Madonna Jarrett
Brisbane · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Parents, teachers and mental health professionals have increasingly expressed concern that social media companies have prioritised engagement and profit over children's wellbeing.”
“Since the introduction of those reforms, we have seen over five million accounts belonging to under-16s deleted off social media. That's an outcome, Member for Casey. This is a very positive development.”
“Protecting big tech or protecting young children—easy choice. Those opposite have the wrong priorities for this country, and we see it time and time again, whether it's keeping Australians locked out of the housing market, not supporting wage increases, voting against higher taxes or not acting on climate change.”
“Fourth is greater protection from online predators, scams and harmful content. Finally, the reforms send a strong message to the technology companies that child safety should be built into platform design rather than treated as an afterthought.”
“Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X are all central to our modern lifestyle. But, while they're great opportunities to learn, to be creative, to connect, they also expose young people to significant risk. I'm going to make a point here: there is research behind this. There are facts that support this.”
“I'm pretty proud that the government is standing strong against big tech because that's what we need to do. We went out alone, but there are 16 more countries that are coming in behind us, which is pretty important. That's a pretty strong contrast to those opposite, who have chosen big tech over Australian kids.”
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“From small business to infrastructure, from healthcare and education to hospitality and the arts, migrants have built and enriched our community. I want to acknowledge the president of Bhartiya Samaj, Mr Abhishek Sharma, and the many volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this expo such a success. Both Community Canteen and the Bhartiya Samaj Empowering Migrants Expo are shining examples of the best in Brisbane, bringing our community together, building inclusion and strengthening the fabric of our community.”
“Bhartiya Samaj was established in Queensland in 2022 and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive Australia, uniting migrants with other locals and, importantly, supporting the South-Asian community. Now only in its second year, the Empowering Migrants Expo, which they established, has become a cornerstone event. This year it attracted more than 8,000 people, making it one of the largest multicultural gatherings in Queensland. The expo showcased 30 multicultural stalls, 15 government stands, 20 international food stalls and 20 cultural dance performances. There was a networking lunch for 200 multicultural leaders and, of course, the 2025 migrant awards ceremony celebrating outstanding contributions across diverse communities. These events matter because migration has shaped and continues to shape our city for the better.”
“With more than 250 dedicated volunteers, the organisation prepares over—wait for it—30,000 meals a year. Working in partnership with Communify, they prepare meals at the Newmarket kitchen, which is where I was, using rescued food and donated funds. The meals are then frozen and distributed to those who need them most. Community Canteen offers more than just food; it provides dignity, inclusion and connection not only for those who receive the food but for the volunteers who give their time and energy. When I visited, I was warmly welcomed by Amir and the team of volunteers and I did my bit to lean in and lend a hand. I want to put on record my thanks for the commitment of Amir, the team and all involved. On that very same day, I also attended the Bhartiya Samaj Empowering Migrants Expo in Brisbane.”
“This is another first for me since being elected the member for Brisbane. It's my first opportunity to deliver a constituency statement. Today I want to shine a light on two community organisations whose contribution to Brisbane and well beyond is truly invaluable: Community Canteen and Bhartiya Samaj. Earlier this month I had the privilege of visiting Community Canteen in Newmarket during Homelessness Week. This organisation was founded in 2008. It's a volunteer driven not-for-profit with a simple but powerful mission: to provide fresh, nutritious meals to people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or experiencing hardship. They operate without paid staff and without their own premises, ensuring that every single dollar that is donated goes directly to preparing and serving meals.”
“There are 9,000 recipients of the Commonwealth rent assistance program, 80 social homes under the Housing Australia financing program, 12 new dwellings for crisis accommodation and 2,800 dwellings as part of the build-to-rent program. Meanwhile, those opposite continue to undermine these programs. We all remember they teamed up with the Greens to block important housing reforms, and they still can't figure out a credible housing policy. Shame on you. Meanwhile, Labor's getting on with the job. We're getting on with the job of delivering more homes sooner.”
