Carol Berry
Whitlam · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I am proud of the steps that Labor has taken to try and make universities and further study more accessible and affordable for students from all walks of life. We've taken a range of measures which have been outlined in the accord. For example, Labor has cut 20 per cent of HECS debts.”
“Previously, this was only available for Indigenous students living in regional and remote Australia. The Department of Education estimates that over the next decade, this initiative could double the number of Indigenous students at university.”
“The new system will address existing issues in the higher education funding system and will better align Commonwealth funding with enrolments. Importantly, higher education providers will be supported to transition to the new funding system.”
“My father, aunty, sister and husband are all public school teachers, and I'm proud to have been educated in public schools. I'm very passionate about public education because, without it, I wouldn't be where I am today. My mother was raised in housing commission in Dundas Valley near Parramatta in Sydney's western suburbs.”
“It also recommended increasing the number of higher education students from underrepresented backgrounds, matched by a focus on success for these students. The universities accord found that 69 per cent of young Australians from wealthy families had a university degree, compared with only 19 per cent from less wealthy families.”
“I spoke about this person in the Federation Chamber earlier this week: Dr Jodi Edwards, a Yuin Dharawal woman who has dedicated her life to community, culture and language across New South Wales, including in the southern Illawarra region of my electorate of Whitlam.”
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“Other actions taken by the Albanese government to strengthen the triple zero system include real-time reporting of outages to ACMA and emergency services; new rules forcing telcos to test triple zero during upgrades and maintenance; new requirements for providers to ensure triple zero calls fall back to other networks; mandatory improvement after triple zero outages; additional performance requirements, to be issued by the custodian, through ACMA, to telcos within six months of the commencement of the laws to assure Australians of best practice; and a public register of network outages, to be maintained by telcos.”
“The second outage resulted in at least nine triple zero calls from the Dapto area—which is in my electorate of Whitlam—failing to reach emergency services. Thankfully, welfare checks confirmed all those who called triple zero during this second outage were okay. These unacceptable outages are being investigated by the independent regulator, and the Albanese government has taken action to strengthen oversight of the triple zero system through legislation. The new laws give the triple zero custodian the power to demand information from telecommunications providers through ACMA so it can monitor triple zero performance, identify risks, respond more quickly to outages and make improvements. The legislation also increases the maximum penalty faced by telcos to $30 million for failing to follow the triple zero rules.”
“The domestic, family and sexual violence industry standard, which came into effect on 1 July last year, ensures victims-survivors receive better support from their telecommunications provider and removes barriers faced when seeking help. The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 was amended last year to establish a scams prevention framework that places consistent obligations on the telecommunications, banking and digital platform sectors to prevent, detect and disrupt scams. The Albanese government recently took action to strengthen our triple zero system following two Optus outages that affected these vital services in September 2025. The first outage resulted in the failure of over 600 triple zero calls, mostly in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Tragically, three failed calls may be linked to deaths.”
“That is why we introduced the telecommunications financial hardship industry standard, which requires telecommunications providers to take all reasonable steps to proactively identify customers who may be experiencing financial hardship, to ensure they provide appropriate support and to prioritise keeping customers connected. Importantly, the standard provides the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, with strong enforcement powers to ensure telecommunications companies are following through on their obligations. The Albanese government also established a mandatory telecommunications industry standard to further protect Australians impacted by domestic and family violence.”
“Modern telecommunications enables remote study and work, revolutionising both education and labour—a shift that has accelerated and become entrenched since the COVID-19 pandemic. This change in the way we live and work has placed even greater importance and reliance on telecommunications. Telecommunications is fundamental to our private and public lives, and that is why the Albanese government is committed to keeping Australians connected no matter where they live. This government also believes that Australians deserve a telecommunications system that is fair, accountable and built on trust.”
