Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] Last week on social media, I asked my electorate what issues they wanted me to raise in parliament. I was flooded with responses. People want the government to fix this bungled vaccine rollout; higher pay for our dedicated aged-care workers; justice and dignity for refugees both onshore and offshore; purpose-built quarantine facilities; action to improve and expand our mental health system; a federal independent commission against corruption; urgent action on climate change; income support; increases for pensioners and older Australians; support for renters who have lost their income due to the pandemic; much more support for the arts and the travel sectors, both severely impacted by COVID restrictions; better superannuation for carers working during lockdown; the LGBTQ+ community represented in the census; a royal commission into the management of hospitals; action on the gender pay gap; constitutional recognition for First Nations people; humanitarian support for Myanmar; an investigation into Indigenous deaths in custody; more funding for public housing; support for interpreters, staff and families who assisted the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan; and Australians overseas, families, friends and loved ones to be finally brought home.

The people in my electorate in and out of lockdown are thinking of others, their community and our nation as a whole. I got comments from people who have said they wanted an end to the state-versus-state division and a call for a united Australia. We should all echo that call.

See this speech in context