Tom Venning
Grey · Liberal Party · Australia
“Residential burglaries, commercial property theft and daylight shoplifting have left citizens and business owners feeling completely helpless as crime targets every sector of this great regional community. Police statistics show the town is in the midst of a spate of burglaries, with 34 incidents recorded in the first half of June alone.”
“For the Port Augusta community, the most difficult part of this crime wave is what they view as a revolving door bail system for serious juvenile offenders and a lack of quality youth diversion programs in the region. Police can only do so much.”
“Mr Kean was personally chosen by the Prime Minister to lead the Climate Change Authority. It has now been revealed that he spent over $32,000 on one single trip to Brazil last year for an international climate conference.”
“Imagine sitting around the dining table with your family and telling them, 'We're going to spend more money than we receive every year for the next 10 years.' You wouldn't. In fact, you can't, yet that's exactly what this Labor government and this Treasurer are doing. To pay for this, they deploy toxic taxes, assaulting aspiration.”
“Labor cannot manage money, so they continue to come after yours. The average Australian's paying 39 per cent more tax under this government. Since Labor was elected, Australia suffered the biggest fall in living standards in the developed world.”
“It's lifting prices, inflating government charges and pushing hardworking Australians into paying more tax. While Labor profits from this inflation, their tax cuts do not keep up. At 70c a day, they won't even buy a cup of coffee a week.”
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“This isn't about policy; this is about trust. Labor's obsession with inner-city spending and confusing taxes is why cost of living is so high, why jobs are disappearing and why places like Grey—my electorate—are being left behind. They are leaving a $1.2 trillion debt bomb for the next generation. There's an old saying: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well, we are broke—flat broke—and the Australian economy does need fixing. But this big-spending, tax-happy government seems incapable of making the hard decisions needed. Labor must act now to stop the endless taxfest and hollow promises. It's time for them, like every other Australian right now, to live within their means. We need a government that believes in lower and simpler taxes, not a government that takes away from your nest egg or your right to work on the family farm.”
“It could provide funding to fix and reopen the jetty in Port Augusta and help businesses crippled by the algal bloom. These all seem like good projects. But what does Labor do? Where do they spend the money? They spend it on bailouts, handouts and vanity projects. This isn't about policy; this is about trust. Labor promised stability before the election, and they've delivered nothing but chaos afterwards. They can't manage their own budget and they can't manage money, so they come after yours. We saw it with their chaotic attempts at fixing superannuation. Firstly they proposed an unworkable half-baked tax on unrealised gains—a move that would hit farmers hard. Then a backflip—a massive, embarrassing and messy reversal that the Prime Minister threw at the feet of his Treasurer to clean up in his absence.”
“We see spending up to 27 per cent of GDP and we see workers with only 30 bucks left each week. The only thing we don't see is where the money has gone. Where is it? Has it vanished? It's not in my electorate; I can tell you that for free. You cannot trust Labor with money. Let's break it down roughly. We are paying $50,000 in interest per minute on Labor's debt. That's $72 million in interest per day. Now, $72 million could go a long way in regional South Australia. It could make a real difference such as by upgrading the Wallaroo Hospital, fixing the childcare desert and incentivising GPs to work regionally and remotely. It could provide funding to fix the Augusta Highway and finish the Strzelecki Track—in fact any rural or remote road in South Australia—and provide support for community housing in Port Pirie.”
“Let me say that again: every South Australian worker owes their government over $100,000, because government debt is not paid off by the government. It's not paid off by someone on welfare. It's paid off by the police officer, the school teacher, the farmer and the local retailer. This city focused socialist Labor government is pouring money down the drain as farmers in South Australia reel from generational drought, as residents in Coober Pedy struggle to get the most basic of human needs and as fishers impacted by the algal bloom are on their knees. Regional South Australia is missing out. Labor make promises to the regions, but what do we see? We see 130,000 more Australians in the dole queue. We see electricity up 39 per cent. We see rent up 21 per cent. We see food costs up 16 per cent. We see average mortgages up $1,800 a month.”