“Reliable telephone and internet services are key to all aspects of life in today's world. Telecommunications is an essential service as critical as other core utilities like power and water, and, at its best, it enables Australians to fully participate in and contribute to society. Modern telecommunications allows people to stay connected with friends and family, and, importantly, this includes overcoming barriers that may be created by age and distance. It provides access to important government services, including vital health services as well as banking and retail shopping services. It empowers us to stay informed about what's happening in the world, and it assists businesses to become more productive and competitive.”
“They will protect consumers not only from outright deception but also from the kinds of subtle, cumulative influences that can undermine genuine choice. For all these reasons, I commend this bill to the House.”
“Small businesses and franchisees often face the same vulnerabilities when dealing with larger suppliers. That is why this government is consulting on extending unfair trading protections to small businesses, including those in franchising. In conclusion, I support this bill because banning unfair trading practices, cracking down on drip pricing and cleaning up subscriptions will strengthen protections for Australian consumers and support better functioning markets. These reforms will help make Australia a market where good businesses thrive by doing the right thing. They will also restore confidence that online markets can work on straightforward terms where prices are what they seem and leaving a service is as simple as joining it.”
“Across the labour market, Labor's reforms to non-compete clauses and other restrictive practices will help improve job mobility and productivity, and the right to repair is being extended to agricultural machinery, ensuring that farmers have a genuine choice in how they service their equipment. Through a revitalised National Competition Policy supported by the $900 million National Productivity Fund, the federal government is working with states and territories to remove planning and zoning barriers that make it difficult for new entrants to compete. Together, the Albanese government's range of reforms is strengthening competition, enhancing productivity and contributing to a fairer marketplace. It's important to note that unfair trading practices don't only affect individuals.”
“Australians will be able to see clearly when the contents of a product have been reduced, even if the sticker price remains the same. We've made the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory, backed by strong penalties that prevent supermarkets from using their market power to unfairly squeeze suppliers and farmers. Penalties matter, and that is why we have increased the maximum penalties under the Competition and Consumer Act from $10 million to $100 million. Stronger sanctions ensure that businesses of all sizes face meaningful consequences for conduct that undermines fairness and that breaches of consumer law cannot be dismissed as a mere cost of doing business.”
“The Albanese government has legislated the most significant overhaul of Australia's merger laws in 50 years, ensuring that large mergers are properly assessed before proceeding and that anticompetitive acquisitions do not escape scrutiny. We've increased funding for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission by more than $30 million, enabling stronger action against misleading pricing tactics, particularly in supermarkets and other consumer-facing markets. We have outlawed unfair contract terms and, for the first time, have given the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission the power to seek penalties against companies that breach these laws. We are strengthening the unit pricing code and cracking down on shrinkflation.”
“The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will develop guidance materials on the operation of the new laws, and the government will undertake a review of the first two years of operation of the subscription provisions to ensure the protections are working as intended. The Albanese Labor government is committed to ensuring strong protections for Australian consumers, and this bill is part of a wider agenda to strengthen competition, improve transparency and support consumers across the economy. Strong consumer laws ensure Australians are treated fairly and protected against misleading conduct, unsafe products and unfair practices. Stronger competition is also essential to easing cost-of-living pressures.”
“It stipulates that businesses must clearly disclose to a consumer that is entering a subscription what it costs, how long it runs, how it renews and how it can be ended. This information must be provided prominently and in a way that is easy to understand. The bill also establishes a framework for reminder notices, ensuring that consumers receive timely, sensible prompts when a trial period is ending or a renewal is approaching. Cancellation must be straightforward. It must be easy to find, and it must require only the steps that are reasonably necessary. I note the amendments in this bill will not commence until 1 July 2027, which is just over a year away. This will allow businesses time to understand the new obligations and adjust their practices accordingly.”
