Alice Jordan-Baird
Gorton · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“This includes incentives like the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which means students on their mandatory nursing and midwifery placements will be paid for their work, making life easier for our nursing and midwifery students.”
“We took health care to the election, and right across the board we're legislating change. We've capped the cost of PBS-listed medicines at just $25, the lowest it's been since 2004—when I was in primary school—which has seen a saving of more than $14 million in my electorate of Gorton.”
“With competing cost-of-living pressures, these families shouldn't be worrying about the cost of seeing a doctor as well. These families deserve regular access to affordable GP appointments, and that's why this bill matters.”
“Our green and gold Medicare card means opportunity. It means receiving high-quality health care, regardless of your bank balance. I'm so proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is committed to strengthening Medicare for generations to come, and this bill, the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measur…”
“It means that, in Melbourne's western suburbs, people in our community have access to free walk-in care when they need it. With this budget, we're making urgent care clinics like the ones in Melton and Sunshine permanent. Urgent care clinics play a really important role in taking the pressure off our emergency departments.”
“Our introduction of Medicare bulk-billing clinics is really making a huge difference in our communities across the country. I'm really proud to report that, in my community, there are now 24 Medicare bulk-billing practices—up from 13 before our bulk-billing changes were introduced.”
The complete record
Every one of 637 lines we hold for Alice Jordan-Baird, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 13.
“I invite the senator to my electorate in Melbourne's western suburbs, to tell that statement to over 12,000 people belonging to the Muslim community in my electorate. It's a shame that I have to say this, but I'm not surprised that this came from One Nation. Quite frankly, this is by no means the first comment Senator Hanson has made during her terms in parliament that deserves every bit of criticism and condemnation. Let's call it what it is: racism. It is racist to say there are no good Muslims in Australia. One Nation have one clear goal: dividing everyday Aussies and disrupting social cohesion—while, by the way, being bankrolled by wealthy overseas donors and being flown to the US for flashy speaking tours.”
“Most of all, I thank the women involved in these allegations for sharing their stories. It's not easy, and it takes a great deal of courage. The bottom line is that women's health needs to be taken seriously, and that starts with listening to women. I'd like to raise a second grievance. I'd like to condemn the recent disgraceful comments made by Senator Hanson. The rhetoric that has been echoed in the parliamentary chambers and in public statements around the country in the recent weeks has been absolutely abhorrent. We had this senator recently tell the Australian community there are no good Muslims. As a so-called leader in a country built on the backs of migrants, what exactly does she mean by that?”
“I'm signing on to be the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Endometriosis because these issues matter to me. I'd like to thank the outgoing Labor co-chair, the member for Bendigo, for all her hard work and advocacy in this space over the last few years. I support the minister for health in having written to the Victorian health minister about the stories from Epworth hospital that have come to public attention, and I support the minister for health in asking to consider whether agency Safer Care Victoria, which oversees the operation of private hospitals in that jurisdiction, should conduct an inquiry into the Epworth hospital. I also welcome the Victorian premier's referral of this case to the Victoria Police for potential investigation around any criminal offences that might be involved here.”
“The fact of the matter is that, for decades, women's health was neglected, and the bottom line is that, a lot of the time, women aren't listened to. We've been told that the pain's in our heads—that we just need to go on the contraceptive pill and all will be resolved. Because of this, many women have understandably felt mistrust towards our health system. So for allegations to come out about a Melbourne doctor betraying his patients in such a significant way is absolutely despicable. It takes just one bad actor to further erode women's trust across the healthcare system. That should anger all of us, men and women alike. I'm part of a Labor government that is made up of women across the country, women who understand Australian women's experiences because we live them too and who care deeply about women's issues.”
“Historically, women's health hasn't just been neglected; it has been taboo. I remember, when I was in year 8, one of my best friends had endometriosis and had to undergo surgery. Granted, we were in year 8, and going through that at a young age while you're still growing up is really, really tough. But what sticks out to me now from this memory is just how taboo that was. We weren't supposed to talk about it. We weren't supposed to ask about it. Women's health conditions, like endometriosis, were very stigmatised back then, and no-one really knew what it was. Issues women and girls were having around women's health were shoved under the rug. So it's not altogether surprising that, at a government and policy level, you could almost say the same.”
