Kara Cook
Bonner · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“That is Labor making a real difference to everyday Aussies. Building Australia's future also means backing the small businesses that keep our communities and local economies strong.”
“Tresiba is now listed for people living with type 1 diabetes, benefiting around 14,000 Australians, while reducing costs by up to $500 per pack. Rystiggo is now listed for adults living with generalised myasthenia gravis, with almost 5,000 Australians expected to benefit from treatment that otherwise costs up to $10,000 per pack.”
“In my electorate of Bonner, Labor's cheaper medicines policy has delivered 2.7 million cheaper scripts, putting more than $19 million back in the pockets of locals.”
“It is 1 July, and, from today, millions of Australians will be seeing the benefits of the Albanese Labor government's cost-of-living plan come into effect. Australians are receiving another tax cut.”
“One hundred and thirty-seven Medicare urgent care clinics will now be permanent, ensuring Australians can receive access to free health care close to home where all they need is their Medicare card, not their credit card.”
“Through Parent Pathways, he received support to obtain his drivers licence and began flexible work that allowed him to support his family while continuing with his caring responsibilities.”
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“That is why I am so proud to stand here as the federal member for Bonner and to celebrate Labor's almost $800 million investment in women's health. It has now been a year since it was first introduced, and it represents the largest investment in women's health in Australia's history. It's delivering more choice. It's delivering lower costs and better care for women and girls right across our country. We are already seeing real and measurable outcomes. Since introducing this historic package, more than 700,000 women have accessed over 2.3 million cheaper PBS scripts for contraceptives, menopausal hormone therapies and endometriosis treatments. For the first time in more than 30 years new contraceptive pills have been added to the PBS, helping 328,000 women save more than $27 million across 660,000 scripts.”
“For decades, women and girls were told to endure pain, to accept discomfort as normal and to wait sometimes decades for answers. Too often their symptoms were minimised, too often their concerns were dismissed, and too often the cost of care placed essential treatment out of reach. I was one of those women. I suffered from very heavy periods, debilitating pain and pelvic concerns from the age of around 14. It remained as a painful condition until my late 30s, when an understanding GP took an interest and referred me to the appropriate specialists. I know that I'm not alone in my own experience, and certainly, when I have shared my experience with my comment, women and girls from across all aged have told me about their own experiences, with many still suffering in silence.”
“Beyond the figures and line items, these bills are about real people making real decisions for real outcomes for our country. This is especially true when it comes to health care. In Bonner, I hear these stories each and every week. Deputy Speaker, if you've ever had a sick child on a Friday afternoon, which I know you most certainly have seen in your former life—”
“I rise to speak in support of these appropriation bills. These bills enable the Albanese Labor government to deliver on the commitments that we made to all Australians at the last election—commitments grounded in fairness, responsibility and care for one another. They fund the services Australians rely upon every single day—things like health, mental health services and aged care, and ensure this parliament has the resources it needs to function effectively. When re-elected, the Prime Minister promised to make a positive difference to all Australians each and every day, to invest in our youngest Australians, to look after our oldest and to build a society that is strong and fair and as resilient and generous as Australians themselves. These bills give effect to that promise.”
“The advisory group will bring together emerging local leaders from right across Bonner, and what we want to do is ensure that those views are brought not just into our local community but also back here to this place. Labor believes that young people should be consulted and heard by government, yet the National Youth Survey shows that more than half of young people feel the biggest barrier to participating in politics is not being taken seriously or listened to. That is exactly what the Bonner Future Leaders Advisory Group seeks to change, and I encourage all young people in my community of Bonner to get involved.”
“Young people in our community deserve to be heard not just talked about, not sidelined but listened to and taken seriously. They care deeply about the future of their communities, and young people should have a real opportunity to share their ideas. That is why I'm so proud to announce that applications for the Bonner Future Leaders Advisory Group are now open for young people aged 16 to 23. This group will give young people from my electorate of Bonner a direct platform to be heard and a genuine opportunity to help shape decisions that affect their lives. We will focus on building community and collaboration and on empowering young people to confidently share their perspectives.”
