John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity, Mr Deputy Speaker Slipper, to congratulate you on your election to high office. I know that you will acquit yourself very well in the new role as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. I wish you all the best. I note that the speaker who will follow me this morning is the new member for Throsby. I wish him well in his representation of the people of Throsby. But I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge his predecessor, my very good friend the former member for Throsby, Ms Jennie George, who retired at the last election. Ms George will be very much missed in this place. She was a great local member and a great representative of her people. In fact, she was outstanding in the work that she did for the people of Throsby. I am very pleased to see that the new member for Throsby has just joined us here in the chamber. I want to mention the former member for Throsby’s leadership of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts. I was a member of that committee and her leadership of the inquiry and the report were one of her truly greatest achievements in this place.

Ms George was chair of the committee. The report Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate received both national and international acclaim. I like to refer to it as the ‘George report.’ During that inquiry there were about 28 public hearings. We received more than 100 written submissions. A clear message emerged from the report that arose out of that inquiry: a need for national leadership to manage our precious coastal zone in the light of climate change. Importantly, the report also outlined in its recommendations the way forward by providing a collaborative framework with state and local governments. It also outlined in its recommendations ways in which we can better engage our community in this endeavour.

I exhort every member of this place to read the George report, as we commit ourselves to tackling climate change. I take this opportunity, again, to welcome the newly elected member for Throsby, Stephen Jones. He is the former secretary of my union. I wish him all the best. He will certainly do a good job and he has big shoes to fill in following Jennie George.

I take this opportunity to recommit to my electorate of Reid that I will be prosecuting the need for our government to show leadership on climate change during this parliament. We must address this issue. We have to provide certainty for business and help build on the long-term competitiveness and growth of our economy. I look forward to continuing my contribution to an informed debate on this vital issue which affects everyone.

In speaking with many of my constituents there was a strong call for reforms that improve social inclusion and offer compassion to those most in need. That is very appropriate in the light of the canonisation yesterday in Rome of Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop of the Cross. It was a wonderful occasion and I am sure she would expect us to also attend to the needs of those most in need.

I would like to reflect on the comments of Her Excellency the Governor-General in her speech in relation to social inclusion. Our government will implement policies that make Australia not only stronger but also more inclusive. For my electorate of Reid this will include measures for those living with a disability. I look forward to the delivery of improvements in support for those who live with disability. My electorate hosts schools and organisations that assist with services for people living with physical and mental disabilities. Those families will be heartened that the Labor government will continue to improve those services. In particular, the government have committed to increasing the number of supported accommodation places. We also provide funding for early intervention services to assist children diagnosed with sight and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome.

In addition, the government will also give the Productivity Commission’s forthcoming report on the National Disability Insurance Scheme careful consideration. Many constituents will be awaiting this review with great interest. After visiting local schools catering for students with special needs and discussing the ways we can make their lives better with their teachers and families, I am very pleased that the Gillard government will make the long-term care and support needs of people with disability a national priority. The government will also finalise the National Disability Strategy through the Council of Australian Governments.

I know that the former Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services worked extremely hard in this role. In fact, during the election campaign I had the privilege of hosting the then Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, the Hon. Bill Shorten. The parliamentary secretary helped launch Disabilities Awareness Week in my electorate and visited Lucas Gardens School. Lucas Gardens School provides an invaluable learning environment for children with severe mental and physical disabilities. Following a visit to the school Bill Shorten joined me at Livvi’s Place, which is a playground where Lucas Gardens students travel to enjoy the all-abilities facilities. Livvi’s Place is the result of the vision of Canada Bay Council, community leaders and the Touched by Olivia Foundation. John and Justine Perkins established the foundation in memory of their daughter Olivia, who died in infancy. They wanted to create a special place where children of all abilities could play together, and I congratulate them on their valuable work in the local community, which has brought so much joy to so many. It is incredible to think that this is the first all-abilities playground in my electorate, and it is considered one of the best in Australia. I hope that the model can be used in other electorates for the benefit of children with a disability and impress that it is such a wonderful concept and an even better reality for the community.

The social inclusion agenda will also include funding a package to help reduce the incidence of suicide, and other measures to improve the lives of Australians living with mental illness. Many of my constituents contacted me about their support for increased prevention and support services, and I look forward to the implementation of these services.

Another focus for the Labor government, as raised by Her Excellency, is education. Education lies at the heart of the government’s agenda to strengthen workforce participation and enhance our nation’s fairness and prosperity. Education is a cornerstone of our egalitarian society and is crucial to breaking down social divides, reducing crime and guiding our future leaders and innovators. For the benefit of my electorate I am particularly pleased that the government will build on the trade training centres program with a new national cadetship initiative to help young people develop trade skills and remain at school. The electorate of Reid boasts one of the largest trades training centres in Australia, made possible by an $11 million grant from the Labor government under the Trades Training Centres in Schools Program, combined with a further $12 million investment by the Catholic Education Office. The college currently hosts 135 students. Courses at the college include children’s services, furniture making, health services, information technology and construction and business services, to name but a few. The facilities match industry standards and student courses lead to nationally recognised vocational qualifications. At full capacity the college is expected to enrol 500 students.

Needless to say, I was alarmed and dismayed with the opposition’s announcement prior to the federal election that, if elected, they would cease trades training in schools. Thankfully, this did not occur. It is little wonder, however, that this would be an area of funding cuts for the opposition. In three years the Labor government have provided three times the number of trades training centres compared with the Howard government’s record over 11½ years. On average, the Howard government built only three technical colleges per state and territory. The Labor government have invested record amounts in skills training, and I am pleased that our vision remains firmly committed to trades training in the second term of the Labor government.

I assure my constituents, particularly the students enrolled and hoping to enrol at our local trades training centre, that our government will continue to invest in and support skills training in our country. Further, my electorate is known for its many fine government and non-government schools. It is an exciting time for education in Australia indeed. The government is committed to improving standards and quality, increasing transparency and modernising infrastructure. After meeting with school P&Cs and principals, I know that the possibilities created by our reforms provide new opportunities that many are eager to explore and I will endeavour to be a strong voice for my school communities during this time of transition.

I also note that the government will move to ensure that students have access to the Australian Baccalaureate. Some schools in my electorate already offer this to their senior students, as it provides a national educational credential of international standing. I am sure that the schools currently offering the Australian Baccalaureate will be pleased with this commitment, despite the introduction of a national curriculum.

In my capacity as the federal member for Lowe for 12 years I believe my community knows the value of working together for a common good. Through many local campaigns we achieved improvements to health services in the form of equipment, beds and an Medicare MRI licence for Concord Hospital and PBS listing of cancer treatments; an Aircraft Noise Ombudsman; we have saved local jobs from going offshore and established the Bernie Banton Centre, which is a centre of excellence for investigation and research into the causes of asbestos related diseases, particularly mesothelioma. It is a great monument to the late Bernie Banton, and I was very privileged last Friday night to be at the second annual dinner of the Bernie Banton Foundation. The CEO, Bernie’s widow, Karen Banton, has done an outstanding job in promoting the foundation, and much private money is being raised for such an excellent cause. I invite all members of this chamber to visit the Bernie Banton Centre at some future time. (Time expired)

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