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.”
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“I'm not alone when I ask, 'What is taking so long?' This significant expenditure raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the OSI and concerns about the undue strain that soldiers and their families have been under. It is a sad reality that our war veterans are prosecuted by a bureaucracy that enjoys the freedom and safety secured by the very soldiers they pursue, but it is simply shameful that those soldiers are being subjected to so much anguish and uncertainty as these prosecutions and investigations languish on for years without resolution. To the Office of the Special Investigator: you have the budget, and you have the personnel. Why are you subjecting our war veterans to this turmoil? If evidence exists, lay charges. If there is no evidence, terminate the investigation. Otherwise, this is nothing short of a witch-hunt.”
“The legacy of the SAS in Afghanistan is one of bravery and sacrifice—of individual men putting their lives on the line to serve this country. Yet, for many of these soldiers, their sacrifice has been met with betrayal, as they've been subjected to official inquiries and allegations of war crimes led by the Office of the Special Investigator. Established five years ago, the Office of the Special Investigator has been responsible for building cases against 19 SAS veterans recommended by Judge Brereton to face prosecution for allegations of war crimes. Over $300 million has been spent by the OSI to date, yet only one person has been charged, and no-one has been convicted. With its substantial budget and staff of around 160, it's beyond belief that only one person has been charged in the past four years.”
“We can't produce food and we can't transport our everyday living and business requirements without fuel. This points to the critical need to improve fuel security. We cannot rely on a just-in-time approach and a 30-day reserve of diesel. When last in government, the coalition legislated the Fuel Security Act 2021, which included a baseline level of diesel stock holdings, support to ensure our sovereign refining capacity and a diesel storage program. The measures are there to be used, and we should be able to be assured that they have been used. Australians are hurting badly. They need answers and relief today.”
“How is the government expecting Australians to cope with these high fuel prices when so many are battling to deal with Australia's homegrown inflation? From around $1.80 per litre on Wednesday, it has soared by 40c a litre or more across the electorate in recent days. Businesses and farmers who purchase bulk diesel and petrol in the wholesale market, such as the hardwood timber industry, are today being charged $2.65 per litre, a 70 per cent rise in pain at the pump, which will be felt through to the cash register. Besides the price rises, we must also recognise the critical need to maintain adequate supplies of fuel to our farming, timber, mining and transport sectors across regional and rural Australia, where there are reports that fuel is not getting through the supply chain.”
“Households grapple with what to go without simply to pay their bills, and businesses grapple with whether they can afford to stay open and compete against their offshore competitors whose governments actually want them to have reliable and affordable energy. The government's record spending, which is at the highest level outside of recession in 40 years, not only has caused inflation to reach new heights but also means that Australians are paying $50,000 every minute on the interest alone. Under their policies, this country will never have economic sovereignty again. The government's irresponsible attitude towards immigration has made the dream of homeownership exactly that—just a dream. Australians are not doing well under this Prime Minister and the Treasurer.”
“Yesterday the Prime Minister stood in this chamber and told Australians that Australia's economy is performing better than that of any other OECD nation in the world—a tone-deaf assertion, to say the very least, when Australians are seriously struggling. Under this government, Australians are experiencing the largest collapse in living standards in the developed world. The Prime Minister and the Treasurer do not seem to understand that they are not running their uni SRC; they're running the nation. Statistics can't hide the mess, because everyday Australians are living the consequences. Productivity has tanked, and without sustained, long-term improvement there is no chance that the living standards of Australians will recover. Their pursuit of a reckless net zero energy policy has caused prices to soar.”
“Australia is the greatest country in the world, but that greatness is dependent upon its people and the values we hold. The Albanese government, in enabling these ISIS sympathisers to return to Australia, threatens the very future of this country and its traditional standing as a beacon of hope, freedom and democracy and, instead, tilts it closer on a trajectory towards what we see on the streets of London and the rest of the UK. Australians are genuinely frightened about the future of this country—a country they love fiercely and loyally. If the Prime Minister shares even an ounce of that devotion for Australia's culture and people, he will not just talk but do—do everything in his power to ensure these ISIS sympathisers and their families are prevented from ever making their way into our home.”