“The awards are going to have two categories, one for under-18s and one for over-18s, recognising the contributions of people at different stages of life but united by that same strong sense of commitment to our community. Nominees don't need a title. They don't need to be well known or hold a formal position. They simply need to be a person who is already showing leadership in their school or community, or they might be someone who has spent years giving their time supporting others and strengthening our local community. I encourage people across my electorate of Bonner to nominate someone you might know who lifts others up, who gives without being asked or who makes Bonner a better place. Nominations are open now and close on 6 April.”
“My electorate of Bonner in Queensland is home to extraordinary people who make our community stronger, kinder and more connected every single day. From Manly to Mansfield, Wakerley to Wishart, Ransome to Rochedale, that community spirit shows up in countless ways right across the electorate. It's seen in the men's sheds, girl guides, Rotary, local sporting clubs and the quiet everyday acts of people who give their time and energy to help others. That is exactly why I'm so excited to open nominations for my Bonner electorate awards. These awards are about celebrating the people who go the extra mile through volunteering, leadership, community service or simple acts of kindness that make a real difference to our local community.”
“It was a Labor government that said sorry for the laws and policies that caused profound harm to First Nations peoples. It was a Labor government that apologised for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, communities and country. And today it is a Labor government that is promoting and protecting the cultural identity, rights and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people by ensuring their voices are permanent, powerful and impossible to ignore. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I commend the bills to the House.”
“Bonner is also home to organisations like Gundala Community Kindergarten, which for 30 years has embedded First Nations cultural knowledge for all children. I've been proud to also support festivals like the Quandamooka Festival celebrating First Nations culture and traditions. Each of these organisations plays a role in building opportunity, identity and belonging. The establishment of the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People is a landmark reform. It recognises that children must be heard. Accountability matters, and lasting change requires systems that are designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, not for them—nothing about us without us. This bill is about dignity, justice and opportunity.”
“The government has launched the Remote Australia Employment Service, investing $75 million in prescribed bodies corporate through the First Nations Economic Partnership; expanded Indigenous ranger programs; and invested in digital inclusion through free community wi-fi in remote communities. These initiatives recognise that self-determination, opportunity and connection to land and culture are central to strong futures for First Nations children and young people. In my electorate of Bonner, there are more than 3,200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who call our community home. I want to acknowledge organisations like Yulu-Burri-Ba and Winnam Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders Corporation and leaders such as Aunty Merle Dippel OAM, whose work strengthens families and supports children every day.”
“That is why Labor is investing in housing security—recognising that safe, stable homes underpin better outcomes for children and families—through the Housing Australia Future Fund, $600 million in concessional loans in supporting projects delivered by or in partnership with First Nations organisations, alongside a 10 per cent First Nations tenancy target and a new First Nations concierge function within Housing Australia. Labor is also tackling overcrowding in remote communities, delivering more than 300 new homes already, with up to 2,700 homes to be delivered by mid-2034. Economic empowerment is equally critical.”
“It reflects the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, the Safe and Supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership group, children's commissioners and advocates across the country and, importantly, the advice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves. I want to acknowledge the leadership of the permanent national commissioner, Ms Sue-Anne Hunter, who does join us today, whose words remind us of the urgency of this task. She said: The work is urgent and the statistics are grim. But our children … are our future. This bill forms part of the Albanese Labor government's broader commitment to closing the gap, because we know that children do not grow up in isolation from housing, health, education, justice and economic opportunity.”
“This bill also transitions the office of the national commission, established in January 2025 as an interim executive agency, into a permanent statutory authority independent from government and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. That independence is critical. It enables the commissioner to conduct inquiries, gather evidence, publish reports and ensure governments are publicly accountable when they fail to respond. It strengthens oversight, it elevates transparency and it ensures responsibility does not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. This reform has been shaped through deep consultation and collaboration.”
“The commission will ensure that the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people and their families are heard directly and heard at the highest levels of decision-making. The legislation makes clear that the national commissioner must always act in the best interests of children and young people, and I have every confidence that she will do just that. It empowers the commissioner to identify systemic barriers and failures through inquiries and research; hear directly from children and young people and support them to assert their rights; promote coordination across government; and advise on policies, programs and services that shape children's lives. These powers are not symbolic. They are practical, enforceable and designed to hold systems to account.”
“For me, as the proud mum to three First Nations children and as the wife of a proud Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, this policy that impacts all First Nations Australians is deeply personal. Like all parents, what I want for my children is simple: to grow up safe, connected to culture, strong in identity and supported to reach their full potential. This bill reflects that same aspiration for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child in this country. Through this legislation, the Albanese Labor government is delivering on its commitment to establish a permanent national institution that does not come and go with political cycles but endures, because the rights of children demand nothing less.”
