Ben Small
Forrest · Liberal Party · Australia
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Aussie legend Joseph Daoud spent $17½ thousand of his own money on billboards telling the Labor government to drop their ambition taxes. He's paid up again, winning an auctioned tennis match at the Lodge to get the Prime Minister's attention.”
“What creates that situation is where people are forced into a choice no Australian should have to make—a choice between getting care or keeping up with the bills. That's just not good enough.”
“Health care in this country, despite the press releases and the political spin, is under real pressure. In regional communities like mine, the pressure continues to mount on families who simply can't afford it. We're seeing hospitals under strain and emergency departments stretched thin.”
“I was recently contacted by Kim in my electorate who shared his telling experience with our local healthcare system. Kim doesn't need to see a doctor very often, but, on this occasion, he required a basic consultation by phone. He was told that it would cost him $75 for a few minutes on the phone.”
“The dissenting report the coalition has tabled in response to this details a litany of gross overreach on the part of this partisan witch-hunt because, ultimately, this is anything but a fair, balanced and impartial approach to assessing the feedback of the Australian community that we saw in the wake of the 2025 federal election.”
“By leave—Unfortunately, I stand here today to convey to the House that the coalition's position is that one of the most serious committees in the parliament has been reduced to a one-eyed, hyperpartisan witch-hunt of a group of religious Australians.”
The complete record
Every one of 464 lines we hold for Ben Small, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 10.
“Astonishingly, the Parliamentary Budget Office expects this rort to cost some $23 billion over the decade, and yet still the government stands by it. So why can't we end all subsidies, taxes, penalties and every other way that bureaucrats here in Canberra are trying to direct Aussies as to what sort of car they drive, and just leave it to them? We know that Australians will make the right choice when it comes to doing their fair share for the environment. We know this because we've seen massive uptake of rooftop solar panels, and the uptake was not due to the subsidies offered by the Howard government, the rebate schemes of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years or even the various schemes of the Abbott government.”
“It begs the question, will this government slug Aussies even more because they chose the wrong sort of car, as our net zero evangelists here in Canberra have dictated? I think the truly criminal part of the government deciding that they know more about what sort of car you should drive is the fact that they have cooked up a scheme of subsidies that make a Tesla cheaper for a surgeon than a nurse. I thought Labor was supposed to represent the worker, but here they are running a scheme that gives high-income earners a bigger tax break to buy an EV through a novated lease, and taxpayers are the ones left to foot the bill. We're taking tax money off a nurse to make a surgeon's novated lease for a Tesla cheaper.”
“Rather than leaving it to each Australian to decide when an electric vehicle suits their needs—whether for commuting, recreation with a caravan or boat, or even to for their work, whether it be on the construction site or in the back paddock—this government decided to impose taxes on folks who chose internal combustion engine cars, pushing up the cost of a new Ford Ranger, one of Australia's best-selling cars, by some $14,000 by 2029. Worse still, the assumed sales of electric vehicles are failing to meet the government's expectations. In the month of September, eight per cent of vehicles purchased by Australians were battery-electric vehicles, which is clearly well less than half of the expected base-case uptake of 20 per cent.”
“I rise today to ask, what happened to choice in our country? When did we decide that Canberra knows best, that unelected bureaucrats who live far, far away from communities like mine are somehow best placed to decide what ordinary Aussies do in their homes, their businesses and their communities? It's a lens through which I come to look at most policies of government because I'm a live-and-let-live kind of guy, after all. I honestly believe that an important part of the Australian psyche still holds that we simply don't want to be told what to do all the time. So when we come to the issue of emissions reduction, it seems that this government has decided that it knows better than every Australian—or, more egregiously, that perhaps it doesn't trust those Australians to do the right thing in their own circumstances.”
“People should care because strong minds build strong communities. If the government acts today Australia will be a kinder and healthier place. Young people will grow up feeling supported and ready to take on the world. We'll have less crime, better schools and happier families. Let's build a future where no one feels alone so let's start now. Because Kyran felt so passionate about that and, I think, that spoke to a sentiment we can all share in—wanting Australia to do better—I was very pleased to read that out.”
