Alison Penfold
Lyne · National Party · Australia
“I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. I acknowledge the member for Moore and his time he spent in the wonderful community of Dungog. It is a terrific place and I know that the teachers and educators in that town do a wonderful job. Well done.”
“They can often live with their families while they study. For a young person growing up in Dungog, Taree, Wingham, Gloucester, Harrington, Tea Gardens, Bulahdelah, Forster, Tuncurry or the Manning Valley or the many other small towns and hamlets in my electorate—”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Isn't it true that the Albanese Labor government's 70c-a-day tax cut has already been eaten up by inflation, unlike the coalition's tax-back guarantee, which is protected from inflation and would provide a typical Australian worker a far bigger, $400 tax cut this year?”
“My question is to the Treasurer. Yesterday the Treasurer was asked about his plan to force thousands of widows and divorcees to pay more tax by removing their access to grandfathering for capital gains tax and negative gearing.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. A new report shows the Prime Minister saved around $200,000 on the sale of three investment properties under existing capital gains tax rules. In last month's budget, the Prime Minister broke his promise and changed those rules.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. A new report shows the Prime Minister saved around $200,000 on the sale of three investment properties under existing capital gains tax rules. In last month's budget, the Prime Minister broke his promise and changed those rules.”
The complete record
Every one of 616 lines we hold for Alison Penfold, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 13.
“Again I must stand in this place, to stand up for my communities affected by the devastating, record-breaking floods in the New South Wales Mid North Coast and Hunter regions—to stand up for people let down by government and bureaucracy. I spoke earlier in the week about the 700-plus farmers still waiting, some more than 100 days, for cat. D payments, treatment they simply not deserve. Tonight I want to focus on the silence from government about cat. D payments to small businesses. I understand that the Hunter and Mid North Coast recovery coordinator made a recommendation weeks ago to governments for cat. D funding for small businesses impacted by the floods. Who is blocking it, and why? I visited small businesses in the Taree CBD.”
“In 1982, Eric retired from the Army, allowing him to devote himself to the community. Eric's contributions are significant and include: deputy mayor and greater Taree city councillor, founder and president of the Manning Valley beef week committee, member and chair of the Tocal agricultural college board, and founder and chair of the Wingham Scottish festival. For this he was awarded an OAM in 1997. I, along with many distinguished community members, attended his funeral at the Wingham town hall on 8 August. I extend my sincere condolences to Mave and the family. May he rest— (Time expired)”
“I rise to recognise the late Lieutenant Colonel Eric Richardson, OAM, a man of family, community and country. Eric was born in Wingham on 15 December 1932, a sixth-generation Wingham local. At 14, Eric left school to work in the family butcher business, and soon, after turning 17, joined the Citizen Military Forces. In 1957, Eric married Hope. They raised two children. Following 12 years of dedicated service as a member of the CMF, Eric entered the Army in 1963, with the rank of captain, and served in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment for Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. In 1969, he joined the Wingham RSL Sub-branch. His service would eventually see him made a life member in 1996 and recognised with the prestigious medal for meritorious service in 2014.”
“Indeed, a great deal more than this legislation is required to ease the immense economic pressures that burden Australians. But I recognise that this is an important measure that will be of benefit to a great many people, and I therefore commend it to the House.”
“So many families are struggling to deal with their loved ones' mental health issues, like suicide attempts, without support. A person has to reach crisis point before there is any support available. There are now no permanent psychiatrists at the Manning Base Hospital mental health unit. Nimoola House doesn't have the resources it needs to provide community based care. The group believes a Medicare mental health centre could bridge the gap in services, but, just like with the urgent care clinics, the government seems to have missed our area on the map, with no centre between Coffs Harbour and the Central Coast. Again, I hope the government will engage with me to work towards a service on the Mid North Coast. A great deal more than this single piece of legislation is required to improve the health outcomes of the people of my electorate.”
“Whilst the response from the minister's office was disappointing, I am hopeful and I look forward to working with the minister to bring about this goal, and I welcome any opportunity for collaboration in order to see the realisation of an urgent care clinic for the people of Lyne. I recently met with representatives of the Great Lakes carer support group to discuss the potential for a Medicare mental health centre in the Lyne electorate. The volunteer group supports parents, family members and friends dealing with people with mental health challenges and the lack of services in the Great Lakes area. The stories they shared with me about the lack of support were heartbreaking. People in desperate need of support were turned away from the base hospital, with nowhere to go to get the urgent care they need.”