“It's an incredibly vulnerable experience to undergo surgery, trusting that your doctors and your healthcare team are there to give you the greatest possible care. For a medical professional to break that trust is a violation. The allegations against Dr Simon Gordon are a demonstration of a violation of the trust between healthcare professionals and their patients. Women have alleged they have undergone many highly invasive surgeries they were told were medically necessary, only to find out that they weren't—women who allege that they were told lies about their pathology results, which led to their ovaries being removed unnecessarily, and that the numerous invasive, expensive surgeries left them in far greater pain than before. It is an absolute blight that these allegations are coming from women navigating women's healthcare problems.”
“I rise to speak about some of the absolutely horrific stories emerging from a Melbourne hospital about Dr Simon Gordon, an OBGYN whose female patients are alleging they were left traumatised and betrayed. Doctors play a valuable role in our lives. They look after our health systems and take care of our health. But it's a lot deeper than that. No matter who you are, when you visit a doctor or a specialist, you are putting your trust in that healthcare professional—trust in their authority, trust in their professional training and expertise, trust that the advice they give you is correct and trust that they have the best intentions to do what is genuinely in the interest of your own health.”
“Every day, I'm reminded of how privileged I am to live and work in Melbourne's western suburbs and to represent our wonderful community. I'm so proud that, thanks to Labor's five per cent deposit scheme, more people in our community and around the country can finally own their own homes. Homeownership is life-changing, and, for those over 3000 people in our community of Gorton, homeownership is no longer just a dream.”
“We were able to deliver on this promise three months ahead of schedule, opening the door sooner to first home buyers. When it comes to home building, we've got an ambitious national target of 1.2 million new homes. To help Australia get there, we're cutting red tape, delivering new infrastructure and training more tradies across the country. I know that, for more homes, we need better infrastructure—like better roads—and that's exactly why we've committed a billion dollars to upgrade the Western Freeway between Melton and Caroline Springs. And, in March last year, we announced $300 million for the Calder Park Drive Interchange on the Calder freeway, making things a lot safer for our community as we continue to grow.”
“That's why I'm proud to report the success of the Albanese Labor government's five per cent deposit scheme. We're already delivering and seeing real results right across the country, like for hardworking Aussies in my own community. I stand here today to tell you that my electorate of Gorton, in Melbourne's western suburbs, has one of the highest uptakes of the five per cent deposit scheme in the country. Since we came to government, 3,119 people in my electorate have bought their first home with just a five per cent deposit. How good is that? That's over 3,000 people in my community who have gotten their foot into the housing market—their own property, a future they can plan for, a future they'll raise their family in. Make no mistake, this is fundamentally life-changing, and it matters massively in my community.”
“Too many young Australians are being locked out of the housing market. Too many young Australians feel that homeownership is out of reach. Too many young Australians feel that they have no choice but to confront a future they can't plan for. And that's not right. This housing challenge has been a generation in the making. For decades, this problem has been shafted to the states. When the coalition were in government for almost a decade, they were negligent when it came to housing. This problem can't be tackled overnight. But, unlike previous coalition governments, we are addressing this issue. We're not leaving the issue of homeownership for an entire generation of Australians all up to the states to try and fix. We're taking a hand in it, and we've brought the federal government back to the table.”
“We have more than 40,000 residents between the ages of 25 and 39. I speak to young people in my community every day. They're people who are at the stage of life when settling down and starting a family is front of mind. They're good people, full of ambition—hardworking Aussies who are building a future for themselves and for their families. But the future they envision and the future they deserve has been out of reach for too long. Because of the neglect of the previous coalition governments, homeownership was not a dream everyone could aspire to. I've spoken to people in my community who told me they couldn't think of a world where renting wasn't their only option, and these young people are not alone in their anxieties about the future. Housing is a life-defining challenge for millions of Australians today.”
