Michael McCormack's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (New South Wales Local Court) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
It is insanity, Member for Mallee. Victoria is a mess. It is a complete mess. I do hope that there is a change of government there soon. When you think about that case and you think about what is...
It is insanity, Member for Mallee. Victoria is a mess. It is a complete mess. I do hope that there is a change of government there soon. When you think about that case and you think about what is going on at the moment in New South Wales, our largest populated state, with the protests, with the lack of tough sentencing on people who are doing dreadful things to the police, it is no wonder that people are uptight. Then you've got the New South Wales government wanting to change a word—wanting to change the title of a magistrate to a judge. I have to say that I believe words are important, and 'magistrate' probably suits the role that they do and the court that they preside over. Whether or not they deserve to be called a judge might be a matter, perhaps, for other legal minds to decide upon. But I don't know why we go down this path, because it then involves us getting up and talking about it. No doubt the Attorney-General thinks that I've probably just taken up 11 minutes of her life that she's never going to get back, but truly, really, doesn't the New South Wales parliament have better things to do? Don't our courts have better things to do? Doesn't our Commonwealth parliament have better things to do than to be going through the perfunctory bureaucratic nonsense that we are now faced with because these amendments are necessary to ensure so many aspects of the change from magistrate to judge? I just wonder, when we've got everything that's going on in New South Wales at the moment, why the government that runs that state thought that this was a priority. You really have to scratch your head and ask yourself why.
Of all the things that the New South Wales government has on its plate at the moment, you would think this would probably be the least imperative and important, but, given the fact that amongst...
Of all the things that the New South Wales government has on its plate at the moment, you would think this would probably be the least imperative and important, but, given the fact that amongst one of its so-called 'primary reforms' was the abolition of the statutory office of Magistrate of the Local Court and the establishment of a new statutory office called Judge of the Local Court, we find ourselves having to update all our statutes, books and paperwork involved in this. Now, of course the coalition supports this bill, but I do want to make a few pertinent remarks in relation to the Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (New South Wales Local Court) Bill of 2026 and other related matters pertaining to our legal system. Now, in the Local Court and Bail Legislation Amendment Act 2025 New South Wales made a series of amendments to the Local Court Act 2007 and related statutes. We know that because that's why we're here doing this supposedly perfunctory bill. The matters that are coming before the New South Wales courts at the moment are pretty important. And whilst I appreciate a lot of them aren't going before what were once local magistrates are and are going before other levels of courts in New South Wales, I do really worry about some of the sentences and some of the decisions being made in that state. It is my home state, and I care a lot about it and care deeply for the people of New South Wales. To be honest, I don't think—I can say this given the fact that I have parliamentary privilege here—that the people of New South Wales are being well served by some of the sentences being handed out. When you've got Justice Belinda Rigg making a decision against the Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, who is doing a good job, and Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, who is doing an excellent job—when they go and apply to the courts to have protests stopped and Justice Rigg then decides to overrule them and allow protests to go ahead, and we see what we saw on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 3 August, I do question why then the NSW government seems to see a priority in changing the titles of people running their courts. What we saw on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and again last night comes back to the fact that I don't believe our courts are doing well enough when it comes to stopping these protests and, moreover, sentencing those people who end up in the courts as a result of those protests. We have a right to demonstrate in this state and in any state. In Australia, there is that God-given right. We live in a democracy, and may we long uphold that. As Voltaire once said, I mightn't agree with what somebody says, but I very much fervently believe in their right to say it. But with free speech comes responsibility. What we saw last night, what we saw on 3 August last year and what we saw on the steps of the Opera House on 9 October 2023, two days after the initial Hamas attacks, is not the way we should be living. Then we've got the New South Wales parliament deciding that, 'Gee, let's change the name "magistrate" and call them "judges".' Really? Why is this important and imperative? I don't understand it. The other thing that is happening and that we see so often is with the system of family courts. My predecessor, Kay Hull, who was a very good member and was the member for Riverina from 1998 to 2010, told me when I took over from her that one of the most heart-rending things that I would oversee and hear about was the situation of family courts and often men being denied access to their children. Justice—or so-called justice—in our family court system is too lengthy. I know the wheels of justice turn very, very slowly, but, if there is anything that we can do to speed up a good and due process in the family court system, I would appeal to the Attorney-General, a person of good heart and good faith, to do just that. Whilst it has been overtaken by the shambles that is the National Disability Insurance Scheme, we still have people—often men—not being well served by the family courts, and often the cases are taking way too long to hear. The biggest sufferers from this are the children, who seriously don't know whether they're Arthur or Martha. They are pulled and dragged from one home to the other and from one court to the next. It's just not right, and it is just taking too long. Why I mention Kay Hull in this context is that she presided over a parliamentary committee hearing where they released a report called Every picture tells a story. It was groundbreaking in the recommendations that it made to improve the family court system. But, unfortunately, in New South Wales—and no doubt elsewhere—there are people who just feel powerless. Don't just take my word for it. An online 8 September 2025 article, a well-written piece by Isabella Ross for the ABC News, was headed just that—'$1m on legal fees and feeling "powerless": Parents detail "crushing" Family Court experiences'. Attorney, if you could look into that as a matter of some urgency, I would implore you to do so. I appreciate it's not just New South Wales; it's the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. But often these matters start in a local court in New South Wales and they go up the chain and they cost people so much money, so much time and so much of their health. It is exhausting. It is expensive. As Isabella Ross wrote: Financial abuse from "high conflict" ex-partners, lawyers "maximising fees" and a family report writer's warning to a client that "your case is a murder-suicide waiting to happen". These are just some of the allegations parents have told the ABC about their experiences in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. I would add, as I said before, that often these cases start before what was once a local magistrate. Isabella Ross writes: But it is the emotional impact on their children that these parents say has taken the biggest toll. Over the last two decades, approximately one in two divorces involved parents with children aged under 18 years. For the co-parents swept into family law, it can be an exhausting journey. It's a sad situation. It's getting even sadder given the fact that marriages aren't lasting as long as they used to. They simply are not. I appreciate that's a matter between adults, but, for the sake of the kids, I think we need to do better and be better. Just on background, this bill makes minor and technical amendments, as I said earlier, to the Acts Interpretation Act, which dates back to Federation in 1901, and other Commonwealth legislation as a result of the Local Court and Bail Legislation Amendment Act of 2025 in New South Wales, which replaces the office of a New South Wales magistrate with the office of judge of a New South Wales local court. We are talking about state courts, and that previous sentence or two of mine mentioned bail. I spoke recently to a woman in Melbourne, in the home state of the member for Mallee, who woke to find a large man in her bedroom at 6.15 in the morning and shrieked. The police came. Apparently, he'd got himself through the doggy door and was at the end of her bed. She has three young children. When the police came and apprehended this felon, he had already been bailed 67 times. Just think about that—67 times.
National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026, National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I hear you say you appreciate it, and I genuinely mean that. But if Minister Plibersek or I when I was the minister did the wrong thing, let me tell you, we were hauled before the court of public...
I hear you say you appreciate it, and I genuinely mean that. But if Minister Plibersek or I when I was the minister did the wrong thing, let me tell you, we were hauled before the court of public opinion for doing so. That great old pub test. The media will soon catch you out. Besides, when you're a minister you've got a lot of responsibilities to do the right thing. I know that ministers in the Labor, Liberal and National parties take those responsibilities very seriously and earnestly, as they should. There are already Indigenous-specific children's commissioners in the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. Do we need more? Do we need another layer and level of bureaucracy? I doubt it. The Department of Social Services is also already required to consult children and young people, and we know that children and young people are our future irrespective of race, creed or whatever else. But the focus should be on ensuring existing bodies do their jobs, not on creating new bodies and then almost abrogating the responsibility that should lie with existing agencies and the minister. In his book The Gulf Country: The Story of People and Place in Outback Queensland from 2019, Richard J. Martin writes, 'Aboriginal people on the stations were most commonly involved in stockwork, where their understanding of country and skill with animals were highly valued by the pastoralists.' I use this reference for this particular bill not because I'm straying off the topic—I'm not—but because what we saw in the outback country of the gulf land in Queensland, in the Northern Territory and in other parts was an opportunity taken away from young Aboriginal people when a previous Labor government on 7 June 2011 stopped the live cattle trade to Indonesia. Mr Martin writes: 'The contributions of Aboriginal women were commonly around the homestead, where they worked as domestics or in the garden. Both men and women helped to look after children.' In this book—and it is a good book and I recommend it—he praises the work and role done by Indigenous communities, and Indigenous people moreover, particularly in agricultural work, to the point where he said they were the best at it of those in Australia employed and engaged in the practice of stockwork. Many of those Aboriginal people lost the opportunity to continue that work when, in a knee-jerk reaction, Labor stopped the live cattle trade. It was a shameful decision that was subsequently overturned. It didn't help the young Aboriginal stockmen who stopped doing it and were never re-engaged in the process. And I say that because many of them were young. Many of them were either just school leavers or getting into the trade as teenage boys. We need to give Aboriginal youths every hope and prospect of being able to be their best selves. I'm not so certain that this legislation does that. We don't need another onerous layer of legislation. Some might say 'costly'. I would argue against that point. I would say that the $33 million or so would be far better spent in going to the nub of some of the real Aboriginal youth issues. You won't find them in Canberra. You won't find them generally in the eastern states. But anybody who's ever been to Alice or Katherine or Arnhem Land or anywhere else in the Northern Territory—and I know the member for Lingiari would back me up here—will see where money needs to be spent in the Indigenous space. I know how hard I fought, with the member for Solomon and the former member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon, to ensure that the Northern Territory had two seats. I did that against the best wishes, let's say, of our coalition partners at the time—not that I want to open up old wounds or even current ones! Why is it right that people in Katherine would have to travel hundreds upon hundreds of kilometres to see their local federal member who would be in Darwin? I don't always think people in Canberra get that. I don't always think people in Canberra understand that. For the best outcomes for our Aboriginal youth, we need to make sure that money is being spent where it best meets the needs, wants, hopes and expectations of people in those remote Indigenous communities. I don't think this legislation does that, and I think we would be far better off going back to the drawing board and thinking this through again.
