Ash Ambihaipahar
Barton · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“They enable earlier, more effective information-sharing to support continuity of care, proactive outreach and smoother transition arrangements, including the earlier transfer of relevant information from Defence to DVA so that claims are processed faster, compensation reaches people sooner and individuals identified as being at increased…”
“Care is not yielding; care is valued work, and we are building a system that treats it that way. He speaks of the social conditions for hope. For too many Australians, homeownership has become a source of despair, rather than aspiration. First home buyers can access a five per cent deposit.”
“It is part of the Albanese Labor government's ongoing, deliberate work to implement the findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide—a royal commission this government called for while it was in opposition, because we understood that the scale of veteran suicide in this country demanded more than sympathy.”
“When Pope Leo warns against systems that reduce the person to an algorithm, this Labor government answers, 'Not here—not on our watch.' This letter speaks of the value of work not merely as economic activity but as an expression of human dignity. Catholic social teaching has always held that a fair day's work demands a fair day's pay.”
“Pope Leo also wrote that technology must serve human people, not shape them. Labor's reform, Australia's social media ban for under-16-year-olds, says the same thing in the language of legislation—that no algorithm should be permitted to interrupt a child's becoming.”
“But I want to highlight to this House that progress is not the same as completion, and the work does not end with the passage of this legislation. The health and wellbeing of our defence personnel, our veterans and their families must remain a standing priority of this parliament, not fleeting.”
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“The cost of living is front and centre in every conversation around the kitchen table, and healthcare costs—in particular, the cost of medicines—are one of the sharpest pain points for my community in Barton. No Australian should have to gamble with their health because of the cost of medicine. This bill is about ending those impossible choices and restoring dignity to Australians. We have changed for the better as a nation and the St George area is a proud reflection of the vibrant and multicultural society we call home. But there are some things that have remained the same, and we should be very proud of them too. Labor's commitment to affordable, equitable health care is one of these things. Medicare is truly Australian. The little green card represents the right that everyone has to see a doctor and access medicine when we need it.”
“During my time at St Vincent de Paul Society New South Wales I was looking after a broad area of New South Wales, with an amazing team of staff and volunteers, running Vinnies support centres and vans and also talking directly with my community. Many people make impossible choices, between paying for medication or paying their electricity bill, between putting food on the table and buying asthma medication for children. I think of a young mother from Hurstville who skips her own medication so she can afford antibiotics when her child gets sick or the pensioner from Beverly Hills who told me she would space out her medication, by taking it every second day instead of daily, just to manage her expenses. We cannot ignore the pressures Australian households are under.”
“I rise today to speak in strong support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This is not just a piece of legislation. It is, absolutely, a lifeline for millions of Australians. It goes to the heart of what we stand for as a Labor government: fairness, dignity and health equity. When I stood up in parliament for the first time, I used some of my speech to reflect on the history of the seat of Barton and its namesake. Barton is home to working families juggling bills, pensioners who've contributed a lifetime to this country, and migrants and multicultural communities who often face higher health burdens. One thing I hear from them constantly is that the cost of medicines matters to them.”
“But, because I was a practising solicitor, our bank lowered the required deposit from 20 per cent to 10 per cent and waived the mortgage insurance. Without this, we simply would not have been able to purchase our first home and begin our lives together. So, whilst the coalition would like to act like this policy is a far-flung, fanciful idea to benefit the rich, as they were saying this morning, a very similar policy helped me and my husband enter the market. I was lucky at that time to have our deposit lowered because I was a solicitor and purchasing in a hard environment to save, and now it is harder. You should not— (Time expired)”
“Housing is the biggest issue in Barton and across the country. Labor has a vision to ensure that we address this issue head on and deliver, especially for our young people finding it hard to get their foot in the door. There is a multilevered approach to address housing, and Labor's announcement to fast-track the five per cent deposit is huge. This was to be introduced in January next year, but it has been fast-tracked to October this year because first home buyers need help right now. There are young people all over Barton carefully saving for a deposit. I remember that, when I first moved out of home, I rented a tiny unit in South Hurstville, and I was working full-time and also studying, carefully putting my savings aside each week. My partner, now my husband, was also doing the same, and we did not have the help of our parents.”