“Housing is a human right and an important foundation in anyone's life. I saw, as a child growing up in Brisbane with foster siblings, how a safe home can be life changing. The challenges we face in housing are complex, but they are the result of decades of inadequate attention. But this Labor government has made the biggest single investment in housing since World War II. Our $43 billion plan sees investment across homelessness, social housing, homeownership support and additional rent assistance. We're working to deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes and support for more than 100,000 first home buyers to own a home of their own. In Brisbane, we've delivered almost 1,200 homes using the five per cent deposit scheme.”
“For instance, the inhalers that my twin sister and I use daily cost well over $100 in the US, a place where I lived for a while. Here, they will be $25 when the PBS reforms kick in. As I said, this is one of the reasons that I stood for parliament. I want my community and all Australians to have access to universal health care but also the best health care and the best medicine system in the world, which is what I believe we have and are growing towards here in Australia. As successive Labor governments have demonstrated, we are the only party that continues to deliver the needed reforms to expand and improve our world-class healthcare and medicine systems that we are all proud of.”
“That lived experience is really important. When people go to that clinic they will get a warm welcome, much-needed conversation and clinical care, as needed. Sometimes people facing mental health distress just want to talk to someone and to know that they're not alone and help is there. They may not necessarily need to visit a psychologist or other clinician, but it's available to them if they need. In closing, I began my working career in the health sector, so this is an area that I am very passionate about. I have a great deal of interest in always looking for ways to improve access to affordable health care for the community. In other countries where I've lived and worked, I've seen what the lack of access to affordable health care can do. Frankly, it is not pretty.”
“This will mean residents of Brisbane will now have access to free, walk-in mental health care. No appointment or referral is needed to access the services. This will encourage more people, especially young people, to get the care they need when they need it. They will be able to walk in, and they'll need only their Medicare card, not their credit card. Labor really is the party of accessible and affordable health care. Labor introduced Medicare. We're expanding Medicare urgent care clinics, and we're now reducing PBS medicines to just $25. The Lutwyche Medicare mental health clinic will provide immediate help for people in distress as well as ongoing care for those with more complex mental health needs. I met with the incredible service delivery team, which includes expert practitioners and people with lived experience.”
“The Albanese government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to further expand the Medicare urgent care clinic network, and I'm excited to say there's a tender process underway to identify providers to operate a new Brisbane urgent care clinic. I'm incredibly proud that the Medicare mental health clinic network has expanded in my electorate as well. Just last week, we launched a new Medicare mental health clinic in Lutwyche. This inner-north Brisbane clinic is commissioned by the Brisbane North Primary Health Network and operated by Communify Queensland. I met many young people on the campaign trail, in addition to those I spoke about earlier, who said they were overcoming mental health challenges. My community will get to see a doctor or a mental health professional for free, closer to home, and they won't have to wait.”
“Once Brisbane locals start to access those $25 PBS medicines, we will hear even more similar stories, stories of people getting the care they may have delayed in the past. The nearest Medicare urgent care clinic to my electorate is in Kedron, and it's one of the busiest in Australia, which is tangible evidence of how effective this policy is. One of my volunteers gave the urgent care service a trial run earlier this year when her son came off his e-scooter and broke his collarbone. He was seen by a doctor within 30 minutes entirely free of charge. He was patched up in no time thanks to the clinic and its hardworking frontline staff. I'm sure there are many stories just like this of people across Australia being helped every day.”
“From 1 July, two new Medicare Benefits Schedule items were introduced for gynaecological consultations of 45 minutes or longer, helping those facing complex conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic pain, and there will be more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics treating more conditions thanks to the Albanese Labor government. As I said, PBS and Medicare is in Labor's DNA, so I cannot fail to mention here today that my electorate will also benefit from the broader package of Labor health policies that we took to the election. Thanks to the Albanese government expanding the Medicare urgent care clinic and mental health clinic networks, I've already started to hear the wonderful and real stories of people across my electorate getting the immediate care they need.”
