Trish Cook
Bullwinkel · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Primary care, urgent care and emergency care—patients with non-life threatening urgent conditions can be treated quickly and efficiently in the community close to where they live. This is what strong primary care and urgent care systems look like. They are accessible, responsive and centred on the needs of patients.”
“There are now over 3,800 Medicare bulk-billing practices nationwide, and more than 1,400 of these were previously mixed-billing clinics—so 1,400 have converted to bulk-billing all patients all of the time. Importantly, about 97 per cent of Australians now live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk-billing practice.”
“They're also relieving pressure on GP practices themselves. As a GP nurse, I know that when something urgent walks through the door, of course the scheduled patients, both on my lists and the doctor's lists, will need to wait so that the urgent case is attended to.”
“Since Labor strengthened Medicare bulk-billing and introduced additional incentives for GPs, we have seen five more GP practices in my electorate of Bullwinkel take up bulk-billing. That is five more practices, and all the doctors within those practices, making the choice to put patients first and ensure care is accessible to everyone.”
“This bill has established a clear and enduring legislative framework for Commonwealth primary care incentive payment programs, including the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. These programs are a vital part of how we support access, affordability and quality in our health system.”
“Today I rise in strong support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. As federal member for Bullwinkel and as somebody that worked on the frontline as a nurse for decades, I know firsthand just how important a strong, accessible primary care system is to the health and wellbeing of our communi…”
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“A major national survey by the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, ACOSH, and its partners, released in March 2026, revealed a clear mandate for change, and we are acting. Their survey of over 5,000 Australian adults revealed: Overall, the Australian public's perception that there are too many shops selling tobacco was widespread (64%) and most respondents (75%) believed it is very easy or easy for Australians who smoke to buy illegal tobacco products right now. This sentiment is backed by a startling reality. ACOSH CEO Laura Hunter recently pointed out: … around 70% of Australians rely on petrol, yet we have only about 7,000 petrol stations across the country. … … … But tobacco—a product that is deadly when used as intended … is sold in over 40,000 outlets.”
“As the member for Bullwinkel, I see the local ripple effects of this global criminal enterprise. Our electorate, spanning from the Perth Hills to the rapidly growing suburbs in the valleys, is home to hundreds of small businesses—newsagencies, convenience store operators and service station franchisees. These are the people who are doing the right thing. They're paying taxes and adhering to strict age-verification protocols, and they contribute to our local economy. When an illicit tobacco pop-up shop opens down the road, selling unregulated, untaxed products at a fraction of the legal price, it isn't competition; it is economic sabotage. We're not acting in a vacuum here. The Australian public is of course demanding this reform.”
“This is the black economy in its most destructive form. Organised crime groups are reaping profits, and that capital doesn't stay in the tobacco trade; it acts as seed funding for a broader spectrum of misery. This money is the lifeblood of criminal syndicates, directly funding the importation and distribution of drugs, high-level cyberscams that target our seniors, and sophisticated money-laundering operations that undermine the integrity of our financial institutions and systems. This trade fuels a cycle of violence that has moved from the underworld into everyday lives. In recent times, we have seen firebombings of shopfronts, brazen acts of intimidation, and public violence. This isn't just about cheap cigarettes; it is a direct assault on public safety and the rule of law.”
“What we are witnessing now is no longer just a revenue problem or a regulatory hurdle; it is a serious organised-crime crisis, and it is a crisis that threatens the safety of our streets, the viability of small businesses and the health of the next generation. To understand the necessity of this bill, we must first understand the staggering scale of the problem. The first Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner was appointed by our government and produced the Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner r eport 2024-25 . This report estimates that the value of the illicit tobacco market in 2024-25 was between $4.1 billion and nearly $7 billion. Let's be clear about what that money represents. These are not funds being tucked away by mums and dads. These billions of dollars represent a massive war chest for organised crime syndicates.”