“The response from the minister was disappointing, with the Albanese government committing $1.4 billion over seven years to establish and operate a total of 137 Medicare urgent care clinics, while leaving a gaping hole between Coffs Harbour and Newcastle, a healthcare chasm that my electorate sits squarely and the middle of and, undoubtedly, must bear the brunt of. The letter from the minister, which I have here, details a phone line that's meant to replace the urgent care clinic—hardly the sort of service that the government has been spruiking in this parliament since we returned.”
“It's becoming harder to see a doctor urgently and Manning Base Hospital needs respite to focus on more critical care, particularly with the disruption from the redevelopment. An urgent care clinic could provide urgent relief and better support the urgent primary-care needs of locals with the added benefit of bulk-billing. I've spoken with the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network regarding the urgent care clinic in Taree, and they've confirmed to me that Taree is a location they support. I called for the urgent care clinic in Taree as part of my first speech, imploring the government to work with me to deliver one. I followed up with a request to the Minister for Health and Ageing in writing to seek his support in attaining an urgent care clinic for the Manning.”
“I know that Bulahdelah needs additional primary-care services with its elderly population and, through the work of the Bulahdelah and District Health Action Group, led by the amazing Ann-Marie Barry, it had been actively advocating for an MPS facility. But, with the sale of the old nursing home to the Stroud Community Lodge and its commitment to reopen it, the MPS model became much harder to fund. Further, the federal government's urgent care clinic model requires a larger population base as compared to those delivered by the New South Wales state government. As such, I support the delivery of a state funded urgent care facility in Bulahdelah. This led me, ultimately, to my decision about Taree. Bulk-billing rates over the last three years have fallen by 10 per cent.”
“I knew she was working hard to do so, and it's great news for our area that she was successful with her persistent lobbying and advocacy for the funding of a Forster-Tuncurry health facility. I note the member has today called for the Minns government to provide more details on when it will be delivered. Dollars in the budget don't deliver services in a community. At this juncture, however, me doubling up on a funding commitment would be unfair to other locations in my electorate in desperate need. I also explored the potential for a federal urgent care clinic for Bulahdelah. Through my work with the former member for Lyne, the Hon. Dr David Gillespie, I was well-aware of the community's push for a multipurpose centre over many years.”
“It was no easy decision to single out Taree, given the demand for such a facility from a number of Lyne communities. Prior to making my public commitment for an urgent care clinic in Taree, I spoke at length with the member for Myall Lakes, Mrs Tanya Thompson, MP, about her work in securing funding for a New South Wales government funded urgent care clinic in Forster. I fully back the community's call for a public hospital in Forster, but it's clear that, while there is a Labor government in New South Wales, Forster will never see it. An urgent care clinic for Forster and Tuncurry communities under either the state or federal model of delivery could be a stopgap until a change of government. My view was that I would seek Commonwealth funding for it if the member for Myall Lakes had been unable to secure state government support.”
“Health is one of the major concerns on the mind of Lyne residents. In my discussions on doorsteps and at my weekly mobile offices, it is one of the most often raised issues, next to the state of the roads across the Hastings, Mid North Coast and Hunter regions and, more recently, the impact of the May flood and help with the recovery. I'm very concerned about the level of access to health services across the Lyne electorate. From access to a GP to services offered at local hospitals, it's clear that we need more investment by the New South Wales state government and the Australian government in local health services. During the election, after listening to the concerns in my electorate, I called for an urgent care clinic in Taree. Sadly, the government refused to match it.”
“We're also seeing some concerning delays in the listing of new medicines for women's health on the PBS under this government. Before the election, the government announced the listing on the PBS of an important medicine for endometriosis, Ryeqo, which was good news for women suffering from this chronic condition across the country. However, Ryeqo had been recommended for listing on the PBS more than a year before the government made this announcement. This means that the government waited more than a year to list a potentially life-changing treatment for women suffering from endometriosis. That's just not good enough. It's absolutely critical that Australian women have affordable access to the medications and treatments they need, especially right now, as they face record-high healthcare costs.”