“I rise today to speak on behalf of 14-year-old Kyran Bacon of Carey Park in Bunbury. He was part of the raise your voice competition and was asked, 'What steps should government take today to build a better tomorrow young Australians?' Here's what he had to say: As a young Australian I care about mental health. It's a big issue for kids my age. Too many of us feel stressed, sad or even alone. We need help but sometimes it's hard to find or too expensive. The government should act now. They should put more money into school counsellors and youth programs. They should make sure help is easy to get and free for everyone. We need safe spaces to talk and be heard. Mental health matters because it affects everything in school like friendships and our future. If we feel better, we do better.”
“I also commend the Nutrien Ag All-Star Team members from the SWFL: Beth Beckett, Rennie Meadmore, Ella Smith, Kloe Bassett, Daisy Rigby and Christie Daniels. Finally, I also acknowledge the efforts of the team coach, Nathan Smith, for his leadership and the hard work of the organising committee from Country Football WA and the South West Football League, including the general manager, Jason Crowe, and his volunteer league executive, for their hard work in supporting the South West Football League women's team in their incredible achievements. It makes our community a stronger and more resilient place to live.”
“The great northern side continued to challenge, narrowing the margin to just four points in the third quarter. It took the consistent tenacity of our team, particularly Gemma Hill, who twice restored the advantage, to maintain the lead. The final term was controlled by the south-west team, who ultimately claimed their sixth consecutive championship. I wish to formally commend the standout performance Ella Smith, who, I'm informed, was a strong performer throughout the entire carnival. She was deservedly named player of the championship and in the grand final itself. Congratulations also to Maddy Obal, who was awarded the prestigious Peter Beattie medal as the best player of the carnival for the south-west football league.”
“The growth of the women's game is a source of immense pride in our community. The women's championships are vital, although they are a much more recent addition, having been played for the first time in only 2019. This year, the competition was particularly noteworthy, as it was hosted outside of the Perth metropolitan area for the very first time, taking full advantage of the exceptional facilities at Hans Oval in Bunbury. Before a healthy crowd, the defending champions faced a formidable great northern side. The game was tight and a physical contest. Great Northern showed great intent in the early stages but our south-west team responded with grit and resolve as they had so many times before, with Tanisha Anderson and Rennie Meadmore securing goals in the first term.”
“I rise today to commend an outstanding group of athletes and celebrate their remarkable achievement in my electorate of Forrest. I speak of the Alcoa South West Football League women's team, who recently secured their sixth successive Nutrien Ag Country Championship. To understand the significance of this, we must appreciate the deep roots of this regional competition. The country football championship, now known as the Nutrien Ag Country Championship, holds a long and proud tradition in Western Australia. The core men's and Colts competition is a historic event which has been played for some 59 years as of this year. This history is re-enforced by a very long and enduring 51-year partnership with Nutrien Ag as sponsors, highlighting the powerful link between country footy and our regional businesses.”
“If we can't convince Australians that lower prices for literally everything from food to housing isn't a good thing for our economy and national prosperity then, in my view, we have failed the Australian people, because, as I say, it isn't the Australian way to give your credit card bill to your kids to pay, and yet that is exactly what this Prime Minister is doing.”
“It isn't the Australian way to give your credit card to your kids for them to pay, and yet that is exactly what this prime minister is doing. In 2021, I was quoted in the Australian as saying: 'However, we must not be conned into the smoke and mirrors of a grandiose target without a plan.' In the years since, it has become clear to me that the net zero agenda is a con and that no realistic plan has been put forward to support it, because this government cannot answer the one simple question that I think Australians deserve an answer to how much will this cost. How much will Labor's net zero agenda actually cost Australian taxpayers?”
“I don't recall anyone suggesting more expensive food for all Australians being a great election-winning strategy, and yet this is the madness that remaining subscribed to Labor's net zero requires. Almost every business on the planet has people costs, energy costs and compliance costs. We want higher people costs in Australia because we want well-paid and meaningful jobs for Australians. But, if we also have higher and higher energy costs, as well as more and more regulatory red tape and cost burden, how on earth can our businesses compete internationally? Albanese's Future Made in Australia is seeing nothing built in our country without taxpayer subsidies, and this must end if we are to stop robbing the next generation of their prosperity to pay for our debt.”
