Jo Briskey
Maribyrnong · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“This Saturday night, the mighty Melbourne Vixens are back in another grand final, their fifth in seven years, and we're going back to back. Five of these women also put on the green and gold for the Australian Diamonds, arguably the most successful national team our country has produced. But here's what gets me.”
“Yesterday, that ask was again answered in another large step forward—the biggest expansion of paid parental leave since Labor created the scheme. This week, paid parental leave in Australia is now a full six months, 26 weeks, paid at a higher rate at just over $1,000 a week, with income limits lifted so more families qualify.”
“Superannuation now lands with every payday instead of months behind, which protects workers least able to absorb being shortchanged. Every one of those changes helps on its own, but, arriving all at once, they take the real pressure off working families. That is real change delivered.”
“Before I came into this place, I spent about just over five years as the CEO of the Parenthood, Australia's peak advocacy body for parents and carers. Our work focused on how we make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent. I spent many hours in this building helping amplify the voices of parents and the needs that they had.”
“But this government is changing it. We're funding pay rises for female dominated sectors like aged care and early childhood education, and the gender pay gap is the lowest it's ever been. This week, paid parental leave grew to 26 weeks, with super paid on top, so that raising a child no longer costs a woman her career or her retirement.”
“When it began in 2011, it gave families 18 weeks, and I watched it change households. I also watched how quickly it could be put at risk. In 2015, parents who used the scheme exactly as it was designed got branded double dippers by those opposite, as if caring for a newborn were a rort.”
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“What we have just heard from those opposite is not a genuine attempt to help struggling Australians. It is a blatant political tactic dressed up as concern. The coalition comes into this place claiming to stand for households under pressure and to speak for families doing it tough, but, when it has mattered, where have they been over the last three years? They have consistently voted against every single cost-of-living relief measure that we have put through this parliament. When there is real opportunity to act in the national interest, they always abandon responsibility and reach straight for fear, distortion and political gain. They want Australians to believe that they're on their side, but Australians can see right through it.”
“This bill responds to those expectations. It complements Medicare's universal foundation by improving transparency and accountability in the private system. It empowers patients with clearer, comparable information. It strengthens consumer protection by ending product phoenixing and applying consistent oversight to meaningful changes in price and value, and it further embeds fairness in our healthcare system. I commend the bill to the House.”
“Implementation will matter, and it absolutely should be done in partnership. We should work with clinicians, hospitals, insurers and consumer advocates to ensure published information is useful and fair. We should monitor impacts carefully to ensure transparency improves decision-making and does not create unintended distortions. We should be honest about what success looks like—fewer unexpected bills, better comparisons, stronger consumer protections and a system that feels more transparent to the people who fund it. Australians should not need to be experts in item numbers, gap schedules and the fine print to protect their families. They should not discover the true cost of care only after they've had to commit to it. They should not see their insurance product re-emerge under a new name at a higher price without proper scrutiny.”
“It will also help local providers demonstrate the value they deliver and compete on openness and patient experience, not just reputation. That is why stronger premium oversight is so important. For a young family, it means fewer nasty surprises when a child needs specialist care. For older Australians, it means more certainty when planning for procedures and managing fixed incomes. For people with chronic illness, it means clearer expectations and an ability to budget over time. For small-business owners and the self-employed, it means making decisions with a better handle on what they are likely paying. It will also support the many clinicians and providers who already prioritise clear communication. When transparency is the norm, it reinforces the professionalism that patients rely on.”
“This bill reflects a fundamental difference in approach. On this side of the House we believe Medicare must remain the foundation of our health system, with private health insurance working alongside it through transparency and fairness, not confusion or hidden costs. Those opposite have often and for too long sought to weaken Medicare while relying on a less regulated private system that shifts costs between patients, risking a drift toward a model where access depends on what you can afford. This government rejects that direction. This bill ensures that private health insurance strengthens Medicare by improving transparency, by closing loopholes like product phoenixing and by putting fairness back at the centre of our health system.”
