Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

With reverence, I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Ngunnawal and the Ngambri people of this region. I also acknowledge the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation, which is my home. I pay my respect to elders past, present and emerging who have cared for the land, sea, rivers and waterways through songlines, traditional journey ways and a deep spiritual understanding of Mother Nature. I honour your ancient wisdom and culture. I look forward to realising this government's commitment to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart, recognising the First Nations people in the Constitution and enshrining our First Nations voice.

I stand before you in this chamber as the very proud member for Pearce. I remember regularly watching Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating on TV in the 1980s and the early 1990s and being very impressed with their economic reforms and their successes—not forgetting the entertaining, quick-witted delivery of Paul Keating. And here I find myself in the House of Representatives, sitting alongside the member for Bruce.

The electorate of Pearce is named in honour of Sir George Pearce, who was a proud unionist and Labor politician. I also acknowledge the previous elected members for Pearce: Fred Chaney, Judi Moylan and Christian Porter. I am proud to be the first Labor MP to hold this seat since it was proclaimed 31 years ago, and I am deeply humbled that the electors of Pearce have overwhelmingly put their individual and collective trust in me. I thank the community who supported me and who clearly articulated that the Albanese government's plan for our future is the reason we are in government. Without a voice, the community cannot be heard, and I'm grateful for the opportunity that they have granted me to be their voice and partner in Canberra—a dynamic voice to achieve improvements, and to support strategic economic growth, fiscal responsibility and integrity. I am acutely aware of this responsibility.

In thanking the electors of Pearce, I also thank the Australian Labor Party for putting their faith in me. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the many volunteers who worked tirelessly on the campaign. To WA Labor's Tim Picton and Ellie Whitaker: your considered strategy was a great advantage. Thank you to Dom Rose and team for encouragement and advice. Congratulations to Sue Lines on your election to President of the Senate. My thanks to you and your team for your support.

As a previous employee, many years ago, of the State School Teachers Union of WA, working with the then president Jeff Bateman and vice-president Jacquie Hutchinson, I remember the hard work done to achieve better working conditions for teachers. I thank Dan Caddy MLC for his advice and guidance, and Dianne Guise, former member for Wanneroo and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, for her wisdom. The encouragement from the member for Wanneroo, Sabine Winton, the member for Burns Beach, Mark Folkard, and the member for Landsdale, Margaret Quirk—all current members—is very much appreciated. I thank my good friend the Hon. John Quigley, Western Australian Attorney-General and the member for Butler, for his encouragement. We all share a vision for the future growth of the Pearce electorate—for it to be more livable, sustainable and productive. The reliable support of Patrick Gorman, member for Perth, and Dr Anne Aly, member for Cowan, during the election campaign was significant. Thank you.

To be a member of the House of Representatives is indeed a great honour. I congratulate the 31st Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Anthony Albanese, who is a genuine visionary and who leads our nation with excellence. May your prime ministership be one of superb achievement with integrity.

To the ministers and MPs around me, I know we are here to serve our communities with vigour, to advocate for positive growth and development of our country. I have been a leader in local government, an elected member for many years and mayor for almost 12 years, patron and committee member for many community organisations and board member of eight local schools. Every single member of our community matters, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with them, understanding their challenges and opportunities, and that will be my continued commitment as the federal member for Pearce.

Our childhoods and challenges and our experiences, failures and triumphs all shape who we are. They are the threads of our lived experiences that weave together, and we continue to evolve and grow with each lived experience that we encounter. There have been significant and influential experiences in my life that define me. I was born in Manchester, England, to a loving family, some of who served in the armed forces and others who were professional footballers. I was the first-born and only surviving child of four. The deep grief and heartache my parents endured losing three of their children cannot be known unless experienced, and I saw its effect on them. My dad, Wilf, was a champion sportsman who joined the Grenadier Guards as a young man and, from there, the SAS Parachute corps. My mum was a proud Campbell, who sadly lost her dad to cancer when she was a baby. She was a strong, resilient, loving woman who kept her Scottish heritage close to her heart, and even now the sounds of bagpipes give me a warm feeling and goosebumps. Every New Year's Eve saw mum proudly wearing the Campbell tartan, waistcoat, skirt or trews. My parents passed away too early, but not before mum and dad instilled in me the importance of family and community and how the two intertwine.

I arrived in Australia in the early 1980s. With no immediate family in Australia, I took a leap of faith to the land of opportunity. A number of years later, cancer and IVF featured prominently in my life. I thank the community who supported me, lifted my spirits and encouraged me when I felt I had no fight left in me, when I was worried the cancer treatment had not worked. I thank those who gave me a huge warm community hug of love and support when I thought the IFV treatment may not have been successful, a community that was there for me during such physically and emotionally challenging times. It is the community that once again rallied behind me, supported me and effectively put me where I proudly stand today in the federal parliament, the House of Representatives.