“The National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026, together with the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026, establishes a permanent, independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led national commission with the authority and responsibility to drive real systemic change. It delivers exactly what advocates have been calling for: a national commissioner backed by legislation, independence and powers, focused squarely on improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people today and into the future. At its heart, this legislation is about listening, accountability and long-term reform.”
“For decades, experts, advocates and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been calling for reform. Since the 1980s, many voices have warned that the systems designed to protect and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were instead driving discrimination that was widespread, systemic and intergenerational. Too often, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people have been spoken about but not spoken with. Too often, decisions affecting their lives have been made without their voices at the table. This legislation begins to change that.”
“If the member for Riverina wants to lecture this place about history then he should have the courage to tell it honestly, not cherrypick fragments that paint a convenient picture for pastoralists while erasing the suffering of First Nations Australians. It highlights the importance of truth-telling in this place and, indeed, right across our country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people continue to face unacceptably high and persistent levels of disadvantage in our country. They are 11 times as likely to be placed in out-of-home care and 27 times as likely to be in youth detention as non-Indigenous children. These figures are confronting. But, as Minister Plibersek has rightly said, our children are not statistics. They are our future, and they must be at the centre of everything we do.”
“If that's the case—that he wants to talk about that history—we should talk about the whole history, not just the parts that suit him. He wants to talk about women working as domestics and men working as stockmen. What he leaves out is the actual truth—that many women who worked as domestics were often paid very little or nothing at all, that many were exploited and that many were subjected to sexual violence, causing pain and causing trauma that is generational and is still felt deeply today. The men who worked as stockmen were exposed to brutal conditions, including witnessing frontier violence and massacres.”
“I start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we gather and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. I also acknowledge Commissioner Kiss and Commissioner Hunter, who join us in the gallery today. Before I turn to the substantive nature of the bills before us, the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026 and the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026, I can't let the words of the member for Riverina go unchallenged. Just before, the member stood up in this place and spoke about some history. He brought in the book and painted an idyllic picture of First Nations Australians working as stockmen and domestics.”
“It reflects their knowledge, their leadership and their longstanding advocacy over not years but decades. At its core, this plan is about backing Aboriginal community controlled organisations already doing the essential work on the ground—work built on culture, connection and evidence. Today this government is committing $218 million in new funding to expand community led, evidence based services into communities right across our country. I am proud to be part of a government delivering this much-needed work for our country.”
“Seven women have been murdered by their partners this year. Three of those women were First Nations women. We know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are seven times more likely to be murdered by their partners in our country and 34 times more likely to be hospitalised due to domestic and family violence. That is why today is a historic day in our fight against this absolute scourge in our society. Today the Albanese Labor government launched 'Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices', Australia's first ever standalone national plan to end family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. This plan was a long time coming and developed in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and victims-survivors.”
“We're preventing customers from being charged more than the standing offer price if their initial low-cost offer changes or expires. We're also banning excessive retailer charges for late payments and for retail contracts and ensuring that all customers are entitled to a fee-free payment method. Through programs like the Cheaper Home Batteries Program and solar sharer, Bonner families from Hemmant to Holland Park, from Carindale to Chandler, can harness the power of the sun and save on their electricity bills. Our government, the Albanese Labor government, is continuing to deliver cost-of-living relief for all Australians today and every day.”
“In March 2025, the Clean Energy Council said: The more renewables in the system, the less we need to depend on unreliable coal-fired power and gas over time, which will provide much needed cost-relief on bills. Renewables are pulling their weight for our national electricity make-up and reducing the wholesale price of electricity. Those opposite promised a wholesale energy price of $70 a megawatt an hour when they were in government. What was it when they left office? It was $280, and Australians have been feeling that pain. They have been feeling the pain of a decade of neglect from the coalition. Then those opposite come here today and pretend it wasn't their fault. The Albanese Labor government is acting. We're preventing retailers from raising prices more than once a year.”