“The Albanese government has now repeated history by imposing a cap on the number of medicines that can be considered for listing on the PBS, leading to harmful delays. In November last year, almost 50 medicines were deferred from consideration for listing on the PBS on the government's watch, creating further delays for patients waiting for affordable access. This is because the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, the expert body that recommends medicines for listing on the PBS, implemented a cap on the number of medicines it could consider for listing at each meeting. They did this because they have not been adequately resourced under this government. There is no doubt that this mess has caused delays for patients waiting to access potentially life-saving or life-changing new medicines and treatments at an affordable price.”
“By listing these medications on the PBS, we ensured that Australians had access to affordable, life-saving medications that would otherwise have cost them thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of dollars without the subsidy. The coalition were committed to our long-held policy of listing all medicines on the PBS that were recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee when we were in government. This is in stark contrast to the Albanese government, who stopped listing new medicines on the PBS last time they were in government, because they simply ran out of money. Their poor economic management meant they did not list on the PBS new medicines for severe asthma, chronic pain, schizophrenia, blood clots, IVF, endometriosis and prostate conditions.”
“We all want this initiative to land in the pockets of hardworking Australians, but my concern is that it will be washed away by other, ever-increasing price rises created by this government's policies—policies like its pursuit of intermittent power that will cost trillions, do nothing to deal with climate change, damage our natural environment and only make our country weaker and poorer. The PBS forms a critical component of Australia's health system. It is a scheme that has largely had bipartisan support. Both Labor and the coalition have made improvements to it over time. In government, the coalition made 2,900 new or amendment listings on the PBS to provide more Australians with affordable access to potentially life-saving or life-changing medicines and treatments. This was at an overall investment of around $16.5 billion.”
“Anglicare reports full-time, minimum-wage workers are left with just $33 a week to get by after essentials. That's not a cost-of-living crisis; it's a cost-of-survival crisis. Lyne is the oldest electorate and one of the poorest electorates in this country, and these statistics are very real and felt acutely there. I know that so many people are having to make difficult choices they simply shouldn't have to make between putting food on the table and putting the heater on during the day in winter. 'Which medicines are absolutely necessary? Which ones are not?' More families are being forced to delay or avoid refilling their scripts or seeking health advice, because they just can't afford it under this government. In fact, eight per cent of Australians delayed or went without their prescription medication in 2023-24 due to cost concerns.”
“Around three million women are in the age bracket for menopause, so the menopause medicines listed on the PBS—including the two I take, which were only added to the PBS in February this year and are now to become even cheaper—will hopefully make a big difference to them, as they have to me. Of course, the reduction in the co-payment has to be taken within the broader context of the cost-of-living crisis facing Australians. While the government is giving with one hand, it is taking from the pockets of everyday Australians in so many ways. This government's policies have seen electricity prices up by 32 per cent, gas prices up by 30 per cent, rents up by 20 per cent, insurance up by 35 per cent, food up by 14 per cent, health costs up by 15 per cent and education costs up by 17 per cent.”
“It will ensure Australians have more affordable access to medicines and treatments they need at a time when health care has never been more expensive. As a 54-year-old woman experiencing menopause, my hormone replacement treatment medicine has become a godsend for functioning like a normal person. Before I went on HRT, night sweats and hot flushes were the bane of my existence, keeping me awake through the night, tired during the day and a little panicked when the heat would rise through my body and distract me from the work at hand. It was embarrassing and at times debilitating, but, with my medication, these symptoms no longer haunt me.”
“There are many places in the world where the cost of medicines is out of reach for their citizenry and out of reach for their governments to afford to pay for it. Here in Australia, over 5,200 medicines are subsidised by the Australian government to make them affordable and accessible when and where they are needed. Under the PBS, patients contribute a general co-payment towards the cost of their PBS subsidised medicine, with the Commonwealth paying the remainder of the cost. This year, the co-payment is currently $31.60 for general patients, with this bill seeking to reduce the PBS general co-payment to $25. The amendments contained in this bill are in line with the commitment made by the coalition at the last election to guarantee cheaper medicines and lower the PBS co-payment to $25.”
“I rise today to speak in favour of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. As I said many times during the election campaign, and as I've said since I was elected, there are more instances than not when this place comes together to agree on good policy and good initiatives. Too often, our work in this place is judged on the argy-bargy of question time. This breeds cynicism, a chasm that this parliament must try and bridge. This bill, this policy initiative, is one of those occasions where MPs from across the chamber are coming together, and I'm pleased to be able to lend my support for cheaper medicines for Australians. We are fortunate in this country to have the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and, for the most part, the means to pay for it—something I hope Australians never take for granted.”
