Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I grew up on a simple dairy farm. Things were pretty simple. We got on with life. We did what we had to. We had food. We traded vegetables. We did all of that. And I look today at where we've got to in this Australian parliament, where those opposite are coming out to seek to divide people. I just can't believe what is happening. I think if people in my electorate saw what was going on in this Australian parliament, they would be ashamed of what has happened.

I cannot believe the division on every single topic that those opposite have talked about. Let's talk about defence. I come from a defence town. I've got a son in the Army. Why are we divided about defence? We should not be divided about defence. I have HMAS Creswell in my electorate. I'm proud of that. At the moment they are off working in aged-care homes in Victoria to support them during the pandemic. The brave men and women of HMAS Albatross served us through our Black Summer bushfires and just about every other disaster we can think of. We've got Australian Public Service employees working in Defence and working right around that need more support. I can tell you that there have been so many cuts that have happened there, but what those opposite are doing is trying to divide, and it's absolutely shocking. I cannot believe the depths and the lows people have gone to in this Australian parliament when our parliament should be standing up and creating a better nation for every person in our electorate, a better nation for everyone in Australia. But all we see is division. All we see is politics. That's what it's all about from the Morrison government, and I say that quite honestly and sadly, because it should never stoop to that.

My mum was a TAFE teacher and a dressmaker. She went to TAFE. She worked hard but, like many women, when she got married she had to leave her job. Shouldn't we be investing in our TAFE system? Shouldn't we be investing so that more young people can go to TAFE and can go to university? I'm married to a tradie. Where have all our tradies gone? We've gone through the bushfires in my electorate, and people can't even rebuild their homes or get out of their temporary accommodation or get out of their temporary business premises because there aren't enough tradies because those opposite do not support the public funding of TAFE.

This government has failed to plan for the future of Australia. We should be making more things right here in Australia. Senator Molan came to my electorate recently and talked about sovereignty, but what's the government doing? We've already committed to a maritime strategic fleet. We've already committed to the helicopters and the aerial firebombers. We've already committed to a housing Australia future fund so people can have a home. There is nothing from the Morrison government. They need to do better. (Time expired)

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