Well, Minister, you would know. You're an experienced minister, and I do have a lot of faith and trust in you. I do, and you know that.
Gerard Neesham is a celebrated Australian football player and coach in Australia. He played in five West Australian Football League premiership teams and is a member of the West Australian...
Gerard Neesham is a celebrated Australian football player and coach in Australia. He played in five West Australian Football League premiership teams and is a member of the West Australian Football Hall of Fame. He's a former coach of Fremantle. He played for the Sydney Swans as well as other clubs throughout his celebrated career. But the best thing that he perhaps will be remembered for is the fact that he established Clontarf. He steps down from his position as chief executive officer of that organisation this year. I'll give you a few statistics about Clontarf, which gives hope to young Aboriginal people. It supports 12½ thousand students at 161 academies, including 1,100 year 12 students, final year students who but for Clontarf would not, perhaps, be sitting for those final exams and who would not, perhaps, have the opportunities that will be afforded them because they've stayed the course at school. And that is in no small measure due to the work of Gerard Neesham. I thank him for the role he has played to enable young Aboriginal boys, in particular, to be the best versions of themselves. In his remarks on retiring from the position he acknowledged some key people he has worked with in his 26 years of service to Clontarf: Ross Kelly, the founding chair; and Craig Brierty, who has stood alongside him for most of the journey. He said that he appreciates the role that government and corporate partners have played, and the dedicated staff, past and present. He also said this: I would like to acknowledge … … … … most importantly, the thousands of young men who have been Clontarf members. Your stories of success, resilience and contribution to your communities are the true measure of Clontarf's legacy. It's organisations such as this and people such as Gerard Neesham OAM who, I think, hold the key. I appreciate that the government is pushing for a national commissioner. This bill, the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026, and the related bill transition the national commission from its current status as an executive agency to an independent statutory agency. The legislation defines the commissioner's objectives as promoting, improving and supporting the rights, safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children while driving greater accountability for policies impacting this group. That's what the legislation says. But will it? That's the question. We all want what is best for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. We all need to work towards the common goal of ensuring that they are not overrepresented in incarceration rates, that they have a future—the sort of future that Clontarf would lay out for them, The Commissioner will be—I will say 'will be' because we know that this legislation will pass this House, given the Labor government's huge majority of 50-plus seats. It may be amended in the Senate, but who would know? The bill has a financial impact of $33½ million. Whilst that might sound like a reasonably large figure in the scheme of the money that goes towards Indigenous issues, it's not. That money would be well spent if the commission was not building yet another bureaucracy, duplicating much of the work of existing Commonwealth, state and territory bodies. That's where I think the issue for this particular legislation and this particular initiative lies. It does duplicate the work already being done by existing bodies such as the National Children's Commissioner and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission. We want to see the best for people who, as members quite correctly point out, are the oldest continuous culture on Earth. We want to see their youth in particular being given the same opportunities as anybody else in this country. But does this bill do this? I'm not so certain. The new position is essentially about consultation, providing advice to government and undertaking research and advocacy responsibilities that already exist within roles across government. I do wonder, not just with this bill but with others besides, that we are seeing a constant decay and erosion of responsibilities that once lay firmly and squarely and fairly with a minister. Under the Westminster system, ministers carry a lot of responsibility, as they should, and ministers are elected and then appointed by prime ministers through the cabinet process. They wear that responsibility not just as a badge of honour but as a duty to improving the outcomes and the futures of Australians. If we as a parliament keep watering down that level of responsibility by people who are ministers of the Crown, then what we're doing is just giving rubber stamp value to the role that they play. We can't have the bureaucrats down the hill running the whole show. I have every faith and trust in the public servants, who serve us very, very well. They do. I saw the best of public servants during COVID-19, when this country was very much facing the prospect of losing tens of thousands of people. Public servants such as Steven Kennedy, Simon Atkinson and others did a mighty and amazing job—and also, no doubt, in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander space. What we saw during that time was vaccines going out to remote Aboriginal communities at the same time, or at almost the same time, as in metropolitan Australia. That was right, and that was just, and that was overseen by public servants. Public servants aren't elected by the people of Australia, but ministers are elected by a process. We all go to an election, we put our name on a ballot paper, and the Australian people vote accordingly. We can't keep watering down and eroding the value and the responsibility of a minister. This is what I believe this legislation and other bills that the Labor government is bringing before this House and the Senate are doing. That's what's happening. We must protect our ministers' responsibility. People say that ministers will have too much power. No, they won't. If they err—I see the minister at the table, the member for Sydney, smiling.
Palestine Action Group: Protest | Questions without Notice | House debates
That is rubbish—absolute rubbish!
Tumbatrek | Constituency Statements | House debates
The Tim Fischer Tumbatrek is over for another year, and the walking and talking is done. The conversation and perspiration has ended. It is a great event, and it reminds us of the legacy that Tim...
The Tim Fischer Tumbatrek is over for another year, and the walking and talking is done. The conversation and perspiration has ended. It is a great event, and it reminds us of the legacy that Tim Fischer leaves. He started this trek in 1985 as a way of promoting the tourism and the business opportunities in Tumbarumba shire. Now, of course, that's part of Snowy Valleys Council. It's soon to be demerged. But so many representatives of Tumut and Tumbarumba gathered there. Prior to that, we had a very good meeting with Carlie Porteous and the Softwoods Working Group, Hyne and Visy, talking about the Walwa fire and the devastating impacts upon the forestry industry from that January incident. Then we had the dinner that night at the memorial hall, where the New South Wales Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Cately, attended. I give her credit for the job that she's doing, particularly this week. It was great to join state MPs Dr Joe McGirr and Justin Clancy on the actual walk with Julia Ham, the Snowy Valleys' mayor, and with Paul Culhane, the Mayor of Upper Lachlan shire. We trekked 12.2 kilometres from the Bago forest to the Henry Angel campsite. We trekked to the Burra Creek, passing the side of the Hussell's Mill before joining the famous Hume and Hovell Track. One of the morning highlights was seeing a crackle of cockatoos—that's the collective noun for cockatoos. There were six of the gang-gang cockatoos nesting. They were fantastic. We were also joined by the Consul-General of the Czech Republic, Hana Flanderova, and a German exchange student, Sophie, who's with Rotary International. It reminded us all about the importance of sometimes going and smelling the roses, the crisp clean air of Tumbarumba shire. There were people from right across the political divide, people with vastly different opinions. But there were 140 people trekking through the mountains. It was absolutely fantastic. We were joined by a large group of teenagers, mostly Tumbarumba High School years 11 and 12 students, but there was one apprentice there as well. All were just young people using the exercise as training for their mid-year Kokoda Trek expedition. As I said, the annual dinner the previous night was also fantastic, as it gave people the opportunity, as Tim Fischer would want us to do, to gather and to talk about the things that are common to us. There's a lot going wrong in the world, and we all know that, whether it's the world, the nation or even locally. But when you can get together on something as great as the terrific Tumbatrek and talk about the things that we have in common, it gets you to realise that there is much more that unites as people than that which divides us.
Three thousand police. Snipers on the roof. A ring of steel around the central business district of Sydney. Workers, visitors, residents told to stay either at home or away. What is going on in...