“This only works when consumers believe the system is understandable, honest and regulated in their interest. When people feel blindsided by fees, confused by gaps or trapped by product changes that seem designed to evade scrutiny, that trust frays. People disengage. They downgrade. Some leave altogether. That is not good for families, not good for private hospitals and providers, and not good for the public system that then carries more demand. This bill strengthens the social contract in a sensible way. It does not set fees. It does not pretend that health care is a simple retail transaction. What it does is make the system easier to navigate for ordinary Australians, giving people the information that they need while ensuring that the rules governing premiums and products operate transparently and fairly.”
“It also formalises key aspects of the premium approval process that had previously been administrative, and it introduces a legislative application period. It also clarifies how further information can be requested, sets out resubmission processes, applies a public interest test and provides for appropriate delegation of decision-making. Those details are important because they create predictability for industry and accountability for consumers, strengthening the integrity of decisions that affect millions of households. The bigger issue here is trust. Private health insurance relies on a social contract. People pay now to protect themselves later. They accept that they are joining a pool, sharing risk and funding care that they may never personally use.”
“If they are paying more for the same cover or receiving less for the same premium, the impact is the same. This bill closes that loophole. It strengthens the premium approval framework by requiring approval not only for the changes of premiums on existing products but also for the premiums associated with new products and for the changes that reduce coverage, benefits or conditions. That is an important shift because it recognises that value can be eroded in ways that are not captured by price alone. This bill does not stop insurers from improving products or responding to changing circumstances. It does not freeze the market, but it does require that significant changes, whether to price or value, are transparent and assessed against public interest.”
“They know costs can rise as demand increases and medical practice evolves. What they expect, quite reasonably, is that premium changes are subject to constant scrutiny and that insurers cannot game the system by changing labels. Product phoenixing has damaged trust because it looks and feels like a workaround. An insurer closes a product and replaces it with one that is substantially similar but more expensive or less valuable. The change can avoid the scrutiny that would normally apply to premium increases. Consumers can be shifted with limited notice and limited clarity. For many, the practical ability to compare or move is constrained by time, health needs or the fear of losing continuity. For the policy holder, the technical distinction between an old product and a new product is beside the point.”
“That is why this bill provides for the publication of information about hospitals and insurers as well: who provides services where, what arrangements are in place and how those arrangements influence what the patient pays. It helps Australians see the system as it operates, not as it is marketed. Of course, transparency must be done properly. Data must be accurate, timely and presented in plain language. It must be contextualised, so it's meaningful and not misleading. It must protect privacy and uphold confidentiality. This bill modernises the relevant legislative frameworks for data sharing and safeguards so those disclosures can occur responsibly. Transparency is the first pillar of consumer confidence. Fairness is the second. This brings me to premiums and product phoenixing. Australians understand that premiums change.”
“This is not about naming and shaming practitioners; it's about equipping patients. Most clinicians already communicate well and charge fairly. Transparency will support them by lifting the overall standards and reducing the confusion that too often sits between patient and provider. For those doing the right thing, it's a trust builder. The bill also recognises that a patient's bill is not determined by one person alone. Out-of-pocket costs are shaped by the broader arrangements that sit behind the scenes between hospitals and insurers and between insurers and providers. Consumers deserve to know what arrangements exist, what they cover and how they affect the final cost.”
“Crucially, it does this by better using data already collected through Medicare, hospitals and insurers. The point is not to create a new burden for clinicians or drown the sector in paperwork. The point is to unlock the value of information that the government already holds and put it to work for the people it ultimately belongs to—the patients. With better information in the public domain, Australians will be able to see how fees vary for common services, what gap arrangements are in place and what they are likely to pay. That will help people ask smarter questions: Is there a no gap option? What will my insurer cover? What are the alternatives? It will help people understand whether a quote is within a typical range or whether it is an outlier that warrants further conversation.”
“If the specialist recommends a procedure, the patient then has to piece together separate quotes—surgeon, anaesthetist, assistant, hospital fees—often while they are anxious, in pain or caring for a loved one. Too many only learn the full cost after the decision has effectively been made. That is not informed choice; it is consent under pressure. The consequences are real. Unexpected bills can force families to dip into savings, postpone other essentials or take on debt. Some delay care because they cannot risk the cost. Others go ahead and simply hope that they can cope later. Either way, uncertainty becomes a barrier to health. This bill takes a clear approach: transparency by default. It enables publication of meaningful, comparable information about fees and typical out-of-pocket costs for common medical services.”