“Today I rise to speak in strong support of the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. This is a vital piece of legislation that forms the central pillar of the Albanese Labor government's relentless crackdown on a trade that has for too long operated in the shadows of our economy while casting a very long and dangerous shadow over our communities. For many years, public perception of illicit tobacco was somewhat benign. It was perhaps viewed as a victimless tax dodge or a niche issue for health advocates. But today the reality on the ground and in our suburbs tells a far more sinister story.”
“By passing this bill, we are making it clear that this parliament is committed to the long-term work of listening, improving and building a foundation of justice that survivors can rely on. To summarise, this bill closes a loophole that has allowed perpetrators of child sexual abuse to shield assets in superannuation and avoid paying court ordered compensation. Survivors can win in court and yet receive nothing, because offenders can park their wealth in protected accounts or use bankruptcy to escape enforcement. These reforms in this survivors bill ensure that judgements can be enforced and that justice is meaningful and not merely symbolic. I commend the bill to the House.”
“Ultimately, this measure is about restoring fairness and dignity. It is about ensuring that the law does not inadvertently protect those who have caused profound harm and are deemed criminals, while leaving their victims without recourse. When an offender retains substantial retirement savings while their victim struggles financially, often as a direct consequence of abuse, it is unacceptable and amoral and it undermines public confidence in our justice system. It risks perpetuating a cycle where the burden of the crime continues to fall on the shoulders of the person who has been harmed. This bill aligns with our laws and our values. It says that perpetrators must be held accountable. It says that survivors deserve not only recognition but also meaningful support and redress.”
“We have heard the voices of survivors and advocates clearly, and they are looking to us to continue to build on these reforms, following the passage of this bill. Their lived experience must remain at the centre of the conversation. When survivors tell us where the system falls short, it is our responsibility to listen and act, and that is why the review measure included in this bill is so critical. We are not just passing legislation and moving on to the next item of the agenda; we are committed to remaining engaged. We will assess whether victims are genuinely benefiting, and we will identify additional changes that are required to remove remaining barriers. Our policy must continue to be informed by those who use the system: the survivors, the legal practitioners and the advocates.”
“We acknowledge that the superannuation and bankruptcy systems, although the bedrock of our financial stability, are highly technical. Changes to these systems must be carefully designed to be effective and enforceable, while remaining consistent with broader legal principles. Getting the technical details right is how we ensure that justice is real. We have consulted extensively with legal experts, financial regulators and survivor advocates to ensure these mechanisms will work in practice and not just on paper. This bill should be understood as a significant and necessary foundation. It closes a clear, inadvertent loophole and sends a strong signal about the direction of reform.”
“We are not touching their basic employment contributions required for baseline retirement, but we are ensuring that any extra wealth accumulated by the criminal perpetrator is available to pay their victims first. Point 3 is ending the bankruptcy refuge. Crucially, this bill ensures that compensation debts do not simply disappear through bankruptcy. By allowing these debts to survive bankruptcy proceedings, we are reinforcing a clear and necessary message: financial manoeuvring must not override moral and legal responsibility. Bankruptcy should not be a refuge for accountability for such serious harm. These changes will apply not only to future bankruptcies but also to those that are currently in progress. This recognises that justice delayed is justice denied and that we must act for those who are struggling with the system today.”
“This is a perversion of the intent of our retirement savings system. Superannuation was designed to provide security in old age, not to act as a safe haven for those seeking to dodge a debt of justice. Under these reforms, we are introducing a practical, targeted mechanism for enforcement that levels the playing field. Point 1 is direct access to contributions. Where a court-ordered compensation debt remains unpaid after 12 months, victims-survivors will be able to seek access through a court order to specific superannuation contributions. Point 2 is targeting voluntary shielding. We are specifically targeting additional personal and salary-sacrifice contributions. These are the voluntary payments that have previously been used by offenders to park their wealth out of reach.”
