Matt Smith
Leichhardt · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“But what did those opposite do during this time? They talked it down, called for rationing and scared people. There was a marked decrease in tourism leading into Easter because words matter. But so do actions, and, on this side of the House, we do actions. Today is a great day for actions. Paid parental leave—26 weeks.”
“The world changed. Things that we didn't think could happen happened. A war on the other side of the planet impacted supply lines. Facebook changed the way we gathered information, changed the way we got our fuel, changed the way we got our fertiliser.”
“The minimum wage is increasing by 4.75 per cent. That is a noticeable difference. People will feel that that in their hip pockets, and that money will flow on. People will have the confidence to go take the kids to a movie and make sure that the birthday party goes the way that it should. It is a fantastic thing.”
“It was, as Senator Bragg said, a vacated space for 20 years. If you go back three years before the space was vacated, you get $25 scripts, something that we have proudly bought back in so people once again are not making a decision between health and food.”
“That is a holiday in beautiful Far North Queensland with a trip to the reef and out to the Daintree and to the crocodile farm! That is what we're delivering: cost-of-living relief and great holidays in the Far North! I'm proud of what we've done here in our 12 months.”
“I rise to support the Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Amendment Bill 2026. We'll do the legislative stuff first. This bill modernises the Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Act 2014 to ensure it remains fit for purpose.”
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“I rise today to speak on the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026 and the important investment it will unlock in northern Australia, and I do mean unlock. There are a lot of technical parts to this. The member for Moreton went over them in great detail. I'm not going to bother. The fact is that if you look at Australia from my perspective, it's upside down. All of the population is in the south, but all the best stuff—everything that we need—is in the north. Throughout history, the way colonisation occurred was that the population was in the south; in the north, there was not quite as much. The NAIF exists to rectify this—to give the north the opportunity to really, really shine. We shine pretty brightly anyway. Our mining sector punches above its weight.”
“Eighteen ships have arrived in the last month and 35 are on their way. The amount of fuel that was here in January is here now. This is not a supply issue. The sooner we get that message out, the demand will begin to reduce and prices will begin to reduce as well. We are in a world where the order is changing. We know that there are now pressures because of the conflict in the Middle East that are beyond our control. What we can control is the narrative. What we can control is the truth. And when we decide not to do that, we let down our constituents, we let down the honour of this chamber and we let down Australia. Every single person in this country deserves better than that. Fear is not a weapon to be used for politics.”
“Using fear for political gain is beneath us. We are better than that. Australia is better than that. Our farmers deserve better than that. People in the street deserve better than that. It is absolutely disgraceful. It's beyond countenance. Why spread fear to create a problem that you cannot solve? You're part of it. Now, instead of creating fear, instead of spreading misinformation right across the country and letting things run like wildfire on social media, the option is clear: tell people we have the supplies because it's the truth, not because it helps the political narrative but because it's the truth. Tell them that the fuel is in Australia, because it's the truth. Everything's bigger in Texas, but it doesn't help you from there. It's a long way away. The fuel is here now.”
“What we don't have is $600-billion nuclear dreams. Practicality is the answer here: working with the people on the ground, figuring out where the supply lines are choked and working our way through and around that. When I came to this House, I was excited for my election, excited for what I might be able to achieve for my community, excited to be able to join a place of like-minded people whose ultimate goal is seeing Australia be the absolute best version of itself. I tried to reflect on that yesterday in the Federation Chamber through the words of a young girl, who wrote a speech for me as part of her work experience, pointing to the sacrifice and the dedication, what it takes and what it means to be a representative in this place, a representative of your community, a representative of Australia.”
“I've written, on behalf of my constituents, to the ACCC, to make sure that the Far North is included in any investigations into price-gouging. It is making it harder for our primary producers—particularly in an electorate like mine, which is enormous. But I am confident that we will get through this and we will get through this together. The cost of living was brought up multiple times—which is ironic, given those opposite have opposed just about every single cost-of-living measure that has been placed before this House, leaving Australian families worse off. They go to an election promising higher taxes and higher deficits, yet then come in here with the gall to say that not enough is being done. We work with Australia. We work with the suppliers. We work with the fuel companies. We get solutions.”