“With cricket season soon upon us, I also want to congratulate the Northern Suburbs Cricket Club on their success in being chosen to host a four-day cricket carnival for the under-19 national female championships in December. The club plays at Lorn Park Oval, but, like many sporting facilities across the Lyne electorate, it needs investment. I thank the Maitland City Council for its funding of $200,000 towards the cost of screens, but more is needed to complete the job. I implore the Albanese government to put aside politics and reinvest in programs like the Building Better Regions Fund and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program so that community sporting facilities like Lorn Park can get on with the work they need to support their players and their communities.”
“I rise to acknowledge and praise the incredible resilience shown by local netballers and players across all footy codes—rugby, league and soccer—over this wet winter. Floods and consistent rain have meant many of the fields and courts have been closed. This has been hard on everyone from juniors to seniors. I want to congratulate the Maitland Rugby Club, who won the club championships this year for the first time since 1999. The club achieved the minor premierships in the first, second and third XV, with the firsts taking out the minor premiership for the third year in a row. The women's first and fourth XV finished a close second. It was a huge achievement for the mighty club. The club's ground at Marcellin Park in Lorn stands proudly in the Lyne electorate, and I was pleased to watch a couple of great games there this season.”
“In the same budget estimates, the Premier thought it was smart politics to pass the buck on why the system is failing farmers. He said that the remittance from the Commonwealth government is too slow and that we need better assistance and more integrated approvals from the Commonwealth. Is he saying that farmers are not getting the relief because the Albanese government isn't paying its bills? Is he suggesting that individual farmer assessments require the approval of the Commonwealth? Methinks the Premier was simply trying to deflect from the failure of his government to do what he promised to do for farmers on the Mid North Coast, some in person. I've written today to the Minister for Emergency Management, seeking clarification of the Premier's comments.”
“I'm not sure what the New South Wales Premier is playing at, but primary producers in my electorate are the ones paying the price. We learned just last Wednesday during budget estimates in the New South Wales Legislative Council that less than a quarter of primary producers have been approved for cat D primary producer disaster recovery payments—that is, out of 1,036 applications, 783 farmers are still waiting for assistance. I could stand here and lambaste the New South Wales government for its abject failure to do its job, but what does that achieve for the farmers who are hurting and have been let down by bureaucracy? The pain they feel is acute. They're angry, and rightly so. I asked governments to get this right and to be at their best, because the impact is acute, not benign.”
“I intend to honour your faith, courage and determination to live your best lives by putting service to you before self. I can't promise you the world you deserve, but I will guarantee I'll have a go at delivering it. With that, let's get cracking.”
“In another age, she would have been a member of parliament and a fierce one at that. I intend to bring her fierceness to this place to honour her memory. Finally, to my dad, Ron, my man of resolve: you are my hero and my north star. You made huge sacrifices in your life so I didn't have to make them in mine. I'm so proud of you. From poor beginnings, you have made such a rich life—customs officer, tug master, entrepreneur, farmer, motor home manufacturer and, above all, a man of honour, a man everyone should have as a mate and a best friend. I'm so pleased that you have found Maree and are trying to live your best life despite the fragility that hard work and age brings. Thank you for all you do and for your patience with me. As I wind up my commentary here today, I say this to the people of the Lyne electorate and to all Australians.”
“It is still hard to process this loss. My aunt was a larger-than-life individual, never truly bound by societal expectations. She was a traveller, artist, gourmet home chef, linguist, raconteur and armchair political commentator. I can only hope to be as bold and brave as her. I know she's with her beloved husband—oh, wise one, Uncle Barry—willing me on in this challenge to question the status quo and to never, never take no for an answer. My beautiful mum, Aileen, we lost to pancreatic cancer almost 12 years ago. You never get over the loss of a parent, and it's hard to reconcile the passage of time with the memories that are so near. My mother was a woman ahead of her time. She had incredible strength and determination and a deep belief in fairness and justice.”