“To all those people I spoke to at their doorsteps, this is the work that is supporting you and helping you get ahead, and this is only the beginning. We are breaking barriers in leadership here in Australia. Now we have a gender-equal parliament for the first time in history, with Labor women driving their achievements. We also have a gender-equal cabinet, with 12 of 23 ministers being women. This is not symbolic; it is structural change. Let me be very clear: economic equality for women is not a side issue. It's not an afterthought. It is core nation-building work.”
“We've made gender equality an object of the Fair Work Act, we've required large employers to report their gender pay gaps and we're funding the Fair Work Commission to fix undervaluation in women-dominated industries. We're not stopping there. We're investing in women's futures through fee-free TAFE, through practical placement payments for teaching, nursing and midwifery and social work students, and by cutting and reforming HECS and HELP debts, which disproportionately impacts women, who hold almost 60 per cent of student debt. Women's health is front and centre too. This government invested $792 million in women's health, open 22 dedicated endometriosis clinics, expanded care for menopause and tripled the bulk-billing incentives. Do you know why? Because women's health should never be treated as an afterthought.”
“I did that because I know that the conversations that dominate the media cycle here in Canberra and in the papers in Sydney are not necessarily the conversations that are happening around the dinner tables in Earlwood and Wolli Creek. Instead, parents wanted to talk about pay rises, the changes to early education and access to health care. Mums wanted to know how our government was supporting them and their family. Students wanted to know that their work would be rewarded once they finish their studies. The results speak for themselves: under Labor the gender pay gap is at record lows of just 11.9 per cent; women are earning $217 more per week than in May 2022; and women's workforce participation is at record highs of 63.4 per cent, with more than 600,000 new jobs for women created since Labor came to office.”
“We are absolutely rewriting the story of care in this country. We are expanding paid parental leave to six months by 2026, paying super on that leave from July this year and investing $1 billion to build more childcare centres. These changes mean families will be almost $12,000 better off than they were before Labor's reforms. We're also delivering on long-overdue pay rises in aged care and early childhood education, which are industries overwhelmingly dominated by women, and we extended the parenting payment until the child turns 14, supporting single mums to stay afloat. During the last federal election campaign I doorknocked the entire electorate of Barton.”
“We rely on them to keep our community safe, healthy and educated. There are more than 8,000 households relying on them to keep food on the table. One of the first things I did as the member for Barton was visit some of these workers in training at Kogarah TAFE alongside Minister Giles. We visited three classes, the majority of which were filled with women and who were all taught by women. They had already begun their placements at St George Hospital and were eager to join local health services full time. One young student, Quinn, told me how excited they were to start work so they could give back to the community that had already given so much to them. These are the people benefiting from our work in this House—generous, kind, tough and diligent women in Barton. It is far overdue that we celebrate, protect and support their work.”
“When women thrive, Australia thrives, and that has always been Labor's vision. Under this Albanese Labor government we are making historic investments to deliver real economic equality for Australian women. For too long, women have been left behind in our economy, being underpaid, undervalued and unsupported, but change is happening. It's happening because this Albanese Labor government believes that every woman deserves safety, security, opportunity and a fair share in our nation's prosperity. More than 8,000 community and personal service workers call Barton home. We know a larger share of these workers are women. They are nurses in our hospitals, caring for our elderly relatives in aged-care homes, supporting at-risk youth as social workers, and teaching our kids in early child care.”
“Rents are climbing, and our social housing waitlists are growing. That's why the work we are doing right now, like the development project in Arncliffe with the New South Wales Labor government, is not just helpful but essential. Housing is not an economic issue at all; it's absolutely a human one.”