“It is a demand issue, unfortunately. The world has changed a little bit in the last six or seven weeks. But I want the constituents of Leichhardt, and the people of Australia, to be reassured. The ships are still arriving. The oil is still here. There are three billion litres of diesel, 1.5 billion litres of petrol and 800 million litres of jet fuel—not needed yet, because the supplies are still coming. Demand has spiked, and it is creating supply-chain issues. We know this; we are working on this. It is unacceptable to profit off Australians using the excuse of an international crisis—unacceptable. The Treasurer has made that very clear. The people of Australia are making that very clear. This side of the House makes it very clear.”
“My question is to the Minister for Resources in Northern Australia. How has the Albanese Labor government building a future made in Australia to create new jobs and boost regional economies? How does this compare to other approaches?”
“I have welcomed her back. I hope that she'll spend some more time in my office. Words cannot describe just how excited I was to have her and just how excited she was to be a part of the process. Sania, we're going to print this out and send it to you. Thank you so much for your time.”
“Today, we recognise the resilience and commitment of those who lead with integrity and purpose. On behalf of the communities we represent, I say thank you for your service in Australia. Sania Arora. I read it and I was struck because it's easy to get lost—sometimes in the cynicism, sometimes in question time. But I know that every single person here, every single person in this room, is here out of a desire to make their communities better. The philosophies might be different. The way we go about it might be different. But we've all put our hand up for this service, and to have a 15-year-old come in with that kind of clarity to remind us of the reasons that we're here every day was really refreshing. She is a great kid. She's got fantastic ambitions and she's an absolute credit to her school and a credit to our region.”
“Public service requires patience, discipline and a deep commitment to the Australian people. Every decision made in this chamber reflects long hours of effort and a shared desire to build a stronger future. The progress our nation has achieved is a result of commitment and cooperation. Your leadership and service continue to strengthen Australia and guide our nation forward. I also extend appreciation to the staff, advisors and community leaders who support the work of this Parliament. Their contributions often made quietly and constantly, are essential to the functioning of our democracy. Australia continues to grow stronger through integrity, respect and service. In times of challenge and in times of progress, it is unity, respect and cooperation that move our nation forward.”
“As part of my work in the community, I welcome in work experience kids to my office. They spend the week. They shadow me. They occasionally answer the phones. They occasionally write letters. One thing I get them all to do is help me write a speech. My last work experience kid was Sania Arora. She attends St Monica's College. She's 15 years old. Her parents migrated from India when she was just a small child. She remembers a bit of India, but Cairns is her home. She is clever and driven, and it was a pleasure to have her. This is her speech: I rise today to express sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and to al those who serve within the House. Leadership carries great responsibility and it is important that we pause to acknowledge the dedication shown by those entrusted with guiding our nation.”
“It is estimated that businesses across the river will lose up to $5 million in the next two weeks while the ferry is out of action. These are not large operators; these are family businesses. While we are resilient in the Far North and understand that this is something that is a part of our lives, it is always heartbreaking to see hardworking locals impacted by such natural disasters. As it does, the community has rallied around, with a GoFundMe set up to buy new boats. We hope that, very soon, people are going to be traversing the Daintree again looking for those crocodiles. We aren't quite ready yet for more tourists, but, in the coming weeks, when the ferry returns, I would encourage everybody to head to the Daintree, visit one of the great natural wonders and check out our crocodiles.”
“I rise to speak on the recent weather event in the Far North. I returned home on Thursday last week to ensure that I was on the ground should the system intensify. While the system never made it to cyclone strength, it is not the wind that has concerned us but the rain. The resulting flooding caused some inundation at Wujal Wujal, with the Bloomfield Bridge going 2.1 metres under, and cut off roads and power across the southern cape. The crocodile tours that work the Daintree River lost boats, with one being washed 60 kilometres out into the reef. Across the river, the Daintree—with infrastructure still being repaired from Cyclone Jasper—lost its ferry when it broke free of its moorings, and the damage to the cables is still being assessed.”
“I hope that, through my actions and through my work, I'm able to divert some of these men. I hope that young kids, through my work with them, can role-model a way of life. And I hope that next year, when we're having these conversations, there is a very different outcome for a lot of Australia's women.”