“For too many survivors, a court ruling in their favour has proven to be nothing more than a paper victory. They have endured the gruelling, often retraumatising experience of legal proceedings. They have stood in front of the law and asked for acknowledgement and yet, even after being awarded compensation, they face the further distress of seeing those orders go unpaid. This compounds the original harm. It sends a message to the survivor that, even after the state acknowledges their suffering, the perpetrator can still win by playing the system. It is a failure of our institutions to deliver on the promise of meaningful redress. I have met with constituents who have walked this path. They have won their cases only to be told by lawyers that the perpetrator's assets are untouchable because they have been funnelled into superannuation.”
“For many, this trauma directly impacts their ability to participate fully in the workforce. When we talk about the harm caused by the abuse, we are not just talking about the emotional scars; we are talking about material disadvantage. Survivors may face lifelong barriers to stable employment and financial security. They may require ongoing medical care, psychological support and specialised services, which may come at a significant financial cost. The courage it takes for these individuals to come forward, often decades after the events, cannot be overstated. They choose to relive their most painful experiences in pursuit of justice, knowing full well that legal outcomes are never guaranteed. As a parliament, our response must be equally serious, sustained and, above all, centred on those who have been harmed.”
“We are making a clear statement that the perpetrator's right to a comfortable retirement does not and will never outweigh a survivor's right to justice and redress. It is essential that this House understands why this reform is so urgent. Child sexual abuse is not a crime that ends when the physical act stops. Its impacts are enduring, complex and profound. Survivors frequently carry the effects of their abuse into their adulthood, and the experience may ripple through every facet of their lives, affecting their mental health, physical wellbeing, ability to form stable relationships and educational outcomes. We often hear from survivors who have spent decades navigating the world in silence, carrying a burden that was never theirs to carry or to bear.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026. This bill addresses a simple but fundamental principle of justice: perpetrators of child sexual abuse should not be able to hide behind complex financial structures to avoid accountability. For too long, our legal and financial systems have contained an inadvertent and deeply unjust loophole, one that has allowed convicted offenders to shield their assets in superannuation accounts while the victims and survivors of their crimes are left without the compensation that they are legally or morally owed. Today we move to close that loophole. This is not just a technical correction to our Treasury laws; it is a moral alignment of our financial systems with the values of Australian people.”
“And we're fixing the telecommunications and digital divide through our $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, bringing fibre upgrades to nearly one million regional premises. We are governing for all Australians. (Time expired)”
“From Northam to Broome, we are ensuring you don't have to leave your home in the regions to get world-class education. We stand with our primary producers. In York, I recently walked the farms with agriculture minister Julie Collins to meet with grain growers who were dealing with the high cost of diesel and fertiliser. To protect them, we're delivering a landmark $10 billion Australian Fuel Security and Resilience package. We also met with the shearers association to ensure that woolshed shearers are trained in the off season. And, of course, beyond that there are cost-of-living relief measures—tax cuts for everyone, capping PBS medicines and 1800MEDICARE—and a doubling of the Roads to Recovery funding to $4.4 billion, with 85 per cent of that funding going to regional areas.”
“For example, we have waived HECS debt for doctors and nurses who work in our regions for five years. We've provided over $600 million to grow our health workforce, supporting hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives, and we are funding a record cohort of GP training places, 1,750 for this year alone. There is a huge focus within that on the Remote Vocational Training Scheme for hard-to-fill locations. We know that productivity is lifted when we invest in our people, and that's why we also want our regional students to have the same opportunity as those in the city. Last year, I was incredibly proud to join Minister Jason Clare to officially open the northern Regional University Study Hub. This is one of 56 regional study hubs nationwide that have supported nearly 21,000 students.”
“And, just 40 minutes up from the regional town, in the periurban township of Mundaring, we've opened the new Mundaring Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which has already, in the last couple of months, seen over 1,600 visits. This is a fully bulk-billed urgent care clinic located right on the highway artery that serves our electorate and those people in regional areas. By June 2026, 47 of the 137 urgent care clinics will be in regional areas, providing the quality care that our families deserve. But clinics, of course, are nothing without the people that staff them, and attracting professionals to the regions is a longstanding challenge that we acknowledge. That didn't just happen overnight, and it won't be fixed overnight, but we are making the biggest investment in decades.”