As a breast cancer survivor, I'm acutely aware of the importance of the financial investment in good health services and progressive medical research that saves lives, for, without this investment in medical research and services, I would most likely not be here today to experience this moment. I certainly would not have had my two much-loved sons, Lee and Matthew, who are first-generation Australians, nor my adored grandchildren. I cannot imagine life without them or without my amazing husband, Pete, who is here today in the gallery—my confidante, my rock and, above all, my best friend. Thank you for your love, your patience and your unwavering support.

Our grandson Caleb was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, at 10 years of age. His diagnosis has given me a true understanding of the significance of the Albanese government's election commitment for the delivery of subsidised continuous glucose monitoring products to the 130,000 type 1 diabetics, under the National Diabetes Services Scheme. This will mean so much to many Australian families.

The reason I have spoken about my experiences is that they are a reminder that we are nothing without our health. I am proud that a Labor government created Medicare, our universal healthcare system for all Australians, decades ago and that this government is protecting Medicare. Improved Medicare funding and strong support of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will help ease cost-of-living pressures by reducing out-of-pocket experiences.

As I shared with you, my parents are sadly no longer with us. My mother-in-law and father-in-law were not able to travel to Canberra to be here today, due to their own health battles. My mother-in-law, Terri, a retired nurse, is a fierce advocate for awareness of myositis, a condition that she was diagnosed with some years ago. My father-in-law, Doug, is one of my strongest supporters. I thank them both for their unconditional love. They and many others have expressed concern about aged care and consistently talk about medical services for our seniors, who deserve respect, good food, nutrition and skilled, quality care. I am proud that this will be supported by Labor's $2.5 billion aged-care plan.

As we care for our seniors, we also care for those living with disabilities. I am a passionate patron of many community groups, including those supporting people living with disabilities. I see firsthand the positive impact of much-needed support. In the window of my office, room RG.51, is a painting by Robert Sully, a man who struggles to hold a paint brush due to his disability. His painting has come with me to Canberra. As Robert said, he always feels happy and cheerful when he sees me because he knows I care. That painting will be a daily reminder of the importance of our decision-making and its effect upon people such as Robert. By protecting the disability safety net under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, we can ensure appropriate support is provided and restore faith and trust in the NDIS. I have provided you with a snapshot of my life to enable you to understand what drives and inspires me. Purely and simply, it is supporting people to live their best life possible. It is easier for people to be their best when the fabric of our society is strong through advocacy, support and nurturing of families and communities.

The electorate of Pearce is one of the largest and fastest-growing areas in Australia, taking in 783 square kilometres. It is a population built on the values of resilience and of those who worked the land when there was no running water, no electricity and no roads. Inspired by our past, the hard work and investment of our First Nations people, pioneers and market gardeners have helped create a progressive city and have enabled our agricultural industry to prosper and be recognised as the food bowl of the north. In addition, many of our beautiful landscapes and residential gardens are a result of the local James family business, Benara Nurseries, which supplies industry, retailers, trade and wholesalers throughout Western Australia and Australia. The family owned and operated business was established in 1963 and is a key employer of many local residents. Their success story is exemplary.

I acknowledge the freemen of the City of Wanneroo: Margaret Cockman, Nick Trandos, Bill Marwick—and his wife, Bernice—Ruth Reid and also freeman Graham Edwards AM, a veterans advocate who represented the electorate of Cowan in the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2007.

The seat of Pearce is diverse and includes urban, rural and industrial land uses. Key industries include construction, manufacturing, retail trade, agriculture, education and training. Our population is diverse. The median age is 33. On average, eight babies a day are born to our local residents. Twenty per cent speak a language other than English. Forty-one per cent of the community were born overseas. During my time as Mayor of the City of Wanneroo, I was very proud to officiate at the swearing-in of over 18,000 new Australian citizens in some of the largest citizenship ceremonies in the country. These residents are among those who bring global perspectives and solutions to benefit us all.

As a country and a community, we warmly open our doors to newcomers. We welcome them as part of our neighbourhoods and extend the hands of friendship and kindness. This is the fabric of our community and the country that we support and champion. We value and respect inclusion, diversity, equality and difference. The continuing work of the many local service, charity and sporting groups in the Pearce electorate provides life-changing opportunities. These important groups can exist only with the generosity of spirit and time of volunteers. These volunteers are the engine room, the fuel, the cogs and the heartbeat of community. These formidable advocates for their neighbourhoods deserve recognition for their enduring commitment.

I acknowledge the volunteers from our local bushfire brigades, the State Emergency Services and sea rescue. They turn out whenever called to duty, with little notice, day and night, at the worst of times and in the worst of conditions. They do so willingly and repeatedly to serve and protect the safety of others. It was during a heatwave in December 2019 that we experienced the worst bushfires in the local area's history. The bushfires challenged our security, razing buildings and a national park, forcing the evacuation of homes and devastating wildlife and vegetation. While the fires were highly destructive, they could not and did not destroy the sense of community and camaraderie among us—quite the opposite: the bushfires brought out the best in people, who reached out to neighbours and offered accommodation, clothes, food and support.