Three thousand police. Snipers on the roof. A ring of steel around the central business district of Sydney. Workers, visitors, residents told to stay either at home or away. What is going on in this country? How has it gotten to this? The visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog has been greeted with remarkable scenes not just in Sydney, not just in Melbourne, but in Wagga Wagga and Benalla. This has to stop. It simply must stop. I'm not quite sure indeed what these people are still protesting about. I have nothing against peaceful demonstrations. It's part and parcel of living in a democracy. But the Australian government's adherence to Palestinian statehood was announced on 11 August last year. It was formally recognised on 21 September last year. I disagreed with it, but this is what the United Nations and our nation did and followed through on. And yet still we're seeing protests week after week, day after day in our capital cities and in our country cities. And for what? I just don't understand it. Some of them are saying, 'Well, they're peaceful demonstrations.' No, they're not, because if you talk to the officers who are engaged with babysitting these people, they will tell you that these people throw things at them—anything they can lay their hands on—and they spit at them. Where have we got to as a country? Why is this happening? They would be far better off volunteering their time at a soup kitchen, attending a cancer hospice, doing anything but what they're doing. I spoke to Labor New South Wales Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley on Friday night. She's doing a good job under tremendous pressure. So too, I have to say, is Premier Chris Minns. He has shown leadership against all of this. Thank goodness we have Mal Lanyon in as the police commissioner, because he has requested, and rightly so, extensions to prohibitions on these protests. Then, of course, we've got the Teachers Federation and others involved in teaching our children using—I should say abusing—Bluey, a much-loved children's character, to promote their propaganda, their river to the sea. I don't get it. I'm sorry, I just don't. I do not understand how and why these people think it's right that they can use Australian icons like Bluey, the opera house or the Sydney Harbour Bridge to promote their hatred, their spite, particularly after what went on on 14 December, when 15 beautiful, innocent lives were taken—and there is a correlation. Make no mistake, there is a correlation. It might be alright for some commentators on the ABC to argue that there might not be, but there is. I would urge and encourage people to read the op-ed in the Daily Telegraph today by Paul Nicolaou, who is a leading advocate in the Sydney business community. He, like so many in Melbourne, has had a gutful of the protests which have such an impact on those small businesses in the CBDs of those two cities. In Melbourne they've had more than 100 protests week after week after week. And for what? Holding that city at ransom and those businesses which take risks, which invest—those people, those protesters, would be far better off doing something good for a change and keeping their hate to themselves. They don't need it all. Australia's better than this.
Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. In the lead-up to the 2022 election, the Prime Minister repeatedly promised a $275 reduction in household energy bills, and I quote:...
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. In the lead-up to the 2022 election, the Prime Minister repeatedly promised a $275 reduction in household energy bills, and I quote: I don't think, I know. I know because we have done the modelling. Without mentioning home batteries, will the minister finally admit that the Prime Minister was wrong, the modelling was wrong and Australian families are paying the price every day for this government's abject failure to deliver on its promise?
Riverina Electorate: Acknowledgements | Statements by Members | House debates
It's never too soon to fall in love—or back in love, as the case might be. And, with apologies to John Paul Young: Love is in the air everywhere I look around, Love is in the air in every...
It's never too soon to fall in love—or back in love, as the case might be. And, with apologies to John Paul Young: Love is in the air everywhere I look around, Love is in the air in every sight and every sound. And I don't know if I'm being foolish, don't know if I'm being wise, But it's something that I must believe in And it's there when I look in your eyes. There have been some wonderful wedding anniversaries in the Riverina lately, and I mention Faye and Barry Irvine, who have had 60 years together—a diamond wedding anniversary; Margaret and Robert Hamilton, who have 65 years of commitment; Barbara and David Carter, with 60 years as well; Beth and Bruce Irvine, with 60 years of marriage—and Bruce and Barry Irvine are cousins; and Erica and Michael Coghlan, who celebrated a golden 50th wedding anniversary. Isn't that just beautiful? And we should congratulate them for staying together for that long of a period. We should admire them. We should follow their example indeed. As you would know, Valentine's Day is this Saturday, 14 February—that day of universal love. For some it's come early. For some it's in the air. Love is in the air. May it abound in this place, the House of Representatives, in the Senate and elsewhere. Love is truly in the air.
Medicare | Private Members' Business | House debates
I am in furious agreement with the good member for Chisholm when she says that it should not matter what your postcode is to get access to health services. One-hundred per cent—the member...
I am in furious agreement with the good member for Chisholm when she says that it should not matter what your postcode is to get access to health services. One-hundred per cent—the member for Chisholm is absolutely right. But the trouble is that it doesn't ring true. The trouble is that this Labor government has not done what it says it was going to do when it comes to bulk-billing or access and availability of health services. In fact, it's been an abysmal, dismal failure. Bulk-billing rates have gone from 88 per cent to 77 per cent. That's an 11 per cent drop. It doesn't matter how those members opposite colour it, how they argue it or how often they say that they are doing something. It doesn't matter how often that is the case; saying it doesn't make it true. Bulk-billing rates have dropped. What did we see when somebody complained about this in the media to the health minister from the leafy suburbs of Adelaide? He said, 'Well, if you can't get a bulk-billing doctor, pick up the phone and ring another one.' That might be well and good in Adelaide. It doesn't cut it in regional Australia. In some communities in regional Australia you're lucky if you've got a doctor at all, let alone trying to phone for another doctor to get an appointment. In country Australia it shouldn't be the case that, when in pain, catch the plane. You should be able to have access and availability of a doctor when you need it, but the difficulty is that we don't. Thank goodness we've got the Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network, which was set up and established by a coalition government—a coalition government which recognised that regional Australians have health issues too. This government does not provide equity for postcodes when it comes to health provision. We see that with the urgent care clinics. I hear the member for Lyne all the time going on about Taree. Taree and a whole host of other regional centres don't have those regional aftercare clinics, those emergency care clinics, and that's just one point. When it comes to bulk-billing and a whole myriad of other health access services, they are just not there. The access is missing. Then we have the member for Macquarie moving this motion. It's true that, over the last election period when everyone was trying to win power, the Prime Minister said on no less than 71 occasions: 'It's okay, just produce your Medicare card. That will get you by.' It's not true, and it doesn't matter how often he says it. It doesn't matter how often he said it then, and it doesn't matter how often he says it at the dispatch box now. The services aren't available and, if they are, you've got to pay through the nose for it. It is all well and good for those Labor seats or those marginal seats that Labor wants to win to add to its majority to get those clinics, but in regional Australia, where people matter too, they're missing out, and that's not good enough. That's not fair, and they're not convinced by the Prime Minister, the health minister or anybody else saying that there is equity in postcodes when it comes to health services, because there is not. There simply is not, and regional people are suffering as a result—regional people who already have lower longevity and, unfortunately, have more cancers and that type of thing. They are going without, and I just despair when I see so many Labor members getting up and hear them reading the talking points that they've been given. It doesn't matter how convincingly they say it; it doesn't make it true. We do need more bulk-billing. We do need more access to better health services and care. We particularly need it in regional Australia—in the Northern Territory, in the Riverina or wherever it might be. Just because a motion might be on the books, that doesn't mean to say it's right or true.
Jonceski, Mr Ljupco (Luch) | Condolences | House debates
Just think about this: condolence motions are usually reserved for royalty, for world leaders, for ministers of the Crown and now Luch. Luch! What a national icon he is in life and in death....