“I understand on a personal level that in the regions health care isn't just a policy area; it's a lifeline. And that's why I'm so proud that our government is delivering in health care, including the largest investment in the history of Medicare to ensure that nine out of 10 people are bulk-billed by 2030. We aren't just patching up a system; we are strengthening it from the ground up. We've committed an additional $1.8 billion to our public hospitals to reduce waiting times, bringing our total hospital funding to a record $33.9 billion. In Northam, I had the honour of opening up our Medicare mental health urgent care clinic, which has already become a pillar of the community there.”
“Today, the Albanese Labor government holds more regional seats in this parliament than the Liberal Party does and than the National Party does. We don't just represent the regions; we are the voice of the regions. Since I became the member for Bullwinkel, I've made it my mission to ensure that our regional towns are seen and heard. I'm proud to say that I have welcomed more than 16 ministers to our electorate in the last year, and bringing those decision-makers of this country directly to our farms and our clinics and our local business is important. While I was born and raised in the city, I served as a remote area nurse for two decades. I've been on the frontlines in the communities where the nearest hospital isn't just a few suburbs away but is a journey.”
“My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. How is the Albanese Labor government helping our farmers, fishers and producers to manage the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East and to keep our food production strong? Further, what have been the responses to these measures?”
“Her legacy is a testament to the resilience that defines nurses. Whether it was a battlefield in the 1940s or the remote area communities where I worked, or whether it's research institutions or the front line of the modern pandemic, nurses show up. We advocate for the vulnerable and we carry the weight of our patients when they have some of their hardest days. To my fellow nurses: your work is seen; your sacrifices are valued, and today we celebrate you. Let's continue to lead with the courage of Vivian Bullwinkel and the compassion that makes our profession the most trusted profession in the world.”
“Today, on the international day of the nurse, we don't just celebrate a profession; we celebrate the backbone of our healthcare system. As a nurse myself for over 40 years, I know that behind every statistic and every bedside is a nurse who has dedicated themselves to the quiet, often exhausting, but deeply profound role of caring. I want to pay tribute to a true Australian hero, Lieutenant Colonel Sister Vivian Bullwinkel. In 1942, after the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke , Vivian was the sole survivor of the Bangka Island massacre. She was wounded, a prisoner of war for over three years, and yet her spirit never broke. She returned home not with bitterness but with a renewed mission to serve, eventually becoming a leader in our nursing profession and a champion for the recognition of her fallen sisters.”
“I care for my community in Bullwinkel, and we care for one another, and this bill is about the same principle: protecting a scheme that belongs to all of us. It's about telling the scammers that the party is over and telling people with a disability that their future is secure. I commend the bill to the House.”
“The vast majority of NDIS providers in Bullwinkel and across Australia are fantastic. They are local small businesses, often health professionals, and not-for-profits who are doing the right thing every single day. They care for our neighbours, our friends and our families. Our goal is to create a system where compliance is easy and noncompliance is hard. We want our local honest providers to spend less time on paperwork and more time on care, while building a high-tensile steel wall against the crooks. We know there is a lot more to do, and this bill is a major step. We will continue to work closely with the disability community to ensure that these protections remain robust. The NDIS is too important to fail. We cannot allow it to be drained by those who see it as an easy mark.”
“We're ensuring that the moderation of the scheme is achieved through efficiency and integrity, not by depriving participants of the support that they need to live their lives. The bill before the House today introduces commonsense measures that are ready to go. It strengthens the NDIS commission's ability to act. That means stronger penalties by introducing a tougher penalty framework for breaches of registration, banning orders and the code of conduct. It means expanding banning orders so that banning orders can now be issued to auditors and consultants, closing the gap where middlemen could facilitate non-compliance from the shadows. There is the antipromotion orders measure. This gives the commission the power to stop unscrupulous providers from promoting products or services that are actively undermining the integrity of the NDIS.”