“I'm going to sound like a broken record: talk to your mates, understand the behaviours you're looking for, get them off these paths before they walk too far, make sure they are able to have those conversations and bring them back to where they need to be, and we will save lives. Ultimately, that is what we should be doing and that is what we should hope for. Domestic violence will continue to have a devastating impact on communities right through my electorate and right through Australia until we all as a nation stand up and say, 'Enough.' When I go to rallies and it is a fifty-fifty split of men and women, and when men start taking this seriously as a men's issue being perpetrated on women, that is when change will come. I hope to be part of that change.”
“To take care of someone at their lowest point is a true honour, and you guys often do it in very-low-paying jobs away from the public eye. You make Australia better. I say again that the vast majority of men are decent, but statistics tell us that those other men walk among us. It is up to us to identify them. It is up to us to help them change their behaviours. Nobody wants to be a perpetrator. Nobody wants to be a victim. But the perpetrators are the cause, and the way that we stop this is by stopping them; that may be through criminal intervention, but I'd much prefer we take care of it before it gets to that.”
“A dangerous thing to do is put them in a corner, because, when isolated and alone, they will lash out. Bring them back to the society that they should be a part of. Help them be better so that we can help our society be better, so that we can protect women and children. I pay particular credit to those working on the front line, supporting those impacted by domestic and family violence—often survivors themselves who have dedicated their lives to the protection of others—whether it's working in emergency housing or refuges, counselling or supporting victims and helping them rebuild their lives. I say to them: your work is invaluable, your work is life-saving and you are all heroes who deserve more recognition.”
“We must stop it before these pathways get to a place where we can't return from. I've seen where those pathways end. I've spoken to the children. I've had to donate to GoFundMes. It is not something we should ever do. Our community has a part to play in this. It can't just be speeches in this House. It can't just be the people who make running these shelters their vocation and their lives that find the funding, do the builds, offer the support, be that shoulder and give that confidence; it has to be every single one of us. If you see someone covering up harm, make sure they're okay. Have those gentle conversations to help break down those barriers and those stigmas. If you've got a mate who's displaying telltale abusive behaviours, help them change. Call them out.”
“You have to work to earn that kind of love. They want you to be better, so find a way. It's not just about shelters now. It's about finding ways to make sure that these men who are perpetrating can get the help that they need to stop it, finish it, be the men that the women in our lives want us to be. That's how domestic violence ends—when we as men become worthy of the women who love us. This is not a political issue. It's a human issue. It has been great to have cross-party support for the initiatives to make sure that the $3.9 billion for the National Access to Justice Partnership—including $800 million for family violence, the largest amount invested in Australia's history—will be delivered, and that we can deal with high-risk perpetrators by investing over $82 million to detect, monitor and intervene earlier.”
“We have to listen to the women, but it's time we start working with the men. I attended a domestic violence seminar featuring Indigenous women from right across the cape who ran shelters and had been survivors themselves. They told some harrowing stories. One was of a woman who was so afraid she left her home in community and went and hid in the creek in the reeds with her children. That might seem like a reasonable thing to do in some parts of the country, but I know what lives in my creeks. She chose a crocodile over the man she was living with—a cold-blooded killer versus the man whose job it was to love and protect. That is the essence of what we're dealing with. Despite this, she sat, told her story and said: 'Help our men. Help our men be better. Our men are broken.' Men need to deserve that.”
“One in 11 men have copped to coercive control of a partner. If you have a cricket team, one of your teammates is that man. That is a frightening statistic. Those men inflict family and domestic violence on roughly 2.3 million women, a quarter of our population. There is, of course, female-to-male domestic violence as well. Some 693,000 men are a victim of this. There is no excuse. It does not matter. You're meant to love. Love is not violence. Love is not coercion. Love is not control. In the far north, we have some horrific statistics. We are overrepresented. People look. They point to different things. Is it socioeconomic? Maybe that's part of the case, but then we know that domestic violence spikes during the NRL grand final, State of Origin and Christmas, so something else is going on there as well.”
“They might know the statistic that the first 24 hours after a woman chooses to leave are the most dangerous in her life. Friends of mine have not made it through that 24 hours. It is a scourge. It is a national embarrassment, and it is something that every single Australian has a responsibility to address, not just women. When I go to marches and when I go to meetings, I'm outnumbered 10 to one, which is why I was so pleased to see the member for Riverina stand. It's why I'm pleased to see the member for Hunter further on the list, as well as the member for Menzies. It will be through the voices of men that we will impact the changing behaviour of men. We all—all men—have to take responsibility. The 'not all men' catchcry that rallied around for a while there—nuh-uh, all of us. There is no excuse.”