“Affordability is exactly what this bill is aimed at. This bill builds on our support for women's health and medicines. From 1 March, contraceptive devices became cheaper. Some of the most commonly used contraceptive pills were recently listed on the PBS, including Yaz and Yasmin. This is the first listing of new types of oral contraceptives in decades. From 1 July, a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments was introduced. After more than 20 years, three new menopausal hormonal therapies were listed on the PBS. Women with specific low levels of reproductive hormones will have earlier access to the combination of therapies through the PBS. The four pens of this therapy would cost more than $3½ thousand without PBS. There are a lot of women who will be much better off as a result.”
“Not only are these prices a classic throwback to 2004, they are also more than a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will provide immediate cost-of-living relief to Australians doing it tough. This will save Australians over $200 million each year. Of course, concession card holders will continue to pay just the $7.70 co-payment. Reducing the general co-payment provides the highest level of savings for the most patients, and it targets people within this group who are likely to have little access to government or other financial support, such as social welfare payments. The central pillar of Australia's National Medicines Policy is equitable, timely, safe and reliable access to medicines and medicine related services at a cost that individuals and the community can afford.”
“In fact, a patient with a 60-day prescription for a PBS medicine may save up to almost $190 a year per medicine if they are a Medicare card holder who does not have a concession card. If they do have a concession card, they may save just over $46 a year per medicine. For some people that's a lot of money. This bill before the House makes medicines even cheaper than that though. Once this bill takes effect, it will mean that a prescription on the PBS will cost Australians no more than $25. The last time PBS medicines cost no more than that was in 2004. As a number in this House will remember, 2004 was the year of Shrek 2 , Shannon Noll and, unfortunately, the Brisbane Lions losing the grand final.”
“Medication adherence can be difficult and complex—I acknowledge that—but, given the significant and increasing impact of health costs on Australian budgets, reducing the cost of prescriptions has to help. This bill also builds on Labor's previous measures to reduce the cost of medications. The Albanese government, in its first term, cut the general patient co-payment for the first time in 75 years. This reduction, from $42.50 to just $30, has since saved general patients around $770 million. Thanks to this government, patients with a stable treatment plan for ongoing conditions can receive 60 days medication for the cost of 30 days and only pay a single co-payment. This also helps a lot in health savings as it reduces the number of times patients need to see their GP for simple medication prescriptions.”
“There is a significant flow-on to the person's health as well as healthcare costs if these barriers are not addressed quickly. Not taking medicines clearly negatively impacts the health of the individual, but it also leads to higher government costs due to worsening health and, therefore, increased health care—things like the increased likelihood of acute unavoidable hospitalisations and a slow growth in the burden of chronic diseases. Ensuring people can access the medications they need also allows our children to continue to go to school, to learn and to grow up and be productive members of our society, and it allows adults to work, which is important again for our workforce participation and—the words at the top of everyone's mind at the moment—increased economic productivity.”
“I also heard stories of other people in our Brisbane community not taking their prescribed medicines because they could not afford to buy them. They talked about cost-of-living pressures, including an increase in healthcare costs. Sadly, this financial pressure to delay or not get prescription medication disproportionately affects women and young people, not just the elderly, as many might assume. I hear stories from young people in my electorate with diagnosed ADHD about putting off buying their mental health drugs. This is debilitating in some instances. For some, it just makes it a lot tougher to go about their daily lives. In 2023-24, delaying filling medication prescriptions was most prevalent among those aged 15 to 24, with around 12 per cent of this cohort not having their medication in time or at all. That's a lot of people.”
“Across my electorate, there are many people like this young woman who, with cheaper medicines, will benefit immensely at the chemist check-out. This story shows how reducing the cost of PBS medicines matters to all Australians, including young Australians. As I mentioned in my first speech, I've heard many stories from constituents about how affordable health care is the difference between living a decent life and not living at all. I just want to repeat one of these stories While doorknocking one day, one lady cried. She cried and she thanked me and she asked me to pass on her thanks to our prime minister because her best friend will now live because her cancer treatment is on the PBS and she can afford it.”