“When they do not, people are left juggling referrals, deciphering bills and making decisions without the basic information any reasonable person would expect. This bill addresses two problems that are widely felt and are long overdue for action. First, it tackles the lack of transparency around fees and out-of-pocket costs. Second, it strengthens oversight of private health insurance premiums and ends the practice known as product phoenixing. On transparency, let's be frank about the current experience. A person receives a referral to a specialist. They book an appointment, sometimes weeks away. They may not be told the fee until the day of, or they may be given an estimate that is impossible to verify.”
“But, in practice, that expectation is not always met. In my community, people tell me the same story in different ways. They do the right thing. They take out private health insurance to protect their family, to shorten waiting times where they can and to have options when life throws a curveball. But too often that promise of security is undermined by opaque pricing, fragmented information and practices that feel like the rules are written for everyone except the consumer. Australia's health system is one of our great achievements. Medicare is its foundation—a guarantee that essential care is available regardless of income. But most Australians move between public and private services across their lives. When those parts of the system work together well, patients benefit.”
“Minister Butler said: After reviewing and listening to the views of older Australians, we will no longer be proceed with the change so people can continue with their existing arrangements with their existing clinician and won't see an increase in their out-of-pocket costs. So I hope that the member for Lyne is able to take that really good information and news back to her electorate. It's just another example of how this Albanese Labor government is delivering for every Australian. Australians are rightly proud of Medicare. It has shaped the public's understanding of health care in this country as a system that is grounded in fairness, transparency and access based on need. Many Australians reasonably expect those same principles to apply under the broader health sector, including when they engage with the private health system.”
“Before I get underway with my contribution to this really important piece of legislation, I'd like to correct the member for Lyne on some of the issues that she raised in her contribution a little earlier this afternoon. The member raised some important issues around the potential of a reclassification of important eye injections and the potential for that to lead to out-of-pocket costs for patients. I'm pleased to correct the member for Lyne and to reassure her constituents that that is not the case. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, the Albanese Labor government announced that it would not be moving ahead with those changes and decided not to reclassify those special eye injections as out-of-hospital services, protecting the out-of-pocket costs for patients.”
“As a qualified psychologist, I know firsthand how important it is to understand what works and why. That's why this government is developing the National Suicide Prevention Outcomes Framework, led by the National Suicide Prevention Office in partnership with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. I acknowledge the member for Bowman for recognising the bipartisan approach that's needed on this, and, in my role as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention, I have the privilege of meeting with peak bodies right across the sector. There is always more to do. That is why we're working every day to build a country where help is available and affordable and is there when people need it.”
“Young people in Melbourne's north-west will soon have better access to free wraparound support through a brand new headspace in Moonee Valley. The Albanese Labor government is investing $6.2 million over four years to establish this vital service in my community, which is expected to open in 2027. This is all part of our broader $200 million investment to deliver 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services across the country. Headspace plays a vital role in supporting young people aged 12 to 25 with their mental health, physical and sexual health, substance use, work and study. As a child-and-youth psychologist, I've seen how early intervention can change people's lives. That is why I'm a strong advocate for headspace at Moonee Valley and proud to be working with Minister Butler and Assistant Minister McBride to deliver it.”
“Around $200 million has gone to crisis support lines such as Lifeline and 13YARN so that help is always there at the most critical moments. But we also know that the drivers of suicide go well beyond the health system. That is why we're tackling cost-of-living pressures, expanding access to affordable housing and confronting family and domestic violence, all of which are linked to suicide risk. We have made medicines more affordable, restored bulk-billing and cut student debt. Through our $1.5 billion Housing Support Program and more than $4 billion since 2022 in initiatives to address domestic, family and sexual violence, we are working to reduce the pressures that can put people into crisis. I'm especially proud that this commitment reaches into my electorate of Maribyrnong.”
“We are committed to making sure not just that we work hard but that our work makes a measurable difference. That's why we've already taken decisive action. Last year we launched the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035, a comprehensive, evidence based plan for the next decade. But a strategy alone is not enough. It needs to be backed by real investment and practical action, and that's exactly what we're seeking to do. Since returning to government, we have invested over $610 million in suicide prevention initiatives. This includes universal aftercare so that anyone who has been discharged from hospital after an attempt or is in crisis is supported, not left to recover alone. We have directed over $330 million to culturally relevant, community led supports for First Nations people, including to Culture Care Connect.”