“It doesn't take an economics degree to see that the socialist Labor government is addicted to spending taxpayer money—spending your money. They're running up the credit card for our kids to pay off. Right now they're spending $50,000 every minute just on the interest on the debt. They've added an extra $100 billion to the national debt since they took office. That debt is heading to be an eye-watering $1.2 trillion by the next election. This year we reached a milestone in South Australia—of course the 'People's Republic of Victoria' got there only two years ago. Every South Australian worker owes their government over $100,000, and that's not including local government debt. That's just state and federal.”
“That is why it is important to raise awareness of these barriers, not just for Jarrad but for thousands of athletes across my electorate who deserve the same opportunities as those in our capital cities. On a final note, I want to briefly highlight the Bowls for Brisbane 2032 campaign. If brought to fruition, bowlers like Jarrad could be competing at the Olympics and Paralympic Games for the first time since 1996. How good would that be?”
“I rise today to acknowledge an exceptional athlete from my electorate of Grey—Jarrad Olsen. Jarrad from the Balaklava Bowling Club is an intellectually disabled bowler whose talent and determination are truly worthy of recognition. Jarrad has won the state ID singles titles four years in a row. What makes this so remarkable are the barriers that ID bowlers like Jarrad constantly face. Not only does Jarrad face limited opportunities due to his disability; like for many regional athletes, there is significant financial cost. Sport in regional SA isn't merely a dash up the road. There are road trips that often feel longer than the season itself. It is disappointing that support for regional athletes remains limited and, in Jarrad's case, virtually not existent. A postcode shouldn't define opportunities.”
“The Labor government has commenced its five percent home deposit scheme, which should really be called the 'larger loans for longer' scheme, because that's exactly what this policy does. It drives up house prices, leaving first home buyers paying massive loans for the rest of their lives. But don't take my word for it. Treasury modelling, property experts and economists alike are all sounding the alarm on this reckless scheme. Yet the government has put its blinkers on and dressed up this scheme as a win for first home buyers, but the only winners are the banks. You don't need an economics degree to understand the flaw of this scheme. It's the first economics principle that I learned in university—a concept understood by many Australians, but clearly not by Labor. I seek leave to table this document.”
“I pay tribute to the dedicated team behind this enormous undertaking: Jessamy Correll, Scott Mercer, Brenton Drewett, John Haynes, Luke Graham, Michael Ellis, Martin Kenny, Chris Bretag, Paul Correll, Tim Millard, Peter Anderson, Dulcie Barker, Rachael Ayles, Rosalie Pearce, Wick Dayman, Geoff Lamshed and President Greg Stevens. Your commitment is the engine room of this event, and I'm already looking forward to 2027. In early September, the Senate inquiry into the catastrophic algal bloom finally went to the heart of the crisis in my electorate, visiting Ardrossan and Port Lincoln. It was vital that the inquiry heard the heartbreaking stories of those affected. Ardrossan was one of the first towns hit, and it is still struggling. Long after the crisis is over—and it is not over—this town will hurt.”
“I witnessed the incredible energy, innovation and spirit of our farming communities which, despite rising costs, drought conditions and increased challenges posed by government red tape, continue to push on and stand by the industry that they love. The sheer scale of what was on display—from the cutting-edge machinery and technology that will drive the next generation of farming to the vibrant local produce and fashion—was truly inspiring. But the success of the field days is not just about the tractors and the technology. It's about the people.”
“Meanwhile, criminal gangs are thriving, and waste water data shows that smoking rates are increasing. Let's be clear. Crime is up, smoking is up, and government coffers are down. This is an absolute policy failure—another shameful, ill-conceived Labor decision that punishes Australians and achieves nothing. Last week I spent three spectacular days at the 2025 Yorke Peninsula Field Days. This event delivered a powerful reminder to me of the importance of farming in this country. The Yorke Peninsula Field Days are Australia's oldest field days, established way back in 1894. They're held in Baskerville in my electorate of Grey.”
“In 2022, when the government changed, Australia already had the most expensive cigarettes in the world, but that didn't stop Labor's so-called fiscally responsible Treasurer from doubling down on increasing the tobacco excise, hitting the roughly 10 per cent of Australians who smoke and are not stopping. As I said at the time, all this will do is create a booming black market, and that's exactly what has happened. We see crime and firebombings every week and a complete lack of enforcement from both state and federal governments, forcing councils to step in and do the job that they shouldn't have to. Enforcement agencies are playing a game of whack-a-mole. As I and others predicted, the government now collects less tobacco excise than it did before this ill-conceived increase.”