“I thank the member for Riverina. This is an area where there aren't enough masculine voices. This is a male issue, and men need to be heard. Men need to step up and take responsibility and accountability. I'm very proud to rise today on the statement made by the Minister for Social Services as she tabled the Domestic , Family and Sexual Violence Commission yearly report to parliament . Without this data, without these opportunities to speak, silence becomes deafening, and in some cases silence is lethal. It is hard for someone to admit that they are the victim of domestic and family violence. With it can come shame and embarrassment. It breaks people down psychologically. They don't know where to turn to for help. They don't know what services might be available.”
“I'm very proud that Minister King has delivered this for our regions. It makes a difference; it really does. I have flown to just about all 25 of those airports in my electorate. I prefer to drive, but sometimes that isn't possible. Quite often I'm there with elders, sometimes accompanying a body back and sometimes bringing a newborn baby back—both ends of life, both ends of the spectrum. Our airports mean more to us than people in the cities can possibly imagine, and the continued support of them is essential to the growth and security of our regions. I love our regions. I love my region, and I'm so proud that we're taking notice and delivering the infrastructure that makes such a difference to the way our people get to live.”
“For many of us here today, our towns and communities were impacted by Rex going under. It's very, very difficult sometimes to find someone to take those small routes that might only have 50 or 60 people at a time. Like I said, it is the lifeblood. We've been supporting the purchase of Rex through a commercial loan of $60 million and the restructuring of $108 million in existing debt to keep regional air routes running during the voluntary administration. The airports that were impacted and lost money have the opportunity now to apply for funding to claw that back, and that will make such a difference in small communities that often have a big lot of space, a small number of people and not a huge rate base, and the rate bases carry the airports. This is giving back to our airports. This is giving back to our community.”
“In 2024, we delivered funding to improve the Lockhart River, Aurukun and Kowanyama airstrips, and in the first year of government, in 2022, we delivered funding for Aurukun, Cooktown, Horn Island and Mapoon to improve their airports. This matters. Often these communities feel left behind, feel left out and feel forgotten. When the central hub gets upgraded—the place where their food comes from, where the Christmas presents arrive from and where their health care and emergency services arrive from—that is them being told that we care. It is more than economic opportunity; it is an absolute moral obligation. It's more than that, though. We're also delivering the $5 million Regional and Remote Airport Support Program for local government and regional and remote airports that were impacted by the Rex Airlines voluntary administration.”
“This is a very important piece of infrastructure, often run by the local councils. Most councils aren't equipped for that sort of thing, but the people in the regions find a way to get it done. Our airports in our remote and regional communities are our connection to the rest of the world. They are our lifeblood. There is good news. The good news is that Labor is delivering an additional $50 million over three years, from the 2024-25 budget, to extend the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program, as well as an additional $40 million in competitive grant funding. What that means for where I'm from is $4 million to reseal the Boigu Island airstrip and $2 million to extend the aircraft parking space at Horn Island. We'll replace airport fencing at both the NPA and Cooktown Airport.”
“Love Actually is a 2003 film. It is a favourite at Christmas, and it starts in an airport with families happy to be reuniting, with hugs, kisses and all those great things. It shows the airport as the central hub of togetherness, a place where you go to leave for holidays and where you come back to your loved ones. But, for those of us in the regions, the airport is so much more. It is our lifeline. My electorate is huge. You cannot drive from one end to the other. You especially cannot drive from one end to the other in the wet, and, to be frank, the islands kind of make that a bit hard as well! The airports that service those communities—and there are 25 of them—matter. They take kids to school, they bring in the doctors, they bring in the food and they bring loved ones home when it is time for them to rest.”