“These are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends, whose lives should still be with us and whose absence is felt every single day. That's why this government has put suicide prevention at the heart of its mental health and wellbeing agenda. We know that suicide is never just about one thing. Behind every statistic are layers of complex experiences: mental ill-health, trauma, loneliness, financial stress, housing insecurity, discrimination and more. No single agency or initiative can tackle this alone. It takes a joined-up, whole-of-government, whole-of-community effort. The recent Australian National Audit Office report made clear the need to do more to ensure suicide prevention policies are effective and accountable. The government recognises the importance of measurable outcomes and clear accountability.”
“Before I came to this parliament, I qualified as a child and youth psychologist. That training set me up for a career working with and fighting for people, for children and for families, and it enabled me to have a deep understanding of the impact of mental ill-health and suicide. This area of policy is deeply personal and mental ill-health is a lived reality for many, many Australians. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy that leaves a permanent mark not just on families but on friends, workplaces and entire communities. The numbers are stark, and we've heard every speaker on this motion today talk about the stats, and it's really important that we do. Nine Australians are lost every day to suicide, with more than 150 attempts made. But moving beyond those numbers, these are people we know.”
“We're doing all of this because we know that AI, when implemented with a real understanding of our community's needs, can be genuinely life changing. Earlier this month, I visited Dementia Australia's pop-up here at parliament, where they showed how they train healthcare workers in AI through immersive simulations to better support people living with dementia. It's a practical example of this technology at its best. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the world, but our government's approach is grounded in our Labor values of fairness, inclusion and opportunity. While those opposite often lose sight of these principles, Labor is committed to ensuring AI enhances workers' skills and never simply replaces them.”
“Getting up and running early next year, this institute will give our regulators the teeth and the expert advice that they need to stay ahead of the curve. Just today, we announced a new, strict five-step framework for tech giants wanting to build data centres and use artificial intelligence in Australia. Under this framework, these companies must help pay for the renewable energy infrastructure and grid upgrades, with the aim of ensuring costs aren't passed on to households and businesses. These tech companies will also need to use water responsibly and make their computing power available to local businesses. Across our government, ministers are moving in the exact same direction. From workplace relations to education, we are heavily coordinating the rollout.”
“The coalition also tries to claim that there is policy inertia and confusion on this side of the House. Again, I think they're living in their own fantasy land, not in reality. Our National AI Plan is a crystal-clear road map to make sure these new tools build a fairer country. The economic upside is huge, and we're looking to inject up to $200 billion into our economy every year, generating 150,000 brand-new jobs by the end of the decade. We are focused on grabbing on to those economic opportunities, making sure that the benefits reach every postcode and putting the right guidelines in place to keep people safe. Instead of the opposition's bizarre claim that we've scrapped the expertise—we're actually putting $29.9 million on the table to build a permanent, dedicated AI safety institute.”
“It requires making workplace laws stronger, which, again, historically, those opposite have banded against. It means ensuring the enormous economic gains from this technology flow to working people and not be concentrated with the few, as those opposite have consistently preferred. In other words, the work needed to protect workers goes right to the heart of Labor's bread-and-butter priorities. It's exactly why we've invested heavily in education and why we are rolling out fee-free TAFE. Through our massive $12.6 billion National Skills Agreement, we are supercharging the VET sector and making sure Australians have the hands-on digital skills that they need for tomorrow. This is what real support looks like—not the empty rhetoric of an opposition that will cut funding to skills and training the second that they get the opportunity.”
“Just a few weeks ago, Senator Bragg let the cat out of the bag when he was asked for his views on AI. His answer was simply that the government just needs to get out of the way. That is completely at odds with what our government believes. We back working people. We know that by getting everyone around the table—unions, employers and the training sector—we can make sure workers actually get ahead. Despite those opposite having no road map on AI, they are making an absurd claim that we have no plan for workers whose jobs are changing, and that is simply not true. Helping people navigate these shifts doesn't mean leaving them to fend for themselves, as Senator Bragg suggested we do. It requires genuine investment in lifelong training—something those opposite have historically undermined through repeated cuts to skills and training.”