“I'm unmarried and childless by circumstance, not choice, so family has always been more than just blood relations. It's about those people in your life that are always there, in good times and bad. To Tony and Vicki Hansen: you mean more to me than words can ever express. Thank you for your unwavering support, your love and generosity, and the beautiful gift of godmotherhood. To Andrew—here tonight—and Kate, and Ashlea and Tim; and their children, Lennox, Huxley, Buddy and my youngest goddaughter, Scout: I'm so proud of all of you and so grateful to call you family. Scout, I can't wait to see your journey in life. Art, sport—whatever you decide—the world is yours. During the campaign, I lost my beloved aunt Valerie, who died suddenly in her home on her 85th birthday. She was due to fly down to be part of the last week of the campaign.”
“Simon Crean, and to Sam Brown, my CEO colleague at LiveCorp—all men of immense wisdom. I thank them for their courage and willingness to support me as I led the industry through significant change, including the development of a social-licence strategy for the live export industry, the first of its kind of any agricultural industry sector at the time. The fact that Labor has chosen to cruel the livelihoods of thousands of sheep producers rather than properly regulate just three live export companies is a travesty of justice, made harsher by the ongoing refusal to compensate live-cattle producers as the court has demanded. I do not come from a big family. I am an only child and grew up, essentially, as an only grandchild. I will never have the privilege of being an aunt.”
“To all of you who I've worked with over the years: I thank you for your camaraderie, your guidance and your common sense. I particularly want to pay tribute to some of them: Cheryl Cartwright and Kate Barwick—not only great friends but great campaigners too. I owe you both a huge debt of gratitude, and also to Andrew Hall, Candice Stower, Robert Nardella, Gerrie Van Dam, Jen Southwell, Bronwyn Morris, Lachie McComish and Philip Eliason. Outside of parliament, I've shared in the privilege of working for business big and small. There's been no greater challenge in my professional career than to take on the task of CEO of the live export industry just six months after the 2011 ban. I pay tribute to the two chairmen I worked under, Peter Kane and the late Hon.”
“I would also like to acknowledge Wendy Vaile, Lyn Truss, Charlotte Gillespie and Karen Hogan—all amazing women, patient and forgiving. I thank you for your friendship, support and understanding when my job interrupted your lives. I thank my many former work colleagues who, in some shape or form, have been part of this 30-plus-year apprenticeship. Too often, this place speaks cruelly of the staff of MPs and ministers. The work of politics attracts magnificent minds who make huge sacrifices to work quietly, patiently, empathetically and diligently to do good for this nation. There is no Public Service Medal for political and policy staff. The job is to walk in the shadows of the room—not to be nameless, just not to be named.”
“All of the team were of tremendous assistance and support, and I extend my sincere gratitude to them. I have spent more than half of my professional life in this building, from my work experience with Mark Vaile in 1994 to my various roles as receptionist, whips clerk and adviser to chief of staff with the late Hon. Peter Reith, the Hon. Mark Vaile, the Hon. Warren Truss, the Hon. David Littleproud MP, the Hon. Kevin Hogan MP and the Hon. Dr David Gillespie. I've had the great honour of working in government and opposition. I've seen government at its best and at its worst. I've seen the political cycles of the coalition and Labor come and go. I've learned so much from all of you, and thank you for the trust and opportunity you have given me.”
“There are so many to thank—too much to do justice to in this speech—but several certainly stand out: David Gillespie, Junerose Richardson, Rob Connell, Rosemary Chick, Vicki Hansen, Carolyn Fowler, Sally Halliday, and Kate and Steve Mansur—and Bill Jones, who lost part of his finger helping my dad make A-frames. I would also like to thank the federal Nationals and New South Wales Nationals leadership: Kay Hull; federal director Lincoln Folo; current chairman of the New South Wales Nationals, the Hon. Rick Colless; former chairman Andrew Fraser; state director Tory Mencshelyi —my bestie—and the team at head office. Tory is a relentless campaigner, generous with her time and support and a smart head and steady hand. Your dad would be so immensely proud of you.”
“She has been a wonderful role model and mentor to me, and I thank her for her genuine support. I do not intend to use my time here as an evangelical warrior on female representation in politics. We as women should seek favour through a system that shines a light on the best talent in the room, but making sure women are in the room is still the great challenge. It is a challenge that requires genuine investment by our party membership and leadership, myself included. I would like to thank the party members and supporters from across the Lyne electorate for putting their faith in me after the long career of their much-respected and loved former member Dr David Gillespie. Transitioning a seat is never an easy task or one with a certain outcome.”