“Given the reputation that Coles and Woolworths have for squeezing farmers, I don't think it's an unreasonable question. It's now likely he'll sell the farm, which is multigenerational, to the next international property developer that comes sniffing, further undermining our food security. Bannister Downs is an iconic WA dairy business that has grown into a successful internationally-exporting business under Sue Daubney's leadership, and yet she stood up at the recent WA dairy conference and told the room that her power bills have doubled since 2022. Who do you think pays for these farmers' power price hikes? In a cost-of-living crisis, it's imperative that the Liberal Party explains to voters that the Labor Party's policies are making even their food more expensive.”
“I stood for parliament because I wanted to help shape a bolder, braver and more bountiful nation, and Labor's policies are undermining all three by enforcing a relative energy poverty on the Australian people. In WA, residential consumers have been shielded from the true cost of their power and energy for decades, but our small businesses are the canaries in the coalmine, which is an ironic expression, given how hell-bent the Labor Party are on closing coalmines. The Myalup strip produces more than 10 per cent of the state's vegetables and the producers there have experienced 50 per cent increases in their power bills from one contract to the next. One particular farmer asked me where he'd find the extra $400,000 a year to pay for the power price hike.”
“I was elected because my electorate is becoming ground zero for the damaging impacts of the government's net zero agenda, and locals could see that I'd stand up for them against being steamrolled by Canberra. From fighting the proposal to develop offshore wind in our pristine Geographe Bay—which is a peculiar form of economic madness for a state with as many sources of cheap, clean and consistent energy as Western Australia—to giving voice to the local small businesses being whacked by huge energy price increases, I managed to survive the National-Liberal wipe-out by being a strong and independently-minded leader for my electorate. If opposing the policies of higher prices and higher taxes on everything, under the badge of net zero, costs me my political future, then that is a hill that I will die on.”
“In my view, the imperative to scrap net zero is that the policies that are flowing from commitment are economically catastrophic. In my seat of Forrest, we'd become ground zero for Labor's net zero nonsense. We can't criticise the terrible policies of Labor's net zero agenda while supporting the same goal, because we don't have a credible alternative plan. Doing so is like being committed to climbing a mountain, criticising the path to the summit but having no map for an alternative path—ultimately you are still committed to arriving at the same mad summit no matter the cost. People have put to me that, because my seat was targeted by the teal movement last election, I should be a real progressive on this, but frankly that's utter nonsense.”
“Our pandemic response was described internationally as gold standard. While we support efforts to enhance our preparedness, we must do so in the recognition that our existing framework was world leading.”
“If that does not set the scene for some sort of political cover-up, I don't know what does. These are vague and subjective terms that could be used to withhold almost any piece of information a future government might find inconvenient to publicly release. There are no clear appeal rights, no external oversight and no guarantee that the public or even this parliament will see the advice underpinning critical health decisions. This is not transparency. It is not an improvement. And it is not the sort of step that we should take as a country without public scrutiny, public consultation and a clear-minded conviction from this parliament that it is the right thing to do. Let's not forget we rank second in the world for pandemic and epidemic preparedness in the Johns Hopkins Global Health Security Index.”
“When we look at the lack of transparency around this bill, there are, as I've said, serious concerns. In October last year, the minister for health alleged that a lack of transparency had driven a decline in trust. Easy to say, Minister! Despite that recognition, the bill goes out of its way to prevent information from being made public, which, again, underscores that you should look at what they do, not what they say they're doing. While the government claims that the CDC's advice will be published by default—that sounds great in a news grab—the fine print tells a different story. The director-general will have extraordinarily broad powers to withhold information, including any advice that they consider might cause 'unreasonable risk of harm' or affect 'the integrity of other government processes'.”