“They will settle in Australia's enclaves of Islamic extremism, be lauded as heroes and proclaimers of the caliphate, help radicalise an entire new generation and, no doubt, do all of this on the taxpayers' dime. This cannot be accepted. We are this country's legislators. We have the power. We, if nothing else, are responsible for ensuring these evil people do not return to Australia. Australians expect this from us. I urge the Albanese government to defend and protect our country and support our legislation. Fight against the return of these ISIS sympathisers, rescind their citizenship, issue temporary exclusion orders and end the policy of self-managed returns of ISIS linked cohorts. Be transparent with Australians and put our national interest, safety and security first.”
“We have, in this country, pockets where Islamic fundamentalism and extremism is staunchly propagated which the return of these ISIS sympathisers will only serve to embolden and escalate. Over this last week we've seen indisputable evidence that Islamic extremism has an outward presence in Australia, with Sydney and Melbourne mosques holding public memorials and prayer sessions to mourn the death of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an evil tyrant whose deeds and decrees were completely antithetical to Australian values. These women and children are not going to come to Australia, make their home in a benign part of the country, deradicalise and miraculously reject their deeply ingrained illiberal ideology in favour of Australia's democratic values.”
“They've been active participants and proponents of a doctrine that condones public beheadings, dismemberment and crucifixion, the stoning of women, the forced marriage of girls, the brutal murder of anyone that rejects their cruel and oppressive beliefs, the kidnapping and brainwashing of children to be child soldiers, the rape and sexual slavery of women and girls as weapons of war, torture—including burning and burying captives alive—and the organisation and orchestration of global terror against the West, including Australia. These people, these ideas, cannot be given residence in Australia. Australia already has a grave Islamic extremism problem. If we didn't already know this, the Bondi terrorist attacks sure brought that reality home.”
“They were already radicalised when they travelled to Syria and Iraq during the height of Islamic State's territorial expansion to marry and raise the children of fighters for the caliphate. They made a very conscious decision to do so. They also, sadly and cruelly, made a choice for their children—many unborn at the time. These women and children have been exposed to the very worst of Islamic extremism.”
“At a time when the country is still coming to terms with the murder of 15 innocents by terrorists inspired by ISIS, the news that the Albanese government has taken steps to assist the return of ISIS sympathisers into the country is frightening and it is infuriating. The Prime Minister and his Minister for Home Affairs say they have no choice; they cannot legally prevent Australian citizens from entering the country. But I cannot support that position. My electorate have overwhelmingly made clear to me that they do not support the government's position. They vehemently refute it and indeed consider that the Albanese government's surrender to these ISIS sympathisers constitutes a complete and utter betrayal. These women, these ISIS brides, are not unwilling participants. They are not helpless actors coerced or forced into the situation.”
“Regional Australians have had an absolute gutful of box-ticking consultancy exercises. This is about trust and being treated with the same respect you get in the city The bill will establish the Agriculture Commissioner, who will blow the whistle on poorly handled social licence, and will resolve disputes over land classification and arbitrate conflicts. In closing, let me be clear: this bill is not anti development. It's not anti investment. It is not anti renewables, mining, or infrastructure. This bill is pro farmers, pro food security, and pro community.”
“Protecting f armers' h omes and l ivelihoods The bill will also ensure that if a project funded by the Commonwealth forces a farmer out of their primary residence, that farmer must be properly supported. Farmers must be no worse off—not in housing quality, not in distance from their farms, not in their ability to keep farming. Social l icence: Giving c ommunities a r eal v oice One of the most important parts of this bill is the ironclad principle of social licence. Before Commonwealth funding is provided for projects affecting tier 2 or tier 3 land, the bill will require the proponents to produce a genuine social licence report. A new Agriculture Commissioner will be the independent umpire on whether social licence has been secured fair and square. Too often we see governments and corporations pay lip service to social licence—no more.”