“Too often, subscriptions are designed to capitalise on the assumption that consumers will forget to cancel free trials, will not notice renewals, or will struggle to find the cancellation pathway. The Consumer Policy Research Centre found that three in four Australians have had a negative experience when trying to cancel a subscription. One in three felt pressured to continue their subscription, and one in 10 gave up trying to cancel and kept paying for a service they no longer wanted or needed. Some even resorted to cancelling their credit card or a bank account just to get rid of the recurring subscriptions. The estimated detriment from spending on unwanted subscriptions by Australian consumers is an extraordinary $971 million per year. This bill directly addresses these problems with subscriptions.”
“It's important to note that the bill does not prohibit transaction fees; it just prohibits hiding them. It will also ensure that businesses that do the right thing are not disadvantaged by competitors that conceal the true cost until the final step. The third major area of reform in this bill addresses another great source of consumer frustration: subscription traps. Subscription services have become an increasingly common way for Australians to pay for products and services, and this model often works well for both businesses and consumers. However, problems arise when the subscription is structured so that joining is swift and effortless while leaving involves added frictions or becomes confusing or emotionally loaded. That imbalance is what turns an ordinary subscription into a subscription trap.”
“This technique is used by businesses because it taps into well understood behavioural tendencies. People anchor on the first price they see, and, once they've invested effort in reaching the final stage of the transaction, they are less inclined to abandon it, even when new information would have changed their initial decision. This bill requires businesses to disclose mandatory transaction based charges at the same time that they display the base price. There should be no artificially low headline prices and no last minute surprises. By ensuring any per-transaction fees and charges are clearly displayed, the new laws will make consumers aware of the real price of a product or service, enabling them to make purchasing decisions that are more informed.”
“It's about dealing with conduct that crosses the line from persuasion into manipulation—conduct that harms consumers and undermines fair competition. Another major focus of this bill is drip pricing. This term describes the practice of displaying a low upfront price and then, after the consumer has progressed through several steps of the online process and often not until they've reached the final checkout stage, suddenly adding mandatory transaction or service charges. By that stage, many consumers have invested a significant amount of time comparing options, and they are mentally committed to the purchase. When the final price appears, they are reluctant to walk away from the transaction. Drip pricing is intensely frustrating. The price originally seemed reasonable, even a great deal, but then new fees appear at the very last step.”
“These include impeding a consumer's ability to engage legal rights or seek legal remedies; failing to disclose material information to the consumer; disclosing material information to the consumer in a way that is complex, ineffective, unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous, untimely or overwhelming; and creating an environment, including by using design elements in digital interfaces, that places unreasonable pressure on a consumer or that obstructs the consumer from making or fulfilling their decision. These examples are provided to help businesses understand where the line is drawn without restricting ordinary, legitimate commercial behaviour. It's important to note that this general prohibition is not about stopping businesses from promoting their products, nor is it about stopping advertising.”
“This principles based test captures conduct that does not neatly fall within the existing prohibitions on misleading conduct or unconscionability but which nevertheless exploits behavioural biases, overwhelms consumers with complexity or structures choices in a way that leads people towards decisions they would not otherwise make. The bill helpfully includes a non-exhaustive list of examples of practices that may contravene this new prohibition.”
“The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill delivers three important reforms. It introduces an economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices, it stops drip pricing, and it ends subscription traps. Its key features include ensuring that businesses disclose key terms up front, give reminders before free trials end, make cancellation simple and show all mandatory fees clearly before consumers buy. The first major reform in this bill is the introduction of an economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices. Remarkably, this prohibition does not currently exist in Australia. The bill stipulates that businesses must not manipulate consumers or unreasonably distort the environment in which consumers make or are likely to make decisions in circumstances that cause or are likely to cause detriment.”
“It responds to concerns that certain harmful business practices, particularly in digital and subscription based markets, may not be adequately addressed by Australia's existing consumer law prohibitions on misleading or deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct and unfair contract terms. And it explicitly targets conduct that manipulates consumers or distorts the conditions under which transactional decisions are made, including through what is known as dark patterns. 'Dark patterns' is a term used to describe design techniques that are crafted to influence behaviour in ways that benefit businesses at the expense of consumer understanding. These techniques exploit well known cognitive biases, including loss aversion, optimism bias, inattention and fatigue.”