“To pretend that the priorities for Australian health are invoking an American-style CDC when there are these sorts of real problems—and I could go on all day about this—further underscores that we have to look at what the Labor Party does, not what it says. Professor Michael Kidd, who served as the Deputy CMO during the pandemic and has been appointed to the role of CMO under this government, which is an appointment the coalition supports in recognition of his strong contribution to our pandemic response, is going to be undermined by this CDC. We go from someone who has a track record and a clinical background, who has served his country with distinction in providing frank and fearless advice to governments during a time of crisis, to a faceless bureaucrat. It just doesn't make sense.”
“September saw a new record for ambulance ramping at WA hospitals, and yet state and federal Labor governments—this government—are bickering with each other over who is to blame. Their focus, rather than on fixing the crumbling health infrastructure in Western Australia, is on this unknown, untested and, frankly, unclear organisation. I've had a local grandmother contact my office to voice her concerns after calling an ambulance in my electorate. After being stuck in the back of that ambulance for hours on the ramp outside the hospital, unable to get in, they finally were admitted and then were shifted between rooms three times on the first night.”
“They're not accountable to the Australian people in the way that a minister of the crown or a decision-maker in government normally is. This is despite the Director of Human Biosecurity being a role that requires the medical expertise that the CMO possesses. This shift risks eroding public confidence in key health decisions by placing them in the hands of bureaucrats without a clinical background and risks undermining Australia's trusted CMO and Deputy CMO roles, which I think all reasonable people would agree performed effectively during the COVID pandemic. While we're on the performance of state governments, it's worth noting that this is in the context of a health crisis in my home state of WA.”
“There wasn't a single power that was ceded by the Commonwealth to the states in imposing the draconian limitations on very basic freedoms that we experienced across the country, and yet here we are contemplating just ramming through something that will confer those sorts of powers on a new, unknown and untested institution. It just seems to me to be truly bizarre. So we're calling on the government to hold the hearing and to provide some answers—pretty simple stuff, really. When we're downgrading the role of the chief medical officer and transferring the functions, powers and duties of the Director of Human Biosecurity to the secretary of the department, who is, let's face it, a bureaucrat—they're not elected.”
“I'm very proud to be part of a Liberal-National opposition that will not be supporting these bills in the House in light of these unresolved concerns and prior to a full Senate inquiry into the bill, which is, frankly, critical to understand how the proposed CDC will operate, how its very serious powers will operate and how it will be accountable to the Australian parliament and the Australian people in the future. The Australian people deserve confidence that their public health institutions are effective, transparent and accountable. So much of what the member for Barton was banging on about in terms of lockdowns and confusion came from state governments. We've got to remember the states made the Commonwealth.”
“If I spent five minutes chatting with them about exactly what was proposed, I have no doubt in my mind that they would consider our request to have an open inquiry into this to be very reasonable, because, far from it being designed in secrecy, shielded from transparency, designated with very significant powers and recently with an unclear role in the existing ecosystem of our health infrastructure, it just seems bizarre that we are being criticised for asking for a little light, a little time and a little consultation on this bill.”
“When it comes to matters as profound for this country as the sorts of powers being conferred to the proposed CDC as they are, I fear greatly for where we are headed. There were five years to make the case for this policy, and I reckon that, if I walk down the main street of any of the towns in my electorate, literally no-one in a hundred would tell me that this was a priority. I think no-one would tell me that they were aware of this proposal.”
“Look at what they do, not what they say they do. With over 40 submissions to the committee, with many proposing substantive amendments, the committee has simply denied experts and Australians any opportunity to be heard in the context of an open parliamentary inquiry. It's unacceptable and another example of a disturbing trend from this government to hide from transparency and to shrink from accountability. This Prime Minister was the one who said: 'I'm going to show up. I'm going to be accountable.' Yet, at every opportunity, it's roadblocks and confidentiality agreements. It's soon to be a truth tax, a fee for a simple freedom of information request. It shows that this government is more interested in political box-ticking than engaging in genuine consultation.”
