valley, where there are generations of workers in one family. I was talking to someone who is now working in one of the power stations. Her dad worked at the same power station.”
“When we talk about coal regions, it's impossible not to reflect on regions like mine in the Latrobe Valley, the Hunter region and many other regions that are proud to support the ability to grow, make and manufacture things the broader Australian economy relies on. For more than a century, the Latrobe Valley has powered our state, and I know the same can be said for other regional communities across New South Wales, Queensland and previously South Australia. The discovery and expansion of that resource has transformed our economy and many other economies across Australia. Mining and energy generation involves physically demanding, highly skilled and often dangerous work.”
“Portable long service leave recognises that the contribution is to the industry itself, not simply to one company, and it acknowledges the reality of life in mining communities and the unique nature of the workforce. The Coal Long Service Leave Scheme has a long history in Australia. It was established in 1949 and has been supported through Commonwealth legislation since 1992. Today, this scheme holds more than 71 million hours of long service leave on behalf of over 160,000 employees, including more than 65,000 active workers currently employed in the industry. That is a substantial national system supporting workers across Australia's coal regions.”
“Importantly, the government has also confirmed that the Coal Long Service Leave Scheme is well placed to absorb these waivers without affecting levy rates or undermining the integrity of the scheme itself. Long service leave in the coal industry exists for a reason. Mining is not an industry where people necessarily spend an entire career with one employer, although in my region they often do. Again, I want to pay my deep respects to and acknowledge the many workers in the Latrobe Valley power stations who have started at one power station and moved to another power station or stayed with that one power station for their entire career. They are proud of what they do. They are proud of the contribution that they make, and that deserves the greatest respect.”
“This bill seeks to strike an appropriate balance. It protects workers and preserves entitlements while recognising the commercial realities faced by employers dealing with those liabilities that were never intentionally avoided. Under the bill, repayment arrangements can be staged over six years and employers who repay 80 per cent of their liability may receive a 20 per cent waiver. It's a sensible framework, and, given the diversity of investment within our energy sector and the coal industry, ensuring Australia's sovereign reputation as a safe, secure and stable place to invest is a very important imperative for all of us in this place. It allows businesses to remain viable, continue employing workers and continue contributing to regional economies while still ensuring those obligations are met.”