“Smart businesses understand the significance of every button, prompt, colour, timer and default setting. Each of these is adjustable, and every click is measurable. The online world is optimised for engagement, retention and revenue. More than half of reported consumer problems now occur in relation to online purchases. One in 10 people say that an online provider has manipulated their choices, while more than a quarter encountered unexpected charges added late in the transaction. That is why this bill is needed. It amends the Competition and Consumer Act to reflect the realities of how Australians buy, compare and subscribe in today's world.”
“While online transactions can make consumers' lives easier, there are also serious downsides. Consumers may be pressured into making a purchase because a countdown timer warns them that only a few of their chosen items are left in stock, when actually there are still plenty available. They find what looks like a bargain when they get to the checkout and discover a fee or a charge has been added to their purchase at the last minute, and it's no longer of such good value. Or they find that, although they were able to subscribe to a service online, they are unable to unsubscribe without making a phone call to a person who is then very difficult to connect with. Many aspects of an online purchase may seem benign, but this is not always the case.”
“Last month, I joined the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, in the Mural Hall where he announced that the Albanese Labor government would introduce new laws to ban unfair trading practices. I wanted to attend that media conference and to speak on this bill today because I know these practices can cause frustration and even harm to consumers across the country, including in my electorate of Whitlam. Australians are fortunate to have many options when they decide to make purchases or subscribe to services. They can do this in person, in a shop or online through their laptop. Most businesses do the right thing; however, too many use practices that can pressure, trick, confuse or trap consumers. Australians increasingly make purchases or sign up for subscriptions online.”
“It is clear to me that these reforms will make a real difference. They will provide new avenues for enforcement and a greater chance of achieving some measure of justice. Ultimately, this bill is about restoring fairness and dignity. For these reasons, I commend this bill to the House.”
“Importantly, the regime established by this bill will be subject to a review after it commences full operation to ensure that it is operating effectively for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. This review process is critical to ensure that this parliament does not simply pass legislation and move on but instead remains engaged with how these provisions are working in practice. It provides an opportunity to assess whether victims and survivors are genuinely benefiting and whether additional changes are required. Our policy will continue to be informed by the voices of survivors, advocates, legal experts and practitioners. The experiences shared by victims-survivors, including those who have been unable to access compensation despite court orders in their favour, make it clear how important it is that we progress this measure.”
“Our superannuation and bankruptcy systems are complex, so changes to them must be carefully designed to ensure they are effective, enforceable and consistent with broader legal principles. That is why this bill should be understood as a significant and necessary foundation that lays the groundwork for potential future reforms. In fact, through the extensive consultation process that preceded the introduction of these reforms, victims-survivors and advocates encouraged us to build on the reforms contained in this bill. So, while the bill closes a loophole, it also sends a strong signal about the direction of reform. It creates a framework that can be built upon in the future.”
“Bankruptcy should not be a refuge from accountability for such serious harm. These changes will apply not only to future bankruptcies but also to those currently in progress. This is a significant step because it recognises that there are victims-survivors who are being denied justice today under the existing framework. By applying to both current and future bankruptcies, this bill seeks to address present inequity as well as future harm. When offenders retain substantial retirement savings while victims struggle financially, often as a direct consequence of the abuse they have suffered, it undermines confidence in our justice system. It risks perpetrating a cycle where the burden continues to fall on those who are harmed, rather than on those who have caused the harm.”
“Under these reforms, where a court ordered compensation debt remains unpaid after 12 months, victims-survivors will be able to seek access through a court order to certain superannuation contributions made by the offender. This includes additional personal and salary sacrifice contributions, which have previously been used as a vehicle to shield assets from enforcement. This is a practical, targeted step. It introduces a mechanism to ensure that perpetrators cannot simply wait out their obligations while their financial position remains protected. Importantly, this bill also ensures that compensation debts do not simply disappear through bankruptcy. By allowing these debts to survive bankruptcy proceedings, we are reinforcing a clear and necessary message: financial manoeuvring must not override moral and legal responsibility.”