“Let me tell you a little bit about the community I represent in Melbourne's western suburbs, the place I call home. Gorton stretches from Mount Cottrell in the south-west all the way to Keilor in the northern corner. If you look at a map of the electorate today and a map of the electorate 20 years ago, you'll notice they look very different to one another. Suburbs like Fraser Rise, Truganina and Plumpton didn't exist not so long ago. They've popped up across our community, and these suburbs make up the western growth corridor, full of new housing developments. That's because we're one of the fastest growing electorates in the country, where young families are moving in to build homes and to plan for their futures. Gorton is one of the youngest electorates in the country, too, with a median age of 35.”
“I know that my husband, Chris, who is a local sparky, had to pull from his own annual leave to avoid working in dangerous extreme heat conditions this summer. I know that other members of my community had to risk their health and safety too. They told me about it at a recent meeting with Transport Workers' Union delegates and the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Airport workers told us that temperatures on the tarmac can exceed 50 degrees. I'd like to thank the TWU delegates for raising this important issue as well as the minister for coming out to Melbourne's western suburbs and making the time to hear directly from workers in my community. Because listening to the people who live these issues day to day is where real change starts. I know this, and Labor knows this. I thank the House.”
“Australia has had its fourth-hottest summer on record. In Victoria, we saw temperatures exceed 45 degrees in Melbourne's western suburbs, and a record high of 48.9 degrees was recorded in Victoria's north-west. Our Caroline Springs CFA went out and fought the Harcourt and Longwood bushfires. For that, I commend and thank our incredible volunteers. They should have been the only people working in extreme heat conditions, but they weren't. There are still instances of workplaces failing to meet the general duty for employers in ensuring that workers are not being exposed to health and safety risks, and that includes risks related to heat. Working in heat, especially extreme heat, is a significant work health and safety concern.”
“The national bulk-billing rate is now sitting at over 80 per cent, and 96 per cent of Aussies live within a 20-minute drive of a fully bulk-billed practice. That is incredible. We have two urgent care clinics just down the road in Melton and Sunshine. That's free, walk-in care fully covered by Medicare, taking pressure off our emergency departments. This is making a real difference for families, and it's the direct result of this Labor government's historic investments in Medicare. When you visit the GP, you shouldn't need to carry your credit card, just your Medicare card.”
“Our record investment in Medicare is seeing real cost-of-living relief around the country, like in my community in Melbourne's western suburbs. Just take a walk around Caroline Springs, Deer Park or Deanside and you'll see that it's full of young families moving into the area and building their futures. Families who have mortgages, bills and weekly supermarket shops shouldn't be hit with another bill every time they visit a GP, and no-one should be putting off seeing a doctor because of the cost. I know this. Labor knows this. It's why we've increased bulk-billing incentives so that more people can see a doctor for free, and the results are in. There are now 23 Medicare bulk-billing clinics in my electorate of Gorton. You can now get an appointment for free at 70 per cent of the GP clinics in our local area.”
“At the end of the day, this is about giving our kids the best possible start in life without forcing families to navigate the exhausting NDIS-or-nothing battle we see too often. I'd like to thank the Minister for Health and Ageing and our wonderful chair, the member for Macarthur, and the committee secretariat for all of their hard work in bringing this really important report to life. I look forward to being part of the review and continuing this work with the committee.”
“By increasing funding and resources to already existing organisations that can deliver through a hub-and-spoke system, these supports can be made more readily available and therefore can improve equitable access for these children and their families, thereby ensuring that cost and distance are not barriers. I'm so proud that the Albanese Labor government has committed $2 billion, matched by the states, to deliver Thriving Kids, and $1.4 billion of this contribution is direct funding to states for Thriving Kids services. The recommendations of this report mean that the Australian government will work closely with the state and territory governments to better help families. I'd like to thank each of the state and territory governments for working alongside us on this momentous initiative.”