“We're tackling the crisis with a $43 billion plan to make it easier to buy and better to rent and build more homes. In the ambit of building, we're starting the largest housing build in Australian history: 1.2 million new homes across the country; 55,000 social and affordable rentals; 100,000 homes reserved for first home buyers, not property investors; and 28,000 social and affordable homes in planning and construction. We've also committed $54 million to accelerate housing supply through innovative construction methods like prefabricated and modular homes because it shouldn't take longer to approve a home than to build it. We're streamlining processes, we're strengthening supply chains and we're creating local jobs while we do it. In Barton, the pressure is relentless. The cost of living is an absolute issue.”
“Over 800 locals have been supported into homeownership through Labor's expanded Home Guarantee Scheme, because a five per cent deposit should not be a barrier to owning a home. Over 200 construction workers are being trained locally because building homes also builds opportunities. Nearly 400 new social and affordable homes are underway in Arncliffe thanks to the Housing Australia Future Fund. An additional 17 social homes have been delivered in Bayside and Georges River, two LGAs in my electorate, through the Social Housing Accelerator, and more than 7,000 Barton residents are benefitting from the back-to-back increases in Commonwealth rental assistance. Labor's response is bold and comprehensive, and it is absolutely grounded in value.”
“Under the Albanese Labor government, we are delivering the largest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade, and we're doing it shoulder to shoulder with state, territory and local governments because solving this crisis requires all hands on deck. I particularly want to acknowledge the Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Cities for her tireless leadership and for also visiting Arncliffe, in my electorate, to see firsthand one of our major housing projects. That development is not just about the building itself; it's also about creating a community and a sense of belonging. It's also about showing what's possible when every level of government works together with one shared belief that housing is not a privilege; it is absolutely a right. We are delivering in Barton.”
“I was seeing faces of pensioners, in particular, who were having to skip meals to keep a roof over their head and sitting with families facing eviction, women fleeing violence and people forced to sleep in their cars. That is something I also saw in my role as a councillor at Georges River Council. People, particularly women, are sleeping in their cars in my own electorate, which is a big issue. When you do that work and when you are seeing those people and hearing their stories, you learn something very quickly. Housing insecurity doesn't just take away shelter; it strips away dignity. It chips away at health, particularly mental health, and it erodes hope. That's why I'm very proud to be part of a government that is not just acknowledging this crisis but also confronting it.”
“I also want to thank the member for Bradfield for her contribution today. I rise to speak with purpose on an issue that is personally important to me and, I believe, is very urgent and deeply felt in the electorate of Barton and far beyond, and that is the housing crisis. For me, this isn't just a policy; it's quite personal. Before coming here, I worked at St Vincent De Paul Society New South Wales. I worked with a large team, and I looked after a large geographical area of New South Wales which covered the electorate of the member for Bradfield as well. We saw a lot of the issues of the housing crisis in the eyes of a lot of women, in particular, who were looking for a safe place to be and to put their head down to sleep.”
“We've invested $33 billion in housing initiatives, including support for social and affordable housing and expanding the Help to Buy scheme. We're making TAFE free and expanding university access throughout the regional hubs. We're backing apprentices with a $10,000 incentive. We've strengthened Medicare and delivered 87 urgent care clinics—31 in regional Australia—and much, much more, which my colleague will speak on tonight. Labor governs for all Australians, whether they live in our inner cities and outer suburbs or in the far-flung regional towns, because postcodes should never limit potential. We're building a future where local government is not just heard but supported, where the regions are not just remembered but respected and where communities are not just surviving but thriving. (Time expired)”
“We've merged several infrastructure programs into the $200 million Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, and there's plenty more. This isn't just talk; it's real money. It is about targeting real solutions for our local needs. I also need to highlight the contrast with those opposite. When the coalition were in government, they froze the indexation of financial assistance grants, ripping nearly a billion dollars away from councils. They abolished the Australia Council of Local Government and ignored local voices for a decade. They claim to support regional Australia but delivered pork-barrelled press releases instead of actual infrastructure. The last time I checked, we can't build roads with press releases.”
“In line with parliamentary practice, the previous committee lapsed, but we have committed to re-establishing it. My understanding is that consultation is currently underway to determine some sort of timing and, once the committee resumes, the government will again be referring this inquiry to ensure that its vital work continues, because we understand what's at stake. We've reinstated the Australian Council of Local Government to put local priorities back on the national stage. We've backed that commitment with investment of $3.3 billion in financial assistance grants this year alone. We're doubling the Roads to Recovery Program to $1 billion annually over five years and we've boosted the Black Spot Program to $150 million a year.”