“We must recognise that the impacts of child sexual abuse are enduring, complex and profound and that our response must be equally serious, sustained and centred on those who have been harmed. I have huge admiration for the courage it takes for victims-survivors to come forward, often years or decades after the abuse has occurred. They must relive deeply painful experiences in the pursuit of justice while knowing that outcomes are never guaranteed. For too many victims-survivors, a court ruling in their favour has not translated into real-world outcomes. They have endured the trauma of legal proceedings only to face further distress when compensation orders go unpaid. This outcome further compounds the harm, and it undermines confidence in the justice system.”
“The reforms in this bill improve transparency, reduce uncertainty and strengthen the enforcement of court ordered compensation for victims-survivors. The tragic reality is that child sexual abuse crimes often leave deep and lifelong impacts that extend far beyond the period of abuse itself. Victims-survivors frequently carry the effects into adulthood, affecting their mental health, physical wellbeing, relationships, education and ability to participate fully in work and community life. The trauma does not end when the abuse ends. For many, it is something they must navigate every day, too often in silence and without adequate support. Some victims-survivors face barriers to stable employment and financial security, meaning the harm they experience is not only emotional and psychological but also deeply material.”
“This bill also amends the Bankruptcy Act 1966 to allow compensation debts to survive perpetrators' bankruptcies, improving the chances of victims-survivors seeking to enforce such debts. Our superannuation and bankruptcy laws are complex. However, this bill has a simple principle at its core: the perpetrators of child sexual abuse should not be able to hide behind financial structures to avoid accountability. It closes an unjust loophole that has allowed convicted offenders to shield assets and superannuation while victims-survivors are left without the compensation they are owed. This bill not only closes that loophole; it affirms that financial systems must not operate in a way that undermines justice, and it reflects the growing recognition that justice is not only about conviction but about meaningful redress.”
“Where the victim or survivor is under 18, their parent or a person who has been granted guardianship of the child may make an application on their behalf. After reviewing the information, the victim-survivor can then apply for a court order for the Commissioner of Taxation to facilitate the release of moneys from the perpetrator's superannuation interests. This is called a perpetrator contributions release order. Where a perpetrator contributions release order is made, the Commissioner of Taxation must then issue one or more release authorities to relevant superannuation providers to secure the release of moneys from the perpetrator's superannuation interests and pay this to the victim-survivor.”
“A victim-survivor who reasonably believes that they meet the application criteria for a court order can apply to the Commissioner of Taxation for certain information relating to the perpetrator's superannuation assets. This information will help them to assess whether it is worthwhile pursuing an order in relation to the perpetrator's superannuation interests. It also means victims-survivors are not required to undertake a more costly exercise—for example, using subpoenas to superannuation providers—in order to pursue enforcement of outstanding compensation debts. I note the application to the Commissioner of Taxation may be made by the victim-survivor's legal representative, legal personal representative, registered tax agent or financial counsellor.”
“To initiate the release process, victims-survivors must first meet the following application criteria: the perpetrator must have been convicted of—or, where there is no conviction recorded, found guilty of—a specified child abuse offence to a criminal standard; a court has made an order requiring the perpetrator to pay compensation to the victim for injury, loss or damage suffered by the victim as a direct result of a specified child abuse offence; the amount has been due and payable for at least 12 months; the perpetrator has not paid the full amount of compensation specified in the order; and the period within which recovery of the amount may be pursued in a court in the jurisdiction where the order was made has not expired.”
“But Van Ryn declared bankruptcy in December that year, and the victims-survivors were unable to access hundreds of thousands of dollars he had in superannuation. Unjust situations like this add further to the emotional distress suffered by victims-survivors. This bill will amend the Taxation Administration Act 1953 and other relevant Commonwealth acts to create a mechanism that enables the release of certain amounts from a perpetrator's superannuation interests in certain circumstances.”