“The NDIS Scheme Actuary projected that without Labor's intervention the scheme expenses would have increased by a staggering $45 billion over the next 10 years and by acting now we are saving the scheme from collapse. We are cleaning up the mess left by the coalition and cracking down on those people committing NDIS fraud. Combating overall growth does not mean cutting plans. In Bullwinkel, I hear the anxiety of families who fear that their support will be ripped away. But let's be clear: overall plans are not being cut. The average value of plans is going up. While growth is moderating, the data shows that reassessed plans are actually more likely to increase than decrease. Last year, 58 per cent of reassessed plans increased by more than five per cent. Only 23 per cent saw a decrease.”
“When an unscrupulous provider views the NDIS as a get-rich-quick scheme rather than a support system, the safety of the participant can become an afterthought. I know that, when the system fails, it is the individual who suffers. We refuse to accept a status quo where the vulnerable are treated as commodities. We are cleaning up this sector to protect the wellbeing of every Australian person with a disability. Let's deal with some facts. As I've previously mentioned, fact one is that we are finally getting the NDIS growth under control. Under the Liberals it was 22 per cent and spinning way out of control. Under our government, that's been brought down to 10 per cent.”
“We recognise that every dollar lost to a fraudster is a dollar stolen from a person with a disability. Since 2022, we have invested over $550 million to specifically tackle fraud and noncompliance. We established the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, bringing together law enforcement and intelligence to hunt down those who think NDIS is their personal ATM, and the results are clear. We have amended the NDIS act to tighten loopholes. We have scaled up our oversight to an unprecedented level. Today, more claims are made every single day than were reviewed in an entire year under the previous government. We must be blunt and speak about the stakes. Where we see financial fraud, we too often see violence, abuse and neglect.”
“In a regional and suburban electorate like Bullwinkel, we know the value of a dollar, and we know that waste in Canberra means fewer services in local homes. Further to this, under the previous coalition government there were fewer than 30 staff who worked on NDIS fraud. Under our government, there are hundreds of staff. Under the previous government, there were only 30 warrants issued over the four year period of 2018 to 2021. Under this government, there have been 77 warrants executed in 2025. Under the previous government, there were five prosecutions in their last year in office. Under this government, 21 prosecutions have commenced already this financial year. We are making progress against those who prey on people with disabilities and the NDIS. Our government is acting.”
“When this government came into power in 2020, we unfortunately inherited a system that was not ready to meet the challenges of the future. We inherited a mess. Under the previous coalition government, NDIS spending was growing at a staggering 22 per cent every single year. It wasn't just the trajectory of the cost; it was the total lack of oversight of the system. The Australian National Audit Office confirmed what many in our local community have felt. The system set up by the previous government lacked basic prevention controls for fraud and noncompliance. It was a set-and-forget approach. They left the doors unlocked and the windows open and then expressed shock when the system was exploited.”
“The NDIS is a life-changing scheme and, today, it helps more than 750,000 Australians live better and more dignified lives. It was Labor who created the NDIS, and let there be no doubt that under Labor it is here to stay. As a registered nurse and midwife myself, I've spent my career caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable. I know that healthcare and disability supports are built on a foundation of trust. Because we value this scheme so deeply, we all have a collective responsibility to protect it. We must ensure that it is sustainable, effective and safe. Most importantly, we must ensure that it operates with absolute integrity and that every cent goes towards the care that our community deserves.”
“The NDIS is a national program that funds care and support for people under 65 years of age with permanent and significant disabilities. I rise today to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026. In my electorate of Bullwinkel, from the hills of Mundaring to the heart of the western wheatbelt towns and the foothill communities, I see firsthand the transformative power of the NDIS. Australians are rightly proud of this scheme. It is a world-leading, life-changing pillar of our social fabric. For the families that I meet in my electorate, the NDIS isn't just about policy; it's the difference between isolation and community, between a life of limitation and a life of independence.”
“Our approach is guided by the four-point strategy: (1) plan and prepare; (2) keep Australia moving, which is what we're currently focused on; (3) take targeted action; and (4) protect critical services. We will continue on that plan to keep Australia moving.”