“Artificial intelligence is bringing a massive shift to our workplaces, and this Labor government is working to ensure everyday Australians aren't left behind. Looking at the motion put forward today, you'd be forgiven for thinking that those opposite have suddenly become the great defenders of the Australian worker. Frankly, it's a bit rich coming from a party with a long and miserable track record of attacking workers' conditions. They want us to forget that they spent the last decade fighting against better pay, trying to strip away essential protections and literally cheering when our local auto manufacturing industry closed its doors. Now they want to be seen as the saviours of workers facing technological change. Give me a break! We all know what their real approach to technology and industry looks like.”
“We are also expanding our national network of endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, adding 11 new clinics to bring it to a total of 33 across Australia, including in regional and rural communities. These clinics aren't just medical facilities; they are places built on a deep understanding of our community's needs. This means more women, no matter their postcode, can access specialised, respectful and comprehensive care. This is what it looks like when a government takes women seriously. This isn't just about health care; it's about equality. This is our government's record and this is our promise to keep delivering for women not just in words but in real, tangible change that you can see, feel and access every single day in our clinics, in our pharmacies and in our communities.”
“Procedures like IUD insertions and contraceptive implants are now up to $400 cheaper each year, removing cost as a major barrier to effective long-term care. We are also tackling the areas that have often been completely overlooked. Since July last year, more than 71,000 women have accessed Medicare funded menopause health assessments. We are finally bringing support, clarity and dignity to a stage of life that has too often been surrounded by silence. We are investing $49 million to deliver an additional 430,000 services for women living with endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, chronic pelvic pain and other complex conditions because women living with pain deserve answers. They deserve to be believed and they deserve the care that meets their needs.”
“This provides crucial support at a time in life that too often has been ignored, brushed under the rug or trivialised. Forty-six thousand women have saved on IVF and fertility treatments, bringing them the dream of starting or growing a family within closer reach for so many. And 7,000 women have saved on endometriosis treatments. These are women who have who were told that their pain was normal or exaggerated or who were simply not taken seriously. While costs are down, access and quality are going up. Through our investments in Medicare, we are making health care not just cheaper but better and closer to home. New Medicare items mean that essential gynaecological care is more affordable.”
“Women are not just present in this parliament; we are shaping it, we are leading it and we are helping drive the agenda. When women are at the table, women's health care is no longer sidelined; it's front and centre. That is why, in just 12 months, more than 700,000 women have accessed 2.3 million cheaper prescriptions through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the PBS. That is 2.3 million moments of genuine relief at the local pharmacy counter. It's 2.3 million moments where a woman didn't have to choose between her health and paying a grocery bill. Let's look at what that means in real, everyday terms. More than 328,000 women have saved on contraception. This is giving women greater control over their own reproductive health and their futures. Three hundred and eighty-three thousand women have saved on menopausal hormone therapies.”
“Access to affordable health care is a cornerstone of our nation's identity and it is an absolute essential to women's health; to their independence; and to their ability to live full, equal and active lives in their families, in their workplaces and in their local communities. That is exactly why, a little over 12 months ago, the Albanese Labor government announced our historic women's health package, making health care more affordable, more accessible and far more responsive to the actual realities of women's lives. And let's be clear why this change is finally happening. It's because this Labor government actually reflects the communities we serve. For the first time in our nation's history, we have a majority-female government and a majority-female cabinet.”
“For far too long, Women's health has been treated as an afterthought. It was treated as something optional, something secondary. Australian women have been asked to pay more, to wait longer, to justify their pain and, worse still, to simply put up with it or go without care altogether. And we know this because women in our communities have told us. They are women who have sat in doctor's offices, explaining deliberating pain, only to be told it's just a bad period; women who have waited years—sometimes a decade—for a diagnosis of endometriosis; women who have questioned their own physical experiences because the system dismissed them.”