“That sort of conferral should be the subject of rigorous parliamentary scrutiny and debate and extensive consultation with the Australian community, yet here we are. No doubt, a dirty deal has been done with the Greens in the Senate, and this will be crunched through like everything else. But the question stands. If you are part of the most transparent government ever, if you do believe in the conventions of this place, why won't you refer this legislation to a Senate inquiry—not a stunt one but a proper one that goes around the country and collects the lessons learned from the pandemic to understand what happens when so much power is conferred into the hands of so few? The government and their Greens allies on the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee have refused to hold a single public hearing inquiry into this bill.”
“They might have promised a US-style CDC five years ago. Yet, after all that time and coming into their fourth year in government, the Albanese government has only now brought this legislation to parliament, barely three months before the proposed start date. The very real question for the House is: why is it unreasonable for that legislation to go to a Senate inquiry? In my many conversations with members of the former government after the COVID pandemic had subsided on what lessons had been learned, a common refrain around this building was, 'I had no idea just how powerful the Biosecurity Act made a single person in our country.' When that legislation was debated in this place, persons who expressed unease about it were told: 'Don't to worry. It'll never happen.' It did happen, and extraordinary powers were conferred on a single person.”
“While strengthening the Australian public's health preparedness is, of course, a priority for any government, the mechanisms proposed in this bill and the considerable powers that they transfer warrant far closer examination than what's being ponied up by this government. Apparently, this is a government that's more transparent than any other we've had, yet we know that we are also about to start talking about the truth tax and the clamping down on freedom of information—the further restrictions we've seen. The same mob over there are the ones imposing non-disclosure agreements before they'll sit down and talk to any stakeholders about proposed legislation. It's just outrageous. I say to the chamber: look at what the Labor Party do in government, not what they say they do in government.”
“So I think it's just absolutely mad, to be honest, to look at a country that, in the initial stages of the pandemic, feared so badly and then use that as a case study for what we might institute in this country. This is to be led by a director-general, appointed and reporting directly to the minister for health, and apparently it will be accountable to the federal parliament. No-one is more accountable to the parliament than the Prime Minister and the cabinet of the elected government of the day. Why is it that we also need to start fiddling with the Freedom of Information Act and the Biosecurity Act and making significant transfers of powers and functions between the department of health, the chief medical officer and this proposed new entity?”
“Ministers of the Crown, being part of an elected government, make decisions. They take advice, of course. The member for Riverina described in detail today what it is like to sit around that table at a time of national crisis and receive frank and fearless advice from a world-class public service and to take into account that advice and make the decisions that will ultimately set our country's trajectory. I think the thing that's missing in this debate is a little bit—the member for Barton touched on data. Let's look at the data, because, at the time of trying to institute a US-style CDC in Australia, I distantly remember looking at freezer trucks on the streets of Manhattan full of dead Americans. That was at a time when the virus was not circulating in the Australian community.”
“We need to keep this program going.' The reality, of course, is that, as we wound that program back and employment in Australia reached record highs and unemployment dropped to record lows, somehow we still had it wrong. I think it's worth remembering these sorts of lessons as we consider the Labor government's proposal for the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025 and the Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 that are in front of this chamber today, because it's always good to look at what Labor do, not what Labor say they do. These bills, in conjunction, would establish a new national body as a statutory, non-corporate Commonwealth entity. Those of us on the side of the House actually believe that governments run the country.”
“This wasn't a sort of situation for our country where some cheap shots from the cheap seats from those opposite went unnoticed. In fact, if we step back through history, there's that little old thing called Hansard , which very accurately depicts what members of the Labor Party were saying at the time—it's not what they're saying now. The reality is, first of all, that JobKeeper was a bad program. When it became clear it was a success and when then treasurer Josh Frydenberg started to wind the program back in, displaying the fiscal prudence that I think we needed, Jim Chalmers, our treasurer today, came out and said: 'No, no, no.”
“I visit a lot of beef farms as part of representing the electorate of Forrest. Frankly, this chamber has the same sort of aroma in this debate—boy, oh boy, is there some revisionism going on. The member for Barton outlined that she was in her jimjams during the onset of the COVID pandemic in this country. My experience couldn't have been more different, because I was in a crisis management team for a large Western Australia corporate. I was running my own small business and, shortly thereafter, was just a short walk from here in the Senate chamber as part of the Morrison government and part of the response to a national crisis that I think that then deputy prime minister and member for Riverina very articulately described in this place just now.”