“For regional communities, who already grapple with less robust infrastructure, triple 0 not working is a death sentence. The Albanese government needs to stop its shambolic response, get its priorities straight and deliver a triple 0 system that works for all Australians, particularly those in regional and remote communities such as the ones I represent.”
“You won't ever get good answers. ACMA was an integral part of a regulatory and oversight process that clearly failed. If the minister were truly serious about transparency and fixing this life-saving system, she would do what is right—she would commission a full and thorough independent review of the entire triple 0 ecosystem. Nothing less is warranted. We need an external, impartial body with the authority to delve into every corner, every protocol and every point of failure. Only then can we truly understand the full scope of the issues that need to be addressed in the system and, most importantly, ensure that no-one else loses their life. We are now approaching bushfire season in my electorate. We need a system that is fully functional, with adequate fail-safes, now.”
“Under Rowan Ramsey's tenure in my electorate of Grey, this program delivered 57 mobile phone towers, many on the Yorke Peninsula. In contrast, Labor scrapped the program and have delivered zero new towers—not triple 0, zero. Where was the government's watchdog then? ACMA was asleep at the wheel. The Minister for Communications was not informed of this crisis until a staggering 24 hours later. This is a spectacular failure of departmental and regulatory processes under this minister's watch. Then where was the minister? Having sleepless nights—I don't doubt that. She was, after all, in a city that never sleeps, old New York. And who did this minister appoint to lead this critical investigation? ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority. It's like letting school students mark their own homework.”
“Hospitals were on edge. Critical care was on life support. I have it on good authority that, during that 24-hour period, residents were only a matter of minutes away from the full failure of the sewage system in Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta. But it was the lack of communications that made it all so hard. Unless you have lived it, you really don't know what it feels like to be truly helpless in 2025. It is dystopian. Broadly, phone service has been significantly reduced in regional SA since Labor came to government. The coalition, on the other hand, has had a strong track record of delivering real solutions to improve regional telecommunications, particularly through initiatives like the Mobile Black Spot Program.”
“It lasted for over 12 hours, during which a staggering 600 calls failed to connect. We know the cost—three deaths, maybe four, including an eight-week-old baby in Gawler in my home state. Think about that moment of crisis—people cut off from health, forced to scramble, find a neighbour on a different network or desperately search for a landline. Before anything else, preparation is the key to success. Alexander Graham Bell was on to something. As a resident of the northern Yorke Peninsula, I have unique insight into what this borderline-doomsday situation looks like. Earlier this year, the power went out for 24 hours, cutting phone lines, cutting internet and placing essential services into chaos. Only those with generators were able to survive. People were helpless as cell services ran dry. Cars were running out of fuel.”
“'Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.' Those words from Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, carry profound weight today. They remind us that the most essential systems must be ready for anything. I rise to speak about the tragic failure of preparation, the collapse of our nation's most fundamental lifeline, triple 0. This is not a technical glitch; it is an issue of profound importance that jeopardises the lives of constituents across regional South Australia. Sadly, that's nothing new under Labor. The Optus outage was a catastrophic day for all Australians, but, for those living in the country, in remote areas and in the outback, this failure cuts even deeper. The triple 0 network isn't a regular service; it's our only reliable path to emergency help. The network collapse was not brief.”
“Let's make sure that every Australian child, regardless of their postcode, whether they live in Port Augusta, Port Parham or Port Adelaide, has the same opportunity to learn, to grow and to thrive, because that's how we build not just a lucky country but a smart, fair and united one.”
“Access to early childhood education in small towns is patchy, with long waitlists, and the funding models must ensure the sustainability of rural childcare centres and kindergartens. And let's not forget the basics. Literacy and numeracy must remain at the core of our education system, supported by evidence based teaching methods not ideologies. Before we can teach Billy from Brunswick about coding or AI, every child must first be able to read, write and count confidently. A fair go starts in the classroom. Education isn't an expense. It's the most strategic investment we can make in Australia's future.”