Just think about this: condolence motions are usually reserved for royalty, for world leaders, for ministers of the Crown and now Luch. Luch! What a national icon he is in life and in death. Ljupco 'Luch' Jonceski was 59 years young. Like the member for Fisher, I was shocked and saddened when I learnt of his death. I learnt it from Zoe McKenzie's Facebook page, actually. I was just stunned. I think we all were. He had such a wonderful life. He'd packed so much into those 59 years, and I'll say 'short years' because he left us all too soon, all too suddenly. There are thousands upon thousands of people who come to Parliament House to work every day. It doesn't matter whether the place is sitting or whether it's in recess. I can think of four who are universally loved and, moreover, universally known by all of us, and they are, in no particular order, Brigette Bull, who is the barista at Aussie's Cafe, and then Maria Ljubic and her sister, Anna, the cleaners—those well-known cleaners who always have a cheery smile and sometimes a cuddle and a kiss for the MPs. Aren't they fantastic? What an amazing duo! Then there was Luch, universally loved and respected and known. Now the parliament stops to honour his memory, a right usually only reserved for somebody really important. But, you know, Luch was important, and he was important to each and every one of us because he made our jobs easier; he made our lives better. He was a builder, and we know that he helped build this place. Later on, when his labouring days were over and he became a greencoat, he built relationships. He built relationships across the aisle. We didn't even know that he was doing it, but he did. The last time I saw Luch, I was dressed up as Elvis Presley. I was. We had our seventies and eighties dress-up theme night, as only the Nationals could do, and Luch spotted me in my powder-blue sequined suit, and he made a beeline for me because he wanted a picture with me. We did the old Elvis thing. I was a little bit tardy in sending him the picture—it took me about 10 minutes—and Luch was straight on the phone: 'I want that picture. I need that picture.' He was somebody whose smile, no matter how bad a day you were having—on some of your worst days in politics, Luch was there and he was always smiling. He was always wanting to gee you up and make you feel good about yourself and make you feel good about the fact that you were here in the people's house and you were here representing the nation and representing your electorate. Like the member for Cunningham, I too shared in Luch's want—his need—to know about your electorate and your people. I attended his Monday 12 January service, his funeral, at Queanbeyan's Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Prophet Ilija, and I got there early. I could not believe the throng of people. It's only a little church, but I was astounded by the number of people who turned up at that service. I was one of the lucky ones to be inside the church. I felt a bit guilty, but I was dragged in there by someone who felt that I should be in there. There were a few parliamentarians there, and I must admit I didn't understand the whole service; it was done in the native tongue. But the eulogies were very special. They were done in English as well, and they described a man who was a wonderful human being. We all saw him just as somebody who we thought we owned, but he was more than that. Out in his Macedonian community, he was a sports follower. He was somebody who, as here, had an infectious way about him. But he was a family man as well. He was a husband, he was a father and his family just adored him, as you can understand. But so did the entire community who turned up at that service—a bigger service than probably most of us will get, and deservedly so. He ran the green-coated attendants with good humour, with professionalism and with aplomb. Nothing was ever too hard for him to do. Nothing was too menial. He would do anything for you. He treated everyone the same, from the prime minister of the day to the newly minted backbencher, and everybody loved him for his trademark smile, his happy disposition and his wisdom. He didn't clean your office like the two sisters, and he didn't make your coffee like Brigette, but what he brought to this place and to each and every member was his love, his care, his support and his friendship. He was a stalwart. Hundreds upon hundreds of MPs have benefited from his more than 40 years of experience, his wisdom and him just being Luch. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the member for Oxley, described Luch as his 'main man'. When Luch passed away, I contacted the Speaker. He said, 'Every time Luch saw me, each time we walked the mace or he opened the door, he always said, "Let's do this, Mr Speaker."' It was a little thing, but, as the Speaker said, it made him laugh. Milton Dick said, 'I saw how kind he was to every new member. What a hero.' Too true, Mr Speaker. He was such a generous soul. We mourn his loss. The place, as the member for Fisher said, will not be the same without him. It would be nice to think that we could do something for him—maybe name the attendants room in his honour—that would honour his memory. I did go into the attendants room just before question time on the first day back here, on Tuesday, for the parliamentary year—apart from the extraordinary January sittings we had—and I offered my condolences to the attendants, and I do so again now, because I know how each and every one of you would be feeling because he was a special person. It's like losing the mentor who you've known, loved and respected. I say, again, what an extraordinary human being—the fact that the Parliament of Australia can stop, can grind to a halt, and we can all as one rise in our places, offer him the respect he deserved and then give speeches for his passing. Who else would get that but Luch? He'd be looking down on us now and he'd be almost annoyed at the fuss. He'd be humbled by it, but, in his own special way, I think he'd quite enjoy the fact that he was being honoured in this way, because he was gregarious and he was a great people person. May he rest in peace. We love you, we honour you, and we miss you dearly. Vale, Luch.
Bolkus, Hon. Nick | Condolences | House debates
It's actually an honour to follow the member for Scullin. They were fine words, indeed. I'm sure Nick Bolkus's family will very much appreciate reading and hearing those words you've just uttered...
It's actually an honour to follow the member for Scullin. They were fine words, indeed. I'm sure Nick Bolkus's family will very much appreciate reading and hearing those words you've just uttered in your speech. You might find it perplexing to understand why a National Party member is standing to rise to speak on somebody he never met—somebody from the Labor Centre Left—but I was reminded when I walked into the chamber by the member for Adelaide, who is a very good friend of mine, about Nick Bolkus. Steve Georganas reminded me that he worked for Nick Bolkus for 10 years and said that but for Nick Bolkus he wouldn't actually be in this place. So Nick Bolkus does have a little bit to answer for! I say that with genuine warmth, and it is meant, because Steve and I are great mates. I know Nick Bolkus was great mates with people across the aisle in the parliament. He was also of Greek descent, just like the member for Adelaide and me. We've both, fortunately, made sure all the necessary arrangements with the citizenship test are in place such that we are very much Australian and have very much renounced any Greek descent status that would perhaps prevent us from taking our places here. As Steve reminded me as well, Nick Bolkus was a good friend of multicultural Australia. He was somebody who strove to make Australia a better place. Often, when Labor luminaries pass away, I refer to my predecessor Kay Hull to see what she thought of them and to get an understanding of the part they played in the parliament and in the life of Australia. I messaged Kay yesterday, and she said, 'He was a decent person.' She said, 'We did disagree on the South Australian water view.' I'm not quite sure how many members for Riverina would ever agree with a South Australian on the water situation; we always agree to disagree in that context. She said: 'To be honest, he was a decent backbench senator when I was there. He was so diplomatic and loyal to the Labor party.' She said, 'I always felt so much respect for how he accepted the fact that he had been overlooked towards the end of his political career in November 2001.' He'd served as the shadow Attorney-General; it's not an easy position. It really isn't. Shadow Attorney-General is one of the toughest jobs in parliament because you don't get all of the resources that a cabinet minister would get. You don't get all of the briefings, all the departmental help, the staff or the resources, but you are expected—as somebody who is making the first law officer of the land accountable—to be across every legal matter that comes before the parliament. He was also shadow minister for justice. Again, that's a complex, intricate and difficult role, but he filled that role with great aplomb. He filled that role with all of the fervour and gusto that you would expect of someone of Greek descent—where of course they invented democracy, didn't they, member for Adelaide? I'm looking for an interjection—yes. I'll just note for the Hansard that he nodded! Nick Bolkus took his role very, very seriously, according to Kay. As she said, he did not have a bad word to say about his party or about anyone. That, I think, is the measure of the man, as well. He was somebody who, as the member for Scullin quite eloquently described, saw a bigger picture. When he had the ability to change the country and make a difference, he took that with both hands and fulfilled that role admirably. From somebody whose parents came from—as the member for Adelaide reminded me—the Kastellorizo came somebody who entered this parliament and gave of his all from 1981 through to 2005. It's a long career. Not many parliamentarians get 20-plus years in the Senate, in the parliament, and he made use of every one of those 24 years to make a difference and to make this country a better place. To that end, I say, we say, thank you to the late senator Nick Bolkus. Thank you for your endeavours; thank you for your efforts. Very sincere, heartfelt and genuine condolences to your loved ones, to your family and to your wide circle of friends—particularly in the Greek community, who would be feeling your loss very appreciably. Vale, Nick Bolkus. Well done.
Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
When addressing the graduating class of the Australian Defence Force Academy last year, Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC said: You have prepared yourselves to live ADFA's motto: to lead, to excel....
When addressing the graduating class of the Australian Defence Force Academy last year, Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC said: You have prepared yourselves to live ADFA's motto: to lead, to excel. You have learned to be leaders who will work for peace and stability, who will make ethical and helpful decisions, who will prioritise human life and dignity and always act with compassion and care. You embody the ADF values of service, courage, respect, integrity and excellence. I believe these values will guide you throughout your careers—not as abstract ideals, but as the foundation of trust, teamwork, service, loyalty and duty. I attended this particularly wonderful function at Duntroon to see Inigo Bardos, son of David and Jane from Wagga Wagga, graduate. Those who graduated on that day will one day be veterans. Those who graduated on that day will one day need our help. Those who graduated will look to the Department of Veterans Affairs. They will come through their military careers. There will be ups and downs, but we wish them every success. We know that they will uphold that bond of courage, unity and teamwork. So we must ensure that, when they do finish their military careers, we are there for them. That's why this veterans legislation is important.
Riverina Electorate: Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
We all have them in our electorates—those selfless volunteers who are the very glue that binds our communities together. On Australia Day we recognise them, acknowledge them and honour...