“I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the significant role of air travel and air freight in keeping regional communities connected; (2) commends the commitment of the Government to support air travel through regional Australia through: (a) supporting the conclusion and purchase of Rex Airlines through a commercial loan of $60 million and the restructuring of $108 million in existing debt to keep regional air routes running during the voluntary administration process; (b) an additional $50 million over three years in the 2024-25 budget to extend the Regional Airstrip Upgrade program; (c) the extension of the Regional Airports Program for three years with an additional $40 million for competitive grant funding in the 2024-25 budget; and (d) the establishment of the $5 million Regional and Remote Airport Support Program for local government and regional and remote airports impacted by the Rex Airlines voluntary administration; and (3) recognises the ongoing commitment of the Government to representing regional Australians and investing in the services they deserve.”
“This is going to level the playing field so that all of the potential that I see every day, all of the potential that we all see in our regions, can be properly realised. It's going to make a huge difference. We've got to the point now where the ability to be constantly available is basically a human right. This bill is being put forth because we take the regions seriously, because we understand the potential that they have and because we have a moral obligation to do so. It will get through and it will be great. The work is already being done. We are the party of the regions now. We have more regional members than the Nationals.”
“We know that already in some parts where there was no reception before people are now able to send and receive text messages, and this is only going to improve because of the obligation. The word is obligation. The member for Riverina is right. We carry this country. The regions are getting it done. We've got the space. We've got the mines. We've got the agriculture. We've got culture. We've got everything. We deserve what the people of the cities get. We deserve to have our children have good access to the internet. We deserve, should they wish to do university online, that they can. We deserve people to be able to leave their towns and still make calls if something happens. We are the engine room and we had been ignored.”
“Unfortunately for a lot of our communities, once you leave 500 or 600 metres from town, it's zip, zero, zilch. I was driving back from Cooktown about 10 days ago. I passed six cars between Cooktown and Mareeba coming the other way. If something had happened to me—if I'd got a flat, if I'd hit some water—it could have been hours before anyone found me. There was no mobile communication. That's why this is important. That's why we are putting our money where our mouths are. This is going to make a difference. It's a nice saying that, if you can see the sky, you'll get reception, but it's true. The advances in technology are making the difference right now. We've gone and seen Telstra. We've seen the work that they're doing already with he satellites coming over the cape.”
“Women fleeing domestic and family violence—I had a story relayed to me where a woman went and hid in the creek because she couldn't get a triple zero call. I don't have to tell you what lives in my creeks in Far North Queensland. That call is the difference between life and death. It is also the difference between economic opportunity, education and health care. Really remote areas such as mine—which you cannot drive through and which require planes, boats and helicopters in some instances because there are not airfields to get to—rely on telecommunications for their education. They rely on telecommunications to be able to speak to potential buyers, to get their stock sorted, to make sure that their health care is taken care of. Telehealth is so important. It is new to the game, but it is making a massive, massive difference.”
“The PDR in that condition is not something that you move quickly on. You lose the back end of your ute real fast. But, try as I did, I got to the Myall Creek with zero reception and had to make a choice—a choice that I wouldn't make now but a choice that, when I was younger and reckless, I made. I crossed that creek. Ten minutes later, it was impassable. Had I waited a moment longer, I would have been stuck. I couldn't have got back to Aurukun. The roads behind me were cut. I couldn't have gone forward. The roads in front of me would have been cut. There was no mobile service. I would have spent the night there; the Myall drains pretty quickly. It wouldn't have been the end of the world. Mobile service can mean the end of the world for people, as the member for Riverina rightly pointed out.”
“I'm very glad to rise and speak on the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025. I live in the Far North, where 97 per cent of the electorate does not have mobile coverage. This can be quite handy if I want to get off the grid for a little while. It can also be quite terrifying. I was in Weipa. I wanted to duck down to Aurukun for a day trip, so I did. The wet season started, the PDR was doing what the PDR does—it basically becomes ice. I slipped and slid my way to Aurukun. I ran a basketball clinic. I handed out some shoes. I caught up with a few mates—had a good time. The monsoon trough arrived. I was informed that I would have to move quickly if I was going to beat the monsoon trough out and get back over the Myall Creek to get back into Weipa.”
“We get data by getting eyes on the reef, and we get eyes on the reef by people coming up to visit. Citizen science, the TRPI program and the removal of COTS all depend on people coming to visit. You help our economy, you help maintain those 77,000 jobs and you help protect one of the great natural wonders of the world. It is a truly special place. I will be home very, very soon. I will walk along the beaches of the Coral Sea and I will look out knowing that the reef is there now, knowing that we are working to protect the reef for generations and knowing that hundreds of thousands of people will come to Cairns to experience it with me. Come to the reef. Come to Leichhardt. Have the time of your life. House adjourned at 17:00 The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Small ) took the chair at 09:39.”