“Prior to these changes in 2023, companies could reduce their taxable income to zero and essentially not pay anything, but the changes we made now see the deduction cap set at 90 per cent. This ensures that we will get income from the PRRT, but it also doesn't provide industry a shock to the system and it allows for continuing investment and stability. We're also concerned about fuel security, and obviously this crisis has brought that to the fore. I'd just like to mention a few things that we're doing in regard to fuel security and the crisis in the Middle East that has caused this global shock. Security includes a balance and fairness. National Cabinet has agreed to a national fuel security plan, which is a live, coordinated response across the Commonwealth, states and territories.”
“In WA, in particular, in the energy sector, we have been very sensible by making sure that we dedicate 15 per cent of our supply—that must go to domestic supply in WA. Of course, we want to keep those prices at a reasonable, affordable level. But we have become a reliable international energy supplier, and we need to continue this to promote further investment. So our government's approach is balanced: we want to maintain industry certainty, but also to get a fair price on what are, essentially, Australia's resources. In the Albanese Labor government's first term, there were changes made to the petroleum resource rent tax, and what this did is ensure that we could get the balance right.”
“I've seen firsthand the massive scale of investment that's required in these operations, and the lead-time to these operations is extraordinary. The product, of course, has to have a buyer, long before the product is removed from the ground, and, in this respect, prices are set, to some degree, between the buyer and the seller. These are not government projects that we're investing in; they are external investments. And they bring great value to our communities and to our economy. The dedication of the oil and gas workers is second to none. And this industry does provide huge employment to the workers. So I know these projects are vital. They provide vital resources to the communities and they provide a vital injection into our economy. And these companies do pay a variety of taxes: they pay company tax and also the PRRT.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to speak to this matter of public importance today. When we talk about the sale of our natural resources, we're talking about the birthright of every Australian to profit from our resources. Our government understands this, of course, but we need to get the balance right. We need to ensure that Australians receive a fair share of our nation's wealth while simultaneously shielding household budgets from global instability and keeping prices affordable, and also providing investment stability and certainty in the industry. Before I entered this place, I spent many decades working as an occupational health and safety nurse and consultant, and my career took me to the front lines of this industry, working in the oil and gas rigs in the Burrup, off Karratha, and offshore in Western Australia.”
“It's a rare thing for a community tradition to reach 125 years, and I take this opportunity to congratulate the Kalamunda and Districts Agricultural Society for putting on this show each year. I look forward to the weekend. I'm sure all the children in this chamber would love to go to the ag show, so I'll give them a reminder that gates open at 5pm at Kostera Oval in Kalamunda.”
“I rise today to speak about a celebratory, momentous milestone in the heart of Perth Hills, in Western Australia. It's the 125th anniversary of the Kalamunda Show. Since its inception in 1898, the event has served as the heartbeat of our heritage. It's a testament to the resilience of that community that in over a century the show was only ever silenced by the gravity of two world wars and a COVID pandemic. It returns this year for its 125th year, and visitors can experience the log chop, the sheep dog demonstrations, sideshow rides, fireworks, a stunning interactive helicopter display and a stunning vintage collection. There will be a lot going on at Kostera Oval on Friday 10 April and Saturday 11 April.”
“Just a week later, the same mum found herself back at the clinic, but this time with her husband, who had been struck down by a severe viral illness and who also received prompt attention. This is the beauty of the Mundaring Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. It's a game changer for our community for three reasons: it's fully bulk-billed, so families don't have to dip into their wallets; extended hours; and no appointments or referrals necessary. It's making life easier, cheaper and safer for every little monkey and their parents in my electorate.”