“I believe that the recommendations in this report will lead to better outcomes for these children, such as the recommendation for a single port of entry with multiple referral pathways for children with developmental concerns, whether they are in the NDIS or not, or the focus on boosting the workforce to support families to navigate the system, particularly families in regional, rural and remote areas as well as CALD and Indigenous communities, children in out-of-home care, parents and carers with disabilities themselves and other high-risk communities. There's no doubt that transitions are hard, and there is a specific recommendation for that as well to help children transition from early education into primary education or from primary education into higher education, as appropriate.”
“She took the time to compile a number of accounts from locals with lived experience that were really important to this process and helped shape the report. Shannon, thank you for your advocacy. It was clear to the committee that there was some misinformation following the announcement of the Thriving Kids program by the Minister for Health and Ageing. Families felt anxiety about what the proposed changes might mean for their children.”
“As for the health professionals and parent groups, I've found Dr Kate Renshaw's contribution about the benefits of play therapy particularly powerful. As Dr Renshaw pointed out, many therapies and interventions are not specifically designed to complement children's developmental pathways but play therapy is. Paediatric play is evidence based and it's so important to make positive developmental gains. These types of insights are why the inclusion of health professionals and parent groups are so valuable. I thank them for their contributions to this report. I'd like to give a special shout out to families in my local community who took the time to write to me and raise their concerns. In particular, I'd like to acknowledge the work of Shannon Meilak, a fantastic disability advocate in Brimbank.”
“Our committee's report, No Child Left Behind , seeks to provide a strategic framework for the new national system of disability supports so we can better support this cohort of kids to get the very best start in life. The release of this report is the work of the community. We conducted public hearings last year, and community and advocacy groups made over 400 submissions. The committee also received over 1,000 survey responses from parents, carers and providers. We heard from experts, peak bodies, parents, families, providers, participants and those with lived experience. I'd like to thank every single organisation and person who took the care and time to put in a submission for our inquiry. Your experiences and expertise were invaluable to the findings of this report.”
“We want to focus on identifying developmental concerns earlier whilst ensuring children with permanent and significant disability will continue to be supported through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. If you speak to any family in my electorate or across the country who have a child with developmental delay under eight, they'll tell you the current system isn't working for them. They're waiting years for specialist appointments. They say that the system is confusing and hard to navigate, and the supports they're receiving from the NDIS aren't targeted enough. The harsh reality is these children are falling through the cracks. One in five young children experience developmental delay or autism, mostly at mild or moderate levels. Intervention is simply not happening early enough.”
“(): I rise today to contribute to the discussion of the Thriving Kids inquiry report. I'm honoured to be a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability alongside some outstanding members across the chamber. Our committee chair, the member for Macarthur, has tabled the No Child Left Behind , a parliamentary inquiry report into the proposed Thriving Kids program. The Thriving Kids initiative is intended to address the missing middle. We define this as the service vacuum for a national system of supports for children aged eight and under with developmental delay and low-to-moderate support needs.”
“LISTO is boosting the income of close to 8,000 people in my electorate, totalling $3 million across the electorate, and it's helping close the gender super gap. To close that gap, we've also made significant changes to super when it comes to parental leave. You can be sure that this Labor government is working at closing that gender pay gap and gender super gap. This is what happens when we elect women: women's issues become the forefront of the government's agenda. I couldn't be prouder to be part of a Labor government made up of 57 per cent women, because, when we elect women, we legislate on women's issues only. Only our government will protect Aussie super—because this bill is just one part of the Albanese Labor government's commitment for Aussies to earn more, keep more of what they earn and retire with more as well.”
“The low-income superannuation tax offset is an automatic tax rebate paid into the super accounts of low-income earners to offset some or all of the tax paid on their super contributions. You or your employer pay this 15 per cent of the pre-tax super contributions into your super fund, up to a maximum of $500, and it's designed to ensure that low-income earners generally don't pay more tax on their super contributions than on their take-home pay. We're increasing the LISTO by $300 to $800, and we're raising the eligibility threshold from $37,000 to $45,000. This measure is so important. It was about delivering a more secure retirement for 1.3 million Australians, 60 per cent of whom are women. That's because women are among those low-income earners.”
