Anne Urquhart
Braddon · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Today is 1 July. The Albanese Labor government is delivering real change for Australians, with cost-of-living measures starting today. Through tax cuts, expanded paid parental leave, and stronger investment in Medicare and hospitals, we're putting more money back into people's pockets and making it easier for families to access the care t…”
“From today, we are protecting Australian families by making it illegal for retailers like Coles and Woolies to price gouge customers by artificially inflating prices on groceries.”
“Last week I attended a memorial service for Constable Keith Smith, a long-serving and respected member of Tasmania Police who spent 25 years working across northern and western Tasmania. Keith received the Commissioner's Medal in 2011, the National Police Service Medal in 2016 and a 20-year clasp in 2021.”
“It was especially touching when the Central Coast mayor, Cheryl Fuller, announced a local thoroughfare between King Edward Street and Victoria Street in Ulverstone would be named Keith Smith Lane.”
“This also matters because award-reliant workers are disproportionately women, and their work has too often been undervalued and underpaid. Labor has backed wage rises in aged care, is supporting historic pay increases in early childhood education and care, and continues to support fair outcomes in sectors that have contributed to the gend…”
“But low unemployment does not mean that every Australian can easily access work. Too many people are missing out because the employment services system that replaced the CES in 1998 is no longer working for everyone who needs support to find and keep work.”
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“When I talk about highways, I also talk about these roads that are in regional Tasmania. Many of them are in the area that I represent. There is $150 million to duplicate the Tasman Highway causeways, easing congestion and improving safety; $100 million for safety improvements to the iconic Great Eastern Drive; $82 million to expand the bulk minerals export facility at the Burnie port, supporting regional export and jobs; $80 million for bridge and road pavement replacements across the state; and $80 million for safety upgrades to the Lyell Highway, a vital route for those commuting to the west coast communities. In addition, the 2025-26 budget committed a further $345.2 million to seven new projects, which include improvements to the Ridgley Highway, another corridor to the west coast of Tasmania.”
“This pipeline supports a program of nationally significant transport infrastructure projects across each state and territory, with a strong focus on regional Australia. As part of the 2025-26 budget, we allocated $8.6 billion under the infrastructure investment pipeline towards 22 new major projects that will directly benefit regional communities. In Tasmania, we are investing $2.3 billion over the next decade to deliver transformative infrastructure upgrades across the state. This includes $628.8 million for the new Bridgewater Bridge, which officially opened in June 2025 and is already improving travel times and safety for thousands of Tasmanians who travel that every day, and $363.2 million for upgrades to the East and West Tamar highways, the Bass Highway and the Ridgley Highway.”
“After a decade of neglect and underinvestment by the former coalition government, the Albanese Labor government is delivering record infrastructure investment to rebuild our regions and make our roads safer for all Australians. We're not just talking about change; we're actually delivering it. We understand that safe, reliable infrastructure is the backbone of thriving communities. That's why the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is undertaking a comprehensive consultation process, engaging with road safety experts, industry leaders, local governments and, of course, everyday Australians. We've committed to a 10-year infrastructure investment pipeline that exceeds $120 billion, the largest and most sustainable infrastructure investment in our nation's history.”
“A huge congratulations goes to the committee members, the volunteers, the performers, the stallholders and everyone who worked so hard to make all of the wonderful events such a success. I echo the words of many who spoke: this is all about community. It's about knowing and watching out for your neighbours. The events this year really let the spirit of this fabulous little community shine through. I want to again congratulate the small community of volunteers who worked really hard to put on such a fabulous event for not just the Penguin town but the entire north-west region.”
“The town of Penguin, nestled beside the sea on the north-west coast in Braddon, had the biggest and best birthday party that I've ever been to. The Penguin 150 Street Party was the highlight of the year of festivities to celebrate the birthday of the town. There was live music, food stalls, local markets, entertainment and a lot of community spirit, capped off with a fabulous show of fireworks. The main street was closed off so it was safe to roam, and the street was abuzz with crowds, prams, children, dogs and people enjoying the sunshine and the atmosphere. For the occasion, Australia Post developed a special stamp collection with the Big Penguin and a specially minted dollar coin with the Big Penguin on the face.”
