Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, in February this year I explained in detail to the parliament, the people of Australia and, of course, the wonderful people in my electorate of Longman the steps I took to renounce any entitlement to citizenship through descent that I may have held. Today, a ruling made by the High Court of Australia has set a new precedent, giving a new interpretation of the reasonable steps test which has been in place for more than two decades. In light of this judgement, I'll be resigning as the member for Longman and I will recontest my seat in a by-election, because I am not done yet.

I put up my hand to represent people who were just like me and to represent the workers in Narangba who rely upon a job—a good job, a secure job, a safe job with fair pay. I put my hand up to be a voice for parents in Morayfield with families who need schools that deliver an education that their children need and, of course, to stand up for affordable and accessible health care that the good people on Bribie Island and, in fact, every person in Australia deserves. After nearly two years of having the privilege of taking up this fight, I am not done. While there is $80 billion worth of taxpayers' money still going to banks and big businesses instead of to the pockets of people in Burpengary and Caboolture, I am not done. And while there is still a housing crisis, elderly people waiting for aged-care packages and an unreliable NBN connecting us with the rest of the world, I am not done—because in Longman, we deserve a government that's fair, a government that cares. And, just as I have done since the 2016 election and for many, many, many years before that, I will keep fighting, because I am not done. This is not a valedictory speech. Let me be very clear. I'm putting the government on notice that, while, ultimately, this decision lies in the hands of the amazing people of Longman, I intend to be back.

See this speech in context