“In Gorton, the gender super gap is sitting at 26 per cent, wider than the Victorian average and on par with the national average. This gap widens significantly as women approach retirement. The median man approaching retirement in Gorton has $181,000 in super. Compare this to the median woman. She's got $114,000 in super—37 per cent less. This is wider than both the Victorian and Australian averages by 33 per cent. That's why the changes that this Labor government has made to women's earnings and super are so important. We've introduced LISTO and expanded paid parental leave, and we've ensured that women are now earning super on top of their paid parental leave.”
“Women are more likely to take significant breaks in their careers, putting them on the back foot when they re-enter the workforce. Women are less likely to be promoted into high-paying management roles, and women have less savings in their super when they retire. The gender super gap is about $50,000 for Australians nearing retirement—$50,000 less for women to live on in their retirement—because nurses, teachers, aged care workers and hairdressers are amongst those in casual and insecure work. Part of the issue is that those women in those fields aren't getting their fair share of super. In Victoria, there is a 24 per cent gap between men's and women's super savings across all ages. But, for my electorate of Gorton, it's wider than even that.”
“Under the Keating government, Labor introduced compulsory super to Australia as part of the superannuation guarantee. Even the member for Riverina acknowledged the power of super in his contribution here this evening. Back then, we introduced compulsory super, and today we're strengthening it. But this is nothing new for us. Labor emerged directly out of the union movements. It was industrial action that paved the way for the weekend. We introduced annual leave and sick leave. The Fair Work Act, unfair dismissal protections and our Paid Parental Leave scheme were all passed in the Rudd-Gillard years. And we've always championed gender equality. When we're talking about super, women really matter, because it's true women earn less and retire with less. The national gender pay gap is sitting at 11.5 per cent.”
“Our same job, same pay laws have seen thousands of workers receiving up to $60,000 extra in their pay packets each year, and our secure jobs, better pay laws were about modernising the bargaining system to protect better pay and conditions for workers. The right-to-disconnect laws have adapted Australia's workplaces to meet the needs of what a modern workplace actually looks like. Meanwhile, we've criminalised wage theft. These are all such important changes for Australian workers—changes that go alongside our reforms to the superannuation system. Having lived in the Australia I know and love, I sometimes find it surprising to remind myself that, not so long ago, superannuation wasn't legislated. It's only through the work of legislated change and Labor governments that we have the workplace protections that exist today.”
“It means that, unless employers and employees have expressly agreed otherwise, employer funded paid parental leave cannot be cancelled if a child is stillborn or passes away. At the heart of Baby Priya's law are dignity, compassion and workers' rights. The same can be said of our changes to protect penalty and overtime rates. This was about safeguarding fundamental entitlements for around 2.6 million modern-award-reliant Australian workers. And there's the legislation I haven't yet had the opportunity to talk about in the chamber because it was passed in the last term of parliament. I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to talk about it now.”
“That's because, by giving employees more timely and accurate information and details on superannuation, we're supporting their readiness for our payday super reforms. We're legislating these changes for workers because that's what Labor does. We are the champions of workers' rights, and we always have been. I'm proud that this is not the first time that I've stood up in this chamber and talked about workers' rights, and that's because this is not the first bill that this Labor government has introduced to build better protections for workers. Late last year we passed Baby Priya's bill. Baby Priya's bill introduced a new principle into the Fair Work Act to protect families and employees.”
“We've passed payday super, a once-in-a-generation reform to fix unpaid super, because workers deserve to get paid their full entitlements and Australians deserve to retire with confidence and with financial security. The ATO estimates that $5.2 billion in super went unpaid in 2021-22. That's $100 million every week that workers earned and never received. Thanks to this Labor government, from 1 July this year employers will be required to pay super at the same time as they pay wages, instead of paying it quarterly. This means that employees will receive their super in their funds within seven business days of payday and that workers will receive what they're legally owed. The legislation we're debating here today complements those payday super reforms.”