“She also talked about how young people like her understood how important it was to manage their mental health and how our system needs to be responsive and tailored to help people with mental health needs. When I mentioned Labor's commitment to cheaper medicines, she wanted to know more. She soon realised Labor's promise would help lower the costs of her scripts and give her a little bit more of a financial buffer to pay her rent, her electricity and grocery bills, and other costs. She, like many Australians, recognised the effective and immediate relief this would bring. She then said that she had made up her mind and would go to the polls and vote for Labor. She did what millions of other Australians did.”
“In the campaign and before it, as I doorknocked and held community events, the cost of living and health care were consistent themes raised in all parts of my electorate. I heard the real stories in my community of the difference that cheaper medicines make for people. While doorknocking one day, I met one young woman who told me she didn't know who she was going to vote for yet. She raised a number of community issues that she was concerned about, but there were two key ones on her mind. One was the cost of living and the other was the cost of medicines. We talked about the cost of medicines, and she described how those that she relied on, like antidepressants, continue to become more and more expensive for her and therefore out of reach.”
“It's important to recognise during this discussion that reducing the cost of prescriptions is one of the cost-of-living measures Labor took to the last election. These measures have been overwhelmingly supported in my electorate of Brisbane and across Australia. The PBS benefits so many Australians. As of last year, 930 different medicines were listed on the PBS, across more than 5,000 brands. It is critical that all Australians can afford the medicines and the medicine related services that they need. This is particularly important for people with multiple health conditions, taking multiple medicines; people on low incomes; and individuals or families experiencing high out-of-pocket healthcare costs.”
“I rise to speak in support of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. Access to universal, free health care is one of Labor's greatest legacies to Australians. I don't know how my parents, with their eight children, could possibly have managed without free access to health care via Medicare and subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. My pensioner grandparents, who lived next door to us in Paddington, certainly also relied on Medicare and PBS in their later years. Medicare and PBS are Labor legacies that have helped millions of Australians receive the quality health care they deserve. Health care is in Labor's DNA, and this bill is another example of how we continue to improve and expand on our commitment to this fundamental right.”
“In another initiative for young people, today the National Youth Parliament was also launched. The National Youth Parliament will bring together 150 senior schools, each representing one of Australia's federal electorates, for a five-day experience in Canberra. This program will provide 16- to 17-year-olds with a unique opportunity to explore aspects of the role of a member of parliament. You will learn about the parliamentary process, including how bills are drafted, debated and passed into law. If you're interested, get in touch with my office or your own local electorate office. It's a fantastic opportunity, and I encourage any young person within those age cohorts to get involved.”
“Calling all Brisbane students in years 10, 11 and 12: this could be you standing right here. Milton Dick, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has launched the My First Speech competition for schools right across the country. This national competition challenges students to envisage themselves as newly elected members of the House of Representatives, as a few of us here are, and write a 90-second speech focusing on a topic they are passionate about. The winning entrants from each group will be flown to Canberra to deliver their speeches in Parliament House and participate in an engaging program about the legislative process. The deadline for submissions for the competition is Monday, 15 September, so, if you think this could be you, pick up your pen and get writing.”
“From 1 July, two new Medicare Benefits Schedule items were introduced for gynaecological consultations of 45 minutes or longer, helping those facing complex conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic pain, and there will be more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics treating more conditions thanks to the Albanese Labor government. Women will also benefit from the cheaper PBS prescriptions, our bulk-billing, our urgent care clinics et cetera. I'm really proud of the steps this government has taken to enable more women to work, but a lot more remains to be done to close that gender gap. I look forward to working with the government to continue to do this and make it fairer for women across our country.”