“But superannuation trustees are not able to pay preserved benefits where a beneficiary owes compensation to a victim of crime. Unfortunately, people subject to criminal or civil proceedings, or those anticipating such proceedings, take advantage of this situation. In recent years there have been a number of high-profile reports of convicted child sex abuse offenders deliberately hiding millions of dollars worth of assets in superannuation accounts to defeat compensation claims. This includes Maurice Van Ryn, a former CEO of Bega Cheese, who was found guilty of abusing nine children, between 2003 and 2014, and then a 10th child, in 2019. In total, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. In 2023 the Supreme Court of New South Wales awarded the 10th victim $1.4 million in damages for the abuse he endured in Van Ryn's home.”
“It also contributes to our ongoing reforms under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030. The Albanese government is committed to holding perpetrators of child sexual abuse to account, and this bill introduces long-awaited and meaningful reforms. A major focus is our superannuation system because Australia has a trust structure for the governance of superannuation funds. This means that beneficiaries of the funds do not hold superannuation assets. Instead, the assets are managed on behalf of the beneficiaries by trustees who have fiduciary and statutory obligations to act in the beneficiaries' best interests. Superannuation trustees are currently able to pay preserved benefits in specified situations including retirement, reaching preservation age and death.”
“All children and young people have the right to be safe from sexual abuse, and the Albanese government is committed to protecting Australia's children from harm and to supporting early intervention, response, healing and recovery services. In November last year we announced $12 million in grants to support 23 specialist and community support services across Australia, to expand their crucial work responding to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and children who have displayed concerning or harmful sexual behaviours. That grant program is part of the $80 million commitment agreed at National Cabinet to enhance and expand child-centric, trauma informed supports for children and young people who have experienced or witnessed family, domestic and sexual violence.”
“Stephen decided to disclose this painful information because he wanted to highlight former prime minister Julia Gillard's establishment of a royal commission into child sex abuse as one of the great government achievements during his 15 years in parliament. Over four years, the royal commission received over 1,000 individual contributions, conducted 8,000 private sessions and received 26,000 letters and emails, resulting in 2,500 referrals to police. These are sickening numbers. Stephen noted in his valedictory speech that the royal commission wasn't inevitable. It was contested, and it took courage from all involved to ensure that it proceeded. He added that when the Gillard government established the royal commission, it sent an important message: we see you, we hear you and we believe you.”
“I begin by acknowledging victims-survivors of child sexual abuse as well as their advocates who have fought for many years to improve a system that has too often failed them. The reforms contained in the Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill have not emerged in isolation. They follow years of determined advocacy to ensure that victims-survivors of child sexual abuse receive the court ordered compensation they deserve and are entitled to. Shockingly, it is estimated that 11 per cent of women and almost four per cent of men in Australia are victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by an adult before they are 15 years old. My predecessor as the member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones, revealed in his valedictory speech last year that he was a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse. It was the first time he had made this known publicly.”
“This wonderful organisation conducts a range of fundraising activities, including stalls selling cakes and craft items baked and created by the Pink Ladies themselves. There are events, morning teas and Mother's Day lunches. I've had the great pleasure of meeting and attending several of the events organised by these amazing women, who are so dedicated to families in our region. At the beginning of 2026, the Pink Ladies were named Community Group of the Year by Shellharbour City Council. The award recognised the 32 active members who contributed more than 13,000 volunteer hours last year. On behalf of the people of Shellharbour and the broader Illawarra. I sincerely thank these ladies for their amazing work. Thank you.”