“Returning farmland back to equal or better productivity is a claim some make, but the evidence is sketchy and farmers are highly sceptical about project proponents' promises. In some cases, farmers are left in hell—or limbo, if you prefer—waiting for a proponent to finish rehabilitating their farm, which just isn't working. This bill will give them to option to finish the job properly and get on with their lives. These are not empty promises. Under the Nationals' Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill, project proponents' promises of proper rehabilitation must be backed by independently reviewed plans and a refundable bond so landowners and the public aren't left holding the bag if promises aren't kept.”
“This is not radical. It's responsible. It's in the national interest. Nations are searching the world for prime ag land to bolster their food security—we have plenty right here to not only secure but ensure we produce food for the world. If land is among the best we have for farming then governments should not be using public money to damage it or hand it over. Tier 2 land: Responsible d evelopment Tier 2 land allows more flexibility—but not a free-for-all. Projects can proceed only if they meet clear conditions. If a project risks reducing agricultural productivity, the proponent must: return the land to the same or better condition after the project, and ensure farmers are no worse off by providing a first option to those disturbed by the project to farm nearby without financial impact on their farm.”
“But Australia lacks a national, uniform map. Australia very quickly ascertained and mapped where the critical minerals are, but we don't seem to have the same focus on mapping where our critical farmland is. Under The Nationals' Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill, the agricultural minister, working with peak farming bodies, must produce a national map that divides agricultural land into three clear categories: Tier 1: our best farmland; Tier 2: good land with productive potential; and Tier 3: marginal land. Tier 1 Land: The Non-Negotiables Let me be very clear about tier 1 land. This bill draws a firm line. The Commonwealth must not fund any future project that: reduces the farming productivity of tier 1 land, or allows foreign owned or foreign controlled corporations to take ownership or effective control of prime ag land.”
“And I note that VNI West and other projects add up to, at best, one-tenth of the 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines under Labor's Net Zero Plan. This bill doesn't shut down development. It doesn't block investment. It doesn't say 'no' by default. What it says is this: if you want to use agricultural land for something else, you must prove the land, the farmer, and the community are respected and protected. Mapping What Matters: Knowing Our Best Land The first practical step in this bill is simple but powerful: we must map nationally our agricultural land properly. There are national tools like the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (known as APSIM), the Australian Collaborative Land Use Mapping Program (ACLUMP) and the Queensland and New South Wales statutory mapping of their prime agricultural land.”
“Farmers are highly dubious about the proponents' claims that the land will be rehabilitated back to full production, because they have seen elsewhere within the electorate, the land has been returned with significantly reduced productivity and unacceptable undulations. The 240-kilometre Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector (VNI) West transmission line project—a Victorian government project—has been given draconian powers to force their way onto farmers' land to progress a project that will result in towers up to 80 metres tall, about 500 metres apart, with around 600-square-metre footprints each, on easements about 70 metres wide, supporting transmission lines about 15 or more metres above the land, which severely limits how farmers can farm their land, limits productivity and brings additional fire risk to their properties.”
“To mine it, you have to strip mine—a long narrow open-cut mining process that increases the risk of contaminating surrounding areas through its entry into water sources and dust exposure for residents of the area. The rock is found in the Manning Valley—a highly productive beef and dairy country, smack bang in the middle of the Manning Valley water catchment area. How a project that has the potential to destroy the productive farming capacity of a region receives so much federal government investment is the very reason why this bill is so important. In my National colleague, the member for Mallee's electorate, several farms have been purchased or at risk of compulsory acquisition for mineral sands mining projects. In one case, north of Horsham, an intergenerational farming family is being compelled to leave their family home and farm.”
“This mineral carbonation project is touted as a carbon capture and storage project—one necessary to meet Australia's net zero ambitions. It's a project that—despite its ongoing and repeated failures to engage the community and answer simple questions has received $26 million in federal government funding. That's $26 million in federal government carbon capture and storage funding despite not even producing a carbon lifecycle analysis to prove its net zero worth. That's $26 million in federal government funding when it has refused to engage with local residents and give straight answers to serious questions. The project requires the mining of serpentine rock—a rock that contains naturally occurring asbestos.”