“That's a testament to the enduring appeal of the festival and the tireless work of the Waratah-Wynyard Council, staff, volunteers and stallholders, who make it all happen. This year's festival was made even more special by the presence of guest ambassadors MasterChef runner up from Smithton, Josh "Pezza" Perry, and Hannah Moloney, a host of ABC TV's Gardening Australia . Here's to 33 years of the Wynyard Tulip Festival, and I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2026 for the 34th year! A week ago I attended a birthday party. That's not all that revolutionary; however, this was a combined 150th birthday for the township of Penguin and 50th birthday for the giant three-metre high penguin that sits on the foreshore.”
“Despite wild weather in the lead-up to the event, the skies cleared just in time and the community turned out in force with gumboots on and spirits high for the 2025 Tulip Festival in Wynyard. This festival began in 1991, born from the pride the Wynyard community felt in the breathtaking beauty of the region. What started as a small local celebration has blossomed, quite literally, into a nationally recognised event, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year. Over the past 33 years, we've seen the festival grow in scale and significance, with only one pause in 2020 due to COVID, which is an amazing result. Last year alone, Wynyard welcomed an estimated 20,000 people.”
“Whether you were sitting on Crib Road enjoying the music, sampling food from the local vendors or browsing artworks in pop-up galleries, Queenstown was really alive with creativity. Spiderbait, the legendary Aussie rock band, headlined the music program and brought an incredible energy to the weekend. Their performance drew crowds from across the region and was a highlight for many, myself included. I've been to every Unconformity since the festival's inception and I can say, without hesitation, that they just get better and better. Thank you to everyone who makes this festival possible: the artists, the organisers, the volunteers, the local businesses and the community of Queenstown. You continue to produce a top-tier festival.”
“An unconformity is a buried erosion surface separating two rock masses, or, as it happens on the west coast of Tasmania, it's a contemporary arts festival exploring the unique paradoxes of Queenstown—a four-day biennial festival, where you can walk the landscape, meet the people, be provoked by the different art, learn and be taught, or just have a damn good time enjoying art and all of the different iterations. This year I had the honour of being joined by the federal arts minister, Tony Burke. I proudly escorted him around Queenstown, through many of the festival's venues, and introduced him to a wide range of artists. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our local arts community. There's something truly special about meeting artists in their element, seeing their work, hearing their stories.”
“We're delivering where the previous government failed; while they promised a billion trees and delivered only one per cent, our $73.8 million Support Plantation Establishment program has already awarded funding for 25,000 hectares of new plantations. Through the Accelerated Option of Wood Processing Innovative Program, $89.49 million in grants has been provided to 30 projects to modernise manufacturing infrastructure and ensure our local processors remain at the cutting edge. There is a lot more that I could talk about in this. I am running out of time, but I do want to say that we are doing a lot more work within this area around forestry.”
“Decisions about the day-to-day management of native forests are ultimately a matter for the state governments, and our government is committed to providing a stable national framework, like the Regional Forest Agreements, that allows for sustainable native forestry to continue to occur. This government has a positive, forward-looking plan for the entire forestry and wood product sector. Through record investment, genuine partnership and a commitment to innovation, we are ensuring a strong, sustainable and prosperous future for the industry—and also, more importantly, the regional communities that depend so heavily on it. The Albanese government is backing the forestry industry with a landmark investment of $300 million to improve capacity, to drive innovation and to secure those jobs of the future.”
“The native hardwood timber sector alone contributed $278 million to the national economy in 2022-23. This very much outlines its ongoing importance to our regional communities, providing jobs with wages that are often spent in the local economy and in our regional communities. In Somerset, a small town in Braddon, Forico have their plant nursery, which I recently visited with Minister Julie Collins. Forico is the largest private forestry management company in Tasmania and the largest hardwood replanting program in Australia. They currently breed and deploy species such as blue gum, shining gum and radiata pine. The nursery has capacity beyond Forico's internal needs and grows commercial seedlings for external clients both in Tasmania and on the south-east mainland of Australia.”