“From July, Bonner residents who sign up to the new solar sharer offer through their energy retailer will be able to ensure that they are running appliances, air conditioners and swimming-pool cleaners; charging electric vehicles; and using their home batteries during the middle of the day for free. Australians voted for cheaper, cleaner energy, and the Albanese Labor government is delivering. Since coming to office, we've cut emissions to 29 per cent below 2005 levels; added over 18 gigawatts of renewable energy, enough to power six million homes; and delivered $12.7 billion in clean energy investment in recent years. A record number of renewable energy projects got the green light last year.”
“They said our incentives just made sense. They would not have installed the battery if it weren't for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Now, with over four million solar installations, Australia has more rooftop solar capacity than the entire fleet of remaining coal-fired power stations across the country. There are now more Australian households with solar than with swimming pools. This means that the energy market, particularly in the sunshine state of Queensland, often has more electricity in the middle of the day than we currently use. This is where the solar sharer scheme comes in. It is another piece of the puzzle towards cheaper energy by encouraging consumers to use the power when it's abundant, taking pressure off the grid that will be saving Australians even more.”
“For Bonner families and small businesses, this has brought down the cost of installing a solar connected battery by 30 per cent. This is practical, affordable, clean energy being generated in our community right now. By 2030, it is expected that the program will support more than two million Australians to install a battery, thanks to the boost in funding of $7.2 billion. This will make it possible for more Australians to take advantage of the solar they already have. It could save families $1,000 each and every year. Locals have been telling me they wouldn't have installed a battery but for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program making it affordable for them. Just over the weekend, I was chatting with a local family in Cannon Hill who told me that they're installing both solar and a battery this week.”
“When I talk with Bonner families at mobile offices, at community events, at schools and while doorknocking, the issue raised with me as the most pressing is the cost of living. We know that electricity prices are just one expense families face when trying to make ends meet. That is why the Albanese Labor government is helping families with real, practical cost-of-living relief. This includes electricity prices. Through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, Bonner families are taking advantage of solar to reduce their electricity bills; 1,609 batteries have been installed throughout Bonner—and counting. The program is such a success that, since July 2025, Australians have installed more than 200,000 cheaper home batteries.”
“He has been a trusted voice for Queensland boating and fishing communities since founding the show in 1989. Aunty Aileen 'Merle' Dippel OAM was recognised for her service to the Indigenous community. Aunty Merle has worked tirelessly through the Winnam Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders Corporation, as a volunteer at Georgina Hostel and Aged Care and as a founding member of the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders-in-Council Aboriginal Corporation. Dr Bronwyn Herbert OAM has been recognised for service to youth social welfare. Dr Herbert has dedicated her life to social work, with involvement with Silky Oaks Children's Haven, Bayside family day care, Moreton Bay College and St Peter's Anglican Church. I thank you all for your service to our community. We are stronger because of you.”
“I rise to acknowledge the extraordinary people who have been recognised on the 2026 Australia Day Honours List for their contribution to my community of Bonner. Emeritus Professor Roderick Drew AM was recognised for significant service to horticulture research and to agricultural development. Professor Drew is the president of the International Society for Horticultural Science and is the first Australian to fill the position. Dr Rodney Straw AM was recognised for his service to veterinary surgical oncology and to tertiary education. Dr Straw was the world's first veterinary fellow in surgical oncology and has been a leader in animal cancer research. Kenneth Brown OAM is being recognised for service to media. Brownie's Coastwatch was a staple for baysiders and local boaties for decades.”
“We've invested $49 million in additional gynaecological services, expanded specialist care, increased rebates and opened 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, taking the national network to 33. With record numbers of women on this side of the chamber, certainly, and elected to this parliament, women's health is no longer an afterthought; it is a priority. And this Albanese Labor government is delivering.”
“Today, Labor women stood side by side to celebrate the anniversary of this Albanese Labor government's landmark almost $800 million women's health package, and the results are clear. Women in my community of Bonner and certainly right across the country are paying less, accessing more and receiving better care. More than 660,000 women have accessed over two million cheaper PBS scripts for contraception, menopausal hormone therapies and endometriosis treatment. For the first time in decades, new contraceptives and menopause therapies have been listed on the PBS, saving women over $73 million in just one year. Women with endometriosis are now accessing treatment at PBS prices—just $25 a script—and women undergoing IVF are receiving earlier and more affordable fertility care.”