We all have them in our electorates—those selfless volunteers who are the very glue that binds our communities together. On Australia Day we recognise them, acknowledge them and honour them. Here is a roll call of community champions for the Riverina electorate. They are citizens of the year—volunteers who have done so much to make our towns and Wagga Wagga a better place in which to live. In Coolamon there was Guy Purcell. In the Cootamundra-Gundagai local government area, there were Maureen Simpfendorfer and Sister Kathy Hodge in Cootamundra and Wendy Anderson in Gundagai. In Cowra, there was Jenny Friend. In the Hilltops local government area there were: in Boorowa, Angus Clements, who won Citizen of the Year; in Harden-Murrumburrah, Sarah and Andrew Jones; in Wombat, the Wombatian Citizen of the Year Cathy Simpson; and in Young, Ted Webber. In Junee, it was Natalie Phillips. In Lockhart, it was Keith Fraser. In the Snowy Valleys there were Shane Walsh in Adelong, Glenn Lavis in Tumbarumba, and Jane Dean and Adam Farquharson in Tumut. In Temora, there was Frances Dwyer. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 10:17 to 10:26 The Upper Lachlan Shire's Shire Citizen of the Year was Melinda Medway. In Crookwell it was Louise Gibbs. In Taralga it was Robert Handley. In Wagga Wagga Aunty Mary Atkinson deservedly was honoured with Citizen of the Year. In Weddin which is Grenfell, John Gorman got the gong. In Yass Valley it was Phil Gaden. We thank each and every one of them. Congratulations to past and present Riverina constituents who were awarded an Order of Australia for their contributions: John Killick OAM of Galong; Thomas Moss OAM of Khancoban; Stephen Sullivan OAM of Taralga; and Brett Murray, with whom I worked at the Daily Advertiser in the 1980s, who received an OAM for services to motor sports and journalism. I'm also very pleased that Gerard Kearns, the Kapooka commandant, the leader of 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Blamey Barracks, also was honoured in the Australia Day list. Nedd Brockmann of Forbes is the Young Australian of the Year. Now, he's not in my electorate anymore—Forbes is now in the division of Parkes—but his inspirational regional work and national work is something to behold. I eagerly look forward to seeing where Nedd's efforts take him into the future. To each and every one of those community champions, I say thank you. I say thank you on behalf of your communities, because your communities are better places in which to live, work and play because of the selflessness that you have shown not just in the past 12 months but for many years besides. Without those sorts of people, we couldn't have a nation that is as great as Australia is. So well done. Happy Australia Day to each and every one of them. Thank you for your efforts.
Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
We should thank our nurses each and every day—not only our nurses but our pharmacists and our doctors. Anyone who puts on scrubs and goes into a theatre ward and anyone who serves our...
We should thank our nurses each and every day—not only our nurses but our pharmacists and our doctors. Anyone who puts on scrubs and goes into a theatre ward and anyone who serves our hospital system or our medical system needs the applause and the gratitude of this place and of Australians right across the nation. I'm one who listens very carefully in question time. This government is now nearly four years old. For four years, the Labor government has been blaming the Morrison-McCormack government in particular and previous coalition governments per se for the financial stresses it claims it's under. They exaggerate the figure. Yes, we did have a debt, that debt born out of a global pandemic the likes of which we had not seen since just after World War I—which, of course, ended in 1918. We did what we could. We spent the money that was needed to keep people in jobs and, more importantly, to keep Australians alive—not just Australians but our Pacific neighbours and friends as well. Through those Morrison years, there were more than 94 million telehealth consultations through Medicare, with 16 million patients, and that was a significant achievement. Speaking as one who comes from rural and regional Australia, we don't ever want to see telehealth replace hands-on medical professional care. It was necessary during the COVID years and it's necessary at any time, but, particularly in remote Australia and in Indigenous communities, we don't want to see telehealth replace a person who can give a consult. During the Morrison years, from 2019, 857 new medicines were listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme—another significant achievement. There were 1,400 additional nurse placements for the regions, and that is something that we should also be very proud of as a former coalition government. The Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 is about empowering nurses. The bill worries me as one who comes from the regions and as one who wants to see nurses being the best they can be, just like pharmacists were, and we empowered those during the COVID crisis, when it seemed that the AMA, the Australian Medical Association, wanted only doctors to issue vaccinations when we knew that in some rural communities the only health professional in town was a chemist. That chemist needed to be able to issue vaccines as well. It just made good sense. And the member for Barton, in her contribution, talked about the fact that in some regional communities a nurse is the only health professional in town, and she's right. Sadly, she's very accurate. But, as the member for Mallee quite correctly pointed out in her earlier speech, the first order of business of this federal Labor government in the medical field was to change the distribution priority areas. That saw doctors operating in some regional communities take their shingle from the wall and move to Newcastle or Wollongong or the Gold Coast or anywhere but regional and remote Australia, and this was wrong. They were making money. They were providing a level of health care second to none, but they saw the opportunity to move to the coast and did so, and good luck to them. But as the national rural health reporter Steven Schubert of the ABC wrote in an article from 15 December 2022 headlined 'Rural doctors say they are losing staff to big cities due to policy change': Annette Pham thought she had recruited two doctors to work in her GP clinics, but a policy change in Canberra resulted in both of them pulling out almost overnight. Ms Pham and her husband own four GP clinics on the New South Wales south coast, all within a few hours' drive from Sydney and on some of Australia's best beaches— no question there. The article continues: "We had two that pulled out officially after signing contracts," she said. "Then we've had probably a further three that looked at our practice, they looked at other practices and they inevitably decided in the end that they would stay in the city." That is a problem. The article also says: Rural Doctors' Association of Australia (RDAA) chief executive Peta Rutherford said the organisation was getting reports the policy— this is the distribution priority areas policy moving the boundaries such that it takes in those areas I mentioned before, Newcastle and Wollongong and the Gold Coast et cetera— was going to have an impact on rural communities before it had even been implemented. Well, if that was the fear before, it certainly ended up being a reality afterwards. And it is true that doctors took their practices and took themselves and moved to other areas of Australia, more populated areas of Australia, areas of Australia where there are more doctors. Unfortunately—and I don't blame them; I blame the government—what this policy meant was that regional areas and some particularly remote areas then got left high and dry as far as doctors were concerned. I also will recall the health minister talking about bulk-billing rates, which we know, because it was quoted so many times in the House of Representatives last year, dropped by 11 per cent under Labor to 77 per cent from the previous 88 per cent under the coalition. He was talking about rural people, and he said that if they can't get a doctor's appointment, they could pick up the phone and try another doctor. That might all be well and good in Adelaide, but it doesn't cut the mustard out in country towns because you're lucky to get a doctor bulk billing or otherwise. You're certainly lucky if you can get a bulk-billing doctor. I know Labor will pat themselves on the back and say: 'Bulk-billing rates are something that is a priority. The GP aftercare clinics, the urgent care clinics—we're rolling them out across the country.' Yes, they are but in Labor electorates and in electorates that they want to win. We heard the member for Lyne talking about Taree, and I do hope Taree gets one of those care clinics because it's needed and not just in Taree but in many other regional communities as well. They are needed and they are good. I will acknowledge that they do fill the gaps of the state public health system and the overall medical system where people often do need, particularly after hours, to take babies and children when there is no other doctor available, and that is saving lives. I acknowledge that. But what we are talking about here is nurses being given more scope to provide medicines to do what sometimes ordinarily would be the job of the local general practitioner. I do wonder what the AMA thinks of this. I know that a lot of the legislation that Labor is bringing to this place and has done since May 2022 is often rushed. There's often not the stakeholder engagement that you would expect in important nation-changing legislation, and that is something that truly troubles me. I know that the member for Mallee, who happens to be married to a doctor, said that the Nationals—indeed, the Liberals too—want to rectify the poorer health status of regional Australians. I know that would be a goal as well of Labor members. Surely that's something that would be across the board. It's a status driven in large part by poor access to health services in the bush. Sadly, we people in country Australia don't live as long as those who live in metropolitan Australia who have closer, better and more diverse access to health services than those who live a long way from the city lights. We as a party, and I will say as parties of coalition, are committed to supporting regional communities and driving policies and programs to improve the health status of regional Australians. Again, I say that I know that would be a goal of Labor too. It would be silly to say it's not, but health has to come above politics. It truly does. I know when I entered this place in 2010, I was told by more than one person that if you get the health of your community right, it provides that happiness factor, that satisfaction factor, and everything else will seem to take care of itself. Indeed, that is the truth. This bill seeks to grant eligibility for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme rebates on medications prescribed by a new category of prescribers, and they're called authorised nurse prescribers. As I understand, there will be training for those authorised nurse prescribers. Whether the training for six months is sufficient—I'm certainly not in any way, shape or form denigrating those nurses and the work that those nurses perform, whether they are young, freshly out of the system and straight into the hospitals, the practices or the clinics or whether they have been there for decades. I certainly do not in any way put criticism on what they do because the care of their patients is first and foremost. The government's proposed authorised nurse prescribers will be registered nurses with additional training who work in a collaborative arrangement with an autonomous prescriber professional who can already prescribe independently, expanding the scope of practice for a registered nurse. Labor is proposing this new model of prescribing in Australia. Nurses who meet these criteria are not expected to be qualified to prescribe until the middle of 2026, but that's only less than six months away. That's not far away in the scheme of things. So I do wonder and I do question, as with much of what Labor introduces, whether it's policy on the run, whether it masks a more serious situation—and that is the lack of doctors practising in Australia. I would like to think that Labor would not be using this as a trojan horse to not then provide the necessary funding, ongoing support, for such things as the medical schools. I will say that the Murray-Darling Medical School Network is going tremendously well. I know that in Wagga Wagga, in Bendigo, in Mildura, in Shepparton, in Dubbo and in Orange it is actually answering and fulfilling a need that was there. I'm so glad that I was able to, with former health minister Greg Hunt, fund that vital network of services which are provided in just about every town and city. The former minister for education is now taking the credit, and he played a part too, so I do thank the member for Wannon. It was a coalition initiative. Indeed, every one of those facilities, in every one of those centres I mentioned, is producing 20 to 30 new doctors—well, they will be when the doctors graduate; of course we know that takes some years. It certainly started under the coalition government. I know that Mike Freelander, the member for Macarthur, came and opened the one at Wagga Wagga late last year and gave some generous words. He knows that we need to be more bipartisan when it comes to health, because health is everything. There are some conditions and there are some parts of this legislation which do worry me. I know the member for Mallee has set out her concerns, and I know that each and every regional member would also, understandably, share some of those issues that this legislation has in it.