“The Tasmanian forestry industry's value chain is made up of forest managers, harvesting contractors, log-truck drivers, sawmill operators and timber wholesalers and retailers. This flows through to house builders and furniture makers—and we have some wonderful specialty furniture makers in Tasmania, who use some of the most stunning timber that we grow. And, of course, we have many craft product makers, who sell their products in the boutique galleries that support our tourism and visitor economy. Annually, in Tasmania, we have the wonderful Australian Wooden Boat Festival, which has grown to become the largest single regular event on the Tasmanian tourism and events calendar. These beautiful boats are built from timbers that the Tasmanian timber industry is famous for.”
“Around one-third of the employees have been with Britton's for more than 10 years, and 17 per cent have been with the company for over 20 years. Britton Timbers have invested significantly in new technology to provide for more product flexibility to meet their customer requirements. The imported timber that they use is sourced from suppliers who identify environmental sustainability as a principal factor. Their timbers are also sourced principally from forests with international certification. Sitting down and talking with Shawn Britton was not only educational but also refreshing—hearing about how they care about their resource and also about their environment. The forest industry, like all our resource based industries, have long value chains.”
“The Albanese Labor government is unequivocal in its support for a sustainable and innovative Australian forestry industry. This means both native forestry and plantations. We recognise that native forests are a crucial and complementary source of wood products that plantations cannot supply. This reduces our reliance on importing this timber from countries that have weaker environmental standards. I recently visited Britton Timbers in Smithton in the Circular Head region on the far north-west coast of Tasmania. Britton Timbers celebrated its centenary in 2007. Britton Timbers has been a provider of quality Tasmanian timber—timber like blackwood, Tasmanian hardwood and other timbers—for over 100 years, providing good jobs for locals.”
“These are services which really matter in a community, particularly in regional communities like the one that I represent, and I look forward to a second Medicare mental health centre opening soon, in Burnie. This will provide services right across the two major centres within the electorate of Braddon. The Albanese Labor government is getting on with the job of supporting our regional communities with these very important services. Again, they provide a walk-in service, with no referral and no payment required. We are getting on with the job of helping people in our regional communities.”
“Last week, along with Minister Emma McBride, we officially opened the Medicare mental health centre in Devonport, in the electorate of Braddon. This walk-in centre offers free mental health care for anyone aged 18 and over. It's open five days a week, with no appointment, no referral and no payment required. It's staffed with qualified mental health professionals, who can find the support that people need either on the phone, face to face or via the website. It's a warm, soothing environment, and as soon as you walk in the door you feel like it's giving you a warm hug. These centres are a much-needed addition to my community. Following the soft opening the week prior to the official opening, the centre had 15 walk-ins. When I dropped in last week to say hello, they told me they'd had a further 10 walk-ins since the official opening.”
“So I call on Simplot, both the local management and the US management, to sit down around the table with the growers, who have supported them and who have been in a good relationship with them for many, many years, and put a fair price on the table so that the growers can continue to get on with what they're doing and grow the potatoes that Simplot need.”
“They need to get them in the ground, ready to start the harvest when the factory recommences in January with the new crops. Farmers, like everyone, are committed to mortgages, wages and loans for their equipment. Simplot said: We remain focused on a sustainable outcome that supports the long-term viability of local farming and the broader industry … If this is really the case, then Simplot should come back to the negotiating table and negotiate in good faith with the growers, who have supported them over many years with a good quality product and a good working relationship.”
“Simplot negotiators compared the unit cost with production from India and told the growers that, if they don't accept the offer of the price cut, they will close the factory and import the product from India. This opens up all sorts of questions regarding biosecurity, food security and food handling methods compared to products that are produced right here in Australia. The growers are, of course, angry and disappointed about how they are being treated by Simplot's actions, after years of having a strong relationship. On Thursday last week, growers fired up their tractors to raise the issue of price cuts and the growing pressure from cheap imports. They travelled from all over Tasmania to Deloraine to raise their concerns. It's time now for growers to be planting their crops.”
