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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“There will be an 18-month transition period, and this will help businesses and the regulator get familiar with navigating the reforms in practice. The bill aims to ensure a smooth pathway to the new regime, including providing temporary relief for businesses trying to do the right thing. Together, these features create a pathway to a clear, consistent and enforceable framework that protects consumers, provides regulatory certainty for industry and maintains flexibility as technology and markets innovate and evolve. Stakeholders have long called for this bill, engaging in four rounds of public consultation on the policy and legislative approach. These reforms strengthen consumer protections and modernise Australia's regulatory system.”
“Small-scale operators with less than $10 million in transaction value across a rolling 12-month period will be exempt from licensing, as will businesses that deal in or advise on platforms only incidental to their main non-financial activity. Flexible powers are provided to the minister and to the regulator, ASIC, to respond to emerging risks and technologies. The minister may designate certain facilities as financial markets or clearing settlement facilities or exempt them when their treatment would be inappropriate. The minister may also prohibit particular products or activities that represent systemic or consumer risks. ASIC's existing product intervention powers—that is, the powers of the regulator—and the government's existing regulation-making powers will extend to cover these new financial products.”
“These include the requirement to act efficiently, honestly and fairly; prohibitions on misleading and deceptive conduct and unfair contract terms; a requirement to give customers clear information about how assets are held and what their rights are; providing information to consumers; maintaining strong governance and risk controls; and providing accessible dispute resolution and compensation if things go wrong. While digital asset platforms and tokenised custody platforms will be regulated under the existing Australian financial services licence framework, their obligations will be tailored to reflect the unique structure and risk profile of these types of platforms.”
“Protecting consumers and businesses has to be at the heart of this legislation. This bill does respond to the risks and challenges by reducing loopholes and ensuring comparable activities face comparable obligations, but it's tailored to the digital asset ecosystem. The digital asset and tokenised custody platforms will now need to hold an Australian financial services licence, ensuring that they are subject to the same core obligations as the more traditional players.”
“It will make it harder for criminals to operate and easier for consumers to participate safely. By introducing digital assets and tokenised custody platforms into the Corporations Act, it ensures that businesses holding and dealing in client digital assets are subject to the same consumer protections and licensing requirements that apply across the financial system. These include prohibitions on misleading and deceptive conduct, unfair contract terms, design and distribution obligations and supervision and enforcement by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the regulator. Anyone providing services in relation to digital assets or tokenised custody platforms, such as advising on them, dealing in them or arranging for others to deal with them, will be treated as providing a financial service.”
“It is currently possible for a business to hold an unlimited value of client digital assets without any financial law safeguards. The collapse of FTX and other failures show what happens when digital asset businesses operate without proper oversight. Billions were misappropriated. Consumers lost a lot of value. Consumers were devastated. Confidence was lost. And we all know that cryptocurrency remains a vector in scams and frauds. Australians have lost millions to schemes that exploit gaps in regulation and consumer knowledge. These reforms will increase integrity in the digital asset ecosystem. Together with the world-first Scams Prevention Framework and our proposed reforms to Australia's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing regime, this bill will help remove bad actors and restore trust in the digital asset markets.”
“They will boost confidence, attract investment and support jobs and wages by providing clear, trusted rules for emerging digital markets, helping to make Australia a global leader in financial technology. They will also help reduce the risks to Australians. Currently, businesses can hold unlimited client digital assets without financial law safeguards. The Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill introduces clear, enforceable rules for businesses that hold digital assets on behalf of consumers, ensuring that they meet the same standards of transparency, integrity and protection that apply across the financial system. If we get this right, we can attract investment, we can create jobs, and we can position our financial system as a leader in innovation. But, as I said, with opportunity comes risk.”
“This is not a distant future. This is happening now. Global institutions are experimenting with tokenised securities, central banks are exploring digital currencies and investors are demanding safe, regulated ways to participate. These innovations promise faster payments, lower costs and broader access to markets. In fact, new research from the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre indicates that Australia could capture as much as $24 billion a year in productivity and cost savings thanks to unlocking digital finance innovation. But, as with all value creation and transfer, there are risks. These laws are designed to deal with both the opportunity and the risk.”