“We are full of diverse, young, hardworking families—families who are setting up their children's futures and planning their own retirements. People in a good, hardworking community like mine don't deserve to be taken advantage of by their employers when they start a new job. They deserve to have transparency and proper access to information about their own super. They deserve to be empowered to make informed choices about their retirement savings, as do all Australians. This bill is important for transparency, for employee empowerment and for strengthening our superannuation system, but it's by no means the only measure the Labor government is taking to ensure Aussies are earning more and keeping more of what they earn right up until retirement.”
“Employees shouldn't be getting signed up to super funds that aren't necessarily right for them, just because their employer has compelled them to do so. And do you know what? Employees should be able to trust their employer to not push them into super funds that do not act in their best interests. They should be able to trust the system because the system should be working for them. It should be protecting them. If the system is, in fact, not protecting employees, then it's our duty as parliamentarians to change that. So that's what we're doing. This bill will create those changes for employees right across the country, including in my own community in Melbourne's western suburbs. My electorate of Gorton is one of the fastest growing electorates in the country. The average age is 35.”
“This is a key moment when employees engage with their superannuation, and they should be able to do so in an informed and safe way. A ban on advertising superannuation products to an employee, specifically at the point of employee onboarding, is really important. These changes reinforce our government's commitment to supporting Aussies to make an informed choice about their super while providing strong consumer protections. We're protecting employees from being unduly influenced to make uninformed decisions, because Aussies should be able to trust their employer and the super system we're all a part of. When you sign up to a new job, you're not always going to independently know all the fine details about all the available super funds and what's best to avoid, but that information should be accessible.”
“Having stapled funds reduces your account fees as it avoids new super accounts being opened every time you start a new job. This bill will build on those reforms. It will make it easier for employees to see, consider and select their existing super fund when they start a new job. This empowers employees by helping them to avoid accidentally paying double or triple fees, and this can save thousands of dollars. Schedule 2 to the bill amends the Corporations Act 2001 to impose a ban on advertising superannuation products to employees during onboarding, with certain exceptions. It's ridiculous that, when starting out in a new job, employees can have advertisements for super products targeted at them. Meanwhile, information about keeping their previous super account is not readily accessible.”
“Schedule 1 to the bill amends the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act. This is the part about streamlining the process for choosing your super fund when being onboarded as a new employee. In 2021, a set of reforms—Your Future, Your Super—was introduced to improve the superannuation system. It was designed for a few reasons: to empower members and make it easier to choose a well-performing product that meets your needs; to hold funds to account for underperformance; and to increase transparency and accountability for how super funds use members' savings. It also introduced stapling. A stapled super fund is an existing super account linked, or stapled, to an individual employee, so it follows them as they change jobs.”
“This is legislation to ban employers from advertising super fund products to new employees during their onboarding process. But it's also about so much more than that. This bill is about empowering employees to make informed choices about their super funds when they start a new job. It's about workers' rights and about creating those laws—the type of laws I could have benefited from at 16 years old—which protect hardworking Australians so they can secure their own futures. Taking advantage of employees who don't know any better, by compelling employees to make choices that are not in their best interests, is simply wrong. I know this, and we, as Labor, know this. We are the party that is grounded in advocating for and legislating to protect the rights of workers, and this bill is no exception to that.”
“This story is one I've told before in this chamber. That's because, for me, it was a really formative moment. I was young. It was the moment when I realised that employees aren't always treated fairly by their bosses and that an employer doesn't always have your best interests at heart, and it's when I learnt the importance of not just advocating for employees—yes, that's important too. I also learnt the value of actually having the right legislation and regulations set up and being adhered to so that these types of situations are prevented from even happening in the first place. I'm proud to stand here today, because that is exactly what this legislation does. This bill is here to streamline the process for employees to choose a super fund when they start a new job.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025, brought forward by the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, and I commend him for doing so. When I was 16 years old I worked in hospo. I was young, enthusiastic and excited to join the workforce and to work hard for my future. My boss signed me up to a dodgy traineeship. If I were a trainee, you see, he could pay me less, and he got away with it. I don't know whether there was malice or whether the employers in my establishment signed up all employees or just the young, enthusiastic and naive ones. I think it was just a program that, for my employers, was just the norm. What I felt at the time and what I know now is that it wasn't fair and it wasn't right.”