“This is giving young kids the opportunity that I would never have had growing up in Victoria to go to a tropical paradise and experience first-hand six of the world's seven marine turtles. Turtles are great. Everyone will write home about them and about the clownfish, now affectionately known as Nemo, though I'm not sure if anyone's asked them if they're okay with that change. We can't afford to risk the future of the reef. Protecting the reef is a responsibility. It is a legacy for all of us. And I'm proud that this Anthony Albanese Labor government is taking the protection of the reef seriously. The important thing to remember is that protecting the reef is an active thing. And the best way to protect the reef is to come and visit it. Anyone who knows science knows that data is key.”
“And there is another $3 million for Tourism Tropical North Queensland, who do a fantastic job, to deliver an international education campaign in key overseas markets, showing everybody you should visit the reef not just to see it but also to help protect it. All of this builds into the Albanese Labor government's record investment of a $1.2 billion to protect, manage and restore the Great Barrier Reef, which, as we know, is responsible for adding over $9 billion a year into the economy and protecting 77,000 jobs. But beyond that everyone who lives along the reef knows that this natural titan is more than an economy. It is culture. It is everything that we are in the Far North. It's what draws us there. This is giving the opportunity to the youth of Australia to come along to visit and learn to love it—because you protect what you love.”
“The best way to protect the reef, to learn about the reef, is to come and visit it and help protect and promote one of our great marine wonders. This is why I can't wait for the Albanese Labor government's Reef Educational Experience Fund to kick off. There is $6 million for the Kids on the Reef rebate program for schools right across Australia to subsidise excursions to our Great Barrier Reef, making it easier for students to experience our natural beauty first-hand. There is $1 million in support for local reef tourism operators, covering up to 50 per cent of the costs necessary for the upgrades, checks or clearances that are going to be required to accommodate these school groups.”
“Not long ago the group got a grant of just under $7,000, through the federal government's Stronger Communities Program, to help them deliver educational panels and signage to help them with their mission and to educate our youth. The grant was obviously sourced by the former member and delivered by the Albanese Labor government. Supporting local conservation groups is so important, as making sure we have passionate locals protecting these places is the best way to keep them safe. Locals always know best. I'm really keen to make sure we're helping groups up in my electorate like the Low Isles Preservation Society protect Far North Queensland. One of the things that was raised at the meeting was the need to get create opportunities for more Australians to get out on the reef.”
“It is late on a Thursday afternoon. This time tomorrow I will be back in beautiful Leichhardt—one of the best places in Australia. Even you, Speaker, despite your passion and love for Oxley, must acknowledge the natural beauty of Leichhardt. Where else can you visit the tourist magnets of Cairns and Port Douglas? I was actually just up in Mossman, Port Douglas just a couple of weeks back running community offices, catching up with council and community groups and visiting the Mossman Botanic Garden. One of the groups I met was the Low Isles Preservation Society. For those who don't know, the conservation group is dedicated to the protection, preservation and I guess the projection of the Low Isles, which are just off the coast of Port Douglas. Reef trippers from all around the world go there.”
“It started with our refugee community. The Bhutanese community arrived probably about 20 to 25 years ago. They struggled. Bhutan and Cairns are not very similar, but, with every cohort of new refugees that has come through, the Bhutanese have been there to help. They smooth their pathways. They make everything easier. Cairns is the living embodiment of the success story that is Australia. I'm reminded of it every day at our festivals and at our schools and by the people who come to our events. We would have Vietnamese coffee—”
“Luca is likely to support the Redcliffe Dolphins; no-one is perfect. Luca is grateful that his father made that transition to Australia and grateful that his wife Shirl came with him. They are the Australian story. We've not asked them to assimilate. They've looked around and they've found the best bits that suit them and they've brought them into their lives. They've showed us the best bits of what they have and they've given it back to us. Assimilation is never the answer. It's never the answer, because, when you enforce that on somebody, they push back. When you look at somebody, at the person, at what they bring and you say, 'I love that; I'm going to make that a part of me,' and they look at you and they go, 'I love that, and I'm going to make that a part of me too,' that is what Australia is. I see it in Cairns.”