“Our government takes Australia's crypto industry very seriously, and we know that blockchain and digital assets present big opportunities for our economy, our financial sector and our businesses. Digital assets are also reshaping global finance, and they include cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and stablecoins, as well as real-world assets like bonds, property and commodities—things I spoke about earlier. They can be represented as digital tokens. I remember when I first heard the words 'bitcoin' and 'cryptocurrency'. It sounded to me a bit like these were out of T he Matrix movie. And, for quite a while, it was a system that was on the fringe and people didn't know a lot about it. It was more of an alternative payment system, but it has now become a lot more mainstream and is providing an alternative payment system.”
“Tokenisation, basically, answers a simple question: what if we could own, trade and transfer real-world value like we transfer digital information? The phrase 'tokenised custody platforms' refers to a new wave of businesses that go beyond trading. Instead of being a general exchange, they build purpose-specific systems, such as tokenised property investment platforms, tokenised private markets, medical credential tokens, supply chain token platforms, tokenised rewards or creator economies. These platforms are customised to specific industries, but the key point is that they still involve money, they still involve an asset of value, they still involve investment-like behaviour and they still expose consumers to financial risk.”
“So, to start with, let's define what we mean by 'digital asset platforms'. In plain English, these are businesses that let customers interact with things like cryptocurrency—such as bitcoin and stablecoins—tokenised assets, non-fungible tokens and other blockchain-based financial products. These platforms include exchanges, broker services, custody providers, yield or staking platforms, wallet providers and marketplaces. Tokenisation is the process of representing something valuable as a digital token on a blockchain. A blockchain is a distributed ledger using cryptographics—I know this sounds a bit complicated—to enable digital assets to be created, stored and transferred. The token represents something valuable. It might be real estate, shares in a company or commodities like gold. It could be artwork, carbon credits or invoices.”
“I rise to speak to the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025. As our world continues to change, so too do our financial markets, and so does the way people are holding and exchanging value. That's why the Albanese government has introduced this legislation. We are helping to unlock innovation and protect Australian consumers investing in digital assets. Across the world, digital assets are reshaping finance. Blockchain technology and tokenisation are unlocking new ways to invest and new ways to trade and transfer wealth. Millions of Australians are using or investing in digital assets every year, and this law is about making that as safe and secure as possible while also encouraging innovation. But what are digital asset platforms and tokenised custody platforms? They're a bit obscure to many people.”
“And as successive Labor governments have demonstrated, this Labor government continues to deliver the needed reforms to expand and improve world-class health care and a medicines system that we can all be proud of. This bill delivers on the government's commitment to ensure our health workforce operates at its full scope, enhancing safe and timely access to medicines as well as building a healthcare system that provides accessible and affordable health care for all. This bill is a win for nurses, a win for the people of Brisbane and a win for all Australians. It's a bill with people and care at its heart. It's a bill that delivers on a commitment to provide accessible and affordable health care to Australians no matter where they live.”
“I began my working career in the health sector, and I'm really passionate about making sure people in our community and across Australia have access to quality health care. In other countries where I've lived and worked, I've seen what lack of access to affordable health care can do. It destroys lives. It can lead to bankruptcy. It leads to health neglect. We have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, and I am proud to be part of a government that continues to make it even better. And now designated registered nurses prescribing PBS medicines enables safe, timely and effective primary care as well as aged-care services. I'm proud to be part of the Labor team that delivered real cost-of-living relief, and that continues to make some basic medicines more accessible for constituents in Brisbane and across Australia.”
“When those opposite were in government, they took any opportunity to undermine our health system. This has had big and long-lasting impacts across our communities. It has meant that people could not access health care when they needed it most. So while those opposite continue to focus on themselves, we're getting on with the job of delivering for all Australians. Labor is the only party that will invest to make health care more affordable whether that's in record investment in Medicare, opening new Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, capping PBS scripts at $25, record investments in women's health or now allowing nurses to prescribe PBS medicines to help ease the pressure on our health system.”
“It encourages young people especially to get the help they need when they need it. People continue to walk into that centre—some in distress, some for a chat and others with complex health needs. Regardless, they continue to get incredible care from the practitioners and people with lived experience. We all know that sometimes people facing mental health distress don't need a doctor. Sometimes they don't need a psychologist. Sometimes they just need somebody to talk to who understands and puts themselves in their shoes. The Lutwyche Medicare mental health centre is truly a professional and responsive wraparound model of care that continues to develop help for many across my electorate, as do other centres that have been set up throughout Australia.”