“One of the first acts in the last parliament, it is my understanding, was to refer the matter of local government financial sustainability to the House Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport. This was the first inquiry of its kind, it is my understanding, in over 20 years; it was very much long overdue. The interim report my colleague mentioned here tonight was released earlier this year, in February 2025, reflecting the depth of concern and engagement across the sector. My understanding is there were over 280 written submissions and 16 public hearings. The finding of this particular report is very clear: the role of local government has grown dramatically and the funding model needs to evolve accordingly. As members will know, the inquiry was put on hold due to the federal election.”
“My time in local government has given me a deep understanding of the challenges councils face on the ground, from road maintenance, waste collection and community services to strategic planning. While I understand this motion specifically highlights issues facing our regions, I want to emphasise that local government—regional, rural and metropolitan—is the closest level of government to our communities and that that proximity is absolutely vital. Having worked closely with some of my regional councillor colleagues and communities, I recognise the unique shared challenges across all jurisdictions, particularly around constraints with funding, growing service expectations and ageing infrastructure. That's why the Albanese Labor government is committed to supporting a robust and sustainable local government sector.”
“I rise to speak on this particular motion tonight and thank the member for Mallee for bringing this matter forward. As the newly elected member for the seat of Barton, I appreciate the opportunity to make a contribution to this debate, particularly given my own experience in local government. Before entering parliament, I proudly served as a councillor on Georges River Council, which covers a portion of my electorate. I recently resigned from that position due to my new role here in this place, to ensure that this role gets the attention and focus it deserves and that the community of the ward I was representing on Georges River Council will have a councillor that can focus on the needs and issues that arise there.”
“None of us chose the colour of our skin, our birthplace or our family, but we can choose to be kind; we can choose to serve. I close with the Latin phrase that guides me: ut prosim—that I may serve.”
“These groups and so many more are doing the real on-the-ground work that no level of government can replace. I'm committed to fiercely advocating for equitable funding, fair policy and ensuring the voices of those who serve are truly heard and respected. As Edmund Barton stitched together a nation, I'm here to help stitch together a future for Barton where no-one is left behind, where every voice counts, where dignity is non-negotiable. I'm a proud Tamil Sri Lankan, Papua New Guinean Australian woman, educated in local Barton schools and raised by a Sri Lankan, Maltese and Italian village. I'm married to a South African born Indian. I have roots in Hinduism, Buddhism and Catholicism. I am the walking, talking embodiment of modern Australia.”
“Thank you to the Southern Sydney Young Labor Association, India Jones, Sam and the Iskandar family, and our secret weapon in Barton, Don Smith. My passion for the people of Barton has been shaped by organisations who serve our community. Lala Noronha and the Kogarah Storehouse provide vital services of food relief and cultural inclusion. His Grace Bishop Christodoulos, the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales, the Australasian Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, and our Greek community all promote heritage and belonging. Henry Pan and the team at CASS provide our amazing Chinese community with support through aged care, child care and cultural services and lift countless lives. The St George Dragons Junior Rugby League Football Club in Kingsgrove creates community and opportunity for local kids.”
“I thank the wonderful Barton Labor branch members; I can't list them all, but I can see you up there—my friends, Labor councillors, who worked so hard on the campaign. Thank you to Cherie Burton and Sienna Forrest for volunteering and showing political courage and campaign grit. To Davina Langton, Cheryl Han, Samantha Otardo, Jessica Wei, Loretta Marcus, Anne Sinclair, Anne Tegg and Anna Minns: my campaign was run almost exclusively by women, and the result speaks for itself. Thank you to the New South Wales Premier, the Hon. Chris Minns, and Ministers Steve Kamper and Sophie Cotsis. It is a remarkable privilege to represent a seat alongside three state MPs of such calibre. I am grateful for your advice, support and friendship.”