“Simplot walked away from the previous methodology of pricing with the growers and offered—if you can call it that—a six per cent cut, which reduces the margin to the growers to somewhere around 40 per cent. The growers told me that, with this increase in input costs, diesel, fertiliser et cetera, they cannot sustain a price cut and of course rejected the offer. The price of a serve of fries from McDonald's has increased by around 14 per cent. From that $5 serving of french fries, the farmer gets just 11c. Given the small amount the growers receive as a proportion of the final price of the product, it's not unreasonable that they get a fair return for their product.”
“In 2019, farmers raised the issue of escalating costs with Simplot, and Simplot agreed that the differential margin was based on a cost based contract model plus a margin. During COVID, the growers agreed to continue to supply on the cost based model and supported Simplot with enough potatoes to ensure the supply of french fries, as it was difficult to get them from anywhere else during COVID. During previous negotiations, the growers committee had negotiated with Simplot Australia's local management. The negotiations are now managed from the United States under a global procurement model, which is a very different model from before. The change has been significant.”
“The Ulverstone factory supports around 400 direct jobs, a significant number of growers from right across the north-western north-east of Tasmania and the hundreds of other jobs such as shipping, transport and logistics, carton providers et cetera, and the list just goes on, with many, many employees right across the spectrum. The workers who work at the factory support the small businesses right across the region when they purchase goods and services from them. Growers from right across the electorate and beyond are in the process of negotiating with Simplot for the next terms of their agreement in terms of providing their product to the factory. In 2007, the growers through TasFarmers' potato negotiating committee worked with Simplot and agreed on a gross margin return.”
“The Ulverstone Simplot processing plant provides the french fries that you'll get if you go to a McDonald's outlet anywhere in Australia except New South Wales. There are also the other fast food takeaway shops, restaurants et cetera that are supplied by Simplot Ulverstone. Simplot is one of two french fry processors in Tasmania, the other being the McCain Foods plant at Smithton. Both of these are in the electorate of Braddon. Simplot Ulverstone was where I commenced my working life back in 1979 and worked there for 11 years. It was then known as Edgell-Birdseye.”
“The Albanese government is taking practical steps to help Australians store the solar energy they generate and use it when they need it most. While we on this side are getting on with commitments we took to the election and helping Australians with the cost of living by supporting eligible households, businesses and community organisations to access a 30 per cent discount on small-scale battery systems, those on that side only seem interested in their internals, tearing themselves apart and looking inward. We are getting on with the job that we were elected to do.”
“The $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program is now helping more Australians take control of their energy bills and make the most of their rooftop solar. While over four million households have solar panels, only one in 40 had installed batteries, largely due to high upfront costs. This program is changing that. Last week in my electorate of Braddon, I spoke with Adrian from DMS Energy in Spreyton, who welcomed the program and its benefits. He described it as a smart forward-looking initiative that will help reduce electricity bills, lower peak demand and create a more stable grid. He also praised the program's strong focus on safety and permanent installation standards. This is about delivering real cost-of-living relief, supporting clean energy uptake and ensuring regional communities like Braddon aren't left behind.”
“Our government has committed to assisting the sector to act on climate and on reducing emissions, and we've announced $63.8 million to commence this work; that includes $28.7 million over 10 years, inclusive of $0.9 million ongoing from 2028-29, to improve greenhouse gas accounting in the agriculture and land sector, and $30.8 million over four years to accelerate on-ground action to reduce agriculture and land emissions; the funding will build on the existing Carbon Farming Outreach Program. And there's $4.4 million to DAFF to become a partner in the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre that was established on 1 July 2024. We are proud to be supporting our vital agricultural— (Time expired)”
“Australia's farmers, fishers and foresters are some of the hardest-working, most sustainable and most productive in the world, and, since coming to office, the Albanese government has backed them every step of the way. We're opening up and diversifying trade opportunities. We're protecting and investing in our world-leading and robust biosecurity systems. We're boosting the agricultural workforce, providing skilled and dedicated staff for farms, processing plants and forestry operations. We're improving on-farm climate resilience, to equip our producers with the tools, knowledge and support that they need to adapt and thrive in the face of a challenging climate. And we're supporting the research and development needed to drive Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry into the future.”
