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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“I intend to be a voice for the voiceless to ensure that the stories of everyday Australians in the Whitlam electorate—who are struggling financially, who are isolated and lonely, who are afraid to speak out, who are lost or broken—are told in this place. I am not afraid of vulnerability. I see it as an opportunity to deepen and strengthen who we are both individually and collectively. I'm passionate about the importance of fostering community spirit. Community spirit matters. It's real and it's alive. In my electorate I see evidence of it every day through sporting clubs, community organisations, local businesses and organisations that facilitate volunteering like the RFS, SES, RSLs and surf lifesaving clubs, just to name a few. These organisations are the lifeblood of the Whitlam electorate and the soul of our great nation.”
“It's critically important that Australia is a place where everyone can get access to quality and affordable education and health care and that we have a strong and effective social welfare system where we treat all people, particularly pensioners, with respect. These foundations provide security for all Australians so that irrespective of our circumstances we have the foundation to be healthy and have a job if we want one, where we can re-skill, retrain and get access to the skills and education we need to flourish. Combating ageism is also incredibly important. It's also vitally important that all Australians can have a roof over their head. It's fundamentally important to me that we don't let any Australian fall through the cracks.”
“I can only hope to emulate the paths of these impressive leaders. I'm a believer in our big public systems. While I'm MP I'd like to be a strong defender our public systems, which make such a difference in people's lives and are absolutely fundamental to ensuring we live in a decent and fair society. Our public education and public health systems could and should be the best in the world. Our aged-care system, the NDIS, our mental health system, our social welfare system, how we support early childhood education and how we support veterans are all hallmarks of our collective decency.”
“Working alongside people with disability for so many years changed my life. My humanity, compassion and perspective have deepened, and I'm quite simply a better person for that experience. I'd like to do a very big shout out to people with disability and their families, carers, therapists and staff across the country. You are a truly wonderful group of people who contribute so much to the fabric of Australian society, and I'm so proud to have been in your ranks. I'm profoundly lucky to have been influenced and shaped by amazing people whom I've worked with and known throughout my life. Often these people started their careers or advocacy efforts with no power at all and, with the sheer force of their integrity and belief in a better world, they've bent the world to their will and had a lasting impact.”
“I worked alongside amazing advocates, such as Robert Strike, Fiona McKenzie, Christine Regan and Jim Simpson. I met the amazing Dougie Herd and learned so much from him. This was all pre NDIS. It has been amazing to watch the difference the NDIS is making to Australian society. While the NDIS obviously has its issues, it's a world-leading scheme that reflects the fairmindedness and decency of the Australian people. Most recently I was employed as CEO of one of the largest providers of disability services in Australia, the Disability Trust. I'd like to thank Dr Peter Langkamp and the board, including former CEO Margaret Bowen, and the broader family of clients and staff at the Disability Trust. The support afforded to me by the Disability Trust as I transitioned into my new role as an MP was extraordinary, and I'm incredibly grateful.”
“I worked as a solicitor for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, where I ran multiple test cases and law reform projects in the public interest. A core focus was supporting people living in institutional care settings to have their rights upheld. It was in this role that I gained a much better understanding of the life experiences of people with disability, particularly those who'd been institutionalised from a young age. I was so moved by the life experiences of people with disability that I've worked mostly for and alongside people with disability ever since. I became CEO of the New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability, where we advocated for people with intellectual disability and their families to get access to better supports and services.”
“For anyone who harbours a dream to learn how to surf, I can assure you that if I can do it, anyone can. I should also let people know that my surfing is far from impressive, but I can stand up, albeit not for very long. I've tried to make my life one of service to the causes I believe in. One of my first jobs was with Family Planning Australia. I worked on reproductive rights campaigns and I'm a staunch advocate for gender equality. I'm passionate about women's health. In a later role I was CEO of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre, where I worked with the local community, particularly the First Nations community, to enable women to connect with and support other women. We promoted women's health and supported women escaping domestic violence.”
“The Southern Highlands is a magical place with its national parks, farmland and wonderful villages and towns. I have fallen in love with this beautiful region, and it is an honour to represent the Southern Highlands community as part of the Whitlam electorate. The Whitlam electorate is blessed with some incredible landscapes and so many wonderful communities—Dapto, Koonawarra, Warilla, Shellharbour, Shell Cove, Albion Park, Robertson, Burrawang, Moss Vale, Mittagong, Bundanoon and Bowral to just name a few. One of the jewels in our electorate is the farm at Killalea, named the best beach in New South Wales and second-best beach in Australia. This extraordinary place was protected by the local community and also where I taught myself how to surf.”
“I became deeply involved in campus life and made many lifelong friends, many of whom are in the chamber today. I was elected president of the students association and immersed myself in many causes related to the environment, gender equality, the right to affordable education and other community issues. When I moved to Wollongong, I knew I had found my spiritual home. The layers of First Nations history and the waves of migration that have made our region so rich in diversity and community spirit make the Illawarra a very special place. The history of the labour movement also runs deep in our town, and we have a very proud tradition of activism. I'm proud to have raised my children in the Illawarra community. It is my home and I'll never leave. However, if I were to move anywhere, the Southern Highlands would be my choice.”