“We are not a party of ideologues but of pragmatists who believe strongly in the values our nation was founded on. We believe in the wisdom of the bush—that new ways shouldn't always usurp the old and that the regions should keep more of the nation's wealth it generates. In this place we have always leveraged more than our numbers suggest, a record of achievement that is not done with yet. That said, I am here as only the second woman from the New South Wales Nationals to be elected to the House of Representatives in the history of this parliament—a statement that should horrify and shock. I follow in the footsteps of the great Kay Hull, former member for Riverina, who stood in this place from 1998 to 2010, a warrior for the regions then and now. Kay always spoke her mind and spoke up for her people.”
“Our defence personnel and our veterans deserve the equipment that matches their skill, discipline and dedication, whatever the price for the sacrifice they make and the security Australians deserve. The defence of our nation should be a subject of great pride to every Australian. Yet during the campaign, when I raised it at meet-the-candidate forums, those in the room supporting Labor, Greens and teal candidates sneered and scoffed. It was and is an outrageous response to the importance of the defence of our nation and the genuine security risk we face. It's why government leadership matters. I'm very proud to be here as a representative of the Nationals, a party I first came to support as a polling-booth volunteer in my teenage years.”
“That requires lots and lots of energy density—base-load power, power that is on all the time, not just some of the time. If this government was to truly consider our energy policy on a net benefit basis, they too would support zero emissions nuclear power, along with coal and gas, using existing technology to reduce emissions. Labor's version of net zero and its pursuit of it is not the right pathway for Australia to a cleaner, greener and more prosperous future. We must use military precision in our defence procurement to rebuild our defence capability. This is a dangerous time of greater power competition. The threats are real, and they are unconventional, but we are no longer equipped to fight the enemy at our door.”
“We must stop regulatory creep and overregulation, the thinking that government knows how to do business better, which is insidious and pervasive on small business and industry. I'm sick and tired of all tiers of government making laws and policies based on the emotion driven by activists that ban industries. It adds costs to business, stymies innovation and makes our exporters uncompetitive. In this frame, agriculture and farmers are too often the whipping boy for this government and the Left. We must return to an immigration policy founded on 'team Australia' not 'hotel Australia', one where our shared values matter—the basis of our multicultural success story. We must build an energy system that can support the energy needs of industry and an AI/data-hungry world.”
“We must address the social discord and the impact of identity politics, in particular on children. The reinstating of the biological definition of male and female into the Sex Discrimination Act is needed. Gender is simply not fluid, even if sexual orientation is. We must break the cycle of multigenerational welfare dependency so every child has an adult role model in their life that values a day's work. We must get back to the basics on economic policy, efficient government and restraint from intergenerational economic theft, backing small business as the engine room of the economy and supporting policies that address Australia's falling manufacturing complexity and subsequent growth prospects.”
“At a time of such regional and global geopolitical instability, Australia can ill afford to lose its way. We must change course; we must step up. This place must lead. Where can we start? We must return to the values that have made Australia strong—those Christian values that so many of us have been raised on. If you don't believe in something, you'll fall for anything. We must reinvest in family and the family unit by pursuing policies that give families real choice in raising their children and help increase our natural birth rate. Income splitting is sensible, as is the concerted efforts of all tiers of government to genuinely address the housing crisis. Young Australians are locked into housing servitude, and we should not be surprised that they are angry at us for it. This is not the great Australian dream they deserve.”
“It's got a social licence, we're told—'Sign on; Australia will be better for it.' But are we? Beyond our structural, economic and strategic decline, it's clear our family and social structures are faltering. Our kids are spending on average nine hours a day in front of a computer or TV screen. Literacy and numeracy rates are falling. Our kids are learning to criticise rather than think critically. The narcissism permitted and projected through social media is ruining lives and destroying families. Domestic violence rates are rising. We are trying to deny human nature, teaching our kids that you can choose your gender any day of the week or be a furry in the classroom. I've heard stories of young men and women choosing not to bring children into this world because of the fear of the world we're becoming.”
“Government has a huge responsibility to get this policy right, a policy that should try to mitigate what we can, sensibly, reasonably and proportionately, and adapt to what we can't. But, critically, it must be a policy that puts Australians first and that gives current and future generations the same economic liberties to increase their standard of living. What I see and fear now is an Australia where the pluckiness and pragmatism of our forefathers has vanished, replaced with a state sanctioned retreat from the pursuit of real national wealth and prosperity, retreat from our history, retreat from our Christian values and retreat from common sense. We are going small and losing big. We are told disruption, now often the code for progressivism, is good for us.”