“My story is a uniquely Australian story, and it is Barton's story: diverse, proud, imperfect but always striving. In that spirit, I carry forward the unfinished work to ensure parliaments reflect their people, that justice is accessible, that equality is not just a promise but a practice. I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his faith in me and for leading us all with compassion and strength. Thank you to Dom Ofner, David Dobson and especially George Simon. Thank you, George, for your wisdom and your support. I stand here today because others stood with me. I carry my community with me every step of the way. I thank the people of Barton for placing their faith in me. I will never take that for granted.”
“That's why climate change must be the lens through which all policy passes. If we're not tackling climate, we're not doing our job. While there are parallels between Edmund Barton's life and mine, in some ways they could not be more different. While Barton championed the White Australia policy, I live and breathe multiculturalism. I stand here because others lifted me. That's why I will always fight for antidiscrimination, for safety, for equity and for unity. I know what it feels like to be different, to navigate different worlds. I've also seen how political tension can quickly mutate into real-world hate if not called out early. I will always stand up against racism, division and hate. I like to think that Edmund Barton, as the architect of Federation, would recognise the work needed to forge not just a nation but a just nation.”
“My time as a councillor at Georges River Council gave me a glimpse of how compassionate leadership can shape local lives, especially in homelessness advocacy. I've volunteered in soup kitchens, I've delivered meals to some people sleeping rough and I've sat with families terrified of the night ahead. These are not statistics; these are people. They are our neighbours. I'm proud of the Prime Minister's National Housing Accord, because housing is not just an economic issue. It is about dignity, it's about safety, and it is about hope. I'm also passionate about our young people. This next generation deserves purpose, pathways and potential, not burnout, not debt and not despair. We owe them a future that is fair, full of opportunity and where safeguarding the planet has been taken seriously by the generation going before.”
“Business success should never come at the cost of dignity and fairness. The best businesses know that when you invest in your people, you invest in your prosperity. I'm proud to be part of a movement that has always understood the role of unions. They stand in the gap for those who don't always know their rights, who can't read the fine print and who just want a fair go. Again, their purpose is to serve—to serve their members and to serve the collective movement for working people. I learnt more about what this service means in my time working at the St Vincent de Paul Society. But, this time, it was applied to those experiencing housing stress and homelessness. This role taught me that policy only works when it is human, when it listens first.”
“Everywhere I've been, I've seen how easy it is for workers to be exploited, especially when they don't understand their payslips, their contracts or their rights. I've seen employers operate in the 'grey zone', especially in the care sector, where profits can be prioritised over people. That's why I'm proud to be part of a Labor government that is pro-worker, pro-decency and pro-small-business. Labor's secure jobs, better pay reforms are shifting power back where it belongs—with the workers. Setting minimum standards for gig workers, enacting the right to disconnect, giving genuine bargaining power, enacting the government's closing loopholes act and tackling casualisation, underpayment and wage theft is just the beginning. Some say that supporting workers and supporting small business are incompatible. I reject that.”
“It is an honour, and one I do not take lightly. After completing my science degree, I began my career in a mortuary. Yes, that's right—dead bodies. It's not glamorous, but it teaches you that life is precious and that dignity matters in life and in death. That's what drew me to law, to unions and to advocacy. It led me to my passion for workplace law reform. My belief that dignity at work is sacred is at the core of everything I do. I've stood with workers here and overseas. I've worked with the United Auto Workers in America, the Electrical Trades Union, the Nurses and Midwives' Association and the Australian Hotels Association. In the federal campaign this year, I worked with the United Workers Union, and I want to thank them, especially Jo-anne Schofield, Mel Gatfield and Riz Chowdhury.”
“However, as a champion of the White Australia policy, I don't think that Edmund Barton could have envisioned someone with the backstory I've just described making their first speech in parliament. But, like Edmund Barton, I attended the University of Sydney before studying law. Like Barton, I stand here representing more than just a place. I represent the project of Australia itself—a project that is not finished but ever-evolving. Edmund Barton was Prime Minister when women won the right to vote. In this chamber, I stand on the shoulders of Julia Gillard, our first female prime minister. Her words in this chamber were a clarion call to me and to all Australian women to speak up, to push through and to change the system from within. I also follow in the footsteps of former members for Barton Robert McClelland and Gary Punch.”