Last night, at the Australian War Memorial, the shrine of remembrance, that remarkable Australian place where the memory of 103,000 fallen is sacrosanct and they are honoured, immortalised and...
Last night, at the Australian War Memorial, the shrine of remembrance, that remarkable Australian place where the memory of 103,000 fallen is sacrosanct and they are honoured, immortalised and memorialised, we had a service, a last post ceremony, for Major Cyril Herbert Dodson Lane. He was killed at Gallipoli, aged just 27. He was killed at Hill 60 on 29 August in that fateful year 1915. He was born at Bondi and, whether by design or by chance, it was rather interesting, given what happened there on 14 December last year, that somebody with such a connection to that eastern suburbs beach—that eastern suburb in Sydney—should be honoured at the Australian War Memorial at the last post ceremony commemorating the start of the parliamentary year. I think it's nice, and it's appropriate, that, at the start of each parliamentary year, MPs and senators go across the lake from the front doors of parliament and up that straight line to the Australian War Memorial to honour those who gave us the unique, rare and great privilege of being able to serve a free and fair democracy, because it is the service and sacrifice of those men and women that enables us to do our jobs for and on behalf of Australian people. Whether it be Major Lane or any one of the other 103,000 men and women on the Roll of Honour—bronzed Aussies all, heroes all; any of them—we are able to do our jobs because of them. I'm very proud that I come from Wagga Wagga, a garrison city, a military town, a defence town. There are 1,576 people, or 2.9 per cent of the population, aged 15 and over who have past Australian Defence Force service. There are 1,489 people, or 2.7 per cent of the population, aged 15 and over who are currently serving in the Australian Defence Force. The proportion of veterans in Wagga Wagga, 2.9 per cent, is higher than the average for regional New South Wales. We've had the Air Force there since 29 July 1940. The 1 Recruit Training Unit is one of the primary defence strategic establishments at RAAF Wagga, where air power in Australia begins. It says so on one of the hangars. In Kapooka is the 'home of the soldier', Blamey Barracks, honouring Sir Thomas Blamey, General Blamey— An honourable member: Field Marshal. Field Marshal, indeed. He ensured that we are not speaking a different language, with the work that he did in the Pacific theatre of war in World War II. He was born at Lake Albert. Kapooka has been there since 1951. Since 1993, we've had a very strong naval presence. Personnel from the Royal Australian Navy have undertaken aviation technical training at the RAAF School of Technical Training at the Forest Hill base. So we are very much indebted and wedded to our military. Veterans are important. Not only do we have an obligation as parliamentarians to ensure that we have the right parameters, the right equipment and everything else for our current serving defence personnel but, when they leave the uniform, when they finish their military careers, we have to be there for them. Many of them are broken; many of them are not. It annoys me constantly that there is this perception that anybody who has served is broken; they are not. Yes, some of them suffer from the wears and tears of their service, and we have to be there for them. That's why the royal commission was so important. If we break them, we must fix them. We must mend them. We must provide the wraparound services, the support, the love and the care to ensure that they can live full and wholesome lives after their service has ended. Many of them are doing some fine things, in small business, private enterprise and many other endeavours. I will give a shout-out here to former prime minister Turnbull for the role that he played in ensuring that many of them are job-ready and the emphasis he placed on ensuring that that there is a pathway there to civilian employment for our ex-service personnel—fine men and women. I commend him for that. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2025 is important legislation, as any veterans legislation is. I remember, when I was for a brief moment the veterans affairs minister in late 2017, early 2018, we put through the parliament at that time veteran-centric legislation such that it provided avenues and supports for veterans that weren't there previously. It was good legislation. Every piece of legislation should have a veterans lens placed over it, just like every piece of legislation should have a regional focus on it as well. I know that the Liberals and Nationals are supportive of this bill, while noting from the Chief of the Defence Force notifications that they want to ensure that veterans are able to access treatment, particularly mental health care, providing and prioritising safe access to care. I know the CDF places this as one of the most important obligations of their duty as well. It's not just the current serving personnel under their care; it's also those who have finished their time. Noting importantly, too, that—and this is a bipartisan thing—these days, if you spend one hour in uniform, one hour with the various tri services, you are eligible and entitled to receive proper and adequate mental health care for the rest of your life, and that is entirely appropriate. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2025 makes a series of amendments to veterans legislation to support the implementation of the government's harmonisation and simplification reforms. To that end, I say to the government thank you, because simplifying and harmonising very complicated legislation in the veteran space is so vital. The bill primarily makes technical, clarifying and consequential changes to facilitate the transition to a single ongoing compensation and rehabilitation framework under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act of 2004, the MRCA, from 1 July this year, when the Veterans' Entitlements Act of 1986 and the provisions of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988, the DRCA, are closed to new claims. I've spoken a number of times to a great friend of mine, former deputy commandant at Kapooka, Bert Hoebee, in relation to ensuring that veterans are looked after. I also note the work that is done in my electorate by a number of organisations. There's Pro Patria at Ashmont. The RSL sub-branch has a very good facility on Bayliss Street, the main street in Wagga Wagga. It's a drop-in centre for veterans. I want to commend the work of the Baks at Bethungra for the work that they do for veterans. I also want to acknowledge the work being done in Cootamundra. On Parker Street, in the main street of Cootamundra, is a drop-in centre that is proving so very worthwhile. On Saturday, Cootamundra's Jacqui Vincent OAM was acknowledged for her 37 years of service with the sub-branch and with veterans. Her legacy will be that drop-in centre. Jacqui has done a power of work. She's unwell at the moment. This luncheon drew veterans and sub-branches from right throughout the Riverina region and was so well attended. They were there to honour the work that she has done. It's people like Jacqui Vincent in Cootamundra, Jason Frost in Wagga Wagga, and Gordon Saggers and Alan Lane at Pro Patria and the work that they're doing through the RSL sub-branch and the drop-in centre at Bayliss Street. It makes such a difference. The coalition supported the royal commission interim report recommendations to simplify and harmonise veterans' compensation arrangements because the current multi-act system is difficult. It's complicated, it's hard to navigate and it's often very confusing for veterans and their families. We shouldn't make things hard for those veterans who've made life easier for us, which they have, by their very service, made life better for us. We should ensure that—and the coalition does support this; the Liberals and the Nationals support this—the primary reform legislation continues in the objective of a single ongoing framework under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, the MRCA. This will hopefully reduce duplication. It will provide better consistency in administration. It will make entitlements, claims and reviews easier for veterans and families to understand, navigate and access. Surely that is something that we all should very much applaud. Why hasn't this been done in the past? I appreciate the complexities of it. I appreciate that the royal commission had to come first. I know the harrowing evidence so bravely and courageously given by so many at those hearings, including Wagga Wagga. It must have been difficult for them to speak from the heart about the wrongdoing that was done to them and the need for us as a parliament to stand up and acknowledge and recognise the hurt and the healing that now must take place. So that was obviously a priority. I thank the government for now making this a priority, as well as working on those important recommendations and reforms that must come as a result of the royal commission. That's an absolute must. We do have some reservations about— Debate adjourned. Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:30
Copyright Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
Whilst the Copyright Amendment Bill 2025 is largely a technical bill, it is, as the member for Griffith quite correctly points out, an important one. It's not going to grab headlines, but...