“They were scared and embarrassed to go out because of the physical and emotional symptoms that they experience because of menopause. This is why I stand here today to support Labor's actions on implementing a promise to deliver $790 million towards women's health. From 1 March, some of the most commonly used contraceptive pills were listed on the PBS. Contraceptive devices became cheaper. From 1 July, a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments was introduced. After more than 20 years, three new menopausal hormone therapies were listed on the PBS.”
“The national minimum wage and award wages have increased by 3½ per cent. Paid parental leave has increased to 24 weeks. Super is now paid on all government paid parental leave. Commonwealth prac placements have started with nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students—professions where women dominate the work. This comes on top of 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, stronger rules for company reporting on their gender gaps and stronger laws to combat sexual harassment in the workforce. The second point I wanted to touch upon was the comparatively huge cost of health care that women face—contraceptives, menopausal hormone therapies and endometriosis, just to name three. When I was doorknocking during the campaign, I spoke to a few ladies who told me a very similar story.”
“For over a decade, I have participated in discussions across organisations like the OECD, the World Economic Forum and the B20 on what is needed to close the gap, and the discussions always highlighted a few consistent challenges: the burden of family care falling predominantly on women; the undervaluing of the career choices of many women, which is reflected in comparatively very low wages—and unpaid prac placements, of course; and discrimination in hiring. Now, 51 per cent of the workforce are women, and we can't afford to leave them behind. This is why I'm so pleased to speak to this motion today, which recognises what the Labor government is doing to support women with fairer wages and long-term financial stability. Since 1 July, the Albanese Labor government has kicked off billions of dollars worth of responsible support.”
“In fact, it's estimated that the Australian economy would be $128 billion better off by purposely removing the persistent and pervasive barriers to women's full and equal participation in the economy. When Labor introduced paid paternity leave almost 15 years ago, the dinner conversations changed. It gave families an option for both parents to work. This was a significant step to bring more women into the workforce and nibble away at the gender pay gap, but the data showed slow progress. At the time of the 2022 federal election, the gender pay gap was still 14.1 percent—exactly where it had been four years earlier.”
“I'm telling you this story because women throughout the ages have been held back from fully participating in our economy in the way they want to. Child care and family care have always been two of the biggest hurdles facing women entering the workforce and, importantly, keeping them there. Child care was just too costly on the family budget, and wages weren't high enough, especially in women dominated sectors, for it to be worthwhile for both parents to work. It wasn't just wages and career losses for the mums, who were the ones who predominantly lost out; it's a loss of long-term financial stability and economic empowerment, not to mention economic growth.”
“As a young girl growing up next door to my grandparents, I saw my matriarchal grandmother use her organisational, diplomatic and empathy skills to be the bedrock of our family and our community. My mum wanted to become a teacher but didn't get the opportunity. However, every day she organised meals for at least 10 people, made hundreds of stage-ready costumes, decorated wedding cakes and organised and joined various social justice causes. Then there were our friends the Hahnes, who lived up the road. Mum babysat a few of the grandkids because both parents wanted to pursue a career—one a paramedic and the other a nurse educator. In addition, Mum did countless hours of babysitting for my kids and other grandkids. This is not an unfamiliar story.”
“I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to driving economic equality for Australian women, from closing the gender pay gap and lifting wages for women, to investing in women's health and expanding paid parental leave; (2) notes that on 1 July 2025 women in Australia benefited from key changes delivered by the Government, including: (a) expanding paid parental leave to 24 weeks and paying superannuation on it; (b) lifting the minimum wage by 3.5 per cent; and (c) commencing the Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students; and (3) welcomes the Government continuing to deliver a better future for Australian women.”
“Sarah said, at the time during o-week, there was advice provided about excessive drinking but no education or advice about sexual assault and appropriate consent, nor what to do if it happened. It was really brave of Sarah to share her story with me, along with those who've spent many years calling for reform and sharing their stories. To me, this bill is for them and for the people like Sarah so they don't feel unsafe or alone again when they are at university, when they're supposed to be in the prime of their life, enjoying, learning and becoming a stronger part of our community. We need to make sure that we stamp out this kind of behaviour not just in our universities but across the society. It's about keeping our young people and everyone else safe.”