“I would like to thank Thiru, my parents, Uma and Siva, Dharamine, Thaya, Ajith, the Bezzinas, the Colubriales and my siblings for the understanding that serving my community often means sacrificing time with you. While Mother's Day and Father's Day have been a little bit complicated for me, I must say I'm proud that I was raised by a community—mosaic of cultures, traditions and faiths. My childhood transcended the conventional nuclear family. I never felt once left out of place, because love doesn't care for convention; it just shows up. It shows up and it serves. Barton is named for Edmund Barton, Australia's first Prime Minister. He was a nation-builder, stitching together all of the disparate colonies into one federation.”
“He's endured stump speeches at the dinner table and my idea of weekend do-it-yourself at home—hammering a few A-frames together for a shopping centre stall—but that's devotion. I see your patience, your love, and your strength, Shamil, and I'm grateful beyond words. I learnt early that love doesn't follow convention; it just shows up. Real community is built not by proximity but by generosity. From my maternal grandparents—my grandfather, known as Master Ambi in the Tamil literacy and scientific world, and Mano, my grandmother, a teacher by trade for 40 years—I inherited a commitment to education and justice, and I am eternally grateful to them. I thank my in-laws, Smeetha and Kishore, who came from apartheid South Africa to settle in Hurstville for a better life and taught me resilience and hope.”
“A Maltese hospital cleaner introduced him to the Bezzina family of Narwee, who became family. Then came the Colubriales, an Italian family from Elwood who taught me to brine olives, make salami and roast chestnuts. My family was not defined by blood but by love and kindness. I was raised in a multicultural village—Sri Lankan, Maltese, Italian, Burmese, Cambodian. I was that dark-skinned little girl running through the streets of Barton who never felt out of place. It was at Hurstville Public School where I first met my husband, Shamil. Maybe an idea was forged on the bus back from the year 6 excursion to Canberra, but I think it is more likely that neither of us imagined we'd be here. Shamil has been by my side through three election campaigns in 2½ years.”
“It requires an understanding that service to others underpins this job. I am lucky enough to have been raised by a family that instilled this ethic in me. I was raised in the electorate of Barton. My story is written in the streets of Hurstville, the parks of Kogarah and the laneways of Arncliffe. I stand here as a member of the House of Representatives with Papua New Guinean heritage and as the daughter of a Tamil Sri Lankan mother. While my mother completed her studies in Papua New Guinea and became the first female psychiatrist there, I was raised by my uncle Thiru, her brother. He was a young, single man in his 20s, with thick, slick hair, a leather jacket and a cigarette permanently perched between his lips—not your typical father figure, some say. But he showed up for me every single day. We didn't do it alone.”
“I want to acknowledge my predecessor and mentor, the Hon. Linda Burney. Your service to the people of Barton and to this nation, as a proud Wiradjuri woman and a trailblazing parliamentarian, has been profound. Your advocacy for First Nations peoples has shaped this country's moral conscience. I will walk in your footsteps with awe and admiration. I wish you well for the next chapter of your life and thank you for your support. I also want to congratulate my fellow new members of parliament. I know we will all work together to ensure this parliament is defined by unity, by courage and by decency. We are all part of the most diverse parliament in this nation's history. We should be proud to say as much, but we should also understand the duty that representing that diversity bears. It requires empathy, compassion and humility.”
“I rise in this chamber with deep humility and enormous gratitude as the newly elected member for Barton. Before I begin, I wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land this parliament meets on, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today. I also acknowledge the Bidjigal people of the Eora nation, who are the traditional custodians of the land I have the privilege to represent, the seat of Barton. These lands were never ceded. They hold the wisdom of over 65,000 years of continuous connection to land, water, sky and spirit. This history is not behind us; it lives with us. And it reminds us that the work of truth-telling and justice is far from complete. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.”