“Pressure from poorly planned development. Pressure from projects that promise jobs but leave land worse off. Pressure from foreign controlled interests buying or controlling our most productive farmland. Pressure from an Albanese Labor government hell-bent on a political energy target without a care for the prime ag land it renders unusable to feed and clothe our nation. In my own electorate, the farming communities of Mount George, Wherrol Flat, Bobin and Mooral Creek are facing the prospect of open-cut mining for serpentine rock. The project proponents—MCi Carbon—are in the exploratory phase but their actions—or lack thereof—have failed to engage the community and absolutely failed to earn the project a social licence to operate.”
“This bill puts a simple principle into law: Australia's best farming land should be protected first, not sacrificed for political agendas. I and the Nationals are proud to bring this bill forward, after years of work consulting with farmers and regional communities. The Nationals are the party for regional Australia. This bill is informed by best practice around the world and improving on it so Australia has the very best protections for prime agricultural land on the planet. As population grows, as global hunger grows, as housing spreads into farming areas, we must do more than just get the balance right. We must show the world how it is done. We may have 'bounteous plains to share' but once the good plains are gone, it's bloody difficult to create new ones. Why T his B ill I s N eeded Across Australia, farmers are under pressure.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The world's population is growing, but the world's prime agricultural land is shrinking. Food security has never been more important, and it will increasingly be so. This bill is about something fundamental. It's about the land that feeds us, clothes us and underpins our regional communities. Once prime agricultural land is lost, it is almost never recovered. You can't rebuild soil that took thousands of years to form. You can't make rain fall where you would like it to. You can't easily relocate or expand irrigation systems. You can't replicate growing conditions with a click of your fingers, nor can you automatically replace the multigenerational farming knowledge tied to a particular place.”
“I'm disappointed in the pace of the support for my councils, and I'll be looking to the government to step up across all funding support.”
“The pool was impacted by the floods. The council have decided it cannot be rebuilt where it is. They're going to need to find another location, but there's no guarantee on funding—and that is an enormous issue. The other concern I have not only in relation to Wingham but across the area is that the Mid-Coast Council, which is the council covering the Taree area, have estimated that the cost of the recovery is $226.5 million. So far they have expended $43 million in recovery. How much have they got from the disaster recovery funding arrangements? Any guess? $3 million. That is all they have been reimbursed under the disaster recovery funding arrangements. This is a huge impact. I'm on a committee that's looking at local government financial sustainability. Here's a case in point—$3 million, when they need $226.5 million.”
“But with the Bight Bridge in particular, the business community of Wingham is suffering significantly because, with a large population, it takes an hour and a half now—it used to be 10 minutes—for people to bring their kids to school, go to the family pharmacy and go to the local Coles. It's an hour and a half to come round to Wingham, for people that work in Wingham. A lot of the business now has shifted to Taree, to Forster and to other areas. It's a huge, significant issue, and the community are incredibly frustrated. They're also frustrated because, as I can see under the disaster funding recovery arrangements, the Wingham pool is not considered an essential piece of public infrastructure. For the people of Wingham, I can tell you, it's an absolutely essential piece of public infrastructure, particularly in summer.”
“Only last week I was in a town called Wingham, which is 10 or so kays west of Taree—a community that is situated on the Manning River; a community that is living the legacy impact of the floods all these months later; a town that continues to be cut off from others like Tinonee and Krambach because there is no work being done on the Bight Bridge, which was completely smashed by the floodwaters. It's a big job to rebuild that bridge and it needs engineering expertise, but the community are frustrated that they're not seeing any action at all. There's the Tiri Bridge, which is a bit further out in a more remote part of the area. Thankfully—and I'm grateful I've seen this message this week—there will be a temporary bridge put there which will help residents out in that area.”
“But, indeed, I've written three times, and I haven't yet had a response from the minister. I have to work harder for one because I'm on this side, yet Labor did not commit to an urgent care clinic. I did. I'm supporting a policy that many members from the Labor side have come up to me and spoken about, telling me about the benefits it's bringing to their communities. I'm supporting it, yet I cannot get a response from the minister. So the battle goes on. There are many, many other issues I could speak to, but, in the time remaining, I want to talk about the floods and the flood recovery on the Mid North Coast. It has to be one of the most traumatic events I have experienced in my time, and the trauma continues.”