This is the type of neighbourhood we live in. I am so grateful to be a part of it. As a federal government, we are funding an emergency management precinct in Pearce in recognition of the important work of emergency services and their volunteers.

Prior to being elected mayor, I worked at a local kindergarten-to-year 12 school as foundation registrar, working alongside the visionary foundation principal, Allan Shaw. At Peter Moyes Anglican Community School, in my home suburb of Mindarie, I learned so much about shared values and beliefs. I learned how the attitudes and actions of individuals can form a major element of culture. This includes reputation and how actions can impact upon it. I learned about the modelling of values to demonstrate high personal standards of behaviour. We are judged by our actions. I have learnt the explicit and conscious use of shared values and beliefs that assist with good decision-making. I stand on integrity, dignity and honesty and support the introduction of the national anti-corruption commission, which is long overdue, and Australians deserve integrity in parliament.

As the immediate past president of the Western Australian Local Government Association, deputy chair of the National Growth Areas Alliance and vice-president of the Australian Local Government Association, I thank my good friend Linda Scott, President of the Australian Local Government Association, who is here today, for her focus and hard work in local government and her personal support of myself. I acknowledge the influence that these leadership roles have had on me through time. They enabled me to advocate for judicious and tailored solutions to meet the needs of a growing area across local, state and federal forums. It is this knowledge, experience and advocacy, together with the support of the community through the Wanneroo Connect campaign, which realised $1 billion in state and federal infrastructure investment in the seat of Pearce during my time as mayor.

We acknowledge the importance of road and rail infrastructure. However, the Pearce electorate has only one 25-metre swimming pool, built more than 30 years ago, to service a large community. Local primary schools struggle to hold swimming lessons for their pupils due to congestion in swimming lanes, and for some schools there is a two-hour return journey to use existing facilities, which is totally unacceptable as it negatively impacts upon their education. I worked tirelessly with the state member for Butler, Councillor Nat Sangalli, and with the residents and our local school representatives for a number of years for the much-needed Alkimos Aquatic and Recreation Centre. Petitions containing thousands of signatures were presented as a result, and I am proud that this federal government and the WA Labor state government will help deliver this much-needed facility for the health and wellbeing of our community.

We have the emerging 1,000-hectare Neerabup Industrial Area, planned to become a leading innovation hub in addition to the established industrial area of Wangara. Neerabup will be the home for the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct, one of the biggest development and testing facilities in the world for remote operations. It will support a range of industries, including defence, mining, agritech and space logistics. Technology moves so fast that some of the jobs people will be employed in at Neerabup have not even been invented yet. Based on current projections, this site is expected to employ more than 20,000 people. Neerabup Industrial Area will contribute significantly towards achieving WA's targets of employment self-sufficiency in the region. This will ensure our economy is future-ready and primed to be at the forefront of industries and technology, including cybersecurity, freight logistics and alternative energy. We have many greenfield development sites that will allow Pearce to lead the nation in innovation, creative place-making and economic development.

The value of local employment cannot be understated. Creating the conditions and environment for businesses to thrive so that there are more local opportunities will result in less time commuting to work and will provide the social benefit of more time to spend with families, looking after our health and enjoying our lives. The Powering Australia plan will create jobs and reduce emissions by boosting renewable energy. We should not, cannot and will not ignore climate change. The threat and reality of climate change demands decisive action. I am proud that our government has a strategy and target of achieving net zero by 2050. It is an investment in our local and global futures.

There is a lot to be proud of in the electorate of Pearce: the 32 kilometres of coastline and a natural wetland system that meanders through the electorate, the beautiful national park and lagoon, Neerabup National Park and Yellagonga Regional Park. However, we face many environmental challenges, including mitigating coastal erosion, and managing and protecting our local biodiversity. Strategic planning, foresight and innovation are required to achieve sustainability and protect our environment while our urban growth continues at such a rapid pace. Food security is a global challenge highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is a challenge we can rise to meet through effective planning and innovation to support the agribusiness industry. Ensuring a secure water supply to enable the agribusiness sector to continue to flourish will support food security, industry and maintain local jobs.

I acknowledge that our collective needs and challenges can change. That means we need to be agile and poised to act. There is enormous benefit in striving to think strategically to anticipate change, so that rather than being reactive we are proactive as we govern. Actions speak louder than words, and as leaders we look forward. Decisions made and overseen resonate, but it is the focus on the future that matters.

I have had a number of significant, life-changing moments. I am kind. I care, but I am not weak. A good leader has the strength to ensure communities and organisations thrive and succeed. Those values are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to live by all those traits and to function with passion and compassion for making people's lives better. I stand before you as a very proud member of the Albanese federal government, affectionately known as 'Team Albo'. I make this commitment to the people I represent in the electorate of Pearce: I will strive to work hard on your behalf. I will listen to you. I will advocate for you, your family, your business, health, education, environment and future. I promise to serve with all the passion, prudence, integrity, energy and resolve that I possess. To the community of Pearce: I thank you for putting your trust in me.

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