“Yet, day after day, the opposition stands up in this chamber and calls and calls cost-of-living relief 'reckless', and today is no different with the wording of today's MPI—reckless. Well, if helping small businesses is reckless, if helping Australians see a doctor when they're sick is reckless, sign me up. If easing pressure on students, families and first home buyers is reckless, sign me up. If backing Australians through a global cost-of-living crisis is reckless, then this side of the House is proudly guilty.”
“We know that Australians are doing it tough, including small business, and I want to thank the Minister for Small Business for setting out so clearly all that we have done to deliver for small business in this country. We know that families are juggling bills, students are worrying about debts, renters and first homebuyers are feeling locked out and people are making impossible choices about their health. When Australians are under pressure, this parliament and this minister have a choice: we can step up and deliver relief, or we can stand back, point fingers, call people names and play politics. This Labor government and our small business minister have chosen to step up and deliver. We have heard today all she has delivered in such a short amount of time for small businesses in this country.”
“Of those initiatives, 122 are Commonwealth led, backed by a $4 billion investment from this Labor government. These initiatives are publicly reported on and transparent. The evidence is clear. The priority must be delivery. That's why Labor is moving forward with consultation on the second action plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, co-designed with frontline workers and with victims-survivors at its centre. Labor is delivering real investment and real action that saves women's lives. Labor knows there is more work to do, but we are committed to ensuring we can do all we can to stop women being murdered in our country.”
“Six women have been murdered in the first six weeks of 2026. This statistic demands more than reflection; it demands action. When it comes to violence against women, the evidence is already clear. Frontline workers, advocates and victims-survivors have told us time and time again that they do not need more reports. We need to implement what we know already works. Last year the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner reported that there are more than 1,000 recommendations from at least eight major inquiries and reviews. Labor acted quickly. National Cabinet commissioned a rapid review at the request of the Prime Minister, and that work is now being implemented. Across the country, there are 583 initiatives under way to prevent, respond to and heal family, domestic and sexual violence.”
“It reflects our belief that language should never stand between a person and their rights. It is about ensuring that every Australian, regardless of where they were born, the language they speak at home or how they recently arrived can understand government, access essential services and participate fully in Australian life. We know that those who have benefited from this service in our country have played a huge part as well in building it—as workers, carers, entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders. It was a Labor government that established the first form of a government funded translation and interpreting service. I'm proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is strengthening the service and enshrining it in the law. Labor stands for an inclusive, multicultural Australia.”
“In Bonner we are fortunate to have a vibrant and multicultural community, where different cultures and traditions come together and shine. There are 48,883 Australians from 167 countries right across the world who call Bonner home. That includes more than 3½ thousand Australians who were born in India and more than 5½ thousand from China. We have people from Kazakhstan, Uruguay and Mozambique. Each and every one of these new Australians can receive translation and interpreting support if they need it to navigate our complex government systems and contribute to our community. In Bonner, there are currently 164 people registered to use the telephone interpreting service. They are being supported to receive the support they need. This is more than a bill. It speaks to the idea of who we are as Australians. It reflects how we value fairness.”
“It will deliver longer term funding to support multicultural organisations to hold local events, improve facilities and deliver language programs. Labor also recognises the role of multicultural independent media and their place in sharing important information. The $10 million independent multicultural media grants for transformation and sustainability will support eligible Australian independent media organisations to transition to sustainable new media practices. This program will back their future. These are just some of the Albanese Labor government's programs to strengthen our multicultural nation. Through this bill, we take another step towards making government and services more accessible for multicultural Australia. It is another step towards making Australia more inclusive and a stronger nation.”
“It will deliver competitive grant funding to support infrastructure, amenities, events and programs for multicultural communities. Young Australians should be connected to the language of their parents, grandparents and communities and take part in the global job market. The government is delivering the Community Language Schools Grants Program, which is enabling schools to deliver professional language programs, and it will play a part in preserving languages in multicultural communities. We know that community organisations can make significant decisions, plan for the future and better support their membership if they have long-term funding certainty. That is why Labor is investing in the Modernised Multicultural Grants Program.”
“When those opposite were in power, they failed to make government services accessible to multicultural and CALD communities. COVID-19 amplified multicultural communities' vulnerabilities and exposed failures under the then coalition. Under the Liberals, NDIS applications were not tailored to the needs of multicultural and CALD communities, and reporting on the equity of access to government services was not mandated. The cuts to the Public Service further undermined the ability of frontline staff to support our multicultural and CALD communities. We are judged on our commitment to a multicultural Australia not by what we say but by what we do. That is why the Albanese government is investing $190 million over two years to provide direct support through the Supporting Multicultural Communities Program.”