“We must empower those who take risks, apply effort and back themselves, whether they're pulling beers, cutting hair or building new homes. We all want a prosperous nation where Australians back themselves, so let's reward risk and resilience. The beating heart of Australia is really in small business. Almost one in two workers in Australia are employed in a small business. And yet, when four in five jobs are being created that are dependent on taxpayer funding in some way, you know that our economy is really crook. And it is really crook because small businesses are dying at a record rate. The coalition will always back practical reforms, reward for effort and the incentive to strive.”
“This cartel behaviour is driving up project costs, locking out competition, and it favours union bosses being paid more than ever. Time and time again, it's small businesses and ordinary Australians who are punished, and those in regional electorates like mine even more so. Let me be clear: we're not anti union, but we are anti union corruption. It should be those who subscribe to the values of the idea of Australia that are cared for, not the union Labor super cartel. The coalition's vision is one of simplification. We don't want to see those who have a dream suffocated as this government continues to do so. We want a system that is pro worker and pro small business, because when we do well we should all do well together.”
“Why does this government continue to ignore the reality that family businesses do their accounts around the kitchen table because they don't have the luxury to afford legal teams or a finance department and yet they're drowning in red tape, regulation and restriction? The minister has made it clear that this government is fixated on protecting their cartel mates rather than hardworking Aussies. Donations in; policy out. When businesses and workers came together recently and were offered a deal to pay staff more, Labor blocked it because their union mates wouldn't get a cut. These unions demand that their rules are adhered to, and this government, as always, complies. It has nothing to do with the rivers of workers' money being funnelled into the Labor Party through donations, and yet the implications of this are evident.”
“Every month they have been in office Labor have added some form of new compliance onto small businesses. The result is businesses face record levels of insolvency and rising costs, and are suffocating under new industrial relations laws. We've already had more insolvencies this financial year as compared to last financial year, even though that was the very worst year on record. In cafes, on construction sites and in salons and farm sheds across this country, people are losing trust—trust in the idea that, if you work hard and do the right thing, you'll get ahead. Instead, they're feeling punished by paperwork, by rigid and inflexible awards and, in fact, by this government. This isn't just bad economics; it's bad faith, and it runs against our national character. We understand the reality that small businesses face.”
“We continue to walk away from the principles that underpinned three decades of growth in this country—a simplified industrial relations system that protected and fostered flexibility and created harmonious partnerships between employers and employees. Unfortunately, we've got a government that treats small businesses like ATMs, unions that behave like cartels and super funds that feed the beast. The people who pay the price for this aren't union bosses—they're small businesses, workers and everyday Australians who are seeing the cost of living increasing while their motivation is disappearing. Why would a hardworking Aussie put in an extra few hours if it simply means this government gets a bigger slice of the pie? The Treasurer is busy splurging the biggest budget take in history, and yet small businesses are being left behind or dying.”
“Our industrial relations system is failing Australians under this government. The Australia I once knew was a place of hard work that rewarded effort, a place that granted flexibility to workers as well as bosses. Yet we have seen the CFMEU bosses enjoy pay rises of 25 per cent in five years, while construction workers' pay is down five per cent. That's how sick our system has become, but it is what we have come to expect. When union donations go into the Labor Party, union policy comes straight out. Donations in, policy out, and the only losers are ordinary Australians. Industrial relations are no longer about fairness; they are about control.”
“The Bunbury Soup Van is a grassroots example of compassion in action, providing essential support to the homeless, the vulnerable and those facing food insecurity in our community. This is not just a meal service; it's a service of hope and connection for those who need it most. I am proud to share that, with the assistance of my office, the soup van is thriving better than ever. Donations of any kind are always welcome at my office, and I encourage anyone who can help out to do so. To all of the volunteers at the Bunbury Soup Van: thank you. Your commitment makes Bunbury stronger, kinder and more connected. You remind us all of the power of a strong community and the impact that we can have when we choose to care for others.”