“I want to take a moment, because, earlier in this debate, a member from the other side talked about how the coalition cuts funding. Indeed, I think 'cuts' is used by the other side as well and certainly by Labor, because the New South Wales state Labor government cut funding when they came into government for a public hospital in Forster. That is Labor, and that is how it cuts. Let's not forget that. I have asked the government. I have written to the minister three times. Indeed, the minister has never personally written back to me in those three letters. I've had two responses from the chief of staff. Having been a chief of staff to a cabinet minister, we never wrote to opposition members. I would have never written to opposition members as the chief of staff. It was always the minister that wrote.”
“I note that an urgent care clinic was committed to in Maitland and has been delivered—a commitment I also made, and a commitment that I have welcomed because it will benefit many of the constituents in the southern part of the Lyne electorate. I'm grateful, and I thank the government for delivering on this commitment. But Maitland is almost two hours away for constituents in Taree. Whilst I acknowledge that, through the New South Wales government and the determined efforts of my colleague the member for Myall Lakes, Tanya Thompson MP, the New South Wales state government has committed funding for but has yet to deliver an urgent care clinic in Forster-Tuncurry, this is not enough to adequately serve the health needs of residents in Taree, in the Manning Valley and in the Great Lakes region.”
“Redirecting suitable triage 4 and 5 presentations to an urgent care clinic would relieve pressure on the ED; free treatment spaces and clinician time for higher-acuity presentations; reduce overall waiting times and the proportion of patients staying greater than four hours; reduce ambulance offload delays by clearing ED capacity and reducing bottlenecks; improve patient experience with faster treatment for low-acuity problems with an urgent care clinic model and less time in ED waiting rooms; and make better use of workforce. Redirecting even just 30 to 50 per cent of those annual presentations would remove 5,000 to 8,500 presentations per year from the ED, delivering noticeable improvements in ED capacity and wait times.”
“The Manning Base Hospital, the region's only public hospital, is seeing a substantial volume of semi-urgent and nonurgent triage 4 and 5 presentations that are appropriate for an urgent care pathway. For instance, between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025—and these are figures I have provided to the health minister—the Manning Base Hospital saw 12,429 triage 4 patients and 4,698 triage 5 patients. That's 17,127 low-acuity presentations annually.”
“The obvious negative implications of having an elderly population on the electorate's healthcare infrastructure is compounded by severe low socioeconomic markers which exist throughout large swathes of the electorate, particularly within the township of Taree and the wider Manning. Indeed, in 2016 the SEIFA Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage score for the Mid North Coast LGA was 943, well below the Australian average of 1,000. In 2021 there were 108.9 GPs per 100,000 population. Again, this is well below the New South Wales average of 123.8. Insufficient numbers of GPs coupled with the socioeconomic fabric of the region mean that an alarming and increasing number of people are either unable to source a GP or cannot afford to see one. As a result, the area is experiencing sustained growth in ED demand.”
“The only difference between members on the other side of the chamber and the Lyne electorate is that Labor did not promise an urgent care clinic in Lyne at the federal election. I was the one who promised an urgent care clinic, one that would have been delivered if we had gotten into government. It seems to the people of the Lyne electorate that, because we're not a Labor seat, we don't get one. How does that meet the Prime Minister's commitment to govern for all Australians? It doesn't, and it doesn't pass the pub test for the people in the Lyne electorate. We have the oldest demographic in the country.”
“Just two per cent are open in Nationals seats. In New South Wales, 24 exist in Labor seats. Just three are in Liberal seats, and two are in Nationals seats. The Minister for Health and Ageing and, indeed, most members in this chamber are certainly well aware of my efforts and my determination to secure an urgent care clinic for Taree. Whilst there is plenty of friendly banter at times across the chamber on this issue, its delivery is serious and urgent. Today, I was looking at a social media post that I put up around the urgent care clinics debate earlier this week in the chamber, and the response from one of my constituents was, 'Labor seems to be having a laugh at us.' That's how the people of Lyne are feeling about the response to the call for an urgent care clinic.”