“With respect to early childhood education, the earlier we invest the greater the return. Quality early learning has lifelong impacts, and yet, in my electorate of Grey, we have the worst access to child care in the entire country. I've mentioned the office of Senator Walsh, Minister for Early Childhood Education, and, let me tell you, the realities of early childhood education in my electorate could not be any further from leafy, leftie, latte Brunswick. Around one-third of families don't have access to child care at all, and, given this Labor-fuelled cost-of-living crisis where you need two incomes to raise a family, it is very difficult to employ young parents or even keep them in our regional towns.”
“But instead this government seems to believe that simply making TAFE free will fix the problem, when only 25 per cent of TAFE students actually are finishing their courses. Giving something away for free doesn't increase its value. It totally decreases it. You don't need to be an economist to work that out. I've used this analogy before and I'll use it again. If you try to pump water to a community and you find there's a gaping hole in the pipe, do you (1) fix the hole or (2) just pump more water through the pipe? This government is buying a bigger TAFE pump and running on the maxed-out government credit card. Education policy must be aligned with the workforce planning and regional economic development, not run as a headline generator for the next press conference.”
“Imagine if the Minister for Early Childhood Education in her office in Lygon Street in Brunswick East didn't have the NBN. How on earth would staffers be able to read digital versions of the Guardian and the ABC online? For many rural families, access to secondary or tertiary education comes at an enormous cost. Boarding fees can exceed more than $20,000 a year on top of tertiary expenses. That's a barrier city families don't face, and it's one more reason why too many young people leave our regions to pursue opportunities elsewhere. We need to make vocational pathways and apprenticeships every bit as respected as university degrees. Rebuilding TAFE and strengthening the links between schools, industries and training providers should be a national priority.”
“Put simply, the arts, law and politics students in inner-city Melbourne who will go on to join their union and work for the Labor Party for the rest of their lives have it much easier than the young regional Aussie battlers who want to learn a trade or upskill to be able to get a job that pays fairly. An honourable member: Free TAFE. I'm getting there. Teachers in the regions deserve the same professional support and access to resources as those in metropolitan areas, yet too often they are left to do more with less. Connectivity and technology remain real barriers. The digital divide isn't a slogan; it's a lived reality. There are still communities, like the District Council of Elliston, that are not even connected to the NBN. It is 2025.”
“Education and skills are the foundation of both opportunity and national prosperity, and I'm not talking about the law and arts degrees that litter the halls of Canberra and the electoral offices of this government. I'm talking about the vocational and technical skills that drive economies, spark innovation and build the productivity that underpins great societies. Every investment we make in education pays dividends in productivity and social cohesion, and a strong education system is what makes Australia not just a lucky country but a smart one. But I rise today because the promise of education is not being delivered equally. Students in regional South Australia face barriers that city students do not—distance, staffing shortages and limited access to specialised subjects. It is not fair. It is not equal.”
“In conclusion, the Albanese Labor government must stop looking at regional Australia through the lens of a staged photo opportunity or a promise to a metropolitan demographic during a campaign. We are not an afterthought, and we're not here to subsidise city convenience with our health, livelihoods or the dignity of our elderly. The people of Grey demand attention and equity, and they demand a government that will actually walk 500 miles not just for a multinational corporation but for the real people who need help right now.”
“I mentioned driving thousands of kilometres. I've seen firsthand that the state of our roads throughout Grey, whether they be outback roads like the Strzelecki Track or the Augusta Highway—a major highway—is appalling. They are not just inconvenient; they are dangerous, creating unacceptable risks for our businesses transporting goods, for our truck drivers moving freight and for our families travelling between regional towns. When a regional hospital can't retain a surgeon and the only path to major medical care is a four-hour drive down a pothole ridden, narrow and neglected highway, this becomes a matter of life and death. This government is failing to invest in the basic asphalt and steel that ties our nation together, just as it's failing to invest in and support the ties that bond our elderly to their family homes.”
“I would like to remind Australians that much of our prosperity and economic growth in the seventies, eighties and nineties, and the wealthy lifestyles that Middle and older Australians enjoy today is because we had cheap power, because our primary industries could compete and because we could afford to make and do things. There's a healthy debate happening around the economic impacts of net zero. Well, I know one way we can get to net zero. We close all of our manufacturing industries and send them to China, and we make farming so unviable that we stop producing Australian made food and fibre. This seems to be the approach of the Albanese Labor government. Finally, how can our communities hope to grow or, at a bare minimum, sustain themselves when the basic infrastructure that connects us is crumbling?”