“Visiting our local school communities, meeting their terrific teachers and celebrating amazing students is undoubtedly one of the best parts of this gig. Finally, what is a weekend in our community without local sport? A few weekends ago, I got to spend a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon down at the Strathmore sporting club. I was warmly welcomed by the club's president, Ash Martin, along with some of the club's amazing volunteers, players and sponsors. The first XI team was out in the field giving it all against Plenty Valley, and it was a joy to watch the action live. During my visit, Ash and the team proudly showed me around and also talked about the frog box that they got through a stronger communities grant. This is really making a difference for this local club, and it was wonderful to be able to get down there and see it in action.”
“They kindly invited me to speak with them about how this very parliament works, my role as their federal MP and the importance of Australian democracy and civics. Let me tell you, it's always inspiring to engage with young people who are so curious, so switched on and so eager to understand how they can participate in shaping our nation's future. Knowing that these students are our future leaders gives me immense optimism. I also had the pleasure of attending the St Bernard's College high achievers assembly, a wonderful celebration of student excellence and hard work right across the board. I was deeply honoured to present my community leadership award to an outstanding student, Matthew Skidmore. Congratulations Matthew for your outstanding service.”
“Seeing the direct impact of getting fresh produce straight to the people who need it most is both humbling and deeply inspiring. Community led organisations and support like this make a genuine, tangible difference in people's lives, and I want to say a big thank you to Foodbank Australia for their support. I want to place on record in this place my special thanks to Donna Scott and Angie Courtenay and the entire team of volunteers at Wingate. Thank you for inviting me down and thank you for the vital services, activities and events you provide. You are a lifeline to so many, and we are so proud of the work that you do. Looking to the future of our community, I recently had the joy of visiting two outstanding local schools in my community. First, I give a huge shout-out to the year 10 students at Rosehill Secondary College.”
“Over the past few weeks, I've had the absolute privilege of spending time with some grassroots organisations, local schools and sporting clubs that truly represent the best of my community. I want to start by acknowledging the phenomenal team at Wingate Avenue Community Centre. We know that, right now, households are under significant pressure, and food insecurity remains a very real challenge for many families. But it is during these challenging times that our community's capacity for compassion truly shines. Recently, I had the opportunity of visiting Wingate to see their fantastic Farm to Families program in action. I got to spend time volunteering, handing out fresh, healthy food to local families who are doing it tough.”
“We came to office to repair what had been broken, and we're doing that. We came to office to ease the cost of living for working families, and we're doing that. And we came to office with a vision of a country where hard work is rewarded, health care is universal, housing is within reach and every child, regardless of postcode or background, has a chance to succeed and thrive. This is the Australia I see every day in Flemington and Moonee Ponds and Airport West and Gladstone Park. It is the Australia these communities deserve and it is Australia that we're building.”
“There is a new headspace youth mental health service here in Moonee Valley, to be operated by Orygen, a global leader in the field, because the mental wellbeing of our young people is not a secondary concern; it is foundational. The divide in this House has rarely been starker. On one side sits a coalition that voted against tax cuts for working Australians, against cheaper medicines, against social housing, against a future it seemed either unable or unwilling to imagine. A party that once claimed to champion Menzies's forgotten Australians has spent years chasing the extremes, trading vision for grievance and offering nothing to the people actually doing it. On this side sits a Labor government with a plan, a record and a deep sense of responsibility to the people we serve.”
“Beyond the national agenda, I'm proud to be delivering on the commitments I made to the people who sent me here. There is $3.7 million in sporting facility upgrades: a new pavilion at Walter Street Reserve, a scoreboard at Boeing Reserve, a bowls superhub at Cooper Street, new greens and a shade at Gladstone Park Bowls Club and upgrades at Maribyrnong Park. These are the places where our community comes together across the generations. They deserve to be world class. There is the Commonwealth prac payment for trainee nurses and carers at Kangan Institute Essendon because no-one training to care for others should have to choose between rent and dinner whilst they're trying to get the skills that they need for the work that we desperately need in our communities.”
“Our 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators was long overdue and long overdue recognition for the professionals that are shaping the minds of our youngest Australians, including the remarkable educators I've had the pleasure of meeting at Goodstart Moonee Ponds and Goodstart in Flemington, who bring genuine skill, dedication and love to the work that they do every day. For those carrying a student debt, we heard you. That debt had become an anchor on life, on buying a first car, starting a family, saving for a deposit. We wiped 20 per cent off student debt, directly benefiting over 25,000 people in Maribyrnong and three million Australians nationally. The message is clear: your ambition should not be limited by your bank balance. The fair go extended to generations before you belongs to you as well.”