“In that document, I call on the Albanese government to reform its funding profile to regional Australia, to dedicate more funding to address the disadvantage and to give due consideration to the Lyne electorate's needs. I'll echo some of those needs here today. Health, as many of you well know, is one of the major concerns on my mind and on the mind of Lyne residents. I'm very concerned about the level of access to health services across the electorate. It is clear that we need more investment by both the federal and the state governments in local health services. While successive Labor MPs get up in this chamber and speak of the urgent care clinics that have just opened in their electorates, non-government MPs cannot say the same. Of the 122 open clinics, 88—or 72 per cent—appear to be located in Labor electorates.”
“Since I was elected, I've been working with my electorate on their priorities for funding to the extent that I have drafted and submitted a prebudget submission to Treasury, to the government, to highlight our funding priorities and opportunities for budget reform across multiple portfolios in areas of need, including health, aged care, education, housing, water security, transport infrastructure, emergency recovery and preparation, community and sporting infrastructure, and telecommunications. The submission was developed through consultation and public calls for projects, and I sincerely thank my community for its response and engagement. Individuals, progress associations, sporting groups and councils have all been party to the document that I sent to Treasury on 29 January.”
“They abolished regional infrastructure programs, including the Building Better Regions Fund, the Community Development Grants Program, the Stronger Communities Program, the very well supported Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, Roads of National Significance, the Bridges Renewal Program, the Regional Accelerator Program, the Regionalisation Fund, and the Energy Security and Regional Development Plan. Each of these programs was a vital source of funding, particularly for regional councils, to undertake both transport and community infrastructure upgrades. Most of the regional and community infrastructure programs established by the government in its first term, such as the Growing Regions Program and the Thriving Suburbs Program, have ceased. I'm not prepared to leave it to the government to come up with the solutions.”
“This is in spite of my concerted efforts for genuine engagement and collaboration with the ministers and the government, including the many proposals I put forward for funding during the election and since, where my Labor opponent—nor any other opponent—didn't match or even put forward one project for funding. I've heard many times over this last fortnight the government's claim that it is a good friend of regional Australia, and I wish it were so, but the statistics paint a very different picture. Throughout their first term of government, Labor cancelled, cut and delayed more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects across the country.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak on these bills, which provide for the legislative mechanism to additional measures in the government's 2025-26 budget. Commonwealth expenditure is a significant issue for the Lyne electorate and more so than ever, with a lack of funding flowing to regional Australia, including the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Increasingly—certainly following the devastating floods of last year—constituents throughout Lyne are feeling that we, as an electorate and as a non-government seat, are having to deal with the consequences of the government's poor fiscal discipline, including high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, and we are not getting our fair share of the funds.”
“I also acknowledge Superintendent Christopher Schilt of Old Bar, who has been awarded the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service to policing. His dedication to public safety and to the wellbeing of officers under his command has strengthened confidence in law enforcement across the region. Superintendent Schilt has built relationships with local youth through 'boxing with the boss' activities at the Police Citizens Youth Club, and this service has made a real difference. I warmly congratulate them and their families on this well-deserved national recognition.”
“Mrs Deborah Brassey of Pacific Palms has been honoured for her community service, reflecting many years of tireless work supporting the arts in Pacific Palms, nursing, Vietnam Veterans in Great Lakes, the Foster RSL and other community organisations. Mr Gavin Fry of Lorne has been recognised for his service as a publisher and author, including his contributions to preserving and promoting Australian art and cultural heritage as Director of Museums and Senior Curator of Art at the Australian War Memorial, as well as a lecturer and postgraduate marker. Mr John Hann of Forster received his award for service to the wonderful Cape Hawke Surf Life Saving Club, acknowledging his leadership in beach safety, and for his wider community involvement with the Forster-Tuncurry Lions Club.”