“The Inner North Brisbane Medicare Mental Health Centre in Lutwyche is commissioned by the Brisbane North Primary Health Network and operated by Communify Qld. And I've met so many people, young people in particular, in my community—when I was on the campaign trail and since then—who are really happy that they have access to proper mental health care. These locals benefit immensely. They can just walk in and see a mental health professional, and they can do that for free and close to home. I've been in that clinic when a young man, a young woman, a family have each walked in looking for care, and that's exactly what they got. Constituents across my electorate have also been telling me how great this easy access is: walk-in, free mental health care close to home. We can't underestimate what no appointment and no referral means to people.”
“I had the pleasure of walking through the new urgent care clinic with hardworking local state MPs, Grace Grace and Jonty Bush. We chatted with nurse Sammy and Dr John, who are just so passionate about what we and they are delivering for the people of Brisbane. A lot of work and a lot of care has been put into setting up this clinic, which will benefit so many people across the Brisbane electorate. I also dropped into the Kelvin Grove Pharmacy with Assistant Minister Emma McBride, who is a pharmacist herself, where we heard firsthand about the benefits of the $25 scripts and how that is really helping people in the community. I'm also proud of our government's focus on its commitment to mental health. Last year, I again joined Minister McBride to open the new Medicare health centre in Lutwyche.”
“This is really helping those women facing complex conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic pain, and there'll be more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics treating more conditions thanks to the Albanese Labor government. Just last week I had the pleasure to announce the opening of our new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Kelvin Grove. Kelvin Grove is in the heart of the Brisbane electorate. Our new Kelvin Grove Medicare Urgent Care Clinic means more affordable, more accessible urgent care for people when they need it most. This was a key election promise I brought to the last election, and I was so proud to stand there and deliver that to the community of Brisbane. No referrals, no bills, nothing to pay. All you need is your Medicare card.”
“Contraceptives like Yaz, Yasmin, Slinda are now less than half the previous cost around. They were around $30.80 with a concession card; now they're a lot cheaper. Menopause treatments such as Estrogel, oestradiol and Prometrium now cost $25 a script or $7.70 for concession patients, down from up to almost $670 in some cases. Over 20,000 women have had Medicare-covered menopause health assessments. From 1 November just last year, women have had access to affordable IUDs and birth control implants. From 1 July, two new Medicare Benefits Schedule items were introduced for gynaecological consultations of 45 minutes or longer.”
“It will provide immediate cost-of-living relief to Australians doing it tough. This will save Australians over $200 million a year. This bill will help make it easier for women to access their medicines, and it comes on top of our government's significant investment in women's health. For far too long, women's health had been overlooked, underfunded and frankly misunderstood. The Labor government promised more choice, lower costs and better health care for women and we are delivering. Hundreds of thousands of women are now accessing cheaper medicines and better care thanks to that investment and recognition. Since launching the package in 2025, more than 365,000 women have accessed over 715,000 subsidised prescriptions for contraception, menopause treatments and endometriosis care.”
“In my early morning commuter stops, I've had countless people come up to me and describe how much the $25 PBS cap and more bulk-billing have benefited them and their daily cost of living. This is especially the case amongst many young people who live in my community in Brisbane, who had put off buying their medicines or put off seeing a doctor. I am so proud to stand here in this House and to be part of the Albanese government that really is delivering changes that are making a difference to people's lives. The last time PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was in 2004. Shrek 2 was probably the highest-grossing film, and I think I contributed a bit to that with some young children at the time. But PBS medicines being capped at $25 is more than just a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of medicines.”
“Reducing the cost of prescriptions was just one of the cost-of-living measures Labor took to the last election, measures that had overwhelming support not only in the Brisbane electorate but across Australia. The PBS benefits so many Australians. As of 2024, 930 different medicines were listed on the PBS across more than 5,000 brands. It's critical that all Australians can afford the medicines and medicine related services that they need. This is particularly important for people with multiple health conditions who may be taking multiple medicines, people on low incomes and individuals or their families experiencing high out-of-pocket care costs. This is a policy that really does make a difference to people's lives. When I'm out and about in my community, the cost of living and health care are often raised with me.”
“This is an important step to ensure that all Australians have better access to affordable medicines that they need when they need them. This bill is just another way Labor is delivering on our commitment to strengthen Medicare. Medicare and PBS are proud Labor legacies, and they have helped millions of Australians receive the quality health care they need. This bill is another part of that legacy. It expands on our commitment to make health care more affordable and accessible to residents across our communities. This bill is an important complement to our $5 billion investment in new uncapped funding into the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, ensuring faster, more affordable access to innovative medicines. As we've heard, from 1 January this year, our government delivered on our commitment to cap PBS prescriptions at $25.”