“Through fee-free TAFE and $10,000 apprentice support payments, we are training the plumbers, electricians and carpenters who will deliver the 1.2 million homes we have committed to, creating lasting careers in the process. This is how you solve a housing crisis: with investment, workforce development and the political will to follow through. The most enduring investment we can make against the cost of living, against inequality, against the idea that your postcode determines your destiny is to invest in our people—in education. The coalition treated early childhood education as babysitting. We treat it as the economic and social infrastructure it is.”
“I was recently at the Swift Walk redevelopment in Kensington—the largest project completed under the Housing Australia Future Fund to date—where a total of 272 social and affordable homes now stand where there were once only a waiting list and a sense of despair. I walked through these homes and met residents who had spent years in insecure rentals, unable to put down roots or make plans. What struck me was not the buildings themselves, impressive as they are, but the quiet relief on people's faces—that sense that finally, after years of uncertainty, they had somewhere to call home, somewhere to raise a family. That is what government is for. But bricks alone are not enough. At Essendon Fields, companies like Modscape + Modbotics are pioneering modular construction that can help us build faster and smarter.”
“For families in my community, this means no longer choosing between a doctor's visit and putting food on the table. It means a healthcare system that lives up to the values it was built on. On housing, the record of the previous government is one of total abdication. Year after year, as a generation of young Australians were locked out of the market and renters were pushed to the edge, those opposite offered thought bubbles and slogans without even appointing a minister responsible. They proposed letting young people raid their superannuation—not a solution to the housing crisis but a way of making it worse while pretending to care. Labor is actually building.”
“And there are those who still sit opposite who would genuinely prefer an Americanised health system, one where access to care is determined by your credit card rather than your Medicare card. They tried hard to get us there, but Australians understand that there is nothing more quintessentially Aussie than a universal healthcare system underpinned by that green and gold Medicare card. Labor is restoring that promise. We have delivered the largest investment into Medicare in its history, tripling the bulk-billing incentive, which means, in Maribyrnong alone, we have doubled the number of fully bulk-billing GP practices in just over three months. We've capped the PBS scripts at $25—the lowest it's been in two decades—and frozen prescription costs entirely for pensioners because dignity in retirement should not come with financial penalty.”
“We believe the people who build Australia should be the ones who benefit from its growth. That is not radical; it's simply fair. Health care is one of the most important, powerful and personal conversations that I have in my electorate. Almost every time I hold a mobile office or knock on a door, someone raises it, not in the context of policy, but in the context of their own life: a parent who delayed going to the doctor because they couldn't afford the gap, a pensioner splitting tablets to make a script last longer, an older resident who stopped seeing the specialist because the out-of-pocket costs had become impossible to justify. For a decade, the coalition conducted an ideological war of attrition against Medicare. They froze rebates. Bulk-billing rates fell. Out-of-pocket costs climbed.”
“Every single Australian taxpayer is receiving a tax cut, with further rounds coming this July and the one next. For the workers at the distribution centres in Tullamarine, the healthcare workers at Western Health and the teachers in our local schools, this means real money back in their pockets—not a promise, but real relief in real pay packets. The contrast with what came before us is worth reflecting on. The previous government's approach to tax relief was an ideological choice: concentrating benefits at the top, rewarding those who needed it least and dressing it up as economic reform. Labor made a different choice. Our cuts are weighted toward the cleaners and carers, the nurses and the teachers, the logistics workers and tradies who keep this country running.”
“We walked into a huge housing crisis left entirely unaddressed, a national debt approaching $1 trillion and inflation with a six in front of it and climbing. We inherited the legacy of a government that promised a surplus every single year and failed every single time. The 'back in black' mugs became a symbol not of competence but of delusion, and Australians knew it. It fell to Labor to do the work of repair. It took a Labor treasurer and a Labor minister for finance to deliver back-to-back surpluses for the first time in nearly two decades. But we did not pursue these surpluses as a mug to be displayed. We did it to give us the capacity to invest in Medicare, housing and education. Responsible management is not the opposite of compassion; it is what makes compassion sustainable.”