“I rise today to congratulate the Shellharbour Hospital Auxiliary on its 40th anniversary and to thank this dedicated group of volunteers, affectionately known as the Pink Ladies, for their extremely valuable contribution to our community. Shellharbour Hospital Auxiliary was established in 1986, the same year that Shellharbour Hospital opened, and they have raised more than $1.3 million over the past four decades to purchase vital medical equipment for that hospital. In its first year, the auxiliary donated a television set worth $530, while more recent purchases have included a $38,000 portable ventilator for the emergency department. In the 2025 financial year, Shellharbour Hospital Auxiliary donated eight items worth over $50,000 to the Shellharbour Hospital.”
“We have invested close to $4 billion in the new National Access to Justice Partnership, including $800 million for family violence legal services—the largest amount invested in Australia's history. The Albanese Labor government has made ending violence against women and children a national priority, and I'm proud of what we have delivered. But we are fully aware there is still much more work to do, and we will continue to take action to build a safer Australia for women and girls.”
“As a result, we agreed to strengthen our collective efforts under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. At the end of last year, Ministers Plibersek and Gallagher, who have done an absolutely outstanding job in this space, released an update on our progress. They reported that the Albanese government has boosted support for essential frontline services, with $700 million in new matched funding with the states and territories to support women and children at risk to reach safety. Informed by the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence, we are investing more than $21 million to expand trauma informed legal services and pilot new roles to help victims of sexual violence navigate the justice system.”
“That's $5,000 in financial help for women leaving violence. We have provided $1.2 billion for emergency and transitional accommodation for women fleeing domestic violence. We have legislated 10 days of paid domestic violence leave. We have expanded discretionary powers for Centrelink, so perpetrators can't use the social security system to burden domestic violence survivors with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. We have reformed the family law system so that it is safer, simpler and more accessible, and we've established the new national higher education code to prevent and respond to gender based violence. Eighteen months ago the Prime Minister convened an urgent National Cabinet meeting on gender based violence.”
“The centre is the first of its kind in Australia, providing specialised support to victims-survivors of family, domestic or sexual violence. One in four Australian women have experienced violence by an intimate partner. These women are our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces and friends, and we must recognise that violence against women and girls impacts, in some way, everyone in our community. The Albanese Labor government is committed to building a safer Australia where every woman and child can live free from gender based violence. Since being elected in 2022, we have invested more than $4 billion, more than any other previous government, in frontline services, preventative programs, behaviour change programs and support services for children. We have made the leaving violence payment permanent.”
“In one of my earlier roles that I held before I became the member for Whitlam, I was the CEO of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre. The centre provides a range of services to support women who are currently experiencing or have previously experienced domestic and sexual violence. An important initiative of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre in recent years is the Illawarra Women's Trauma Recovery Centre, which is located in Shellharbour in my electorate of Whitlam. This trauma recovery centre was made possible by a $25 million investment by the Albanese Labor government, and was opened 18 months ago by my predecessor as the member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones. He was joined by the New South Wales Minister for Health, Ryan Park, and the state member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson.”
“I rise today to speak about the national crisis of domestic violence and outline the action the Albanese government is taking to uphold the right of Australian women and girls to live in safety. My electorate of Whitlam includes the southern Illawarra region, and I was very concerned to learn last week in the latest report released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research that the Illawarra recorded the highest increase in domestic violence assaults in New South Wales. While recorded incidents of domestic violence remained relatively stable across New South Wales generally, in the two years to December 2025 there was a very concerning jump of 12.1 per cent in the Illawarra. Almost 1,200 domestic violence assaults were reported to the region's police in the 2025 calendar year. This is about three domestic violence assaults each day.”
“The NDIS must operate with integrity, and this bill upholds the government's commitment to strengthen compliance within the NDIS. It also addresses findings from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review, by strengthening the NDIS commission's powers. Our goal is to build a system in which agencies have the powers to investigate the worst offences and providers are deterred from doing the wrong thing because they know they will face consequences. We know that more needs to be done, and we will continue to work closely with relevant agencies, law enforcement and the disability community. This bill is an extremely important part of that work, and I commend it to the House.”