“The legislation implements recommendations from the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce and the Scope of practice review , and, since 2017, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer conducted extensive research and consultation on the nurse prescribing models and what might work. The NMBA, the board, developed the standards for designated registered nurse prescribers through multiple rounds of consultations. These consultations received strong support. This was a key election commitment that implements key practice reforms for nurses and midwives. The Albanese government has already been working with state and territory health ministers to register and train the first cohort of registered nurses who, from 1 July this year, are expected to complete their training and start prescribing medicines.”
“Continuing, the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 provides reforms allowing highly skilled nurses to work to their full scope. This helps reduce pressure on hospitals and general practitioners as well as areas where those providing these services are stretched, especially rural and remote communities. Currently, our registered nurses, who are highly skilled and highly educated, remain underutilised in primary care, and allowing them to prescribe under the PBS system will boost efficiency, strengthen care coordination and allow GPs and nurse practitioners to focus on patients with more complex needs.”
“Importantly, it will allow registered nurses to prescribe certain medicines that can be supplied under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and attract a Commonwealth subsidy. Again—”
“I rise in support of the Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, which is about prescribing medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Access to universal free health care is one of Labor's greatest legacies to Australia, and this bill is just another part of that. You know, I'm one of eight kids. I have no idea how my parents would have possibly managed had we not had access to free health care via Medicare and subsidised medicines through the PBS. My pensioner grandparents, who lived next door, absolutely relied heavily on Medicare and the PBS in their later years. This bill builds on Labor's commitment to make health care more accessible and more affordable for all Australians. This bill increases access to and availability of medicines for all Australians.”
“It's also how we honour the memories of those in the Jewish community and responders who lost their lives just 36 days ago. May their memories be a blessing.”
“I believe Australia is at its best when we choose unity, compassion and care for one another, when we choose to reject fear and hatred, and when we seek out ways to support our neighbours and our friends and those doing it tough. We can never undo what has happened, but together we can honour those affected by understanding that the act of two people sharing a faith doesn't define that faith, by addressing extremism in all its forms and by choosing empathy over division, and community over isolation. Each of us can lead by example. To change where we are starts here in this House. We have a choice to accelerate or block the path to stamp out hate and facilitate social cohesion. My choice is empathy over division, and community over isolation. It's why I'm here.”
“Before I conclude, I want to acknowledge and thank our first responders, the police, paramedics, doctors, nurses, surgeons and allied health workers as well as our surf lifesavers and so many more. It's also important to acknowledge those everyday people who put their lives on the line to save people, some of whom they didn't know. You are all heroes, and we can't thank you enough. This evil reminds us, in the most painful ways, of the fragility of life and the deep impact of intolerance, hatred and violence on families, first responders and communities, including those far beyond the place where that evil occurred.”
“But, sadly, I also spoke about the segregation of First Nations people which, as a young person, I didn't understand. As I've gotten older, I've realised the whys. It was individuals who made an effort to communicate and understand each other. We cared. We embraced our differences. We were united. It was a lack of empathy and understanding towards traditional owners, fear and, in many cases, blatant racism that saw segregation. More and more, tolerance is giving way to indifference, fear and hate. These last two words are being realised through stronger antisemitic, antiracial and antidifferent expressions and actions, and, as the member for Macarthur said earlier today, it is anti civilisation. We have to stop the hate.”
“Every Australian, no matter their race or religion, should be able to enjoy their life in any community without prejudice, discrimination or harm. No-one should live in fear. Let's be clear: the Bondi attack was an attack on our Jewish community. It was also an attack on Australian society. But this cowardly act does not represent the Australia I love nor what we should expect or want. Tolerance, understanding and unity must be at the heart of our community. In my first speech in this House, I spoke about the community I grew up in, and how we were stronger and better because of the immigrants whose culture, values and benefits transformed our suburbs, and how we knew and helped our neighbours without question. We stood with each other.”
“One group—two men—chose hate, deciding that Jewish people should not live a life with their faith and within their beautiful community. We continue to grieve with the Jewish community across Australia, and we acknowledge that the pain and grief are still raw and, frankly, unfathomable. Following the attack, I visited the local synagogue and, along with others, I have attended vigils offering my support and condolences to the Jewish community in Brisbane. Having our community come together at this very sad time was important to start the healing and the recovery. To the families and friends of the 15 people whose lives were tragically taken away, and to the broader Jewish community, including in Brisbane, know that you are not alone. You are Australian, you are supported and we cannot let this atrocity not change us for the better.”