“I'm proud of the progress being made by Australians, including in the electorate of Whitlam, in relation to rooftop solar. I will be a passionate advocate for fast-tracking our progress towards our economy being powered entirely by renewable energy, which I'm certain will easily happen in my lifetime. I come from a family of teachers. My father, aunt, sister and husband are all public-school teachers. I was proudly educated in public schools, and my children also attend public schools. I'm a fierce advocate for public education because it safeguards Australia's tradition of fairness and equal opportunity, which is the core tradition which makes Australia the greatest country in the world. When I was 18 years old I moved to the Illawarra to study arts and law at the University of Wollongong.”
“As a result, I have a deep love of nature and a deep desire to protect our national parks, rivers, creeks, beaches, forests and our amazing wildlife. Of the many trillions of planets in the known universe, only one that we know of sustains life. We are the caretakers of an extraordinary phenomenon—life on Earth. It is our job to protect it. I hope to use my time as a federal parliamentarian to be a passionate defender of our natural environment. The human and economic impacts of climate change will only intensify unless we take radical steps to decrease the amount of carbon we are releasing into the atmosphere. I support all efforts to decarbonise our economy, and I'm a very strong supporter of renewable energy, particularly solar energy.”
“This tendency towards impatience seems to be a core part of my personality, as my very patient husband will attest. On all sides of my family and in my close personal relationships, you will find fiercely independent women. My grandmother Gladys, who is the best example of this, came from quite dire poverty and hardship. To this day she is the toughest and most direct woman I ever met. She was, at her core, a survivor. I admired her grit and determination. Gladys was also incredibly hard working. She worked and she saved. She gave some money to my parents, and they bought a block of land in the Blue Mountains suburb of Hazelbrook. My parents built a home there, and they still live there today. I lived in the Blue Mountains until I was 18. As a child, I spent a lot of time in the bush, mostly bushwalking, camping or just playing.”
“I wish they were here to see it. There are three things to know about me. Firstly, because I come from humble beginnings, I'm not seduced by power or position. I have no interest in the trimmings of success. I know these things are not fundamentally real or important. The only thing that really matters is being true to yourself and to others, and showing character when it matters most. Secondly, I'm easily moved. Hopefully that's not demonstrated in this speech today! I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I care deeply about the world and about people. Thirdly, I have a lot of energy, and I like to get things done. The only thing that truly irritates me in life is if you get in my way when I'm trying to get something done, particularly if you slow me down.”
“I was not raised to value material possessions or to acquire wealth or status but instead to demonstrate independence, to demonstrate strength of character and, most importantly, to do the right thing. My family are no nonsense, humble and honest people. We aren't big on ceremony, and we don't engage in fakery in any form. In these respects we are quintessentially Australian. Australians are pragmatic, moderate and fair minded people, and I come from a pragmatic, moderate and fair minded family. Given my family's circumstances, we understand the power of equal opportunity. Our belief in social justice runs deep. Sitting in the living room of their housing commission home in Dundas Valley as my mum was growing up, my grandparents could not have imagined their granddaughter would one day become a federal member of parliament.”
“Instead of being here at my first speech today, my father is in Cambodia, volunteering his time to improve educational and employment outcomes for young people in that country. I'm deeply proud of his work. I have two big sisters, Julie and Jane, who are also in the chamber today. Julie has been a public-school teacher for over 30 years. Jane is a paediatric occupational therapist who's worked with children with cerebral palsy, also for 30 years. I'm so proud to call these two amazing women my sisters. The values that we were raised with as kids included the importance of being honest, being reliable, being hard working, being considerate of others, being independent in thought and action, and, above all, taking responsibility.”
“I was not born in my electorate but in Wentworthville, in the heart of the New South Wales western suburbs. My mother, Diane, who's in the gallery today, was raised in a Housing Commission home in Dundas Valley near Parramatta. Many of my childhood weekends were spent at that Housing Commission home, with its red-brown brick and its big backyard with a Hills hoist. My maternal grandfather fought in the Second World War in Borneo, and my great-uncle fought on the Kokoda Track. Particularly for my grandfather, the scars of those experiences played out long after the war ended. My father, Jeff, was born in Manchester, England and came to Australia with his sister and parents when he was two. My mother is the most honest and sincere person I've ever met. Likewise, my father is a deeply ethical man.”
“I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his support and his focus on remaining humble and working hard for the people of Australia. The Prime Minister has assembled a great team and I'm honoured to be part of it. I'd like to acknowledge my predecessor, Stephen Jones, who's in the gallery today. He served the people of Whitlam with distinction for 15 years. Stephen is universally admired and respected and is one of the finest men I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I owe Stephen a great debt of gratitude and would not be standing here in this chamber were it not for his support and his encouragement. His are big shoes to fill. However, I will dedicate myself to representing the people of Whitlam as honourably and effectively as Stephen has for the past 15 years.”
“Thank you. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands across Australia. I pay my respects to their elders, past and present. I acknowledge the ingenuity and capacity of First Nations Australians to resist and survive, and I recognise they are the custodians of the oldest living culture in the world. As an Australian, I am deeply proud of our First Nations history. It is a great privilege to stand here today, representing the Australian Labor Party and the people of Whitlam. It's an enormous honour to represent an electorate named after the great Australian Gough Whitlam, who was Prime Minister from 1972 to 1975. Gough Whitlam's vision and achievements continue to benefit and inspire Australians half a century later.”