“For a South Australian steelworker, a horticulturist, a manufacturer, a dairy producer or a meat producer, a power price hike is the difference between survival and bankruptcy. This isn't just about turning on a light switch; it's about running vital, non-negotiable equipment. This is about operating the cold storage and the refrigeration needed to keep dairy, meat and vegetables fresh for transport. This is about powering the local processing plants and the heavy-industry sites that are the only major employers in Whyalla and Port Pirie. This government promised a transition to cheap, reliable energy. What they have delivered is one of the most volatile and unstable energy markets in the developed world.”
“This government's failure to deliver adequate aged care in regional Australia is a betrayal of trust and shows a shocking lack of foresight. As well as ignoring the critical need for care, the government are actively crippling the ability of our people to earn. The cost of living is spiralling out of control, and nowhere is this felt more acutely or is it more dangerous than in regional Australia. We cannot absorb these sustained price hikes like the city can. I want to talk specifically about power prices and the government's utter failure to manage energy policy. For our primary producers, for our regional industries and for the small businesses that underpin regional towns in rural and remote SA, these rising energy bills are an existential threat. For the city customer, a price hike means less money for dinner out.”
“Last week I had the privilege of joining my federal colleague the shadow minister for aged care, Senator Anne Ruston, in a public forum in Peterborough. We sat with local carers, family members and the residents themselves, and the stories we heard, both raw and devastating, proved beyond any doubt that we are in the midst of an aged-care crisis. This is the price of Labor's centralisation and their one-size-fits-all policy approach. Where is the compassion for the spouse who can no longer visit their partner daily because the round trip is 400 kilometres? Where is the plan to ensure that a retired farmer in the far north or a beloved community volunteer on the west coast can age with dignity in the town they love?”
“Judith says: 'Her health has deteriorated to a point where she needs showering and helping with her ablutions. I am her daughter and do not have a problem with this, but it means I can no longer lead a normal life. I'm worried that she will die before she is reassessed.' In total, more than 230,000 older Australians have been left stuck in limbo, waiting for access to home-care support under Labor. Imagine being one of those people waiting but being over two hours drive from the nearest critical-care facility, physio, OT, GP or mental health service. Across the electorate of Grey, families are facing impossible choices and heartbreaking situations due to the government's failure to deliver promised care.”
“Jannene decided she needed help back in May 2024. She was approved for support but was told there were no packages. She says: 'This is a very debilitating and insidious condition, which has changed my life completely. I'm now at the point where I need a level 1 package, but I've been told that I won't get one because they are not giving them out. My daughter has taken over the role as carer, because I get overwhelmed with the system as I can't talk after a short period of time.' There's Judith, 73, in Edithburgh. Judith looks after her 99-year-old mother while they wait for her to be reassessed. Her mother is currently on a level 3 home-care package, after suffering a stroke a few years ago. Judith asked for her mother to be reassessed 18 months ago and is still waiting.”
“He'd suffered from bowel cancer, diabetes and heart problems. He had been assessed for a home-care package, had waited over 12 months and did not receive it before his death. Susanne is currently having difficulties with the care she is receiving, due to living remotely. She says: 'I had to have our bathroom renovated to put in a shower, as the shower was over the bath and Ron could not step into the bath. That cost us $11,000, with no assistance.' And she says: 'I sometimes wish I had never got a home-care package because, instead of helping me, it has caused me more stress and inconvenience.' There's Jannene, 71, in Wallaroo. Jannene suffers from inducible laryngeal obstruction, which has no cure. She was forced to retire four years ago because of her condition, ending her 50-year nursing career.”
“But the neglect goes far deeper than a simple refusal to travel and hear directly from those in need. The neglect extends to not allowing older Australians living in rural and remote Australia access to essential care services when they're at their most vulnerable. The most profound crisis facing our communities today is the slow, agonising collapse of the aged-care industry in the bush. The Albanese Labor government champions its aged-care reforms, but those reforms feel hollow when all they deliver in my electorate is delay after delay after delay. It is heartbreaking. I'd like to now read some real stories from people in Grey who have been directly impacted. I'd like to thank these people and their families for sharing. There's Susanne, 77, from Marree. Susanne's husband, Ron, passed away.”