“I rise to share my deepest sorrow, and sincere condolences from the people of Brisbane, with the Jewish community. For 36 days now, beds have laid unoccupied. Dining chairs have sat empty. Favourite clothes have remained folded in drawers. Bath towels and toothbrushes have sat in their usual spots. There are empty seats in cars. Tears flow. Hearts are heavy. Minds and bodies have changed forever, and futures are gone. This is the personal impact on the families and friends of the 15 innocent people killed in the horrific terrorist attack in Bondi on 14 December. On that day, as we've heard, hundreds of Jewish Australians had gathered at that iconic spot. They came together to celebrate their faith and, specifically, the victory of light over darkness. But this celebration was cut short because of hatred and antisemitism.”
“With the opposition in tatters, and fighting themselves the government got very busy like little Christmas elves. As the opposition frayed and voters saw red The government kept delivering on what it said: and pills Was all in stark contrast to the net zero sobs. So Now Renee, Now Ali, Now Kara and Jules; On Emma; on Corrinne; on Rohan and Matt. It is the end of the year; to our home turf we go. We have done something good, and have lots to show. But thanks to you all for a great first run. And we hope '26 will be just as much fun.”
“As this is the last sitting day of the year, I thought I would share a little Christmas poem, '9 Newbies from Queensland'. 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through this house I reflect on 9 newbies from Queensland with nouse. We fought tough campaigns with grit and care, And we persuaded the voters to put us there. We arrived in Canberra with the new team of Feds While campaigns and chaos still danced in our heads. With Albo and all, we felt right at home And soon realised we were not alone. We learnt the ropes and to never miss a bell Less the whip would make—our life a living hell. Then into the rabble of the Question Time pit It soon became apparent there was plenty of wit. As the speaker worked hard to manage the crowd, Interjections and jibes came thick and loud.”
“Are we really going to wake up one day, when we're much older, and say, 'I wish I'd spent more time on my phone or online'? Or are we going to think, 'I took that chance'? Are you going to spend more time with your loved ones, join that community or sporting group that's been on the to-do list forever, go to that party, read a good book, have a good boogie to your favourite song or simply smile at that person you don't know? You might just change your life for the better and you might just change someone else's in the process.”
“As a government we're playing our part to try and address some of the fundamentals: affordable housing, being able to see a GP for free, cheaper medicines and 20 per cent off student debt. But, let's face it, there is a loneliness epidemic in our society, and we all have the power to change that. I want people out there to know you are not alone, and, no matter who and where you are, you deserve to be happy. Everywhere we look we see people glued to their phones, almost hypnotised, waiting for the next thumbs-up emoji or that red-heart emoji—an instant response. But the reality is that this is not providing our communities, and each of us, with genuine connections. It's harming our mental health. I believe that we as a society need to take back control of what it means to feel connected and to be happy.”
“We brought together some experts—Paul from the eSafety Commissioner, and Professor Alina Morawska, who's the director of the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland. Their insights on how these laws worked were very helpful. They provided practical tips for parents and carers, and I really do congratulate those who came along to hear what those experts had to say. When we think about who we are, we have Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which is a psychological theory that outlines five levels of human needs. According to this theory, individuals must satisfy those lower levels—food, shelter, security and health—before we can even think about fulfilling ones like friendship, love et cetera.”
“We want kids to know who they are before the platforms assume who they are. The new laws that ban social media for those under 16 give an integral buffer that allows kids to do just that. They will save lives because, as the minister said, while we can't control the ocean, we can police the sharks. These laws, starting in approximately two weeks, on 10 December, will save the lives of Australian kids. We know there will be kids and others who'll try to get around them. It happened when we introduced the alcohol ban, but we persisted with that. It's about a cultural shift, too. That's why I also thought it was important to organise a local social media forum in Brisbane to discuss the upcoming changes with parents and provide them with tools and resources to navigate them.”
“That's why it was so important that this government had the guts to take on the big tech companies and the social media giants to introduce the world's first ban on social media for those under 16. The eSafety Commissioner's recent Keeping Kids Safe Online survey explored the benefits but also highlighted the risks of the online world to children in Australia. There were some telling statistics. Almost three in four children had seen or heard content associated with harm online. More than one in two had experienced cyberbullying. Three in five had seen or heard online hate, while over one in four had personally experienced it. One in four had experienced non-consensual tracking, monitoring and harassment. The prevalence of online harm varied by gender and age, with teens and trans and gender-diverse children generally more at risk.”