“Kath is one of three foundation members remaining in the organisation. To president Mike, treasurer Jane and all of the volunteers at the club who welcomed me: thank you. Thank you for all of your work and for allowing me to visit the club and see what you're up to. Your ongoing commitment and passion to make our community better inspires us all. I encourage anyone who is able to head on down and help these amazing volunteers. I also rise today to recognise the incredible work of the Bunbury Soup Van and the dedicated volunteers who tirelessly work to power this vital initiative in our community. Every week, rain or shine, these generous individuals donate their time to ensure that those who are doing it tough in our community receive essential supplies that are needed simply to survive.”
“I rise today to recognise the amazing work of the Margaret River Lions Club in my own seat of Forrest. Every week, the club's incredible volunteers sort through countless donations to prepare for their fortnightly Saturday morning sales. All proceeds from the sales, totalling some $350,000 a year, go straight back into the local Margaret River community. After witnessing firsthand the efforts that go into organising this incredible operation, I was blown away by the passion and the commitment of all of those involved. The Margaret River Lions Club represents the very best of those in our community by providing affordable items to those less fortunate and, in doing so, making their community a better and more compassionate place. A special mention is owed to Kath for her ongoing and tireless work for the Lions.”
“Earlier this year, we saw Labor in WA make cuts to the overnight travel allowance that disproportionately affect regional apprentices. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, does the minister think it's fair that these hardworking young Australians who live regionally are being penalised for their decision to pursue vocational education? Has the minister addressed this inequality of opportunity for young regional Australians with his state Labor counterpart? It would cost just a fraction of what the minister just shovelled into reducing the HECS debts of tertiary students, who'll potentially earn much higher incomes.”
“In my view, too many young Australians are being pushed towards tertiary education when they'd be better suited to a vocational career, unlocked by an apprenticeship or a traineeship. Some of the most successful folks from my year 12 class are those who rolled up their sleeves and, after completing their apprenticeships, went on to build businesses, employ others and even create opportunities for new apprentices themselves. Some went back to tertiary education later in life, with some experience under their belt. We should predicate the Australian education system on what best enables Australians to become their best selves. Instead, this government is not addressing the disconnect for those regional Australians who choose to complete a traineeship or an apprenticeship.”
“Having spent some $16 billion of borrowed money to knock off some HECS debt in a one-off pork-barrel promise that is almost unprecedented in our history—money that tradies, waiters and barbers will need to pay back—we now need the minister to pony up and answer a very simple question: why was this policy such a good idea for a select few just before an election but isn't a good idea for the young Australians completing their final school exams across the country right now? Why do those kids need to pay full fare for their education when they will have to pay off the debt of their older peers in years to come simply because they had the misfortune to not have racked up any HECS debt just before a federal election?”
“I have parents in my electorate telling me that schools are permitting students to self-identify as animals, or so-called furries. They are wearing collars, audibly hissing and even scratching at fellow students, even though we see these appalling results in literacy and numeracy outcomes. To me, it is shameful that we are failing to prepare young Australians for a bright and productive future as members of our community whilst allowing those same young Australians to live under the delusion that they're cats. I'm a 'live and let live' kind of guy, but, surely, indoctrinating young people to accept and perpetuate a blatant lie because another person insists that it is 'their truth' is beyond the pale. Minister, how is this being allowed in our schools and classrooms today, and why can't teachers tell students that they're not cats?”
“And yet as a nation we're spending more on education than ever before, to achieve these very poor outcomes. Minister, why do we persist with a national curriculum that demands so-called cross-curriculum priorities be taught alongside the primary subjects, when our students can't read and write reliably at the end of their schooling? Minister, why does Aboriginal history and culture have any place in a maths lesson? Minister, why does an English lesson prioritise a cross-curriculum priority of sustainability? Too many kids can't read or write, so, surely, common sense would demand greater focus on the basics of learning. But this government continues to prioritise indoctrination over education in our classrooms, and it is shameful.”