“But then, at the drop of a brand-new hard hat in a perfectly staged photo op, three federal Labor ministers are suddenly able to travel to the middle of South Australia, 570 kilometres north of Adelaide, for a nothing announcement about BHP's Olympic Dam mine. All the people of Grey and the local aquaculture industry wanted was somebody to talk to—somebody to listen to their stories. But it was all too hard. Yet, when BHP had something to say, and when the Premier of South Australia wanted to add some meat to his Advertiser puff piece, no less than three Albanese Labor government ministers were able to don their fake hi-vis hats and make the trek. When the real people want to talk it's all too hard, but, for the corporate photo opportunities, this government will—and I quote the great Scottish band The Proclaimers—walk 500 miles.”
“In the last few weeks alone, I've driven thousands and thousands of kilometres, traversing the vast distances and the communities in the electorate of Grey. It's not easy. It requires commitment. So you can appreciate my astonishment when, after months of trying to get senior ministers, or maybe even the Prime Minister, to come and see firsthand the damage done by the harmful algal bloom on the Yorke Peninsula and in the Gulf of St Vincent—a genuine crisis that's crippled our local aquaculture industry and destroyed livelihoods—the request was met with a resounding, patronising silence. It was all too hard. It's been the same for the drought—the worst in history for many of my farming communities.”
“I rise to raise my grievance in relation to a range of issues impacting my constituents in the seat of Grey, and, more broadly, Australians living in regional, rural and remote Australia, who have been left behind by an increasingly city-centric Albanese Labor government, a government that appears to think that those living in regional Australia don't deserve the same services, attention or compassion as their city-dwelling counterparts. This is a government that constantly talks about fairness, about equity, about leaving no Australian behind. But I say: look at regional South Australia, look at the electorate of Grey, look at rural and remote Australia, and tell me where the equity is; tell me where the compassion is. Now, I understand as well as anyone that it's hard to get out to the regions.”
“It's no longer needed, but we weren't using it in the first place. Then we had the mobile network. It started off with, I assume, 1G and 2G. Then it went to 3G, 4G and 5G. As the Gs went up, the less distance the network could travel but the faster the transfer speeds were.”
“I wish to contribute to the debate on the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I want to focus on regional telecommunications. Of course, the electorate of Grey represents 92.4 per cent of geographic South Australia, from the Nullarbor to the Eyre Peninsula, the Yorke Peninsula, the mid-north, the far north and, of course, the outback. So telecommunications are of enormous importance for the people of Grey. Now, we've gone through a few generations of telecommunications. We used to have the copper network, and this was fax and dial-up, and that revolutionised regional communications. Times have changed, and the reliance on that network is no longer required, but of course we still have the universal service obligation on a service which is not being used. On our farm, for example, the tractor hit the copper cable.”
“This is an unacceptable reality for many people in my electorate of Grey. I note the work of the previous coalition government, which delivered record mental health funding; opened headspace and Medicare mental health centres in Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie; and created the Head to Health support service. By contrast, Labor has cut the services and left Australians paying more out-of-pocket costs than ever before, yet the Prime Minister told us that this Medicare card is all we will need under Labor. Australians deserve better than the broken promises and lies of this government.”
“I rise to acknowledge that October is National Mental Health Month. This month reminds us all of the opportunities we have to start conversations that can save lives, to ask 'Are you okay?' And it reminds us that good mental health is as important as good physical health. I want to take this opportunity to recognise the vital role of those on the front line supporting Australians who need it most. Thank you for the enduring difference you make to people's lives. However, we cannot ignore that access to mental health services is not the same everywhere. Unfortunately, you have greater access to mental health support in Mongolia than you do in regional South Australia. And, if you can find it, there are long distances to travel, limited specialists and, in many cases, months of waiting.”
“We've seen ongoing uncertainty with air ambulance contracts, with changes made but little real progress on the ground. As for the consequences, a football game in Balaklava had to be stopped for an emergency helicopter landing because the local helipad was not operational, and that was not the first time. Delays have become the norm. Communities have been left waiting for vital infrastructure that underpins timely emergency retrievals and life-saving medical care. In my electorate, only three helipads are currently in operation. Sites at Clare, Port Pirie and Port Broughton and others across the state remain idle. Every delay erodes the confidence of rural South Australians who depend on these services. They deserve better than promises unmet and timelines ignored.”