“'Five little monkeys jumping on a bed; one fell off and bumped his head.' We all know the rhyme, but, for a family in my electorate recently, this classic childhood mishap became very real last Sunday afternoon when their little monkey took a tumble and ended up with a nasty gash on his forehead. But the panic didn't last long because, luckily for this little monkey, his mum knew exactly where to go—the new Mundaring Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. It officially opened its doors just last month and already has had 530 presentations. They didn't have to face a crowded emergency department or wait for a simple procedure. They walked straight in and were seen immediately. A bit of medical glue to the forehead and a 'brave' sticker later, they were back home. But the story doesn't end there.”
“The Albanese Labor government is committed to working with our partners in the region and beyond. Ratifying this treaty demonstrates our commitment to international law and our dedication to protecting marine life for generations to come. This bill is about legacy. It's about ensuring that the blue heart of our planet continues to beat for our children and our grandchildren. I commend this bill to the House.”
“Parts 7 and 8 handle the essential administration, including information management and the ability to provide financial assistance to meet our international obligations. Crucially, this act will be subject to 10-yearly reviews to ensure that it remains fit for purpose as our ocean changes. Some people may ask why this matters to the people of Australia. The answer is simple: our marine industries, including fisheries and tourism, rely on a healthy ocean. The fish stocks in our waters do not recognise international boundaries. By protecting the high seas, we are safeguarding the health of our own coastal ecosystems and of course the environment and the creatures that live in these areas, and the thousands of jobs that depend on these industries.”
“Part 3 allows Australia to give effect to the International Marine Protected Areas, helping us reach the global 30 by 30 target—30 per cent protecting Australia's land and 30 per cent of its marine areas by 2030. Part 4 introduces a rigorous environmental impact assessment regime and this ensures that any activity within our jurisdiction that might harm the high seas is subject to the same high standards that we demand within our own borders. We're also ensuring that this regime is accountable. Part 5 establishes a public high seas biodiversity register, providing transparencies for certificates and exemptions. Part 6 provides the necessary compliance and enforcement powers, allowing for inspectors, audits and civil penalties to ensure that the rules are followed.”
“This bill is structured into eight parts designed to provide a robust, transparent and enforceable regulatory regime. At its core, part 1 mandates a precautionary approach. This ensures that, even when scientific data is evolving, we prioritise the marine health of every decision made under this act. Part 2 addresses the frontier of deep sea discovery, marine genetic resources. It enables a notification based regime to ensure that discoveries made in the global commons, such as new medical compounds, are managed transparently, with information deposited and shared in regulated databases for the benefit of all. Parts 3 and 4 provide the practical teeth of the treaty.”
“I rise today in support of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. For a nation like Australia, an island continent defined by its relationship with the sea, this legislation is a historic step towards securing the blue heart of our planet. Beyond our national waters lie the high seas. This vast expanse covers 60 per cent of the global ocean yet currently only one per cent of these waters are protected. Today, the Albanese government is acting on that. This bill implements Australia's obligation under the BBNJ Agreement—the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction—also known as the High Seas Treaty. By passing this legislation, we enable Australia to formally ratify this treaty. This will ensure that we remain a global leader in marine protection and a founding party to this landmark international framework.”
“It doesn't move the goalposts for business, and businesses that are doing the right thing have nothing to fear. But, if you engage in cartel behaviour, if you mislead the public, if you coordinate to keep prices artificially high, the stakes will just double. These new maximums will apply from the day after royal assent of this bill, providing the urgency that our environment demands. This bill sends a clear message from this government that we are on the side of the consumer, we are on the side of the families in Bullwinkel and we will not hesitate to hold the biggest players in our economy to account. I commend this bill to the House.”
“While that process must take its course, it highlights exactly why we need higher penalties. We cannot have a business-as-usual approach when it comes to the essential needs of our citizens. This isn't just a tough-on-crime stance for the sake of it. It's backed by evidence. The OECD's 2026 economic survey of Australia found that our penalties for competition law breaches were low by international standards. They explicitly recommended an increase to ensure appropriate deterrence. In 2022, when penalties were increased by our government from $10 million to $50 million, the opposition supported us. We hope again that they will see reason and support us as we increase these deterrent fines from $50 million to $100 million. To be clear, this bill does not change the offences themselves.”