“My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Women. How is the Albanese Labor government investing in bulk-billing and taking women's health seriously, and what are the risks that this investment faces?”
“I think about those families who have grieved for their loved ones. I think about my own family and the legacy of Hugo Throssell VC. This bill is for all of you. I commend this bill to the House.”
“This reform is one of our government's responses to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. It's a response which recognises that fostering the wellbeing of veterans is one important protective factor against suicide. Mental health is so important. For so many, government mental health measures are a lifeline. This includes our veterans. These veterans have served in our communities and defended our country. They deserve their wellbeing to be accounted for—and their families too. In my local community, in Melbourne's western suburbs, we have a beautiful war memorial opposite Lake Caroline. Like many in our community, I often go there for moments of peaceful reflection. I think about those who have given their lives to serve our country. I think about those who return home but live with the mental anguish of war.”
“The health and wellbeing of our veteran community is a priority for the Albanese Labor government. There's no doubt that we're committed to providing more effective and efficient support to veterans and their families. On Monday, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs announced that the Albanese Labor government is investing $739.2 million to improve the provision of the treatment and rehabilitation for veterans to reduce the impact of injury on them and improve their lifetime wellbeing. Modern clinical evidence shows that early access to the right care helps in a number of ways. It helps to improve daily functioning, prevent conditions from worsening, reduce long-term impairments, support mental health and strengthen long-term wellbeing and quality of life.”
“It is Australia's leading provider of mental health assessment and counselling for Australian veterans and their families. Bryan is now actively involved with the RSL and is in a much better headspace with his family. Early intervention and supporting mental health are so incredibly important for our veterans and their families. Our veterans and their legacy are ingrained in my community. We have a walk of honour in Aintree, which is a 600-metre walk in Woodlea Estate that features 150 individual plaques honouring veterans—each with their own story, their own experience and their own legacy. The 'Ode of remembrance' is played at 6 pm every Friday at the WestWaters Entertainment Complex in Caroline Springs. This social gathering provides a constant in the lives of veterans and their families and in our wider community as well.”
“I'm proud to say that the SBS aired a documentary highlighting the history of the Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch, interviewing a number of members. The documentary shared the sometimes untold scares and sacrifices in the service of the Defence Force. It looks honestly at the impact of service on these veterans. If I may, I'd like to share a brief story of Bryan Ross. Bryan served in East Timor in 2002 and struggled with the transition to civilian life after his return. He found himself snapping at his wife and children. The turning moment for Bryan was when his son came home and told him that he'd never been the same since he'd come back from East Timor. It was then he knew that he needed help and he turned to Open Arms for counselling. Open Arms—Veterans & Families Counselling was founded by Australia's Vietnam veterans.”
“It officially opened in February 2014, and has grown into a thriving non-profit community hub with over 300 members. These 300 members are service personnel, veterans who have themselves served and their families, who have supported and stood by them. This group is focused on welfare, companionship and supporting veterans from World War II to Afghanistan. This sub-branch is known for not having poker machines in their venues because they understand the potential for gambling harm. They're known for fostering veteran and family welfare and have strong community ties with local schools, scout groups, football clubs and other local community organisations. They're out and about in schools, talking about their experiences as ex-service personnel and about the impact of war.”
“And it improves the transparency of the work of the commission to ensure accountability for the commission itself and those subject to its oversight. This includes statutory deadlines for the completion of two inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of the government's response to the royal commission recommendations. Veterans are really important. They have done so much for our country, and they do so much in our local communities. I'd like to share a little bit about the amazing Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch in my electorate of Gorton. This sub-branch RSL was established in November 2013 by Vietnam veterans Peter Burquest and Murray Lewis to support the growing number of veterans in Melbourne's western suburbs. The Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch began with just $65 in the bank.”