“I rise to raise a matter that has been consistently pursued by the hardworking member for Frome, Penny Pratt, which is the urgent need to upgrade regional helipads across South Australia. In 2022, the Liberals committed to upgrading these helipads in their second term, to meet CASA requirements. Let's be clear. This was not a Labor initiative. Once elected, Penny Pratt rightly called on the Labor government to match the commitment. Yet, for two years, nothing has happened. Only early last year did Labor finally announce $23 million to upgrade the helipads, promising completion by the end of this year. But the reality has been far from that promise. We've seen high fences installed, only to be lowered against because they make take-offs unsafe. How does that happen? It was a costly engineering blunder with a true expense still unknown.”
“We were also joined by special guests General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove and Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson. The memorial walk itself is a remarkable community achievement. It was the idea of Vietnam vet and local Roger Hogben, who, together with John Edwards, worked tirelessly to make this a reality. Roger is a man you cannot say no to. Their passion and persistence has delivered something truly special for the Yorke Peninsula, something we can be proud of. The 3.7 kilometre long coastal trail between Coobowie and Edithburgh features 29 laser-cut signs, bench seats and, most importantly, recognition of every single unit that served in Vietnam. This is the first war memorial in Australia to do so, making it a project of national importance as well as local pride.”
“More than 400 local volunteers have worked tirelessly to bring the field days together. I especially want to thank President Greg Stevens, whose leadership and dedication have been outstanding, securing 680 grand for a new function centre. This year's field days are a celebration of not just agricultural excellence but also the resilience of our regional communities, which are still battling drought conditions and now facing further pressure from Labor's superannuation tax on farmland and the ute tax. We recently held a Vietnam Veterans' Day event, marking 50 years since the end of the war. I was proud to join more than 700 locals and veterans in Edithburgh for the official opening of the Vietnam War Memorial Walk. It was a moving occasion. We even had a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter there, landing on the grass. It's such an iconic noise.”
“I look forward to continuing to support these clubs now and into future. To all teams heading into the finals: I wish you the very best of luck. To every volunteer: thank you for everything you do to keep our clubs strong and our regional committees connected. Next week marks the return of the Yorke Peninsula Field Days, a cornerstone of agricultural excellence and innovation. This three-day event is the oldest of its kind in Australia, and it has grown to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere—a remarkable achievement. I am honoured to officially open this year's event. I'll be hosting a stall alongside more than 600 exhibitors, and I look forward to hearing directly from constituents about the issues that matter most to them. Events of this scale are only possible thanks to volunteers.”
“VENNING () (): September is the best month of the year. It's finals time. From football and netball to soccer, hockey and golf, this is the business end of the season, and everyone wants the chocolates. To players, coaches, umpires, trainers, team managers, timekeepers and supporters: this is your month, and we reward you after months of hard work and commitment. Behind every club stands an army of volunteers. Running a sports club takes commitment and countless hours from canteen helpers, bar operators, gatekeepers, committee members and sponsors. There is a role for everyone who wants to contribute. This season, I've enjoyed lending a hand with my local footy club. I played a couple of games when not travelling and even managed not to burn the chips at the Port Pirie netball courts.”
“Alongside poor healthcare access and a shortage of housing, the lack of child care is the biggest handbrake on the development and progress of communities in regional and rural Australia. It holds back families; it holds back businesses; it holds back our future. What makes it worse is that this government is spending $8 billion a year on childcare subsidies that we can't access. Families in the regions are effectively paying taxes to subsidise child care in the cities. This is not just a policy failure; it is a moral failure. Families in regional and rural Australia deserve the same opportunities as families in Adelaide.”
“I rise today to address one of the biggest issues facing families in regional South Australia—that is, the lack of access to child care. In today's cost-of-living crisis driven by Labor's reckless spending, energy policies and immigration settings, families need two incomes to raise a family. That makes child care not a luxury but a necessity. Yet, in Grey, empirically we have the worst access to child care in the entire country. Nearly one in three families simply don't have access—let alone, the enormous waitlist for those who do. I want to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project, a consortium of 25 councils in my electorate who are working together to shine a light on this crisis and actually get something done.”