“Tasmania is also a prime location for the production of cereal and seed crops. Some of our farmers are doing it tough in negotiations with local food giant Simplot, who are trying to cut prices for potatoes due to their global procurement policy, and I stand with the farmers in that fight. The recently released data from ABARES has forecast that the value of agricultural production will rise to $95 billion this financial year. When you include our fisheries and our forestry sector, that figure rises to over $100 billion—forecast for the first time ever. I know that's been said by previous speakers, but it's worth repeating. This result has not been achieved by accident. It is the direct result of a deliberate and focused partnership between a government that is listening to an industry and an industry that constantly delivers.”
“The Tasmanian salmon- and trout-farming industry currently creates around 5,103 full-time-equivalent jobs and has gross production value of over $1 billion. The Tasmanian salmon industry, while supplying just 1.6 per cent of the world's salmon, is the largest fishery in Australia by both volume and economic value. In Tasmania the forest industry is a critical and fundamental part of the economy and social fabric that make our island state unique. In August, Minister Collins and I visited Forico Nursery in Somerset, Tasmania, to announce funding of $19 million for 15 plantation sites around the country, including five in Tasmania. Forico and the nursery supply seedlings to some of those plantations. Tasmania supplies the nation with some of the highest quality fresh and frozen vegetables.”
“We've been opening new trade opportunities, through 231 market-access achievements since July 2022, and building a climate-resilient agriculture sector through the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan, backed by more than $2 billion worth of investment, to ensure that our farmers and producers can confidently face our climate future. We are steadfast in our support of industry's ambition to grow the agriculture sector to $100 billion in farmgate value by 2030. I guess I'm not different from a lot of people in this place. My grandparents ran a dairy farm nestled under the Great Western Tiers, and I've many great memories of growing up there. My other grandparents ran a contracting business out of Kindred, many years ago. So I think we all have a bit of that soil—beautiful Tasmanian soil—running through our veins.”
“Since coming to government in 2022 we have been delivering for Australian farmers and producers. We're strengthening biosecurity, with more than $2 billion in new funding to keep Australia free from the world's most invasive pests and diseases—a very important issue not just for us down in our island state of Tasmania but for the whole country—and boosting the agricultural workforce, bringing employers, unions and government together to tackle the workforce challenges impacting Australia's agriculture and processing industry.”
“Kiely Plumbing is the first business in Tasmania to partner with Tradeswomen Australia. This is what Sam has to say about that partnership: We believe there is absolutely nothing more important than equality in life. It led us to partner with Tradeswomen Australia and participate in their Workplace Diversity Project. Proud to say we have employed our first woman apprentice and strive to create an inclusive workplace for future female tradeswomen. And it's not just in the workshop that he is encouraging girls and women to meet their potential. Sam wrote Plumbing Power with M ila and May a to show that there's no limit to what girls can do, to encourage more women into trades and, in his words, 'to show kids that trade jobs aren't just about tools; they are about superpowers.' Congratulations to Sam and the team at Kylie Plumbing.”
“The Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles, and I recently visited Kiely Plumbing in Burnie, in the electorate of Braddon. Thank you to Sam Kiely and his team for hosting us. Kiely Plumbing started in 1967 in Sam's pop's shed in Sulphur Creek. It has grown into a well-respected, modern, family owned and operated business. Kiely Plumbing is focused on delivering great service to customers and building a healthy and safe workplace culture with a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. I was very impressed with the young apprentices I met during my visit, including Isabella, a young woman working in what is still a non-traditional trade for women. She's being encouraged and supported in her chosen trade, and the minister and I enjoyed hearing about her experience.”
“We have looked after those workers, and we have now enshrined that in legislation. Labor governs for all. That's no more apparent than in electorates like mine. We also know that there is more to do. We are playing catch-up on a long period of neglect from those opposite: inconsistent investment, lack of certainty for business and renewables, and lack of concern for the people and places in rural and remote Australia. Our priorities, policies and programs will support and include those who live outside metropolitan and regional Australia—people like the people that I represent in the electorate of Braddon, which is remote, rural and very remote. I commend the bill to the House.”