Whilst the Copyright Amendment Bill 2025 is largely a technical bill, it is, as the member for Griffith quite correctly points out, an important one. It's not going to grab headlines, but headlines are what it's all about because we live in a digital media age. We live in the information age. When I was a newspaper journalist, indeed a newspaper editor for more than a decade, I was fortunate to have some of the experience imparted upon me by Bruce Burke. Bruce Burke is a very good defamation lawyer, particularly specialising in the media. He won the Australian Press Council Press Freedom Award in 2022 for his work. He was very good at the traditional print media, and the media landscape has changed vastly. I refer to the book, More or Less: Democracy and New Media, edited by Helen Sykes. Far be it from me to start quoting Labor members of parliament or former members of parliament, but I note that in the chapter titled 'Free Speech, Responsible Media, Law and Liberal Democracy', by former Attorney-General from 1993 to 1996, Michael Lavarch, he writes—and quite correctly too—about the role of media in a democracy. He notes: 'The media plays a central role in our lives, even more so now that we can access a range of media sources through the gadgets we all carry around. I do not just mean social media but also more traditional forms, such as television, radio and newspapers. We have an abundance of information and opinion at our fingertips, all jostling for our attention.' He says: 'In order for democracy to flourish, it is vital that the citizen has various sources of information and access to proper forums for open and fair debate. The media plays a critical role in stimulating debate about important issues, presenting facts and reporting news, uncovering corruption and misconduct, and providing a vehicle for diverse perspectives.' And he's very right. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this subject. Further on in the book there is a chapter by no less than former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, a journalist of some note—and I think once a journalist always a journalist. He writes about what he calls 'at least two big questions': Will enough readers pay enough money to view online news to offset the loss of advertising revenues from the printed medium? What is the best paywall model that will hit the sweet spot of subscription revenue and at the same time ensure there are enough readers to maintain advertising yields? He says that the jury is out on both—and, indeed, it is. Our media is under pressure like never before. We need to help and support it, and encourage any moves of the government. I know that the government has done something in this regard, and I encourage that. This bill is important because it puts some framework around copyright, and, while it's a complicated matter, it's a very important matter. I know that the—I won't say the coalition's position; I'll just say that the Liberals' and the Nationals' position is to support the legislation. I appreciate that it has gone before the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and inquiry thereof, but it is important and noteworthy. There are several schedules to the bill, which I'll refer to in a moment or two. I also want to acknowledge the work that the previous coalition government did in relation to supporting publishers against the big meta companies. Yesterday's edition of the Daily Advertiser, which I once edited, was just 16 pages. I cannot recall in all my time as the editor of that publication it being so thin. Their advertising has fallen off the cliff. It is so hard for them to make a buck, but they're still investing in journalism; they're still investing in writing and photography and local news. Whilstever they're prepared to do that, we should protect them and help them by way of government advertising, but certainly with legislation that does protect their copyright—legislation that protects the work that they create and the work that the people they invest in create. I know that former treasurer Josh Frydenberg—may he come back soon—in 2021 did a lot of good to strengthen the companies in Australia that do invest in Australian content and Australian journalism. At the time, he flexed his muscle and bent the arm of these big companies that, if you let them ride roughshod, will just take the content and plonk it in their own publications with no copyright paid. There's no dues paid or compensation paid for the work that has been created here in Australia—here in regional Australia. We do need to protect the ACMs of the world, because what we don't want to see is a landscape where there are no printed editions being lobbed on front driveways and lawns. Yes, everybody has one of these—a mobile phone—and a lot of people use them for their news, and that's great, but there are still people, particularly in regional Australia, who love their little local newspaper—the Tumut and Adelong Times, the Temora Independentand they're really successful newspapers because they're doing the parish-pump stuff. That parish-pump stuff is copyrighted to those people producing it, and so it should be. I had a conversation earlier this afternoon with Michelle Grattan, somebody who I've got the utmost respect for. She runs the Conversation. We all know the fine journalism work that she has done for decades, and long may that continue. The Conversation, which I recommend people read, has really investigated this copyright angle—particularly, as the member for Griffith pointed out, in this changing and emerging world of ChatGPT and the information age in which we live. In one article, author Wellett Potter, lecturer in law at University of New England, writes, 'If ChatGPT wrote it, who owns the copyright?'—it's a good question—'It depends on where you live, but in Australia it's complicated.' That's why we're here today. That's why we're discussing this. It's a shame there's not more speakers on the bill. I note the member for Nicholls holding up the lines for the Nationals. We're in there; we're fighting the good fight for and on behalf of those people who understand and appreciate what copyright means in this changing world. The Conversation also had a very good article by Agata Mrva-Montoya: 'An AI startup has agreed to a $2.2 billion copyright settlement. But will Australian writers benefit?' It's a very good question, because all too often the courts are determining and deciding on matters pertaining to copyright, but are the penalties or the resolutions of these cases—the money—filtering down to the people who actually created the items or the photographs or the art pieces or whatever in the first place? The author wrote: If the settlement is approved by the presiding judge, the company will pay authors about US$3,000 for each of the estimated 500,000 books included in the agreement. It will destroy illegally downloaded books and refrain from using pirated books to train chatbots in the future. Another article in the Conversation, the author of which was Alice Grundy, a visiting fellow at the School of Literature, Language and Linguistics at ANU, was 'The Productivity Commission is floating AI copyright exemptions—with worrying implications for Australian authors and publishers'. That's why we do need to act. That's why we do need to be on top of this. Whilst it is a complicated subject, I appreciate the member for Griffith mentioning the former attorney-general and his work in this regard, and I would very much encourage the new attorney-general, the member for Greenway, who is a former minister for communications, to have her department and her staff look at this because it is an important topic and we do need to protect Australian authors and Australian writers. We particularly need to do so to help Australian media companies that are investing in Australians and investing in Australian journalism. I'll stand up here and cheer them on every step of the way. In this article by Ms Grundy, it's written: This would make it legal to train artificial intelligence large language models, such as ChatGPT, on copyrighted Australian work. AI training would be added to the list of "fair dealing" exceptions already existing in the Copyright Act. Why? The Productivity Commission estimates— wait for this— a potential A$116 billion over ten years flowing into the Australian economy, thanks to AI. So it's upon us, and we have to act. All too often, in areas such as this, governments of all political persuasions are too slow to act. I commend the bill and I commend what it brings. We do need to put, as the member for Griffith said, careful guardrails around it because it is too important. We have to get it right. We can't muck this up and get it wrong. I'll go to the various schedules of the bill. Schedule 1 establishes an orphan-works scheme to facilitate the use of orphan works by limiting the remedies that are available for infringing uses of these works. It sounds all rather complicated, but 'orphan works' refer to copyrighted material where an owner is unknown or unlocatable. You can understand that, with people changing jobs and going here, there and everywhere in this day and age, it is sometimes difficult to find out who, in fact, actually wrote the piece in the first place, and sometimes articles in newspapers are unbylined. Sometimes pictures and other works do not carry the author's name—the taker's name, in the case of a photograph. Currently, anyone using unauthorised reproductions or adaptations of existing works may face significant financial consequences, even where genuine attempts have been made to identify the original creator. You will get some people who think it's just their right and their privilege to cut and paste and to pinch anything to use as memes and all those sorts of things. But somebody has generated that image or that article in the first place, and there is a duty upon the person who's lifting it to at least try to find out who the original content author was. The legislation will require users to conduct a reasonably diligent search, and people should do that. They absolutely should. Schedule 2 clarifies that a copyright exception related to the performance and communication of works in the course of giving educational instruction applies to online and hybrid educational environments. I have a daughter who's a teacher; in fact, she's an English teacher and a drama teacher. It is important for not only students accessing their education online but also younger students who may require assistance from a parent or other person, but it also comes back to teachers, and the onus is on teachers. I tell you what: when you are a teacher these days, you're not just a teacher; you're a parent, you're a caregiver, you're a parish priest, you're a sports coach, you're a therapist—you are everything. You have to make the meals for the kids! You wouldn't be a teacher for quids, quite frankly. We owe it to our teachers to do everything we can to help them in their absolutely fine work. And I'll tell you what: if you are a teacher, thank you. Thank you for the work you do for and on behalf of Australian families everywhere but for our future as well. Independent and Catholic sectors are calling for broader reforms as part of this bill. I do hope that the government has put this out to discussion enough. Sometimes I do fear that the government doesn't do that and doesn't take on the stakeholders, but this is an important aspect of it. Those organisations, the independent and Catholic sectors, wanted to see a public interest fair-dealing exception so teachers can safely use digital and AI tools without risking copyright breaches. As I say, teachers are very good at what they do, but they can't be bush lawyers as well and try and take in everything. So fair's fair. Schools have largely welcomed the change. They say it's only a first step—and they're right—as the law fails to meet the needs of modern schools, particularly as AI creeps into our schools, creeps into our computers, creeps into our lives. We need to be on top of that, absolutely. Schedule 3 makes other minor and technical changes, including reallocating powers to appoint certain members of the Copyright Tribunal of Australia. We hope that these people are diligent and across everything. I'm sure they would be. But the bill, in what it is attempting to do, is an important piece of legislation. I commend the government for doing what they're doing in this important area, which is not everybody's cup of tea, but it is mine. Well done to the government for that.
Transport Industry | Grievance Debate | House debates
Without trucking, the nation stops. Australia is so heavily reliant on our transport industry, particularly our truckies. They do a power of good, and they've never been under more pressure than...
