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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“It is also one of the most progressive electorates in Queensland. Brisbane supported the Voice referendum. It is growing in multicultural character and is blessed with a large LGBTIQA+ community. But, sadly, Brisbane is also blighted by homelessness and continued injustice towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Back in 2021, while I was having a drink with an old friend, I got on my soapbox about how our community is breaking down and how social justice, equality, opportunity and intergenerational fairness were crumbling. We were losing our compassion and our care towards one another.”
“Over the past 30 years, Brisbane has transformed from a country town earning the nickname 'Brisvegas' to a growing metropolitan city, and the Brisbane electorate houses its heart, with its vibrant arts, culture and sports scene. We also have more than 36,000 businesses, with a quarter of them in the professional, scientific and technology sectors. Health care, social assistance, real estate and construction make up the other third. There is pioneering technology such as quantum computing, and biomedical and sustainable energy industries. Our community also has one of the largest student populations in the country. It is home to two of Queensland's largest and most prestigious universities—the Queensland University of Technology, my alma mater, and the University of Queensland Herston campus.”
“Now, most of this took place in the wonderful seat of Brisbane, the electorate that I now have the honour and privilege to represent here in this wonderful place. I've lived most of my life in Brisbane. As I said, it's home to the Yuggera and Turrbal people. The electorate is bordered by Maiwar, the Brisbane River, and extends to Kedron Brook and the inner north-west. It takes in the CBD, which is now a mix of commercial and high-rise residential. Within one kilometre of that, there are single-plot, heritage, postwar and modern homes. There are also a growing number of six-packs and multi-unit complexes. Brisbane is dotted with parks as well as active transport routes.”
“In classic form, I have been accused of being the boss's squeeze. For the record, I was not. I felt like I missed promotional opportunities, and at times I had to ask to be paid the same as the men because my husband got a good wage. Welcome to my first taste of gender inequality. This, I knew, was wrong and unfair, and I took every opportunity I could to mentor women, encouraging them to never shy away from their strengths of compassion, kindness and empathy. I called out workplace discrimination, and I worked on gender-positive policy developments with global multilateral organisations like the OECD. I also learned a lot about leadership and standing up for civil liberties. Wayne Goss never shied away from taking on the big issues, which I saw firsthand as a young staffer.”
“As children, we were intimidated by men who would drive beside us as we walked to school, calling out abuse or just staring us down. It took the bravery of the Fitzgerald inquiry—which saw four ministers jailed alongside a former police commissioner—and a landslide win by Wayne Goss and Labor to start righting these wrongs. Inequality, though, remained a constant feature in my world. I worked full-time from the age of 17, other than in the six months after our twins were born—first as a radiographer and then in government. This was followed by almost 25 years in the corporate sector, working both here and overseas. Early on, actually, I thought I was going to lose my job as a radiographer when a surgeon blew up an X-ray machine. He ignored my advice to shut it down because 'I didn't know what I was talking about'.”
“There were almost daily scenes of First Nations people and other so-called subversives being dragged away, usually with excessive force, into police paddy vans. Women and the LGBTIQA+ community were treated as second-class citizens. The Premier, along with his working senator wife, were fierce advocates, though, of the traditional family, where mum stayed at home. They saw same-sex marriage as denigrating to marriage. Workers also suffered. One of the most memorable and infamous times for me was the SEQEB dispute, where over 1,000 electricity workers were sacked. Mum and Dad joined the picket lines. Dad, a proud member of the Electrical Trades Union, took no wages, in solidarity with the workers. Mum and others raised money, prepared food boxes and were there with simple hugs, just to help families through these dark days.”
“He taught me that our environment is very precious and that climate impacts everything. My Mr Fixit dad let me TA him very often, and by my teens I was proficient at fixing any leaking tap, building a lamp, fixing a bike, restoring a desk or whatever it was. He never threw anything away if it could be fixed. He still doesn't. A piece of wood that is lying around is always useful for something, and I still look to fix things before I throw them away. One period in my life that had a profound impact on me—and some people have mentioned this today—was the Bjelke-Petersen era. During this time, Queensland saw its worst expression of gerrymandering. Political and police corruption was rife. The 'can't lose' dictatorship mentality just saw so much injustice.”
“At my all-girls high school, Mt St Michael's, I thrived on understanding of how the world worked, especially physics; using maths to manage a budget, bake or build; and learning that, when you mixed certain chemicals, they absolutely stunk. A few of us also fought really hard to raise support and funds for a computer. They were new back then—it says a few things, doesn't it?—and not widely available, but we saw how these would change our lives forever. My constant curiosity was also fed at home. My da, who lived next door, collected all sorts of things: rocks, plants, coins and stamps. He often explained to me what the rocks were and what they were used for. He knew the name of every plant in his garden and the ones he couldn't grow because of the climate.”
“So she did everything she could to make sure we had the opportunity she didn't. First was Petrie Terrace kindy. I found it confusing, I could run the streets all day with the other kids, yet our skin colour meant we walked through different doors into the typical low-rise wooden building that was our kindy, and, during outside play, we were separated by the wire fence. My primary school, Rosalie Primary School, was home to many new immigrants, especially from Europe. We conversed in broken English or with gestures, but they transformed our suburbs with delicious cuisine and Mediterranean-style homes that didn't fit in but were cooler than the wooden structures that I grew up in. They opened our school and our suburb beyond Australian borders.”
“At times there were mattresses on the floors, and sometimes sheets hung for privacy, as the bedrooms were made to accommodate children needing a safe roof over their heads. We wore hand-me-downs. We shared books. Fences did not define who we played with or where we played. We knew our neighbours by name and their daily routines. The day Mrs Smith passed away—you will remember this, Mum and Dad—she left her milk on the verandah. She never did that. With Mum tending to all the kids and Dad working long hours, I stepped up early. Almost daily I did the after-school shop runs for Mum, or I dropped off to our neighbours Mr Biffin's homegrown chokos or Mrs Conti's home-hatched eggs, which I collected at the same time. Mum's childhood meant she missed out on a full education, and, unfortunately, she didn't reach her dream of becoming a teacher.”
“I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we gather today, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. I also acknowledge the traditional owners of the land from which I'm visiting, the Yuggera and Turrbal people, and I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. Each of you has a story that shapes who you are. Today I'm going to tell you mine. It began in a small workers' cottage in the then blue-collar suburb of Paddington, but it has brought me to this grand people's House, Australia's Parliament House. Our inner-city home was really noisy. There were eight siblings, seven sisters and a brother, along with a few foster kids that came and went.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government getting on with the job of delivering a fairer, better energy system as well as acting on climate change? Is the government being asked to consider any other proposals?”