“Now, I said that I don't have a new migrant story, but on 24 April 2025 my fiancee Renee became an Australian, and I'm so proud of her. She brought with her customs from New Zealand like the All Blacks. Her ways are not my ways, but she adds to it and she loves it. She's been here 20 years and she's paid her taxes and she coaches triathlon and she inspires kids and she is a net positive. My friend Xiao came over from China to study geospatial mapping. He is now a doctor in geospatial mapping, which I did not believe was a thing until he told me. He came to the Tablelands. He bought an acreage. He had kangaroos hopping in his backyard—something he could never have had in Beijing, something he is grateful for. He's moved down to Brisbane. His son was born in Australia—Luca.”
“We're proud of it together. We're proud of it when we sing the anthem. We're proud of it where every single member in this House—I guarantee—attends a citizenship ceremony, speaks that oath and sees in the eyes of the people there the hope and the joy that they are now a part of this. They are a part of the beauty, and they are going to add to it. They add to it with their love, the love of their community, the love of the communities around them. They volunteer at our sporting clubs and our P&Cs. They're friends with our children. They introduce us to new foods. I know food is not the point, but, jeez, some of it's amazing, isn't it? The point is though that we will adapt and we will evolve and we will continue to. And, with each wave of migrants we've had, we've changed just that little bit more.”
“I am Australian. I was born here—and my parents et cetera. I do not have a new-migrant experience to speak of. No-one in my family, in living memory, was one. But a lot of what we've talked about today, a lot of we've heard about, focuses on identity and focuses on control. Australia does not belong to us; we belong to Australia. Australia is not a set point. It is not a fixed moment in time, and it has never been. It wasn't for 65,000 years. It wasn't 230-odd years after that. It's changed in my lifetime, from the late seventies to now, and it's changed for the better. Our identity as a nation grows. It changes; it adapts. It becomes special. We take away from monocultures and we create something new, something beautiful, something that every single person in this country can be proud of—and we are proud of it.”
“I am saying this very clearly: Australian waters belong to Australians. We will not accept these incursions. Criminality in the waters of the Torres Strait will be met by the brave men and women of the Australian Border Force. You will lose your catch, you will lose your equipment and we might take your boat. This has been a response to the community, and I thank the members of the community within the Torres Strait and the NPA for their vigil and watching to alert us to these incursions. I want to let you all know that we are coming. Operation Broadstaff has begun.”
“In October of 2025, Minister Julian Hill and I travelled to the Torres Strait. We did this to sit with Border Force, community leaders and elders to discuss illegal foreign fishing. We knew that, due to the success of Operation Leedstrum and Operation Luna, there would be a variety of push factors that may result in illegal fishing occurring in the Torres Strait. As a result of those initial meetings, we stood up extra resources, sending them up to the straits in December and January. Additional push factors, including harsh weather in the north-west of the country, have resulted in a larger influx than we at first anticipated. On Monday of last week, I met with the Commissioner of Border Force, Minister Burke and Minister Hill and requested further intervention. Today, Operation Broadstaff was launched.”
“There's only so much preparation you can do, but there are things that we can do, things that we're implementing right now: making sure our emergency services are resourced, that the brave men and women who often are out there working while their own infrastructure, lives and homes are at risk, have the support and the equipment that they need; doing proactive bushfire management down south; making sure our weather data is as accurate as possible to give communities warning about coming danger; ensuring that our flood mapping is up to date; limiting building on floodplains; and making sure we understand where the water is going to come from and where the water is going to go. We can all be prepared for these disasters. We can do it individually and we can do it as a country.”
“Research from the Insurance Council of Australia suggests extreme weather events, including floods, storms, bushfires and earthquakes, cost around $4.5 billion annually. This is money out of Australian pockets, money taken from communities. But I do want to give credit to governments of all stripes, because we know they will step up and provide support for communities when it's needed. This is not a blue thing or a red thing or an Independent thing. I think we all agree that responding to a natural disaster is not and should never be a political exercise. It is a human one, and we continue to face these disasters, but we need to figure out how better to prepare for them.”