Without trucking, the nation stops. Australia is so heavily reliant on our transport industry, particularly our truckies. They do a power of good, and they've never been under more pressure than right now with all the rules, compliance, obligations and regulations. They appreciate that they have to do the right thing, and, by and large, they do. But the onerous nature of what is expected of them is becoming all too much. Under this government, so many of these wonderful trucking companies are going to the wall. D.J.K. Transport in New South Wales went into liquidation in August 2025 after operating for 57 years. A K G Trucking, from the same state, also entered voluntary liquidation in the same month and on the same day as Round Em Up Transport. XL Express, a national company, went under in August, after 35 years in business, leaving around 200 employees without jobs. That's 200 employees in a cost-of-living crisis. Where do they go? What do they do? Don Watson Transport, another national company, closed its doors in June last year after 77 years of successful operation, carting much of the refrigerated transport demand. They're a logistics company with more than 300 staff, who transported cold goods between Sydney, Wodonga and Melbourne. There are over 140 trucks up for sale. Transtar Linehaul, another national company, entered administration in July 2025, leading to the company auctioning off their 38 prime movers and their 56 trailers. Closer to home for me, in Wagga Wagga, there is Ron Crouch Transport. It, too, is a third-generation business, founded by Ron and Beverley Crouch in 1978. It started carting hay for a single client and grew into quite a powerhouse. Certainly, it's a large company for Wagga Wagga. Thankfully, a buyer has been found, and that is some relief for Geoff Crouch, the son of Ron, and indeed for the workers who are in that company. But look at other companies that went to the wall. Newnham Trucking in Queensland, Aava Logistics, Truck Repair Group in Queensland and BDS Group in Victoria all collapsed last year. And the common denominator is this: it's a Labor government that has not acknowledged that the trucking sector is in crisis. It's a Labor government that has brought about a cost-of-living crisis. It's a Labor government that does not care about small business. And this is one of the reasons why our trucking sector is in such a perilous state. Here are some facts about trucking. Forty-seven per cent of drivers in Australia in 2024 were 55 years or older, and only 5.4 per cent of those drivers are under 25 years of age. Projections by the International Road Transport Union predict 21 per cent of Australian drivers are due to retire by 2029. That cliff is not far away. In 2024 we had 28,000 unfilled truck driving positions in Australia. It's no wonder Ron Finemore advertises so extensively. It's no wonder Peter Rodney, who has his own group, is despairing and often calls me about the number of trucks he has backed up to the fence in his yard. Allowing for the projected retirement of more than 50,000 drivers, the shortage will grow to more than 78,000 unfilled positions by 2029. The mainstream media has just cottoned on to the fact—even though I have been banging on about this for some time—that the sham contracting arrangements are doing a great disservice to our trucking industry. Under a sham contracting arrangement, you'll get an ABN. That'll be paid, but the drivers miss out on all the add-ons. Of course, that company saves the additional expense. I'm told it's reasonably widespread and that that is how some operations are able to offer cheaper prices to haul freight than other companies. There's not a level playing field, and that is a problem. It requires, I believe, the transport minister to have a summit. We had a summit last year about productivity, and, if there's one thing we talk about when we talk about productivity, it should be trucking, because trucking enables productivity. Trucking enables goods to be transported all around Australia. And without trucking, as I said, all of that stops. The nation grinds to a halt. But what is this government doing about it? Zip. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We should be having a summit—a major gathering, a come-to-Jesus moment, if you like—for our trucking sector. And, yes, call in the unions. Let them have their say too. I'm not against that. I think what we saw when we had the productivity summit was a union talkfest—a gabfest. But I wouldn't be against the unions coming in, because they're part and parcel of this, and they might have some interesting input. I'm sure they would. But get the drivers in, young and old—mainly they'll be old, as I said before. Get a group together where the likes of Tom, Ron Finemore and Peter Rodney are all able to have their say and lay it bare on the table so that we know what the problems are, because they do know. But they will also have solutions, and I think it's incumbent upon the government to adopt those solutions because, if we don't, then all the goods that are being ferried around the nation are going to grind to a halt. Deputy Speaker, you know who will suffer the most? It'll be the mums and dads trying to pack their kids' school lunches, trying to get the kids off to school, because out there we talk a lot about all sorts of things—the inner machinations of the parliament and whether the coalition is together and this, that and everything else. Out there in voter land, they just want to get on with their lives. They want to open the doors of their small businesses. They want to make sure their kids get to school. They want to make sure their kids get to sport. They want to make sure that they live a good existence, but they can't do it if they don't have food on the table, they can't do it if the supermarket shelves aren't filled, and they can't do it without trucking companies. Regional Australia will suffer because many of these trucking companies emanated from regional Australia, and they're all over regional Australia. They're in Albury, they're in Wagga Wagga, they're in smaller towns as well, and they're doing it hard. They're doing it tough, no thanks to this government, which has made it so very tough. State governments have a role to play, too. I think they should be in the summit as well, because some of the regulations that they put on trucking companies need to be looked at. Maybe they're right; maybe they could be improved. But, whatever the case, we do need to look into this sham contracting. We need to get to the bottom of this sham contracting. If we don't, then those trucks that you see going up and down the highways and those trucks that you see on the byways and little country roads are going to disappear because nobody will be able to afford to run them. If Geoff Crouch can't run a successful operation, then I don't know who can. They love their companies, they love their workers and they love to see their trucks out on the road—the big rigs, the big heavy haulers, the freight movers, the people who keep this nation running. It's the Geoff Crouches and the Ron Finemores and the Peter Rodneys of the world. They love their industry and they're desperately worried about how it's going to be fixed. Looking for solutions—they've got solutions; they just need a forum through which to put their cards on the table. Is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government listening? I doubt it. I do. Is the government caring? I doubt it. I haven't heard anybody from the government side talking about trucking or talking about what we can do to help the transport industry. I'll stand corrected, but I would love to see somebody get up in question time and talk about the trucking industry and thank the trucking industry for what they do for our nation. I don't think anybody really knows. I think a lot of city people think that their milk juts comes from the fridge in the supermarket. It comes from a cow; it's milked. It gets put into cartons, it gets put on a truck and it gets taken to the cities. That process is all under threat. Those drivers are all at risk, and they're at risk because of sham contracting. They're at risk because the margins are too small for the trucking companies that have served this nation for decades and have done it so well and deserve the applause and the gratitude of the government—a government that, at the moment, is very unfeeling and uncaring about an industry that keeps this nation moving.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
Fifteen blessings. Fifteen rays of light. Fifteen beacons of hope. Fifteen beautiful, innocent lives gone—lost, taken, stolen—in a hail of hateful bullets, a mad and bad fury of mere...
Fifteen blessings. Fifteen rays of light. Fifteen beacons of hope. Fifteen beautiful, innocent lives gone—lost, taken, stolen—in a hail of hateful bullets, a mad and bad fury of mere minutes when iconic, peaceful Bondi Beach changed forever. These were 15 Australians—strangers to most, but Australians. They loved and were loved. This country is girt by sea. We know this because we sing it every time we join in the national anthem. Bondi provides some of that girt. It encircles, fastens and helps to bind Australia. Our Jewish Australian community does the same. On 14 December, hundreds of Jewish Australians gathered at Bondi to celebrate and to commemorate. Hanukkah is about the victory of light over dark. What took place on that day of infamy should never, ever have happened—not anywhere and certainly not here in our law-abiding, peace-loving country. But let's be honest. Let's look deep into our hearts and minds. If we were that law abiding and peace loving, then how does something so terrible and terrifying occur? We need to be better as a nation and as a people. But will we? Already, in the short, sad days since the worst terrorism attack on Australian soil, we have seen and heard more of the antisemitism, the radical Islamist extremism, that has been allowed to spread like a cancer through society across our communities, even regionally. This must stop. It has to end now, for little Matilda's sake if nothing else. When a state premier, Chris Minns, and a police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, ask that a particular protest not go ahead, those requests must be upheld and honoured by the judiciary who head up our courts. Our New South Wales police, and all first responders to this incident, were magnificent. They were. They ran to help when harm threatened. The ordinary, everyday heroes were courageous in the true Australian spirit of mateship, of bravery and of humanity. Locally, for my electorate, candlelight vigils were held at Wagga Wagga on 18 December, when the mercury hovered around 40 degrees Celsius, and three days later at Yass, when it rained heavily—tears from heaven. Both were touching ceremonies. Thank you, Riverina. I communicated this morning with my good friend Jewish Australian Josh Frydenberg, the former federal treasurer. This is what he said: 'This is Australia's fight. Jews are the canary in the coalmine. It is critical the government supports the victims' families in a big way. Many of them have very limited financial means. Securing the royal commission was the result of people power.' And he's right, of course. Josh, as has every Jew, has especially felt this tragedy—this unnecessary tragedy. Jewish Australians have been let down. They have been badly let down. No more. May light always conquer darkness. May justice be served on the perpetrators and all of those who seek to do harm in words or actions to Jews in this life or the next. Shalom to the 15 victims and their families, whose lives have been irrevocably changed by this awful event. May the names of those so evilly murdered live forever in the conscience of a bereaved but, hopefully, better nation.