“Our understanding of our impact on it has matured and, with that, so has the issue matured in our social and political psyche. It is for Australia to be part of the global response, but, as a realist, I accept that we humans cannot fully control carbon and its impact on our climate, nor can Australia disproportionately bear the cost of the net zero global response. It is regional Australia that is bearing the full cost—bearing all of the risks of the transition and none of the benefits. This government is asking renewables to do the heavy lifting they simply weren't designed to do, and we are asking Australians to pay the price for it. Just ask the people of Hawks Nest in my electorate, staring down at an offshore industrial wind farm in the pristine waters off Port Stephens.”
“Our foreign policy too often sounds like it was written in the uni bar. And our country is divided—one confused with three flags not proudly one. We are pursuing a European energy policy at great cost to our nation, economically, environmentally and socially, with no return on addressing climate change. This policy is only making us weaker and poorer—weaker because we're building a fragile energy grid, not a resilient and powerful one, and poorer because we've lost our comparative advantage in energy. The more that renewables have come on the market, the higher energy prices have become for all Australians, hurting our poorest and most vulnerable the most. I'm no climate change denier. Like many Australians, I'm just a climate change realist. For millennia, we as humans have faced the impact of the complex natural system of our climate.”
“I'm immensely honoured to be put to work for them by the people of the Lyne electorate, to represent a part of Australia where I grew up—the beautiful Harrington and Hannam Vale, where I went to school at St Clare's High School in Taree—and where I call home in the timber town of Wauchope, and all the towns and villages that live proud in this part of the Mid North Coast and Hunter. I thank the people of Lyne from the bottom of my heart for this tremendous honour, and, through my election by them, to be put to work by the people of Australia to contribute to the building our nation. While our democracy is robust, our nation is not. Our productivity is weak. The cost of living is crippling families, pensioners and businesses. Immigration and government spending is out of control. Our military capabilities mismatch the threats to our shore.”
“Today, I wish to start with one request—one that aligns with the government's own priorities. Taree desperately needs an urgent care clinic. This was a commitment I made at the election—one left unmatched by Labor, despite the many clinics it committed to other in seats. It is an initiative the government has heralded, an initiative that does not exist between Coffs Harbour and Newcastle. It is a gaping hole in the network. In good faith, under the umbrella of the Prime Minister's commitment to govern for all, I ask for the government's goodwill to work with me to deliver one in Taree and help improve the health outcomes of the people of Manning Valley. This is my first ask but far from my last.”
“Our councils are battered by ageing infrastructure and the unfairness of the financial assistance grants formula. When we as Nationals call for more funding, more programs and more support from government for our electorates, it's because our communities need it to survive, to thrive and to get a fair go. So my job in this parliament will be to work constructively with the government so that together we can solve problems, like ensuring the Dungog Shire Community Centre is properly funded by Services Australia to continue to its important Centrelink service delivery and provide the resources, other services and infrastructure my communities need to improve living standards, to live with dignity, to grow and to be rich in spirit and diverse in activities.”
“D funding for small business but we also need a Taree CBD revitalisation package, including commercial building buybacks in the worst affected area of Pulteney Street. The flood recovery and rebuild will be a key focus of my time and energy, but I know my voice and that of this parliament and government is needed on so many other local issues—on roads and bridges and telecommunications, housing and health, community infrastructure, aged and disability care and industry and jobs to name a few. We are not a wealthy electorate. We are older and poorer than most. Our major employers were lost to bean counters chasing cheap labour offshore. Bureaucracy and the digital world are too often a maze for so many locals that forever need unscrambling.”
“These were everyday citizens doing the extraordinary for others. I acknowledge people like Josh Hack, Tim Bale and Anthony and Matt Stone for their fierce advocacy for farmers. The Stone brothers, oyster farmers on the Manning River, battled the floodwaters to save many people from their homes, yet have had to battle bureaucracy for cat. D assistance despite losing almost all their oyster stock and their retail business being inundated and shut down for months. I also acknowledge Matthew Fawcett, who is here today, President of the Taree Chamber of Commerce, for his leadership for local small businesses and the many others that have joined him in the cause. Not only do we need cat.”