“I ask that the time for a full investigation into the case, which has not occurred. It therefore profoundly saddens me today to share the news that Harry passed away in John Hunter Hospital on 22 January. Not only do the Melmeth family share in the grief of his passing but also in the pain of the system letting them down. My sincere condolences to Marie, Michael and the Melmeth family. May Harry's memory never be forgotten. I acknowledge and congratulate several outstanding constituents from the Lyne electorate who have been recognised in the 2026 Australia Day Honours List for their exemplary service to our communities. Their service reflects the very best of regional Australia and the values we celebrate on Australia Day.”
“In October last year, I rose in this place to raise serious issues about the treatment of the Melmeth family by the NDIA, a family doing incredible work to give their severely disabled son Harry the best life possible. Marie's story highlighted the systemic failings of the NDIS, showing how its processes can undermine the very people it is meant to serve. In my speech at the time, I shared these words from Marie: It is clear in Harry's medical documentation that his disabilities are life limiting. But instead of spending time and making memories with our family, I must waste my time fighting this David and Goliath battle that consumes and controls my life. The facts of this case are a shocking indictment of the NDIS, where pleas for help are met with silence or worse, not empathy and respect.”
“Golden Guitar winner Matt Scullion finished off the night of entertainment with his beautiful storytelling songs of Australiana. All in all, $16,000 was raised towards the cenotaph, well over the target. To help the cause, I'm taking home a cricket bat autographed by Doug Walters, which will be on display with local art in my offices. My congratulations and thanks to the organisers of the event, Peter Johnson and Linda Patchett, who did such a sterling job, and to the sub-branch president, Jeff Earley, and auxiliary coordinator, Vickie Jackson, for their leadership. Thanks to the board of directors of Club Old Bar—president Wayne Deer, Kerry Turner, Garry Stewart, Bob Cameron, Brenda Perrett, Nick Chard and Jeff Brown—and the new CEO, Craig Norman. Thanks to Sharon Osborn as well. (Time expired)”
“Over 170 people came together on Saturday 31 January at Club Old Bar to raise funds for a permanent war memorial cenotaph. Hosted by the Old Bar Beach RSL sub-branch and Pete Johnson with the flair of a true master of ceremonies, it was advertised as a night of cricket, comedy and song, and it certainly lived up to its name. Special guests included legendary cricketers Doug Walters—a Dungog local—and Lenny Pascoe. They regaled us with many tales from the locker room. Local comedian and singer Greg Hayes, well known for his days of touring with Slim Dusty as his resident comedian, told plenty of tales, not all repeatable even in this place, and sang with the heart and soul of someone who holds a deep love for the country.”
“So when a bill of this nature, with a $54 million vague mandate and a deliberate disregard for regional Australia, is put before us as the people's representatives—at a time when so many of my constituents are having to make tough decisions about how to manage their budgets, put food on their table and pay for essentials—I cannot possibly support this bill. Reform of the university sector is needed, but not in this way.”
“The government should be ensuring that the CSP model as a funding stream for TUC is retained and that it is provided with an additional 10 CSPs to support growth in demand for its services and to build and expand its relation with at least another three university partners. In conclusion, I'm a strong supporter of education because it is a slingshot to the future that individuals choose. University education plays a strong role in this. The Taree Universities Campus has been a game changer in my electorate, particularly for Manning and Great Lakes residents, providing opportunities for locals to pursue careers at home in their community. My electorate does not host a university and most of my electorate, 85 per cent in fact, have never had a university education.”
“TUC currently receives 32 CSPs per annum, a modest allocation by any measure. These CSPs are distributed proportionally across the university partners that TUC has, based on student numbers, the majority whom are enrolled with Charles Sturt University. I understand that the department is seeking to standardise the way it funds regional university study hubs with a view to remove CSPs from cohorts 1 and 2. Any move to remove CSPs from existing hubs appears to be driven by a desire for uniformity and administrative convenience, rather than by consideration of the educational, economic and community outcomes enabled by a more diverse funding model. If the government is set on addressing inequalities and achieving equitable access, participation and success in the higher education system, it should be examining Commonwealth supported places.”