“She said they asked the wrong questions and left her feeling like she wouldn't get justice for what she had experienced. She said the counsellor didn't even advise her to report her to the police. Sarah felt alone. Sarah said many others had gone through similar experiences at the university. In fact, she said that the culture was indoctrinated and that young students are often vulnerable and impressionable. She said that the fourth-year students take the first-year students out for a night. They take them out drinking. They make you play games where you rack up points by completing the challenges that make you feel uncomfortable, but you yourself, as a student, just want to fit in.”
“This was her time to learn, to expand her thinking, to make new friends and lasting memories alongside other students. In Sarah's first year, she met a fourth-year student who quickly took a liking to her. She took Sarah under her wing and taught her what she needed to know about uni life. On a night out, Sarah was drinking at a party and that fourth-year student took advantage of her, sexually assaulting her. Sarah said she felt confused and scared and that she didn't know who to turn to. She knew it was wrong and she didn't know what to do. She set up a meeting with the counsellor from the university a couple of days later. Sarah said it felt like the counsellor didn't have the skills or the knowledge to deal with these kinds of situations.”
“Universities and higher education providers have a responsibility to ensure their study, work, social and living environments are safe for students and staff. This government is taking strong action to ensure universities take this responsibility seriously and prevent and respond to gender based violence in higher education. This is about university students we all know—people in your family, students that I have met in my campaign and ex-students, like a woman I spoke to recently about her experience at university. For privacy reasons, I will refer to her as Sarah. Sarah was kind and brave to let me share her story. Sarah said she was excited to go to university and had moved down from North Queensland to Brisbane to study law.”
“This consequential bill amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to include compliance with the national code as a quality and accountability requirement for higher education providers approved under the act. All violence, regardless of who uses it and who experiences it, is unacceptable. Unfortunately, it's not confined to university campuses. We see it in our homes, in our workplaces and on our streets. It is tough and complex to fix, but it's deeply rooted in all corners of our society and also plays out on our higher education campuses. For too long, as we have again heard today, students have been let down by universities and by inaction by previous governments. Over almost a decade of coalition government, this issue was placed in the too-hard basket.”
“To strengthen and provide transparency and accountability, the bill enables the secretary to disclose information to the public about a higher education provider's compliance with the bill and the national code. Annual reporting on the unit's operations and performance of functions will be publicly available and tabled in both houses of parliament. The secretary will be able to share information with relevant regulatory and other bodies through their functions and powers and for certain purposes. The bill is part of a package with the Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Bill 2025.”
“This should help to improve the experiences and outcomes for people who disclose their experience of gender based violence, strengthening their disclosure autonomy to ensure they are heard and appropriately supported. To monitor and enforce the national code, a new, specialist gender based violence unit is being established within the Department of Education. The unit will provide guidance, education and advice to support higher education providers to understand and meet the requirements of the national code. The bill creates a range of powers to enable the unit to monitor and respond to noncompliance with the bill or the national code, including monitoring and investigation powers, as well as powers to issue compliance notices, seek civil penalties and injunctions, issue infringement notices and enter into enforceable undertakings.”
“Accountability for compliance with the national code will sit at the highest levels of the provider organisation, meaning vice-chancellors and CEOs will be directly responsible. Compliance will involve regular reporting to a provider's governing body of incident data and efforts to prevent and respond to gender based violence. Change will also be driven by requirements for providers to develop a gender equality action plan and gender impact assessments, and they will need to provide evidence based education and training on the factors that drive and contribute to gender based violence. The national code will require policies, procedures and processes for responding to gender based violence in a trauma informed way and ensuring key functions are undertaken by people who have the appropriate skills and expertise.”