“The taskforce investigated the quality of access to Commonwealth government agencies; current support provided in the areas of small business, entrepreneurship and innovation; barriers and needs regarding access to Commonwealth government services; and networking and partnership opportunities that help link community groups to Commonwealth government services. The taskforce heard consistently that multicultural and CALD communities were unaware of government services, with language barriers limiting access and communication failures undermining trust. Language was not a peripheral issue; it was a structural barrier. Further, there was significant but underutilised potential for partnership between all levels of government to support grassroots multicultural organisations.”
“Since introducing the Racial Discrimination Act in 1973, Labor has championed multicultural policy as a foundation of Australian values and social cohesion. Strengthening translating and interpreting services is just one part of the Albanese Labor government's broader commitment to multicultural Australia. Before coming to government, Labor established the Multicultural Engagement Taskforce, which consulted widely with culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Australia. The taskforce listened to multicultural Australia to help inform Labor government policies that would affect them. It consulted with culturally and linguistically diverse community leaders, local councillors, service providers, community organisations, business networks and ethnic peak bodies from the cities, suburbs and regions.”
“Australians trace their heritage from almost every country. This diversity enriches us. It also creates a responsibility—a responsibility to ensure that people can understand their rights and obligations, seek help when they are unsafe or unwell and access services they pay for and are entitled to. It means a patient can understand medical advice, a victim can seek help, a worker can assert their rights and a parent can engage with a school community. That is why we have introduced this legislation, which expressly authorises TIS National to develop, train and support translators and interpreters for our multicultural country. The robodebt royal commission laid bare the consequences of government programs operating without clear legal authority, transparency or accountability.”
“While TIS National has operated for decades, legal advice from the Australian Government Solicitor makes clear that its functions require express legislative authority, particularly in relation to services provided beyond government agencies. This bill provides that certainty. It establishes a clear statutory basis for TIS National in the new act, empowering the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs to provide or arrange translating and interpreting services for Commonwealth government agencies; for migrants; to facilitate communication by government officers; for state and territory governments; by telephone or other means; and under national arrangements addressing shared needs. Importantly, the bill does not change how services are delivered. It strengthens their legal foundation.”
“It also delivers the Free Translating Service, to help new arrivals translate critical documents into English and support their contribution in employment, education and society. With each wave of migration, TIS National has evolved and met demand. The service has developed and trained translators and interpreters who play a vital role in ensuring that translation of government information in health and legal settings reaches those who need it most. These services are not niche or marginal; they are central to the functioning of government, and the numbers show it. Right across Australia in the last six months, 777,000 people have used the service nationally, including 77,000 in Queensland alone.”
“Currently, TIS National provides translating and interpreting services to agencies across all levels of government, to the private sector and for individuals, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The telephone service ensures that emergency services, hospitals, health services, courts, police and frontline government agencies can communicate with people with limited English proficiency at any time, in any circumstance. Alongside telephone services, TIS National provides remote interpreting services via video, and also on-site interpreting services. It operates the Free Interpreting Service, which supports doctors, pharmacists, unions, real estate agents and parliamentarians to communicate with Australians.”
“Under the Whitlam Labor government in 1973, Australia became the first country in the world to provide a telephone interpreting service to ensure that new Australians with limited English proficiency could navigate our government systems and programs and participate fully in our society. This service laid the foundation for what we now know as the Translating and Interpreting Service, or TIS National, within the Department of Home Affairs. This bill continues our commitment, as the Albanese Labor government, to give legislative authority for TIS National to continue its vital work in delivering translating and interpreting services that Australians rely upon.”
“I rise to speak in support of the Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025, legislation that goes to the core of access, fairness and social cohesion in our country. Australia is proudly a multicultural nation. One in three Australians were born overseas, in all corners of the earth—all contributing to our rich and vibrant country. Hundreds of languages are spoken in homes, workplaces and communities across Australia. But multiculturalism cannot exist in name alone. It must be backed by practical systems that ensure people can engage with government, health care, education and the justice system in a language that they understand. This bill does exactly that.”