“Almost 8,000 people in Braddon will benefit from this. We're making free TAFE permanent, so young Australians can get the skills that they need for the jobs that they want, and we are delivering affordable child care closer to home. Last week, legislation passed both houses to put penalty rates into law, to protect weekend and overtime pay. Penalty rates make a big difference for many people. If you're working on a Saturday night, on a Sunday or on a public holiday, you should be compensated for what you are giving up, and that is what our legislation will ensure. There are many, many workers across this country who rely on penalty rates but also work unsavoury hours and shifts that keep them away from their families. They really deserve to have those penalty rates.”
“More than 365 construction trade apprentices in Braddon, who are building new houses, are benefiting from $5,000 incentive payments. From 1 July this year, Labor's Key Apprenticeship Program has offered up to $10,000 in financial support to apprentices commencing or recommencing their careers in the clean energy or housing construction sectors. If you go along to a TAFE and talk to the students who are involved in that, they are absolutely stoked about it. They are coming through the door. It is helping to train those we need to build the homes. Following tax cuts and energy bill relief in our first term, we will deliver new tax cuts for every taxpayer, and we will deliver more energy bill relief. We've wiped 20 per cent off student debt so that three million students and apprentices will save an average of $5½ thousand each.”
“For renters, we've delivered a 45 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance—the biggest back-to-back increase in more than 30 years—helping over one million low-income Australian households pay their rent. In Braddon, there are 9,000 people who have benefited directly from this assistance. We've made strong progress in delivering 55,000 social and affordable rental homes for the Australians who need it most. We've invested a record $1.2 billion into building new crisis and transitional accommodation to ensure that at-risk groups, including older women, younger Australians and those fleeing from family and domestic violence, will have access to safe and stable housing. We've facilitated the training of more tradies through Labor's fee-free TAFE.”
“We're implementing the program early, on 1 October 2025, instead of waiting until next year. Under Labor, all first home buyers will be able to borrow for their first home with a five per cent deposit, with no caps in place and no income limits. For single parents, the deposit requirement will be just two per cent of the purchase price. Labor's scheme will save first home buyers tens of thousands of dollars in lenders mortgage insurance. In the first year alone, first home buyers are expected to avoid around $1.5 billion in mortgage insurance costs. Since we came to government, more than 560 people in Braddon have been able to buy their first home with a five per cent deposit or less thanks to Labor's Home Guarantee Scheme. That's 560 people for whom it would otherwise have been out of reach.”
“One is currently being fitted out in Devonport and will open soon, and a second clinic will be located right in Burnie. Again, these centres provide free walk-in mental health services for people of all ages. They will be an important link between hospital services and people in the community with mental health issues and will provide services at a time when and at a place where people need them—no waiting. Walk in and be seen. The centres will be staffed by social workers, nurses, peer support workers and mental health workers, and they will have access to psychiatry services. We know that the dream of homeownership has been out of reach for many people. The Albanese Labor government is helping all first home buyers purchase their first home through the Home Guarantee Scheme.”
“These are the things that make a difference to people in regional, rural and remote Tasmania and right across the country. The Devonport Urgent Care Clinic has delivered over 25,000 bulk-billed walk-in consultations since it opened at the end of 2023. I'm really pleased to say that a tender process is now underway to select a provider for our second urgent care clinic in Burnie. These initiatives help take numbers out of the emergency departments within our hospitals, which are always chock-a-block full. When people can go to an urgent care clinic, they can get seen within a very short period, get the treatment they need and not have to pay a cent for that. Across Tasmania, urgent care clinics have delivered over 100,000 bulk-billed appointments. Braddon will benefit from two Medicare mental health centres.”
“The estimated savings to patients in Braddon from our cheaper medicines policy is so far almost $8.5 million, and, across Tasmania, more than $40 million has been saved. Our policy is putting money back in the pockets of patients when buying their medicines. We've also prioritised women's health, with over $790 million in funding to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women, including new rebates for longer consultations. Braddon voters have seen the great outcomes of Labor's first round of funding for Medicare urgent care centres. They supported our commitment to extending the number of urgent care clinics. A total of 87 Medicare urgent care clinics are currently operating across Australia. This number will expand to 137 clinics as part of the 2025-26 federal budget and Labor's plan.”