“The ombudsman will have powers similar to the royal commission and will investigate complaints made against the university—something advocates have sought for years. Together, these measures will ensure greater oversight and accountability of the higher education providers and help drive the social change we need to see in the higher education sector to prevent and respond to gender based violence. The ombudsman was an important first step towards keeping students safe and ensuring they are heard when they make a complaint. This bill is a crucial step in that regard. The national code will also ensure the factors that drive and contribute to gender based violence are being addressed in higher education communities and that the prevention efforts are at the forefront to help create the cultural change that is needed.”
“The National Student Ombudsman—which we've heard about from a few today—is a key measure of that action plan and they started their operations on 1 February this year. It enables higher education students to escalate complaints about the actions of their higher education providers, including gender based violence complaints. Sadly, research shows that many students and staff don't know where to seek support or where to go to make a formal complaint to the higher education provider, and those that do are often dissatisfied with the process. In fact, the 2021 National Student Safety Survey by Universities Australia found that, where formal complaints were made about sexual assault, fewer than half of the complainants were satisfied with the process overall.”
“Uncompleted studies waste educational resources and cost us potential contributors to an economy at a time when Australia is seeking to build its international competitiveness. A lot's happened so far. States and territories came together as part of the national Education Ministers Meeting to tackle the issue, leading to the development of the Action Plan Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education. It was released in February last year. Also, importantly, in the 2024 budget the government allocated almost $19 million over four years to introduce a national higher education code to prevent and respond to gender based violence, which started from 1 January this year. So there are runs on the board already.”
“We've heard the stories and seen the media reports about the unsavoury practices of hazing and encouraging new and vulnerable students to participate in such practices. It used to be laughed off as part of university life or, in the military, as part of military life for the newbies and the freshers, but now we recognise it for what it is, and so we should: preying on the vulnerable—more often than not young people who just want to feel accepted. Now we call it out for what it is: harassment, assault and personal violence. We know the human cost to the victims is huge. But there's also the economic cost and the health costs of dealing with the potential impact on victims' mental health, and, to take an economic rationalist view, there is also the economic cost from adverse impacts on academic performance and completion rates.”
“A landmark Australian Human Rights Centre 2017 report, On safe ground , identified three significant factors: (1) in line with the findings by the NUS, there are concerning levels of sexual assault and harassment within Australian universities; (2) women students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, international students, students with disability and LGBTIQ+ students are more likely to experience incidents of sexual assault and harassment; and (3) the response of many universities to addressing complaints of sexual assault and harassment is often inappropriate or inadequate, with students being not believed or feeling blamed.”
“The bill does this by enabling the Minister for Education to make a national higher education code to prevent and respond to gender based violence. This will set best practice standards and requirements that higher education providers will need to meet to effectively prevent and respond to gender based violence. This legislation is based on sound, research based statistics and policy development going back a number of years—and we've heard about some of these today—because, sadly, gender based harassment and violence is a longstanding issue in our higher education institutions. National Union of Students surveys dating back to 2011 have repeatedly identified concerning levels of assault and harassment on campuses and in student halls.”
“It is home to two of Queensland's largest and most prodigious universities: the Queensland University of Technology, my alma mater; and the University of Queensland Herston campus. Students and staff in higher education deserve to be and feel safe. We have to do better, and that's why I'm proud to speak to this bill today. As the minister said, the bill seeks to establish a new standalone regulatory framework to reduce the incidence of gender based violence. It will ensure that higher education providers prioritise safety, strengthen prevention efforts and improve the response to gender based violence. Importantly, it will also hold them accountable for their performance, including on incidents in student accommodation.”
“I rise in support of the Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Bill 2025. Many in this chamber have studied at or been to a higher education institution. Any one of us could probably name six university students among their wider circle of friends, family and neighbours. Statistics show that one of them will be sexually harassed. Even worse, one in 20 university students is sexually assaulted. This is unacceptable, to put it politely. For me, it is personal. I have twin boys, and nieces and nephews, and like many in this chamber I know children of friends who are or have been university students. My electorate has one of the largest student populations in the country.”
“My question is to the Leader of the House. How has the Albanese Labor government used parliament to deliver more homes for Australians? And is there anything before parliament that puts these homes at risk?”