“You can walk in and get access to free mental health support without the need for an appointment, without the need for a referral and without a mental health treatment plan. The centre, as I mentioned, is staffed by multidisciplinary teams, including mental health clinicians, for when they're needed, and peer support workers. It's vitally important to provide places for people to feel safe, where they can get the support they need. As a government, though, we also do need to look at the negative impacts of social media and bullying that are leading to some of this increase in demand. The rise of social media addiction is at pandemic levels, and it impacts our society as a whole but particularly the younger generation.”
“During the election campaign obviously I talked to a lot of the voters, and one of the biggest issues raised with me was lack of access to affordable mental health care. That's why I was so pleased to join the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention recently to open the new Medicare mental health centre in Lutwyche. This centre provides a safe and very welcoming place for anyone to access free, quality mental health care and over extended hours. It's staffed by a team of highly qualified mental health professionals and, importantly, people with lived experience of mental health challenges. They will listen and work with those in my community, providing them with the care and support they need. Again, support through this centre is free for everyone who walks in the door. You don't need an appointment or a GP referral.”
“That's why I'm really proud to be part of a government that not only recognises this responsibility but is backing it up with necessary resources and funding. This government is putting mental health at the heart of Medicare and delivering more services in the centres of communities across Australia, boosted by our historic $1.1 billion in mental health care, an election commitment. Over the coming years we will see new expanded Medicare mental health centres, headspace services, Medicare mental health kids hubs, perinatal mental health centres and youth specialist centres—very broad ranging. We've already delivered 45 mental health centres, 172 headspace services, 11 Medicare mental health kids hubs and 10 perinatal mental health centres.”
“Now we have an entire generation who didn't grow up knowing what it was like to ride your bike around for hours, to go to the local park and kick a footy, to climb a tree or to drop in on a friend unannounced. Let's face it, that's what was available to us, and we made our own fun. But we do live in different times, and we know that mental health challenges affect many in our community. In fact, a recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study report showed that one in five Australians aged 16 to 85 experienced a mental disorder, 3.4 million experienced anxiety—that's 17 per cent—and one in seven children and adolescents experienced a mental illness. As the government we have a responsibility to provide tools and support to give people help when they need it most.”
“It's actually human nature to want to feel connected and to feel part of something bigger than what we are. As humans we assign meaning to emotions and relationships that go well beyond an immediate experience. And we can feel a sense of belonging or connection through supportive relationships. But the rapid increase in technology and social media has meant that more and more people are seeking that kind of interpersonal connection through our screens and less with each other—or, to use a young person's language, IRL, which means 'in real life'. I grew up in a household of eight siblings, including foster kids, Mum, Dad and grandparents next door. We didn't have much, but being a family meant we always had each other and we had our community.”
“She said of the goal of stopping bullying school: This goal is so important because bullying does not just hurt in the moment; it can stay with a person for life. Many people in our community have experienced bullying, whether at school or online, and we must stop our young Australians from carrying that pain inside because it can lead to serious mental health issues, even suicide. Ending bullying will help create a peaceful, loving, and safe Australia for everyone. Those are wise words. While medications can help those who are struggling with their mental health, that's just part of the answer. We still need to lean in, as Ariana did, and question whether there is something more to do. Our society has become less connected with one another. We have to question whether we're being driven more by social and environmental factors.”
“Mental health has touched many people, most likely everybody in this House, whether it's a friend, a loved one or even yourself. There are many reasons someone might struggle with mental health. It could be biological—genetics, family history, brain chemistry or structure. It could be psychological—trauma, stress, substance abuse. Or it could be social and environmental—social isolation, life events, socioeconomic factors, discrimination, or someone else's environment. Recently I spoke with Ariana, a 10-year-old student going to school in my electorate, and we chatted about mental health through the lens of school bullying. She may be only 10, but her observations were very wise and very mature. While we chatted she reiterated what she wrote in her winning Raise Our Voice submission, which I'll read out now.”
“Like Zac and Tahi, I met students across the country saying how life changing fee-free TAFE has been for them, and this bill, like fee-free TAFE, is part of the many ways we are rebuilding and securing our vocational education system to keep Australia thriving and to build the Brisbane and Australia of tomorrow.”