“The electorate saw Labor committing more funding to public hospitals. In 2025-26, we will deliver a 14 per cent increase in funding to Tasmanian state-run hospitals. Up from $660 million last year, the state will receive $750 million in Commonwealth funding this financial year. We will also invest $120 million to establish a heart centre in Launceston, making it easier for patients with heart disease from the north and north-west to get better health care. The people of Braddon also backed Labor's plan to strengthen Medicare, to make medicines cheaper and more accessible, to increase bulk-billing incentives for medical practices and to increase the number of doctors, nurses and midwives.”
“It is home to many quiet achievers, boasts innovative industries and advanced manufacturers, is an emerging renewable-energy powerhouse and is a fantastic place to live. It is important that Braddon is not relegated to the edge of the world or left behind when it comes to federal government policy, programs and priorities. The Albanese Labor government has shown that it is a government for all Australians, including residents of Braddon. The electorate delivered the biggest swing in the country—over 15 per cent—to elect me as its representative. And there is a reason for this. The electorate saw that the Albanese Labor government doesn't leave people behind. We don't forget small communities like our agricultural and mining communities, and we know the challenges that face people who live outside metropolitan and regional Australia.”
“These are issues in the electorate that are attributed to remoteness, but, for some issues, this is a poor excuse from service agencies who should work harder—and this is not good enough. For example, there are areas of my electorate that have persistently poor digital connectivity. This is a handbrake on businesses, it disadvantages students, and it isolates people and their communities. Consumers in my electorate are signing the same standard price contracts with telcos, but they receive far poorer services than the mainland and even some other parts of Tasmania. But I'm pleased to say that the federal government is funding incentives that will bring more competition to the market and better investment on behalf of their customers. The electorate isn't a squeaky wheel and often flies below the radar.”
“At this location, looking out to the sea, the next closest piece of land in a straight line is Argentina, more than 15,000 kilometres away. I'm told it's the longest uninterrupted expanse of ocean on Earth. I'm yet to swim it! The electorate boasts extensive areas of wilderness, and it's no surprise that the West Coast was chosen not once but twice as the location for the SBS series Alone Australia a wild place indeed. In Braddon, people commute long distances to work, to study, to see loved ones and to access services that, for many other people, are available just around the corner. On average, the electorate has an older population and has poorer health outcomes than other parts of Australia.”
“I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, cognate with Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026. I'm very proud to represent the people of the federal seat of Braddon in this place. As you know, Deputy Speaker Claydon, I also served as a senator for Tasmania in the other place between 2011 and 2025. I'm a strong advocate for all things Tasmanian and particularly for the north-west, the West Coast and King Island. It's worth reminding everyone from metropolitan and regional electorates that my electorate is rural, it's remote and it's very remote. Braddon is a large electorate, and the population is geographically dispersed. Circular Head, one of eight local government areas in the electorate, boasts a location called 'the edge of the world'.”
“Coming up in September there are two events: one to celebrate the legacy of the Lette sisters, who were instrumental in the town's early development, and the Penguin Cemetery Walk, to learn about the town's forbears. In October there's a huge street party scheduled, and I'm anticipating going along to that. I want to congratulate the small group of organisers who have very successfully put together the Penguin 150, putting this little piece of paradise on the map and celebrating the 150th birthday of Penguin.”
“The seaside town of Penguin on Tasmania's north-west coast is turning 150 this year in October. Through the year there have been many events to celebrate this occasion. Penguin was officially proclaimed a town in 1875, although settlers had arrived as early as 1861, drawn to the area by timber and spectacular farmlands. In March, hundreds of us—and I joined in—from all along the coast dressed up in Penguin suits and masks and participated in the Great Penguin Waddle. It was a lot of fun. In April there was the Penguin Egg-Stravaganza, a huge Easter egg hunt, lawn games and painted penguin rookeries from the Antarctica exhibition in Hobart.”
“My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How is the Albanese Labor government helping regional Australians into homeownership after a decade of being ignored?”